Kael Cor: A Vampire's Awakening

When I opened my eyes, I was in a cell, but I wasn't alone as the wood sprites I had rescued were also huddled in the same cell as me. It was a really realm right fit, but at the very least everyone was here. I got up and looked at them, their necks were chaffed from where their slave collars had been placed, but the skin still looked pale as opposed to their completely dark green skin.

"Are you guys okay?" I asked them with a simple smile.

"We're all fine, thank you so much for saving us, we're indebted to you for all of eternity." One of the wood sprites up. She looked a little older as opposed to the rest of them.

I'm not really sure these things understand the intricacies of what it means to be indebted to someone for all eternity, but never the less they were okay and that was just fine with me. But the idea of being stuck behind a cell didn't sit well with me, I had really terrible memories about cells, plus I might be suppressing my abilities, but I'm still a god and I definitely feel like a person of my status is above being placed in a cell. I was about to turn the entire cell door and much of the prison where I was being held into dirt before I heard sounds of footsteps.

A man dressed in heavy armor walked up towards me with a sketch pad of some sort in his hands. He scrutinized my face for a while, before sighing and asking me.

"Are these wood sprites your slaves? We found them trying to protect you on the highway, right besides the site of a major battle. We've grilled them for information, but they've refused to say anything. We were about to bring in a mind mage when you woke up. We would like you to clarify some things before we figure out what to do with you."

Well that was nice, it seems the people who out me in here was at least civil, but I didn't have time to start answering questions that were not relevant to me. I needed to get on with my mission, and I also needed to blend in. It would be easy to just rampage across this entire city, but that would only alert the people I'm after, not to mention the dungeon planet itself. But in regards to this questioning from a guard, I didn't have time for that, not unless I'm the one asking the questions.

"Hey! Look at me very closely, Relax and tell me.....where the fuck am i?"

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Sunlight was nice, it really was. Of course walking thorough a very crowded street with a bevy of wood sprites was sure to get the attention of everyone around, however there wasn't much that could be done about it. I had a few documents in hand that showed a certification of ownership, an identification of citizenship, and a form for the adventurers association. Basically I had everything needed to blend in, but the fact that I have this much wood sprites following me about, was making that aim all the more difficult for me.

But this was something I really couldn't do anything about, we had no where to stay, we had no money, which left me with no choice but to utilize the avenue that the guard I had used the Allure on told me. This city is called Yursk, apart from being a frontier town for land on the surface, it was also a frontier town for the dungeon below, as the area of the dungeon top floors have not yet been explored.

The easiest way to get rich fast but also quite dangerous was to dive into the dungeon, kill monsters, mine rare and precious ores, and harvest rare plants.

This way was the most active and it was also more mainstream with millions of men and women in Yursk having an occupation as dungeon diving adventurers. That was an option I was all too willing to explore but at the moment I was looking for immediate gains, not a long term plan for making money.

Which left less than savory options of robbing, gambling, or selling the wood sprites with me. Obviously I'm not going to sell them, and my pride won't let me rob, which left the gambling option. Which as it stands is something Veer excelled at.

I asked a few questions before I was directed to the largest gambling den on Yursk, it was also know as the place with the greatest chance to become rich in a day, it was also the most dangerous.

I walked in, until I got to the front desk where I was stopped by a couple of 'bouncers'. It was laughable that these guys thought they could stop me, but I guess I had to pay by the rules for a bit.

"No slaves unless they're fighters permitted beyond this point. The observation deck is to the left, this entrance is for gladiators only." A nasally voice said to me from behind a booth that until it started talking, I didn't even notice was there.

I looked at the goblin behind the booth and raised an eyebrow in surprise, her large crooked glasses seemed to give off the impression of an educated person, but never the less it was sight that you don't always see.

"I'm here as a gladiator, and I will also like to place a wager." I said to the goblin receptionist using my most serious face.

"If that's the case you would have to sign a waiver in case of your death a solving the gambling den and Coliseum of any responsibilities or fault. Also you're allowed to choose your opponent or opponents. So how many will you be fighting, and who exactly would be your opponents. Also how much of a wager would you be placing?"

It was at that moment I seemed to remember that I really didn't have any money to place as a wager. This was a huge oversight on my part, and at the moment I really had no idea how to solve this pressing dilemma. I was about to tell the goblin I would be back later, before I felt one of the younger wood sprites pull on the sleeve of my shirt.

"Use us!"

His gaze was really fierce, and I could see the same sort of determination in all of their faces. They knew there was a definite risk that I might loose and they would get thrown back into slavery again, but they were putting their faith in me to win and still keep them safe. Well if that's the case I won't stand on ceremony, and I'm going to make sure I go all in.

"I'll wager all 36 of the wood sprites behind me, and I want to fight your five strongest gladiators, and all of them at the same time. Can you make that happen?" I asked with an arrogant tilt to my voice, completely ignoring the look of shock on the face of the goblin, the guards and other people who were passing by at the moment and were able to hear what I had just said.

"Are you drunk or something?" the goblin asked with a confused look on her face.

"I'm not, but even if I am that's still up for debate. But you've still not answered my question, can you make it happen or not?" I asked the goblin firmly.

"You don't have to worry yourself about it, this is my gambling den and coliseum after all. So you want to fight 5 of my strongest, you're either a fool or a drunk, or both. Tell me something kid, do you have a death wish, this is not some sort of game that you can joke with. You would definitely lose your life, so take my advice kid, get your sprites to the slave market and sell them. The profits from that would definitely get you a small amount of wealth."

I guess these five guys I've chosen to fight were nothing to sneeze at, though I guess it does sound a little extreme choosing to fight her five strongest gladiators all at the same time. But I was Kael Cor, doing things small has never been my style, and I'm not going to start now.

"Listen goblin lady! You don't have to worry about me, because quite frankly that worry is misplaced. You have nothing to lose if I die in there anyway, so there's no need to be benevolent in trying to dissuade me. You run a gambling den/ gladiator coliseum. I'm sure you've sent countless other kids to their deaths, so much so that I can practically see their souls hanging around you. So please make the match, and prepare my winnings for me, I need as soon as I'm done sending your gladiators to the next life." I said to her with a smile, seemingly being more a joke than she already thought.

"Well whatever you say kid, it's your funeral. Take the tunnel behind me, I'm going to be keeping this merchandize of yours with me, they belong to me now anyway. See you in the next life kid." She said to me as I went down the tunnel, but just before I could go too far I turned my head and said to her.

"This is! The next life."