A Dark Past

The next day, Tom stood in the lobby with four Mastadonians behind him. Bron, Inari, Belik, and Huthu had agreed to join the guild. Amath said he would think about it and needed some more time, while Onslo and Kuthir said they did not want to join but were still amenable to helping with training when summoned.

"I want to introduce you to some new guild members. It may not be permanent, as I am giving them leeway to choose how long they wish to stay in exchange for their services, but I want to be sure that they are welcomed and appreciated. They didn't have to agree to help us, but they have." Tom smiled at the Mastadonians standing with him.

"And they are here voluntarily?" Brian asked, looking at Tom skeptically. "They are your summons, after all. We don't want to force anyone into something they don't want. That usually ends badly."

"We were given the choice. That is why not all of us who were summoned before are here. Tom made sure we knew what we were signing up for before we agreed." Bron said.

"Weren't you....black before?" James asked.

"I was a much darker shade due to the previous person I had bonded with. We take on properties of the master we serve during that time. Tom has removed that previous bond and now we serve him willingly. So we reflect his alignment." Bron explained.

"So...because Tom's white...." James began.

"No, it has nothing to do with the color of his skin. It's his alignment. He is a good person, so we are returned to our natural color, not the darker tones of the evil-aligned person we served before. What is it with you humans and skin color?" Bron asked.

"Okay, okay, hakuna your tatas. It was just a question." James held his hands up defensively.

"Are there any other not stupid questions?" Tom asked.

Tom waited for anyone to raise an objection.

"No? Good. Inari, I need your help with the rangers and snipers. Please see Kiera to get with that team. And James, that includes you. Don't be an ass." Tom said with little conviction that would happen.

"What? Me? I would never. Now, come on, pretty elephant lady. You can give me some one-on-one lessons if you like." James waggled his eyebrows at Inari.

"I can kill this one? He seems weak and useless." Inari asked Tom.

"As much as it pains me to say it, no, he's a friend, and we need every warm body we can for the invasion." Tom sighed heavily.

"Oh, come on!" James protested.

"Fine. You will get special training. I promise you will not like it." Inari stared daggers at James, and he had the wherewithal to shrink ever so slightly under the gaze.

"Mommy..." James said meekly before he was dragged away by the collar by Inari and a wickedly grinning Kiera.

"Come on, James. We're gonna have so much fun..." Kiera said sadistically as she helped drag him away.

Tom swore he saw a gleam in her eye as she looked at him with a gaze that said it was payback time for all the jokes.

"Huthu, you're going to be with Kevin. He has a barbarian team that could greatly benefit from your knowledge," Tom said.

"Huthu help teach humans to rage good," Huthu said in broken English, really driving home that barbarian aesthetic.

Kevin stepped forward, and the two grasped each other's forearms in a traditional fantasy greeting. But they held on as each began to squeeze, seeming to size each other up through their strength.

"Good. You are strong. Training will be better." Huthu said through gritted teeth.

"You're pretty strong yourself," Kevin grunted back.

Both barbarians released their grips and walked away to the courtyard together to begin their training.

"Finally, Belik. I need your knowledge of magic to train our mages. Please go with Bohdan to begin that knowledge sharing. If you need any supplies or equipment, let us know, and it's yours if we can spare it." Tom said, looking at the smallest of the Mastadonians wearing a blue flowing robe.

"Very well. I will assist how I can. What do you know of magical principles?" Belik asked Bohdan in his almost nasally voice as he stared over a pair of glasses over his trunk.

"Not much. Basic theory. But really, it's just magic make things go boom." Bohdan shrugged.

"Oh dear. That is a very dangerous attitude to have. We have a lot to work on." Belik said, holding his staff tightly and looking at Bohdan.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

"We don't have a lot of time. Classroom time is important to magic, I understand. But we need to make sure they are ready to fight when the invasion happens." Tom said.

"Very well, we can skip some of the most remedial lessons in favor of practical application. Let's go find a clear space to begin." Belik replied.

"And where would you like me?" Bron asked.

"I have something special for you, but we should talk first. Let me summon the others, and we can meet separately." Tom replied.

Tom summoned Onslo, Amath, and Kuthir and assigned Onslo to work with Graham in training the fighters. Amath was sent with Briana and Derek to work with the clerics. Kuthir seemed to make immediate friends with Jay and Sean, who told him a little about what they were doing before they left to find the other rogues.

"What is it you wanted to speak to me about?" Bron asked.

"I just wanted to know a little bit more about all of you. You mentioned you came from the same tribe earlier. What does that mean, and how did you get here? Surely there are other Mastadonians you would rather be with." Tom asked.

Bron took a long breath and let it out slowly as he stared at Tom. His gaze felt like it was piercing into Tom and truly seeing who he was. After a long moment in which Tom did not relent, Bron spoke.

"Let's go somewhere more private. I would not have too many people knowing of what happened."

"Alright. Come with me." Tom motioned for him to follow.

Tom led Bron back to the elevators and then to his own personal quarters. The maids were in the room making it up, and he insisted they not stop on their part. Once the bed was straightened and the clothing taken for washing, they left the room.

"Alright, we are alone. No one will bother us. Well, except maybe Jerky." Tom said with a smile at the thought of his familiar.

"People come here all the time. You should put like a sock on the door or something." Maria piped in.

Tom rolled his eyes and locked the deadbolt on the door to the room so that no one could enter without his permission.

"I come from a world far away from this one. I don't know the exact location as we hadn't ventured far into space exploration. I'd say we were at about the same level of advancement you were when the System was brought to our planet. It was a place called Carnotia. Mastadonians lived there for millennia before the integration." Bron began.

"It was a beautiful place. But the System was not as kind to us as it appears to have been to you. When the integration began, it was devastating. Tsunamis hit the coasts, tornados the land, and fire fell from the heavens and rained down on the land, turning it into a barren wasteland. We couldn't continue with life as we knew it. The flora of our world was destroyed, and sand replaced the fields we once treasured.

Creatures began appearing and they killed any in their path. Some of us managed to escape the cities and find refuge in lands far outside civilization. We formed tribes of remnants where martial law ruled overall. I was a child when this happened. My father was killed defending us from monsters as my mother rushed me away.

The tribe we formed managed to learn some of what the System was forcing us to become, and we were able to stave off the monster onslaught long enough to become empowered. We lived in relative peace compared to the cities for many years by staying hidden and cut off from the rest of the world. We had no idea what was happening outside our tribe." Bron lowered his head as he sat on the edge of Tom's bed, the frame creaking under his weight.

"That had to be awful," Tom said.

"Life goes on. Even amidst the devastation of extreme tragedy, we found a way to continue. A few came to the village. Most decided to stay, but some wanted to leave. They were killed rather than allow our hiding place to be discovered. Monsters would find it as well, but they were dispatched by the warriors of the tribe. When I was grown, I met a female, Anashi. She was beautiful and deadly. We were wed by the tribal leader and soon after conceived a son, Sinari. My pride and joy." A tear fell down the side of Bron's face as he recalled the memories.

"You had a family?" Tom asked.

"I did, and I loved them dearly. Little Sinari grew up to be a healthy boy, and Anashi and I were so in love—until one day, a large group of monsters was sent after us. I don't know how they found our hiding place, but they came in overwhelming numbers. This was our experience with goblin war chiefs. They came in vast numbers and even tamed other monsters to fight for them. While I was out fighting off the larger creatures and helping to hold the line, a second group attacked our village.

We left a few fighters to protect the elderly and the young, but they were no match for the goblins. They slaughtered everyone. When we returned, our homes had been burned to ash, and the bodies of our families were strewn throughout the village. Some had tried to run, but their escape had been cut off.

I found my Anashi and Sinari in the temple where they had made their last stand. My lamenting was palpable as I cried over their corpses. I raged for days as I tracked down every survivor I could with the help of my party. We were met with a mage who promised to give us our retribution. In exchange, he required that we come to his aid when he called. We agreed.

Our retribution was swift and violent when we found the remaining goblins slinking into their homes. We destroyed them utterly and with no mercy for their innocents. But the price may have been too great. Shortly after, we began to be summoned to fight in the mage's battles for him. We couldn't refuse. That mage went on to hit the rank of deity and offered our services to other deities to gift to their Warlocks.

And so, we have remained as eternal warriors to fight for those who are able to summon us. Some are good masters, and others are cruel. But still, we serve. Our servitude is the price we paid for vengeance on those who had wronged us." Bron finished, tears streaking down his face as he remembered.

Tom stood in complete shock at Bron's story. Unfathomable sadness began to grip his heart at the loss and hardships he had faced.

"Bron..." Tom began but found himself unable to find the words to describe how he felt or comfort his friend.

"Think nothing of it. It's not your burden to bear. But I appreciate your offer to stay here for a time. It will keep us from being summoned by others while we are bonded." Bron looked at him with gratitude as his face softened.

"I'm going to see what I can do to free you from this. There must be a way." Tom offered.

"These things are beyond us mortals. I appreciate the offer, but there is nothing you can do." Bron replied.

"I will still try. I promise." Tom said looking into his eyes as a firm determination came over him.