Outcast

They stare at me in shock and panic. Then Nartica studies me before saying.

"Valoris? you are a Wyrm already?"

I can understand her shock, even the kobolds born as a Pureblood in the Bloodyfang would only now be just be making preparations to evolve. They can't wrap their minds around the fact that the son they threw away has succeeded past their wildest dreams.

"You're my brother?" Grael asks, his eyes happy.

Smiling, I look down at him and say.

"I am, how would you feel about coming with me? you would get to sleep every night I promise"

"..I would like that," says Grael quietly, cowering from Gerim, as if waiting for a blow.

"Valoris! where do you think you are taking my son!" hisses Gerim, forgetting how much stronger I am compared to him.

"SHUT THE F.U.C.K UP" I roar back, standing over him, and glaring down.

"I'm saving him, mostly from your toxic, hateful personalities," I say before I urge Grael to follow me back to where Vanor and the others are.

He hides behind me, intimidated by their appearances. They study him in amus.e.m.e.nt, before turning back the few remaining elders of the Bloodyfang clan.

"As I am sure you are aware, Selena Bloodyfang is dead. She and other members of your clan committed grave crimes against beastkin.

As I cannot determine which ones of you are guilty, your lives will be spared. However, The Bloodyfang clan is disbanded, all its property and resources forfeit to be divided up.

You may take nothing with you, Lord Tohil, who will be arriving shortly along with the rest of his clan will be overseeing your evacuation"

says Vanor, glaring down at them, as if begging for one of them to argue.

They look broken, especially Nartica, she looks like her entire world collapsed. Gerim, on the other hand, started leaving as soon as Vanor finished talking. Only taking a second to turn back and glare at me.

"Valoris, please! is there any way for you to convince them to let me collect a few things? otherwise, I'm dead, I have enemies here who will kill me within a few days" begs Nartica.

I stare at her in disbelief for a full minute. She actually is trying to get sympathy from me, me who she threw away.

"....Are you serious? anyone here would be a better option than me. You will be dead in a couple of days you said? sounds like the odds you gave me when you threw me in the mines"

Her face crumbles as I turn towards Vasuki, and Manasa and ask.

" You want to see your parents?"

They turn towards each other seeming to have a private conversation with just their eyes before Manasa turns towards me, nods and says.

"Yes, please, we want to say goodbye"

"Okay, Vanor do you want to follow me? I got someone to reunite you with" I say.

He nods soberly, knowing who I am talking about, before shifting into a wyrm similar in build to me. I stare while he does, this is the first time I have seen shapeshifting and it looks extremely useful.

I get directions from a kobold elder who was way too terrified of us to lie, to the nearest entrance to the mines. As we make our way through the mountain, I get to see all the sights I missed out on.

An open field where young kobolds are taught and socialize with each other. The market where everyone in the clans trades for items with each other, the fighting pits where you fight in order to gain standing and respect from other clan members.

It makes me sad, but also happy in a way. If I hadn't been born a Thinblood, my life would have been like Grael's was, never being good enough, constantly seeking those two worthless wastes approval. I was lucky, I fought to survive, and to get stronger, but never to because someone else made me.

We finally arrive at the entrance and as if by cosmic fate, guarding the entrance was the overseer who was in charge of me, Vasuki back when we were in the mines.

He wasn't the worst overseer here by a long shot, no he just neglected us mostly, rarely fed us, in fact, I suspect that we were allowed to be before often, but he took some of the food for himself.

"Generalsh.i.p.s, how may this servant assist you?" he asks, terrified by our aura.

"Okay that was fulfilling, I'm definitely bringing

Vasuki to see him when he is done with his parents" I think, smiling, and laughing.

"Take us to cavern 456-D, has it been excavated yet?" I ask.

"General...are you sure you want that one? to be honest, it caused the death of countless slaves of the mine for many years. We use it as the dumping ground for slaves when they start to improve a little too fast, we cant have these filthy snakes thinking they can actually want their freedom" he says, ending his speech with a snarl, his contempt for them clear.

"So that's why no one looked for me, I remember thinking it was weird he never sent anyone to check on me," I think, before growling back.

"Did I ask for your opinion, cripple? hurry up, or you will be joining them"

"Yes General, my apologies General" he w.h.i.n.es, before limping into the mine.

"Valoris...you okay?" asks Vanor, a rare moment of concern on his face.

"Yeah, I always knew what he was, it doesn't surprise me at all" I answer back.

After following the overseer several miles down, the memories come back, of pain, loneliness, rage being the only thing keeping me alive, and hope, the hope of it getting better.

Finally, we arrive at the cavern, with still a small crack as the only thing there.

"Dig it, now" I order.

"Yes General, I will get several of our best Diggers right away," he says.

"NO! I told you to dig, you pathetic cripple, now hurry up" I snarl, looming over him.

Not even answering, he starts to dig, with his lame forelimbs it's awkward, painful, humiliating, and everything I wanted it to be. Finally, an hour of watching him struggle, I decide we have waited long enough and told him to move.

I focus on the crack in the wall, on the air moving through it, we don't notice it but its taking tiny parts of the cave with it, slowly widening the crack.

I simply, reverse the flow so it's moving away from me, and make it pick up speed, loss and lots of speed.

A tunnel forms before our very eyes, the overseer is shocked, staring me with fearful eyes.

"Hahaha, nice work, I noticed you had a little breakthrough while riding on me, Interesting utilization," says Vanor, smiling at me.

I smile back before motioning for him to follow me. We crawl through the tunnel before arriving at the cavern where my life changed. I take Vanor to a small opening to an outcove, where Valoris's skeleton was.

"Son" he whispers, his heart full of grief.