My life as a reborn monster

I stood there watching as this Hellhound walking upright stared right back at me with a confidence that that was unnerving. I had 4 men with me while it was all alone yet it stood there arrogantly waiting for us to attack..... Yet all the while I could feel the fear in my team rising ever higher, Like a pressure was boiling up in us and it was reaching a point where soon we were going to break.

"NOW THOMSON!" Desmaros yelled and that seemed to jolt The elf enough to rush at the beast as I lobbed a concentrated shadow blob and Desmaros threw a faintly ominous red glowing throwing knife towards it aswell. It was a 3 pronged attack that hopefully ensured atleast one would hit if not all, however the beast just stood there until Thomson was a few feet away before he crouched and bashed against his shield. This time it looked like Thomson was nothing more than pebble being thrown across a lake as he flew through the air and skipped along the ground before skidding to a halt several meters behind us...

My blob of shadows landed close enough that it was able to activate and sent out tendrils to latch onto it's legs before slowly creeping up along it's body. My shadow blob is meant to be a slowing spell but also has the effect of over time eventually reaching the point of killing you should it cover enough of your body. Desmaros' was not as lucky as the beast simply swung a weapon that until now I had not been focused enough to pay attention to and deflected it easily.

The weapon looked like a roughly made handaxe but the blade was some type of dark material that seemed to suck in the light around it aswell as the beasts own undulating 'fur' as it traveled up the handle and into the material. I couldn't recognize what it was but whatever it was, I knew dragging this fight on longer than necessary was bad news for us. I looked up at the sky and saw as the Moon was just about to approach the highest point in the sky, Which was wonderful for me as I quickly stabbed my hand into the shadow of a nearby large tree and felt as the Umbral energy started to gather around my arm before I sent it down my body and through my foot into the ground to create a Shadow summoning circle. I was going to call forth a Shadow assassin that was hopefully going to keep up with this creature and provide the much needed buffer that my men needed to get their head back into the fight.

As I focused on summoning Desmaros was helping Thomson and the other two soldiers to hold off the beast the best they could. Thomson would every so often use a skill that caused his tower shield to glow a blood red and emit a smell of fresh blood that would draw in the monster to attack him as if it were crazed, then after a few seconds of constant abuse Thomson's body would send out a blast of some sort that knocked it back and his shield would sprout a small bladed edge that he used to slash out. He actually caused a few cuts but shortly after they were made we all saw as some steam escaped the wound and they sealed back up without even a drop of blood or anything could drip out.

Desmaros was buffing the soldiers the best he could but his buffing was more of a debuff buff.... I know it.... Most of you are saying WTF but his magic centers around deals since he's a demon right? Well I remember that when I first met him, his magic could only exchange one point of stat straight across for another.... Now this dude could exchange one point for upwards of 100, but that kind of deal has stipulations attached that exist even after the battle end along with the status change.... So for now he can only do upwards of 50:1.

Still that is fucking insane as a debuff buff right haha! The other soldiers I see seem to be an archer centered around using a huge bow and mana constructed arrows, and a swordsman that has a sword that looks like it was made out of sharkskin? It looks like it would rip me to shreds just from touching it! But this dude is just grabbing it even by the blade and doing insane combos as him and this beast are trading blows while he ducks behind Thomson every once and a while when the beast gets lucky and almost lands a fatal blow. He has some pretty good instincts for survival it looks like.

Finally though the circle is complete and the shadows swoop towards the center of the circle and concentrate together to form a sturdy but lithe figure covered in a ninja like attire with only its eyes showing that are stark white as it looks at me and it bows slightly.

"I require your aid once again Shienna, This creature is a evolved hellhound but it is so much more powerful than it once was and I need to capture this specimen for study."

In a feminine yet Ethereal voice the figure whispers as if it was right next to my ear. "Your wish is my command Master. I will capture this beast quickly but you know I require payment afterwards." I could see as her brow lifted questioningly at me as if to ask me if I had forgotten our contract but I shook my head as I smiled and chuckled.

"I have not forgotten my promise Shienna. Do what I desire and I Shall do what you desire..... Afterwards though we will have to have a talk because things have changed since last we saw eachother. Drastically I might add." I scratched the back of my neck as I said that since I didn't really want bullshit right now and I had more pressing matters at hand.

The assassin only tilted her head slightly before vanishing and reappearing behind the Hellhound and with a swift set of strikes across its back, Shienna completely paralyzes the creature and kicks away the weapon that it somehow still had a vice like grip on. All the rest of the men stood there in pure shock at how fast she accomplished this but she ignored their admiring stares as she lugged the creature over to me and placed it at my feet and knelt.

"Master, your wish has been granted. I get the feeling that you have hesitation in fulfilling our contract unlike usual.... So in its place I would like to stay summoned."

What she asked wasn't exactly what I expected but I wasn't against the idea, and we could always use the extra manpower... 'AHEM!' Shienna coughed almost like she heard what I thought just now... Excuse me.... Womanpower! Anywhoo, I decided that this specimen would have to be enough for my experiments for now and that we should pull back to the FOB and regroup. I made that decision for the simple fact that Thomson and the other 2 soldiers looked horrible, they didn't suffer many wounds, mostly bruises or light scratches or burns thanks to the distractions from Desmaros and my shadows slowing effects. But the Fear still hold a tight grip over their psyche and they would be nigh but useless if we were to continue.

"Master? We could continue just the 3 of us yes? Since when have you cared about the wellbeing of such lowly creatures?" Shienna asked as she looked at me with confused eyes at how I acted recently. I understood since the last time she was summoned things had changed in the way I thought and behaved as a whole.

"Master Necro has had a change of heart quite recently Shienna. He has found a woman that made him change the way he viewed the world and made him rethink everything." Desmaros said and I whipped my head around as quick as lighting with wide eyes as he smiled at me wickedly before giving me a wink. All of a sudden I felt as if a dark pressure erupted from behind me and it took all I had to slowly creak my head to turn towards Shienna.

"Hehe. About that.... That was actually what I wanted to talk to you about Shienna...Shienna?" I turned to see that Shienna was just standing there looking at me. No malevolent, otherworldly, malestrom of dark energy surrounding her. But instead just her eyes boring a hole straight into my soul....

"Let's talk.... Necro."  "Shit."

Before I could Inhale and hold my breath Shienna ran at me and we both imploded into shadow as she drew us into the world of shadows that her clan used to make their contracts. I looked around knowing full well that there would be nothing but pure darkness all around us, yet I could see just fine aslong as Shienna, the one who pulled me in, was here with me. The thing to note was that in here she did not look the as out in the world. In here was a place of Trust, The Shade Weaver clan would only make contracts with the people they absolutely trusted and in here they would show their true forms that lay underneath the shadow ninja like armor.

.... To say that she was gorgeous was a vast understatement. She was born and raised on Dark mountain... Yes that Dark mountain, and because of that her skin is a very pale white, almost translucent, but that let's her feel the slightest change in the air around her. It also makes her people very sensitive to the sun and to touch aswell, hence the shadow forms. But she has silver white hair that she has chopped off at the neck but it still comes down the sides of her face to frame it just right, like if to say 'hey I want your full attention right here on me!', Her body is fit and made for moving quickly, She has tight compact muscles that were honed over years and years of laborious work under my command. It has been awhile since I saw her true form that I couldn't help but gawk at how beautiful she was.

"Sit Necro, Let us begin the negotiations."

"Oh, so this is now a negotiation? I thought we were just going to talk? Do you still want to work with me, or did you finally get tired of dealing with me and find someone to live your life with?" I smirked asking that but she only shook her head.

"This is business, We need to discuss the terms of our continued arrangement since our last agreed upon deal has become no longer sustainable." She said with a straight face but I saw as her eyes betrayed her for a split second with look sadness. 'Did she have feelings for me? No, Shadeweavers are born assassins, They are taught to discard emotions.... So what was that, that I just saw?'

"I am now married to a half Dragonoid woman, Her name is Hannah Pride. I can pay you with gold or with a weekly offering of my mana." She stared at me with narrowed eyes as we sat in silence for minutes on end and to the point where I started to feel uncomfortable under her gaze.

"When was the wedding?"

"Huh?"

"The Wedding, when was it?"

"OH, um maybe a few days ago? within the last week? I have had a few important things to take care of since then so I kind of lost track." I said with a confused sheepish shrug.

She sighed while shaking her head. "I can't believe it. You got married and didn't even tell me.... What about Jebaros? Did you let him know about it, You know he thinks of you as a big brother." She asked me with a very pointed look that said she already knew that answer.

"Hahe, yeaaaa About that.... Would you believe me if I said I forgot? You guys know what I'm doing down here. why didn't you guys just show up, you know you can come down here anytime you want."

"And you know that it is against our tradition and rules to go to our Contract without first being summoned. You knew that before we became contracted yet you still wanted to do it." I could have swore that her cheeks puffed up a little after saying that but I blinked and that expression was gone.

"Because you couldn't leave the Mountain and I knew that this was the only way for you two to be able to see the outside world! I wanted to bring you guys along with me! I'm sorry I haven't called on you guys lately but you know how hectic things have been for me, why are you acting like this Shienna? Wait... Are you Jealous that I got married?"

!? She looked up at me with wide eyes and before I could blink again I was on the ground and she was knelt over top of me with both of her daggers crossed at my throat with her almost translucent, gorgeous skin showing a shade of red that I never knew it could become.

"I would never be jealous of you getting married! How could I get Jealous that some woman Stole you.. I mean That some woman came and changed the way you thought? Things are bound to change in this world! Hmph as a matter of fact there is a rather beefy male from a prospective clan that is rather infatuated with me... I was thinking of persuing him but didn't know how to break it to you... Looks like you just made this easier..."

She huffed before withdrawing her blades and getting off me and then going to sit back down in her original position. I just sat back up and looked at her with a scrutinizing gaze.... That was some bullshit if I ever heard.

"Let's cut the bullshit Shienna. You have feelings for me don't you. I understand, with the way our contract goes and what we agreed upon I can see how it could've happened. I'll admit, I feel something towards you aswell. I think you are very beautiful aswell, I find you very, highly, attractive. I still want you around me and work with me. But.... I don't know about anything more. I know this world is fine with men and women having more than one partner but I know that not everybody is fine with that. Why don't you come and meet Hannah and I will keep you summoned and we can negotiate that I keep you summoned in exchange for my mana at small daily intervals? Wether we shake hands or a quick hug to exchange would be up to you."

Shienna was possibly one of my oldest friends besides her younger brother Jebaros. My parents had very close ties with her clan before their deaths and they brought me on multiple occasions.... I couldn't see myself losing her as a friend or as a reliable companion. I hope Hannah can understand.

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