“Take out the dagger and stand in your place.” Kaduna ordered and even at the brink of death, the warrior managed to take out the dagger impaled in his stomach, stand up and take his place. He would heal, for sure, but it would take some time and it would still pain. I couldn’t see his expression because the visor covered his face but from his eyes, it seemed like it was no big deal. Like it didn’t hurt him at all.
“I own ten thousand Neos out of which eight thousand five hundred are fully trained and a part of The Great Neos Army.” Kaduna boasted. “They will do exactly what you order, when you order with no questions asked, just as you like. All of these men are trained all their life for this role and do their duties till the day they die.”
“I want all ten thousand.” I said, scoping the vast expanse of land the entire army stood on. This army will definitely help me destroy Xillian’s army, save Ava and still have enough of them help to give a tough fight to Adrik’s army.
“You told me you needed extra time to arrange for more funds to buy the army of only two thousand Neos.” So this is why Adrik had stolen twenty million dollars from me. “You certainly cannot afford the entire army. Regardless, it will bring my Island great shame if I sell untrained Neos and they make a mistake. I simply cannot sell untrained Neos.”
“The funds are my concern, not yours,” I growled. What the fuck does he mean by his island? I thought Xillian owned it. “I want all ten thousand or none at all.”
Kaduna clenched his jaw. “Fine. Two hundred million for ten thousand Neos.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “A hundred million.” If it’s twenty million for two thousand Neos, it should be hundred million for ten thousand. He is just pissing me off for no reason now.
“Hundred and fifty and throw in that wolf.” He stuck his hand out, feeling Mikhail biceps.
“Deal.” I replied.
“You saw your wares before purchase. I want to see mine.” A smirk curved his thin lips as he looked at Mikhail with a lustful expression. My brother was glaring flatly at the fat man.
“I will give you the money, you give me the Neos Army after that. Once they are under my command, I will give my wolf to you.”
“Fair enough.” Kaduna replied.
“I want to talk to King Xillian.” I told him.
Kaduna boisterously laughed but then grew silent when he realised I was serious.
“King Xillian lives in the main island of Ovzdusia and not in the Slave Islands. He doesn’t not step on our Island, he thinks himself greater than that.” Kaduna snorted. “You will have to go there if you want to meet him.” Slave Island. Eliyah was from here, I made the connection. Every single man in this army had been training since they were five. And the best were chosen and converted into vampires. I had seen Eliyah in the arena. And each of these men had better skills than him.
Fuck.
What the hell was Adrik planning?
“Fine.” I replied and then looked at Mikhail, “wire the money to his account.” He gave a sharp nod and took out his phone, pretending to do what I told him to do.
I looked at Kaduna again. “How do I command the army?”
He took out a thick ring with a black stone on top of it out of his finger and passed it to me. “Wear it and the army is yours.”
I wore the ring in my first finger and clenched my fingers in a fist and announced loudly. “Neos! Forward march.”
In a synchronisation I’ve never seen in my life before, all ten thousand Neos started marching forward, the thumping sound of their feet hitting the ground loud in the air.
“Now it’s my chance.” Kaduna licked his lips and his hand shot forward to grab Mikhail’s man-junk.
“Not so fucking fast, fucker.” In a flash, Kaduna’s heart was in his hand. “Never knew having a pretty face could be a problem.” He muttered, tossing the heart away.
The man who brought us here in the carriage was looking at us with wide eyes.
“Arrange for a transportation for all of the Neos army to the Island Xillian resides on.” He nodded vigorously and scrambled out of the grounds.
I looked at the Neos army.
I took out the black stoned ring from my pointer finger and raised it high in the air so they could see it. “This is the ring that controls your life right now.” I said and then dropped it on the ground and crushed it under the heel of my shoe. “No more!”
No one said a single word.
“The master that ruled you is dead. You are the ones who are alive. You will decide your own fate. Not me. Your freedom is yours. It is not mine to give. But I will give you all a choice.” I paused, letting the tension built.
I could feel the anticipation in the air. As trained, no one moved a muscle or said a word. But I was good reading the masses.
“The choice is to call Soare-Luna your home. I am Alpha King Nikolai Volkov and I am offering you an opportunity to become a part of the Royal Army which is led by the Lord of Arms, Field Marshall Andrei-with honour and not a damn Master with a black ring. It is your choice, stay here and fight with integrity, by my side, or leave right now. Unharmed.” My voice was loud enough the reach the far ends of the ground on which the army stood. “What is your choice?”
No one moved.
I waited a solid minute.
One vampire started thumping his leg, slowly followed by more and more until every single Neos was thumping his leg.
They all wanted to stay and fight by my side. Not a single person chose otherwise.
I raised my hand and all of them stopped. “I want all of you to select your own leader who will represent you in court.” I don’t know these people and I need someone who understands them, who has been one of them. “He will work with the Lord of Arms, directly under his command.”
A man stepped forward from the first file and walked towards me and bowed.
“Rise. Take off your visor.” He did as ordered.
He was medium built but he had a stable flow of strength in him. And I sensed a great potential. He had a tanned skin tone with dark brown eyes and a buzz cut. One look in his eye and I could tell he hadn’t had a good life. I suspected that most of them didn’t.
“What is your name?” I asked.
“One.” He replied.
“I suppose the Masters gave all of you numbers instead of names?”
“Yes, Master.”
“Everyone will choose a name for themselves right this second.” I announced before I turned to the General of the Neos Army. “From today, your name is Ratmir. It means defender of peace in Russian.”
I saw the gratefulness in his eyes along with devotion. He bowed his head and agreement.
“As you command, Master.” He bowed again.
I placed my hand on his shoulder and squeezed. “Call me Nikolai.”
He froze but then unfroze in a second and bowed again. And in his voice, I felt respect, the beginning of unwavering loyalty and devotion. “As you command, King Nikolai.”