Red Demon and Smiling Demon stood in the inn discussing a plan. "So the best course of action is we split up. We take two of the Pride locations each and then link back up here at Soaring Eagle. As a default location we meet here.." he ran his finger to the closest village to Soaring Eagle that had an X on it. "Deer Creek" Smiling Demon nodded. "Which ones do you want me to take Red?" He asked, staring at the map. "Take the north and east" forts. Leave none alive. Use whatever means you want" Red Demon explained. "What will you do?" Smiling Demon asked. "I'll take south and west and hopefully alert them before I get there. In this endeavor I'll use stealth, but also going in head first. I want the king to realize the King Slayer is not dead like he claims. This will throw him off tilt hopefully?" He didn't seem sure. The outcomes were unpredictable. Smiling Demon nodded, "Happy hunting I won't let you down" he gave him a nod and took the map from him. "Also if you can find evidence on how they are doing things. They have know something?" Smiling Demon left for his room. Red Demon was now alone in his. He began forging kunai blades embude with Flame element and spell to explode still from the Javelin spell. While wearing the thorn mask. His mind is clear to weave the spell with chi. After he made two hundred and exhausted his chi he removed the mask. He then stored them all into his belt. He took a mental pill and drifted to sleep.
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The Smiling Demon walked through the forest with the map and compass. He kept it pointing east as traveled. After an hour or so he came upon a tower with a courtyard and big gate protruding out from it. Standing on the ramparts were panther humanoids and tiger-like ones. All in armor holding spears and swords sheathed on their belts. The tower was crawling with men. He hunkered down in a bush out of sight. A wagon pulled up with a train of captured people of all races. Bird folk to humans to Big Cats. They all were bruised and beaten. Chained and tied together. They approached the gate and were led in by a group of guards. Smiling Demon felt chi coming off the tower as he looked up seeing a gem glowing green. From the sides of the tower flowed a thin layer of chi that was almost invisible. 'So it's built up to let people in but not out? We're stuck in a prison after all' Smiling Demon thought. 'Best wait till nightfall to make my appearance. Fear will go a longer way if I do' he thought. He then crouched and then went away from the tower. When he was far enough away he chopped down trees. He cut down the biggest and began sharpening the tops into tips. Once down he placed a hand on the tree, shrinking it to the size of a pencil.
When night finally came he put on his mask and held a makeshift grenade from sap and other ingredients. His arms turned metallic. He lit it with a match and then with all his might threw the flaming balls at the guards standing watch. The balls exploded engulfing the cat men in flame. They roared in pain as they flailed about. Men were alerted and a bell was rung. Smiling Demon stayed perched in a high tree out of sight. The men scrambled and orders were being screamed for a call to arms.
Inside the fortress a weathered old cat man was walking out in full armor. He resembled an old tiger with fierce eyes and saber on his belt. He was big and hulkling. All the men seemed to get nervous as they approached a high ranking officer. "Report?" He demanded. Pointing to two burnt bodies, "Captain, it seems two of our men were attacked?" He reported. Captain stared at the bodies and knelt down sniffing them. "Wasn't it a spell? Reeks of chemicals and something sweet?" He furrowed his brow. "Direction of the attack?" He asked. The soldier shrugged, "not sure sir?" He said. As they talked a whistling sound could be heard as a giant log with a spear head came crashing into the courtyard followed by three more. Men were impaled and some grazed as they narrowly dodged the big spear.
The captain stood up frantically. "What the hell is happening?" Boulders then appeared over the walls crashing into them creating loud explosions. The rocks were humongous and chunks flew off hitting men and damaging the fort. "All men at the walls find what machine is firing at us!" He ordered. He ran to the walls as another giant boulder came crashing at them. He dove behind the wall as chunks flew about hitting men. One panther was lying against the wall with his face completely crushed in. Captain sat up quickly as he was face to face with the big cat. More explosions of rock and spears ripped through the walls and then the gate became a target. The gate rumbled as stone exploded against it. It held strong.
'I've never tried this but I've been working on the next phase of my ability. Here goes!' The Smiling Demon took a deep breath and focused on enlarging himself. He focused on all body parts to enlarge all at once and keep him intact. As he grew over the trees his body felt flowing with chi. It felt like he was burning from the inside. He then stomped and shook the forest. He engulfed his body in metal as the spirals were glowing blue in the darkness. The Captain looked out in horror as he saw a smiling face that looked demonic in the moonlight. The giant was metal and its eyes glowing blue. It then ran at the gate full force stomping the ground as it came at it. The entire world became deafening as the Smiling Demon crashed through the gate into the courtyard. The area was an explosion of stone, wood, and bodies. A dust cloud enveloped them all. The Smiling Demon then shrank back to normal size. Downed an elixir and coated his face back with metal. A cat man staggered from the cloud. The Smiling Demon cut him down with his ax. He kept moving as more appeared. Some were disarmed while others had weapons in their hands. Dead bodies littered the grounds and some were gravely injured.
The captain was in a daze as his ears were ringing and blood from his forehead. He gripped his saber and quickly unsheathed it. He could see a shadow within the cloud. With glowing eyes cutting down his men. He made a run for it till the eyes looked directly at him in a flash the ax burst through the dust cloud. He tried to lift his sword to block but it was too slow. The ax crashed into his chest sending flying back. He slammed into the wall as all the air burst out of his lungs. He watched helplessly as all his men were killed by a metal being with glowing blue eyes. Its static smiling face sent fear down his spine. It wielded a scythe cutting down every cat man. They all groaned in pain as the scythe blade tore through them.
Smiling Demon used his chi sense to follow each heart beat. More cat men came into the ground's shields. Smiling Demon stretched his right arm towards the captain, still keeping his eyes ahead. The captain with wide eyes gasped as the ax was ripped from his chest by an invisible force. Smiling Demon caught the ax and ran forward duel wielding his weapons. He began cutting through the shields and men like butter. They stood no chance against the metal demon in front of them. The last thing they witnessed was a demonic smiling face. The captain's body was drained of blood. He felt life leaving him as he watched his men die. His closed forever as the demon stood upon a pile of corpses.
Smiling Demon entered the tower seeing two sets is stairs. One leading up and other down. He went down and found a brass circle upright in a magic circle. To side we're cages filled with the captives. He saw two guards run at him. He shredded them with his blades. The captives all looked at him with great fear backing into the cage further. His senses heightened he drowned out their rapid heart beats and focused upward. 'Ten left coming down the stairs' he turned to stare up at the stairs. He the sprinted up the stairs to meet them.
He dodged a spear head driving the scythe into the panther's side. He then used the corpse to slam into the soldier behind him. The Smiling Demon used the narrow stairwell. He kept them bunched up as they stabbed at him with blades and spears. The Smiling Demon drove an ax into one and slammed another's head against the wall. The dazed cat man then got a scythe embedded into his chest. Before long he made short work of them all. He heaved a sigh of relief as the metal disappeared from his skin. His face was pale and his body felt drained of chi. He popped the cork off an elixir and downed it.
'Now to find information and free the captives!'