The Smiling Demon freed the captives and asked them some questions. "What village do you hail from?" He asked. "We are simple farmers and hunters. Our town is located by a small pond giving it the name of Carp Pond?" One answered. "Alright best head there take whatever provisions you want and take weapons. I'll call upon you later for payment" he told them. One looked at him cross eyed, "Payment?" He asked. Smiling Demon's masked face stared at him back without giving away his scowl underneath. "Yeah. Saving one's life is a debt. You owe one. I'm not cruel. What my payment would be would be something you can give. Best leave now while you can. This tower will be no more after tonight" he turned and walked away from them heading to the top of the tower to hunt for clues. He walked into a barracks of sorts with beds lining the walls, a lavatory, and a kitchen. He saw a mess hall that had bowls strewn about and stew. "How big is this tower?" He mumbled. He came to the captain quarters where there was a center desk made of rich wood. Above the desk was a glowing gem. 'That's where the chi I felt came from? There, using a special chi stone to enclose these people' he cocked his head and realized the stone was positioned in the center of a magic circle carved above the stone on the ceiling. The stone was encased in a box and had wires coming off it connecting to the ceiling. He saw pipes of liquid chi glowing like veins down the wall. He looked around the office and found papers of orders.
'Captain Bragg we ask that you complete two cycles of raids. We want all the necessary products for this feast that will take place at the end of this month. I want each tower raiding more regularly. I don't care if the stock is drained. We can replace them.
Signed,
Emerald King'
'Seems it's a few days old? Which means we still have time to prepare?' He thought. He looked through his book shelf and found an old book with black leather. "Journal of Captain Bragg" he read out loud. He sat down scanning the pages. "I find myself at a crossroads. The towers have been put in place to herd the food for the king. His insatiable appetite has brought a plague to these lands. His predecessor wasn't any better. Former king lusted after children and best we kept that past to ourselves. Alas, he has essentially herded village populations within the forest to live a never ending torment. Give them enough hope and cultivation to quench the thirst but never truly give them a pitcher. My tribe has succumbed to this mechination to remain free from his gaze. My chief bent the knee to keep our free will and what we had. Doesn't make it right though. The king holds too much power with that crown of his. What should I do? The humans are no help sticking to their lands their treaty with the king is unstable at best. Are we any different though?" Smiling Demon flipped the pages and landed on another that caught his gaze.
"Seems the king has killed the King Slayer thus ending the King's Test. The worm tried to sneak in his fortress to kill him? Though his tactic was sound he did not know the defenses of Green Palace. Holds the Green Brigade all sworn soldiers to the king all rank five knights. They are feared even among my kin. But the real advantage of the fortress is that it's impregnable. I have thought this out of late. Even if you managed to surround the fortress you would have to contend that the whole thing is a machine. Walls are always moving. Defense arms that shoot beams of chi are another threat. It's basically a tortoise shell. Not with a hundred thousand men could you do this. Third defense is the king's crown, the Dreamer Mask. It could infiltrate minds outside the walls. Army would fall apart with ease. Regardless, my soul is torn between some morality for my actions, and my duty to Pride. I pity the prisoners I keep locked in this green hell. My men killing them isn't my idea of honor, but they are beast men. I stand alone in my Pride. Shame the King Slayer is dead. I heard he was a great warrior but how great are they if you lose to that fat bird!" The Smiling Demon chuckled.
'So division is already rife in the land. Humans chose to not get involved and the animal kingdom is unstable?' He thought. 'Green Palace will be an issue though Red will want to hear this?' He thought. He shrank the book and put it in his vest. He found some chi stones that he took and found some food. Which he also took greedily. He began stuffing his face and stared at the box over head. "How to destroy that?" He mumbled with a mouth full of salted pork. He chugged a mug of beer and burped. He put away all previsions along with fourteen jugs of ale in his vest. He put his mask on and then brought out the Demon Horn. He coated his body in metal and then jumped high towards the ceiling. He sliced through the chi stone and box. A bright light erupted and then the tower exploded.
Smiling Demon pushed rubble off himself and staggered to his feet. He began to laugh as he was unscathed. The metal retracted from his body and he sheathed Demon Horn back in his soul core. He brought out a jug of ale and began chugging it. 'One down one more to go!' He laughed. He headed North.
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The Red Demon stood outside the west tower. He watched as Pride soldiers walked about the ramparts. There was a big gate that looked very solid. The Red Demon could hear roars coming from the training ground. Cat man roared in excitement as they watched two big cats fight. He looked across the way and then stepped into a shadow. He walked out into the fortress out of sight. Watching the fight as they clawed and kicked at one another. It was a fierce battle.
The crowd cheered drinking ale and eating meat. Their leader sat away in a chair drinking a goblet watching the fight. He was in quiet contemplation. He had the appearance of a puma with a white strip from its forehead down its back. He had green eyes and slim build. He had a hammer resting next to his chair. The fight ended in a knockout and the crowd cheered. The loser was carried into the tower. The leader stood up and heaved the hammer onto his shoulder. He walked over, "Good show. You lot have had your fun now get armored up and begin patrols those who are off get some rest. Tomorrow we raid!" The cat men roared in triumph at this announcement. Red Demon sighed, 'Time to end this' he produced three crimson kunai and threw them at particular cat men. He made contact with the leader's neck piercing his throat. He staggers coughing blood grabbing his hammer looking for the direction of the attack. He set his sights on a man with a oni mask and cloak. He stared at him with glowing red eyes. He then produced more kunai and began throwing them at the men. Many were pierced by the kunai and were thrown off balance but were not dead. Some chuckled but their leader was loosing blood as he staggered forward trying to talk. Red Demon lifted up a hand and then made a snapping sounding. Then the kunai's exploded along with the men they were stuck too creating an inferno of fire. Red Demon activated Ash Touch his palms began engulfed in sparks and ash. He then ran past a cluster of men swiping a hand. They then burst into flames traveling from men to men. They all burst into flames and started to turn to ash. He used Ash Touch on the army of beast men. The army was no sooner reduced to ash and flame. He entered the tower and killed all inside with Ash Touch.
Before long he stood alone. He traveled down into the tower base and found an empty dungeon. He looked around at the cages and found dried blood inside some had old bones of bird folk. He left the dungeon and traveled to the top. There he found a chi stone in a box under a magic circle. 'So they use barriers. I take it you can enter this forest but never leave' he thought. He found nothing else in the office of importance and then threw two kunai at the box. He then left the tower as it burst into a fiery inferno. The tower collapsed, weakening the wall that surrounded the forest. Red Demon stared at it while it flickered. He then headed south to finish the last tower off.