As the guards waited a shadow spider crawled from the dark corner scanning the rank of each. "Report what you see Con?" Sword King said through his stone. "Seems humans brought Rank Five warriors. Pride has beast warriors at the same ranks. Nobles came with household guards no greater than Rank Three. They have their guard down. The mine owner you asked me to keep an eye on for you is here. He has a group that are mercenaries turned guards. They look seasoned and well trained. Any last orders for me before radio silence Sire?" Con Man asked. "Yes. I have thought about it and I want the Pride and Human leaders spared. If you kill some of their men so be it I would assume self defense. The nobles I want gone completely. They are the weak link and too much of a nuisance. I have spoken to Whistler Chirp is the only Bird folk I want to deal with. He is to be completely protected at all costs. From the king and yourself. His men are in the know and will not attack unless you choose to disobey me?" He let that last part linger. "No sire, wouldn't dream of it" he said back with respect. "Good. I had no doubt. Happy hunting report back when it's done. I will be waiting to hear of your progress" the stone then dimmed. 'Damn. It's going to be hard for me to hold back without killing everyone. Who doesn't like a challenge?' He thought. He stood cracking his back.
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The spiders crawled throughout the castle eavesdropping on all guests. Con Man was gaining more information by the minute. He decided it was time to talk to Whistler Chirp. He sent a clone through a shadow in the corner of the room. He then stepped into a room with six heavily armed men who were fierce looking. They were of different races making two big cats, three Bird Folk, and one human. Seated on a couch was an Eagle humanoid in purple clothing, leather vest, and a crown of red feathers extending down the back of his head.
His eyes moved quickly, sensing movement from the shadow as he watched as a hooded, masked figure came out. All men pounced and unsheathed weapons pointing at the man. Con Man held up his hands in surrender. "I merely wish to talk to Mr. Chirp?" Whistler was hesitant but gestured to relieve weapons. His hands clenched the handle of a curved dagger on his hip.
"Have a seat" he ordered. Con Man played along and sat opposite him. The room was full of tension as they stared at each other for a long while. "You the asset I was warned about?" Whistler asked. "Correct" Whistler clicked his beak and relaxed his grip on the dagger. "So what's he planning exactly? The Sword King was vague?" Con Man relaxed, wrapping his hands around the back of the couch. "Simple. Evolution. He has reached the first step" Whistler understood his meaning. He sighed annoyed. "Of course. He aims to kill us all during this?" Con Man said nothing. 'It would make sense. He's even willing to dispose of me. Such a piece of shit!' Whistler thought. "So how am I to escape such a fate?" Con Man held up a hand. Whistler nodded at this as he sank his back against the couch. "So how am I to move the product for you if everyone else dies?" He was blunt and straight to the point. Whistler was no fool and he knew that money comes first before everything. "Who said you're the only one I was protecting?" He chuckled at this. "My boys here will cut you down if you try anything you know this?" Whistler gestured to his men. They sprang to attention ready to fight. "There a reason you feel the need to flex every minute of this conversation? Just relax. I get how important you are and your love of gold. My King told you how this is going to go. Just following, allowing and enjoying the show should be your only priority" Con Man stood up and walked towards the corner shadow, "You better be as good as he said you were?" Whistler yelled at his back side. "I guess you'll have to see" he walked into the shadows disappearing.
A spider crawled from the shadow as Whistler stood up addressing his men. "I want all eyes on everything" he ordered his men to say nothing. "Especially that guy," he pointed to the corner. The spider was out of sight.
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The human guards switched shifts changing as they blocked most of the hallway and held positions on both sides of the door. Two guards Con Man could see sneaked away before anyone could see. 'Now who are these two?' He thought about watching them. They wandered down a hall. The spider tried to keep up as it followed them. They finally came to an industrial closet and entered. "So from the journal Bragg was interested in a coup to take this palace down. Seems he talked of a core power source under the palace. We disrupt that energy flow we kill the defenses of this place?" Red Demon explained. "I'm going to guess that compared to the size of this place the chi stone has to be massive. Perhaps a combination of all tower stones?" Smiling Demon suggested. "Oh I imagine so" Red Demon said agreeing.
They traveled down a flight of stairs opening a door into a hollow sphere chamber. In the middle was the gargantuan chi stone. 'Bragg called this the Heart Stone? Name seems to fit naturally now that I'm seeing it?' Red Demon thought. For a moment his mind became fixed on the stone Red Demon then had to force himself to look away. 'Go on get some of that chi before you ruin it!' A voice said in his head. He recognized it as his own voice. But more than that it was twisted. 'Fuck off! I have to do my duty and cut the power supply from the palace!' He screamed back in his mind. No one answered back. He put his face in his palm, 'Raijin wasn't kidding about the urge to endlessly absorb chi. I've taken on traits of a vampire!' He looked back up at the stone. 'No I'd be signing my own death sentence with that much raw chi in that stone. My body wouldn't handle it. Process is slow but I must focus forward.' Smiling Demon looked at him with a tilted head. 'What's up with him? With the full mask I can't see his expression?' He then decided to ask. "You okay?" He asked. Red Demon shook his head.
He then sighed, "Since you're my guard best you know. I have developed a hunger for chi. It's a side effect of one of my unorthodox cultivation taught to me by my master. As you grow the urges become stronger. I found myself going through this mindset when I used the tower's stone" he then turned. "We have a job to do so…let's find the power station and shut it down" he kept his mind focused. They ran down metal stairs leading to a curved path to the other side. It was a narrow walkway that hugged the wall. The pressure of the stone started to weigh on them both. Their bodies became heavier with every step.
It was slow but they made it to the stairwell leading to the power station. Red Demon studied the chi meter next to a lever that had a digital energy level lit up in the middle. He then pulled the lever down making the energy level dim. He then created a crimson dagger stabbing it into the machine. Sparks flew up from the impact. He was going to cripple this palace indefinitely.
They were turning to leave when they saw a hooded man with a mask over his face. He stood still, his eyes glowing under the shadows of his hood. "When did he get here?" Smiling Demon asked. Red Demon shook his head, 'seems I got too distracted' the stranger gripped the handles of two sabers on his hip. "Care to introduce yourself?" Red Demon said as two red katanas formed in his hands.
The stranger who was Con Man chuckled. "Who might you two be? Is the real question here? Seems your lord felt the need to sabotage this palace I see? He's cunning?" Con Man stated. 'We should play along; he doesn't realize who we are." Red Demon relaxed. "Yes, my lord is trying to set the stage for a take over? That's all I can really say" Red Demon lied. Con Man also relaxed. "That's good. Well best be on your way then little subordinates before you're found here" he said nonchalant. "You'll let us leave here?" Red Demon asked. "Why wouldn't I? I have no qualms with you. Merely curious why two warriors came down here. Now the mystery is solved" he said. Con Man was nonchalant before he moved with lightning speed unsheathing his saber in one fluid motion.
Red Demon raised a katana and parried the sword attack and parried the second with the saber's twin. They became locked in a sword battle. Smiling Demon summoned his scythe Grim Kiss and attacked Con Man, keeping him from catching a breath. He moved around the small platform keeping up with all attacks. He twirled around with his sabers knocking each offense from the demons. He then dodged a swipe of the scythe and jumped behind Smiling Demon, slashing across his back only to see a steel skin under the white fabric. He then drove a fist across Con Man's face, sending him crashing into the console damaging it further.
Con Man dodged a scythe blade coming down into the console cutting it into ribbons. The gears came to a halt and the light in the chamber dimmed some. Red Demon came from behind slashing through Con Man's back causing his body to ripple. He then leapt away as his body began to disappear. "Been fun! See you soon fellas!" in a blink of an eye he was gone.