Red Demon sat in the corner with his companion Smiling Demon in an inner chamber of the tower. They watched as Cornelius and Shadow Cat sat with the remaining Nobles, Old Lord, Chief Pride, Whistler Chirp, and the Cowardly Crane asked to be the scribe of the meeting. He sat away scribbling notes down with a quill. "So what restitutions you looking for then? We have sat here for an hour debating peace talks. It's getting us no where? Nothing we offer is satisfying?" Chirp stated at Cornelius in annoyance. "You choose to keep thinking your above me? Your the guiltiest person in this room? You lined the King's pockets more the most. Your mining operation used slave after slave" Cornelius stated. "He's not wrong Chirp. You even gain more favor outside this realm as well?" Old Lord accused. He knew he was partnered with the Sword King. Evident when he was not eating the food. "Don't deny it? Some could see you restrained yourself from eating anything? Your men seemed rather calm?" Chief accused.
Chirp scoffed in annoyance, "Right? I'm the villain for playing the game? What of you two? We're you not given some deal that would make you rule here too? And you nobles were not thinking of over throwing the king. Don't point your noses up at me! This slave in armor is nothing more than that. A slave pretending to be a warrior!" Cornelius stood from his chair grasping his sword. Shadow Cat steadied his hand. Mercenaries behind chirp made ready. Old Lord sighed in annoyance. "By the gods this conversation is giving me a headache? Regardless the slave structure in your lands was only made that way by the king. He is dead therefore he's no slave. If we want peace and not to die here when the army waiting outside that door ready to kill us all I suggest you play nice Chirp! You as well Cornelius you will not gain anything if you are quick to temper!" Old Lord brought reason back to the conversation. Cornelius released his grasp on his sword and took a seat. "We all want peace and things to remain civil in our kingdoms. We have bigger fish to fry and I'll admit we all need each other. We sit on a precious realm rich with chi stone deposits. Our position in the Void Faction is up in the air. So it falls to us to protect this land. Make no mistake we're all in danger!" Old Lord's words were true. Dimension incursions were not going to end. Without a monarch here they were open for takeover.
And his feelings were not unfounded. Red Demon shook his head standing up. He gestured for Smiling Demon to follow. They both walked past the meeting, "Where the hell are you going! You two are the causes of this chaos!" One noble shouted. The two demons paused and looked at him. "Yeah I'm the cause of all your problems? Seems to me you should sit down before you get hurt" the noble gulped scared and sat down saying nothing. "Where are you going?" Cornelius asked. "The king had a library I'm going to check it out see if I can find any spell tomes. Any that I should know about?" He asked. They all looked confused, "We did not serve in the palace so we wouldn't know. All those that do are dead or in the dungeon?" One noble confessed. "I'll take a look around. I'd wrap up your meeting quick from what I gather this Sword King he will not be idle. Right now is the perfect time to attack and take control. You are not unified, so when you get attacked you will crumble before the enemy" he and Smiling Demon left them all staring at one another.
The two demons walked down the hall passing warriors from Cornelius's army looking through rooms and ransacking quietly. They paused seeing the two but the both didn't react. They just kept moving down the hall. "Why are we looking for spells?" Smiling Demon asked. "You really don't get that we need to keep advancing anyway we can. So best thing is to find things that will help in that endeavor wouldn't you agree?" Red Demon explained. Smiling Demon shrugged. "Good point. Perhaps I'll find some Iron spells and something I've been wanting to learn enchantment weaving" Smiling Demon professed. "Well perhaps we'll get lucky. Luckily I can teach you enchantment weaving. Its one of my specialties" Smiling Demon nodded in thanks. They went down another hall and found the Mage Otto and engineer Fred carrying bags of stolen goods. They paused as they stopped and stared at the two demons, "Listen we just want to leave with what we are owed understand? Please let us pass!" Fred asked. "Only question I have is in that bag do you have spell tomes or anything to do with cultivation?" The two looked at each other. Otto removed a few tomes from the bag, "Only enchantment weaving, magic circles, and chi weaving" the mage professed. "Anymore where you stole those from?" Smiling Demon asked. Otto nodded, "Secret room of the library through that door is where the library is. You need only go in the door is open. We didn't care to clean up" Fred explained. The two demons nodded, "What element is the chi weaving?" Smiling Demon asked, "Aqua…" Otto confessed. "You can keep it. Be on your way you have nothing to fear from us. Last question where's the gold?" Red Demon asked. "Some chests in the secret room. The other is stashed with the chi stones in a vault deep in this palace. A key is required" Otto said producing it. "You already get some for yourself?" Red Demon asked. Otto nodded, "Good. I'll take the key for the new ruler of this place. If the alliance holds they will need funding to rebuild wouldn't you agree? I'll be honest the library gold is ours. I don't want the vast wealth here. Just the knowledge" Otto nodded at this statement. He threw the key at Red Demon who caught it. "Thank you. Best get going. Things go south this place will be a death trap for you" Red Demon warned them as they left running down the palace hall. Fred lingered when they turned a corner in the halls with a longing look. He was sad to leave the palace his ancestors built. He then turned and followed his companion.
"Well let's see what we can find then" Red Demon slipped the key into his belt. They entered the round room. The walls were tall shelves of books with ladders on their sides. In the center of the room was an open door in a wall. They made a B-line for it and entered a small room with four shelves. Upon which were books, scrolls, weapons in cases, and other magical items that emitted chi. They each took a shelf and began pilfering through them. Under the shelves were chests filled with gold. Each took a case. Smiling Demon shrunk one and Red Demon absorbed the other into his dimensional belt. Red Demon looked through one book that was one using chi enriched blood and making enchantment weaves out of the iron in the blood. This was used by Iron users, and the other half of the book was a partner to this type of enchantments using chi weaving. Seemed to be called 'Iron Blood Art'. "Hey" Red Demon said throwing the book to Smiling Demon. He opened it and began to read the contents. "Yeah this'll do nicely" he nodded. He cupped the book under his arm and kept looking. Through the shelves. Smiling Demon fell on a spear head connected to a chain. The chain was clasped to a bracer with a chi stone in the middle. The mechanism looked to be some kind of projectile either to kill or used as a tool he clasped it on his left wrist and placed a hand on the chi stone igniting it. The chain then retracted to a center of the bracer in the middle of the forearm in one fluid motion. 'This'll be fun to test out!' He thought grinning under his mask.
Red Demon stopped at a long case with a triangle tipped wakizashi inside it. The weapons emitted Flame chi. He brushed dust off a label upon the box, 'Salamander Tail' it read. Next to it another long box with a slender broad sword akin to a Jian type sword. Intricate designs showing swirling black wisps upon a white background moving up the scabbard. The handle has a matching design upon what appeared to be bone in the middle of it. The runes upon the box read, 'Black Brand' upon its pommel a dark blue chi stone. In the center an eye opened in the chi stone. 'Who might you be?' The sword asked through Red Demon's mind. 'Red Demon' he answered back. 'Hmmm…so you to be my newest owner? Me and Salamander Tail have grown bored in this room for centuries!' He said with anticipation. 'Depends. What can you both do?' He asked. 'I can cut anything. Space, time, metal, flesh, etc. I grow alongside my wielder. The stronger they get the sharper I become. I was last wielded by a mad knight who was extremely strong. After he was defeated I was placed here locked away. Some worried that I was too much for anyone to handle. My first owner and maker wasn't like that he was a strong cultivator who was wise. He forged me himself and was not quick to use me unless necessary. When he was killed I was passed down to criminals. Been cycle ever since till I wound up here' the Black Brand confessed. 'Are you a criminal?' It asked.
'No. I am a King Slayer. Some would call me a criminal though. I'm more a villain who wishes to fix the problems of the realms by any means necessary' Red Demon also confessed. 'King Slayer huh? My maker spoke of people like you. I do not get a bloodlust vibe from you. I would be happy to be wielded by you if you will have me?' Black Brand waited for the answer. 'I accept your partnership. We will fight a good fight together I think. What of your friend? They not talk?' Red Demon asked. 'They do. When asked a question. Salamander can be shy at times' Red Demon opened Black Brand's case and pulled it out. He approached the box holding Salamander Tail. 'Have you been listening?' Red Demon asked placing a hand on the case. 'Yes. I would very much appreciate it if you let me stay with my friend?' The wakezashi asked. 'Depends. What's your story?' Red Demon asked. 'I burn hot. The blade become so hot that the surrounding area bursts into flames. Some flame users couldn't handle that much power and couldn't find a way to wield me without killing themselves. Like Black Brand I was a liability. So kept here as a treasure' Salamander told him. 'Well luckily for you I am quite the Flame user I think we can get to know eachother better' Red Demon waited for the weapon's response. 'I accept you as my wielder' the weapon told him. 'Be warned though unlike Black Brand I hold a spirit inside my body. A demonic bird called the Phoenix. If you wanna use me you'll have to make a pact with it too. Sorry they are not someone I talk to even though they live inside me. That would be why others couldn't use me properly the Mythical Beast locked in here' Red Demon nodded lifting it out of the case. He put them in his belt and kept looking through the shelves. Till he found four Shadow spells, four Flame Spells, a box labeled Travel Stones, a bracer with a black dragon on it, and an interesting thing for Forging. 'Forging Mechinations' he took the five volume set and placed them in his belt. 'That's gonna be fun to learn' the two ransacked the whole room and took whatever they wanted.
All said in done, Smiling Demon walked out with a set of armor he found in a chest, four enchanted daggers he seemed to argue with before taking them, the spear bracer, Iron Blood Art, two chests of gold, and a book on mythical beasts of the realms.
Red Demon walked away with two weapons, Shadow spells, Flame Spells, Black Dragon bracer, Forging Machinations, box of travel stones, and a book on creating Mind Spells; all types of kinesis spells to imprint upon your Mind Palace. "I could probably sell the Mind Element spells" he whispered going through the list in his head. They walked out with other miscellaneous items they could sell along the way.
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Outside in the forest out of sight was an army all clad in armor. Knights all standing behind one giant man. He was clad in armor holding a skull helmet under his arm. He had braided black beard and long black braided hair. He had yellow glowing eyes. He scanned the walls watching Cornelius's men patrolling the ramparts. 'Seems the slaves took the Palace. This might be easier if they damaged the palace then this is the best time to attack. It must be crippled. So…what approach should we take? War machines or cavalry?' He thought. He gestured to one of his men, "Fire up the catapults and begin assault. The palace looks to be crippled we will take advantage of this now while we can. Get the men ready for a siege as well. Two frontal assaults will do the trick after we have bombarded them with artillery" the leader spoke. The subordinate nodded. He then ran into the forest coming onto a line of catapults teams of knights working around each one. "Begin bombardment" he told them.
They wasted no time as they began preparing the machines and placing large balls onto the catapults. They then lit them ablaze and then without wasting anytime first one fired then the second and then the sky was filled with flaming balls all coming at the walls of the palace. The men shouted as the walls burst into flames and the roof of the palace was struck by fire balls. The structure shook with each explosion.
They didn't relent raining hell upon the palace.