Con Man
The Con Man sat in his room drinking wine. The window was open and his eyes were closed.
Across the rooftops was a Con Man clone running about with stealth using shadow warping to move around. He appeared above the courtyard where the king was seated and looked up at the sky. His body was coated in green light as he had stacks of plates all around him. He was eating meat and was gorging himself while flowing chi to his core. 'So that's his technique I see? Bird must have multiple stomachs' he pulled from the shadows of his cape, a spider that had eight glowing violet eyes. It came to life and began to perch in the spot where he stood. He then left the spider and traveled over the roof. He let loose multiple spiders and then vanished.
Back in the room he opened his blue eyes. Staring at the ceiling decor. He used the spiders to help him spy on the Green Palace. Especially the king and his knights. He had already left a number of shadow spiders with the knights when he came through the gate, some in the hallway, and now on the outside of the palace. In turn the courtyard spider he left with the king was to follow him everywhere. He then sat back and relaxed, pouring another drink. All the way to the throne room and his personal chambers.
He was going to leave no openings for the king to slip by him or out smart him while he was stuck in these walls with him. Con Man never played it safe and today he didn't intend on starting too.
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One spider crawled close to the edge of the wall as the king walked with Dexter. "What should we do with the Con Man sire? He knows too much?" Dexter recommended. "Doesn't matter. It's a means to an end. All that matters is my evolution, '' Emerald King said coldly. 'He has a one track mind!' Dexter thought irritated. They approached the kitchen. A team of bird folk began to stand at attention when he came in. The head chef resembled a chicken and his sous chef was that of a goose. They approached and bowed. "Sire preparations are almost complete, we will be ready for the feast as scheduled, '' the chicken chef explained. "Very good Chef, I look forward to it! May I speak to you in private for a moment?" He commanded. He, Dexter and chef walked out of the kitchen away from nosey ears. "Yes sir?" The chef asked. Emerald King gave him a vial that was small in his palm. The chef took it and examined it. "I want that in my guests' food. All entrees that are to go to them will be laced with this. Is that understood?" He asked towering over the chef. Chef looked nervous.
"Yes Sire, I'll tend to that duty myself. Your task is safe with me" he said, placing the vial inside his vest under his apron. "Very good" he then turned to leave. Con Man could see the staff stare at the king's giant backside while discussing. And even more for the chef. And from what Con Man could wager it's simple. No one gained more power in this region than a personal chef with no qualms on serving up his own kind to their definition of a cannibal. Let alone serving the person with utmost loyalty. Con Man saw it then it's someone devoid of any emotion. He kept the spider moving. Collecting information as he went. The spider then split into two and one stayed in the kitchen. 'Wonder what's in that vial?' He thought.
"Where to now, sire?" Dexter asked. "We see how the mages are preparing the magic circle for my ascension. I brought on engineers to assist them. Same ones who's families built this palace and all its security measures" he explained. They came to the dining room that was closed off to anyone. He entered after the guards opened the doors. He stepped in and found giant chandeliers being lifted and lowered down from the ceiling.
An old looking crane bird folk with a leather apron and tools upon his hip fixed his glasses, "Otto" he said to another bird folk who was dawned in robes and a glowing amulet hanging over his neck. He resembled a raven. He saw what the old bird was looking at from the overhanging walkway. "Probably here to check on progress", the two climbed down some stairs and met the king. They bowed in unison. "Sire" they said together. "Fred and Otto how is the magic circle coming?" He demanded. Looking at one of the mechanized chandeliers. "Coming well. The chi energy that will emit from these chandeliers will keep your guests trapped here. Under the tables under the floor is carved a Celestial Step magic circle. Specified to your cultivation technique. More blood shed or eaten within the circle doubles the power intact. By the end of the process you will be the last one standing. Nothing will remain. All remains will be recycled into chi ready for absorption" Otto explained. Emerald King nodded. "Will this room hold when the evolution begins. I dunno what will happen or given as the process happens you understand?" Emerald King asked sarcastically like a brag. Otto seemed unphased as he kept explaining. "Yes, the room is reinforced with barriers and spells. The powering of the circle and machinations all derive from the core of the palace the Heart Stone" Otto stated. "And will this room be ready for incubation afterwards?" King demanded. "Yes sir this room has also been equipped with an elevator giving way to a secret room coated in chi stones to help stabilize. The room will be guarded twenty four seven till you awake" Fred stated. Emerald King nodded in approval. "Good! You two have outdone yourselves?" He said happily. "I'll be sure to give you all a well deserved reward. Did you collaborate with chef when making these preparations?" He asked. Both were hesitant to hear the chef title. They then nodded, "everyone is synced on what needs to be done sire" Fred explained. "Good! Keep up the good work" Emerald King then left. The spider stayed and split into two. The other spider kept following the king. Con Man lingered on the two.
"Why are we even helping with this Otto!" Fred said annoyed. "Quiet! You don't think he can't hear us! That crown of his has abilities we don't even know! Keep your opinions to yourself!" Otto warned. "I will not! My family built this castle! My family has been under this regime's thumb for too long! I merely did this to keep my family safe!" Otto turned. "Then keep your mouth shut and keep up the good work!" Otto said sarcastically. "We all have things at stake here!" He turned and walked back over to a chandelier placing a chi stone in it. Fred shook his head and walked away.
Con Man switched his sight to the one following the king in the hall. "Be sure to use loyal guards to keep me safe during my incubation. I want good guards Dexter! '' Emerald King ordered. "Yes, I will use my best," Dexter proclaimed. "Good cause if they are not your best and I awake you will answer for it! I want nothing to keep me from getting one over on my enemies and allies! I must be the big fish in the small pond!" He sounded smug and excited.
'He sure seems full of himself. Wonder if it would shock him to know my king has already reached rank seven and conquered the Celestial Step that comes with it? Probably shit himself! Would love to see that" Con Man thought back in his room. He switched visions and was now in the barracks of the knights. The spider moved through rafters quietly stalking. A group of knights all huddled around a cooking pot eating soup. "Master Dexter is a fool to kiss ass with the king!" One said. "We serve him nonetheless" another protested. "Doesn't matter we're mere soldiers here. We have no voice. Best do our duty and let the matter go. The king will become the most powerful figure in this realm" some shook their heads at this. "That's the problem isn't it! We are allowing this dictator to gain more power while we sit back and let it happen!" A few seemed taken aback.
"We cannot keep up with this line of sedition. We know the king sees and hears all! We are being watched I'm sure right now!" They all began to look about. 'Sadly your not. He's too busy to give a shit grunts. Perhaps I can persuade the ones who hate him most to revolt? No. My king wants order here. Not chaos. I am here to secure the pipeline of chi stones to his forges. I will do as my king commands and watch. I will wait and till the KingSlayer shows himself, then the real fun begins!' He thought. "In any case we still have no idea how the crop got free of the Emerald Forest?" One brought up. "Must you call those people crops? They deserve more than being called that!" One protested. "Oh yeah? Maybe you can help free them?" One accused the other. "Enough!" An older knight shouted. "Doesn't matter how we feel. This is still a problem we're supposed to solve. Three more farms have fallen, the numbers are growing and they want blood. Make no mistake these people will kill you and me out of revenge! We must be ready!" The knights got quiet. He lingered for a while but after that speech no one felt like talking.
Con Man poured another glass of wine. He pulled out a communication stone and cast a spell of silence around him and the stone. "What do you have to report to me?" A voice said from the stone. "Seems things here are worse than you thought, Sire. This whole realm is a powder keg ready to blow" Con Man explained. "Is it something that will be a problem for you?" The voice asked. "No. We can use it to eliminate the king if you want? Even if he makes it to Rank Seven I dunno if he can even rule here with how things are?" Con Man seemed lost in thought. "What does the bird want you to do?" The king asked. "Kill his nobles and other leaders of the tribes here. Even using me to do so won't stop a war from breaking out here. We still need him for the war against the Dreaded Faction do we not? Arms are our main source to the factions?" Con Man was puzzled.
"We do. But at the same time we don't. I have already made other arrangements to keep our pipeline of chi stones coming. Other tribes like the humans there are willing to strike up an alliance with us" the king paused in silence. 'Of course you did. Always thinking three moves ahead' Con Man thought. "If the need arises I want the king eliminated. I have the approval of the other members of the Void Faction the bird has lost his usefulness with us. So feel free to act as you see fit. I trust your judgment Con. But one thing is clear: you are to eliminate the King Slayer. That is top priority!" He commanded and Con Man nodded. "He still confesses the King Slayer is dead. I could not get him to admit it" Con Man warned, giving him laughter on the other side of the stone. "I can assure you he is not dead. Whoever was killed was a pawn used to gain more influence. Nothing more. From what I can tell he is in your realm now causing mischief. Let the mischief continue. Hell even let him kill the fat bastard but he doesn't leave that realm alive! Understood?" The King asked. Con Man chuckled with glee. "Oh I understand completely, sire. Consider it done" he held up a glass as the communication stone stopped glowing. "To the King Slayer!" He said giving a toast.