Mystery

The two approached a white temple with a crest of an eagle carved on the entrance. Cultivators were walking in and out in white robes. They all looked tired and dead in the eyes. "So what is it you study here?" Smiling Demon asked. "Cultivation, martial arts, survival, and philosophy" the owl man spoke with no enthusiasm. 'My gods this place is worst than expected. Any excitement other than lust seems taboo here. Most teachers enjoy speaking on their subjects. But here' stared at the men sparring in non aggressive ways. 'What game is the king playing here?' They walked past people reading and or meditating. Some woke up with a frieght from meditating. "Bad dream?" Red Demon asked. Owl Man looked where he stared. "No. Emerald King visits our meditations either to torment or instruct" he said nonchalant. 'What the hell?' He gave Smiling Demon a look. He shrugged back at him. 'Why didn't he disturb my meditation? Must be some connection to the land I'll wager?' He thought as they were led to a room with circular door. It was open. Cornelius sat at his desk staring at the ceiling. "Are we interrupting sir?" Owl man stated. "No Tobi your not. Merely daydreaming" he stated. He glanced at the two guests. "How did you sleep?" He asked. "Fine" they said back. He nodded, "Fried grubs? What did you think?" He asked Smiling Demon. "Delicious. She's an amazing cook" Smiling Demon stated. "That she is. So what can I do for you two?" He stood from his desk. "Honestly hopefully you have some answers for us?" Cornelius gestured for them to come in and sit. "Tobi stay a minute and close the door" Cornelius ordered. Tobi did has commanded and stood in the corner. "What do you want to know?" Cornelius answered. "Not sure how to word this, but best I just say it. What the fuck is happening here? Where's the fighting spirit?" Red Demon was blunt and cold. Cornelius sighed, "Honest answer? No idea. We lost it after we lost sleep. Emerald King you see how's a power to invade minds. Play with free wills or grant them freedom if serving him. Hence why he has allies. He keeps us docile enough to not be a threat but still live. Like reproducing, eating, working, etc. All go through the motions without real motivation behind it. Any hint of aggression is met with an immediate shut down" his voice was that of a defeated man. "Explain how you attacked us then? That didn't get an immediate shut down?" Red Demon asked with the same cold voice. "Well to be honest we have found some link to the effect. If we are not seen by his birds in the forest or those that fly over our village for some reason the affection is weakened somehow. Me not fighting you was probably due to me being seen by one of his birds. But even that theory can't be right. How do you explain you two being unaffected? He has bewitched this land somehow" Cornelius shuddered at the thought.

"So how are you two not affected then? Would make more sense if you were working for him. But even if I wanted to kill you I don't think I can'' he slumped his head. "Perhaps it's connected to the land. We're not from here. Merely wanderers like I said from another realm" Cornelius nodded, "That would explain it. You both are lucky then" he seemed envious of the two. "When was the last raid on this village?" Cornelius paused to think. "I wanna say a week ago. They come once a week. We're powerless to do anything. I merely have this guild to help with hope. But it's useless anyway" Cornelius threw his hands in the air. "Don't say that Captain!" Tobi said with vigor before his mind went blank again. "He can't even yell at me. I swear this place is pure hell" he scratched his beak. "I propose something?" Red Demon said, breaking off his day dream again. "What's that?" He asked. "Abandon this village, take to the forest and find some distance to break you of this spell. In doing so we remain here and wait for the next raiding party. Afterwards we regroup and take the fight to the king?" Cornelius stared at him with bulging eyes. "You can't be serious? Going into that forest is a death trap! Spies everywhere! Mythical Beasts of great proportions we can't even fight cause the spirit is gone!" Cornelius cupped his beak in his hands. "You can't sit here and tell me that you haven't had a plan to evacuate your people before going to a barbecue have you? To me that would be a shock!" Smiling Demon chuckled at this. "Sadly I have to disappoint you. I have no plans! I plan to get killed like everyone else. You forget what I told you in the forest. I am tired! That wasn't an exaggeration! I literally can't get a good nights sleep in fear that stupid king fucks with my mind! We all have that fear! That's how he takes people. Raiding sure some are taken, but the real serious cases are the ones who sleep walk out of the village never to be seen again!" Cornelius shook his head in utter anger. "Fine I'll need a map. Point the raiders usual hangouts or show me where to find information on that?" Cornelius's jaw dropped and he pulled a rolled up map out of his desk. He unfurled it. Showing a giant continent with a forest called Emerald Forest taking up most of the space on the continent. 'This king is very annoying' he thought reading that. Cornelius circled four locations in each cardinal direction of the forest. He pointed to their village that was named Soaring Eagle village. They were among twenty villages in the middle of the forest. "Villages outside the forest are connected to the Pride. Human settlements are on the coast" Cornelius explained. 'They have these people boxed in? No…this isn't a forest? This is a pen for cattle. We walked right into the pasture; they didn't seem worried about people leaving. What with the bird spies and seems they wouldn't have the desire? How the hell is this guy doing this?' He thought. "Thank you. Where can we buy supplies and or weapons?" Red Demon asked, rolling the map up. Cornelius led them to a store where there was armaments and travel supplies. They had no cultivation drugs whatsoever. Their cultivation was to stagnate eventually. 'He lets them cultivate I'm sure for his own gain during his cultivation technique of consuming them I wager' their weapons were basic at best. He didn't need weapons really, but he was curious if he could rally these people. What else would they need to be in fighting shape? 'I'll wipe out the Pride first then get these people out of their delusion by freeing them from the village they call home' he did find supplies like dried goods useful along with a few more maps. A survival book of the forest telling him the flora and fauna of Emerald Forest. "Thank you. We'll take our leave now. You wanna find us, we'll be at the inn. Tomorrow morning we set out" Red Demon said, shaking Cornelius's hand.

He left the Eagle alone. "This place is worse than we thought?" Smiling Demon stated. Red Demon nodded, "Yes seems we're going to have truly be brutal to this King and his forces. I don't want to spare anyone who served him. You get what this place is right?" Red Demon asked. Smiling Demon nodded, "They are merely raised cattle in this forest. All the villages inside of it. You'd think your Gate would warn us what we were walking into?" Smiling Demon shook his head at this. "No, it knew what it was doing, telling us to come here. The forest is vast. We are gonna need to be ready to trek through it and hope we are seen by the Pride" Smiling Demon arched an eyebrow. "Seen?" He asked. "Yes! I want them to come to us. I want to slaughter them all and make sure the king sees it through his familiars" Red Demon was cold as his aura became intense. 'Each king is worse than the last' his anger grew with each step as he came to the inn.