Shudders: Reclamation Day

Chapter 26 - The Court

     The asylum was much creepier during the night but to the demons who lived there, it was comforting.

    Zankoku sat on his concrete throne as he waited for all of his scouts to line up before him. It's been two days since the human woman was brought here. He ordered Yama to foresee all her injuries before he planned to interrogate her again. Next time he wasn't gonna be so nice to her. He was going to get that information one way or another and had so many torture ideas planned that he couldn't wait to do.

     But those eyes of hers...

     They reminded him so much of a demon he once knew. It had to be that demon. There was no other explanation for those eyes.

     The rusty entrance doors began to open and Zankoku moved his eyes up to see one of his scouts, Brus, enter. The muscular demon bowed before taking his place in front of the throne. Soon after the other scouts began to arrive as well. Peach appeared in her spot a few positions away from Brus with a giddy face on, excited to see her leader. Dolores entered in quietly, also bowing and taking her spot on Peach's right.

     Another demon, a very frail-looking one flew in through one of the open windows. They had large bat like wings that flapped through the air heavily before carefully landing on the ground next to Brus. When the demon stood and folded their large wings like a blanket on their back, their hazel eyes drooped tiredly that made them look like a sleepy kid. Their skin was various patches of dark browns and pale whites and fluffy black hair that curled over their face.

     Peach leaned forward to look past Dolores and waved happily at the bat demon who looked at her tiredly. "Hey Bis!"

     Bis blinked in her direction before turning back to their leader. "Hey, Peach."

     Peach turned back as well but spotted the blond demon she hated take his spot towards her left at the end. He looked aggravated as usual with his eyes slightly red. Peach was going to give the man her middle finger when Ki appeared in dark smoke in the spot between her and Akai. Instantly her eyes lit up as her smile grew while she admired the dark demon before her. "Hiiiiii, Ki~!"

     His single eye moved to her but only for a second before he looked away. He's never looked at her before. She could almost jump for joy!

     Zankoku looked at his court and realized two more were missing. He sat up in his seat which got everyone's attention. "Where's Lamya and Bodhi? They're late."

"Lamya will be here soon. She's caging some runaways right now." Bis spoke. "But I don't know where Bodhi is."

     Akai tsked. Of course, Bodhi was gone. That old man was always off somewhere else.

"Idiots." Zankoku called to Ki and Akai who both looked to him. They hated that nickname. "I want to know more about that girl. Tell me how you two met her."

     Ki moved his hands behind his back and gripped them, not knowing where the King was going with this. "The Zone she works at captured us both and put us in a cell together. She was a regular Keeper at the time and was assigned to watch over us."

    Peach listened along. 'So she was being honest with me.'

"Did she have those eyes back then?" Zankoku asked, intrigued.

     Akai crossed his arms and shook his head. "No, she looked normal. Not like that."

     Deep chuckles came from the muscular demon with a mallet. Akai turned to glare at Brus, daring him to say anything.

"When did she begin looking the way she does now? You two must know something."

     Both demons hesitated to speak. They didn't want to bring up their history with her. It wasn't anyone's business and certainly not the King's. But it's not like they can refuse to speak. "Right before we lost her, sir. Six years ago."