The New Kingdom of Humanity

Court of Demons

Karzer, Rihiri, and Zarros, all were being held by these demons. They had butchered the rest of the hunting party. They had survived and been held at blade tip. They had been disarmed and bound the three. The armored warriors carried bags that were loaded with something, something bloody by the fact the bottoms were soaked with blood. 

They were lead to a clearing, and noticed a fortress, one that was on a tall mound. A gate was opened and climbing up the gate, they would approach a structure. The doors were slid open and a stool was set out, before a man walked over, wearing robes with a robe that had large supported shoulder wings. The man sat down, before the first of the soldiers approached. With the opening of a fan, held by the robed man, the warrior opened the bag, and removed the contents, that being a head.

It was set on a bench, with a simple name plaque. The sword was placed under the plaque. The man nodded, before he spoke. His words were....strange, a mix of sounds that made no sense to any of the 3 tieflings. 

The head was put in a box, and this was repeated, several times. It was disturbing how casually they did this, some left with expressions of joy, others of annoyance, but they started to notice a pattern, in the heads.

From what they could tell, the only ones who had their heads taken were those who had been more.....decorative in their armor, or wore warpaint. The hair was brushed back, and none of the head were damaged in a great deal. When the ceremony of sorts was done. The man lowered the fan, setting, before pointing it towards the 3 tieflings, and an order was given.

"We don't know what is being said." Zarros was first to speak, only for a strike by a switch to the back of his head.

The man, who they could only guess was the leader of these warriors. He looked down at them, before standing, and moving. He kept referring to them as Oni, as he reached forward, and grabbed Rihiri by her horn, and pulling.

She cried in pain, as she was being pulled and moved by the man.

"LET GOT OF HER!" Karzer shouted, trying to push up from his position, only for two sword to be drawn and a spear pointed at his back, the tip pressing on his spine.

The man released Rihiri's horn, before he walked to Karzer. He used the fan to lift his head, making him look up at the man.

He spoke, the words unclear to him, before Rihiri and Zarros were dragged away, and an armored figure walked out, a sword in it's sheathe was put in the ground, before he drew his own blade. Karzer grabbed the sword and pulled it from the sheathe.

He held the grip with both hands. Karzer moved slowly, his eyes glancing towards the leader.....could he strike him down before he was struck down himself. How many paces....could he close that distance....what should he do.

His eyes returned to his opponent, just in time to see him swinging down, the blade coming down at him. Karzer blocked the strike, pushing it to the side before he stepped back, seeing his enemy push the attack. He struck , swinging up and knocked the blade up from Karzer's block, nearly throwing it from his hands.

The second strike was down, cutting into Karzer's chest, drawing blood. Stepping back, clenching the wound, it wasn't deep, but would leave a scar, if he healed. He would shuffle back, before he backed up into the point of a spear.

"Too close. Guess I need to fight in here." He thought to himself, stepping forward.

He needed to either survive....or die fighting. He moved forward, unleashing a fury of strikes, hacking at the armored warrior, who shuffled back, avoiding the strikes. He made a quick thrust, striking Karzer in the shoulder, and slashed up, making the arm feel weak, as more blood began to leak from his wounds. 

The Warrior shouted, before with a single strike, powerful and direct, digging itself into Karzer's body. The tiefling coughed, falling to the ground, he couldn't stand anymore. Karzer dropped the blade, before he moved to the side. He spoke calmly, saying something that Karzer would never understand, before with a swing down, Karzer moved back, a final attempt to survive. The blade cut one of his horns and it fell Karzer grabbed the sword. He swung it with his good arm, cutting the exposed section of the leg of the warrior, who fell. 

Getting on top of the warrior, Karzer raised the blade and would stab it down at the face of the warrior. He grabbed the blade, trying to push the blade away. He pushed the blade away, cutting off a bit of his mask, before with a kick, he drew a short blade and stabbed it into the gut of the tiefling.

A twist of the blade made him cry out in pain, he looked up, just to see the warrior pick up his blade, and grab the only horn left on Karzer's head, pulling him up and then he raised the blade over his head. With a nod from the leader, the blade was brought down, and Karzer's head was freed from his body.

"Why did you do that! He was defeated! You are monsters!" Rihiri shouted.

"I think we should hold our tongues, they are warriors, and I bet we would share Karzer's fate if we disrespect them." Zorros said.

They looked at the warrior, before the body was dragged away, but the head, was placed in the box. The leader looked at the pair. He shouted a mix of sounds, before a woman, who wore make up stepped forward. He gave her commands, before she looked at the pair. She nodded, before she looked at the pair.

She spoke to the two guards, and she began to walk, moving them away from the home, down the gate, and to a cave, where they say......a sphinx.

"Well this is surprising. You come to have more learn. Very well. I shall be their....sensei." the sphinx said, looking at the woman.