The guards were still pointing their swords at her like she was some kind of threat. She wasn't, she was wearing a torn shirt, half her face was still dirty with dried blood and dust and she didn't even have shoes on.
He stared at her for a full ten seconds.
No one said anything. The guards looked at him, waiting for the command and the girl just kept standing there like this was normal.
He walked toward her and the guards stepped back real fast. They knew what that look on his face meant. Someone was about to die.
He stopped just in front of her and said flatly, no emotion and all.
"You stowed away... on my ship?"
She looked up at him, wide-eyed.
"I was quiet. I didn't break anything."
The demons all froze, staring at her.
He rubbed his temple. This girl was either fearless or brain-damaged, maybe both.
"You do realize," he said slowly, "you're in the middle of a demon stronghold.
She blinked innocently, "I didn't mean to trespass, I... I was just looking for somewhere warm."
He looked her up and down. No weapons or armor, just a human girl in burned clothes and bandages that were half falling off then he turned away.
"She's not a threat. Put her in the east wing and lock the door."
The guards hesitated.
They looked at each other like maybe they didn't hear him right. One of them even mouthed lock the door? like it was the weirdest part of all this.
"Now," he snapped.
They moved real fast after that. Two of them stepped toward the girl, careful like she might suddenly explode or grow wings or something. She just tilted her head.
"Do I get food?" she asked.
One of the guards blinked. "Uh…"
"Bread, at least?" she tried again, like this was a tavern and not a fortress full of demons who could rip her apart without blinking.
The demon warlord didn't say anything else, he was already walking off and he didn't even look back. Didn't need to.
The girl waved at his back anyway. "Thanks, mister."
The guards stared at her then they grabbed her arms and led her down a cold stone hallway.
The demon warlord sat on his throne. His generals were already waiting near the throne chamber. They all bowed but he didn't talk to anybody. He just rubbed his face like he was tired or mad or both.
One demon tried to talk. "Uh, my lord, about the gir—"
"Don't touch her," he said. Not loud, just sharp.
Everyone stopped talking after that. No more whispers, just silence. He didn't even look up, he just kept staring at the floor like he dropped something important and couldn't find it.
"She's not a prisoner," he said. "Just... make sure she doesn't fall in any lava or something."
Nobody moved. They were confused and scared. Mostly scared.
The warlord leaned back and sighed. It was a big sigh like he was already regretting everything because she was in his home, a human, a talking human and he didn't kill her.
What the hell was wrong with him?
To be continued...