[IRP] The Dead One Calls

[Swift_Assassin]

Eli's consoling(?) words didn't affect Shad that much. His blood lust was sated for the moment. His sister was still a prisoner and his men where still dead, but he finally drew first blood against them. That was more comforting to him than what Eli had told him. His mind went over the conversation he had and going back over it, he recalled them saying how many Maria had killed before they captured her. He felt a bit of pride and regret at the feat. Maria, at half his age, is already thrice as good with magic as he is. There is a lot of their mother in her, after all. But Maria shouldn't be killing people at her age, not with twenty soldiers protecting her. She should just be practicing and perfecting her magic at this stage in her life, not putting it into use. But...wait. Why-

Eli disturbed his train of thought as he ran off towards the town. Shad just stopped in his tracks and looked back at the path they had taken. "Why did you stop fighting?" Shad said to his sister, knowing full well she was far out of hearing distance and probably not in a position to reply. Shad began playing scenarios in his head. The first he could think of happened to him personally. Magic exhaustion. Could she have exhausted herself fighting so many opponents? She has a better grasp on magic than Shad, perhaps she was using more intensive spells.

Perhaps they forced her to surrender by using the others as hostages. It would explain why they were so scared of her. They needed hostages to stop her in her tracks. The only people they killed were the soldiers, so its fair to say they'd have a pick of hostages to use to stop her. But that was Shad thinking optimistically. In the back of his mind, he knew the possibility existed that she was actually beat up and knocked out. He didn't want to consider that. With how scared those two men were of the brat, it was almost obvious in his mind that Maria put up more of a fight than they were able to put up with until something happened. They still had a fear of magic in them from what she did. Although, Shad was just projecting one mans fear onto all of the brigands they were about to fight.

Shad turned his gaze back towards the town. The bandits are real. Shad knew Maisie wouldn't lie, so why is this town so eerily calm? Shad had an idea flash through his head as he kicked a nearby rock. And a large one at that. "Why did I kill them?! Argh?! I should have pressed them for more information! Why! Am! I! So! Stupid?!" Shad yelled, kicking the rock to punctuate his words. He barely registered the damage he did to own foot in doing so. He still didn't feel the damage he did to his left hand punching that man's face into pulp. He kept kicking the rock till he lost his balance and fell. He just laid back on the dirt, staring into the sky, panting all the while. It's only then he heard the commotion going on, but didn't have the strength to pull himself up just yet.