[IRP] The Dead One Calls

[Swift_Assassin]

Shad did exactly as he planned to do. He acquired a spade and came back during Satsume's explanation of their plan of attack. All he knew was he was sneaking in the the new blood and attack when their trap was sprung. He had gotten to the point where his self-control and restraint was right on the verge. Deep down he knew that this plan wasn't going to go off without a hitch. He knew the moment he got within those walls, he'd either beeline it towards the cells or start killing whoever on the way to those cells. Shad didn't vocalize this at all. They knew he was a bit of a wild card at this point, if Satsume didn't compensate for that in his plan, it was his failure at the planning stage.

Shad suggested to Lita that he goes separate from her. That perhaps she and Goldhardt could shadow the group from the tree line straight through to the entrance. He had to stick around briefly to help with the unconscious woman Goldhardt was still carrying in his arms. Shad and Taika helped Maisie to a bed and Shad tasked her with waking the unconscious healer. With that, he traveled back up the path alone, to his knowledge.

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Shad had found the side entrance that he was told about. It was less a passageway and more of broken border wall with a sheet of wood leaning against it as a makeshift door. Marcus must not have known about this otherwise he would have had someone fixing it. Shad pushed aside the wooden board and slipped through the opening. He was surprised to see another door right in front of him. Their was a building almost right to the wall. In fact, as he looked around, it was closed off on where it seemed that building ended. Was this actually a secret passageway out of this building that can't be seen from other angles? It obviously meant nothing if the bandits figured it out, but perhaps they didn't figure it out on their own. Shad pushed open the door and slipped through that as well.

This new room was very dark, save for a sliver of light. He reached out in front of him and touched wood. He reached around and found a handle. He tried pushing but it didn't work. Instead he pulled the handle away from the light, opening up yet another entrance. It was a dummy cupboard, sitting in a slightly sunken portion of floor to act as a hidden door. He walked in and grabbed a torch from a nearby sconce and walked to the end of the corridor. He turned at the only available direction to move and kept walking. That's when he found something. The prison. There he saw a dozen or so people locked up among the cells.

"L-lord Shadrach?"

In the corner, free from the cells was Lowell Fen, oldest son of Tyber Fen and the betrothed to his sister, suspended from shackles attached to the ceiling with a ball and chain attached to his leg. The poor boy had lacerations all over and was covered in dirt and grime. "Lowell?! What did they do to you?"

"If this how they treat a child..."

Shad got the gist of it. Lowell was hanging as an example to the others. Try anything and this or worse can happen to you. Shad walked towards the cells and examined to the doors. He tugged on them a bit with little give. He looked over each prisoner and saw chains bring their arms and legs together. The blacksmith made chains that looked just like it. Damn it! This town is just as complicit with these monsters as the innkeep! He didn't see Maria in the cells, but was hearing something a bit feint. "Where is she?" Shad said, as he approached Lowell. He had a tired look on his face.

"Your face..."

"Maria, Lowell. Where is she?"

He tilted his head up towards the opposite wall. There was a heavy looking metal door. Shad ran over to the door and paused. He thought he heard something.

"I know not what evil is coming"

He pulled the door open a bit and heard singing?

"But my heart feels sad and cold;
A song in my head keeps humming,
A tale from the times of old."

Shad pulled the door as hard as he could and jumped through the doorway in to the room, holding torch out in front of him. The singing stopped as Shad looked at the site in front of him.  A small girl with long barley corn colored hair sat in a fetal position leaning against the far wall. She was clad only in a nightgown, which resembled her current state right now. Bloody, battered, cut up, and dirty. The torch dropped to Shad's feet as he looked on. The girl raised her head, turning it towards Shad at the same time. The face was made the sight all too undeniable. The striking blue eyes of his father. The bangs that always makes her look defiant and angry, even if they were failing right now. Exhausted looked eyes, a slight gauntness due to malnutrition, a large scrape just under her left eye and various blood stains down her face. Shad dropped to his knees at the sight and the siblings only stared each other down. They both looked foreign yet familiar. Neither have ever seen the other in their current states. It was overwhelming to Shad. It had been almost five days of this.

"You look a lot like dad did when he was younger."

"I think he had less blood on him than I do." Shad was surprised at how strangely calm Maria was when she said that. He played along, figuring it was the better decision. "But how do you figure that?"

"Paintings. There are a bunch of painting hanging here. I never seen what our parents looked like till I came here. I'm happy I came here."

"But-"

"I'm safe, for now. Make them pay."

Shad punched the cell, with the bad hand, out of frustration. He hit it hard enough that he actually heard the crack this time. Maria heard it too and ran over to the bars and grabbed his hand. She kissed the top of his left hand, as if trying to kiss the pain away. Shad patted Maria on the head with the other hand. "They'll pay for every drop." He got back to his feet, trying his best to ignore the pain. To distract himself, he went to ask Maria one final question. "Why did they lock you up by yourself?"

Maria looked him straight in the eye and coldly said replied. "Wouldn't you lock up your biggest threat?"