Today wasn’t going well at all and the Telgradian wasn’t sure it was going to get much better either on current form. Shinsou couldn’t tell whether or not untying Amari would have the desired effect. He exchanged cursory glances with Philomel, who simply shrugged. Vaeron stood silently, casting a watchful eye over proceedings. As Osiris’s hands began to untie the ropes, the faun finally spoke up.
“Just be careful.”
No shit.
In no time at all, the Telgradian had the Amari in a small booth in the corner of the room, chatting amiably with her. The wounded woman, scrawny from months of malnutrition at the hands of her “guardians”, eyes watery and red, had leaned in close, whispering her situation and continuing to talk about the last few months. During the conversation, Shinsou found out a great deal about how things had turned out the way they had. He tried to find out everything she knew about the Crimson Hand and its current movements. They were the main reason for all this. Their agents were everywhere, garrisoning every major town and city, their loyal hands tackling every ‘problem’ that Ulroch designated to be removed. They had enslaved Amari and turned her into ‘this’. The only surprise was that Shinsou hadn’t come into contact with them more than a few times. Lately, Osiris was getting sick of them. Ever since he had taken control of the Brotherhood, the Telgradian had been combing every country he had travelled to, gathering intelligence on the myriad organisations in each one. From the Church of The Ethereal Sway in Salvar, to the Corone Rangers, to other, more clandestine outfits like the Tarot. But none were more slippery than Ulroch's men.
He idly ran a finger down his cheek.
So far, he had learned nothing he didn't already know about the Crimson Hand- the bastards had to be brought down, all of them. They bound every body they could get their nails into, they had kept Amari blind to the truth of her slavery and as long as Lye stayed in power, more would suffer under the weight of their organization. That was where he and his Castigars came in. Soon, they would infiltrate the larger organisation, getting their men deep inside. They would burrow into the flesh of the Hand like starving parasites looking for a meal and rot the whole damn thing from the inside out. But as yet, Shinsou Vaan Osiris was working alone. He had to pick and choose his targets a lot more carefully than he normally would.
After two hours of talking, it appeared Mari knew nothing of why she was the way she was now. The Telgradian, even with his heightened senses, struggled to hear her again over the ambient noise her soul was projecting. Though silent to everyone else, it was like someone drawing nails down a chalkboard.
"There must be something you can tell me about how you got this way." Shinsou said, a frown creeping up the corners of his mouth. “Come on Amari, think.”
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