Revealed in Shadows. (Closed)

Minoryu stood by the main gate. He would rather the general be swiftly and stealthily brought to Zed to prevent interference of any sort, but he held no faith that the old man could be. Swain was a powerful mage and a brilliant mind, but he had a cane and was old enough to be Minoryu's father.

That thought brought forth a rather...painful memory. They had just taken the Kinkou temple as their own and were burning the dead. Minoryu found his own father's corpse riddled with five shuriken and impaled by a katana. He had been the one to place the man on the pile of burning corpses, but that was not the thing that bothered him. He was worried about his apathy. He had not cared. He felt no sorrow or remorse. That was the one turning point for Minoryu. There was no going back. His path lay in the shadows, and so too must his soul. Minoryu would like to discard his past life as a Kinkou, being so blinded by the thoughts of balance and equality of all things, but even as free minded he is serving Zed, those memories of his past returned. His first lesson with his father, his meditation with his peers and the Grandmaster as he taught them how to judge balance, when he defeated his father in a spar for the first time...the peaceful memories one should have of childhood became an embarrassment and a curse. However, Minoryu could never free himself of them, for to do so would mean to rid himself of...himself.

However, it did not truly matter. For no one of any trouble was nearby. If they came anywhere close, Minoryu felt he might not be so forward thinking as the last time someone invaded on his watch and take them alive. He awaited a General. Minoryu had resist the urge to sharpen his blade. Keep himself busy....he might need it tonight though...ah hell. Sharpening a knife in front of a bound prisoner would do wonders for his...helpfulness.

Minoryu bowed at the waist, with a clenched fist over his heart. A respectful salute of the Shadow Order.

Without turning his head, Minoryu glanced at the men surrounding the Grand General as he rose. More than he would like. He drew his hands to his face and made a series of bird calls...Raven calls. Beatrice would know the message to be pure nonsense, but it made the other Ninja on duty be more on guard. They now knew who was here and these Ninja were the ones Minoryu had selected personally. Nothing was getting past them.

Minoryu gestured with both hands that Swain should enter and went to walk as close to Swain as the Raedsel would allow.

"Grand General Swain, I respect your wish to be flanked by your men within our walls, but the more men you have might make...your visit take longer than needed. Another of our guests might be fearful of your entourage. We do not wish to prolong your visit with what may be a simple matter, as this guest may have little to offer you. Would you kindly reduce your escort to four as we enter the temple? You may leave the others to guard the entrance to the Temple if you would like, or they will be escorted back to the gate to your camp." He said quietly, but not going so far as to whisper.

Minoryu rapped a knuckle three times against the doorway and then shadow walked into the room, leaving a shadow for a brief moment.

He appeared behind Zed in a corner of the room. Minoryu felt as if he was in another world in such a dark cell as this. A world he knew quite well. Shadow.

Minoryu made no true effort to hide himself, but he was nearly invisible in the darkness. Zed would know his presence immediately.

"Sensei. He is here." Minoryu said without his normal bow. The Prisoner would not see anyone submit. Only the Prisoner would be the weak one. Only the chained man would bend his knee and beg. Truth be told, his knee might be made to bend....painfully....that did not bring any unhappy thoughts to Minoryu's mind.

Zed didn't react as the Minoryu entered, he actually seemed to ignore his entry into the foul smelling cell. He drew a blade across the mans chest, the razor sharp metal easily splitting the skin causing small warm beads of crimson to spill down his bare chest. Zed's eyes lock onto the prisoner's, "No?" He looked to Minoryu, his voice cold and impassive, "He thinks he cannot speak. Convince him otherwise."

Zed moved away from the prisoner, the sound of the heavy metal cell door being opened grated the ears of those close enough to hear it. Clearly, the cell was intended for something far stronger than the pitiful prisoner currently residing within. But his worth was yet to be determined, it was better safe than sorry, whatever faction he had come from may have way of disposing those they thought were liabilities.

Zed's burning crimson eyes would be the first thing Swain would notice as the door was pulled back, the rancid stench of filth would then flood his sense of smell. Zed bowed slightly toward Swain, "Welcome Grand General. Excuse the lack of hospitality." Zed stepped away from the door into the dark cell, "Join us. I was just getting started."

Minoryu payed Zed no mind and focused solely on the prisoner. He drew his kusarigama, wrapping his hands in the chains. Without a spoken word, he began punch the prisoner in the ribs repeatedly. After a full minute, and a broken rib later, Minoryu gripped the man by the neck and brought the prisoners face close, but not close enough for the man to bite him.

"Talk and I stop. Tell us something useful and you will not die." He whispered menacingly into his ear, and loud enough Zed and Swain would hear him.

Groans of pain came out with every punch he had to resist until suddenly, he felt his rib shatter under the strength of the man's strikes. The cracking sound was followed by a wave of extreme pain that made him scream on top of his lungs before he began to cough up blood. His vision was slightly blurry but he could still speak and listen to the Master of Shadows. The guard finally spoke, his voice was faint and frail. He was trying to sort out the words before pronouncing them.

"I-I will speak... What do you want to know...?"

Zed stepped forward from beside Swain, the Master of Shadow's right hand coming out to clutch the prisoner's jaw. His eyes blazing crimson stare into the prisoners, "The basics first, who gave the order for you to come into my lands? What were you doing there? And how many were with you, and their names."