Perhaps hearing the plaintive nature of the pleas coming from the chained one, Andu sighed, and lumbered toward Issy and the Chained One. He cleared his throat as he approached.
She let what he said sink in for a long moment. And in that moment, her entire demeanour changed. Her jovial smile and bright eyes that graced the expression she wore earlier had gone. The was little more than the winter's chill on her features now. Her tone had turned stoic and icy. "I have no brothers." Even after nearly all of her life, the sting of saying something like this still pinched at her heart. "Manticore. You mentioned this name. Of what do you speak, man. Why? This Manticore is linked to the woman once known as Renna the Betrayer?" After all this time, Isuelt and Renna had a supremely delicate truce. But to be honest, the Scathachian was no fool and was always ready for that to come crumbling down at any second.
?Hey, Issy. I see you have met one of our resident enigmas and frustrations.? Andu had arrived, if not in time to defuse the tension, then perhaps to offer some kind of explanation. His sudden arrival took her attention for a moment. The minotaur grinned at her. ?I've spent a few hours talking with him, attempting to get even a name from him. All I learned for certain, is that along with those chains, and his ghostly state, an inability to both ask for help or to answer questions about how he got into the state he is in, along with how to get him out of it.?
The chained one's face pinched at the description Andu gave of him; in some cases it was that he didn't know the answers - the memories were blocked from him. In other cases, he knew but could not speak of them. "Yes, no," he took a deep breath as Andu approached, and he turned to acknowledge him, before returning his gaze to Isuelt. He shook his head slowly, what was a little longer, after all this time. "Peace, Sister. They are," he scowled, he needed a way to differentiate. "Sister's blood, but not Sister's." That was the nature of his geas, to make certain things sequestered from him.
Isuelt appeared to consider Andu's words, and returned her gaze to the one in fetters.
The prisoner's gaze had dropped to stare intently at her gloved hand, as if his eyes were pulled magnetically to it. "Brothers in blood, no, not that, but," he fought thickly to go on, "A Brother, yes, only... unknown," he smiled, and it was half relief, half madness. "See, you are barred names as well." The smile was again half triumph, and half mania.
Isuelt's right hand clenched into a fist. It was not so long ago that the scar tissue waved like waves on the shore to reveal once more her scales of justice. The Scathachian licked her lips.
"You wear chains." Her voice was clipped and stern in its tone, though there was something forlorn in it. "In my experience, there is usually a reason for this." Yes, there had been occasions where innocent people were jailed, it had even happened to her. But overall, Isuelt knew that there was cause for this. There had to be. 'Though,' she thought, 'if Manticore had anything to do with this... If Renna had anything to do with this...' She sighed. "I'm sorry... I..." She glanced down for a moment. "I don't think I can help you." After all, what sort of law-keeper would she be if she just went around freeing criminals and prisoners without any real knowledge of what was going on?
In the half mad, half philosophical confusion, Andu left, having given a terse rendition of anything he knew about the man that might help.
The chained one's hands reached deliberately, but not threateningly, towards her clenched fist. "Put aside your anger, Sister," it was as if a realization dawned on him, "Lost Sister, yes, Lost Sister had... these," the chains rattled, "Not her doing," he stopped as she spoke, becoming subdued. "Sister, please," his hands again reached for her fist. "We ALL wear chains." He frowned, watching Andu go as well, before returning his gaze to Isuelt. "I only," he shook his head, he was grasping, if she left him thus he had no idea how long it would take before he would get another chance - and with his memory the way it was, every chance seemed his first, and only one. Suddenly his mien seemed filled with resolve, "What is blind is also bound, please, I seek," the words were slipping from him, but he clawed them back. "Just appeal!"
Her fist was retracted to sit on her hip, as her other hand did. "You speak in riddles, man. Perhaps we should call the Watch? Go to the local precinct and see if they cannot tell me more about this whole thing?" She knew that was utter rubbish. What in the world would the Watch know about stuff like this? This was more magic than corporeal. If Batten or Renna were here, she could bounce ideas off of them. But Renna wasn't, and Ed? Well, Ed had his own crisis going on.
His eyes closed and he sighed, "The Watch," his voice somehow broken, "You would set the jailer to do the judges work." He had no way of knowing if she would be able to put his muddled thoughts together, but he offered. "The jailers. They will listen to you." He glanced again at her covered hand, even hidden away where it was. "That is the trick of," he sputtered. "What Lost Sister became Lost top. To make you think you have no Brother. No Sisters. To make you think you are alone." The less he thought about what he was saying, the faster and easier it came. There were things he could say without intention, that he could not say on purpose. "It is a lie. Grant me appeal," his tone wasn't accusatory, he was simply looking for an 'out'. "You must. Will you suffer to see your Brother fettered without even a trial?"
Off her hip one gloved hand flew at the man to grip a fistful of fabric near his throat. "Don't you speak of my brothers. And don't you speak of whatever incestuous sister-thing is going on in whatever plane or realm or whatever the **** it is thing with Manticore or Renna or whatever!" Isuelt was still bent out of shape a little that Renna had 'stolen' some of her DNA and made a person with it.
He made absolutely no move to defend himself, yet he would not be denied. He swallowed, and his eyes never left hers. "Is this the quality of your justice, then, Sister?" His voice was soft, inaudible to any but the two of them. "Sometimes vengeance and mercy must blend, yes?" Still speaking softly, not at all moved by her anger - at least not intimidated. His eyes darted to the hand which held him, "This," he nodded, "Is why I must be thus bound."
She stepped away from the man, maybe a few paces and muttered some profanity laced comment about her obligations.
"I'm sorry,? Isuelt stated. ?I cannot help you." A gave a decisive nod.
The spot she'd touched the chained one felt as though it were burning, and though the sensation was vivid, he paid it no notice. "I shall apply again, Sister." He spoke softly, sadly. "Fare you well."
Isuelt licked her lips and looked over towards the bar and nodded to all those she'd spoken to earlier, then she began toward the back door. It was a long day and was going to be a longer night, it seemed, trying to figure out the riddle before her.
The chains dragged behind him as he once again turned his attention towards Andu. He approached him quietly, all the while the faint smell of something similar to burning pork wafted through the air, and steam rose slowly from the back of his shirt. "Friend...?"
Andu responded to chained one with nod and a shrug. ?At least some one willing to with hold judgement until you are known to yourself, and a fair judgement can be given.?
Suddenly the chains drew taut, and a look of panic washed over his features. "We make our own chains," the words stumbled out of him, "do you understand? We make our own chains! Mine are made of a blade, but I forged them-" he thrust his hands towards Andu, shackles and all, becoming more manic as the chains drew more tightly, trying to pull him away. "I forged them!" He was hoisted into the air - and pulled apart in a spray of evaporating ethereal plasma.
Andu nods to The Chained One as he seemingly dissolved. ?Ah,? the minotaur answered to the listener now seemed to be gone. ?I shall remember that. And think on it with the other things I have learned. There exists hope, Sir. Hold to that hope.?
((The entire preceding scene was done in the Inn, and the above is edited content contributed by ? in order of amount ? Issy, Andu, and RDI Annabeth. Thank you all for the play ? I'd throw out the date it happened to, if I could even vaguely remember.))