Bladed Shade [Closed] (Dated)

Zweihander kept silent, walking down the well lit hallway with mare in two.

The mare spoke. "Where are we going now, sir?" Wheezing in his silent laugh of his, he looked to the right in answer, and sniffed the air hungrily. A vegetable soup that he had ordered especially for the mare was cooking; the quartermaster owed him a favour for collecting some rare meats for his pantry, and Zweihander had finally called it on him. Opening the double door, a large room was revealed with tables and chairs. However, it was startingly empty, save for a pot of steaming soup and a couple bowls set up at the nearest table.

Well well...the quartermaster worked fast. He hoped that the meal was satisfactory.

Shady was about to speak up, but paused as the scent of vegetable soup came to her nose. She was slightly confused by the lack of meaty smells. The griffons usually eat that sickening stuff down like there's no tomorrow. She decided not to question it, she never had a meal that was completely meant for her kind of diet.

"This smells pretty great actually." She stated, showing a rare case of sincerity.

Zweihander smiled, and swept a forearm in the general direction of the soup pot, motioning for her to sit.

She seemed to be sincere in her gratitude for the smell of the meal at least. Zweihander had seen her thin frame when she walked into the Prudentatae's office a couple of days ago. Her slight, almost waif-like body sent his mind at a disquiet. He had wondered to himself how could such a young, innocent looking mare be a spy, and be so good that the Prudentatae took notice?

Today had shown him her "virtues" in combat. Hopefully he could get some more training into her before she was sent out...

Shady didn't seem to notice the large griffon observing her while she took a seat at the table, shifting for a few moments to get into a comfortable position. Ladling herself a bowlful of the soup, the mare took another sniff at the meal. She took her spoon in her hoof and began to slowly eat, seeming to be quite hungry after all of her previous exercise.

"This is delicious, thank you for having it made for me." She stated sincerely while looking up at Zwei. She kept her eyes on him for the most part while savoring her meal, knowing her couldn't quite speak up to get her attention.

Zweihander sat at the table with a calm expression on his face. Forgoing a piece of cutlery, he instead chose to drink his soup slowly, draining his bowl at a steady pace. Glancing at his meal, he saw that he was already half done.

Now's as good a time as any to ask... Zweihander thought. Raising a hand to the quartermaster, who was in sight, he brought him over. Miming a paper and quill, he knew the quartermaster would understand.

Shady eyed the quartermaster as he approached their table, simply looking away from him and continuing to silently eat her soup. Her large boss was requesting some paper and a quill. Good, she wouldn't have to try and read a mime act all day. Looking down at her bowl of soup, she had already emptied most of it while not paying attention, ladling more into the bowl to fill it back up.

Nodding his head in thanks to the quartermaster, Zweihander took the proffered quill, inkpot, and parchment, Placing the items in a clear spot on the table, he began to write.

Shady Silhouette, why are you here?

Tappinh his quill into the inkpot and leaving it in there, he slid the parchment to the mare for her reading pleasure.

Shady quietly set her spoon down into the bowl upon taking notice of the note passed to her. Her brow raised at the question that was scribbled across is. Shouldn't her superior already know this kind of information. It was rather basic to look at the records of your subordinates.

"I wasn't needed in Fillydelphia anymore, so they shipped me out here to keep an eye on the rebels." She replied plainly, picking up her spoon again to resume eating.

Zweihander sighed at her response. One of "those" types, it would seem. Very well, it was time to be blunt to her. Writing on the underside of the parchment, he quickly scrawled in his spidery handwriting:

Why the Kingdoms, Shady Silhouette. Why serve us.

Sending the note across the table with a flick, he drained the last of his soup in a single swig.

Shady sighed and set her spoon down as the parchment came back to her once more. Reading it quickly, she gave a nod of understanding. "Ah, this story..." She said with a simple sigh, knowing it could be back for her if she just bluntly refused to tell. Just this once, she'd break her personal code and let someone get to know her.

"Well, get comfy, this might be a long one." She stated, seeming to take the moment to prepare herself. "I was born...somewhere, no clue where. My 'parents' were two griffons who say they found me abandoned in the woods near the town in which they lived. They said I only looked to be a few days old..." She paused after letting the statement escape her lips, taking a deep breath while she tried to get the small piece of information out of her head.

"I don't know why they didn't just eat me for a quick snack, probably felt sorry for me... Anyway, they raised me like I was their own daughter. I grew up around only griffons, existing as the only pony I ever knew existed... I felt like a came from another planet; never fitting in anywhere." She said with a rare tone of sadness in her voice. "I got my parents' permission to join the military when I was fifteen. I wanted to be a soldier. However, I'm not too much on physical strength, so I was pulled from basic. Despite this, I still got noticed I guess because I'm a pony and they asked me if I would like to enter into their espionage program. I agreed. After six months I was shipped out to Filly and finally got a glimpse of the first ponies I ever knew besides myself...but they were horrible. Didn't ask questions, only chose violence, so I stamped them out. That is my goal here as well."

Zweihander leaned back in his chair, and sighed. She seemed very "by-the-book" externally. All prim and proper, and completely uncomfortable with the current train of action he was taking. It was time to change that.

Taking the parchment once again, he wrote another message.

You are one of my agents now Shady. You can trust me to provide. Thank you for telling me about your past, and letting me see what kind of pony I'm choosing to trust with one of my dreams. I have one other question for you.

What is your opinion with me? And be brutally honest."

Shady took the parchment she was handed by Zwei, taking a moment to read it before nodding her head slightly. "What is there to say? You're a leader I respect, so I'll do what you ask of me." She replied bluntly. "You're not a jerk, so I don't hate you, it's rather simple."

Zweihander rubbed his temples. She was a tough nut to crack, this he was certain of. However, until she trusted him voluntarily, he didn't want her out in the field. It was as simple as that, in his eyes. The mare had to trust that Zweihander would insure that things would be safe staying with him.

She had to trust his judgements and orders.

Quickly writing out a response, he shifted the note to her.

Thank you for being truthful. I need to know what I can do to earn your trust, Silheouette. Otherwise, I'm not letting you into the field.

Shady hummed to herself as she watched Zwei write out another note, taking it and reading it quickly. What he'd need to do to have her trust him? She trusted only one living being, and that was Freyia. Looks like I'll just have to tell the lug what he wants to hear if I want to get out there. She thought to herself, keeping a straight face as she prepared to speak. "Just assure me that you won't just eat me for lunch like the rest of these soldiers would."

Zweier chuckled. Did she think he was blind as well as mute? Her reply was without thought, her face impassive. He was not happy with this...not happy at all. He wrote one phrase down on his paper, and passed it to her, moving forward with the parchment down the table. Fixing the mare with a calculating gaze, he waited for her reply.

You don't trust me.

Shady glanced at the note and chuckled slightly, a grin growing onto her face. "You're good, you must know faces pretty well." She replied simply, placing her hooves on the table and leaning forward slightly. "Don't take it personally, sir. I just don't trust anyone. I've learned not to."

Zweihander purposefully let his emotions show on his face while he listened to the mare. Closing his eyes in tiredness, he wrote the next note.

I do take it personally Shady. As long as I'm sending you out, alone, without backup, I need to know that you trust my judgement, and me. I'm not going to let an agent out who doesn't trust the griffon in charge.

He slid it to her as he had done several times before.

Shady looked down at the note and shook her head dismissively. She opened her mouth to speak, but closed it up to remain silent to think about what she was about to say. I could care less about what he thinks, as long as he pays me, I'll do whatever he wants me to. But now he's threatening to keep me from doing my job. I should just walk away, but Freyia wouldn't approve of that. She thought to herself, expression staying as a cold stare despite her internal argument. "...Fine. I guess I can admit that I trust you at least more than most, sir. Giving me my first weapon for self defense, training me."

Zweihander kept looking at her with the same tired look on his face all the while. Analyzing every detail of her movement, of her mannerisms from behind that tired exterior, he locked eyes with the mare's cold stare.

Strange to see one so young rejecting an ally so readily. Zweihander thought to himself bitterly. Taking the parchment slowly, with purpose, he began to write again.

I need you to trust me with your life and well-being. I will insure you are safe, taken care of, and paid, do not worry. But yet again, you need to trust that I have your interests in mind. Can you do that, mare? If you say no, do not concern yourself about the pay. You will still be paid, and trained, until you trust me. Only then will you go into the field.

Giving the note to her quickly, he felt like a broken record. But this mare needed to trust in him.

Shady read the note once more, closing her eyes in thought afterwords to contemplate just what the note meant for her. She would get paid either way, but she wanted to help remove the rebels who only wanted to remove her.

"I trust you, sir." She stated simply, slowly opening her eyes after the statement left her mouth. "I trust you with having my life in your claws."

Nodding in acquiescence, Zweihander realized that this was likely the best he was getting out of this mare. It would have to do... for now. Until then, it might be prudent to "make up" for his conversation. Locking eyes with her, he smiled softly, and wrote the (hopefully) final note of the night.

I'm thankful for your decision. You ship out first chance you get. Congratulations Shady.

Shifting, he slid it to her with a claw, palm down over the note.

Shady kept her eyes on those of the griffon across the table from her until the note made its way to her side. Glancing down at it, she gained a grin while looking back up at Zwei. "Thank you, sir. I will do my best to perform for you." She stated, standing up from her seat to bring a leg up in salute. Maybe this big lug isn't so bad after all.

Zweihander smiled at the salute, and motioned for her to put her hoof down. He had no doubts in her ability to complete what was asked, but that personality of hers... it might compromise her one day. And if she was ever compromised, all she would have to do is find one of the dead drops. It would tell her where Zweihander was, and where to go.

He wrote this down, still smiling, but a little less so due to the topic at claw. As an afterthought, he added a little riddle at the end, to show her exactly "how" she would know where he was.

Grass runs in four fens, in obscure hamlets. Each area does quarter unless all ribald, tainted earthponies run swiftly.
Unless nothing does enter, risk going right on unknown nations dirt.

He slipped the note across the table. They would be harder than this in the dead drops.

Shady lowered her hoof back to the floor once told to by Zwei, placing her rump back down in the seat it had been in moments earlier. Taking the note, she raised a brow, not seeming to know how to make heads or tails of it. "Well...I'll try to remember this little piece of information." She replied simply, placing a smile on her face to hide her confusion from the strange riddle.

Zweihander smirked. Word games seemed to be absent from the mare's repertoire of skills. That was fine; he would likely create a cipher only she would know the key for. But, it was time to test her logic, wit...and her ability to read words for their letters... not their meanings.

Steepling his claws, he waited for an answer from her.

Shady looked back down at the piece of paper, her brow crinkling a bit as she tried to decode the strange phrase. She perked up as she got a sudden idea, taking the quill and grinning as she scribbled something down on the parchment. "Griffon headquarters under ground." She said simply before looking up at Zwei. "You're going under ground?"

Zweihander clapped his claws in glee at his game being solved. He wrote a quick note.

Thank you for answering in a quick manner. And yes, indeed, we are underground Shady.

Smiling, he slipped a bag of gold dust on the table, and slid it across with the note.

Shady's brow raised once more as she took a look into the bag, reading the note afterwords only to find no explanation of the dust. She didn't seem to care much about the note as she examined the dust once more. "What exactly is this for? Is it really even gold, or something else?"

He nodded in confirmation to the mare. This, was, indeed gold. It was the first payment of hopefully many, and a reward for Shady's willingness to trust him slightly. As well, he was sure the Prudentate wouldn't mind if the bag was a "little" bit heavier than usual.

Scales can lie sometimes, and Zweihander was sure she would understand.

A large grin appeared across Shady's muzzle to break her serious facade the moment it was revealed that the sack contained pure gold dust. The quickest way to get to her was to give her money of course. "Alright sir, what do you want me to do for you?" She asked impatiently while holding the sack protectively in her hooves.

Waving his claw to brush aside the question, he began writing a response to Shady.

This bag is... a bit of unofficial payment for you. Thank you for humouring my sense of worth. Now for your orders...

He slid the note to Shady, and took a crisp, new piece of paper with type on it for the mare.

It read as follows:

Shady Silheouette; your mission is to provide your superior, Centurion Prima Zweihander, with consistent intel pertaining to your location, and rebel movements. Any intelligence pertaining to his holiness the Tsar, and his instrument in the city of Manehatten Commander Feliks, is to be delivered IMMEDIATELY via the chosen method of communication.

Any and all deviation from this order will be met with immediate recall to the superior's choice of location, for debriefing and dismissal.

Successful completion or following of this order will be paid by the medium of finely ground 24 karat dust, sellable in all areas in the known world, and universal in value. Amount rendered is subject to change, depending on:

1)Quality of information
2)Usefulness of information
3)State of compromisation

If the superior, Zweihander, ever suspects that the employee, Shady, has become rogue, the superior will act in accordance to Prudentatae standards, and will personally perform the summary dismissal and removal of the employee with all available assets.

By signing here, as the employee, Shady Silhouette understands the merits and consequences of serving the will of the Prudentatae.

A dotted line is underneath the type.

Shady's uncharacteristic grin stayed on her face as she felt the gold dust with her hoof. She was snapped out of it by the second piece of paper that was brought up to her, looking at the typed letters while she fell into a quiet seriousness once more. Good, I don't have to read this guy's writing anymore. She thought to herself before beginning to read the agreement.

Giving a nod once she was finished, the spy took the quill and wrote her name in a somewhat swooping signature. She was used to faking her way through contracts and the like. This was no exception. "Alright, sir. I agree to your terms." She stated simply, keeping her expression calm yet inviting to escape the mistake she had made previously during the nonsense about trust. Just keep that gold coming my way. You won't be able to find me if I find a better hookup.

Zweihaer watched her sign, obviously not caring about the contract.

Why do I even bother... oh well. No one escapes the Prudentatae's eyes. She'll learn the hard way that this is always true for all who oppose us... even the Tsar has concerns of our power. He thought to himself. Oh right... almost forgot the blood seal.

Taking a small object from his harness, it looked like a metal spike set in a circle with runes engraved in silver around the spike. Placing it on the table, he looked at the mare seriously.

He wrote down quickly;

This artifact marks you as one of us. Only members with touched by the Blood Seal may see the mark; it will shine as bright as firelight in the presence of another mark. This shows your loyalty to us, Shady. You become one of us only if you take the mark upon your cheek.

Shady looked at the object that was placed on the table in front of her, raising a brow as she looked at it with a curious face. She truly didn't think much of it and just thought it was a sad attempt at trying to intimidate her to not go against the griffons, keeping her face in an interested expression despite it.

Glancing down at the new note, she gave another nod while feigning interest. "I understand, sir. I will vow my loyalty to you and only you."

Without a word, Zweihander stood up, and bid the mare to follow him with a motion. He picked up the Blood Seal, and secreted it in his harness while he rose.

Shady gave the griffon a simple nod before standing up from her seat to follow him. She didn't know where he was taking her, but she didn't really care. The mare kept her expression interested in what he had to show to stay on Zwei's good side either way.

Exiting the mess, Zweihander entered the holding cells of the Prudentatae. This was where prisoners of the society were kept; political prisoners, assets, and... rarely... traitors. Shady was "lucky" that she could see first hand what the mark could do to those that heard the word.

Coming to a large steel door, he looked to the mare, expressionless, and opened it wide. What was visible was unassuming.

Two griffons were inside, one chained to the wall, arms and legs stretched so that she looked like an X, and her wings were bound with heavy, thick leather. Colored an off white, one major visible quirk was a missing eye, her eye socket gaping and bleeding.

The other griffon was the one from before, and he was currently wiping down a large pair of tongs of blood with a rag.

"Greetings Prima. I had a spot of fun with the traitor before we dealt with her, but she'll be fine for the mare to watch. Isn't that right sweetheart? Pity that you don't have to sit down, traitor. Otherwise you'd be a touch sore." the male griffon said, while wiping the tongs.

Shaking his head at his companion's antics, he looked to Shady to see her reaction.

Shady moved through the halls of the large building with the large griffon who acted as her boss, keeping her expression of false interest the whole way. However, when they arrived at the prison, it changed to a look of simple bemusement. She didn't say any words, but let a simple yawn do all of the talking for her.

Giving a huff at her yawn, Zweihander was displeased at her reaction. But, whatever she felt, it would definitely at least warm her the consequences of betrayal. Nodding at the male to continue, he took a thoughtful step back.

To Zweihander's eyes, he could see two marks. The one on the male was a bright gold, almost blinding, and was located on his forehead. It affected his eyes, and to the Prima, it appeared they glowed with a bright inner flame, leaving trails where he walked. The off-white griffoness bore a mark of bronze instead, and this was located on her shoulder. Unlike the male's, it differed not only on colour, but in the fact that it pulsed red. This marked her as a traitor to the Prudentatae.

"Well, sir, let me insure that she won't bother you with her pleadin' eye anymore." For, indeed, the entire time, she had been staring at Zweihander with a pleading gaze, tears flowing freely. Zweihander returned the gaze with an icy state of his own. He could not stand those that disregarded their pledged alliegences for...coin. He was no friend to those that would willingly mislead those that trusted them. Like this...bitch had done to the society.

However, her gaze that caused Zweihander's thoughts to darken were broken by the metal tongs jabbing into her eye socket. With an ear piercing scream, the griffoness began railing against the chains that bound her.

Good thing the room was sound proof, and the door closed behind them.

Shady simply watched the scene play out in front of her eyes while remaining perfectly silent. She shifted her weight slightly on her hooves while keeping her gaze on the griffon who had been marked as a traitor. The mare's tail flicked lightly behind her while she waited patiently next to the large griffon known as Zweihander.

Her expression lost its stoic nature, changing to one of what seemed to be boredom. She watched as the male brought the tongs towards the griffoness, remaining calm as the eye was ripped from its resting place. She folded her ears back, if only to protect them from the following scream, returning them to their normal position soon after. A single word left her mouth. "Pity."

With a little discomfort, Zweihander watched the traitor's eye be ripped from it's socket. The large orb was dropped onto the floor, released by the tongs, and stomped upon by the male griffon. Nodding at Zweihander, he leaned in to the griffoness' ear and whispered.

It was inaudible to Zweihander and Shady, but its apparent effects were quite clear. As soon as she heard the words, the traitor stood completely still, her beak wide open. And that was all Shady would see.

What Zweihander saw however...was a different story. He watched woth a cold heart as her mark became crimson, and send creeping tendrils around her body. A tendril reached into her brain, another into her spine, and a third into her abdomen. He saw these three large "roots" send tendrils into her major organs, her bones, and even her flesh. By now, her bones were visible to him, glowing a bright crimson. Next? Her blood vessels, and heart, glowed a bronze, much like how her mark was before.

Blood had begun to stream from her eye sockets, mixing with the tears and sweat that was all over her red stained face. She remained silent throughout the process, never speaking. It didn't matter, however; the process had one, final stage left to complete before the griffoness would expire. Until then, Zweihander looked to the griffoness, out of duty, and justice. He felt no remorse for the griffoness, only a sense she deserved it completely.

Shady raised a brow to show her curiosity like usual, wondering what it was the griffon had said to put the traitor into what seemed to be a state of fear. Her bemused expression stayed while the process she couldn't see took place, another bored yawn escaping her. It wasn't until the blood started to appear that made her curious brow raise again. He probably just slipped her some unseen poison.

Zweihander rubbed his eyes as he viewed what occurred. The tendrils of energy had reached her head, and he could see them writhing around, destroying the last trace of her soul from her body. For that is what the Blood Seal did; it destroyed the soul of the bearer if the word was spoken by an Adjudicae, a Centurion with the role of "executioner". The current Adjuticae was the male griffon, Verschtag. The brute took a perverse pleasure in the word, having no qualms about using it liberally if allowed on traitors, which were extremely rare.

She was the first one in two years, and she betrayed them willingly, unlike Zweihander's predecessor... that old griffon was manipulated by some power hungry noble, and didn't even know it. And now it seemed this noble had struck again, although he was led to believe this one volunteered to spy. In any case, she was near death.

Blood was now streaming from her eye sockets, her beak, and her ears, staining that once pearl white plumage with red even further.

It was damn shame it had to be her, but traitors have to pay... Zweihander thought. It was always the ones you had feelings for that betrayed you in the end. Narrowing his eyes at the mare beside him, his thoughts made him wonder...

Would the mare he had chosen betray him in the end?

Shady watched the blood ooze out of the griffon with her same bland expression, the sight not seeming to shake her in any visible way. Not noticing the eyes of Zwei on her, she simply watched the slow death of the creature in front of her without a care for them. She continued to remain silent, though her body did plenty of speaking for her. It was saying she didn't care for the griffoness in the slightest, even as she passed.

With a gasp, the griffoness expired, the blood having cause a large pool to form below her. Zweihander could see the tendrils suddenly "blink" out of existence, and leave no trace to his eyes. It is as if they were never there...

He listened closely, just to make sure as a precaution. After several moments, a faint sound could be heard, almost a ringing in his ear...but only one sound. Not two. The griffoness was dead, and her mark faded. It would seem for the second time the Blood Seal had done its grisly work, and caused the most painful death possible.

As well, it seemed the mare had not cared about the griffoness' death. Zweihander guessed this was because she didn't understand yet the ramifications of the mark. But she would; then she would see what she had decided to follow. Producing the artifact, he held it out to her.

The Adjuticae, Verschtag, approached.

"The Prima wishes you to choose where you wish to have the mark placed, if I am not mistaken." he said solemnly.

Shady turned to face the two males once attention was brought to her from the now dead griffoness. Where did she want to have her mark placed? With a simple shrug, the mare raised a hoof and pointed at the side of her neck just above where it met her shoulder.

"Here should be fine. But I need to ask one thing." She replied in the same cool voice as always, no hint of any feelings towards what she had just witnessed audible. "If you're going to mark me, where are yours?"

The Adjudicae was the first to respond.

"Right here-" he put a talon right between his eyes. "helps to always see it in the mirror to remind yourself who you answer to."

Zweihander was next, and gave only a talon placed right on the mottled scar tissue of his throat in answer.

Shady's curious brow rose up once again to break up her calm expression. "I can't see anything on you. You're not just trying to do something to me because I'm a pony, are you?" She asked, her voice showing her skepticism clearly. "I don't mean to insult you or such, but you should guess why I would ask."

Verschtag shook his head slowly.

"Mare, these marks are more than real. It's how that traitor died-" he pointed at the bloodstained corpse. "- and how we know who's a friend in these dark times. They are a mark that signifies you are one of us. And, mare... I hope you realize the gravity of the situation. You are the first pony to be given a silver marking, today. Sir, as witness, I do accept this mare into the ranks of the Prudentatae." He gave a Prudentatae salute.

Zweihander nodded at the words of the Adjudicae. It was time to give the mare the Blood Seal. Walking forwards, he he would gently move her head so that he could get a better angle for the placement.

Shady nodded her head slightly while the griffon spoke to her, keeping a serious expression while taking in the words. "Thank you very much, I appreciate the honor." She replied sincerely, or what sounded like sincerity. "By the way, my name is Shady."

She fell silent afterwords as Zwei took a hold of her head, not fighting anything while she simply waited for the mark to be placed.