A long cast shadow

The atmosphere in town was grim to say the least. Everywhere people cowered in fear, or hid away as groups of men clad in black marched through the streets. Normally this wouldn't be such a problem as thugs more then often visited the smaller settlements of Fiore, ready to cause havoc or have a bit of fun. But only this time, it didn't take a genius to see that this weren't your run of the mill scoundrels. No, clad in black armor, with white masks that had the shape of a skull, one could easily depict where these men were from. Namely the infamous dark guild that once scourged the lands of this country, Savage Skull.

Obviously the men were looking for something, or to be more accurate someone. Since they didn't leave any stone unturned so it seemed. Every corner, every dark alley got checked out. Even peoples own homes weren't save from their relentless search. Brutally doors get kicked in, and everything they owned broken apart. Now one would wonder, who was this important for a dark guild as Savage Skull to step out of the shadows and harass a small town. Well, the answer to that laid in what had occurred a couple of days earlier the guild hall itself. A young girl, by the name of Madison, was brutally taken away from her hometown. And brought to the dark guild, for reasons yet not entirely known to her. The only thing she knew, was that she was special, enough so that the she had caught the attention of Savage Skull. Who was always looking for more and more power in its unquenchable quest for well... everything.

At the center of this predicament was also the very man who had captured her, a man who had a keen interest in her. As he believed Madison held a power, that if harnessed could help him force everyone and everything to its knees. This man was Harrigan Crawford, a man mostly clad in a red velvet suit. That screamed nothing but the extravagance rich people often had. A peacock in his own right so to speak. Matching with his appearance, was also his personality. Which was arrogant, and prideful. Which was easily dented, so one could imagine the relentless wrath such a man could have the moment he had lost his new toy.

'Tell me Captain!' No longer was his voice dripping with arrogance, but instead it was stern with a trembling sense of an explosive anger underneath it. 'How can it be that not only you failed in capturing a teenage girl, in what is supposed to be one of the most hazardous places in the country. But also appear to be incompetent enough to locate her in a forgotten backwater village filled with hicks!!'

'Sir.. please' responded the Captain, his voice trembling with fear, as he traced the two giant hounds circling him and the Crawford 'We are trying the best we can do, but even we can't look everywhere at once... aaaargh'

With a snap of his fingers, Harrigan send the captain in a cringing pain. His eyes widened as the man desperately grasped his chest. Just momentarily before he fell down on the ground, with only a few remaining spasm till he become nothing but a corpse. 'Pathetic...' said Harrigan out loud, while his two beast immediately delved into the corpse. 'It seems I must do everything myself! You there' he yelled to another soldier 'we are going to do this by a different approach! Bring me as much of the locals you can find! Children, women, men I don't care! If we can't find the girl, then I will force her out! Whatever it takes!'

Quick paced panting of exhaustion had escaped in the quiet village as she tried to rest a moment. Ever since she met Harrigan in Shirotsume, she'd found herself trekked through forcefully and kept prisoner by him for whatever reason it was he sought out of her. Thankfully enough, it wasn't anything she'd have expected to have happened, which only made it safer for her in the long run. Aside from the being made a prisoner part, she was essentially made to be treated of a higher class. Granted, she didn't like having to be held against her own will, but in this case as long as he wasn't being abusive or trying to force her into things she didn't want to do, or even to sell her off into slavery, there was no real need to rush for an escape. She was elaborate enough of a thinker to be patient and plan things out when they would come.

The way Harrigan had kept her over the course of the last few days made her uncomfortable, but it could easily have been worse. Firstly, he taken her clothes from her and ditched them somehow and gave her a rather lavish looking black gown. The material used was something she probably could never have afforded in her lifetime, and being that it was also the only clothing she now had, she didn't have much of a choice. Secondly, he made her undo her hair from her braided twintails, laying in light waves cascading down her back. Finally, he kept a collar and chain around her neck, chained into a large golden cage and kept there unless she had been summoned by him, taken to have a bath or using the restroom.

It was only after that time did she figure her way out. During a trip to the restroom, she would wait until she was locked in the room to find her way out. A small window being just enough room to get herself through she had taken it without thinking twice. The child bolted as fast as she could, holding up her gown so it wouldn't tear as she shot through the forest with the guards trying to catch up to her. It didn't take long until she found herself inside a village, looking around frantically to make sure she hadn't been beaten here. Madison took a quick dash through town and found a small wooden area where she couldn't be found. Trying to keep her breathes quiet and shallow, she stayed curled up, not moving so she wouldn't make nosies to be found.

Screams filled the air, as one by one the townspeople of the Beanstalk Village were pulled out of their homes by the Savage soldiers. Poor helpless farmers where pushed against the ground, while their children and wives were pulled away by their hair. The men who resisted the most, where immediately struck down by a severe beating. Enough so the probably even put them on the brink of death itself.

When there was a decent gathering of people at the main square, all forced down on their knees. With soldiers standing behind them. Intimidating, with their swords already held in their hands. Ready to mow them down when ordered so.
Harrigan himself, had been patiently waiting until now. His hand were folded behind his back, as he watched the entire ordeal unfold in front of him. Yet even though his stance looked rather relaxed, his face was suggesting otherwise. His eyes were almost burning with fire itself. It showed that the man had lost his patience, and was ready to do whatever necessary if it meant catching that Madison again.

'I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME MADISON!' he suddenly yelled 'You might think you are safe here, but by fleeing you have only sealed the fate of these poor souls. But have no worry, I am willing to spare most of them... but you have to give yourself up first.'

There was no response, nothing. Even some of the soldiers were looking at each other. Probably doubting the fact that girl might be here. Yet Harrigan was certain of it, he just knew it. She was here, he could almost taste it. 'Fine then! Have it your way Maddi'
With a nod to his soldiers, Harrigan signaled them to dispatch of the first group. Which consisted mostly out of men. With a quick strike, they were stabbed, slashed or clubbed to death. And screams and crying filled the air, women who cried out their husbands names.

'This are the consequences of your wrong doings Madison!'

Things seemed to be fine so far, thankfully. No noise, no soldiers looking for her... Maybe it was safe to come out. If she was finally safe, then she could easily go get help, fresh clothes, and then return to her guild before she could be found again. It all just had to be waited out, and if she could wait this long, then doing so a little longer to get away was worthwhile. Then the sound of screaming made her heart sink. Children crying and women pleading for it to stop, others just begging to let the kids go, but the sound of the metallic greaves against the earth already had her realize that they knew she was here. She bit on her lip as she thought to confront him or not. Of course if she had waited it out, she could possibly get out alive easily, but she didn't want him to hurt anyone either.

The sound of his voice shouting throughout the village made her open the door to the small hiding place she crammed her tiny form into. Nobody was around, but him still trying to call her out got her worried about the other people. Though it took her a second to get out and up, she managed so as quick as possible and began to look around cautiously as she made her way toward the source of the yelling. The scent of blood hit the girls nose and made her pause, covering her nose and mouth as it seemed to grow stronger the closer she got. Just as she would have rounded a corner, the shine of a guards armor made her jump back behind it. Peeking around, she'd see a group of men lying on the ground, blood pooling underneath them all.

Her fists would shake with anger as she had seen the simple slaughtered bodies laid out in front of their families. Her eyes began to glow a bright red and she would step out from the other side of the building into the wide open area, an angry look starring across at Harrigan along with a stern angered look on her face. "Alright, I'm here you heartless son of a gun! Now let them go!" She remained still, waiting on them to make their move before she did anything.

The crimson liquid which was the lifeline of so many people, glistened in the sunlight, as it slowly spread and around the towns square. With in the midst of the ever growing puddle, the lifeless bodies of those who once were. Men, from all ages, now reduced to nothing.
This was the harsh reality of things, the other side of the coin what was known as the mundanity of life. Where chaos and evil resided, the place where people were not bound by any constructed laws from society. But instead were driven forth by an insatiable desire to kill. And whatever it takes to reach their goal.

As the wailing of the women slowly settled down, a new voice pierced through the silence of things. One that was all to familiar. Yet still a tad unexpected. As Harrigan assumed he had to do much more to lure the little wench out of her hiding spot. Yet surprisingly enough the girl was braver then he expected her to be. Since she now stood tall and stern, her eyes filled with anger and an unwavering resolve to stand up against Harrigan, even if that standing up meant giving up her own freedom.
Was this it, was this what Harrigan was waiting for? Was this the moment he could catch a glimpse of her real power?

'So you do have some spunk after all Maddi dear.' he replied tauntingly, after which he gave a nod to the guards nearest to her. So that they could grab the girl and bring her forth. At first the girl resisted, managing to fight of a couple of them. But when three others showed up, and roughly grabbed her, it was over.
Harrigan himself wouldn't move an inch, no instead he would just stay there. Waiting for them to bring Madison all the way to him, which was demeaning on itself.

'Oh dear Maddi, did you really thought you could escape from me?' he said to her the moment she was brought before him. Where he slowly would let his hand slide through her hair, and her cheek. Tracing her skin all the way down to her chin, which he then abusively grabbed and forced it up, so that the girl would look him straight in his eyes.

She starred angrily, her glowing eyes starring at every last person both civilian and guard that served Harrigan. Her stance remained completely unnerved as he had seemed to mock her as he spoke to her, scoffing in reply without a word to say yet. She hadn't fully absolved the whole situation of her running guilting her into causing the deaths of several men, but she watched him nod to his men. She rolled her eyes at the silent orders, watching them approach her little by little. They lacked hesitation, so either they hadn't expected her to fight back, or they were stronger than they had appeared. Either way, she wasn't going back with at least proving that killing people is no way to gain her trust to stay willingly with him in doing so.

The first guard would place his hand on her arm, which immediately she would grab him by the same hand that grabbed him and yanked him hard into the ground, slamming his head against the ground and knocking him out. The second one would grab both of her wrists and pull them away from her body to keep her from doing the same, followed by three more would would tackle her down and fully restrain her arms by twisting them upward and causing her too much pain to do anything but kick and cry out in pain.

Two of them would pick her up, keeping her arms and legs from being useful at all and bringing her right to Harrigan. His hand would brush through her hair and caress her cheek before cupping her chin and forcing her to look up at him, wincing from the guard whom held her arms pinned to her back. "I still do, you gosh darn brat. You don't think you can keep holding me like this forever, do you?" A coy smirk would light her face as the glowing eyes would fade to their normal hue.

'Oh really?' replied Harrigan equally amused 'It seems you still fail to comprehend the situation you are in... well then let me elaborate'

With another snap of his fingers, the guards turned her around. So that she could face the crowd of people, who technically speaking were still being held hostage against their will. And Harrigan was certain that by now she slowly should start to realize that Harrigan had no intention of ever leaving anyone alive in this town. That the moment she actually stepped into this place, she had doomed them all. And that standing up and revealing herself to this evil, wasn't going to make him stop.

Slowly the guards moved in on the cowering crowd. Pulling their swords slowly out of their sheaths, and the crowd itself started to realize it now as well. Once again screams filled the air, stammering voices as they were pleading for their lives. Wives... or better yet widowers holding on to their children. The group appeared to become smaller and smaller, as they were pressing themselves against each other, tighter and tighter with every step the soldiers took towards them.
'Don't look away now Maddi' said Harrigan, the moment he noticed her diverting her eyes from the disaster that was about the unfold. Yet she didn't listen, not that anyone with a rational mind could blame her. Who would want to lay their gaze upon a sight so cruel as this. 'I said!!' continued Harrigan while he grabbed her by the crown of her hair from behind and forced her head to face towards the crowd. 'Look at it!'

And then it happened, the hostages became hysterical the moment one couldn't contain herself anymore and tried to run away. Only to be met with the cold steel from a blade by one of the guards. Who had swung with such a might that he basically cleaved her in two different parts. It was as is that was the starting shot for the rest of the guards to mow them all down.

Madi grit her teeth as she listened to the cocky tone of Harrigan's voice, watching as she had been turned around and facing the gathered villagers as they all cried and pleaded still to be let go. The grip of the guards holding her grew tighter. She knew what was going to happen next, it just felt like she could avoid the while situation if she just started to deny it, but the mass of hostages before them had huddled together. She looked to Harrigan and then back to the villagers, starting to squirm around before the hard who pinned her arms pushed forward and sent a great shot of pain through both of her shoulders and made her stop struggling. She'd never been put in this type of hold before, nor as she ever felt such unbearable pain that just stopping seemed to make it easier on her in the long run.

Her eyes widened as all the soldiers gathered around the villagers brandished their swords. "N-No, please don't. Don't do it, please." She muttered, the look of fear and realization washing over her face. She tried to look away, but even Harrigan had seen that she wasn't going to watch the presentation before her. He ordered her like a slave not to look away, but it fell on deaf ears, much like it would remain if he tried to tell her again. Instead, he chose to do things another way and a much more painful way. He yelled loudly and grabbed her by her hair, forcing her to cry out in pain and worm around from it as he forced her to face the massacre before them that was almost ready to begin.

Finally, one woman frantically tried to flee, only to be met with the cold blade and struck her down. The child shrieked in response as tears started to roll down her cheeks. It was all her fault. Had she of not run away, none of this would have happened. "Stop! Please! I'll do anything, just don't do this! You have me already, darn it!" She pleaded, hoping that he would free them, but chances were that it wasn't going to happen.

That was just what Harrigan wanted to hear, her pleading, her surrender, her submission. However, the moment she gave in it was already to late. The orchestra of death had already played its tune, and was now replaced with nothing but silence. The screams that were before were muted, and what were once the villagers of this backwater town, was now nothing but a heap of dead flesh. Leftovers for the crows to feast on.

'Do you understand now Madison... do you feel the weight of your mistake..' he said, while placing both his hands on her shoulders.

His voice was softer now, almost whispering in her ear. Yet still tauntingly so, dripping with the arrogance and pride. Knowing he had succeeded in what he wanted. That from now on, the girl would fear every decision she would make. Knowing that someone will be paying the price, if she made the wrong one.
A sudden click from the mechanism of a lock coming together snapped through the air, and the cold sensation of steel against her skin would be felt. She probably already knew what it was, the chain collar that grasp itself around her neck. Diminishing her being to nothing more then that of a mere animal.

One by one, she continued to be forced to watch the slaughtering of men, women, and children without mercy or hesitation. Unable to move, she could only lay in the arms of the several soldiers whom held her body nearly still as can be while Harrigan held her hair entwined in his fingers and tightly. Between all of what she felt, she couldn't bare the idea of trying to look away, but the idea of looking away never stopped screaming in her head. Finally, it all came to an end. The last of the villagers had been slain and it left the air silent and only filled with the blood of them all. The tears of the child gathered underneath where she hung in the air, feeling strong hands on her shoulder and him asking her a question. At first she remained silent, unable to form a word, but finally she managed to come out with it. "Y-yes... I... I'm sorry, H-Harrigan. "

His hands quickly left her shoulders but wrapped up in the massacred pile of corpses before her, she was unsure if she knew if he said anything in reply. Tears continued to slowly stream down her cheeks while it felt like she was still being forced to watch the consequences of her actions and the reality of what she had just been forced to endure. Her body shook as the cold sensation against her bare skin made her mind snap away from the bodies, hearing the rattling chain and the cold metal slowly starting to warm up to her body, she felt like was a human pet, dragged around by a leash. Hopefully, that's all he desired to do with it. "C-can... I please walk? I don't care if my arms are tied up.. please, sir?" Her voice was quiet, but still audible enough with the silence of everything else around them.

~ 2 days later ~

The view from the Savage Skull guild hall was a weird one to say the least. In a way it was grand in its own right, with the endless bogs and swamps of the Foul Marshes stretching out all the way till the horizon. Yet Harrigan knew, that beyond the horizon came to Spooky Forest. A vast woodland that was even bigger then vastness of the marshes.
While looking at it, the man clad in a velvet red suit couldn't help but ponder over what happened the past two days. The girl Madison had witnessed a terrible happening, occurring right in front of her. An entire village slaughtered just because she couldn't obey. Some would say this was way to drastic, to bold, just to get the obedience of a single small girl. Then again, Harrigan didn't liked to to things half assed. If he wanted to make a point, he would do so, no matter what had to be done to do so.

Once back, the girl would quickly learn that the cage she was put in currently was probably the safest place she could be right now. As in there, it meant that she wouldn't be harassed and mentally tortured by the very man that had her in captivity. Like some exotic priced bird. But even in there safety would go only so far. True, while in the cage meant being away from Harrigan in person, his eyes and ears were everywhere. The guards, walking all around the cage were watching her every move. Which since her previous attempt to escape was literally everything. Like a grounded teenager, Harrigan had pulled the view privileges the girl could have in there. Leaving her with nothing but a bucket, a scarce meal once a day.

But this was all part of his plan, in fact her escape was probably the best thing that could have happened. Well not entirely true, him catching her again was the best thing that had happened. Because now that he had her into some sort of submission he could have her earn those privileges back in a way she probably wasn't expecting.

'It's time' he said out loud. To which two guards immediately walked away, knowing that they were about to retrieve the girl.

The growling of her stomach made her a little more annoyed at her position as of the last two days now. After being dragged back from the village she managed to have escaped to, she found herself to do nothing but stare off silently, lamenting the decisions and guilt she had to live with now. Her choices forced her into this predicament, but she couldn't force her mind to believe it was Harrigan's fault. He didn't have to kill them though... Just to kill even a couple could have sufficed in making a point, but he went to the extreme of slaughtering the entirety of a whole population of innocent people. It was hard enough to process the reality of it all, but she could stomach it after some time. Just enough so that she could move on, offer her prayers for forgiveness and be forgiven for the sins.

The guards around her had increased significantly from before her escape, which she never really thought wouldn't have happened. She already figured he wanted to try and break her little by little through whatever means he wanted to put her through. The problem was not knowing what other means he would try to put her through, but she was prepared none the less for it. Between spreading her meal and hiding bits in her cage from guards, as well as her myriad of praying, she managed to keep herself together better than Harrigan would probably hope for. She had been interrupted during one of her prayers by the sound of her cage door being opened up.

Two guards would enter and yank the girl up to her feet by her arms, leaving her to huff annoyingly at it. She spared her comments for the moment and simply let them push her along until she'd be stopped at the bottom of a staircase. There she stood in the center of his guild hall, looking around at the extravagant looking place before delivering a solid blow to the crotch of the guard on her left. "You ever interrupt my praying again, I'll make sure you can't have kids... Respect my darn religion, jerk." She scoffed and rolled her eyes, giving her attention to Harrigan, then giving a relaxing exhaling. "Ok, now with that out of my system... Why am I here?" She asked, not noticing the guard writhing in pain on the ground next to her.

Even if Harrigan didn't show it, behind the facade that was his face he cringed. The moment he saw the small girl put all her might and force into one single kick that was aimed at one of the guards... well crown jewels so to speak. Who immediately fell over unable to keep himself standing from the terrible pain that was inflicted on him. In fact Harrigan would've called that devious act more cruel and painful then his own magic, which was basically focused on bringing as much pain as possible.

'Well aren't we lively this morning' he eventually said while looking straight back at her. Her eyes still had a twinkle of rebellion hanging over it, she had yet to be fully broken. But Harrigan knew he was one his way in doing so. The massacre a couple of days before, as well as the restriction on her privileges were only the first steps. Now would come the real challenge, to balance the scales of what was good and wrong. No to break it apart, and build it up a new.

'Only the better' he said ominously 'because for what comes next, I need you to be as lively as possible. I need you to feel every moment of it, to be aware of your own decision... and if you do good. If you make the right one, I might even reward you.'

Harrigan snapped his fingers, and in response the big doors behind him would fly open. While from out of the opening a couple of guards would emerge. With pulling along with them, two different people. Both in chains, both still struggling a bit, even if they knew the effort was fruitless.
The guards stopped behind Harrigan, and forced the two new faces on their knees. One was a man, probably somewhere in his early thirties, who dressed quite nicely. Not entirely upperclass or anything, but you could see that he could live with ease. The other was a woman, her dress a bit frilly yet obviously cheap, she had a pretty face, pretty enough for any young lad to fall easily in love with her. But that wasn't the most notable about the woman, the most notable was the big belly she carried with her. She was pregnant, probably a result from her pretty face.

'Unlock the girl please' said Harrigan to the guards around Madison. 'Well isn't this exciting' he continued the moment Madison was released from her cuffs. 'Here we are, with two new people in our midst... that being said. I think there is one to many, right Madison? I think we should let one of them go. And you know what, that decision is up to you....oh there is one condition though, for one of them to leave this wretched place. One of them has to die... by your hands'

The moment he said that, one of the guards had already pushed Madison a bit forwards towards the two victims of Harrigans games, and had putted a knife in her hands.

'Oh and Maddi' continued Harrigan with his slick voice 'don't even think of running, or hurting one of the guards. Because the moment you do, we strike both of them down. If you don't choose, we strike both of them down. In fact if this takes to long, we will kill them both... So tell m Maddi, who will it be, who will live, and who will die.'

As the child waited to find out the reason she was called forth from the little imprisonment she had suffered the last couple days, her state would shy away from Harrigan every now and then. The guards groaning sounds of pain made her worry slightly every time, but hey was until her mind flickered up the reminder that the guard in pain had been the one whom disrespected her and her time of prayer. If nothing else was left to take from her, she'd have imagined that he would wait just a moment longer. Even then, she couldn't fully fault him for following orders, but a line was crossed and given the last couple days of her life it was certainly not going to go without some form of retaliation for it. She hadn't replied at all, but she instead watched him starring at he girl and the victim with a blank stare, curious if he was simply hiding his reaction or if he possibly agreed and thought the punishment given was deserved. She hadn't cared to ask him what he thought. Her only goal was to survive long enough to get out of here alive.

Madison raised a brow in curiosity as he seemed to start to lead an offer towards the small red head. He wanted to give her a test of some sort in attempt to see what she would do. Deep down, she felt as if she knew what he was going to make her do and the feeling of butterflies in her stomach shot around her stomach like an angry bees nest. The doors opened behind Harrigan and the sound of chains rattling caused her eyes to widen from past memories of her own chained restraints being led through like some prized pet for show. Two people; a man dressed rather nicely and a woman whom appeared to be both pretty and pregnant were still fresh in their capture.

They tried to fight off the guards and hesitating to do what they were told, but the woeful look of misery on their faces had made her feel sympathetic. She was recently just in their position, so why shouldn't she feel that way? Her eyes trailed away from them both to the rugged kidnapper as he began to speak. The guards released her cuffs and held onto them, allowing the child to run her wrists from finally having some time without them on. The only standing guard pushed her forward while Harrigan continued to talk, or rather imply what he had wanted her to do. Both of the people he brought in looked up at her and then him as the blood drained from their faces. They were brought here just to be slaughtered like animals? It.. it was infuriating and despicable that he had done that, but his next threatening words made her go over the edge.

He threatened all three of them at one time; kill one, or they kill them both. Her shocked look turned into anger right after he forced a knife into her hand and her hands began to shake with frustration. "How DARE you make me play god with these innocent people! You expect me to easily just pick out a person and tell them, 'sorry, but if you don't die, you'll just die by someone else's hand because I chose otherwise!?" Her voice broke her last bit of silence. The thought to have that knife go through Harrigan was something she'd contemplated, but her mind decided against it. As much as she hated to admit it, she needed him alive for now, and killing him would just seal her own fate as well.

But now she looked to the guards and then to the people they had kidnapped and brought here. They were both pleading for their lives and despite everything, she wanted to spare them both if she could. But after the incident from the other day, it wasn't going to happen. He would follow through on his plans, so she had to do something. She had to decide now and it wasn't right for her to do so, in fact she swore she'd never kill anyone herself, but he was forcing her hand or the guilt of letting them all die would be on her. "Fine. I... I've made my decision." She spoke up, making sure to know that he wouldn't have to make the choice of them both because of her lack of decisions. She walked towards Harrigan at first, not giving him the satisfaction of knowing whom she picked at first, but she veered towards his right where the man knelt. He started to fight and plead to change her mind, but as hard as she tried, she had to block it out. "Im sorry mister... I don't want to, but I hope you and god understand... forgive me." Closing her eyes, she'd shove the knife through his chest with tears started to crawl down her face. He couldn't speak, but his body collapsed onto the ground and remained there while she starred at the ground, tears dripping from her face as she couldn't process her own actions anymore. She hated herself now...

It started with a soft rumbling nice behind Madisons back, but eventually turned into a bellowing sound that filled the entire hall. An uncontrollable laugh coming from Harrigan that taunted the poor girls decision. Even some of the guards started to give each other looks, probably thinking that the enigmatic master had finally lost his mind.
As the laughter died, Harrigan had already made his way towards Madison. Only so that he could place both his hands on her shoulders, and leaned in. First glancing over to the dead body laying in front of them, just before he started to speak to Madison in a rather intimate way.

'Exciting isn't it?' He said ominously 'The rush, the power, the very moment you take someones life.'

The tip of his finger slowly traced from her shoulder all the way up to her cheek, only so that he could wipe away a tear. His eyes dangerously wide open, showing a hint of insanity. Almost begging to see more physiological torture, to see how far he could take this before the poor girl really broke. 'Well then' he continued while shoving another knife into her hands. 'How about we try this again...'

He would have her kill again, this time more intense then before. The woman who was pregnant, if he could have Maddison kill her. Then his work would be complete. He already had in mind how, give the woman a quick death. Otherwise she would endure a very slow and painful torture before the life would slip away from her.

All Madi could do was stare at the pooling blood of the dead body spreading out from underneath his body, staining his clothes. It was a traumatizing feeling, so much so that she couldn't bare to move or even react either way at it. She couldn't process what she'd done, the guilt that already washed over her mind as the tears continued to slide down her cheeks. The pregnant woman screamed in reaction to her killing the man in front of her, but she quickly quieted down as the captor began to laugh psychotically. He leaned down in front of her, hands placed on either shoulder, making her look at him while she watched his manic laughter. He tried to speak to her, his finger wiping against her cheek made her flinch, but never moving her eyes or body off from where she stood or stared.

She finally snapped out of her entranced looking state as another metal object was placed into her hands. She looked down, seeing him placed a clean knife into her hands and wanting her to do it again... This time to the pregnant woman. He'd want her dead like the other, putting the pressure on her to do so, she would look to the woman and then to the knife. She'd start to panic, but in her silence, she would look up toward Harrigan and nod. He would assume her to agree willingly, but the red headed girl would take the knife in hand and trust it forward right into Harrigan's chest. Should he not be able to stop it, the knife would plunge right into his chest, piercing his heart. She'd then push him away and stare at what would happen next, though should he live... She probably wouldn't, though the price would be worth the attempt.

Overflowing with arrogant pride, Harrigan had no way of expecting that the girl actually still had some fight left in her. That there was still a flickering hope of resisting him and everything he stood for. So when the girl turned around and stabbed the knife forwards, Harrigan was caught by surprise, and just barely managed to escape her blade. However, not unscathed. With a defensive move, Harrigan pushed away Madisons arm, deflecting the blade heading towards his torso, only to have it cut into his face. Leaving an openly seeming wound, and a face that turned to pure wrath in a blink of an eye.

The once so conceited face, that seemed to carry an never-ending smirk had turned sour. His eyes dangerously upset, almost as if it was blazing with the fires of hell itself. However that wasn't the worst part of it all, like an very old mask his face started to show cracks, and sometimes flickered like a watching the screen of an 80's television. Giving only a few glimpses of what lays behind it, briefly the girl could see the mans true face. Hidden behind layers of magic. Burned and damaged, revealing more flesh then skin.

But before it could get a hold, the face soon enough already shifted back to more familiar state. Yet of the eternal smirk was still no sign. No instead Harrigan covered his face with one hand, while dangerously looking between his fingers at Madison. Playtime was over...

With one step he reached Madison, and struck at her with the back of his right hand. Using so much force that it could probably knock her off her feet. He'd then pulled her up by her hair and kept her hanging in front of him, so that she could stare straight at him while wringing in pain. 'YOU WENCH!!' he screamed chaotically 'How dare you to strike at me!!'
His power level raised with every passing second, just as his anger that expanded with it. His strength became more and more notable as easily threw the young girl against the nearest pillar.

Before she could even pull herself up, Harrigan was already towering above her. His silhouette temporarily blackened with only his eyes visible, foreboding nothing but ill content. His hand reached down, grasping around her neck as he once again pulled her up, only to push her against the pillar this time. Harrigans patience had run out, if the girl wouldn't succumb to his softer methods, he would use force. His force. 'I will break you! I will take everything from you! Your clothes!' he said while simultaneously ripping open her blouse with his other hand. 'Your dignity! Your womanhood! EVERYTHING!' By now he was literally screaming into her face. 'And at the end I will keep you as nothing but livestock as the pig you are!'

There was no greater show of fear on Madison's face in the entirety of her time spent in the company or the guild as there was when she struck this man with the knife. Something in her shot up her human.. or inhuman desire of survival and through her own meticulous planning during her capture, the bit of herself she hid behind the silhouette of a nearly broken child had shown itself for a brief moment. The lunging action of her attempt to slay Harrigan, giving a chance to do much more harm than good in this situation. The unfortunate part to her plan was the reaction time that Harrigan had towards her ambush of an attempt to slay him. He smacked her hand away, but in trying to keep from being deterred from her goal, she sliced up into his face, stumbling for a moment in her bodily weakness before she could catch herself and see the type of damage she'd have done to him.

What she saw next would scar her for the rest of her life... Or at least until she could come to terms with her life. The inner workings of his facial structure had made her freeze up as she had the only chance to see it. Without even noticing it, Harrigan had stepped up and delivered a backhand to her face with seething rage behind it. The force took Madison off of her feet, lifting up off and then falling onto her back with the shock of the blow making her body shutter with pain. He started to scream and shout, his hand gripped so tightly into her hair, he'd lifted her up and shouted in her face as she had reached at his hand, trying to remove his hold on her. Quickly after, he threw her into a pillar, making her cry out loudly in pain, laying on the ground while still trying to recover herself from the initial blow.

Again, a heavily strong grip lifted her up, this time holding tightly around her throat. a dribble of blood slipped down her bottom lip to her chin, placed against the pillar as she tried to claw at his hand. The air was slowly starting to be deprived from her, and all he could do was tear off her clothes, ready to lay her into a period of physical and mental torture to break her for good. Just as that hit, that internal drive kicked in again. A black and red aura would envelop her body, eyes starting to glow a bright red. "YOU WANT TO SEE MY POWER!? LEMME GIVE YOU A FIRST HAND EXPERIENCE!" Her left foot would raise up and shoot forward, striking Harrigan in the chest and propelling him away and freeing herself from his grasp. There was no telling what bodily damage she did to him, but the child would take a chance to catch her breath while approaching him. Her sense of mercy was getting blurred from the adrenaline rush of her need to live and the fear of her becoming nothing but some broken slave.

The beyond angered red head would glare at Harrigan as she approached, this time her hand shooting straight out and gripped tight against his trachea. "For the sake of argument, you're pretty scary... But I get VERY violent when I'm pissed off. I believe it's considered textbook sociopathy, but there's most likely another reason for it... Never the less, does it hurt to breathe? Thought I felt a couple ribs break there.. Maybe it pierced a lung or something.. Tragic sounding, don't you think?" Her tone grew cold and methodical, almost like someone else had taken over. In actuality, he did break her, but he'd done in such a way that she developed a more subconscious evil that arose during their need to survive. If he'd notice it, that would be one thing... But the other would surely be that she was going to kill him whether she really wanted to or not.

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