As the afternoon seeps slowly into the evening leading towards nightfall. A large iron carriage moves swiftly down the street. The carriage is driven by a steel-plated soldier holding the reigns. Tiephinne is seated to the left wearing similar armour. The carriage is composed entirely of iron, pulled by two horses. The back of the carriage has a single door with iron bars and a padlock. 

The carriage moves swiftly down the street as two other soldiers on horseback patrol on each side. Moving through the quiet street, several stone buildings can be seen. Ranging from fifteen to twenty feet in height. Just down the narrow street, we see a large building roughly twenty feet tall, thirty feet wide, with two stories. 

"We're here sir Tiephinne." The soldier to her right says, pulling back on the reigns and stopping the carriage. The building up close is guarded by two fully armoured soldiers. The door they guard is large, wooden, curved at the top and with two handles in the centre. Four barred windows are seen just above the door, two on the left and right, both above each other.

The carriage stops, and Tiephinne and her soldiers dismount, they move to the carriage door, withdrawing an iron key.  "Out you come." The soldier opens the door and gestures for the two handcuffed men to vacate. The two exit and are revealed to be the surviving soldiers of the failed coup. The soldier gestures for them to follow and they all march towards the barracks.

The prisoners walk past a scowling Tiephinne, she watches them carefully. Eyeing how they move and shamble towards the door. "Sir Tiephinne what do you plan to do now?" The soldier beside her asks. 

"I'll let them stew in their cells for tonight and come back tomorrow morning for their interrogation."  She replies with utter disdain for the subjects she just mentioned. Turning her gaze back to the carriage, she mounts the seat with the other soldier. The sound of cracking whips rings out along with the trotting of hoofs. The carriage slowly turns and makes its way down the street.

The carriage passes a small alleyway with a hooded figure, observing in the shadows. The man’s gaze follows the carriage now leaving down the street. He leans against the wall before his obscured face comes into view. He is revealed to be Orpheus himself, clothed all in black.

He moves to the side and peers around the corner. Observing the guards as they remain stationary just outside the barracks door. "Two guards most likely more inside. Probably at least five more maybe ten if my luck is bad." He contemplates whilst observing. "The invisibility and muffle spell consume considerable mana, but based on the size of the building I believe it should be sufficient." Continuing his thought, he shifts his gaze back to the alleyway. Raising both his hand's shoulder level, his palms facing himself, he chants. "Incanto Obvolvere." Following the chant, a wave of blue energy expels from his hands. The veil begins covering his entire body, moving from his arms to his chest. Passing down to his legs and finally his feet, eventually dispersing.

Tapping his left foot, it produces no sound as if his body had become completely muted. Satisfied he chants once more. "Praestrigiae Indespectus." Soon after both his hands start to progressively disappear. The vanishing act extends from his fingertips. The site is akin to a wave of transparency creeping over his entire body until it vanishes into thin air. Footprints then appear in the dirt, no sound coming from each transparent step out of the alley. 

"So how was the job interview" The left side guard turns his gaze to the other and asks a question. 

"I don't want to talk about it." The other replies shifting his gaze to the floor and placing his right hand on his forehead. 

"Okay then." The left guard replies sarcastically.

The right guard detects the note of sarcasm, flashing an annoyed expression before sighing heavily. "I don't think it went well... But I've been a guard for three years that experience has got to count for something... Right?" Querying his associate, he holds his head in his hands. 

"Exactly we do important work here protecting the citizens by guarding the barracks filled with criminals. If only we had some... I don't know... A group that could advocate for us like a...  Union of guards." The left guard desperately explains, stumbling over his words. But just before he can finish his statement a sound is heard from the left.

Drawing their gazes, they both move quickly towards it. Stepping a few feet from the door as it slowly opens on its own. "Did you leave the door unlocked again?" The left guard queries his associate. 

"No, did you?" He responds with an offended expression, moving quickly to close it. 

Inside the barracks, Orpheus moves swiftly, still completely invisible and making not a sound. Walking down the hallway he spots a wooden door at the end. To the left a doorway to an armoury filled with weapons and several guards polishing them. To the right is an open room with a large table, fireplace and four guards seated.

He quickly disregards them and makes his way to the door at the end. Easily opening it he makes his way down the stairs. Reaching the end of the staircase he spots a small room with a jail cell at the end. A steel chandelier illuminates the room. To the left is a rack of various axes, swords and shields. To the right is a small table with two guards. They are both seated and playing cards. Further inside are two men seated in a jail cell. 

"Damn you're taking all my money!" The guard seated the farthest away says as the other pulls the coins over to his side. The other guard laughs in triumph, giving his victim a vicious sneer. 

"Imperium Sopor." Orpheus chants as a wave of energy appear around the guard's eyes rendering them asleep and himself visible. "Praestrigiae Secretum." He chants quickly before moving towards the jail cell. Grabbing the unoccupied chair, he drags it in front of the cell.

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The two prisoners witness this, one seated up against the wall and the other on the bed to the right. "Good evening gentlemen, I assume I need no introduction, as I believe we are already acquainted." The two men shiver with fear before rising from their seated positions. They both travel forward towards the cell bars.

Dangling their arms out of the cell they stare at Orpheus with scorn as the one on the right begins to speak. "Yes, I know you, the hero huh... I'm curious why does a hero need to put the guards to sleep?" He asks the question with a disdainful tone, prompting Orpheus to respond with a gleeful smile. 

"True not very heroic of me, is it?" Orpheus leans back on his chair, crossing his legs. 

"Oh, is the little hero having an identity crisis?" The one on the left chimes in with a humorous anecdote. 

Tilting his head, Orpheus quickly digests their words. "Identity crisis... True I do have multiple identities but I assure you... None of them is in crisis.” Leaving that final note, he pauses for a moment before starting again. “The true crisis you should be aware of, is out of all the faces I possess, which do you think I'm wearing now?" He questions with a malevolent smile as the men look at him with disbelief and a trace of confusion. 

"What the hell are you talking about?" The one on the left replies with his own question.

"I would explain it to you, but I doubt your limited minds would comprehend, so I suppose a demonstration is in order. To give you pitiful creatures a bit of clarity." Orpheus states with a nonchalant tone. Raising his right hand, he performs a motion similar to cupping air. "Imperium Corpus."  As he chants his fingers constrict together. With a wave of energy enveloping the left prisoner. An ethereal force pushes him back a few feet, restraining him upright with his arms to his sides and head facing forward. 

"What's wrong are you alright... what did you do to him?" The other prisoner yells. 

"It's nothing really just a simple control spell." Orpheus replies with a smile. 

"Control spells... I heard they were outlawed by decree of the Atrasal Society!" The other prisoner turns his gaze to Orpheus and grasps the bars, fear evident on his face. 

"True, so shush, don't tell anyone okay." Orpheus replies with a sarcastic tone as he spreads his fingers like a flower blooming. With that singular motion, the restrained man forcefully stretches his limbs in a star-like fashion. Pulling and tugging away from his torso as if they will rip from their sockets. 

"Ah, it hurts please stop... Help me!" He screams as his body begins to tear in all directions. The muscles stretch, fingers elongate, thighs tear and bones stretch beyond their limits.

Orpheus observes this with a sadistic expression as his fingers slowly open up, causing savage pain. "Please stop this... help... please help us?" The left prisoner screams those words in an attempt to alert the guards. 

"Scream all you want, no one will hear. A little spell of mine has granted us some privacy." Orpheus states before finally releasing the man causing him to drop to the ground.

His cellmate comes to his aid. "What do you want?" He yells at Orpheus with furious anger. 

"Actually, you know what, this is a bit unfair." Orpheus ignores it and instead continues his savage deed.

Slowly turning his hand clockwise, he stares deeply at the cowering man. Suddenly he springs up, turns to his friend and hits him in the face with a brutal right hook. Blood spews from his nose before falling to his back grasping his face in pain. His enthralled friend moves forward as his mouth is sealed shut with tears running down his cheeks. He drops down pressing his knee on his friend's stomach locking him to the ground, Orpheus leans forward and starts twirling his fingers downwards.  

"No... stop!" Fear washes past his broken face as his friend readies to strike him. Towering above him is a man with greater fear as he begins to beat him relentlessly. With each strike, his face begins to blacken with bruises, and bones begin to fracture and snap with each blow. Blood begins to seep from his broken face staining his knuckles.

Suddenly Orpheus pulls back his hands and freezes in mid-air with his fist raised. Orpheus then twirls his fingers and his once-held tongue returns to him. "Please stop... don't make me do this!" He screams in agony for the horror to end. 

"Oh, sure I will end this, of course, all you need to do is tell me everything you know about Kencus and who he worked for. The first to tell me will no longer suffer by my hand." Orpheus delivers a chilling ultimatum before waiting patiently. 

"You will stop this?" He asks with extreme desperation in his voice. 

"Don't... tell... him... " His battered cellmate tries to warn him but fumbles over his words. 

"Of course." Orpheus replies with a malevolent grin. 

"Okay, okay fine... Lord Winthrope he's the one that recruited us and Lord Dandridge was the one who paid us. Now that's all I know please stop this!" He frantically asks. 

"Now was that so hard?" Orpheus queries as he flips his hand around causing the man's neck to snap, killing him instantly.

He falls to the ground releasing his friend. Crawling away from his deceased companion, he starts sobbing through his battered face. He turns his fearful gaze to Orpheus and asks a question.  "You, you, you said you wouldn't kill, kill, him?" 

"No... I said he would no longer suffer, as you can see... no more pain, unfortunately, I can't say the same for you." He states with a cold gaze as he twirls his fingers once more. "Resigno." As he chants the cell door suddenly unlocks. "Subcinctus Egomet." Following that he immediately vanishes into thin air leaving the prisoner stunned. 

"I've got to get out of here before he gets back!" He frantically tells himself before limping to the cell door. Opening it and makes his way to the weapons rack, grabs a short sword and makes his way towards the door. Before he can reach the two guards suddenly wake from their slumber, and turn their gaze to the now sword-wielding escapee. They both draw their swords and rise from their chairs aiming their weapons. The prisoner points his sword towards them, spouting frantic words. "No... There was the hero he came here... He made my friend do this to me and killed him, I swear it's true!" 

The guards gazed at him with a sceptical expression before demanding he desists in stern voices. 

"Put down the weapon!" They order.

The prisoner reacts violently and screams before lunging forward. "No, I'm not going back!" He attacks them with his sword raised, descending the blade into a downwards strike. The left guard moves to block the incoming attack. Clashing together the blades spark before the other guard plunges his sword into the mad prisoner's stomach. The wound spews blood, he drops to his knees saying one final word. "Orphe..." He lets out one final garbled word before collapsing dead. 

Orpheus is seen standing atop a nearby building's roof, his eyes closed viewing the event with his voyeur spell. He opens his eyes to see the barracks below and the two guards outside opening the door and entering. He flashes one last smile before turning around and walking away. The alarm bells ring out from within the barracks, exciting the street below. 

"Now, Lord Winthrope and Dandridge, I think I should pay these fine gentlemen a visit." He states out loud, walking away with a devilish smile.