//------------------------------// // 615 - Feinting Spell // Story: Lateral Movement // by Alzrius //------------------------------// Dark Streak clenched her beak as she flew back toward where she’d stashed her hostage. Moving the maid to the back of the factory had been a strategic decision. While she’d initially been content to shove the pegasus in a barrel (with the lid ajar, since if she suffocated it would mean losing fifty thousand bits) elsewhere on the ground floor of the factory – leaving her hanging from the catwalk would have given Lex a chance to find her; even though he couldn’t see in the dark, he’d still been making his way toward where she’d vanished upward – the fire had changed things. Although she hadn’t been the one to cause the place to start going up in flames, Dark Streak wasn’t about to risk her money on an accident. The vat near the back of the place had seemed like as good a place as any to stash the unconscious pegasus. But while she’d felt confident that Lex wouldn’t locate the mare anytime soon, Dark Streak hadn’t wanted to leave anything to chance. That had been why she’d used a charge from another of her wands. In that case, the wand had created an invisible perimeter encircling the vat. If anything bigger than a mouse passed across it – in either direction – it would create an alarm that only she could hear. It wasn’t really necessary; Feather Duster was still drugged, and Dark Streak had left her chained up for good measure. But for all that Lex Legis had proven to be nowhere near the wizard she’d been warned about, he’d still been more resilient than expected, as the unhealed wounds covering her body could attest. Until she could go back and finish him off, Dark Streak had no intention of leaving anything to chance. Which was why her alarm going off had taken her completely by surprise. Someone had found Feather Duster. There was no other explanation. But at the same time, it couldn’t have been Lex; the sheer number of injuries he’d taken, combined with his lack of darkvision, meant that he couldn’t possibly have found her so fast. Nor, Dark Streak felt sure, could his singing doxies. She was ready to face the so-called Sirens, of course. She’d prepared several countermeasures for their special powers, ranging from simple earplugs to a special tea that would make it harder for them to sway her mind with their magic to a vial of dead air, which when uncorked would remove the breathable elements from the immediate area for a short while. They’d have a hard time singing their spells when they were asphyxiating. But it was unlikely in the extreme that either of the two were responsible for tripping her alarm. Even if she hadn’t just heard one of them give an extremely loud scream from where she’d last fought Lex, his pets were – according to everything Dark Streak knew about them – a pair of idiots. Even if they’d split up instead of rushing to Lex’s side together (which also sounded unlike them), she couldn’t imagine them pinpointing the maid’s position so quickly. They were playthings that also functioned as magical auxiliaries for their owner; thinking was outside of their skillset. Which means someone else is here, decided Dark Streak as she rushed back toward the vat. That, or Lex Legis was holding back far more than he seemed to be. That was an unsettling thought, and one that made the assassin hesitate as she reached her destination. Wanting to keep her elevation low so as to avoid being sniped by either of the Sirens, she touched down, pausing as she surveyed the pile of discarded chains in front of the open mesh grate on the side of the large container. It was entirely possible that this was a trap, and she had ways of checking for both mundane and magical ambushes, but checking for all of them would take time. If whoever had grabbed Feather Duster was trying to help Lex, then they’d be looking to vacate the place immediately, letting the unicorn know that there was no reason to remain here any longer. That was something that Dark Streak knew couldn’t be allowed to happen. Which meant that she had no time to lose if she wanted to keep her quarry contained. Sheathing her daggers, Dark Streak strode forward, focusing her attention on the castoff chains. If there was a clue to be found, it would- “Don’t move,” came a cold voice from behind her. Every muscle in her body tensed as Dark Streak immediately went still, her mind racing. “Turn around. Slowly.” Hesitating for just a second as she weighed her options, Dark Streak quickly came to the conclusion that she couldn’t take action before she saw who’d gotten the drop on her, turning slowly in place… It took all of her self-control to keep her wings from flaring outward as she saw who’d spoken. Standing just a few yards away from her – his hoof held toward her threateningly, and his wounds completely healed – was Lex Legis, smirking at her surprise. “Don’t move.” Perfect! That was exactly the way Lex would have said it! cheered Kara. Remember, it’s all in the presentation. You are Lex Legis, slayer of dragons, conqueror of princesses, ruler of the realm. You fear no one and nothing. You have the situation under your complete and total control. Thermal Draft nodded, only to realize that was the wrong thing to do; fortunately, the indistinct figure still had their back to her, apparently not inclined to challenge her – or rather, Lex’s – order not to move. The slip-up would have made her swallow, her tension already sky-high, except that her mouth was completely dry. It was all she could do to keep her breathing steady, having to concentrate on taking slow, deep breaths. “Turn around,” she demanded, making the words come out stern and imperious. “Slowly.” Now she just needed to figure out what to do once they did. Taking Lex’s form in order to give Nosey a chance to get Feather Duster out of there had sounded like a great idea at the time – she’d make a heroic stand, keeping the bad guy delayed until she found a chance to give them the slip, and have Lex praise her for her bravery after everything was over – but now Drafty found herself regretting it. Not because she was afraid of staring down whoever had snatched the maid (after everything she’d gone through in Vanhoover, a mere kidnapper seemed almost quaint) but because she wasn’t sure that Nosey had actually left. The urge to glance behind her, where the four-eyed reporter had taken refuge behind the second vat – opposite the one that Feather Duster had been stashed in – was overwhelming, and Drafty could barely fight the impulse off. She’d only had a few seconds to tell Nosey to take Feather Duster and go, that she had a plan to stall the kidnapper, and Nosey’s initial response had been to argue. There’d been no time to convince her to shut up and do what she was told before Drafty had been forced to step out behind the shadowy figure examining the chains, taking on Lex’s form as she did so. If she finds out, she’ll never keep my secret! Of that Drafty felt sure. Nosey’s destiny was to be a reporter; making secrets public was her stock-in-trade. She’d tell Lex, and with how smart he was, it would only be a matter of time before he figured out that she’d pretended to be Sonata in order to slip into his bed. If he finds out what I did, he’ll hate me for sure! And I bet Cloudy will too, especially when she sees how ugly I am now! Focus, urged Kara, the goddess’s voice soothing. Deal with one problem at a time. Right now, you need to keep your eyes on…oh you have got to be kidding me! Drafty didn’t need to ask what Kara meant, blinking as the figure turned to face her. It was Feather Duster, Lex’s maid whom they’d just rescued. What? It’s a disguise, snorted Kara, a disgusted tone in her voice that Drafty had never heard before. And a lousy one at that. Look at how her hooves aren’t leaving hoof-shaped patterns in the dust! So sloppy! Drafty wasn’t sure how to react; her first thought had been that this was another of the goddess’s doppelgangers, but listening to her now – ranting with all the venom of a trendy teenager criticizing an ugly outfit – that obviously wasn’t the case. Which made sense, now that she thought about it; after Drafty’s transformation, Kara had let it slip that she was the first one in Equestria. A changeling then? Except they fed on love, and this sort of elaborate kidnapping seemed like the worst possible way to go about doing that. They’re probably wearing one of those cheap hats, the kind that are ensorcelled to let you change your appearance, sneered Kara. They’re commonplace on Everglow, mostly because of how useless they are. They don’t alter your voice, or how you feel to the touch, or anything else except looks. Absolute bottom of the barrel trash, right there. The derision in the goddess’s voice aside, that gave Drafty an idea for what to do next. “Drop your disguise,” she ordered, making sure to keep her voice – Lex’s voice – at a low growl. “Now.” Across from her, the fake Feather Duster’s eyes narrowed. In the poor light it was hard to be certain, but Drafty was sure she saw the other pony’s back legs shift slightly, as though she were redistributing her weight… Taking a single step forward, Drafty held her foreleg out straighter, keeping the bottom of it pointed directly at the imposter’s face, as though about to unleash a torrent of magical death directly at her. “Don’t.” A low, frustrated breath came from whoever was impersonating Feather Duster, and Drafty snorted in a way she was sure Lex would have. “I’ll give you one more chance. Remove that headpiece you’re wearing, or I’ll remove it for you.” You know it doesn’t have to be that hat I mentioned, right? noted Kara, her voice wry. It might just be that they know the spell that magic item is based on. Next time tell me that sooner! shrieked Drafty silently. Lex was supposed to be an expert on magic; if “he” made some obvious mistake now… But to her relief, no such accusation came. Instead, the disguised individual stared at her for a long moment, then slowly reached upward, until her hoof touched the lace headband behind her ears. As she slowly lifted it up, her entire form seemed to shift, as though the scant amount of light falling on her had suddenly been run through a kaleidoscope, and Drafty couldn’t help but compare it to how she looked when using the shapeshifting power that Kara had given her. But that thought was short-lived as the other person’s form came back into focus, revealing… “A griffon?” murmured Drafty in Lex’s voice. Standing in front of her was a griffon – female, from the look of her – dressed all in black, her cloak and leather armor blending seamlessly with the natural coloration of her fur and feathers. Her eyes were hidden behind a pair of goggles. Two bandoliers crisscrossed her chest, adorned with vials, daggers, and wands. Around her waist was a belt from which hung multiple saddlebags, though on closer examination one of them seemed to have been cut, which struck Drafty as odd. More than that, she could see what looked like several cuts and scratches across her body, evidence she hadn’t come out unscathed from whatever fight she’d had with Lex. Or rather, the real Lex, Drafty reminded herself, narrowing her eyes in a way that she hoped was intimidating. “Who are you, and why did you kidnap Feather Duster?” For a moment the griffon didn’t say anything, and Drafty was about to repeat herself when the kidnapper suddenly answered. “My name isn’t important,” she replied coolly. “As for why I abducted your maid…” She gave a lazy shrug, as though the topic couldn’t have mattered less to her. “She was just the easiest way to get to you.” The calm, almost emotionless way the black griffon spoke sent a chill down Drafty’s spine, and she had to repress the urge to step back, reminding herself that Lex never showed weakness. “For what purpose?” The griffon's cheeks tightened in a way that might have been a smile. “So I could do this.” Then she suddenly lurched upright, using the momentum of the motion to kick one of her hind legs forward, flinging the loose pile of chains – which, Drafty realized too late, she’d worked her paw beneath while they’d been talking – directly at the disguised pegasus’s face. Dodging to the side, Drafty barely managed to avoid jangling tangle of metal. Knowing it had been a distraction, she immediately turned her attention back to the one who’d thrown it- Just in time to see the griffon rushing straight at her, wings flapping and daggers clutched in her talons.