//------------------------------// // Chapter 18: Meetings // Story: The Redemption of Jericho Swain // by Ghosted Note //------------------------------// The Redemption of Jericho Swain Chapter 18: Meetings Swain had not even batted an eye when Nasus had told him he would be taking the girls' place for the mission to Zaun. Acting with a confidence that practically told the group that it had been his plan all along, Swain had gladly agreed, noting that the superior fighting experience that Nasus possessed and his nature as an extremely durable immortal being would make sending him much less risky. Thus, Nasus found himself skulking stealthily along the streets of Zaun, a feat which did not come naturally to intimidatingly large creatures with golden armor and glowing red eyes, and even with a cloak, the cheap concealment charm Nasus had bought, and a sense of grace developed from years of walking in a world built for those smaller than he was, he had to step carefully to avoid being blindingly obvious. Still, he managed to keep a relatively low profile as he approached the ambush location. The darkness wasn't much of an obstacle to Nasus, and he was easily able to see the life force radiating off of the lookouts who guarded the warehouse, allowing him to easily evade them, glad that not all bushes were as heavily enchanted as those on the Fields of Justice. Opening the warehouse's slightly rusted door ever-so-slowly, he was suddenly able to hear voices talking softly from within. "How long till they get here? The Prophet said that they got the information, and that their new accomplice, Swain, had even paid their way onto a zeppelin," asked a husky-looking man dressed in purple robes who was seated at a table along with several other identically dressed people. "I dunno, man. All this waiting is making me nervous. It's gonna be worth it, though, to be on the winning side of the upcoming war," answered a second male. "I hope we don't screw it up." "Don't you guys worry, the Prophet must think we have potential if he's letting us do something so important on our first mission!" This voice was female, and incredibly enthusiastic for someone trying to talk quietly, Nasus noted as she continued to talk. "I mean, why else wouldn't he bother giving us some higher ranking babysitters?" "Probably because this plan put the lot of you at risk," said Nasus with a sigh of annoyance as he stepped into the open, prompting the group to gasp in collective surprise, and one of the unfortunate cultists to fall out of his chair. "He most likely didn't want to risk anything of value during this ambush. Nonetheless," Nasus continued with a flat expression, "I shall have to see if anyone here knows anything of interest. Those who surrender will be spared the pain that shall shortly be delivered to those who do not. It is not unreasonable to think that those who were chosen to lie in wait might be more helpful." "He's just one... I mean, I know that he's a champ-champion," stuttered one of the cultists, "He's just one guy." Nasus chuckled quietly as he raised his staff. "And you have just one life. Shall we weigh the difference?" - - - - Swain's safehouse was covered by a deceptively humble potion shop run by a colleague of Singed. Magical emissions from the various arcane concoctions served to conceal the bunker built into the ground below, and many of the best spells money could buy were also dedicated to the same task. Within the bunker, Riven and the six Equestrians were watching quietly as Swain let an identification spell pass over him. Shortly thereafter, a heavy steel door opened, and the group was able to get a clear look at where Swain hid in times of trouble. "I thought the Institute of War was fancy...," commented Rainbow Dash as her foot sank into the lush crimson carpet that covered the floor. Swain smirked briefly to himself as he eyed one of the masterfully painted landscapes that rested on the darkly finished wooden paneling covering the walls. "I occasionally host high value dignitaries and such here. Of course, I have to wipe their memories of this place afterward, but luxury makes them much more receptive to long periods in a bunker. Their complaining is a headache I would rather not deal with." Swain paused as they reached a lobby. Several glowing lines of color ran across the walls into different adjoining hallways. Swain pointed at a blue stripe and began to explain. "These lines of color serve as a navigational guide. Blue leads to the common living space, which adjoins to a series of private suites that you may make free use of. Red goes to the library, orange goes to the laboratory, and green goes to the kitchens. Pink leads to the gymnasium, which is stocked and prepared for the needs of a champion. All of those you are free to make use of, but the purple stripe goes to the section that you are not permitted to access. Take the rest of the day to familiarize yourself with these surroundings. We shall meet tomorrow at noon to discuss further moves against Malzahar and his ilk. Please note that we are not the only ones here. If you see one of my employees at work, please do not keep them from fulfilling their tasks. If you need to contact me for any reason, simply place your hand on the pad attached to any of the crystal screens scattered throughout the facility. If you would excuse me now, I have business to attend to." His explanation complete, Swain exited the room, leaving the seven people to their own devices. Rarity chose to immediately retire to one of the bedroom, with Fluttershy not far on her heels, praying nobody noticed the worry on her face. To nobody's surprise, Pinkie immediately bolted for the kitchen, and with a shrug Applejack followed, muttering about keeping Pinkie from getting them kicked out. Riven and Rainbow Dash decided to explore the gymnasium, leaving a very indecisive Twilight Sparkle to try to weigh the merits of the library versus the laboratory. It took several long minutes of agonized thinking, but she eventually settled on spending some time in the laboratory perfecting her latest spell, which Pinkie had promised to help her with once she could get it prepared. As she walked briskly towards the laboratory, she pondered her brilliant idea of using their links to the Elements to try and draw out some of their power. The reasoning she had given the others was that they might be able to use the magic to help Nasus' brother, but beneath that drawing power from the Elements would provide a trail of magic to follow back to their homeworld. So caught up in her thinking was she that it barely dawned on her that she had reached her destination. The contents of the room where enough to make her squeak with delight, however. Her eyes darted from the rows upon rows of chemicals on myriad shelves, to the catalogue that explained them, to a large enchanting altar stocked with various chalks and powders and other tools for inscribing runes. Tucked away on one corner of the room were a series of glass containers and tubes used for distillation, along with a familiar figure which instantly captivated Twilight's attention. Several emotions flashed through her mind. Confusion, followed by blinding panic, which was replaced by a brief moment of absolute calm before Twilight finally settled on what she felt was the most appropriate emotion. She summed up the absolute rage coursing through her with one word that promised the release of many nights of nightmares and pent-up wrath. "Singed."