The Basement Room ((Closed))

Secrecy. Assassination. Crimson eyes narrowed to slits, the mind behind them rapidly sorting through the potential boons and liabilities of the inferred affiliation. "Go on," he growled, lifting his chin to inspect the second intruder. Zed sat upon his stool, partially enshrouded by shadows. His glowing red eyes mirrored the general's, both in hue and purposeful intent.

At her master's shoulder, the hellish familiar spread her wings to their full span--broader than the general's withered breadth--and let out a caw of her own intrigue. "I give you the girl and you give me..." he trailed off, inclined his head, raised his brows expectantly.

A sinister smile raised the general's sunken cheeks. He lifted his chin, his visitor's unprecedented insight seeming to suit him. Rare was the man who spoke as directly and deliberately as he. Pacing a few steps forward, he brought his withered hand to his shroud in contemplation. He spoke after a few silent moments, his voice barely more than a whispered rumble in the dark: "I am interested."

Then came the gruff command to the mage-assassins. "Insulate her." He indicated the shackled form of Skylark. Immediately, practiced hands set to work. The four moved and chanted in unison, forming a dome of purple light around their prisoner. When it connected with the wall and floor, Sky would feel the heaviness of magical silence settle upon her. No sound escaped the luminous bubble--and no outside sound penetrated it.

Swain cast a piercing gaze at the girl, now enshrouded by purple light, then looked back to her would-be master. "Allow me to correct a few of your terms, however." He paced unevenly as he spoke--step, step, cane--the click of his walking stick upon stone echoing through the cellar. His wilted features grim with purpose. "Your organization grows in power, which means that it will begin to garner increased attention and, inevitably, opposition. Noxus will back you because we are fiercely committed to the protection our allies, not because we officially support The Order's continued expansion. Such 'plans' as you have will need to be executed particularly delicately, and not without my authorization." He punctuated certain meticulously chosen words, implying the unsaid.

Blazing eyes flared again like beacons in the dark, the machinations behind them intensifying their incandescence. "Listen to me closely. Should you accept my conditions, in precisely four weeks' time, your base of operations will come under attack by an opposing sect. You'll be certain no one of particular value to you helms the defenses on that night. There will be casualties. But, when the smoke has cleared, Noxus will officially offer her aid to your province. A military base will be erected. Peaceful occupation will follow. And as an official ally, you will have clearance to call upon my country's aid."

The general cleared his throat with a bronchial cough. His cane-hand trembled slightly as he shifted his weight, but he finished with authority, "If you prove to be a dependable ally, I will set you up over Ionia. But all this must progress precisely according to plan. One misstep could compromise us; one indiscretion could alert Ionia to your grander intentions."

He set his jaw with a grim, "Do you understand?" eyes locked upon the ninja.

Shrewd eyes surveyed the offered hand for a moment of silence before Swain took it in his own: a brief grasp, as firm as their newly forged political bond. "I expect no less than your best. And you'll receive mine." He broke the clasp of their hands and motioned towards Sky. "And as for the girl." With a precise somatic motion, he drew back the enclosure of light, its purple energies retracting into his fingertips in an instant.

Noise returned to Sky's pointed ears, accompanied by an overwhelming feeling of vertigo. Dizziness would briefly overcome her before the Grand General's foreboding growl rang out in the cellar. "I grant you your pupil as a token of our alliance--on these conditions: if her loyalty wanes, if she attempts to flee, you will kill her. If she fails in her training, you will kill her. And if you do not kill her, Shadowmaster," Red eyes flashed over the girl's shackled form, burning searchlights in the dark. "I will."

Swain's gaze lingered pointedly upon her slender face. He laid his hand over his robe pocket, a subtle reminder of its magical contents, of the power he now exercised over her. His attention snapped back to Zed. "If you've no more business with me tonight..." One of the mage-assassins drew out a key for the shackles, but did not unlock them, waiting for clearance to release Zed his prisoner.

Sky rested there, enshroud in silence by the light that kept her from not only reading what of their lips she might see, but hearing them even in the slightest. This meant she knew nothing, save for what she had learned before the barrier was placed around her.

As it fell, it was as if there was a pop within her inner eardrums, causing the world to spin and unevenly sway. Her head moved slightly as her fingers curled, trying to grip at the chains to still the uncomfortable motion. Thankfully she had a very strong stomach, and would not succumb to the nausea that mildly effected her.

Swain's words broke the stillness, causing violet eyes to lift hatefully upon him. Sky never hated people before she was originally captured. And each time she has been imprisoned, or trained, that darkness in her was slowly growing. She scowled towards the old bird, and glared with a murderous intent gleaming in those orbs. Unhindered by any sense of fear she may have had before.

As she went to speak, she was stopped by Zed's words next. The feeling of the shackles unlocked from her wrists and ankles exposing the deepened bruises from her fighting against them. She'd yank her limbs away as soon as they were freed, and turned that hateful gaze upon Zed instead. She would say nothing. The venom in those eyes spoke far more loudly then any words she might have said. Her fear suppressed by the rage, and the knowing Swain still held clear advantage over her should he discover her changed again.

She flicked her eye to the pocket the stone had been stored away, then turned to look at the portal Zed had opened with his blood-red runes. Her eyes locking upon it - knowing that most likely this would not be the worst she was going to face. She stepped forward, and would disappear into the darkness.

It was a good thing she had learned some things from Lee Sin, or she may have been in a lot more danger here then she was. As the liquid pooled across the path, it gave her some insight as to where the path was. Violet eyes took it in, and what of it she couldn't see she would extend her senses out to try to read. Her hand lifted upon the arrival of the beast as it stood in front of her, sliding it within a gap in the clasps that kept her coat closed.

As she stepped back, she'd throw the dragon origami towards the beast. It looked like normal paper, nothing special, until it would near the beast and be set off. An inferno of flames would explode to life, pushing the shadows back and aiming to consume the beast in the relentless fire that would engulf the area it stood.

The inferno would only go for as long as the creature was within its area.. And any fire that lingered upon its flesh would continue to burn for as long as it had something to keep consuming. Sky felt the path start to crumble, her eyes narrowing as she started to run drawing another origami free. This one, a tiger, which she'd throw in front of her on the long path allowing it to become an actual tiger.

Sky leapt onto its back, consciously guiding it along the path as she'd use her senses to determine its place. It wasn't easy by any means, and she'd often feel the tiger lose brief footing as it'd narrowly avoid going over the edge. The light that was present, would fade off quickly allowing for the path to presumably reform and stop crumbling away.

Sky thought about what she knew already. Light scattered them, and made the path crumble. What else did she have? She had to think fast as she gripped the tiger's fur gently while seated upon its massive back. The tiger slowly growled, the deep rumbling of its fierceness echoing through the darkness. Sky drew another origami out - a single sparrow which she'd throw towards the little creatures.

The sparrow would come to life, and scatter as multiple songbirds diving at the little creatures relentlessly. It should be enough of a distraction as the tiger leapt over the creatures the birds were assaulting, and raced towards where that brief beam of light had come from. There was nothing she could do for the woman. She knew that the moment she had appeared within the darkness of the shadow world.

Sky showed no fear. Her survival instincts were heightened, and her determination to make it out grew ever stronger the longer she remained. She concluded that there would be obstacles set in her way, and to run from them would likely mean never finding a way out.