Back To Work
Chapter 14: Light The Fire

By: Major Frostwing

I was standing in what looked like an office that was originally used by a miner. The old Griffon was sitting in a chair behind a desk of decent quality. "So mind explaining somethings to me youngster?" The old Griffon asked as he pulled a bottle out along with two glasses.

"I wouldn't exactly call me a youngster since I am older than you but that's whatever." I said with a shrug as he poured the drinks.

"I yet to see how but I will give you the benefit of the doubt." He said as he slid the glass my way. I nodded my head in thanks taking hold of the drink swirling the drink in my hand. "What is your name?" He asked taking a sip of his drink.

"You can call me Jon... Or if you believe the ridiculous history that the idiotic Queen would shovel out. I am the Traitor." I said only continuing to swirl my drink. I saw his eyes flick up to mine before flicking at something under his desk. "I already know that you have a sword and gun under that desk. I'm not a fool so don't think I am." I pointed out before looking down at my drink.

"And the girl?" He asked taking another sip of his drink.

"Just someone who decided to tag along. She wants me to help her kill the Queen but to be honest I already got business with the Queen. After all." I raised my arm showing my missing hand. "She took my hands away."

"So what do you require of my order?" He asked as I only smirked.

"I will be sending a liaison here and she will inform you of the situation." I set my glass on the table getting to my feet.

"And how will I recognize this liaison of yours?" He asked as I only smiled.

"Kind of hard to miss an alicorn." I said with a shrug. The drink in his hand slid free crashing on the ground. "I am going to be taking your country back and saving the god damn world."

"And how do you know you can do this?" I cracked a wicked smile slamming my hand on the desk getting right into the old bird's face.

"Because that bitch put a sword through my chest and killed my kids. I can and would destroy this world just to get a shot at that bitch." I saw the fear course through the old bird before I leaned back standing straight. "Anyway there are a few more things that need to be seen to before I can go after that bitch. So get your forgers to work I need an upgrade and more access to my magic." I turned towards the door seizing the handle. "Good talk Old Bird." I said leaving the room.

I made my way down to the medical ward with my escort. A few off the other Rebels would glance towards me before whispering to each other. I ignored them making my way around.

"Sir." I stopped snapping out of my thoughts to see a mare standing in front of me. She cowered slightly under my glare. "We were able to help your friend to the best of our ability she should make a full recovery in a few days." I smiled nodding my head setting my head on her head. She seemed to tremble at the touch but I only continued to smile.

"Relax." I said calmly before removing my hand from her head. "You are going to burn yourself out if you keep your stress up." I pointed out before walking around her. "Thank you for helping Thorn."

The escort looked over to me with an angry glare which I returned with my own. "We got a problem?" I asked very simply only for him to let out a grunt.

I looked around the doors finally finding the one I needed entering it without a single care in my mind. I saw Thorn sitting in a bed her arm in a sling she glanced over finally seeing me which I could only smile.

"Sucks waking up in medical doesn't it?" I asked as I took hold of a chair flipping it around so I could sit down. She let out a huff of irritation looking down at her immobile arm.

"Stupid fucking asshole that shot me... I hate this I can't move it at all." She muttered as I only let out a small chuckle.

"Now you know how I felt when I first got my powers. Hell first few months I was here I spent it in a hospital." I said as memories of that time flashed through my mind. my smile shifted into a pained one before I looked down at my hand.

"Why were you in the hospital for so long?" Thorn asked only for me to look away.

"I don't want to talk about it." I said solemnly before leaning back in my chair. "Anyway we got a few days to wait for you to be back in top condition and I will be overwatching the creation of my new hands." I said looking over what remained of my hand. "Afterwards we are heading towards our next target." I pulled out my map showing it to Thorn.

"We are heading towards the Dragon Kingdom." I said firmly as Thorn looked at me with a conflicted expression. "Something wrong with that course?" I asked as Thorn nodded her head.

"The dragons are a bloodthirsty greedy race. They will only try to kill us so we can't just waltz in there." Thorn told me as I only shrugged.

"I knew a few dragons and If I know who is running the Kingdom I know for a fact we can get help there. Plus on the border there is a town owned by Equestria. That is where my next friend is." I tapped the town with my finger smiling. "You can still drop out of this if you want." I told Thorn as she looked at me offended.

"AND WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN!" Thorn yelled seizing me by my shirt collar. "I CAME THIS FAR I'M NOT BACKING DOWN NOW!" I raised my arms rolling my eyes.

"Sheesh I get it. Fucking hell you remind me of an old friend of mi-" A thought raced through my mind as I quickly got to my feet making my way towards the door.

"Jon?" Thorn asked as I opened the door before closing it. A thought raced through my head as I smiled wickedly.

"Holy fuck I found one of them." I said to myself feeling my heart race at the thought. "Oh this just got a lot harder but a fuck load more easy." I made my way towards the forges I felt over energized and I needed to burn through my energy.

It had been a week since we arrived and I finally held the items I needed. They were two metal skeleton like hands. I looked them over carefully noticing that they were made of griffon steel and held two large sockets on the palms and backs of the hands. I looked up at the forger who had created the hands. She was a mare who happened to be unicorn blessed. She moved an arm over her sweaty forehead smiling.

"Well don't make me wait try it on." She said as I seized the left hand lining it up. I slid it home as the mare walked over about to secure it only for dark purple lightning to arc through the hand The hand twitched and spasmed wildly before returning to a neutral position. That's when shit got really fucking cool.

The dark purple lightning returned arcing around in the socket before a black gem formed in the center of the sockets before filling it completely. I flipped my hand over seeing the same gem in my palm. I looked closely at the gems seeing that they were not really black just a really dark purple. I smiled wildly seizing my destroyed right hand removing it before securing the second hand starting the process once again.

I rolled my wrists moving each finger to check my range of motion. "Oh this will do perfectly." I purred smiling. I flicked my wrist as two diamonds floated out of a box floating over to me. I seized the gems as they began to glow wrapping around my hands forming what would be the muscles and skin of the hands. I moved the hands slowly keeping a close eye on how they worked.

"I had a few magic gems that I was going to put into those sockets but I guess your magic did it first. Quite impressive work you did there." She said as she seized my hand looking it over calmly.

"Thank you for this..." I said looking at my right hand with a smile. "One step closer but still so far away." I said pulling my hand away from her. "What do I owe you?" I asked as she looked at me confused.

"These are a gift it was such an interesting order that I can't possibly think about charging you." she said with a small smile.

More thoughts raced through my mind as I smiled. "What's your name?"

"Engraved Silver. But you can call me Silver." I smiled at the name nodding my head.

"Silver. How would you like to join me on my quest to save this world?" I asked as she looked at me shocked.

"I-I don't know. I would have to think about it." I only shrugged my shoulders getting to my feet.

"Think it over it would be the experience of a lifetime." I patted her shoulder walking out of the room with a smile on my face. I had one last place to visit.

I made my way towards the medical ward my hands in my pockets before quickly entering Thorn's room she looked at me her arm still in a sling. "Hey Jon." Thorn said with a smile but she quickly looked away looking at her arm.

"Still hung up about the arm?" I asked sitting down on the bed next to her.

"It's just not healing fast enough." She said trying her arm only to wince in pain.

"Well let's speed that along shall we?" I asked as I pulled my left hand out of my pocket slowly rotating my hand as a green glow encased her wound before slowly dissipating.

Thorn looked at her arm with wide eyed shock before she slowly moved her arm free of the sling moving it about slowly. "H-How?" She asked as I only let out a chuckle.

"Got my new hands that's how." I said showing off the new hand before something caught my eye. The crystal in the center shrunk slightly before quickly refilling. "Now that is quite interesting." I said to myself still smiling.

"I guess that means we are done here." Thorn said getting out of the bed.

"Yea we got to move quickly if we want to make decent time to our destination. I will see you at the exit I got to talk to Old Bird." I gave her a two finger salute before snapping my fingers disappearing in a flash of dark purple.

Once I arrived in Old Bird's room I saw that he had his pistol drawn and at the ready before relaxing. "Dammit youngster don't startle me like that I could have shot you." Old Bird said as I only shrugged my shoulders.

"Just came to tell you that me and my friend are leaving. We will be sending our liaison as soon as we can so be ready for her." I told him as I turned towards the door only for him to set his hand on my shoulder.

"Can you really do it?" He asked as I shrugged my shoulders.

"Alone I might lose. But I'm not gonna be alone so I would have to say." I tapped my finger on my chin before shrugging. "Yea I can slaughter the fuck. Kinda my job to kill upstart little shits like that anyway." Old Bird just gave me a warm smile.

"You are indeed a strange one Jon. Just be safe." I let out a short laugh.

"Where is the fun in being safe?" I asked opening the door walking out.

Thorn and myself stood at the exit waiting. "Mind telling me why we are just waiting here? I thought you said we had to hurry." Thorn asked as I waved my hand dismissively.

"We are waiting on our last member." I pointed out as I saw Silver round a corner a back pack and satchel on her side. Something else caught my eye. I saw the doctor mare running after Silver her own bags packed. "Scratch that. Members." I corrected before Silver and the doctor stopped. "Glad to see you accepted my offer." I said as Silver looked at me with a smile.

"Wouldn't miss a chance of the lifetime." Silver said as I smiled before looking at the Doctor.

"Why are you here Doc?" I asked as she looked at me more than a little scared to be leaving before her eyes hardened with resolve.

"That Queen has caused to much pain to others she needs to be stopped." I looked at her before smiling.

"Welcome aboard. Glad to have ya." I said as she smiled to me. "Alright I got to give you two a warning before we set off. Once you teleport out with me there will be no turning around. Your lives will be in danger and you might not make it back alive. This is your last chance to reconsider." I said being a serious as possible.

"A chance to help a real hero save the world? You couldn't stop me even if you tried." Silver said with a big smile.

"I can't let my fear control me anymore. I want to make a difference. If I can't then I will at least try." I smiled at their answers before more thoughts flashed through my head as I set my hand on the Doc's shoulder.

"What is your name?" I asked as she blushed looking away.

"M-My name is Glowing Nova." I smiled patting her shoulder nodding.

"Thorn, Nova, and Silver. Let's move." I said calmly wrapping my arms around them. "Hang on it has been a while since I did this so It's gonna be a little rough. I snapped my fingers as we disappeared in a dark flash of purple.

We all appeared on the outskirts of the griffon Empire and I could only let out a sigh of exhaustion. I glanced at my hands to see the gems were pretty much empty but they quickly filled back up. "Let's move." I said as we all began to move making our way towards the Dragon Kingdom.

Author's Note

For those of you that are curious Jon's magical prowess is now at a whopping 60% but still so far away from his true potential.