Murder, He Wrote
We continued walking in silence for a time, neither of us really able to think of something to say. Finding nothing, we merely trudged back to town, allowing time to slip us by. Eventually, we arrived, and my wing was charged up enough from my natural magic to move again after I drained it making an explosion. In hindsight, using that means I need to be grounded, and then can't fly for at least an hour afterwards while the wing recharges, it may not be something I want to do very often. On arrival, we were immediately spotted by both Gilda and Catastrophe who nearly dive bombed us, my girl looking at me with annoyance, and Catastrophe's gaze passing between the two of us with absolute glee in her eyes, and a hint of confusion.
Ivan backed up slowly, gulping audibly. "Uh..."
Cata licked her beak. "I'm so glad you decided to show up!"
"What the hell were you thinking?" Gilda growled at me.
"Um.... that if I want to figure out that spell, I need practice, and the ship isn't big enough?" I grinned awkwardly, the kind of nervous grin you get when you give someone a stupid excuse.
Ivan looked at Gilda in an odd way, backing up. "You're on your own."
Cata looked at me in the way that a cat looks at a canary. "That was you? You made that cloud?"
"No. I did not make that cloud. I made the explosion that made that cloud." I showed my slightly singed feathers and fur. "I think I look good in black."
She sat still for a moment, pondering with an odd look before she turned her head to Gilda and cocked it to the side, as if to ask, 'Why is she angry at you?' I decided to answer the question she didn't verbalize.
"Because I blew myself up.... again....." Her gaze narrowed.
Ivan looked up. "He had me on stand bye! I can heal..."
"See Gilda? I was doing things responsibly." I said in a matter of fact tone of voice. "I was in a big open area, had triple protection spells on me, and a zebra medic on standby." She sighed in defeat.
"Fine... at least tell me you figured it out." She replied.
"Well.... no." I paused to see the look of disappointment on her face She knew this was important to me, and wanted me to succeed..... either that or she's sick of me making a racket. "Although I did figure out HOW to figure it out, if that makes any sense." Blank stares everywhere.
"I'm going to need a lot of paper, ink, I can use my own quills, and balloons. Lots and lots of balloons, but that can wait for another time. Right now we're here to relax, so, lets do that."
"You're getting awfully friendly with Ivan. Is there something I should know?" Catastrophe, if you are insinuating that we are gay together..... and that's exactly what she's doing. Bitch. She smirked. "Well... I can't say I really mind..." Ivan let out a strangled noise.
"No. We were just going over some magic, thus the explosion. That and, for some reason, my gut tells me to be nice to him. I almost never get a good feeling about something, and I am now, so I'm gonna go with it. Anyways, since the party is over, and all the bureaucratic crap is done with, anything any of you want to do?"
"Not really. It really is nice to just... not do stuff for once." Ivan said, looking at his partner.
Catastrophe rolled her eyes, looking at Gilda. "You up for anything?"
"We could always chill on the beach."
Ivan smiled. "That would be ok with me."
"Just make sure to keep your wing out of the sand." Gilda smiled. She had clearly spoken with Cable.
Cata winced. "He did that? That's why the mechanic was so pissy?"
"Anywho, let's go."
We continued walking for a time, chatting idly about things that aren't really important, until Ivan came up with an interesting question. "So, how many other humans have you found?"
Cata hissed something into Ivan's ear that made him blush slightly. "Wonder if they're all cute..."
"Well.....There's Echo, mute diamond dog, 'Hero of Wethoof'. When we first met, I threw him through a wall, and he set me on fire." Ivan blinked.
"Then there's Knightmare, the changeling. Also world's biggest pervert. We chided each other a bit, but in the end, he saved my ass, so I guess he's alright in my book. Then Aoi, as far as I can tell, he's a wolf, samuri like guy, he's kinda quiet. I gave him a ride, and what does he do? Trash my ship then flip me the finger before he jumps off, all because of a harmless little shadow mouse. He did teach me some proper fighting technique, so I guess it's alright."
"Mouse. He was scared of a mouse?" Catastrophe scoffed.
"Hey, I'm afraid of spiders... We all got our things. Then there's Celt, a bugbear, whatever the hell that is, and I don't really know him because I only saw him when he was drunk. I threw HIM through a window."
Ivan looked less than impressed. "Do you always end up fighting humans?"
Looking at the blank stares I was getting, I guess I needed to explain a little. "To be fair, he was ruining the party."
"Party?"
"The grand galloping gala. Anyways, then there's Ember. I got eaten by a dragon once, and cut him up from the inside. Turns out, he was her adopted dad, for like, a month, so she got pissed. She beat the snot out of Princess Luna, and then I met her like a month later. She had turned an entire city into an active volcano. She ripped off my wing, and turned my ribs into paste." I flicked one of my ribs, which let out a metallic ringing sound. "I switched bodies to escape, and she tore out my eyes." I sighed and shook my head. "And she broke my damn sword!"
He blinked. Well, I guess at least he's not a bobble head anymore. It's kinda strange, but I've noticed that he has very few mannerisms.... "...Is everyone stupidly dangerous?"
"There wasn't just some... I don't know, normal guy who didn't end up with the ability to level cities?"
"Well, I did talk to Puppy Love, who's been going around interviewing humans, and she said one was a house cat in a suit and tie, so I guess there are some normal ones, and Knightmare isn't all that dangerous, he's just slippery. Hard to kill."
I paused for a moment, quiet permeating the air as we walked in silence, nobody willing to continue the conversation, so I decided to do it myself. "Who have you all run into?"
Cata's tail flicked out irritably, smacking against Ivan with an audible thud. Ivan turned to glare at her. "Some guy named Marty Stu. He's a snake thing... nice guy... Helped me out a few times. There was this cow named Missy. Uh..." He looked away, shaking his head.
Cata cleared her throat. "Fucking snake dicked asshole."
"If there were others, they didn't want me to spread it around." Ivan finally added.
"Marty Stu?..... I feel like I should call him Gary if I ever see him. And a cow? That's..... unexpected. As far as I can tell, people are given a choice as to what they want to become. He... or rather, she, must have been one of those people who picked 'random', like me."
Ivan twitched, growling. "You got a choice? You had a choice?" He looked to be visibly angry.
"You mean you didn't? Some weird guy came up and asked me what I would be if I could go, and I said, "Don't care, as long as it isn't lame like a cow or donkey, and not troublesome, like a dragon. Then he asked if I'd miss anyone. I said no, and he said 'Off you go then!' and that was that."
He stared at me for a long time. "I was tugged away into a police car after I accidentally killed someone. Then a police officer punched me in the face and I woke up in chains."
"....... It's official. Fate hates you more than me. This makes me happy, and at the same time I feel so bad for you it hurts." I really do feel bad for him. Just thrown into this world, he didn't even have a choice.
Cata cleared her throat again. "So... humans. Do they all make that adorable little squeak when you pounce on them?" She addressed Gilda.
"Oh definitely." She replied. "And they gasp when you rub their arms just the right way."
"You have claws. You can pick things up with them. Don't get me started on fate or I'll start ranting like a whiny unlikeable anime protagonist. Or the main character in a bad fanfic."
"My parents hate me because I was born, and I saved the life of my worst enemy, who made my life a living hell." I deadpanned. "Well, we're here." I grabbed a glass from a vendor and passed them a couple bits to pay for them, then handed one to each of my companions. "Here's to giving fate the finger. Cheers."
We sat on the beach, just looking at the waves for a time. I began humming the Dr.Who theme song, till Ivan cut me off with a question. "How does it feel to fly?"
"It's like..... the world at your fingertips. The freedom to go literally anywhere, whenever you want, regardless of terrain. Take a nap on some clouds when you're tired, then just keep going."
He was looking at Catastrophe thoughtfully. "Like nothing else, right?
"Yeah... it's unbelievab... *Ting* At the sound of metal on metal, I jumped to my feet. Looking at what had caused it, I saw a razor sharp needle resting on the spot between by body and my metal wing. "Prot.... crap, I forgot I'm out of magic." I reached into my pack, grabbed a vial of the dark red fluid I so craved, and downed it.
Ivan stood up, a look of surprise glancing his face. Catastrophe let out an undignified squawk of pain.
"Protego. Accelero. Fortis." I whispered under my breath then held perfectly still. I saw a gleam of metal from a bush, and dove right at it. The second needle bounced right off my skin as I tore after my assailant, and pinned them onto the ground. I looked over my shoulder to see that Ivan had rushed to the Catastrophe's side, staring down at the large needle sticking straight out of her back.
"Ivan! Catastrophe alright?"
Catastrophe let out the sort of sound that a deflating baloon makes. "I don't know..."
I pulled the mask off my cloaked foe, to find the smaller muzzle of a female diamond dog. I immediately knocked her out with a vial from my pouch, then dug through her possessions. "Gilda! Get her to the ship! She's been poisoned!" She nodded, gripping the smaller female under her and lifting her into the air. "Ivan, hop on, we gotta get to Nadene now!"
Without any of the awkwardness that pervaded the previous attempts, Ivan jumped on my back, feral tension flooding his form. I could literally feel his rage pounding. As soon as I felt his weight, I took off, rushing towards the ship with my prisoner held under me. "Those poison needles, they were meant for me."
"Yeah?" He snarled. "And this little bitch you have is going to pay, right?" As for Ivan's question, a single look over my shoulder so he could see my eyes was all he needed to know. He had the same look in his own.
Reaching the ship, Gilda was nearly busting down doors to get Ivan's friend to the infirmary, and I followed in the wake of parting crew members. We got Catastrophe into a bed and I passed Nadene a vial of clear liquid I had found on the assassin when I searched her. "Poison. Same as what's on the needle in her back." I turned back to the black cloaked bitch (literally) and walked coldly down to the room where I had originally held Drone the changeling, before she went smoosh. Ivan followed behind, his pouch floating over his head and various objects floating out. What looked to be most of a unicorn horn were among them. I checked her for any other weapons, then tied her up and threw her in there. "Now, we wait."
He let out a sigh. "So we don't cut her yet?"
"No point unless she's awake. Besides, I have something a little..... more effective, in mind."
He looked at him curiously. "Mind spells? Can I have her soul afterward?"
"No, I told you I wasn't going anywhere near that again, as for the soul, I don't care."
So, we waited, and waited, and waited, until she finally woke up. I opened the door and strode in slowly, but with purpose. "Well well, an assassin, this is a first. I was expecting you a lot sooner, what took the dens so long to finally send someone after me?"
"Really? You aren't going to start with the branding irons?" Ivan piped up.
"Hush..." I shot him a glare.
"None... it was just me." The assassin replied.
"You know, I've always wanted to see if I could remove all the bones from someone's body while they were alive, I mean, Griff, would you provide the healing magic?" There was an awkward pause. Okay, maybe Ivan IS dangerous.... he's at least crazy.
"Ivan, you've never done this properly, have you? We're trying for information, not just pain. "Besides, trained assassin," I motioned to her, "they'll probably never talk, but that doesn't mean we can't try."
Ivan sighed. "Fiiiiine. I'm just trying to do what Cata would do." He sniffed.
"So, let me ask again, how many more assassins, and while we're at it, where are they?"
"You won't get anything out of me."
"That's fine. Aqua. Florens Sanguis." Still tied up, her right arm began contorting, a bubble appearing under the flesh that continually grew, until I could see the puddle of blood pooling beneath the skin and fur. "Ivan, remember the field? What happens when there's a lot of pressure than can't be released?"
He laughed cheerfully. "Pop!" And pop it did. The assassin's arm exploded from the shoulder, blowing the meat right off the joint. Ivan looked down at it. "Do you know any good recipes?" She screamed in anguish, then breathing, heavily glared at me and growled.
"Still don't want to talk?" Then the other arm. More screaming. "I really don't like doing this, could you please just tell me how many more?" What the FUCK is wrong with Ivan? He totally doesn't give a shit about what I'm doing. In fact, he actually helped by sealing her wounds with fire, using a gem from his pouch, and the smell of cooked meat filling the air.
"Wouldn't want her to die just yet, right?"
"How about now? No?" And there goes a leg. Once again, Ivan sealed the wound, his stomach growling audibly.
"Three... there's.... three....." She finally relented. Pop. Screams.
"How many?"
"Three."
"She's lying." Ivan looked at me with a sinister grin. "Can we do things my way now?"
"My bet is there's six more." Finally, I made her neck explode, separating her head from her body. The adrenaline of the torture session finally faded, and I felt my stomach lurch as the true horror of the sight and smell hit me.
"Hey... you aren't looking too good..." I heard Ivan say before I promptly turned and vomited onto the floor, tears flowing out of my eyes.
"Ugh... I, *BLAAaararrrrghhh* Vomiting again. I spent the next ten minutes emptying my stomach of their contents, before I finally fell backwards against the wall, exhausted.
Ivan shook his head, an odd torn smile on his face. "You get used to it after awhile."
"You sir are all manner of fucked up. Well... there's goes my experimentation into torture. Not doing that again....." I retorted.
He rolled his eyes. "Yeah yeah." He picked up the meat in a haze of magic. "Seriously, do you have any butter?"
"Guh, in.. the pantry..... mind cleaning this all up?"
"Sure." He was FAR too happy about that concept. I just brutally tortured and murdered someone, and he was happy because he got to eat the leftovers. Something is VERY wrong with Ivan. The look in his eyes was all passion, like he lived for this. What's more...... why did I do that? That's not who I am, why did I do that?
"Heh. Broken little pretty boy. Kick him for me, now that I've left....."
The voice was audible. It echoed through the bloodied room, making my eyes shoot open in shock. I was immediately alert again, my wings flared out as I searched for the voice. "Who's there?" Ivan walked over to me and wiped a bit of blood off of me before hugging me. "Ivan... who......"
The zebra uttered a single word, which resonated throughout my entire body.
"Malice."
Author's Note
To all of you who are wondering, Malice is the evil spider that lives in Ivan's head. Also, Griffin the griffin is taking a darker turn now. You all may be looking at this and wondering why there is no gore tag. Well, that's because soon, and I mean very soon, Griffin the griffin, Part A, will be over. I will be making a NEW fic, mature, with the gore tag, for part B. Why you ask? Because with his slow descent into madness, Griffin is going to become a VERY bad boy. You were all asking who the villain of the story is. Guess what? At least for a while it will be, but first there's going to be a lot of stuff as to why he goes that way. Don't like it? Oh well....