//------------------------------// // Chapter 6 // Story: Wings // by Ancient //------------------------------// Gilda and I didn't speak much for the rest of the afternoon. I was sure she was just as ready for a fresh start in the morning as I was. I figured that if I was stuck in the middle of nowhere it would be nice to have company for better or worse. Gilda had, at a point when my back was turned, lit a candle near her bundle of blankets I saw she now used as a bed. It looked like a cross between a large nest and a huge makeshift dog bed. Gilda had turned her back to me but the edge of a book was visible poking out from under her wing. Gilda and I didn't speak much for the rest of the afternoon. I was sure she was just as ready for a fresh start in the morning as I was. I figured that if I was stuck in the middle of nowhere it would be nice to have company for better or worse. Gilda had, at a point when my back was turned, lit a candle near her bundle of blankets I saw she now used as a bed. It looked like a cross between a large nest and a huge makeshift dog bed. Gilda had turned her back to me but the edge of a book was visible poking out from under her wing. 'A reading, talking, angry griffon. ‘Weird.' I thought to myself. The picture that had apparently caused the earlier commotion sat facing Gilda. So far it was the only photo I had seen in this cave. I sat leaning up against a wall wrapped in two blankets Gilda had let me use. I had become lost in thought and had lost track of time while doing so. "Well that’s it for me dude." I didn't even open my eyes when I heard Gilda speak. "Alright." I replied, "Goodnight Gilda." With that the candle was put out. ------------------------------------- I woke up the next morning with something tickling my ear. I slowly opened my eyes to see yet again a massive bird head. "Ahh!" I yelled startling Gilda who jumped in surprise. "Oh! It's you." I still wasn't used to waking up to see a griffon first thing. "Stop doing that!" I hissed, "That REALLY freaks me out." "Sorry dude." Gilda said in a quieter tone. I raised my arms out of the blankets that still encased me and stretched. This for whatever reason drew a look of fascination from Gilda. This gave me an idea. "Hey if you wanna see something cool watch this." I showed her the palm of my hand to show it was empty then reached behind her head and pulled back a hand that now held the only quarter in my pocket. "Ta da!" I said almost laughing, "Magic!" The look on her face was priceless. "Humans can use magic too?" Gilda asked. I was snickering but when I processed her words I immediately stopped. "Wait? What?" I asked. "I thought only unicorns could use natural magic. Amazing." She replied. Now I hit a mental clog trying to understand what she meant by that. "Huh? Unicorns? You mean the horse things with a horn?" I knew I didn't sound too smart when I said that but I didn't care. "Duh." Gilda said rolling her eyes. I just sat there perfecting my blank stare before snickering again. "Unicorns? They exist here? Really?" I said trying to keep my composure, "Oh let me guess! Next you'll tell me that dragons exist too." I looked up and burst out laughing. It wasn't that I didn't believe her. It was that everything here was unbelievable. When I looked back at Gilda she had confusion written on her face like an 800 page dictionary with one word. "You don't have dragons where you come from?" Was her response. It made me realize how far away from home I really was. I just sat there with my jaw hanging. "C-Can they talk too?" I asked nervously. "Yup." I stood up letting the blankets fall around me and stretched again. "Well Gilda you've managed to completely blow my mind and I've only been awake for five minutes." I said grunting off the stretch. "What’s for breakfast?" Gilda looked around the cave then back at me. "Don't you hunt?" she asked. "No." I replied remembering I had finished what was left of the apples after the whole vomiting incident last night, “Where’d you get those apples? I’m sure I could just go get some more." Gilda looked down with a change of expression, "I kinda... took em... without asking." she told me raising a talon to scratch the back of her head. "Gilda!" I said sternly, "You stole? What is the matter w-" I couldn't hold back my laughter so it erupted for all to hear. Another look of confusion from Gilda told me I needed to explain. "I'm just messing with you." I chuckled, "If you didn't take the apples I'd have probably starved to death." Gilda lowered her head and gave a sigh of relief "Phew!" she sounded. "Hey if it’s the only way we can get food around here lets go steal some more. If there is a more legal way then let’s go with that. I don't feel like being arrested." 'Twice.' came my afterthought. Gilda smiled which amazed me she could do that with a beak. "You know Derek you're not as much of a lame-o as I thought you were." "Ouch! You thought I was lame?" I said smiling. We both laughed. ------------------------------------ "So where is the nearest town from here." I asked pulling the map from the papers on the stone desk. Gilda didn't answer. "C’mon there’s gotta be a form of civilization around here somewhere." "Well the nearest one isn't any good." Gilda's voice sounded dry. "Just point out the damn thing." I said sternly, "I’m not picky if my life depends on it." "We should go..." She started to speak while walking over to me. She looked at the map I held and traced her claw to a dot with the word Grazeburg written over it. "Uh-huh and where are we?" I asked. Her claw moved down and left of the dot about five inches. "We're here." "And the soonest we can get there would be?" "Half a day’s journey." she said before finishing, "Crap!" she muttered. "What’s wrong?" I turned to her and asked. She replied by nodding her head back towards her injured wing. "You mean half a day’s journey by flight? You know I can't fly right?" I snapped at her. "Sorry dude. I’m just used to It." she replied. "Well how long is the trip by foot?" I asked feeling impatience bite me repeatedly. "Uh... Well... By foot it should be a day and a half if we hurry." she looked up at me glaring back at her without a happy face. "What?" She asked nervously. "The reason I want to go somewhere is to find a meal and wash my clothes. I’m hungry as hell and smell worse than that manticore's breath." I stated looking down at the map. I looked at where Gilda said we were and noticed a dot much closer from our location. "Here, what’s this?" I asked pointing to the dot. Gilda looked at it and her eyes went wide, "Uh... We should really-" "How long is the trip?" I asked not caring about Gilda's objections. "You might want to consider-" "Just answer the question for crying out loud." I demanded. My irritation raised but was nowhere near peaking. "Four hours." She squeaked rubbing the back of her neck with a nervous grin. "Then it’s settled!" I exclaimed looking at the dot a bit closer. "Ponyville. Huh." ------------------------------------- Somewhere far north… A door burst open as a dark small figure entered into a large room that resembled the halls of Valhalla. The figure rushed past the torches and into the light scrambling on claws and paws. The figure revealed in the light was a small gryphon with red streaks painted around its neck and a black line drawn down the center of its head ending at the top of its beak. It quickly made its way towards a throne that sat in the absence of light in the center of the other side of the great room. "My king! My king!" It shouted sounding desperate for a response. The griffon stopped its approach the instant two white slits opened in the darkness on the throne showing eyes that held a fierceness that fire itself would envy. The small gryphon sat silent trying to keep its composure seemingly calm and professional but was too exhausted from its journey to pass as such. "Valak." a voice boomed throughout the hall seeming to come at the small gryphon from every direction, "I was very clear on pointing out my disinterest in the affairs of the Zebra/Ram war near the border no matter how close it gets. If I am pestered on the subject again there will be consequences." The room went silent. "My deepest apologies my king but that isn't the reason for my visit." The small gryphon proclaimed breathing heavily and quickly. "And what news deserves my attention so badly that puts you in such a state?" The voice asked. The small messenger turned its head to a small bag that hung from its back and reached into it pulling out a small blood red crystal that seemed to take the form of a flame. "This." the small gryphon replied. He held up the crystal up for his king to see. The crystal glowed from within becoming brighter with the rhythm of a heartbeat then becoming dimmer only to repeat the process. The eyes in the darkness shot wide open. "Impossible!" The voice boomed louder than before, "They have all died out thousands of years ago! I've searched the farthest corners of this world for them!" A clawed fist slammed down on the armrest of the throne. The small gryphon shivered at the gesture. "My king." he said nervously "The court handlers have confirmed that this is no false alarm." There was complete silence as the messenger stood his ground before the throne waiting for a response. The figure that existed in the darkness on the throne shifted its eyes to the ceiling. "Find the source and return it to me." the voice was no longer booming but spoke clearly giving the small gryphon an uneasy feeling. "But my king! I-" "My patience grows very thin Valak." the voice said. "And the opportunity we have now may pass soon." "As you wish my king." the small gryphon replied. He turned and bolted back across the room disappearing through the door from which he came as quickly as he had arrived. The eyes in the darkness continued their gaze at the ceiling. On the ceiling was a painted mural. Slightly faded the painting showed a pure white gryphon in mid-lunge as if it were to jump out of the painting itself. Around the gryphon was burning land riddled with arrows, spears, and scattered feathers. But the eye's gaze focused on the figure beside the gryphon. The figure stood atop two legs dawned in shining armor that was continued by a body that held an engraved glowing shield in one hand and long curved blade in the other. The expression on the creatures face was that of rage as it was easily defined since the only fur that covered its face was around its mouth and hung down below its chin. The creature stood alongside the gryphon in a run that made it seem if it could break free from the painting. The voice finally cracked the silence. "It’s been far too long."