The port was mostly barren, with long wooden bridges connecting out into the water. The buildings themselves, however, were mostly made of brick and metal, with several walkways and perches around the rooftops leading into the top floors. Griffons, gizmonks, and even a few ponies were seen working on maintaining ships and several odd clockwork contraptions that were attached to the sides of the buildings. Merchants were seen here and there under crude canopies, selling their wares. Further down were several homes built close together into a single complex, an inn and a larger building that the two mares suspected to be some kind of bar or pub, and past that was a trail leading up a tall hillside that they assumed to be a landing point for the airship that Twilight had been told would take them to Talongrad, the Empire’s capitol.
“This place smells funny.” Rainbow said after taking it all in.
“Steam power.” Twilight explained. “They used to burn a lot of coals and such to power their machines, since griffons don’t have the kind of magic unicorns provide. Those resources started to dry up, and was one of the reasons for the war in the first place… that changed after magic gem energy was shared with them.”
“Thanks for the history lesson, Twi.” Rainbow said, looking about. “So when’s our flight?”
“In about an hour, Rainbow.” Twilight said before turning back toward the guards. “Could you bring our stuff up to the lift point? We’ll be up there later when the airship arrives.” She floated a checklist out and over to one of the unicorn guards, who raised an eyebrow as he stared at it, as if trying to read another language.
“Uh, yeah, sure.” The guard said.
“Just to make sure everything we don’t have with us is set.” Twilight said with a friendly smile. “Thanks!” She looked back at her friend. “So anything you’d like to do to kill some time?”
“Well, I wouldn’t mind checking out that pub. I’m sure whatever they got doesn’t compare to cider back home.” Rainbow said with a smirk.
“Don’t be so sure, Rainbow. The Apple family is all over Equestria and does do some trading business with the griffons.” Twilight replied as she followed Rainbow into the pub.
~
The moment they pushed the swinging double-doors open, they were greeted with the sight of griffons everywhere. Some of them looked admittedly shady to say the least, a few with eye-patches, or a crippled leg or wing, a few with scars, many of them were bandannas or headbands, some had hats leaning against their chairs. Some sat at the bar, enjoying drinks and what looked to be bowls of cooked poultry, which made Twilight wince a little. Rainbow was admittedly a little put off as well, but remembered griffons were carnivores. Immediately every griffon in the place turned and looked at them, sizing them up, or possibly just curious. She doubted ponies frequented this place, but she wasn’t going to let that intimidate her.
Taking a breath, Rainbow lead Twilight to the bar table and fixed a gaze on the bartender, a rather chunky male griffon with a chip on the left side of his beak and tattering in his left wing, along with a scar of some sort. She could only wonder where those came from.
“Hey, pal. How 'bout getting me and my friend here some cider?” She asked. The bartender cocked his head and then let out a loud, hearty laugh.
“Well yer a bold one, aint’cha, pony! I like yer spunk! ‘Ere ya go, drink up!” He said, filling a pair of leather mugs and placing them in front of the two ponies.
Twilight magically floated her drink to her lips and took a sip. It wasn’t as good as Applejack’s, but it wasn’t bad either. Given the active trade in this port, it probably wasn’t too surprising. Rainbow picked up her own in her hooves and prepared to take a sip when she saw a griffon place his hand on her foreleg.
“I don’t think you should be drinking that.” Rainbow turned and saw a darker-colored griffon with an eye-patch over his right eye glaring at her.
“Why not?” The pegasus asked, glaring back.
“’Cuz I said so, horsey.” The griffon said in a low tone.
“Oh, wanna make something of it?” Rainbow asked with an angry snort, putting her drink down and facing him completely now.
“What if I do?” The griffon asked.
“Rainbow, we don’t wanna start a barfight, come on let’s—“ Twilight began but Rainbow pushed her hoof out in front of her.
“No, no, Twi. This punk wants me to show him what I’m made of, I’m happy to!” She gave the griffon a cocky smile. “You wanna start something, land a hit on me!”
“Thought you’d never ask!” The griffon said with a grin that showed the teeth behind his beak that griffons were known to have, and took a swing. Rainbow’s experience as Mare Do Well served her well; with next to no effort, the pegasus weaved right out of the way, jumping into the air and landing behind him, balancing on her forehooves before swinging out her back legs and bucking him hard enough to send him rolling across the floor into the nearest wall, causing all the griffons present, as well as Twilight herself, to let out a collective gasp in astonishment.
Approaching the fallen griffon, Rainbow grinned down at him and slammed her hoof on his right hand. “So, looks like I win, huh? Go on. Say it.” She said.
“You… win…” the griffon said sheepishly. “Great… moves by the way, for a pony.” He muttered, getting up and leaving. Rainbow rolled her eyes, but accepted what she figured passed for a compliment anyway.
“That was pretty amazin’ there!” The bartender said. “Where’d you learn moves like that?”
“Wonderbolts training.” Rainbow said with a shrug. Granted Spitfire had taught her a couple things, so she wasn’t exactly lying to the griffon.
“Huh. Heard’a them. Then again I hear a lotta stories; comes with the job you know! An’ just to let ya know, the Griffon Empire doesn’t support what happened in Cloudsdale last year.” The bartender replied. “Those guys acted on their own, though I gotta admit, it’s… had some bad effects around here.” He leaned over. “Whispers an’ stuff. Creeps wantin’ the old days ain’t exactly unusual in the Empire, but there’s been somethin’ goin’ on around here…”
“Oh yeah?” Twilight asked, finishing her drink and leaning over.
“Don’t know all the details, but there’s some kinda group or somethin’. Serious radicals, I’m tellin’ ya! Gettin’ more members every week, they ain’t afraid to make protests an’ stuff now in public, even harrassin' the ponies who work around here!”
“So some losers are making those guys martyrs? Why am I not surprised.” Rainbow said with a facehoof.
“Look, like I said, they don’t take well to ponies so whatever yer business is here in the Empire, ya’d best watch yer flanks real good.” The bartender warned.
“Thanks for the advice, now how’s about refilling my drink since that wannabe-tough griffon spilt mine.” Rainbow said, nudging out her mug again. Twilight nudged her own mug forward as well, feeling a second serving wouldn’t help, they had plenty of time left after all.
~
“And I answered… the Aristocolts!” Twilight said with a wide smile and her hoof up high in the air after having underestimated the hard cider, but managing to get quite a good laugh from many of the griffons present as she stumbled off the pub’s stage. Rainbow flew over and picked her friend up, it somehow not surprising her that a shut-in like Twilight was a featherweight. From the looks of it she was just tipsy, and being a pretty sharp-minded unicorn it’d hopefully wear off soon; not to mention she doubted Twi was going to want anypony knowing about the things she’d said leading up to that joke. “Uhh, Rainbow? What’s going on?” Twilight asked, fighting off the fuzziness in her head.
“You don’t wanna know, Twi. Can’t believe I’m saying this but we should probably get a move-on to the airship! ...And while you're at it, maybe when you get the chance clear your head a bit.”
“Oh… right.” Twilight said, shaking her head a few times as they left the pub. As soon as they got outside, though, they heard a noise nearby, prompting the pegasus to usher her behind the pub.
“Hey, Twi? You better be ready.” Rainbow said, opening her saddlebag and finding Mare Do Well’s broach. Taking it out with her wing and placing it against her neck, Rainbow focused, and her costume instantly appeared on her. That trick Twilight had done with making the costume easier to hide and faster to put on back when she was dealing with Big Shot had been pretty convenient.
Fully suited up, Mare Do Well wrapped her forelegs around Twilight, spread her wings and flew off to the source of the noise. Seconds later, she put Twilight down on a rooftop and looked over the corner, spotting three griffons down below menacing some tied-up pony workers. Opening her belt pouches, Mare Do Well tossed several flash bombs down at the griffons and flew down, striking one in the face with her hoof, bucking another with her hind legs, then looping in the air and swooping down at the last one to slam him into a wall.
“This a private show or can I join?” Mare Do Well asked, glaring at the three griffon thugs.
“You—impossible!” One said in disbelief.
“Mare Do Well?!” Another said, rubbing his eyes, but the pegasus flew straight at him and decked him twice with her hooves, then stood atop him.
“In the flesh and feathers.” Mare Do Well replied. “I dealt with punks like you when I was a novice, do you really think you have a chance?”
“Of course we do!” The third one said, and Mare Do Well got a good look at the griffons; all of them wore red scarves over their necks and beaks, with an fiery bird symbol on the front. The third one who'd just spoken to her was different, having a pair of goggles and two blades strapped to his back that he took off and gave a twirl “Trust me, those two’re just a couple rookies. Wanna try against me?” He asked.
“Fine by me.” Rainbow said, hovering in a circle as the griffon did the same, watching her carefully. He lunged forward and the pegasus flew straight up to avoid him, but the griffon then did a quick spin and flew up above her, raising his leg and kicking her in the face to send her back down. Mare Do Well fell to the ground, rolling out of the way just in time to avoid the blades the griffon had aimed at her as he flew down to finish her. Mare Do Well tugged the end of her cape, throwing it over the griffon’s face and pulling, causing him to stumble. The griffon toppled over, dropping his knives and prompting Mare Do Well to flip in the air and raise up her hind legs, bucking him in the face and into a wall. The griffon reached into his belt, grunting in pain, and tossed a pair of feather-shaped blades at her, grazing her as she narrowly avoided getting them in her chest and neck and glad the injury she'd given him had made him slower. The griffon stood up clumsily, still dazed and in pain.
“Think… this is over? You’re an idiot… just like your princess… the revolution’s only beginning. Rebirth… shall come!” He said before collapsing.
Mare Do Well stared down at the fallen griffon for a moment then looked over at the ponies they’d had captive.
“Get the guard, and take the first boat out of here, got it?” Mare Do Well asked, and the two ponies thanked her and ran off immediately. Spreading her wings again, Mare Do Well flew up to the side of the building where Twilight was and unmasked. “Well, that was fun! For a moment I thought this port town was gonna be boring!"
“You alright, Rainbow” Twilight asked, noticing the pegasus’ wounds. “Here…” She closed her eyes and focused. Slowly, the wounds healed, and the suit damage repaired, though it took minutes rather then seconds, likely due to Twilight still being a little out of it from the cider.
“We should probably get to the airship.” Twilight said, looking in the distance as she heard noise and seeing the airship had indeed just now parked.
“Yeah, let’s do that.” Rainbow said, sliding out of the costume and stuffing it into her saddlebag that Twilight had taken with her. Shame it only worked one way until it was removed. Twi herself would have to redo that spell.
~
Within moments, the two ponies were standing in front of the airship and Twilight had managed to clear her head more as to not make a fool of herself while they were boarding. The airships in Equestria had nothing on these. This one was like some kind of luxury air transport. The ship was massive, made from metal instead of wood, with large eagle head carving in the front and an extensive multi-window carrier and a frame that had several propellors facing upward and in the back, with a beautiful lion designs on the sides of the balloon casing. Joining the guards that had accompanied them and showing their letter from Celestia, the ponies were admitted on board and were lead to their cabin. The inside featured cushioned couches, a little large for them but likely due to being intended for griffons mostly.
“Ooh, this is kinda comfy.” Twilight said with a smile. “This place really is pretty amazing.”
“Yeah, I guess. I’d still take flying on my own any day.” Rainbow said with a hoofwave.
“Well, two hour trip to Talongrad, you ready for that, Rainbow?” Twilight asked.
“You bet I am.” Rainbow said, opening her saddlebag and taking out the Daring Do book she’d been reading.
“You’re still on that one, Rainbow?” the unicorn asked.
“Come on, Twi! I kinda had… ya know… other stuff eating up my freetime for awhile.” Rainbow said, laying down on her seat and opening to where she last left off.
Twilight’s mind, however, was on the griffons Rainbow had just defeated. While their leader had proven formidable, she couldn’t help but wonder about his threats; Celestia had filled her in on the situation of revolutionaries, and the bartender from the pub had mentioned it being a growing problem. If they were a part of that, then she’d have to get to the bottom of this as quickly as possible; especially if they were enough of a threat to make the imperial family require their assistance…
~
“Come on, you idiots!” The leader of the three griffons ordered as he flew ahead of his two equally-battered recruits towards a small shack on the cliff side they were approaching. They'd been lucky to escape before the town guard came for them.
“Hey, I fell on my wing when she hit me, give me a little slack here, Felix!” One of the other griffons protested. As soon as they were able to land, the griffon let out a sigh in relief, then cringed a little as he folded his wing. The leader turned and whacked him on the head.
“Felix sir to you.” He said, leading the two inside where a figure was facing the window.
“Hey, we ran into some trouble in the port town!” Felix explained. The figure’s silhouette was illuminated by the moonlight, and he slowly turned, a whirring sound was heard as he raised his right claw, which was a clockwork prosthetic with a gem embedded inside. As he approached, it made a clank with every step.
“Explain.” The larger griffon said, spreading out his left wing towards Felix, who flinched slightly at the sharp metal bladelike replacement for its tip as it drew near his throat.
“We were taking care of our mission, when suddenly Mare Do Well showed up! She’s here, in the Griffon Empire!” Felix said, cringing again at his superior.
“Mare Do Well…” The large griffon said with a low, lionlike growl as he stepped into the light. He wore a tattered, burned bomber jacket with the sleeves torn off, the entire upper half of his beak had been replaced with a metal one, his fur had several markings resembling burn scars. Clenching his prosthetic claw for a moment, he took a breath and shook his head. “So the imperial family has called for her… how appropriate. No doubt she’s with the ponies who arrived today, on their way to Talongrad as we speak. Perhaps we should inform the boss at once… Personally, I wouldn’t mind the chance of a rematch!” He said, grabbing a piece of debris with his prosthetic claw and crushing it with ease.