A father and son meet the newest addition to the Gryphon Kingdom: Octavia
The gryphon, Angus Greenquill, has a job he hates, a kid that loves him, someone that wishes he (Angus) had never been born, and a desire to change things and actually do something he likes without failing miserably at life.
Octavia is a pony running away from success and fame, wanting to start anew without the expectations others had of her, from her family to her friends.
Maybe he can help her get a job, and she can help him realize his own dreams.
Note: This story picks up the Octavia from the story 'Running', although it's not in any way the definitive continuation of it.
Also, big thanks to Nick Nack for taking a glance at this.
The gryphon behind the counter adjusted the seal-of-authority on her cloak and glanced down at the papers lined in the desk for her perusal.
“According to our records, you’re still under a bond with one Leandra Darkvane, is this correct?”
“For the time being, yes.” Angus Greenquill sighed. “Why is this relevant?”
“Since you are still bonded and her earnings exceed by far the maximum limit we have to authorize anyone for help, you can’t be approved for assistance by the Royal Treasury.”
“But we’ve lived apart for so long an—”
“As long as the bond is still recognized by The Crown, there is nothing to be done. Do you want to file for Severing?”
“What’s the cost?”
“Three hundred claws.”
“I’d love to, but there’s a reason I need the assistance.” Angus growled, getting up and ignoring the dirty look the scribe gave him. He looked down and to his right. “Come on, cub, time to go.”
A little gryphon, barely as tall as his kneecap, scampered from under the desk. “Are we ready to go, dad?”
“We were ready to go since about two hours ago, Ari, when we were being asked questions. Apparently they didn’t see it fit to tell us so we could save time,” Angus replied.
He picked up his son, placing him between his shoulderblades and making sure his wings would not hit Ari if he were to spread them in a hurry.
Ari glanced at the clock and frowned. “Aww, we could have gone to see the carnival! They packed up and left an hour ago!” He sighed. “I wanted to sneak into one of the crates and maybe we could’ve made it all the way to Equestria!”
“Thank the lady behind the desk, she did her best to waste our time.”
Ari smiled cutely at the scribe and wave as his dad walked away with him on top. “Thanks for wasting our time, lady!” he shouted in order to be heard and turning more than one head in their direction.
Angus ignored the angered clerks and scribes and made his way to the exit, shoving through the doors and squinting slightly when the bright daylight hit his eyes. That’s why he hated being inside in the shade too long. Soon enough they adjusted and he gazed at his adoptive city.
The port city of Ammassalik—famous first of all for their fishing, and second of all for being the capital of the Gryphon Kingdom—bustled with energy and the almost continuous flow of gryphons of all trades and classes walking the paved roads.
If they weren’t walking, gryphons would be flying in careful patterns to get to their destinations as the city grew from the shore and up the sides and middle of the central mountain: hollowed Miklilgnyja, where the Eyrie Hall stood atop them all, surrounded by serpentine clouds and perfect for Their Royal Majesties to ignore their people.
“Why in the name of Hel did I ever come here?” He muttered. “I should have applied for a visa to live in Equestria, or have gone back home to Grǫsugrhváll.”
“Hey, can we go see mom?” Ari asked pulling on his father’s head feathers with his beak when he didn’t get an answer. “Come on!”
“Ah, yes. That’s why,” he sighed, and looked up, trying to see his son. “Look kid, she’s working and you’re stuck with me for a few more days.
“Aww! But I want to see her!”
“I know, I know,” Angus droned, walking down the street, towards the docks. “Sorry kiddo, we’ll have to wait for the experience.” He winced when his son looked away. “Hey, how about we see what’s new coming from other countries? Maybe we’ll see one of those Elephants from the far east!”
Ari slumped on his back. “Yeah, sure.”
Angus cursed his angry words in silence. He knew his tendency to let his mouth get the better of him was something that hurt his son… even if he wasn’t explicitly cursing his estranged wife, it was something the kid picked up on quickly.
Still, he carried on, walking all the way down to the docks, near to where he worked. “I know there’s a boat coming from Equestria with some imports,” he said tentatively.
That perked up Ari, and he looked around excitedly. “You think there’s going to be ponies in the boat?”
Angus chuckled at his enthusiasm. “There might, but for the most part they tend to stay in Equestria. Most of the boats that go there and back originate from here, and so, the crew consists of gryphons for the most part.”
“Awww,” Ari groaned. “Really? Couldn’t you at least let me see one, just one pony?”
Angus shrugged. “It’s not up to me, kiddo.”
Ari was about to answer, Angus could feel it, but something made his son stop short and gasp.
Raising his head, to see what was going on, Angus followed his son’s line-of-sight and his eyes settled on a very unusual sight for the island of Ammassalik: a pony. And not just a pony… an Earth Pony.
“Dad! It’s a pony!” Ari exclaimed, jumping up and down on Angus’ back and making him wince each each time his paws would dig into his lower back and his talons sink slightly into his coat.
The pony in question, a grey-coated mare with dark grey, almost black mane and tail, was wearing a white west-equestrian hat that contrasted with her otherwise sophisticated look—she was wearing a purple bow around her neck that made her look… dignified— and carried a large, odd-looking black case strapped to her back.
“Look, dad!” Ari gasped, pointing in her direction, completely exited. “She has clan-markings on her flank!”
Angus blinked at the purple musical note. “I think I’ve heard of that, it’s not a clan-mark, Ari, it’s called a… a Cute Mark? It’s unique to each pony.”
“Cute Mark…” Ari said aloud in a wondering tone, almost as if he were tasting the words. “That’s so cool!”
They watched for a moment as the mare heatedly discussed something over with one of the sailors and finally gave him far more Equestrian Bits than she should have, in Angus’ opinion, before huffing and starting to walk towards the city among incredulous stares from other gryphons.
“Dad! Let’s talk to her! I want to meet her!” Ari urged from his position on his back. “I wanna meet her!”
“H-hey! Calm down!” Angus cringed, looking over his shoulder at his son. “I get it, it’s a pony and you’ve never seen one. No reason to tear daddy’s coat, is it?”
“Yes!”
“Yes no? Or yes, it is?”
“I don’t care! The pony!”
“That’s not an answer!”
“I wanna meet her!”
Angus rolled his eyes and turned away from his son, taking a step to walk away when he suddenly found himself beak-to-muzzle with the mare in question.
Blue eyes met with Lavender eyes and they both stared for a moment.
“Um, excuse me,” the mare said politely, stepping back. “I wasn’t paying attention to wh—”
“N-not at all!” Angus stammered, also stepping back. “I was having a discussion with Ari here and I should have looked before I moved, I’m very sorry, miss.”
“Yay! Pony!” Ari giggled from his dad’s back. “Daddy! It’s a pony!”
Angus grinned nervously and looked at her. “I’m sorry, my son has never seen a pony and—”
“Say no more,” the mare replied with a kind smile. She looked up at Ari. “Hello, Ari. I’m Octavia, an Earth Pony. Nice to meet you!”
“‘Tavia?” Ari blinked and tilted his head. “That’s an odd name.”
Rather than seem insulted, her smile broadened. “I thought so too, when I was a filly your age.”
“Are you going to stay a while?” Ari asked, almost desperately. “I want to hear all I can about Equestra!”
Angus cringed and could feel his skin blushing under his feathers. “He gets excited,” he explained rather unnecessarily.
“Certainly,” Octavia replied, still smiling. “I’ll be happy to tell you about Equestria sometime. I’ll be looking for jobs in the area, but I’ll be staying at the Featherfall Inn, if you ever have the time.” Her eyes strayed to Angus. “If you hear of any jobs an Earth pony can do around here, let me know.”
“Yay!” Ari shouted, raising on his hind-legs and almost stumbling back.
“Um, sure,” Argus blinked. “But are you sure you should be trusting a random gryphon with that information?”
Octavia shrugged, already turning away. “Maybe not, but at least your son seems trustworthy.”
Angus chuckled and shook his head, watching her walk away.
“Are you getting her a job, dad?” Ari asked from his back. “I like her.”
“First I need to get a better one for myself,” Angus growled. “Come on kid, time to go home.”
The water clock’s last drop of water slid down the narrow passage under it and fell into the container below. The pressure was finally enough to tilt the mechanism, releasing a hammer, attached by its base to a threaded pole, and allowing it to spin down, gathering centrifugal force with the assistance of gravity, until at the bottom, the hammer head smashed onto a bronze gong with a really loud…
CLANG!
“Wha—?!” Angus rolled off his hay bed, landing in a startled and panicky heap next to it, looking around in confusion before his muddled brain caught on. “Ugh. I should have gotten the smaller version…” he muttered, pushing himself up to all fours and stretching his back slowly, followed by his wings and neck.
He staggered over to the clock and attempted to figure out the time. He blinked and rubbed his eyes, which finally allowed him to read the face of his Ultimate wake up MMXII waterclock. He sighed. “It’s already five…” he glanced at the other, smaller bed, where Ari was curled up into a ball of fur and feathers, clutching tight to his chest one of his stuffed animals.
Smiling a little, Angus paused by his son’s bed and gently ran a claw over his forehead, pushing back a couple of stray feathers. “Enjoy the extra sleep, kid,” he whispered before turning around,heading off to groom himself and make breakfast.
“Daddy?” a small voice stopped him, making him glance back.
Ari was still curled into a ball, but he was looking at him through bleary eyes. “Are we going somewhere?”
Angus chuckled. “As always, Ari, I’m going to work and you’re going to school.”
“Ooooh no,” Ari groaned turning away from him, tail swishing. “I don’t wanna go to school! Let’s stay home!”
Shaking his head, but still smiling, Angus sat next to his son’s bed. “I know kiddo, I’d rather stay home with you today, but you know I can’t…”
Ari’s response was only a soft snore.
Chuckling, Angus stood up and stepped out of their room.
He made his way to the kitchen to prepare a small snack when he saw the scroll that had arrived while they slept. It had the distinctive mark of the Darkvane family.
Sighing, he picked it up and opened it, wincing when he saw his wife’s name at the bottom. “What now?”
o.0.o
“I really don’t want to go to school, I want to stay home and play,” Ari mumbled on top of Angus’ back as the latter flew around and over several buildings in the lower section of Ammassalik. “I want another leather strap.”
Angus shook his head. “You already had one, Ari, and you know you can’t have more until you have a real meal.”
“I don’t like you,” Ari stated.
Angus grimaced, thinking of the scroll from earlier. “Hey kid, I know you don’t mean that but, please don’t say it.”
He felt Ari’s body settle down on his back.
“Sorry, daddy.”
“It’s okay kid, just try not to say those things.”
They arrived at Ari’s school-house, a little aviary run by an old minotaur and two of her sons, Tin and Lead Will.
Ari ran to the door and rang the bell, quickly stepping to the side, where he couldn’t be seen by anyone opening the door. “Dad! Quick! Hide!”
Angus blinked, but stepped slightly to the side. “I’m hiding, I’m hiding. Why am I hiding?”
“Shh!” Ari hushed him, making himself smaller when they heard someone approaching the door.
It opened up and Lead Will looked out the door, quickly noticing Angus, but Ari qucikly ducked between his legs and into the school, laughing all the way.
“Hey, Angus!” Lead Will laughed, glancing back to Ari to make sure the little griffin was already with the other kids. “How are you today?”
Angus shrugged. “Off to work.”
Lead nodded. “Well good luck today, see you later.”
“Not today, my mother in law will pick him up.”
“Okay then!” Lead Will didn’t miss a beat. “Have a nice day!”
And then he shut the door in Angus’s face.
o.0.o
Angus was off into the air and flying as fast as he could down to the docks as soon as the door closed. He had been lucky to find a school for Ari that happened to be on his way to work, so it only took him a couple of minutes of steady flight to reach his goal.
He slowed down and batted his wings to land softly on the pebbled ground under him, before approaching his boss, Frekr Snaptalon, a tall griffon with a scar on his beak that started just below his eye and ended at a splintered tip. He had never gotten it fixed.
“You’re finally here,” Frekr growled, glancing his way. “You’re cutting it pretty close.”
Angus shrugged apologetically, but said nothing.
He was half an hour early.
Frekr just didn’t expect any of them to go home or have time for themselves or their families.
o.0.o
The day began as always: Dragging heavy crates arriving by ship, categorizing each one of them, checking them to make sure the contents had not spoiled, and then arguing with captains, sailors and merchants about products, services and fees.
All through the day the contents of Leandra’s missive echoed through his mind, angering and distracting him. With a start, he realized his thought’s had pulled him away from reality until the customer in front of him slammed a contract on the counter.
“I demand change in price!” Belka Squirrelson—a tall, black-furred squirrel from the lands of Taiga, north of Ammassalik—growled, smashing his paw onto the table. Belka’s griffonese was a bit rusty and he sounded like a cliched foreigner, but Angus knew just how savvy and smart the squirrel was, despite his seemingly imperfect dominance of the language. “This is abuse of a good merchant’s honor!”
Angus sighed, studying the contract once more, trying to figure out what the issue was. “Mr. Belka, the contract you signed with witnesses clearly indicates that the fees for the insurance of the cargo containers would come at personal expense and not as something that the Golden Horn Docking Company would waive.”
“But these fees! They are preposterous!”
Angus briefly considered punching the squirrel straight in the snout, job be damned. “We talked over each expense on the contract. We won’t waive the fee you agreed to pay to us. If you want to do business with us again, you will honor your commitment.”
“This is absurd! I will do no such thing!”
Angus growled, making the squirrel slow his rant until he went completely quiet, watching Angus nervously and noting how the griffon’s tail swept from side to side.
Taking a deep breath, Angus slowly forced himself to calm down. “Mr. Belka, perhaps next time you simply can refuse the insurance on the crates and save us both the trouble of going through this… Every. Single. Time.”
The squirrel chuckled nervously.
“Hey, hey, Angus!” A paw rested on Angus’ shoulder suddenly, pressing softly but firmly. “Why don’t you finish those crates? I’m sure Mr. Belka is just tired, just like you. Let me take over the contracts for a little while, okay?”
Angus nodded, tearing his eyes away from Belka and casting a thankful glance at his friend. “Thank you, Skap.”
“No problem!” Skapgodr Evensight chuckled. “Mr. Belka and I go back, right? Better I remind him of the little signatures on each page by pointing them out than… well, whatever you intended to do.”
“Da.” Belka nodded quickly. “Skapgodr is right. I will speak to him.”
Angus didn’t reply, he simply left towards the docks. At this point, he was simply ready to get into a fight and maul someone.
o.0.o
The day ended as it always did.
“You should stay longer!” Frekr insisted, following Angus out of his office. “There is always more work. This is why you are behind on paperwork!”
Angus shook his head. “I don’t have your energy, Frekr, fourteen hours every day is my limit. I need to relax a little. It’s the first day in the last three weeks I have some time to myself.”
Frekr snorted, but didn’t press the issue.
Angus stumbled his way out of the office and into the fading daylight, blinking and groaning as he stretched his wings. “Ye gods,” he muttered, starting to walk down the street, too tired to put more strain on his back if he attempted flying.
Right now, he needed a drink. Or three.
“Hey, Angus!” Skap called making his way up to him through the busy streets. “Where are you going buddy?”
“Food. Drinks.” Angus muttered.
“I like the plural!” Skap chuckled punching Angus on the shoulder. “Why don’t we hit a pub or something?” He looked around. “Hey, there’s the Featherfall Inn, let’s go in. They have these amazing triple-sized beers, and you look like you could use four.”
Angus raised an eyebrow and let his eyes wander to the doors of the inn. “Huh. Sounds familiar. Why not.”
o.0.o
The drummer easily set the rhythm with a repeating ‘Dum dum-duru-dum‘, while she stepped up and, leaving the bow behind, strummed the cello.
Dum dum-duru-dum
She closed her eyes, pushing down her hat to shade her from the glare of the lights they had set up in the small stage and letting the feelings flow through her and the drummer repeat the little beat.
Dum dum-duru-dum
There’s a song in my head
Dum dum-duru-dum
And it won’t leave me a-lone
Dum dum-duru-dum
It just wants burst through ooh ooh-ooh
Dum
Dum dum-duru-dum
There’s a glint in my eye
Dum dum-duru-dum
And it’s all for you!
Dum dum-duru-dum
For you-ooh-ooh!
Dum dum-duru-dum
There’s no running no more, oh no
dum dum-duru-dum
In this place I’ll have to hide!
Dum-dum-dum
Dum
Dum dum-duru-dum
Away from stress and strife
Dum dum-duru-dum
This is where I’ll nest…
This is where I’ll die… Dum dum-duru-dum This is where I’ll live!
Dum dum-duru-dum
In a faraway land
Dum dum-duru-dum
Sing this song for you
Dum dum-duru-dum
And wish that you were real.
Dum.
The lights on the stage faded.
The room was silent for a moment, and then everyone exploded in cheers, talk and the clinks of dishes and glass resuming almost immediately after.
“Wow, that pony can sing!” Skap called out gleefully. “Yeah!” He laughed and turned to Angus, who was looking at the darkened and empty stage with a pensive look on his face. “Don’t tell me you didn’t like it?”
“Hmm?” Angus shook his head. “No. I mean, yes, Octavia’s a really nice singer.”
Skap blinked. “Wait, you know her?”
“You came.”
The voice made both gryphons stop and turn to face the mare in question, who had approached their table.
“Um, yeah,” Angus stammered.
“Where’s the little guy?” Octavia asked, looking under the table.
Angus shook his head, thinking of Ari. “He’s with his grandmother. I don’t have him until the weekend’s over.”
“Oh,” Octavia’s eyes softened. “I’m sorry. It must be tough.”
Angus didn’t reply, simply nodding.
“Hey, hey,” Skap spoke up. “Don’t get all gloomy, buddy! You know this lady? And you’re not buying her a drink? What sort of cad are you?”
Angus’ eyes went wide. “I-I’m sorry, Miss Octavia,” he stood up, clumsily pushing his chair back. “Allow me to introduce you to my friend, Skap,” he gestured at the other gryphon with his claw. “We work together.” He seemed at a loss on what to say until Skap slightly clinked the two empty glasses of beer. “Um, would you like to join us for dinner?”
Octavia laughed. “Why not?”
She took off her hat, putting it to the side and sat down to Angus’ right, placing her right in the middle of both of them. “But I’m getting a salad. I’m not sure I’m ready for a full gryphon-style dinner.”
Skap chuckled. “We’ll make sure not to make a mess.”
Octavia raised an eyebrow and Angus shook his head.
“He’s like that in real life too,” Angus whispered. “He really does say that kind of stuff. To everyone.”
Octavia chuckled. “Why don’t you guys tell me more about your day?”
Angus could only hear himself breathing. The world outside was quiet at this time... late at night.
It was dark and the house was empty save for himself. His claws scratched the stone floor as he rolled out of bed and walked out of his room, wondering why it felt like that... Like he had no energy, even though he did and was not tired.
Why he had no interest in doing anything at all.
He briefly considered visiting one of his friends, despite the late hour, but he really didn't even feel like trying, even if they were for some reason awake.
He didn't want to take a walk, nor flight and feel the cold air brushing against his feathers and fur.
It struck him after a moment... this always happened when his son stayed with him longer than usual, and then, after he dropped him off... he wouldn't see him for just a few days. And yet, it felt like an eternity.
The memory of his son being there haunted the place; the area where Ari played ball or built with blocks... Angus glanced towards it and could almost see the little griffon playing and suddenly looking up and smiling before he pounced over everything just to give him a hug.
There are no little claws pulling his wing right now. Nor the cute-but-slightly-annoying begging for a treat.
It was just himself, at home, and he felt as empty as his house without Ari. The cub's energy was contagious, and a source of warmth and happiness that Angus couldn't find anywhere else.
His eyes strayed to the table, where the scroll from that morning lay, almost accusingly.
In a few days he would be facing a judge in the legal battle for parenting—what an irony, that those that care the least for the ones affected are the ones called to make the ultimate decision!
Oddly though, he didn't feel stressed or anxious. He just felt tired of dealing with so many things. He couldn't care anymore about how he would have to go to work in a couple of hours and deal with the likes of Belka or Frekr again.
His world was so limited at this point. Defined by what his soon-to-be-ex-wife decided due to higher status and better contacts as well as the fact that he just didn't want to deny Ari the opportunity to grow with both parents close by... a consideration he was sure Leandra would not reciprocate.
He wasn't surprised at the contents of the letter... but he was disappointed. Not because he had expected things to work out—they both knew it wouldn't—but rather the way she had done it, pulling all her favors to take advantage of the situation.
Their government was not fair. Nor was it just, for all their toting of laws and promises to take care of their people. Bureaucracy ruled just as much (if not more) as the Emperor, safe in his hall inside Miklilgnyja. He would fight, but he already knew the results.
He looked at the clock... the alarm would ring across the house in less than an hour. There was no point in trying to sleep again. Maybe he should turn it off and simply walk around town until it was time to work.
o.0.o
It had been a long time since he had walked around any city so early in the morning. He had crossed paths with a couple of patrols, who had looked at him oddly, but had not interrupted his stroll since he was walking in plain sight.
He hadn't paid much attention to where he was headed, but finally decided to sit down on a bench in a small garden area. These were common in Ammassalik, where parks were pretty much a concept that would never become a reality. They had to make do with little gazebos and small gardens with fountains. Not that anyone had much free time there to do anything other than work.
It was then that he heard it.
He looked up, realizing that he had walked right across from where the Featherfall Inn was located, and would have carried on concentrating on the sound his claws made on the cobbled stone street had he not heard the sounds of strings being plucked. It was a slightly playful sound high and low, high and low, interrupted by a slow start of a bow across the strings...
Perplexed, Angus looked up to the second floor, where the light of a candle flickered behind the closed curtains of a room. From the little space in between he could make out a shadow, swaying with the music as it's arm moved back and forth.
He didn't know how long he stood there, listening and watching, but each sound seemed to fill him with... with something he couldn't explain. It wasn't hope. It wasn't happiness. It was almost as if the music was slowly filling him with life...
He wasn't being judged by it. There were no expectations from the music, no betrayal... he felt he could drift into the sky, listening to it, eyes closed and simply live in the moment. For as long as the music existed, he would be content.
There was no stress and no pain, no hunger or melancholy. The music was coursing through every fiber of his being as magical as any spell cast by a master magician. It uplifted him and made him forget the world around.
All too soon the music finished, and Angus shook himself, realizing just then that he had closed his eyes and had been swaying along. Embarrassed, he looked around, but thankfully there was noone around to see that... until he looked up again straight into the eyes of Octavia, who was looking down at him with a small smile as she leaned out the window.
The pony grinned. "Good morning, Angus," she called across the street.
"I-g-good morning, Octavia..."
"Did you enjoy the concert?"
"I-yes! It was lovely!" he stammered, smiling nervously. "I'm sorry if I interrupted you..."
Octavia laughed. "Not at all," she replied, using her hoof to move a strand of her mane away from her face. "I saw you brooding over there and I thought I could cheer you up a little."
Angus was stunned. "I well... I'm... uh... thank you."
Octavia laughed again. "You're welcome, Angus, but you don't seem to be quite awake yet."
Angus chuckled, scratching the back of his head and fluffing his wings self-consciously. "Yes well... it's been a long night."
"Do you have time for a long breakfast?"
Angus blinked, noticing the position of the sun. He had about half an hour but... "Sure," he said, smiling. "I've got all morning."
Octavia beamed. "Well, come on in, I'll meet you downstairs."
Frekr would be upset, Angus knew, but as he stood up and crossed the street, pushing the door of the Featherfall Inn, he realized something even more important.
He didn't care.
o.0.o
The first thing that Angus had done was to order a coffee. Then, he had sat down and nursed it as he waited, lost in thought.
When had his life changed this much? At what point exactly had he just stopped caring about so many things, about where he was in life, about feeling good about himself as a griffon and father and worker?
It had been a long time since he had even felt good about waking up in the morning and going to work. Like so many others, it had become less of an experience he could maybe enjoy and more a requirement to survive.
"Is that all you're having?"
Octavia's voice snapped him out of his thoughts, and he shook his head.
"No, um," he stood up, motioning for Octavia to take a seat. "I just ordered some coffee while I waited for you, didn't want to order ahead."
Octavia smiled and nodded, taking a seat, as he plopped down back on his. "You seemed preoccupied," she said, waving for the waitress to come over. "That and the brooding earlier can't be good for you."
"I'm that obvious, huh?" Angus sighed. "I just have a lot on my mind."
"What will you two have?" The waitress asked, interrupting Octavia's understanding nod. They quickly made their orders, and she left after pouring a cup of coffee for Octavia.
"Do you want to share?" Octavia asked after a moment of comfortable silence had passed between them.
Angus chuckled, taking a sip of coffee and staring at his mug for a moment. "It's probably just whining..."
Octavia shook her head. "If there's one thing we ponies know is that we are supposed to help our friends." She stretched acrosst he table, placing her hoof gently on top of Angus' claw. "Just let it out... trust me, I know what keeping too much inside can do to you."
Angus stared blankly at her hoof before sighing and nodding. "I'm not happy."
It was a silly start, of course, but it was the absolute truth behind everything.
"I'm not happy, and I haven't been so for a long time... even before Leandra, Ari's mother, and I separated. It was a slow process... we fought together to make it work, but we were too different and our attempts often ended in fights." He sighed. "Poor Ari took the brunt of it... we never shouted at him, or really took it out on him but he was aware of our constant fighting, he would try and rush in and stop us... one day we decided to separate, and ever since, Ari has been happier. He spends time with us both, but there are no bitter fights and when we see each other, we are civil."
Octavia nodded her head. "I know some couples that can't even see each other. I'm glad you two at least can talk without going at each other's throats."
Angus chuckled. "It happens all the time," he said mirthlessly. "Just not as often, and not in front of Ari."
They paused as the waitress set a bowlful of bread in front of them, followed by butter and a fresh serving of coffee before she went away.
"I'm trying my best for him," Angus said. "He makes me happy... every day I get to spend with him is something I treasure, but..." he looked down. "When he's gone I remember that I'm alone and that I am unhappy."
Octavia said nothing.
"I'm not proud of what I do," Angus said, looking out the window at the rising sun. "Nothing illegal, but... it's a dead-end job. I bust my back every day for at least twelve hours for no recognition, no increase in pay and to make barely enough to pay for Ari's school and other basic necessities." He looked back at her, grimacing. "Is this what I wanted Ari to look up to? A father that would stay and simply repeat day after day of misery just to live?"
Shaking his head Angus flexed his claws before forcing himself to grab a piece of bread and break it, before biting into it.
"Is it really that bad?" Octavia asked as she too took a piece of bread, spreading some butter on it and putting it on her plate. "This job of yours..."
Angus snorted. "It's worse. It's a job, pays the bills. That's all the positive things I can say about it. Each day is a struggle to deal with customers that want to weasel their way out of contracts. Every day I'm told not to do something to help, but do something to get more money out of them. Add to that hours upon hours of emptying crates, cleaning and getting no gratitude for anything I do." He leaned back. "Whenever I am able to join my friends for a drink or two, the only thing I can think to do about my job is complain. Every morning what drives me to roll out of bed and drag myself to that place is the knowledge that my son needs me to have a job."
"Is that really, what he needs?" Octavia asked slowly.
Angus blinked. "I'm sorry, what?"
Octavia grimaced. "I'm not trying to give you advice, Angus, but... is what your son needs a father that is so unhappy with life he doesn't know what to do with himself when his son is not around? When rather than be able to talk about his achievements with others, all he can think about is how much he hates doing what they demand him to do?"
Angus was silent.
"What type of example is that?" Octavia asked after a moment. "How will your son be happy when you are miserable?"
"I can't simply walk away," Angus said. "I am under contract and honor demands I do what I agreed to do."
Octavia nodded, looking unconvinced. "And are the people you work for as honorable as you? Have they honored their contract to you?"
Angus was silent again, thinking about how many times Frekr had breached the contracts he had signed, and how Angus had witnessed more than one underhanded action from his superior in order to simply make more money.
"All I know, from experience," Octavia continued, "Is that a son or daughter never wants to see their parents suffer for them when it's in their power to change that."
Angus frowned, but Octavia pressed on.
"Angus, you don't have to simply quit, if that's not possible, but nothing is stopping you from finding something better except yourself." She took a sip of her coffee and smiled a bit. "I know Ari's happiness is the most important thing in the world to you... but for him to be happy, you have to be happy too."
Somehow, the melody she had played earlier in the morning came back to Angus' mind. That feeling of being alive and free of worries. Was it as simple as she made it sound?
He looked up and met her eyes with his. And he knew.
The morning had gone by relatively quickly as they ate breakfast and talked and drank more coffee, but despite the nagging knowledge that he should have left for work several hours before, Angus couldn’t find it in himself to care enough. Not today. His attention was focused completely on the mare that he was spending time with that morning. After all, he had made the decision already not to show, and knowing Frekr, being late by ten minutes might be as bad as missing the whole day.
It was amazing how unfulfilled he felt while doing simply what he did every day, unchanging, and dealing with the same problems every time, with only the name of the complaining customer changing or the nature of their products.
This time, however, after stepping out of his monotone life, he felt energized and filled with a new sense of purpose. He was going to quit his job and find another. He had to decide how to go about it, but there was no doubt in his mind that he was going to find a new job, but what?
After breakfast and still trying to figure out what to do, Angus had invited Octavia for a walk around town and to his delight, she had agreed. He had started the tour at the harbors, where Octavia had briefly been upon arrival. They extended for miles around the bay, but they were a wealth of history that had been drilled into every gryphon living in the capital thanks to basic education.
The gryphon Empire put a lot of stock on keeping tradition alive and thus, it was normal to see flocks of little gryphons walking the streets surrounded by their teachers as they were taught the history of the Empire, although in a much more prepared way, unlike Angus’ learning which had been done partly in school, and partly by his father who had educated him in pretty much the same way he was ‘teaching’ it to Octavia. In fact, they were now standing right next to a large crowd of little gryphons and their teachers, who had walked over curiously to gaze at their first ever sighting of a pony.
The teachers were keeping the chicks in place, but they too were paying them more attention than probably necessary, whispering the little knowledge they had about ponies to them, while trying not to be rude.
“That’s a very big building for a market,” Octavia commented, looking at the Grand Market, a large building in the harbor, made out of large blocks of gray stone and two large statues at the sides of the main entrance, that stood just at the edge of the commercial district and the free beach. “I’m surprised that there’s so many large, open windows on it, if it’s an inside market.”
“It has to be,” Angus explained, looking up at it. “Since we are a carnivorous society with some omnivorous tendencies, we need to keep both sorts of products readily available, and for everything to remain fresh, gryphons of old made sure the building was well-ventilated to keep cool inside… after we opened trade with the ponies, unicorn mages were hired to create several low-temperature rooms, keeping the meat fresh for longer, although it was so well planned that the meat usually stayed fresh and clean through the whole day.” He glanced at her. “It’s a little known fact—or maybe simply overlooked now that we have refrigeration—that the market place had extremely strict rules of sanitation for the day and age it was built. No other market in the world at the time had such an effective system of cleanliness. You would be hard pressed to find a single fly inside.” He looked a little to the side, trying to discern something of the building, but shook his head, simply pointing a claw to the side of the market. “You can’t see if from here, but it also has access to the water, where they keep the live fish for sale.”
He pointed at a long strip of wood that protruded from behind the market. “Live fish is very valued in our cousine, so the Grand Market has its own little pier. Authorized fishing vessels will moor there and carry their live cargo to specific areas, where the water is kept clean and the fish contained.”
Octavia blinked. “Wouldn't that make it more difficult to select and catch to bring out?”
Angus laughed. “Well, normally yes, but gryphon fishmongers are very adept at plucking out the fish out of the water, and the practice began several hundred years ago when the Emperor Danelagh found that the fish he was served had gone bad. So they've had generations of practice.” He motioned to the gryphon statue on the right of the entrance; a broad-chested gryphon with a mace hanging from a harness on his left side. “Rather than beheading the chef for the state of the fish, he decided to ask him why it had come to his table like that and the chef explained that fish were left exposed to the air and heat in the markets, going bad much faster than red meat. He proposed to have the fish salted, but the cooking would not be the same, and the Emperor would not stand for that.”
“So he ordered them to think of a way to fix that and it ended up with them having to catch the fish live and throw them into huge tanks under the market?” Octavia asked, eyes wide, unaware that the little gryphons behind her were equally wide-eyed.
“Yes, he did,” Angus chuckled, concentrating on her face and ignoring the teachers, who were discussing something among themselves. “Again, bear in mind this happened long before we opened trade with the ponies and had access to more mundane uses for magic. But even after the meat was kept cool with unicorn magic, the tradition remained.” He shrugged. “We could have figured magical ways of doing this as well, I guess.”
Octavia had stopped and was looking at the building once more. “So you have magic then,” she stated, looking back at Angus. “Why would gryphons not use it for more mundane tasks? How can you even cast magic without horns?”
“Most of our magic is focused on combat, and no one thought about using it for more menial tasks, or if they did, they probably were shut down by others, not wanting to tarnish our military history by using battle-magic to keep fish cold.” Angus explained with a small smirk. “It was developed for fighting after all, and gryphons are nothing if not traditional. It could seem a bit militaristic for outsiders, but for us it’s more of an… appreciation of it, rather than simple conservative thoughts.” His eyes drifted to the statue at the left of the market’s entrance, which was another gryphon, this one clad in heavy armor covering most of his body. “We are masters of the forge, after all… and gryphon weapons and their craftsmanship are regarded as an art by just about any species in this world.”
Angus scratched the base of his beak for a moment, deep in thought. “In fact, Princess Luna’s twin blades were forged here in Ammassalik,” He said after a moment. “It is said that they were worked on by none other than the legendary Villieldr, The Forger. Their ebony blades were made from minerals found deep in Miklilgnyja and reinforced with our magic to make them almost indestructible.” He raised an eyebrow at Octavia, who had leaned in a little, enthralled by his description.
Angus shrugged, looking back at the market. “As for how we cast it… much like Zebras, I suppose. Although our magic is rune-based instead of potion-based. Unlike unicorns—who use their magic naturally and with a simple thought—we sketch the runes, imbue them with power from our own energy and the runes keep the magic going indefinitely.” He scratched his head. “I’m not entirely sure how the specifics work, though, since I am not a rune-caster. It’s a secret art, taught by apprenticeship, and very carefully guarded. Although we gryphons use it with several things, such as making our buildings sturdier or shields and weapons almost unbreakable, its study is a complicated thing.”
Octavia chuckled. “I can imagine! You seem to really know a lot of history, Angus.”
Angus shrugged, smiling sheepishly. “My father taught me a lot more than what I learned in school. Come on, let’s go see something else.”
The pair almost jumped when the disappointed “Aww…” from several little gryphons behind them.
“Can’t you stay longer?” One little chick asked, tilting her head and gazing at the pair with watery eyes. “I wanna hear more about how we crafted weapons!”
“And I wanna hear more about the market! Is it true that they once captured a leviathan for Empress Reiði?” Another gryphon asked, shaking his claw in the air.
Octavia laughed. “It seems you drew quite the crowd, Angus.”
“I’m so very sorry!” One of the teachers said, finally stepping up and herding the chicks away with her wings. “I apologize, master…”
“Uh… Greenquill,” Angus responded.
“Master Greenquill,” the teacher acknowledged with a slight bow. “I see that you’re busy, we just never expected to be so lucky to find an honored Historian on our school trip!”
Angus grinned self-consciously. “I’m sorry, ma’am, but I am no Historian.”
“Oh,” the teacher smiled, undaunted. “Well, you certainly sounded like one! In any case, we should carry on with our school trip. Good day to you two!”
Octavia and Angus watched the teachers organize the chicks and guide them into the Great Market, smiling slightly when they heard a distant and excited: “Hey! Look one of the tanks for live fish Mr. Greenquill talked about!”
“Well, Mr. Greenquill,” Octavia chuckled. “What’s next?”
Angus shook his head in amusement, but after some thought nodded. “I think I know, follow me.”
The pair drew a few looks from other gryphons as they continued their walk, but they weren't bothered by anyone. It was unusual to see a pony in Amassalisk after all, and even more so accompanied by a gryphon, but it wasn't unheard of.
Angus led Octavia out of the main harbor road and up a narrow and steep street, walking away from the shore and deeper into the city.
Although the inclination of the street made walking a bit slower, Octavia enjoyed looking at the small houses built on both sides, all of them colorful and somehow giving a sense of community despite their wildly different colors and decorations. Here a pale green wall ended abruptly into a yellow one, followed by blue and then even salmon pink. The cobblestone under her hooves was worn but clean and despite the fact that they were climbing up and several hundred more houses and buildings could be seen up in the distance, there didn't seem to be any problem with sewage that she could detect, which she hadn't expected.
The lower streets of Canterlot had a problem with that, and she had expected a similar situation here.
When they finally turned left and onto a more even ground, Angus grinned and pointed to a small plaza ending in a railed balcony that overlooked the city below and the sea beyond. Like the place in front of the inn where he had stopped to rest that morning, it had a couple of benches and some bushes with flowers.
He watched as Octavia got up on her hind legs, and put her forehooves on the railing, leaning forward to gaze at the world beyond.
“This is beautiful,” Octavia whispered, staring. She could see most of the city spreading below them, but also how it followed the coast. The view also cast another interesting light on the houses they had passed before, revealing the small aviaries on top of them, for ease of access to flying species. “I can see the bay where I arrived from here! I love how the water looks, it’s like its made of sapphires.”
“It’s funny that you would say that,” Angus said after a moment of staring at her. His gaze fell on the distant shore. “That area is actually called the Sapphire Shore.”
Octavia stared at him before she burst out laughing, holding her stomach with one hoof, while the other stayed on the railing, helping keep her balance intact.
Angus blinked. “Wait, what’s so funny?”
It took a moment for Octavia to slow down to a chuckle, but eventually she was able to talk again. “It’s just that ‘Sapphire Shores’ is the name of a popular singer in Equestria.” She snickered. “I know it’s a very romantic name for the bay, but the relationship to her makes it just funny in my mind.” She giggled.
“I see,” Angus nodded solemnly. “That is, of course, a bit tragic since now I’ll be forced to inform the Emperor of this and we might go to war over it.”
Octavia stopped laughing and stared at him, baffled and borderline horrified.
“I’m joking,” Angus said after a moment.
Octavia punched him in the foreleg. “That was mean!” she laughed.
The pair stayed there for some time, enjoying the sights and company until Octavia noticed the position of the sun. “Oh my, I should probably start heading back,” she said, placing a hoof on Angus’ foreleg. “I’m supposed to play tonight and it’s already late afternoon.”
Angus blinked and looked up. “I-I didn't even realize we had spent so much of the day already.”
Octavia grinned. “It was fun. That happens when you have fun.”
Angus chuckled and nodded. “I know a way to get there… here, let me show it to you so you can find your way back here if you ever need a place to think.”
Octavia nodded, holding her hoof on his leg. “Thank you, Angus.”
Angus tilted his head. “For what?”
“For today, for showing me around and telling me all about the places we visited.”
Angus smiled, helping her down to all fours before starting to walk at her side. “You're welcome… and thank you too for helping me.”
