[Blazing's Entry]
Once again, I've left Equestria behind me and I'm headed for the Griffon Empire. Nearly two and a half centuries made a grim mark on my homeland, but just like life returns to the forest every spring the land of ponies is brimming with potential for new life. I can't help wondering how the Empire fared in the meantime.
Griffons have always been at the forefront of technological advancement, although often at a heavy cost to the nature surrounding them. That was the main reason for trading between Equestria and the Empire anyway. Ponies have ways to replenish their natural resources quickly, magical means harnessed only by unicorns, innate understanding of the land of earthponies, and the ability to control weather. Griffons living in Equestria learned the latter to a minor degree, but technology was always the go-to way of improving griffon lifestyle. So, griffons traded new inventions, carefully hoarding their blueprints and craft secrets, for raw pony resources, magical devices, and natural ways of healing the continent their industry was destroying.
It was similar with zebras from the southern continent of Zebrica to a lesser degree. Lacking the direct magic of unicorns, zebras understanding of alchemy, chemistry, psychology, and physiology allowed them to become a force to be reckoned with as well. Heck, most basic physical and recovery exercises both Griffon Imperial Legion and the Royal Guard still use come from the deep south. As for their economy and trade, the most of it are art, potions, and magical reagents.
Why trade for weaker zebra potions rather than direct, far more powerful unicorn magic?
Simply put, spells don't last long unless directly maintained in some way - like Crystal Heart for example. A magic shield against indestructible entities tied to the darkness in all of us working through sapping a little bit of joy from each being in the world to protect us from turning into really angry ice sculptures. Most spells require constant unicorn concentration to work, which is too costly and exhausting if you, like griffons, need to heal large stretches of land. Potions, while much slower acting, have no such limitation. I remember seeing enormous systems of watering canals and aquaducts filled with water mixed with zebra concoctions used to nourish vast stretches of land where trees supposed to be harvested could grow in only several years. But not only that, it allowed massive plantations to be maintained, producing long-lasting fruit and vegetables. Granted, the cycles of activity and restoration of the soil didn't measure in weeks but in years. However, the final effect was satisfactory and without the constant need of unicorns being around.
Heh, I still remember some details from the trade economy classes.
Boring things aside, and I know I shouldn't jinx it, with the bounty on my head sorted out I can finally rest easy. Crom's supposed location is in a small southern town called Drachenberg (or Drachenburg if you want to be pedantic and use the old griffon grammar for Dragon Castle which is what the name means). Nopony knows what he's doing there aside from that he leaves Equestria for a month about three times every year. The Empire is enormous compared to Equestria, and the trip should take a week, first by a ferry to Griffonstone and then by train deeper into the Imperial mainland.
On the other hoof, Bucket took care about my financial situation with astounding foresight. I have a golden ferry and train tickets, which means I can use any and all facilities on the Imperial express, there is a Silver Sun account open on my name which means I can withdraw money from any Imperial bank in case I need it, and I'm equipped for pretty much anything that might happen. I'm still exhausted, though, because after sleeping for a day straight in Manehattan, I spent the other three training hard with the current Order unicorn swordfighting instructor and hoof-to-hoof combat expert who turned out to be a griffon.
I am BY FAR nowhere close to my old shape, but I think I can handle myself in a brawl again even without divine power.
No, I'm not using what little true death I still have left inside me unless I have no other choice. With my goal so close, destroying myself irrevocably on accident is not an option.
[End Entry]
With the edge of a dead volcano behind me, I gaze longingly at the lush forests and stretches of grassland far in the distance. My wings flap lazily to help me keep balance and not slide down. Not that the fall would hurt me, nor that I would particularly care at this point. The view would be paralelled only if I took flight, but then I could miss small details like those hairy, horned bipeds unwisely settling down in a cave by the river right under a volcano that was active only a couple of hours ago. Terraforming of such scale takes it out of even an alicorn.
One of the... minotaurs -is that what my sister called them?- points towards me. He must have pretty good eyes to spot me up here on the grey peak. Granted, black visage coupled with dark purple fire isn't the sneakiest color scheme against the light ashen grey hill. I know my sister frowns on us interacting directly with her creations, but I wave back.
Oh dear, now the entire clan is kneeling and bowing down to me. Faust is going to lecture me about letting natural evolution take its course again. Pff, if it was like that, then this little clan of bipeds would be grilled beef in a day or two.
A small avalanche of rocks and dirt passes by me, followed by a gust of air from flapping wings.
Well, here it comes, the inevitable discussion about the value of life.
"What interesting little creatures," says a drawn out, sultry voice definitely not belonging to my sister, "or big ones, more likely. They are almost as tall as you are."
I turn my head, taken aback. My power naturally pushes other alicorns away either in fear or hate. This one sounds unbothered, more fascinated than anything. A mare, on top of it. Emerald eyes with slit irises watch me without any disdain I so often encounter. Her mane is short, combed over one side of her head. It moves like liquid mercury, more dripping than flowing in the gentle breeze. The whiteness reflects sunlight, casting bright rays on the more glassed parts of the ex-volcano. Her coat is golden, short like plush, leaving every curve of her form exposed. And what curves those are, oh my. I can't even begin to imagine her turning her back to me and flicking that short, cropped tail. A small, curious smile adorns her muzzle, showing unusual sharp teeth.
I realize I'm staring.
"Y-yes. M-m-my sister has been experimenting with- with something other than equines. If you want to talk to her about them she should be with the others-" my usually deep voice jumps up several octaves higher.
She looks slightly taken aback, then smiles.
"What do you think about them? What are they called?"
"M-minotaurs. They are the first bipeds she has tried to make. I guess she got bored with giant desert worms transforming water into some red thing. The main problem was how to stop them from falling over. Heh, she tried so hard to just make equines stand upright and in the end she just kind of bound their upper back muscles and leg muscles together with a butt, giving them strength to balance while standing upright. She is really smart... about some things. Now we just need to give them thousands of sun cycles to see where that leads to."
"Well, count on a stallion to know everything about plots," the golden alicorn smirks, winking.
"I-I-I WAS NOT LOOKING!" my slowly flapping wings freeze, I lean backwards, and...
...roll like a boulder down the hill. I stop only when the slope eases up.
Shaking my head, I spit out dirt. Golden legs land next to my head. Two obviously very brave hunched up minotaurs inch closer up from the gathering of twelve living in the riverside cave.
"Shoo shoo shoo!" the golden mare waves them away. They obviously don't understand, having no concept of social behavior yet. What they do understand is threat, which makes them retreat as her horn lets out a beam of energy searing a line into the ground between us and them. When I stand up, she brushes some dirt from my muzzle with her fetlock much to the dismay of what little remains of my dignity already, "My name is Ecstatic Scream, what's yours?"
"Endless Void."
***
"Whuh?" I wake up from my weird daydream. The shores of Equestria are long gone, there is over eight hours still left until arrival at the Griffonstone port, and somepony is talking at me. A unicorn stallion, likely just a passanger since I can't spot official regalia of any sort.
"I said, can I borrow this chair," the stallion points to the unoccupied one at my table, "or are you waiting for someone, sir?"
"Take it," I nod.
"Thanks," he leaves, levitating the chair with him towards a larger gathering of ponies and griffons around what looks like a card table.
The VIP lounge on the ferry looks more like a casino. Upon seeing my golden ticket, the servants, or whatever they are called here, offered me a bunch of tokens to try out some games, but I've never been much of a card pony and, with my luck, betting on the roll of a dice wouldn't make me any richer. The food is hella good, though, and griffons make some exquisite wine, I must admit. It's not the frostberry wine from the Crystal Empire, but it's delicious. Also, big-bottomed mares and griffon chicks in bunnysuits, enough said.
Perhaps I should go to bed for the night? Yeah, probably.
I think I'll go for some fresh air on the deck first, though.
Avoiding the other passengers milling around, rushing from table to table, throwing tokens or real bits at dancing mares, or those simply sitting and watching while listening to the unobtrusive music, I overhear a piece of conversation that makes me sober up instantly. Not that I'm wasted or anything, but few glasses of sweet wine leave a mark even on somepony as used to it as I am.
"You heard about what happened right before we left Manehattan? It was really weird," I stop and listen, pretending to watch a griffoness running her talons over her barrel while jiggling her behind in a hypnotic fasion. Torching it's called, is it? Something with torque anyway, "Some unicorn attacked the guards when they wanted a ticket. They say he just kept mumbling to himself something about finding somepony. He froze a pony on the spot into this weird block of dark ice. The thing was that when one of the other ponies just said they couldn't let him on board unless he bought a ticket the weird unicorn simply pulled out a big bag of bits and waited until they took what they needed and let him board. Then he thawed the frozen guy with a fire spell and got on. The guards wanted to kick him out at first, but he just went to the cargo hold and fell asleep between crates. All the time he kept muttering and talking to himself."
I know there is no real reason this would be connected to myself, but over time I might have become just a little paranoid. Pouring my entire bag of tokens before the amazed dancer, I have no doubt that If I as much as wave my hoof at her she'll end up in my bed in a flash. Should I? Nah. I don't really care unless I can make her feel good as well, and with how rusty I am I doubt it would work out in her favor.
Time to go.
On the trip through the bowels of the ferry, I decide to amuse myself by taking a peek into large gathering rooms and cantines for non-VIP passengers.
"Awww crap..." I mumble, stop looking through a window leading inside, and hide behind a wall.
I should have expected them to jump at the opportunity for a bounty on my head.
Lyam, the griffon of Desert Shade's group is sitting at one table while Des herself and the others are huddling over something. My eyesight isn't good enough to spot what the dangling thing is, but my tracing spell reveals a crystal on a string levitated by the unicorn... what was her name... Rolled Scroll, yeah, and circling above a board covered in symbols.
Divination magic. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Yeah, that stuff doesn't work on me.
So, how did she find me? Easily, she knew Cromach and she knew where I was headed. Wait, then she would have asked about the bounty and found out it was fake.
If it actually is fake.
What do you mean, Bob?
Bob, you're kidding me...
You didn't tell me a name.
You're testing me, right?
Maybe.
Well, what if the bounty is real? What if the issuer is just different.
Like... come and collect this huge bag of bits back in this tavern after you get the target's head?
Huh? Yeah, something along those lines.
Good thinking, which means she'll be hunting me in the Empire as well. That also might mean that the griffon mercs Crimson Heart taught a lesson can still be around. What about the unicorn himself?
I believe myself to be a good judge of character, Blazing, and I'm sure lord Heart was only in it for the 'justice and threat to the world' part of the deal. He is trustworthy.
I'll pretend to believe it, Bob.
Sigh...
With the new threat around, I decide against visiting the deck for the scenic view of the starlit ocean, and instead head directly for my room. Passing by the metal staircase leading down to the cargo hold, a shiver runs down my spine.
That makes no sense...
I feel immense divine power. MY divine power. The feeling of divinity shaped by Hope and Despair, my twin aspects. And it's not coming from me, sadly.
It's getting closer.
I draw the hood of my white robe over my head, slipping my horn through the cowl's hole.
"Oww hey!" I look around as somepony shoves me, immediately turn my tracing spell on, and almost choke.
The pony who shoved me is as big as I am, only bulkier. He is entirely covered by a brown ragged robe, leaving only his hooves and the tip of his grey muzzle which keeps opening and closing visible.
"Must find... kill... find... whole... real... one... find... make it stop..."
He keeps muttering, then he stops and his hooded head turns towards me.
I am still paralyzed, watching him with my magical vision. His white outline is surrounded by swirling waves of pink phoenix fire crashing against shards of black ice dancing in the air around him. There is no physical manifestation of the power in the real world, but I know those are divine forces I used to have. That is all MY power.
What the hell?
SNAP OUT OF IT, BLAZING!
Gasping for breath, I run over what I can do when faced with this immense amount of divinity.
Reach for true death, Blazing.
Not killing him, whoever he is. Neither I'm killing myself so close to Crom.
Just a little, use it on something other than you two. The barest amount. TRUST ME!
Panic, panic, panic!
FLOWERS!
A bouqet of some ornate plants standing in a vase on one of small tables scattered around the hall instantly withers and dies. Sparks of black, purple-tipped fire course through my coat, leaving behind the chill of the grave. Cold to the bone, I'm just happy not to be hurt aside from sudden wave of exhaustion.
The pony looks at the flower, then sniffs me, and walks away. That... worked? Why?
What the actual buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck? Bob, any ideas?
Not a clue. I just though that if he possessed your power then he might be looking for something similar.
Good guess. Wouldn't have thought about that one without you.
Several minutes later, I slip into my cabin and lock everything I can - door, chain, second lock, imaginary lock, lock of my mane, warlock.
Too bad I don't get a wink of sleep the entire night, staring in horror at the door and twitching whenever I hear hoofsteps.
***
The announcer's voice comes loud and clear through the speaker above the door, announcing us docking in Griffonstone.
So, how do I get out? If Desert Shade is smart she'll be among the first ponies on the pier checking out any leaving passengers. On the other hoof, she knows I absolutely despise flying.
That doesn't mean I can't fly.
Better be sure, though.
"Suitie, cover me entirely! No full-body massages this time."
In response, my Corruptor socks squirm, covering my entire body with black goo.
Alright, disguise is ready. Des and her group can't know I got fully equipped from Order supplies. Bucket wouldn't have told her where I was going. He knows when to keep his metal mouth shut.
Eyes closed and tracing spell running in three-sixty mode, I mix with the crowd of ponies and griffons leaving the ferry. The pony brimming with the overflow of my old twin divine powers is easy to pick out, looking like a fountain of pink and black. Desert Shade's group are nowhere to be found. Up on the main deck, with morning sun shining from behind the quickly dispersing clouds, I disrobe and spread my wings. A quick check reveals that Sutie's presence isn't impairing my movements at all, and I very carefully take flight, more hovering than soaring.
Thankfully, as I realized during the fight with Suitie, closing my eyes and using only the tracing spell alleviates my uncontrollable vertigo considerably, and I can actually fly with some degree of comfort. Griffonstone is similar to Manehattan, only way smaller. The skyscrapers don't form a jungle, being mostly just easy to spot landmarks, and the city consists of one-two story buildings like I remember from Equestria before my untimely death. From what Bucket told me, Griffonstone was a desolate settlement until the griffon occupation of Manehattan started when the city became a port for the strike force of the Imperial navy.
Flying above, I spot Des and Lyam standing on the pier. Strong Back and Rolled Scroll must be around somewhere too. Good to know I was right. Having smart and logical enemies is great, because they are easy to predict. Few minutes later, my hooves touch the concrete of some alley where I put my robe back on and blend into the crowd.
Desert Shade can't possibly know where Crom is, which means that once I find the correct train I'm out. She'll know that, though, and will likely be watching the train station soon. That means I have to either catch a train right now before they leave the pier, or...
...time for some sightseeing.
Buck it, I get bored to death by architecture, LEGGIT!