Chapter 1:5.1 – Diplomatic Immunity
Twilight Sparkle closed the door to Golden Oak’s laboratory behind her, shutting Pinkamena away. Honestly, despite all the time she’d spent in Ponieville, the sorceress had yet to figure out the mare. Maybe once she returned to this tiny town, she would be able to interact with the baker/bard/party-planner more. At the moment she had more important concerns, like representing Celestia and Cant’r Laht before the Griffon Free Companies.
“Shall we depart, madam sorceress?” an armored stallion addressed Twilight before she’d taken two steps from her home.
The pegasus was wearing a full suit of plate armor, apart from wing guards (which weren’t terribly popular with pegasi who wanted to maintain aerial maneuverability) and a helmet (which was hanging from his saddlebags). At his side hung a broadsword sheathed in an elegant leather scabbard. As he awaited Twilight’s response, piercing emerald eyes stared out at her from a dun-coated face framed by a flowing silvery-blue mane. Twilight Sparkle tried to recall if she’d met the stallion before, but couldn’t. He certainly wasn’t one of the guards assigned to her in Ponieville.
“Forgive me, but who are you?” the sorceress asked, giving up on trying to recognize him.
“Ser Lightning Charge at your service, Mistress Twilight Sparkle,” the stallion said, giving a slight bow, then turning to follow the sorceress as she set off in direction of one of Ponieville’s gates, “Celestia has sent me to accompany you to your meeting with the Griffon Free Companies.”
So that was it. Celestia’s letter had said nothing about an escort, but Twilight wasn’t surprised that she’d sent one along anyway. Despite nothing dangerous having happened to her that she couldn’t handle (not counting her near mauling by the criosphinx) since she’d moved to Ponieville, the Cant’r Laht guards remained in town. They didn’t mind much, as they knew how Twilight chafed beneath their watch, and usually kept their distance. She’d proved more than capable of protecting herself, and any adversary that would pose a threat to a sorceress of her caliber was far out of their league, so they spent most of their times at the local taverns or gambling with Mayor Mare’s guards in their barracks at the Mayoral Keep.
“Thank you for your dedication, but as I have told Celestia before, I am quite capable of protecting myself and have no need for soldiers or knights to watch over me,” Twilight Sparkle explained to the knight as he trotted beside her, his armor clanking as he did so.
“Nevertheless, madam, Celestia has insisted that I am to accompany you to this meeting, regardless of any protests you may have,” Lightning Charge replied, not letting Twilight’s attitude get to him, “She said to remind you that this is an important diplomatic meeting and that every precaution that can be taken, should be taken.”
She wouldn’t be able to get rid of this one as easily as she had her guards. He seemed devoted to fulfilling Celestia’s orders and protecting her no matter what. A pony who takes his knighthood seriously as more than just a title? Remarkable. There were many ponies in the Dominion of Cant’r Laht who had been knighted, either by Celestia herself or one of the many lords and ladies beneath her, and most of them were scions of a noble house given the title of “ser” simply as a distinguishing mark to tack onto their already impressive pedigree. Because of this, all most of Cant’r Laht’s knights did was to act uppity and prance around in armor that was only worn at tourneys. There were a few who came from outside of the nobility and had truly earned their titles, though, and perhaps Lightning Charge was one of these. It was likely, given that there were few pegasus noble houses within the Dominion of Cant’r Laht.
“Ser knight, are you of the nobility as well?” Twilight Sparkle asked as she, the knight, and Spike left through Ponieville’s northern gate.
“Indeed,” Lightning Charge answered, giving a nod, “I am the seventh child of Count Starlit Mere of the House Bersian.”
Bersian happened to be one of the few pegasus noble families that Twilight did recognize. House Haltrotsun had few friends among Cant’r Laht’s nobility, but the Bersians had been not unfriendly to them in the recent past. Their Roost (several of the pegasi still held onto the old pegasus term instead of “Hold,” despite their culture’s complete replacement by that of the unicorns) was in the Blue Mountains, stretching east of Cant’r Laht and the Titan’s Horn to Fillidefiyaa. Twilight had actually been there once, as a very young foal, on a visit with her father, and had perhaps even met Lighting Charge, but that had occurred too long ago for either of them to remember. Celestia had not just chosen Ser Lightning Charge to accompany her because of his dedication, but also for his family name (or perhaps the dedication had just been icing on the cake). It wouldn’t be the first time that the family standards of Haltrotsun and Bersian flew side by side.
“Do you know our destination?” Twilight asked as they trotted past a cottage outside town, the knight still not seeming to tire despite the armor he was laden down with.
“I am afraid that I do not,” Lightning Charge said with a shake of his head, “I was told to accompany you and that you would be aware of where it would be best to meet the griffons, madam.”
It was an interesting situation they were in when it came to protocol, Twilight realized. As a sorceress, all except the upper nobility were to address her as “madam,” but she was also Celestia’s apprentice, so that meant that even the upper nobility usually addressed her formally (at least when Celestia was present). However, the Haltrotsuns held a earlship while the Bersians held a countship, so technically she was Lightning Charge’s inferior in that respect. It was a complicated business, so she decided to just let things sit as they were, with him using “madam” and her using “ser.”
“I don’t expect we will be able to catch up with them any earlier than tomorrow night,” Twilight explained as she paused on the roadside and pulled a set of maps from her saddlebags, “The best location to do so would be here, where these rivers intersect a league and a half northeast of Hammotstead.”
“Right, then,” Lightning Charge said after familiarizing himself with the map, “Mistress Twilight, Master Spike, shall we be off?”
***
It was before nightfall, yet the day had already begun to darken due to the storm clouds that passed across the sky. A cold drizzle fell on the trio of travelers headed north, the drops that struck Lightning Charge’s armor not heavy enough to make a sound. All three had pulled hoods over their heads at the first sign of rain, and Twilight was grateful for the long cloak that covered her altered sorceress robes, newly arrived from Cant’r Laht.
They had made good time on their journey—frankly, Twilight was surprised that Lightning Charge had tired no more in his heavy armor than she had in her light robes (perhaps even less)—and had quickly passed through the farmlands around Ponieville and into the hills to its northwest. Nothing grew here apart from grass and a few scattered trees, and homesteads were few and far between. As they crested one of the many hills, a screeching roar was the first signal to the ponies and dragon that something was amiss. As they passed down into a shallow valley between the hills, the creature that had made the awful noise came into sight.
It was a drake, a dragon-like creature with none of their intelligence. Compared to a full-grown dragon, an adult drake was much smaller—only eight pony-lengths from shoulder to rump compared to thirty or forty—and had shorter legs and neck. Dragons also typically had bright and colorful scales covering their bodies, while drakes were mostly dull earth tones; this particular specimen was a mottled brown with parallel streaks of gray. Drakes couldn’t breathe fire, but their tails made up for that deficiency with the blade-like protrusions that grew along their ends. They were a fearsome opponent, but their relative unintelligence made them easy kills for trained Hunters, and only a moderate challenge for a competent knight.
“Get out of here!” Lightning Charge ordered as the drake landed heavily in front of the trio.
Twilight Sparkle complied, pushing Spike along and quietly mouthing a few words in the Language of the Horns as the knight pulled on his helmet and drew his sword. As the drake tried to strike at the sorceress and dragon with its long neck, Lighting Charge used his wings to launch himself into the air. He wouldn’t be able to fly as high, far, or fast as he would if he hadn’t been wearing armor, but his actions still drew the drake’s attention. As it swung toward him, the knight glided to the ground and dodged the beast’s wing.
Twilight pulled Spike up onto her back after the first few hills and continued to gallop north, even after the sounds of battle had faded. Spike was nearly thrown from the sorceress’s back as she turned west unexpectedly. The dragon looked around in an attempt to determine why she had changed direction, but he could see no barriers around that would impede their progress toward Hammotstead, and nothing in the direction they were no moving that seemed worthy of Twilight’s attention. Was she circling back around to catch the drake unaware and aid Ser Lightning Charge? But then, why had she gone so far before doing so? Spike even pulled out maps of the area from Twilight’s saddlebags to see if there was something that he was missing (which earned only a brief glance from the sorceress), but there was nothing nearby to explain her actions.
“Twilight, where are we going?” Spike asked, altogether lost to her intentions.
“The edge of White Tail Wood is not far from here. We should be able to reach it in time,” Twilight replied, not really explaining anything.
“Why would we go to White Tail?” Spike asked, examining the map, “It’s a straight shot north to Hammotstead; seems like we’re going out of our way for nothing.”
“We’re not going to Hammotstead,” Twilight announced, her breathing becoming more labored the longer she galloped.
“But what about meeting with the Griffon Free Companies?” Spike asked as he leaned around and nearly unbalanced Twilight.
“If we go to Hammotstead, the griffons will have already moved on by the time we arrive. The real location to meet them is seven leagues west of Comethold. I just told Lightning Charge that we were going to Hammotstead to throw him off,” the sorceress explained, and Spike’s eyes grew wide in surprise, “I was thinking of some excuse for us to separate from him, maybe even conjure up some illusion, but that drake provided us the perfect opportunity, and at just the right moment, too.”
“You just left him behind to fight the drake alone?” Spike said incredulously, spinning around on Twilight’s back to look in the direction the knight and draconid were fighting, though her knew he wouldn’t be able to see anything, “You could have defeated it easily with your magic, but instead you left Lightning Charge behind with it! What if it kills him?”
“It will not kill him, nor will it even wound him,” Twilight said firmly, “I cast a spell on it as we left that will prevent it from harming Lightning Charge, though not from acting aggressive and providing us with a distraction.”
“Why, Twilight? What was so wrong with Lighting Charge tagging along?” Spike asked as he spun back around on the sorceress’s back.
“I don’t need an escort, Spike; I am perfectly capable of defending myself, and Celestia should know that,” Twilight said stubbornly, “Once I return from dealing with the griffons without a knight to accompany me, it will prove so.”
“I don’t know, Twilight,” the dragon said worriedly, “Celestia doesn’t do anything without a reason, and it’s always better to be safe than sorry, isn’t it?”
“There’s White Tail Wood! Once we’re in the forest, it will be much easier to hide,” Twilight said as she spotted the trees in the distance and picked up the pace, ignoring Spike’s concerns.
The sorceress’s dragon page groaned and rubbed his eyes with the palms of his claws. I don’t know that I want to be involved in this!
***
The griffon camp came into sight as the sun was setting on the following day, just as Twilight Sparkle had predicted. Her plan to lose Ser Lighting Charge had worked just as planned, as well. The fight with the drake had tied the knight up long enough that Twilight and Spike had made it to White Tail Wood and disappeared beneath the canopy of leaves. Searching the hills would have been hard enough, but even with his wings, Ser Lightning Charge would not be able to find the duo in the forest. Nor did he have any reason to believe they would be there, and after an exhaustive search of the surrounding area, he dedicated himself to reaching the rivers north of Hammotstead, where he believed Twilight and Spike would be heading to meet with the griffons.
The sorceress and her page had spent the night within White Tail Wood on the northern edge, which they had skirted until an hour after sunset. As an extra precaution, Twilight had cast a spell over the tent to make it invisible from the outside, which only frustrated Spike since he was the one who had to find it after being sent out to fetch water. After breaking camp the next day, Twilight and Spike followed the edge of the forest west before changing course northwest before noon.
With this action they left the Dominion of Cant’r Laht, and were no longer under the protection of Celestia. The lords and ladies of these lands swore fealty to Vanhuv’r, the coastal city far to the northwest. Comethold was named for an ancestor of its current lord, Margrave Orion Star, who left the administration of the region to his steward. The margrave himself resided in Vanhuv’r, to better curry favor with King Hyelliff in the Royal Court. Absentee lords were nothing new for Twilight; the largest faction in the Cant’r Laht nobility was made up of wizard families who had once been members of the Cabal when it ruled the city before Celestia. Over time, Celestia had assigned lands spread across Equestria to the various families. Some said that she had done so to rid herself of the meddlesome nobility, but if that had been her plan, it hadn’t worked; the nobles merely ruled their lands from afar and reaped the taxes and crops without having to leave their comfortable estates in Cant’r Laht.
The margrave won’t be happy when he finds out all this wheat was flattened, and the peasants will have to pay, Twilight thought as she approached the griffon encampment. It wasn’t the peasants’ fault, of course—that would have been obvious to Twilight even before her move to Ponieville and education on the lives of those outside Cant’r Laht—nopony would want to approach a group of heavily armed griffons and tell them to set up camp somewhere else. If they were like typical mercenaries, they wouldn’t even reimburse them for the lost crops. For that’s what those traveling in the Griffon Free Companies were: mercenaries. Of all the mercenary companies out there, this one was the largest, an alliance of fourteen griffon clans that together formed an army with a moving city of supporters.
Twilight Sparkle noted the different clans’ emblems on waving banners erected above the tents still being set up as she trotted through the camp, committing them to memory; ponies knew very little about griffons, and this was a valuable opportunity to learn more. Griffons paused in their work of preparing the night’s shelter as they saw the sorceress pass by, and some of them flew off to report her presence. Good, now I know which direction I can find their leader in. As she’d expected, the leader of the Griffon Free Companies (probably with his entire clan) had his tent pitched at the head of the encampment.
Before the sorceress reached it, a pair of griffons blocked her way; their weapons were sheathed, but it was clear they wouldn’t remain so if she tried to move past them. After a few minutes, another griffon flapped over and landed in front of the sentries. There was nothing particularly remarkable about him, apart from the mustard-colored sash draped around his set of age-darkened leather armor, yet Twilight still knew that the leader of the Griffon Free Companies stood before her.
“Who do we have here, who so brazenly walks into my camp with no introduction or invitation?” the griffon asked as he strode toward Twilight.
“I am Twilight Sparkle Haltrotsun, sorceress of Cant’r Laht and apprentice to Celestia, who has sent me as her official emissary to speak with you,” Twilight said as she trotted forward to meet the griffon. The sorceress knew it was better to show strength than submission when dealing with griffons, and since the guards didn’t move to stop her, she must have been doing things correctly.
“But of course. I had heard that Celestia’s pupil relocated to Ponieville along with a dragon youth, and you must be none other than she,” the griffon said, his tail swishing back and forth as he came to a halt before the sorceress, “Likewise, you must know who I am. I am Ghunthar zar’Grhisna—also known to ponies as Gunter the Red Terror—Captain of the Griffon Free Companies and Talon of clan zar’Grhisna.”
“It is good to meet you,” Twilight said, ignoring the protocol pony within her that said she ought to bow, “Celestia sends her regards, and has a message for you regarding the summit being hosted in Cant’r Laht this coming spring.”
“That will have to wait,” Gunter held up a claw before Twilight could deliver the message, “We cannot speak until I have taken your measure.”
“But, you have already spoken to me,” Twilight said, confused.
“Yes, as a griffon and a pony we have spoken to each other, and we may continue doing so if you wish it, but to have a conversation about serious matters between the leader of the Griffon Free Companies and a representative of Cant’r Laht that will affect both our larger organizations, I must know that you are worth discussing such things with.”
“I am Celestia’s personal protégé,” Twilight protested.
“What does that mean to a mercenary such as myself?” Gunter asked, “Celestia’s power is known far and wide, yet even if she stood here before me, I would still demand an honorable duel according to our ancient customs before we sat down to speak on important matters.”
“If you attend the summit, will you challenge every delegation there to a duel as well?” Twilight asked, partially out of genuine concern, and partially out of simple indignation.
“Of course not. Coming to your society, we would abide by your rules, but you have come to us here, and here our rules are the only rules,” Gunter said firmly, “Now, choose your words carefully, magus. You are trying my patience, and I don’t wish to hear about the summit again. Will you agree to the duel between our camps, or will you leave?”
Twilight considered her options. This was uncharted water for her, who knew next to nothing about griffon customs. Even if a duel with the griffons was won, there was no guarantee that the message from Celestia would engender a positive response. Still, not fighting the duel would ensure a negative outcome, and Twilight didn’t want to return to Ponieville without results, especially after Celestia had entrusted her with so important a task. The question remained if a duel could be won. Twilight had more than enough skill with magic, but would it be enough to best a warrior like Gunter, who wasn’t called the Red Terror for nothing. It was uncertain, and Twilight didn’t like uncertainty.
“What can you tell me about the duel?” Twilight asked, hoping to eliminate some of that uncertainty.
“It is our tradition that when two clans meet, they each send a champion to fight and prove their skill. It is a battle between warriors, with no magic or tricks, and a chance for them to show the worth of their respective clans. The best duelist exhibits their skill in combat by demonstrating their technique without mortally wounding their opponent. The challenger has the right to choose their champion first, so will you choose your champion now, or will you leave?” Gunter explained, sounding eager to explain the ways of the griffons. Why is it we know so little about them if they are so forthcoming about their traditions? Do ponies just not care about the culture of other races?
“I choose as my champion Spike the Dragon,” Twilight announced after thinking over her options, causing Spike to jump in surprise.
“Will you accept this honor, and the charge to prove your clan’s might and majesty?” Gunter asked, turning to look at the shaken dragon youngster.
“Um …” Spike said as he looked at Twilight and got a look that told him what his answer had to be, “Yes, I do.”
“Very good,” Gunter said heartily, before looking around at the crowd of griffons that had formed and pointing into the thick of them, “To serve as champion of the Griffon Free Companies, I choose Hroman kel’Mrhedain, third daughter of Talon Haelghan kel’Mrhedain.”
The griffons parted to let a young pony-sized griffon make her way forward. Her coat and wing feathers were a bright chestnut, and three diagonal green stripes were painted over the white feathers that covered her face. Her armor still looked fairly new, and she wore her weapons boldly: four sheathed war axes, two at her haunches and two on her back.
“Will you accept this honor, and the charge to prove the might and majesty of the clan kel’Mrhedain and the Griffon Free Companies?” Gunter asked her once she was clear of the crowd.
“I will,” Hroman vowed, passing a claw across her face in the same direction as the stripes.
“It is decided then. At first light tomorrow, Spike the Dragon and Hroman kel’Mrhedain will duel!” Gunter announced loudly, causing the crowd of griffons to cheer; then he spoke to Twilight personally, “Tonight you can set up your campsite beside that of clan ren’Tzilkahn at the tail of the camp. If you have need of anything, they will provide it.”
***
“I bet now you regret sneaking away from Ser Lightning Charge,” Spike brooded later when he and Twilight were alone in her tent.
Twilight hated it when Spike was moody, but she couldn’t deny that he had every right to be, given the situation. Come the dawn, he was going to be sent into combat, and he was right—the whole situation could have been avoided if she had just trusted Celestia and brought the knight along with them. It was obvious now that that was why Celestia had sent him, but Twilight had only thought of herself. Now she was going to have to send the dragon she’d raised from birth into a duel with a trained mercenary. The thought made her stomach flip, for whatever Twilight might be, she was not completely heartless.
“We just have to make the best of the situation we are in,” Twilight said as she watched Spike practice for the fight.
The ren’Tzikahn griffons had been very accommodating, providing Spike with a set of leather armor used by their children when learning how to fight, and a flail, a weapon that Spike actually had some experience with. It wasn’t perfect—the armor was loose on his backside and the sleeves were too long due to the difference between his frame and that of a young griffon—but it was the best equipment they had available. For the first time, Twilight was glad that Shining Armor had taught Spike some combat skills. As she watched him swing his weapon around, she felt a little better about the coming duel in the morning.
“We wouldn’t be in this situation if you’d followed Celestia’s orders and brought Lightning Charge with us,” Spike grumbled as he practiced hopping back and forth.
“I made a mistake, Spike; what can I say?” Twilight asked, feeling horrible.
“How could you?” the dragon demanded as he dropped his flail and shield and faced Twilight, “How could you send me into a duel? I’m still a child—my scales aren’t fully developed and I haven’t grown wings yet—how am I supposed to face a griffon in battle?”
“Do you think I want this?” Twilight said, “I don’t want you to fight tomorrow, but I had to choose a champion, and you were the logical choice. The duel is to be fought with conventional weapons, and all I have at my disposal is magic. Were I to fight, I would be overwhelmed immediately and likely severely injured. I confess I have not spent nearly as much time strengthening my body as I have my mind, and that is my failing. You were the only other option for the duel; you know how to fight somewhat, you are a smaller target, and even your young scales will protect you from a blow better than my flesh and robes. This is not ideal, I will admit, but I need you. You don’t even need to win, just stay in the fight long enough that Gunter decides you are a worthy warrior. Don’t take any chances; I don’t want you to get hurt.” She really does care.
“Do you really think I can make it?” Spike asked. He’s terrified that he could die tomorrow, and whose fault is that?
“Yes, Spike, I do; I wouldn’t have chosen you otherwise,” Twilight said, placing a hoof on his shoulder, “I know this is a rough situation, and that it is all my fault. I should have trusted Celestia and brought Ser Lightning Charge along, but I let my pride get in the way. I was so certain of my own capabilities that I didn’t consider scenarios where I would need help from others to get by. Lightning Charge was meant to help me here, but now you are the only one I can turn to. Please, Spike, I promise that I will not let my pride land us in such a situation again.”
“Okay, Twilight,” Spike said, knowing that the sorceress probably wouldn’t be able to keep her promise, at least not right away. There was always hope, especially considering the changes he’d seen in her since they’d moved to Ponieville.
“Thank you, Spike,” Twilight said, “Now, one more practice set and then you need to get to sleep.”
***
The next day dawned with skies clear of all but a few wispy clouds. As Twilight and Spike made their way through the camp, they saw griffons beginning to take down their tents and pack things away in preparation to move on. Twilight Sparkle had quickly taken her own tent down before leaving for the dueling area in the zar’Grhisna camp. At least I can use magic for that. Thoughts of how to cast healing spells occupied her mind as they approached the head of the camp.
A crowd had gathered in the same place as the day before, and the griffons quickly parted to let the dragon and sorceress through. Centered around where Twilight and Gunter had spoken, there was now a ring of stakes with rope tied to their ends, forming a crude fence. On the other side of the ring stood Hroman, sharpening her axes in preparation for the fight. Spike nervously stepped under the rope, checking to make sure his helmet was on snugly, and Hroman vaulted over her side.
“Today we have come for a duel between Hroman kel’Mrhedain, representing the Griffon Free Companies, and Spike the Dragon, representing Cant’r Laht,” Gunter announced from the other side of the ring, his voice instantly silencing the crowd, “May you both fight honorably and bring pride to your ancestors and your clans. Let this duel commence!”
Hroman wasted no time circling around and charged Spike immediately, a war axe held in each claw. The dragon jumped out of the way, using his shield to catapult himself back up and spin around. Hroman turned and struck at Spike again, but he had his shield up, and the first axe strike glanced off the wood. The second axe met Spike’s flail, the head knocking it off course and into the edge of the shield.
The griffon swiftly pulled her weapon free and jumped backwards, using her wings to propel her. She had expected the miniscule dragon to go down quickly, but he was proving to have some skill with his weapons, causing her to reconsider her tactics. Spike didn’t let her, pressing his momentary advantage by advancing on her, flail swinging to catch her axe if she struck at him.
Hroman replied by launching herself over him, and twisting her body to let her strike at his back with her weapons. Spike was fast to respond, bringing his shield up and keeping it between them as she went over him, spinning around to keep it so when she landed. Her axes stuck in the shield, but she pulled them out as Spike tried to wrench them away from her. As the shield came up to bash at her face, Hroman jumped back, landing only momentarily before using her wings to launch herself into the air.
From above, the griffon analyzed the battlefield, using the sky as an area of respite that she never could’ve had had she been fighting a griffon like usual. Spike had to crane his neck to see her, so she flew around in erratic patterns for a few minutes to inconvenience him before diving toward him. Spike spun toward Hroman and shifted his footing and shield placement as she reached him. His flail struck out, knocking one of her axes into the other and causing them both to strike his shield, skidding across and tearing the paint free. Hroman continued flying, kicking Spike’s shield with a hindpaw as she flew past. The dragon fell back onto his tail, and the swing of his flail aimed toward Hroman’s hindquarters went sailing by her tail instead.
Spike was back up by the time Hroman looked back down from her aerial vantage point. She circled around for a bit before throwing her axes down at the dragon and swooping toward him. Spike jumped out of the way of the flying blades, rolling across the ground and barely getting his shield up in time to block the griffon’s next attack. In her descent, Hroman had drawn the axes from her back, and one of them struck the edge of the shield, bouncing off and hitting ground. The other axe struck Spike’s thigh, slicing a gash in his armor. Before she could strike again, this time for his exposed flesh, Spike’s flail wrapped around her axe and he jerked it from her grasp. As he swung it back up, Hroman flew back and over the dragon, grabbing his helmet with her claw and pulling it off as she flew away. Spike dodged the kick at his head, and watched as Hroman threw his helmet out of the dueling ring as she ascended.
The griffon didn’t fly quite so high this time, confident that Spike’s defeat was close. She had opened a hole in his armor and deprived him of protection for his head; once his shield was out of the picture, he would be finished. She spun around for a dive just in time to see the axe spinning through the air toward her. Hroman had no opportunity to dodge as her own weapon sliced through her wing, tearing away feathers and flesh. She wobbled, and then fell as her injured wing began to bleed.
Hroman landed on the other side of the ring from Spike, but that didn’t stop him from trying to close the distance between them before she could recover from her fall. The dragon’s shield came toward her first, and Hroman swung her axe around it, missing. Her next swing at Spike buried the weapon deep in the shield, and she tried to pull it out before she saw Spike’s flail coming toward her and she yanked the shield to the side, striking the flail’s chain and causing the head to hit the shield instead, the impact freeing the axe.
Hroman grabbed Spike’s shield with her free claw and twisted it at an unnatural angle. Spike managed to hold on, and when the griffon tried to strike him with her axe, he forced the shield’s edge into her weapon, knocking it from her grip. He then released his shield and dove in a roll around Hroman. She tried to grab her axe from the ground and turn to strike Spike with his shield, but it was too late for her. The dragon brought his flail down on the griffon’s hindleg, and the sound of bone crunching could be heard by Twilight.
“The duel is concluded! Spike the Dragon is victorious!” Gunter announced as he flew into the ring and separated the duelists before they could continue the fight.
Hroman stood, tucking her broken leg beneath her, and dipped her head to Spike before hobbling out of the ring. A group of griffons that looked around the same age and also had the stripes painted across their faces helped her once she was outside the circle of stakes and rope. Slowly, the crowd of griffons began to disperse as Gunter walked Spike over to where Twilight was standing just on the other side of the rope.
“Spike, are you hurt at all?” Twilight asked with concern as he reached her.
“No, actually I’m fine,” the dragon said, looking shocked as he examined himself and found that he had no injuries other than a few aches and bruises.
“Congratulations, magus, you have proven your worth to me,” Gunter addressed Twilight, “Spike, why don’t you find something to eat? I’m sure there is somegriffon around here who would gladly share their quail or rabbit with the victor of a duel.”
“I can eat meat without being viewed as an abomination. It’s all I ever wanted out of this trip,” Spike said, not joking in the slightest.
“Go on; I would insist no matter the situation, but you’ve surely earned it,” Twilight told him when he looked to her for permission, and the dragon was off like a shot.
“Come; we can speak in my tent while everything is being packed away,” Gunter said with a wave of his claw as he led Twilight toward the pavilion on the other side of the dueling ring.
“So, you’ve come all this way and followed through with our traditions,” Gunter said once he and the sorceress were seated on cushions within his tent, “What is this message from Celestia that you are so determined to bring to me?”
“Yes,” Twilight said as she set down her goblet of plum wine, “Celestia regrets that—not knowing where you might be at a given time—you did not receive an invitation to the summit in Cant’r Laht, and she would like to personally extend an invitation for you to attend. The Griffon Free Companies may not be found on a map like the Kingdom of Manehattan, or the Duchy of Balte-Maer, or the Principality of Stalliongrad, but it is a part of Equestria nonetheless. For too long have the equine nations of this land ignored the griffons, and Celestia wishes to help make amends.”
“That is all?” Gunter asked once Twilight had concluded.
“Yes, she hopes that you will lend your voice to the conversations to be had in the spring regarding Equestria’s future,” the sorceress said as she picked her goblet back up.
“What an interesting choice of words,” Gunter commented from across his own goblet, “In travelling the width of Equestria, we have overheard much talk about this summit. There are many who fear that Celestia is planning to use this meeting of leaders to take over the continent.”
“That is simply not true,” Twilight protested, though she couldn’t be absolutely one hundred percent sure.
“Perhaps not, but luckily I have her personal apprentice here who will give me honest answers to any question I ask,” Gunter said with a pointed look at Twilight.
Oh! Gunter had wanted to speak with her all along, but still had to make a show with the duel. In hindsight, Spike had had to put up a good fight, but there were probably plenty of other more capable griffons available in the camp and Gunter hadn’t chosen them. If he had done so, then they wouldn’t be having this conversation now.
“I see you understand; then let’s get down to business,” Gunter said, “What do you know about this new alicorn ponies are saying has appeared?”
“Luna?” Twilight asked, thinking it strange that Gunter did not know her name when Celestia had sent out a message across the land after the summer solstice announcing her return, but the griffon had probably not heard the specifics from kings, and everypony else would not know her name unless they’d been told.
“So that is her name,” Gunter said attentively, leaning forward and pointing at Twilight, “Yes, tell me everything you know about her.”
“Well, she is the younger sister of Celestia, and for the past thousand years she was imprisoned in the moon for leading a rebellion that sought to bring about everlasting night,” Twilight said, seeing no point in hiding the truth, but also realizing as she said it that perhaps she wasn’t painting Luna in the best light, “When she returned as prophesied at the beginning of the year, she attempted to do so again, but I helped to stop her.”
“Oh my; so that is what happened on the Day of Darkness,” Gunter said with concern, “She is still alive?”
“Yes; she is now living in Cant’r Laht with Celestia,” Twilight explained, “The two of them have reconciled, you see, and Luna no longer wishes to overthrow her sister.”
“Is she dangerous?” Gunter asked earnestly.
“I don’t know about that,” Twilight replied, “Dangerous to whom?”
“To anyone; to everyone. She’s obviously an extremely powerful magus if she was able to keep Celestia from raising the sun even for a single day,” Gunter said thoughtfully, “You say she and Celestia are reconciled, but the truth or falsity of that statement could have disastrous consequences for Cant’r Laht and the rest of Equestria.”
“What do you mean by that?” Twilight asked, still wrapping her mind around the deduction Gunter had made that the she had not (or hadn’t wanted to).
Could it be true? For as long as anypony could remember, Celestia was indisputably the most powerful sorceress in existence, but at the summer solstice ceremony she had been overpowered by Luna. Well, technically she had been overpowered by Nightmare Moon, but were Luna and Nightmare Moon the same pony, or different? Had Nightmare Moon’s dark magic been cast through Luna’s own sorcerous power, or had the power come from somewhere else? What was Nightmare Moon, and could Luna ever take on that monstrous form again? Each question only led to more questions, and hinted at unpleasantness that Twilight would rather not think about, but would be foolish not to.
“Think about it,” Gunter replied, “Luna and Celestia may not be truly reconciled, and if Luna attempts to overthrow her sister again and succeeds, she will surely remember those magi in Cant’r Laht who failed to pledge allegiance to her at her return. If Celestia has taught us one thing, it is that an alicorn’s life is long, and their memory is just as long. However, if the two magi are truly reconciled, then what pony or nation in Equestria could withstand their power? Celestia may claim benign intentions for this summit, but why has she not announced it until after her sister—a magus of equal or greater power to herself—rejoined her?”
“I cannot say for sure,” Twilight said, mulling over the scenarios and questions Gunter had presented her with, “Though I believe that Celestia’s stated intentions for the summit are nothing but the truth. I cannot see anything that would suggest she would try to reinstate the diarchy that ruled Equestria before Luna betrayed her.” Gunter’s eyes widened at that revelation.
“That’s another thing,” the griffon said, “Why is it that no one has heard anything about Luna or her and Celestia’s feud until now? One thousand years is a long time, to be sure, but it’s not that long of a stretch that we should have no records.”
“I honestly don’t know. It is peculiar, I will admit, but lately I have found several books that mention Nightmare Moon’s Rebellion,” Twilight said, thinking about the strange contents of Golden Oak’s library, “It is odd that such knowledge has not been widely circulated, given how well-known Celestia is.”
“Perhaps that is the reason such information has remained secret,” Gunter postulated, his words dangerously close to accusing Celestia of something Twilight couldn’t fully convince herself was impossible, or even improbable, “Word has reached me that after speaking to Celestia, the High Priestess of the Church of One has ordered a section of the Church’s sealed records to be opened; time will tell what is revealed from this. Meanwhile, the True Faith in Manehattan has begun looking through all of their First Writings, even the ones their priests don’t preach on anymore, and the rumors of what they’ve found aren’t encouraging. That in particular should make you think.”
“Why is that?”
“Think about it. The True Faith is renowned for its hatred of magi, but why? There’s really nothing in their core ideology to warrant it, and why do they constantly call out Celestia, besides her being a prominent magus that makes an easy target?” Gunter asked, “Isn’t it possible that in the past—say, a thousand years ago, when the True Faith first started to show up—that there was some event that led them to believe that magi couldn’t be trusted not to abuse their power? I would say a magus-queen trying to bring about eternal night would qualify.”
“Yes, well, I will think on this,” Twilight said, and she had to admit that this griffon had brought up quite a few interesting ideas for her to contemplate, “Do you have any other questions pertaining to the summit, or have I answered you satisfactorily?”
“You’ve answered honestly, at least as far as you know, and I think both of us will go away from this conversation wiser,” the leader of the Griffon Free Companies said as he leaned back and interweaved his claws.
“So, does this mean you will be attending the summit in Cant’r Laht in the spring?” Twilight asked hesitantly, cautiously optimistic and eager to know if her mission here had been a success.
“That will depend,” Gunter replied, “My meeting with you is only part of what will go into my decision. Of course Celestia would send a pony to proclaim friendship, but just how friendly the ponies of her domain are when they do not know their action will have an impact on the future of nations is a question that remains unanswered, for the moment. I will have an answer soon, though.”
“What do you mean?” Twilight asked, her mind working frantically to puzzle out what Gunter’s plans were, “You have already moved beyond the Dominion of Cant’r Laht and into the Kingdom of Vanhuv’r.”
“Yes, but as we passed through, I left a trusted griffon behind to gauge the local attitudes toward our people,” Gunter said, “Currently, my daughter—Ghildan zar’Grhisna—is scouting out Ponieville, which should be the perfect place to get a feel for things, considering it is the home of your Brave Companions.”
Twilight’s heart nearly stopped when she heard the name mentioned. Could it truly be? From the sorceress’s limited knowledge on griffon naming patterns, it seemed all too likely.
“Would your daughter by any chance be a Hunter who goes by the name of Gilda?” she worked up the courage to ask.
“Oh, did you meet her?” Gunter asked and Twilight’s heart nearly stopped for a second time upon confirmation of her fears, “When she returns and I get her account of things, then I shall be able to decide whether attending this summit of Celestia’s is a wise move.”
Oh, Pinkamena, your problem was more serious than I’d thought, and more important than you know. Please don’t foul this up.