//------------------------------// // Chapter 13: Gryphon port // Story: The (Mis)adventures of Nava: Book Two // by Navanastra //------------------------------// Chapter 13: Gryphon Port. Edited by: The Great Khan “Well, here we are. Northbound Watch, a little frontier town on the north-most fringes of the Gryphon kingdom. We’re just going to stock up on a few extra supplies here before making the final push for Nassgardiath. Plus… I also have some very specific cargo to pick up here as well. So expect at least a day or two of rest before we take off again. This should be great news for you Glade, since you hate airship travel so much. The perfect chance to leave the ship for a while to spread your wings, or whatever it is you like to do. Frankly, it doesn't matter.” I heard the captain state as he slowly steered the ship towards a mountain with a settlement built on the walls of the mountain. Just imagine Canterlot, only a lot smaller and with far less glamour and marble, and a lot more wood. Wood that was apparently carried up here by the Gryphons themselves during its founding if I read it right. But whatever, who cares. Especially now that I have the chance to stretch my wings! I got up out of my seat before stretching. “Well… the sooner the better. I could really use some well needed wing exercise through these mountains here. Just be sure not to take off without me when all of your errands are done. I would be most displeased if you did.” I commented before moving myself in front of the large viewport in front of me to watch the town of Northbound Watch slowly approaching us from the thick layer of clouds. I heard the captain laugh behind me. “HA! Can't exactly promise that, my dear Glade. Especially with all the administrations I have to do later when I move all of the new cargo into my ship. So don’t rely on my short term memory when I'm trying to do my job. You would be better off remind yourself than me. I am old, after all.” He responded as I was quietly watching the town slowly come closer from the view port. A settlement that kinda reminded me of my old childhood home where I spent the best years of my life with my father. It really has been a long time since I last visited the village that I grew up in. So many memories there; when life was a lot simpler than it is now. It’s a miracle that the village still stands after all these centuries while also looking unchanged. Or at least, it did when I last visited it. But it should still be the same now. Either way, I don't know why I’m suddenly feeling so nostalgic about my past. But it doesn’t matter. A good dose of nostalgia is always nice, especially for someone of my age. Immortality can be such a lonely existence sometimes. At least it’s something me and Celestia can genuinely agree on. “Miss Glade?” I heard the captain call out behind me, pulling me out of my thoughts. I blinked before looking over my shoulder. “Yeah?” I casually replied. The captain just frowned. “Can you please move out of the way? I’m trying to line this ship up with the sky docks over there. You standing right in front of me is quite irritating. I would appreciate it if you could move out of the way so I can concentrate a bit better. You do want to get off this ship as soon as possible, don’t you?” The captain requested, sounding more like a demand then a simple request judging by his tone. It was my turn to frown. “Really? You’re telling me that you can’t see well with me standing in front of this absolutely massive viewport right here? Or are you maybe to busy staring at my ass to even concentrate on the task at hoof here? Which, by the way, also doesn't help your case.” I responded before fully turning myself around to look at him more properly. He just got irritated at that point. “Would you just get the hell out of my way? I am the captain of this ship, not you! Just… go up onto the decks or something. Heck, you can even just fly over to the town yourself if you want. I really don’t care either way.” He almost shouted. I humphed. “Kill joy.” I muttered before stepping out of the way. I guess it is up to the decks for me then. I mean, he is right; I can just fly ahead of this huge hunk of wood and metal and make myself comfortable down in the Gryphon town while the ship is still docking. I think I might do that. ............................................................................................................................................. “Huh… this place actually reminds me of Canterlot in a weird way, with the whole ‘built against a mountain’ aesthetic it has.” Cloudchaser commented out loud as she, Flits and I were standing on the upper deck of the ship, watching as the entire vessel slowly inched itself between the cliff’s hanging wooden docks down below. The entire process itself looked to be quite the hassle, especially without the proper aid of electronics and sensor-based systems used on ships back in my world. But hey, I’m not a skilled maritimer, so what do I know? And I doubt that both seafaring and skyfaring are exactly the same as well. I mean, with the sky you have basically full access to a 3-dimensional movement pool here, while with a boat, it's just a 2-dimensional plane. But whatever, who cares? I certainly don’t. At least, not now. I was personally more interested in the idea of perhaps exploring the town a little bit more for the sake of exploration. I mean, you can only explore the interior of a ship so much before you just get bored of constantly getting lost. I’m going to be honest and say that exploring ships by myself is certainly not one of my strong suits, especially with the lack of any helpful signs or arrows pointing me in the right direction. Everything inside this ship just looks the same in my opinion. “I wonder if there’s anything interesting to buy here? You know, for souvenir purposes and stuff.” Flitter commented while rubbing her hoof as the Gryphon workers down below got started on securing the ship to the docks with rope. Some things never change it seems, no matter what type of ship you’re talking about. Of course, you won’t see a space ship getting secured with thickly-woven hemp ropes. Just imagine an Imperial Star Destroyer getting docked like that. The amount of rope you’d need to keep that megaton-sized vessel in place would just be ridiculous. Or, you could just make use of a REALLY big piece of rope to do the job. Why I am thinking about Star Destroyers and rope now is beyond me. But at least it helped me get through waiting for the Gryphon workers as they finally finished, meaning that it was ok to leave the ship when I was done. Heck, Flitter even tapped me on my shoulder to get my attention. “Hey, wanna go ahead and explore the town with us? Three is a larger number than two after all, and we have no idea what the Gryphons of the Gryphon Kingdom are like. Better to be safe than sorry in my opinion.” Flitter suggested, which of course was a reasonable assumption to make from her point of view, and I guess my own as well now that I think about it. Different cultures lead to different customs after all. I mean, just look at the Thestrals for example. Well, not counting Glade, of course. Cloudchaser though scoffed. “Ha, I doubt that these Gryphons could be worse than Glade herself. I mean, if we can handle a flank head like her, then we should easily be capable of taking care of a bunch of Gryphons. It shouldn’t be too hard.” Cloud commented with a grin, sounding and looking quite confident with her statement. “Yeah, but don’t let Glade hear that. Otherwise you might be losing a piece of your tail, or worse.” Flitter added. “Actually, I already heard that.” Glade’s voice suddenly called out, which of course almost caused us all to jump over the ship's railings in fright. We all turned our heads to the source, and saw that Glade herself was standing right behind us with a very typical Glade look. Leveled eyes and a slight frown. We were all surprised. “Oh, hey there Glade! We didn’t realize that you were here right behind us. What a surprise indeed!” I greeted with a sheepish grin, which was also mimicked by Flitter next to me. Not so much for Cloud though. But then again, she had always acted rather brave and defiant towards Glade. So no surprises there. Glade just hummed. “Well yes… but enough of that. I’m not here for the three of you. I’m just here because I wanted to jump off the ship first and have a little snoop around before exploring the mountains here a bit. Give myself some much needed exercise after these few days of just sitting around and doing nothing. Feel free to join me if you want, you three could certainly use the training yourself. Especially you, Nava. I can tell from here that your wing joint muscles look quite weak. You should really get over your acrophobia and be one with the air. You have wings after all, so use them.” Glade responded. Her comment about my wing joints actually made me look at my wings to see if her accusations were true or not. But to be honest, I don’t really know, as I have no clue as to what well-trained pair of wings are supposed to look like. Maybe a bit thicker, but I don't know. Either way. While I did that, both Flits and Cloud shook their heads at Glade’s offer. Which was to be expected, but in truth, I wasn’t planning on accepting Glade’s offer either. For some very clear and obvious reasons, which I pointed out numerous times before. So why do it again? Anyway, Glade shook her head in disappointment. “Well suit yourself then. I mean you three could certainly learn a thing or two on how to conserve as much energy as possible when flying. Something that could easily allow you to fly under your own wing power for long distances if you don’t have access to transportation, like an airship.” Glade stated before moving past us. She then jumped off the guard rails before spreading her bat wings and taking off down towards the town before disappearing completely. Once she was gone, Cloud actually decided to do the same and simply jumped off the guard rails. Though unlike her, she hovered right in front of us. “Well, come on then. As long as we are here we might as well explore this place ourselves. I mean, when do you get the chance to explore a mountain side town in a completely different country?” Cloud announced. Flitter shook her head though. “Well not like this. Are you forgetting that Nava still can’t fly?” Flitter asked while gazing up at her other half. Cloud sighed. “I know. That’s why I was about to suggest that we maybe carry Nava down onto the docks below. Trying to get him used to the idea of flight while slowly chipping away at his acrophobia at the same time. I mean, we have to start somewhere, right? He can’t just stay grounded forever when he has a pair of perfectly good wings on his back. Nava really needs to learn how to use those wings of his, for his sake.” Cloud pointed out as she continued to effortlessly hover in place, making it look super easy and almost second-nature to her. If only it was true for me as well. But again, I’m a chicken when it comes to flight, or anything remotely dangerous if you screw up. I sheepishly smiled. “Actually, I’m pretty much fine with the idea of just… walking out of this ship just like any other normal person. Like going down a ramp or something without me looking like a child in front of all of those Gryphons down below.” I suggested. Which made Cloud tilt her head. “But this is what normal Pegasi do. They take off from whatever transportation vehicle they exit from. Heck, even when exiting trains at train stations.” Cloud responded, which in turn caused Flitter to raise an eyebrow at her sister. “Not really, you’re the only pony who does that as far as I’ve observed.” She commented which made Cloud frown. “Well maybe, but you said from what you’ve observed. Which obviously means that you aren’t sure and that your claim isn’t a fact. Meaning that I’m still right.” She stated with a great deal of confidence. “Anyway, besides that, Cloud is kinda right, Nava. You really have to take your desires to fly a lot more seriously at some point and not just sit around all day while hoping it fixes itself. It will be for your own good after all.” Flits quickly added before turning her gaze to me, along with her sister. I looked in between the two for a couple of moments before finally sighing. They were right; I have to take this problem a lot more serious at some point if I ever want to truly accept my new life. I can’t always keep my insecurity and fears at the forefront while simply hoping for a miracle for something to just… click. I have to start somewhere, and I better do it as soon as possible before my enthusiasm about this disappears again. I nodded. “You know what, you two are right. But...” I looked at Cloud specifically. “...I’m not going to make myself look like a child in front of everyone just to get a start. I’m still going to get off this ship the old fashion way if you don’t mind. I’d like to keep a little piece of my dignity intact if you will…” I announced. Flitter nodded. “Fair enough. Though I also wasn’t planning to go along with Cloudchaser’s ideas here for the same exact reason as well. I can join you if you want, Nava.” Flits suggested with a smile. I nodded again. “Sure, if you want Flitts. I actually still have the tendency to get lost down there anyway, despite my best efforts.” I responded with a smile of my own, though a bit more embarrassing in nature than genuine. Flits nodded while Cloudchaser sighed. “Well then, I guess I’ll see you two later then in town. Just don't take too long to get down there. You know how much I hate to wait.” Cloud stated. Flits rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah. Being as impatient as ever. Just… don't get yourself in trouble with the locals while we catch up. Gryphons have sharp claws and beaks, and they can certainly do a lot more damage than hooves. So don't do anything rash or bold.” Flitter warned, which made Cloud roll her eyes this time. “Yeah, yeah whatever. I mean, I’m kinda shocked at just how low your expectations are of me, sis. It almost breaks my heart… and my soul.” She teased. “Just get the hay out of here Cloud, and you better not end up plastered on a wall or something when I find you.” Flits responded. “No promises, sis!” Cloud quickly stated before dashing off. Leaving me and Flits alone on the deck of the ship. I pressed my lips together before giving off a hum. “Well, it's good to know that your friendly sibling rivalry is still strong and healthy. I mean, competition is good for business after all.” I commented, which made Flits chuckle. “Well… if that is the case then Cloud would be selling short sightedness while I'd be selling glasses. We’re basically supporting each other’s business instead of competing.” Flitter responded with a laugh. I smiled. “Well… maybe. I honestly don't know.” I commented before looking over my shoulders where the stairs are. “Should we go then?” I asked before turning my gaze back to Flits. She nods. “Yeah, let’s go before Cloud gets into trouble somehow.” She responded before leading the way. I followed of course. Trotting my way back into the belly of the beast and hoping that Flits has better luck finding the exit in the lower decks than I did. Well, if all else fails, asking directions from one of the crewponies is certainly an option. I mean, this ship could really use some labels or signs to mark the directions of where stuff is. This kinda seems like a massive design flaw to me in regards for efficiency inside a ship. Or it again could just be me and my terrible sense of orientation within these samey looking hallways of wood, metal and pipes. But still, it could be improved. ............................................................................................................................................. “Are you sure about this?” Flitter asked beside me as the two of us strolled through the harbor Plaza in front of the… well, Plaza. While also getting a lot of curious stares from almost every single Gryphon around, mostly aimed at me of course. But at this point I already got used to the overwhelming attention I always get wherever I go. Something you just gotta learn to deal with when you are as rare as I am. Alicorns don’t grow on trees after all. Though I wouldn’t be surprised if they suddenly did in this world. Magic on its own is just notorious for just giving the big middle finger at every limitation that is out there. Especially in a world such as this, where magic (at least according to the shows) really doesn’t seem to have a hard cap limit on the things one can do if they have a large enough mana pool to draw from, or a large enough horn or scepter to channel off. But I’m just getting off topic now. Especially when magic for me currently isn’t exactly an issue anymore since my mana reserves are more or less void of any essence. What is a problem though, and what I can attempt to fix now is of course, my inability to fly. Both thanks to my fear of heights and my lack of actual experience as a whole. The best thing I can do with my wings right now is just hover with them for a couple of minutes before reaching the walls of my limited fatigue. Which is also why I have decided to accept Glade’s offer from earlier. Why her? Well it's simple. I just have a feeling that she can more or less force me to fly even though my own sense of confidence and limitations might get in the way of things just like how they always do. Plus, I do kinda want to maybe get more out of her as well in order to understand her better. Like making plans to get on her good side. I doubt that anything bad can ever come of that. Being buddy buddies with both a feared warrior and a high-ranking figure head of a warrior cult nation is certainly going to have its perks. Especially when it comes to keeping me and the two sisters safe within Glade’s homeland. I mean, having some good connections is always nice. Even more so here, in a world filled with magic and mythological creatures. Either way, I nodded after finally regaining my mental capacity again to get back on topic. “Well yeah, I mean… she is military personnel after all. If there's anyone who can drill the fear out of me and beat a sense of self confidence into me then it will be her. I mean… call me crazy, but I have this feeling that she is genuinely warming up to me somehow. Most likely to that long ass talk with her I had a few days ago on top of the ship. I may be pushing my luck here a bit, but then again, when have I not since I got here. The only reason why I’m still walking and talking to you now is mostly through luck alone, and of course the actions of others too, and some weird unexplained phenomenons as well. So why stop now, especially when it’s clear that I really need her to start pushing me in the right direction? And again, I think that Glade can easily do that with her harsh approach to everything. I mean, if she does break me, then it would be more onto my own softness rather then her own harshness.” I explained. It ended up a bit to long but I had a lot to say to simply make myself clear towards Flitter. As expected though, Flitter looked fairly unconvinced with my explanation as we continued on with our trot. Flitter eventually responded. “Well… if you think that you’d rather have her teach you how to fly than us, and believe that it will yield much better results as well, then I won't stop you. Though remember, getting trained by military personnel is certainly going to be a lot harder on your part than getting taught by anypony else. Especially when we are talking about somepony like Glade. She is most definitely going to drill you until your wings break. Or your bones, or… maybe your entire being as a whole… Wait, are you REALLY sure you want to go through with this? Again, this is Glade we’re talking about here.” She asked while giving me both a curious and also a concerning look. I nodded. “Yeah… I mean I am ready to give it a try if anything else. Just need to track her down then and take her up on her previous offer. I just hope that she would maybe...” I was about to say before a close bay ruckus stopped me from finishing my sentence. Both me and Flitter naturally stopped and turned our heads to its source, which seemed to be coming from a local pub to our right if my ears aren’t playing tricks on me… which I think they sometimes do before leading me into trouble. And by the sound of it, it does seem to be trouble. I mean, this is a pub after all, where a collection of the right peoples with the right liquor can create a powder barrel that would be ready to explode at any moment. Which was actually happening right now. A lot of shouting and smashing coming from the interior of the building, which also attracted the attention of every single Gryphon nearby, which was natural. Especially when a chair suddenly came smashing through one of the pub’s windows and landed a couple of meters away from it. Whoever threw that must be one heck of a man for him to throw a chair so strong that it flew right through the window with no effort before finally hitting the ground a couple of meters in front of it while also breaking the chair in two when hitting the dirt road. Certainly someone I don’t want to mess with, for obvious reasons. Especially when the chair was suddenly followed up by a really big Gryphon. Flying out of the pub through the same broken window the chair had previously sailed through and almost hitting the ground at the same spot where the chair once used to be. Well the whole chair I mean, before it got shattered into two. But now with the big guy smashing right on top one of the two broken off pieces, that number has certainly gotten large. But who cares, especially now when a good number of Gryphons were quickly leaving the pub through the main entrance. Some visibly fleeing while other casually walked out as if nothing happened. One of them was actually none other then Glade with about a middle-aged Gryphon with an apron following her. I have a pretty good feeling about what might be going on here. “Here.” Glade stated before giving the assumed pub owner a large bag of Gold. “For the damages I caused with a little bit of extra.” She stated before letting go of the bag. The Gryphon nodded. “Eh, no problem laddie. I’m a sucker for some good old drunken brawls, even though it can cause such a big mess. But hey, good sources of entertainment aren’t cheap, after all. You just gotta live with the expenses if you don’t wanna get bored, or lose one quarter of your liver.” The old Gryphon stated before putting the bag into his apron. Glade just hummed before quickly taking note of both me and Flitters’ presence in front of her. “Well there, look at that. Both Nava and Flitter; here, exploring the town alone. Though I do seem to take note on the fact that a certain Cloud isn’t with you two. Not that it would interest me though.” She commented casually while the Gryphon next to her was trying to count the coins inside his apron. Which goes as well as one would expect. Either way the two of us were understandingly still stump on what just happened here. Especially now when it turned out that it was Glade who has caused all of this damage in the first place. Including that big buff Gryphon behind us who as still moaning his woes away. I blinked a couple of times before looking back at her. “Wait… Glade, what the heck is going on here? What happened?” I asked before looking over my shoulder to gaze at the beaten up Gryphon behind me. Glade waved a hoof dismissively. “Ah, nothing too serious. Just had to help this pub owner here get rid of a rather short-tempered costumer. You know, beating a little bit of sense into his alcohol-induced skull and show him who the real apex predator is in this town. Well… until we leave again that is.” She explained before casually making her way towards us. It was then Flitter turned to say something. “Well… I’m glad to know that it wasn’t Cloud this time who has caused a scene. Though speaking of which. Have you maybe come across her by any chance. I wonder where she flew off too?” Flitter asked which I also was wondering myself at this point. Glade shrugged. “How should I know? I am not a babysitter after all. Well, at least not hers to be fair.” She responded while giving me a smirk. I frown but decided to say nothing on the matter as I was in no mood to start arguing with this mare while also planning to ask her something important. And I did just that. “Hey, uhm, Glade?” I asked to get her attention. Even though I already had it before even making my call. But it's the thought that counts, and more importantly, her acknowledgment. She gave me a curious look. “Yeah, what do you want?” She asked, though a bit bluntly. I sighed. “Well… I was actually wondering, can you maybe teach me how to get rid of my acrophobia and also teach me how to fly? That’s really all I wanted to ask you.” I announced. This caused Glade to raise her right eyebrow before rubbing her chin in thought. A couple of really tense moments past (well, for me) before she finally gave her answer. “Oh well, why not.” She casually replied with a shrug. I perked up at that. “Oh, really? Sweet, I wonder how this is going to...” I was about to say with a sudden burst of excitement before Glade quickly stopped me by raising her hoof. She then gave me a serious look. “Ok, let's get one thing straight right from the get-go, if you ARE going to go through with this and not chicken out at the last minute, because you might actually do that if I tell you what you need to expect if I do train you to finally make use of those large bird-like wings of yours.” She began before raising her hoof again as if she was rising a finger or something. “For one, no slacking, no buts and whys. If you are going to be taught by me, then I expect professional results and behaviors from you. I will treat you the same way as a new military recruit within the Thestral army, and you will also act like a recruit in return, following EVERY instruction I gave you and always bringing your A-game. I will personally drag you through the dirt if you EVER think about slacking off on my watch. And lastly...” She raised her other hoof this time while lowering the other “...You will also be getting up very early as well each and every day until you have finally fulfilled your training with me and are no longer the scared little shit that you currently are. I will turn you into a big boy stallion or make you my bitch. Is that clear, or are you now having second thought after I stated my requirements for you? You better decide now, because it's either do or die now. I wont accept your request a second time if you decide to chicken out. Because I have no respect for those tap out long before they even get started. So again, what is is going to be, huh?” She asked while raising her head at me in an authoritarian manner. To say that I felt a tad bit unsure at this moment would have been an understatement. I could feel my usual lack of self-esteem creeping up on me. I was indeed having second thought now at all of her listed demands which Glade gave to me. I was honestly about to go about laying her off before I remembered something, it was kinda stupid but it was also kinda true. I will admit for the first time that I have played a lot of video games back on earth, especially when I was still a kid and trying to go through my day-to-day affairs of elementary and my first year of high school. It is actually kinda funny but also self-awakening when I start remember of all the video game characters I got to play as. Characters who where a lot stronger, braver, and more determined in reaching their end goal of whatever journey they were traveling through. Growing ever more stronger and skilled as their journey’s went on, and the reality of all of this was, that I was the one guiding them through those journeys and challenges myself. Controlling the very actions they took throughout the game and defeating countless enemies and even bosses which stood in their way. In a sense I was actually a part of those character myself. Feeling inspired by their stories and what they had to go through in order to finally reach whatever goal they were aiming for. Same with a lot of the movies I watched as well. I was just so inspired by these type of characters and stories during my childhood which help me a lot to feel self-confident towards me self when my life was getting somewhat hard and lonely during my youth since I wasn’t that much of a social kid to begin with as well. I don't want to go into personal detail as to how my life was but it was certainly nothing tragic or too sad as one might think. I was just an introvert through and through, maybe a bit to much. But either way the point is that All of these individuals I saw, played as and was inspired to be in my rainbow-coated youth have only ever accomplished something within their journey by fucking doing something. To get out of their comfort zones and actually doing it for the sake of doing it… and of course the save the world which is one of the best motivators to actually go out their and do something, but that’s besides the point. The point is that if I want to finally start growing myself then I need to man up and stop being such a door knob. And it’s not just with games and movies, a lot of real life examples exist too. So again, if I want to finally stop feeling so… useless and lost all the time of my own very existence and purpose here, then I really need to get my shit together and stop moping around. I mean… I’m not sure how much longer I can both rely on my luck and the strengthen of others to keep me up. Their will be a point where I will certainly be on my own and forced to help or fend for myself, and learning how to fly would certainly be a huge step in helping me build up some well-needed confidence for the challenges ahead and also finally getting rid of the old primal fear I have for heights. I mean, if I can conquer both my fear of heights and even thrive from it, then facing any new challenges ahead of me is surely going to be a cake walk, or rather, a much easier endeavor on my part if I have to be brutally honest and realistic towards myself. I am no superhero, or rather, not currently. So let's not pin some rather over-the-top expectations on myself when I am still grounded. Either way, enough of these conclusions. It is time to finally do something for myself and accept Glade’s conditions. I know it's going to be very hard, but what is the point of trying to change one’s self for the better without going through a bit of a challenge. God knows that I probably need it to kick some serious dose of self-esteem into me in order to not continue my existence as a living doorknob. No, I really have to do this if I truly want to move on. Life is hard, that much is true… for the majority of us, that is. And with that, I ceased my mental musing and debates and returned my attention back to the mare in front of me who was still patiently waiting for a response. I gave her a determined look before giving her my response. “I’ll do it” I simply replied, much to the surprise of Flitter and satisfaction of Glade. She smirked. “Well then, it seems that the little kid has finally reached adolescence. Impressive; very impressive.” She commented before giving me a challenging grin. “The training will start this evening during dawn. I'll await your presence right here. Right in front of that pub behind us. So DON’T be late, or I will personally track you down to skin you alive and then sell it to a nearby leather tanner, so prepare yourself.” She commanded before spreading her wings and suddenly taking off to leave me and Flitter standing alone in front of the now almost empty pub. The pub owner in fact suddenly came out with a broom and began sweeping away all of the broken glass in front of his now glassless window. I sighed after a while and allowing myself to properly come to terms with the decision I have just made. Their was certainly no turning back now. Unless I wanted to risk myself getting tanned by a short tempered ego-driven mare with sharp teeth and the physical strength to throw a full grown Gryphon through a window. My old gym classes in high school would be nothing compared to the physical, and perhaps even mental exertions she is going to push me through. But hey, this was my choice and I am fully prepared to face it. At least for now, that is. “Oh hey guys, didn’t noticed that the two of you were already out here. I was honestly expecting for the two to still be wandering the corridors of that big ship behind us, with just how confusing it can get to navigate its interior. I swear, if there's one thing we ponies have that these bat winged nightcrawlers don’t have, it's directional signs. I mean seriously, why not have them inside building or airships where the interior layout is just so damn confusing. Especially for newcomers… and… wait… did I miss something?” Cloudchaser suddenly emerged from out of nowhere behind us while holding something which looked like a drink of some sort within one of her front hooves with a straw sticking out of it. She looked at us with confusion before switching her gaze to the still remaining carnage which was around us which only furthered her confusion. She then looked back at us. “Damn, why do I always miss the good stuff? This is what I get for having to buy myself a milkshake and wait for it to get done. I’m still surprised that these Gryphon’s even know how to make milkshake in the first place. Strange, but still a very pleasant surprise, especially with how good they are.” She commented before taking a sip of her milkshake and smacking her lips in the end with a satisfying hum. “Hmm… strawberry.” She stated before taking yet another long sip of her shake while seemingly forgetting everything else around her. Like the obvious expression of confusion she showed just a moment ago when having the very obvious carnage around us. Which, by the way, was in the process of being cleaned up along with the poor lad laying behind us. Who was currently aided by a pair of Gryphon females with pigeon shaped heads and gray fur. I guess I forgot to point out that the Gryphons here were just as diverse as the ponies in terms of looks, shape and even color. Not as nature-insultingly colorful as the ponies, but it’s enough to at least take note of. But whatever, I personally have more pressing matters to focus on then start distracting myself with the differentiating designs of these Gryphons here. Same with Flitter who finally decided to say something after having been silence for quite a while. Flitter sighed. “Anyway Cloud, in case you want to know. Nava over here has decided and accepted Glades offer to personally teach him how to fly and also kick some self-esteem into him. I’m personally not a fan of his decision but it WAS his decision first and foremost. But either way, Nava is about to be trained by Glade later this afternoon. Just to add to that.” Flitter explained, which in turn caused Cloud to almost choke on her milkshake as some of it shot out through her nostril as she began to cough. A reaction which was foreseeable, but I personally expected her to just spit it out it out dramatically like in a cartoon. I always seem to forget that this world still kinda looked like a cartoon with all of its bright colors and soft lines… for most of the time. In others the world can look quite eldritch in both tone and color. Like with the Everfree Forest in some dark and tugged away corner. But whatever, the Everfree Forest is many miles away from where I am and I doubt that I’m going to be seeing it again anytime soon. Furthermore it was more interesting to watch as Cloud was trying to clear her windpipe of all of that milkshake which has accidentally found its way inside of it while Flitter was helping out by patting her back. Once the deed was done though and Clouds throat was dry enough to speak, she did just that. Turning her head between me and Flitter next to her before asking the all so awaited question of the day. “Wait, what?” She shouted out. I nodded. “Well… yeah. Again, this might sound terrible but… I also feel like I just gotta do it, you know? I mean, if I can deal with Glade’s harsh lessons, then I’m sure that any further challenges from this point on is going to be a lot easier on my part than it would be in my current state. I just need someone to kick some sense into me so I can finally grow a pair and be far less of a doorknob. I just have to do this. To challenge myself, and allow Glade to… well be the worst gym teacher in history” I explained. This caused Cloud to rub her head while processing this new information. She shook her head. “Well… yeah, ok, fair enough. But… this is GLADE we are talking about. The mare who was willing to have you DEAD in the beginning. You can’t exactly trust somepony like her. Even though she is kinda obligated now to keep an eye on you.” She responded with both a serious look and tone. I sighed. “I know but… well… I… I know what I am doing, ok? If I can face down Glade as I am, then facing down anyone else shouldn’t be to difficult for me in the future. I just… have to do this. More for myself than anyone else.” I responded, almost shouting it out as I was starting to get a bit frustrated by all of this. Cloud felt that as she stepped back a bit. “Whoa geeze, no need to shout Nava. I was just giving you my opinion, that’s all.” She defended herself. I sighed. “Yeah sorry, I didn’t mean to shout like that. It's just...” I was about to say before my words simply clogged up inside my throat as I was just feeling too tired to really say or do anything at this point. Which might actually be a good thing, as I kinda need to preserve my strength for this evening. Something which Flitter quickly hooked onto as she always does. Though this time I was also perfectly telegraphing my level of fatigue as well, in just how tired I looked in both body and expression. She gave me a warm smile. “Come on, let’s just continue with the exploration of this town and maybe even get us something to drink or snack on to ease your mind. In fact...” She quickly turned her gaze to Cloud next to her. “Where exactly did you get that milkshake from?” She asked. Cloud took another quick sip before replaying. “From over there, actually.” She responded while pointing her hoof down a particular street which seems to hold a lot of shops judging by all the shop signs hanging above the dirt road. Flitter pressed her lips together before looking back at Cloud. “Well, can you maybe just lead us to where you bought that Milkshake instead. And furthermore...” Flitter began before raising an eyebrow. “...where did you even get the money from when I know that I didn’t give you any money before we left. Hay, I even know that you left your bit purse back at the ship now that I recall it. So how the hay did you manage to pay for a Gryphon-made strawberry milkshake in a place where strawberries cannot grow… or easily be imported to begin with. That shake must have been pretty expensive if it's truly made out of strawberry as you claim.” Flitter asked while giving her a very suspicious look. Cloud smiled. “Well I bought them on credit obviously. The bartender was actually kind enough for me to order the milkshake via credit. Which is why I have this slip of paper with me which shows just how much I owe the guy when I eventually do return with the bits necessary to pay for the drink… in fact...” Cloud stopped before giving Flitter an even bigger smile. One which just reeked of something bad if I had to be honest. “...could you maybe help me to pay off this bill sis? It is just a little bit more than I actually have on my person. It's not much sis… just a small amount of bits from you would be fine sis. That is all I am asking for.” Cloud added trying to look and sound as innocent as possible which obviously didn’t work at how over the top her act was. Which Flitter of course also noted. “Give me that.” She demanded before snatching the piece of paper away from underneath Clouds wing before having a quick close look at its content. Flitters eyes immediately widened in pure shock at the reality she was faced with. I was actually curious myself as to how much Cloud owed the shopkeeper where she got her milkshake from. What I saw was quite shocking for myself too. I am still not sure what the overall value rate is for bits...I mean back in my world those gold coins would be worth in the thousands, but generally I have again no idea what exactly is considered to be cheap in the eyes of these native and what isn’t. But looking at the number which is written down onto this piece of paper, I can tell that the shake is far from cheap. “A hundred and ten bits for a milkshake?! Cloud are you bucking insane?!” Flitter shouted, both in disbelief and anger. Cloud looked confused. “Wait… a hundred and ten bits? That isn’t right!” She commented. “You bucking think?!” Flitter screamed in anger. Cloud though seemed completely unfazed by this as her eyes quickly perked up as if she just realized or remembered something. She quickly unfolded her left wing which held another piece of paper between its feathers. She swiftly pulled it out before studying its content. She nodded to herself before presenting it to Flitter. “Here, this is the real bill I was talking about. The one you’re holding was back from when I bought us those new winter coats before we left. I think I stored them away in one of my bags. I completely forgot about them and it’s one of the main reason why I am so short on bits right now.” Cloud explained. Flitter of course immediately relaxed at that before quickly glaring back at her sister. “Wait… you bought a pair of expensive coats before we departed, and you didn’t told me?” She asked. Cloud nodded. “Well yes, sorry, but I bought those with my own bits as I just stated. So don't go all prissy about it. And also...” She waved the second bill in front of her. “...here is the actual bill for the shake.” She stated. Flitter humphed before simply taking the bill and looking at it. I did too, again out of curiosity mostly than anything else. What I saw looked a lot more reasonable than a hundred and ten gold coins, but it still kinda seemed a bit overpriced for a simple milkshake. Flitter sighed. “Thirty bits for a shake is still to much. But whatever, no point in complaining now as you already bought it.” She commented before stashing the bill away. “Well at least now we know that we are NOT going there to get ourselves some milkshakes. But enough of that, lets just go and explore the town a bit more and see what else they have for sale that isn’t horribly inflated.” She announced before looking at both me and Cloud. “So should we just go then?” She asked. I nodded. “Yeah lets just go and have a little bit of fun before my inevitable start in getting thrashed by a short tempered Thestral.” I responded with a hint of dread. “I still can't believe though that you actually asked her to train you. Like seriously, I still think that it’s a bad idea.” Cloud commented as Flitter began to lead the way, with the two of us following her of course. This evening is certainly going to be hectic. Or rather, my whole foreseeable future even. Just wonderful.