It was a dark and stormy night. A night that I probably shouldn’t have been flying in, but His Majesty's orders are absolute. Rain or shine, I had a duty to perform- even if said duty was an order for more silken bedsheets from the capital of Gryphonia. The Imperial King had torn his set while working a camp whore. The forest below me was of dense, tall, imposing Jack pines that dominated the scenery. Below the canopy, my eagle eyes could pick out the few animals that were still out in this weather. Deer were bedded down hiding from most of the rain, a wolf and mountain cat were fighting over rights to a cave, and a lone bear was standing beside a stream watching for any fish that might have swam by. My flight so far had been uneventful, mostly watching the scenery pass by. That was the case, until this bitch of a storm hit me. I didn’t even see it coming- it just whipped up out of nowhere like some freak accident of a Griffin Glyphmaker come to life in the form of a tempest.
I wasn’t terribly concerned anymore- I’m almost to the capital city at least another day or two's flight. Gryphonia’s capital city, Ironclaw , sat built into the side of a lone mountain; The Godrick Mountain was an extinct volcano, named after the first Griffin to settle there. However, the vile Ponies have called it Mt Canter since the first emissary came to us to offer an insulting alliance between our nations. The fool had the gall to tell us to give up part of our land for his “Majesties’” Ponies, just so that they could escape one harsh winter. In my reminiscing, I failed to see the bolt of lightning streaking towards me. The next thing I knew I saw a white light, and then darkness.
I woke up to unfamiliar surroundings; a cot that was much too small for my frame, and tent that I would have to crouch in to avoid hitting my head on the support beam. My wings were bound to my sides, and iron shackles were around my talons and paws which were chained to an iron block which had weight multiplying runes covering most of it. Looking around I noticed there was a second cot in the tent- hastily arranged, by the looks of it. Laying on top of the cot was a sleeping Earth pony mare. She seemed to be average size. She was chocolate coated, with a frizzy chocolate and cream colored mane. She wore armour of the Royal Guard, which covered her body fully- this detail suggested that she was a Sergeant. My shackles clanked together loudly enough to wake the sleeping mare, who was my captor, who awoke with a start.
“Hwah?” She looked over at me, her brown eyes glaring. “Oh, yer awake. Good- Ah was wonderin' when ya'd come to. When we found ya, ya were hurt pretty badly.” She got up and walked over to me, looking me over. “Mah team and Ah found ya in the No Pony’s land between Gryphonia and Equestria. It looked like ya got struck by lightnin and fell through the trees. Ya miraculously had no major injuries from what Ah’ve seen so far other than a few burnt feathers, but then Ah’m also not a medic, or even particularly knowledgeable on Griffin anatomy either.”
“Where am I Pony? Why didn’t you just leave me to die, or kill me on the spot?” I demanded, flexing my claws and glaring at her.
“To answer yer first question- the same forest that we found ya in. And mah name's Ganache, not “Pony”! As for the second, Ah and mah Second-in-Command both wanted to cut ya down on the spot. It was Mercury Shine that saved ya-she’s got a soft spot for most livin things that aren’t tryin to kill her, that included ya I guess.” She spat the last words like they were acidic.
“Speakin of Mercury, she will be with ya in a few minutes to give ya a final checkup. “ Ganache said while backing away from me. She then turned to head out to the forest beyond the tent, leaving me to stew in my thoughts. In these bloodthirsty, war-centric times I couldn't believe that Mercury Shine had argued to save me. What purpose I do I have for these ponies? Maybe I was just a play toy that they planned to use as a punching bag. I held no major rankings, nor did I carry any valuable war plans. The only reason I could think that they would want me (other than for a punching bag), was for a ransom. My musing was cut short by the tent flaps opening.
Mercury Shine was a Unicorn mare; her coat was a pale tan close to the colors of the Gryphonian beaches. Her mane was two toned grey and white tied back into a ponytail. A purple Lily flower tucked in behind her left ear. She had bright emerald green eyes and a pair of glasses perched on her muzzle. Her Mark Symbol was a flask of bubbling purple liquid. She wore a brown gambeson with half a dozen pockets lining the front and sides. I knew that gambeson all too well- many of the Earth Pony field medics used it to hold potions, or ingredients to concoct, potions on the move. Just as I was about to ask her how a Unicorn was a field medic, a practice left almost exclusively to Earth Ponies, she spoke up.
“Well look who finally woke up! You’ve been asleep for almost 3 days, Mr. Griffin. I thought you’d never wake up! Now let’s get a good look at your wings once.” She untied my wings, and stretched them out, she tisked. “Well do you want first- the good news or the bad news?” She asked.
Taken aback at her friendliness and casual speech, I clumsily answered, “Umm... the bad news first then, I guess.”
“The bad news is that you won’t be able to fly for a few months. Well at least if you’re like the few Pegasi I’ve worked with you won’t, due to the potions I had to administer to you. But the good news is that you’re a prisoner here, with me as your doctor and warden. Well, I suppose all three of us are your wardens- Nash, Treppy and I!” she said cheerfully. “Isn’t that great!” Mercury giggled enthusiastically as she rebound my wings.
“Wait... a few months? I’m going to be earth bound for a few MONTHS!” I yelled. This was bad- I was hoping I could escape my captors within the next day or two and make it to Ironclaw. I’d be without my Imperial King's orders for more bedsheets, but I could lie and say that I lost it in the storm. It isn’t as if messengers had never lost their orders before, though I would definitely be getting a whipping, if I could even manage to get out of here.
“Well you should have thought of that before you ran beak first into a lightning bolt, now shouldn’t have you.” Mercury scolded “All that the treatment did was screw with your flying magic. I use it on Pegasi all the time, though it doesn’t earthbound them for months- only days. It’s not like you’re going to lose feathers or anything. Now I’m going to go get Intrepid so you two can formally meet and get acquainted. I’ll be right back Mr. Griffin, you stay put now.” She trotted out of the tent with a bounce in her step that suggested she was quite happy with my predicament- whether that was meeting this third pony, or my flightlessness, I couldn’t tell.
Five or so minutes having passed after my self-proclaimed doctor and warden had left me, the tent flaps opened once again to reveal a Unicorn stallion. He was of average height, but much more muscled than most of the Unicorns I had seen. He had a light grey coat and a brilliantly pink mane and tail, with equally stunning pink eyes that matched. His broad muzzle was washed with soft cream. The stallion wore no clothing at all which surprised me- usually Unicorns of his build were magi or knights of the Royal Guard. If he wore neither of these status symbols, I was forced to consider the only other viable option- that he was a noncombatant, a civilian. Yet his Mark suggested that he was a defense role of some kind being a shield, adorned with a white and pink checkered pattern and a crest of some kind.
“I hear that you’ve finally awoken. That’s good. My name is Intrepid- I just want to ask you a few questions, and then release you over to my goddesses.” He said, cracking his neck before sitting down in front of me.
“It seems I don’t have much choice in the matter concerning these questions- do I, Pony?” My voice dripping with disdain.
“No you really don’t. And I have a name, Griffin.” the unicorn snapped.
There was a tenseness in the air that one could cut with a knife- after a few long moments, I growled back, “As do I.” I could almost feel the hatred the unicorn felt for me. Slowly he took a deep breath and softly exhaled out his nose.
“Then tell me so I can use it. And I hope you will offer me the same courtesy.” His voice was softer, he was clearly making an effort to be civil. I wasn't so eager to be buddy-buddy with one who would see me clapped in chains - looking towards the ceiling to avoid his gaze I growled out.
“Fine- My name is Dante.”
“Good. And I’ll say mine again in case you have forgotten, I am Intrepid.” He said standing back up and making a sweeping bow. I’d seen those bows before-very practiced and measured, but to the trained eye they mock the Pony on the receiving end. Griffin spies were taught to use the same technique when dealing with annoying noblebirds, and ambassadors of other nations.
When he brought himself back up to a standing position I inquired, “What is a spy doing so far from the enemy battle lines, hmm? There are no reasons for spies to stray this far from any sort of enemy encampments or warzones.”
If my revealing Intrepid to be a spy had fazed him at all, he didn’t show it. Calmly, he turned his head towards me and stated with the shadow of a smug smile, “That’s where you are wrong, kiddo.” His condescending tone made me inwardly cringe, but I held my tongue and looked on in silence. “The Equestrian side has hundreds, if not thousands of spies and Royal Guards placed along the borders of its nation- patrolling it, and keeping a sharp eye out for trouble brewing beyond its borders.”
I was shocked at the news, although I didn’t give Intrepid the satisfaction of showing it. Gryphonia had also employed a small army of Guards and spies to patrol its borders. If Intrepid was telling the truth and not simply spinning a quick lie to save his own flank, that could only mean one thing- there were thousands of concealed Equestrian spies crawling the border alongside the Gryphonian allies, completely undiscovered. More concerningly, if this information was true and Intrepid had given it to me without hesitation, it meant that he believed without a shadow of a doubt, that it was impossible for me to escape. Feeling the cold fear rising in the pit of my stomach, I quickly employed my military training and squashed it down with the only hope that I had left. If he’s cocky enough to believe I can’t escape, that might work to my advantage.
“You looked shocked!” Intrepid exclaimed with feigned concern, his voice practically dripping with disdain “Does that surprise you? That a nation your people had invaded would work to keep additional invasions from happening?” Intrepid paused to smirk, pleased with himself, before continuing. “I’m getting off…” Annoyed by the stallion’s newly inflated ego, I interrupted.
“You invaded us first.” I insisted. “We had villages and sacred forests established when your armies came in and slaughtered our people. And don’t say it was your land- there was no claim to it, before we took it.”
Intrepid rolled his eyes, dismissing my interruption with a reserved boredom. “Your historians got it wrong, then. Our flag was planted in the ground long before any of your kind showed up. But we are getting so very off topic.” Intrepid said suavely. “My first question is about the letter you were carrying. Is it a code for something?”
“Nope. It means exactly what it says. It was an order for more bedsheets for the Imperial King. No secret code. No hidden meaning. Just silken bedsheets, and a whore that got too frisky.” I said plainly. My order was worthless for them so I decided that the truth might score some points with my captors.
Intrepid looked disappointed, if not a bit suspicious.“Okay- I only have one more question, then. How loyal are you to your King? If your life was on the line, and it was between death and giving up the positions of enemy encampments- what would you choose?” Intrepid asked.
“What the fuck kind of question is that?” I angrily exclaimed. “How the hell would you respond?” I demanded of the stallion, enraged that he would have the nerve to ask me such a grim question.
Intrepid sat calmly, apparently unphased by my outburst. He considered the question for a few moments, before admitting, “I’d spill my guts. I would blab till the sun stops shining. If it saves my skin, then who gives a damn if others have to die in my place. At least I’d get to live. “
That was the biggest pile of Minotaur shit I’d heard in at least two years. He was a trained operative, and he was trying to get me to lower my guard and fess up. He’s been in the field too long. I thought to myself slyly, Forgot how to deal with a hostage. He’s playing me for a fool, as though I could so easily forget that he’s the enemy.
“Well then I’d say just stick my head on a pike, and be done with it.” Sensing the spy’s desperation, I challenged his resolve, knowing that he wouldn’t (or couldn’t) kill me. “Either kill me, or let me go. You won’t be getting any information from me.“
The unicorn surprised me, when he burst into almost tearful laughter. “HAHAHA! Now that’s what I like to hear!” He composed himself before carrying on with a decidedly serious tone and expression. “We’ll be bringing you to our foremost Equestrian camp. From there you’ll be moved to the Capital of Equestria- The Crystal Empire. Once you arrive, you’ll be handed off to our Tortu- I mean, our Interrogators. Where we will get this information out of you, by any means necessary.” He stamped his hoof down for emphasis, glaring in my direction, nostrils flared.
“A scare tactic- how fucking amateurish. You’re either rustier than I originally thought when it comes to hostages, or you’re that bad of an operative. I can’t decide which.” I taunted, wearing a lopsided grin that dared him to prove his threats. “Come back when…”
I fell unconscious- the last thing I remembered was seeing an angry, embarrassed, and blushing Intrepid swinging a cast iron skillet at my head.