//------------------------------// // Chapter 4 - Nocturnal Rendezvous // Story: The Equestrian Odyssey - A Tale of Two Worlds // by Kamahido //------------------------------// That evening Arc stares out the window at the setting sun. There is a knock at the door. He continues to look at the scenery before him. “COME!” Natalya enters and looks around as she closes the door behind her. “Lord Arc? Where are your Honor Guards?” “They went to return the books to the Royal Library.” She frowns. “But as it stands, you’re unguarded! Doesn’t that bother you?!” “Not really.” Natalya walks over to him and looks out the window as well. “I must say, that’s very brave of you, sir!” Arc shrugs. “You can either live in fear, or enjoy life’s freedom. I choose the latter.” “Then why did you bring them?” “They’re my friends.” Natalya thinks for a moment. “That explains a lot! I mean… I did think they were more than just simple guards!” He nods. “What made you think that?” “Well… you permit them so much freedom of speech! Significantly more than any soldier here has!” “I like hearing my subordinates’ point of view. Such things help me make wise decisions.” “Forgive me, but you have a very… unique way of doing things.” “I’ll take that as a compliment.” “You also don’t act like any warrior, commander or ruler I’ve ever met.” Arc chuckles. “One of a kind. That’s me!” “Lord Arc? I… I have to know! Why? “ “Why what?” “Why are you so… nice to me?! I’m just an expendable, faceless soldier after all!” He turns to face her. “You’re rank may be nonexistent, but not your worth.” Natalya looks at him, confused. “Sir? But I’m just a Footpad!” “You’re also a living, breathing, feeling creature!” “I don’t see your point. In griffon society, my life is of little worth in the grand scheme of things!” “Not to me!” Natalya sighs. “Is that how Equestrian society works? “ “Yes and no. Yes, that is how I and the princesses operate. No, inasmuch as the land is filled with many whom don’t agree with that. Those whom would use, abuse and throw away when you’re no longer useful.” Natalya looks down sadly. “That’s… kinda how things work around here sometimes.” “I know.” “You do?” Arc nods. “Yes. While the books you brought me didn’t come out and say it, I was able to read between the lines.” “I… I wish that would change!” “So do I.” Natalya looks up at him, hopeful. “Any ideas how that could happen?” “Yes.” “Really, sir?!” Arc nods. “Follow me.” He leads her to a full-length mirror and points at their reflections. “What do you see?” Natalya sighs. “A failed lieutenant.” Arc shakes his head. “That’s not what I see.” “Oh?” “I see the potential for change.” She looks confused. “Where?!” “In you.” Natalya looks at herself in the mirror. “ME?! But… but I’m just a Footpad!” “Correction. NOW you’re a Footpad! What if you were more than that?” “How?” “You said it yourself. Anyone can become a general if they’re strong enough.” “Well, yes… but… you see… I’ve never been very good at combat! I think the trainer I faced may have been going easy on me! They probably were just tired of seeing me fail!” Arc frowns. “You say you’re not very good at fighting. Then why join the military? Why work so hard to achieve the rank of lieutenant?” Natalya sighs. “Truthfully, I just want to make my family proud of me! You see, I’m the oldest of three! But I’m the black sheep of the family.” “How so?” “I’ve always felt… out of place! Like I didn’t really belong! While I know this may sound silly, to me it’s my way of… maybe doing my part to bring some degree of honor to my family name!” “Have you spoke to your family about this?” “My siblings and I have never really been close. My father is always busy with his job. And my mother…” Her voice trails off. “Sounds to me like you just wanted to be noticed.” Natalya sighs. “Maybe. I always hoped my family would make time for me if I could only become something they could be proud of!” “All parents care for their children, Natalya. Even if they’re not very good at showing it sometimes.” She smiles, albeit a bit sadly. “Easy for you to say. I’m sure your family is VERY proud of you! I mean… how many parents can say their son is the Hero of Light?” “Well…” Ember, Flash Sentry and Sereb enter the room together. “We’re back, Arc!” Arc turns to them. “Did you put all the books back in their proper places?” Flash Sentry nods. “Yes sir, we did. Ember chuckles. “Sounding a bit like Twilight there, Arc!” “I suppose so. But as guests, we should leave things in better condition than when we arrived.” “Yes sir!” Natalya looks up at him. “Are you ready for supper, Lord Arc?” “Yes please.” She heads quickly for the door. “I’ll fetch it for you and your guards right away! And… thank you for the talk.” “Anytime!” Natalya leaves the room and closes the door behind her. She mutters to herself as she walks down the corridor. “I just don’t get it! What motivates Lord Arc?! Why is he REALLY here?! A scouting mission looking for weaknesses in our defenses? Maybe he’s trying to win favor with his leaders and ours!” She sighs. “Or maybe… he’s just here on a diplomatic mission like I was told. Am I thinking too much about this?! Why else would he care so much about a grunt?!“ She muddles over what she’s learned thus far. “I wish I was as smart as you, father! You’d have this figured out by now! At the rate I’m going, I’ll be old and gray before I figure Lord Arc out!” Meanwhile, back in Arc’s room, Sereb turns to Arc. “What did Natalia mean by that?” “She and I had a little chat about griffon society and her place in it.” Ember nods, understanding. “Self-confidence issues?” “Pretty much.” Flash Sentry sighs. “We all just need a chance to talk sometimes.” “That we do. I did enjoy hearing about griffon society from someone near the bottom!” Sereb frowns. “Indeed. The higher ranked citizens would most likely be a bit biased.” Flash Sentry turns to look out the window. “True. But who’s to say the lower ranked citizens aren’t biased themselves?” Arc nods. “Different pieces of the same puzzle.” Ember sighs. “It may take some time, but we’ll figure this out! Right?” Sereb nods. “That we will.” A short time later Natalya returns with the food cart. She sets their plates on the table as the others sit down. Arc picks up his silverware happily! “This does smell wonderful!” Ember grins! “That it does!” Flash Sentry nods. “Thanks for all you’ve done, Natalya!” Natalya smiles guiltily. “Just doing my duty.” As they begin to eat Natalya picks up a scroll and walking toward Arc. “Sir? I was asked to give this to you.” Arc nods and accepts the scroll. “Thank you.” He unrolls it and reads the scroll over. “Interesting.” Flash Sentry looks up. “Good news, sir?” “I’m… not exactly sure. This is an invitation to a get together of some kind at a Lord Gestal’s manor tomorrow night.” Ember frowns. “Who?” Natalya’s eyes grow wide! “He’s the head of the Council of Lords! To receive an invitation to his private residence, much less to a party, is unheard of!” Arc nods. “Really? I wonder why I got one then.” Ember grins! “Maybe your reputation precedes you!” Flash Sentry chuckles. “I agree with Ember! It’s only natural for the griffon leadership to want to meet somepony as accomplished as you, sir!” Natalya shrugs. “Shall I send word to Lord Gestal that you’ll be in attendance then?” Arc nods. “I suppose I had better go. After all, we are guests in this land!” “I’ll see to it on my way back to the kitchen, sir!” “What’s the dress code for something like this? Full formal attire?” “Yes! And you’ll want your Honor Guards at your side all night as well!” Flash Sentry frowns. “Why? Is it dangerous there?” Natalya shakes her head. “No, no! It’s a status symbol for all high-ranking officials to be guarded at all times! I assure you, Lord Gestal’s estate is quite secure!” Arc rolls the scroll back up as he turns to Ember and Flash Sentry. “This should prove interesting. I hope you two are up for our first social outing in Griffonstone!” “I’m ready for anything!” “We won’t let you down, sir!” “Do you require a tailor, Lord Arc?” He shakes his head. “No, I brought some formal attire with me. Thank you for the thought though. Anything I need to know about griffon etiquette for the occasion? How should I act?” Natalya sighs. “Arrogant. Flamboyant. Showy.” Flash Sentry raises an eyebrow. “Huh? But won’t that reflect negatively on Equestria?” “That is the behavior that will be expected of you, Lord Arc. You can count on several other lords attending, and that’s how they’ll be acting!“ He nods. “Anything else?” “Don’t talk to your Honor Guards without a good reason! Griffon aristocracy sees them as… expendable.” Arc frowns. “Not sure I can do that.” Well, at the very least they shouldn’t talk to you while you’re at the party either! I know this probably isn’t what any of you are used to, but it’s how things work in the Griffon Kingdom. Ember nods. “We can handle it. I mean, it’s only one night!” “That we can, sir!” Natalya picks up the empty dinner plates and puts them back on the cart. “Just present that invitation to the guard at the door of his estate and they should let you in no problem.” Arc looks confused. “Aren’t you coming?” “A Footpad like me would only make you look bad! That and it’s uncouth to have more than two Honor Guards present! I’ll escort you there and wait with the other servants.” Flash Sentry looks to her, confused. “Servants?” She nods. “The other guests will be very affluent! They’ll probably arrive in fancy coaches with several attendants! While they and their guards go inside, the rest wait outside for their employers to return. All I can do is make sure you find your way there and back to the Grand Aviary.” “Thanks! I’m looking forward to this! Good night, Natalya.” “Will you be retiring for the evening now?” Arc nods. “Yes. I’m… rather tired.” Natalya leaves the room with the cart. “Very well. Sleep well then.” Ember sighs and looks to Arc as the door closes. “This just sounds like another boring party, Arc. Why are you so excited about it?” “Didn’t you hear Natalya?! She said other Griffon Lords will be in attendance! Maybe we’ll get to meet Lord Goldstone!” Flash Sentry grins wickedly. “And if we do?” “Then I’ll finally be able to make some headway on this mission!” Ember looks nervous. “You’re not planning on doing anything… extreme, are you?” “No. That would only serve to damage Equestria’s relationship with the Griffon Kingdom. And make HIM look like the victim in the process!” Flash Sentry nods and sighs. “While I want to personally hoof him right in the face, I’ll do my best to restrain myself, sir!” “See that you do.” Ember picks up the book on griffon society from the nightstand. “Want to go over this one more time before bed, Arc?” Arc shakes his head as he pulls the magic cloak out of his ring. “I would, but there isn’t time for that right now.” Flash Sentry looks at him and speaks in a confused tone. “Sir? What are you doing?” “Going out for a bit.” “Alone?!” “Yes, Ember.” “Where to?!” “I want to take another look at the Griffonstone Library.” Flash Sentry frowns. “Begging you pardon sir, but why?” Ember nods! “Yeah! I mean, it was practically falling down!” Arc heads for the bathroom door. “Just a hunch. Now, I want you three to stay here and tell anyone who comes looking for me that I’m in the bathroom and don’t wish to be disturbed! I’ll go out the window.” Sereb sighs. “Are you certain you wouldn’t like one of us to follow you?” “No thanks. This way I can move completely undetected. That and I don’t want anyone else knowing I’m gone! Bad for relations!” Flash Sentry shakes his head. “I really wish you would reconsider, sir!” Arc closes the bathroom door behind him. “I’ll be back before you know it! Trust me!” Ember looks to Sereb as the door locks. “And now I’m worried!” Sereb nods. “What do you suppose Arc is up to?” “No idea. But he’ll tell us all about it when he gets back.” Flash Sentry walks over to her. “Are you sure?” Ember nods angrily! “Yes! Yes, he will!” Meanwhile, Arc quickly places a sigil on the floor as he opens the bathroom window and cloaks. The sun has finished setting and the stars have come out along with a full moon. He calls forth his armor and jumps down. “What a perfect evening for a walk! But I have work to do!” Arc quickly makes his way to the Griffonstone Library and silently enters the ruined building. The only sounds from within are the faint scratching’s of mice on the ruined wood floor. Cherry sighs inwardly. “What a mess!” “I’ll say. I’m glad Twilight isn’t here to see this!” “So what are we looking for, Arc?” Arc looks around, using his helmet’s True Sight enchantment in lieu of a Light Spell. “Natalya said this is supposed to be their most complete library. I don’t want to see its contents degrade any further from the elements.” “Very commendable! But how?!” He removes a wooden box from his ring> By bringing them to someone who might be able to restore them! Arc spends the next hour carefully levitating books from their shelves, shrinking them down and putting them neatly in the box. “That’s everything.” Cherry breathes a sigh of relief as she speaks to Arc’s mind. “We should be getting back to the Grand Aviary as soon as we can! Who knows when somepony will come looking for you!” Arc quietly turns around as he responds in his head. “That we should! I just want to make one last check to make sure we…” He freezes as the moonlight reveals a familiar figure standing motionless just inside the library door. It is wearing a navy-blue cloak along with a white mask. Cherry looks at the new arrival for a moment before turning her attention back to Arc’s mind! “What do we do?!” Arc sighs telepathically to Cherry. “Just wait! He can’t actually see us through my camouflage.” Neither Arc nor the figure move for several minutes. Cherry pokes at Arc’s mind. “I don’t think he’s going anywhere!” Arc nods to her telepathically. “Agreed. Let’s see if we can’t find a back door of some kind.” As Arc silently turns to walk down a row of empty bookshelves the figure calls out to him. “If you are looking for another way out, I think you’ll find that they’ve all fallen to ruin.” Cherry frowns inwardly as she speaks to Arc’s mind. “What?!” “How the heck…?” “I would have thought trespassing and common thievery were actions unbecoming a hero, Arc.” Arc quietly turns to look down another row of empty bookshelves. The figure slowly walks toward him. “Not much down that way other than rotten tables and chairs. Feel free to have a look though if you don’t believe me.” “Do you think we might be in trouble?” Arc responds to her mental inquiry. “I got this!” He walks all through the library. However the figure is never far behind them. “If you’re quite finished with your evening walk, perhaps you’d be willing to talk for a bit.” Arc looks out a nearby window before begrudgingly breaking the silence. “…what about?” “I’m here to deliver a warning. Oh! And there’s a rather steep drop-off out that window, so I wouldn’t recommend it. How about decloaking so we can have a proper conversation?” Arc sighs and decloaks. “I’m not sure if I should be impressed or frightened that you could see me.” “Whatever you are feeling… is exactly what you are supposed to feel. In any case, might I ask why you’re taking these books? They don’t belong to you after all.” “I’m going to see if they can’t be saved. The griffons don’t seem too keen on preserving their own knowledge.” The figure nods. “That is true. But you should be more careful! The last time I saw you, things weren’t exactly going well.” “The burning building?” “Correct.” Cherry speaks aloud. “Thank you, sir.” “What for, miss?” “For helping Arc get out of that building back then.” Arc frowns. “How did you reach us?! That corridor was an inferno!” “I have my ways.” “Um… okay. That didn’t really clear anything up though. In any case, what’s all this about a warning?” The figure nods. “Beware trouble at tomorrow night’s gathering.” Cherry Jubilee shudders and turns her attention back to Arc’s mind. “How does he know about the party tomorrow night?! Be careful, Arc! I don’t trust this stallion!” “As your friend says, you really don’t have any reason to trust me. But, if you take precautions, you’ll get through the party unscathed.” Arc frowns. “Precautions?” “Tell your Honor Guards to stay on their toes.” “Can you be a bit more specific?” The figure nods. “Yes.” Silence. “Well?” “Hmmm?” Arc frowns. “I thought you were going to give me some more details on my impending doom.” “I said I COULD be more specific. Not that I would be.” Cherry frowns and speaks to Arc’s mind. “What help is THAT?!” He nods. His blue cloak bobbing slightly. “Believe me when I say that it is enough, miss.” Arc sighs. “Okay, let’s change the subject. How the heck can you hear Cherry?!” “Yes! I should have been inaudible to everypony else!” “Anyone can hear, if they will only open their mind. And their ears! When you’ve been around the proverbial block as much as I have, you tend to pick up a trick or two.” “Such as… stranger?” “Like being able to see through your cloak, for starters.” The figure looks up at the moon before looking back at Arc. “While I have enjoyed our little chat, it looks like I should be going. So much to do and so little time!” He turns to leave. “Wait! Just who ARE you?!” He stops and sighs. “A man who has seen much in this life, has made his share of mistakes and now lives with a great many regrets.” Cherry sighs. “We all make choices! Nopony makes the right ones all the time!” “That we do, miss. But in the end, our choices… make… us!” The figure and Arc walk back to the main entrance. As the cloaked man steps a few paces outside the ruined doorway, Arc calls out after him. “Wait! What do I call you?” He stops and looks back at Arc over his shoulder. “Wiseman.” Turning to one side, the figure continues walking. Arc rushes out the door to follow him. However, Wiseman is nowhere in sight! “How did he DO that, Arc?!” “I don’t know. But that will have to be a mystery for another day.” He steps back into the library, looks around to make sure he hasn’t left any books or evidence of his visit before putting the box of miniature books in his ring and opening a portal. “Let’s get back. The others are probably worried about us by now.“ “I’M worried about YOU! Who was that?!” Arc shrugs as he steps through the portal. “I’m not sure. But somehow I get the feeling that isn’t the last we’ve seen of this self-proclaimed Wiseman!”