//------------------------------// // Chapter 36.5 – Golden Moonlight // Story: Griffon of Canterlot // by Electuroo //------------------------------// Griffon of Canterlot Chapter 36.5 – Golden Moonlight Past midnight throughout the city of Canterlot, the only sound mainly is the wind blowing through the streets, street lights shimmer with the full moon high above giving light to a calm quiet night, Greystorm and Octicovix walking down a street together carrying a bag each across their sides. Greystorm eyes shifting left to the right as they walked across the cobble stone road, his talon tips and hooves from Octicovix echoed through the street. “Octicovix you sure they have them?” Octicovix glance to her husband. “I am not completely sure Grey, he is a wary pony within the capital of the Equestria.” They stopped at a cross road of the street. “He will be with those hench ponies of his, I'll be watching and waiting.” Octicovix kiss him on the cheek before shifting into a black raven and fly up onto the roof. “Thank you Octicovix.” He adjusted his blazer looking down to Octicovix saddle bags. “Best get a move on.” He picked up her bags placing them on his back. Greystorm turn to his right walking down the street passing a few guards till he came to the dark dull path between the buildings, he walked down the back path till the griffon stood under a light high above swaying slightly from the wind. “Ah Mayor Greystorm I see you arrived exactly on time as we agreed.” A dirty brown Earth Pony with black and grey mane and tail wearing a cream vest, red and white polkadot scarf with a cutie mark of a gold skull on it step into the light. Either side and behind him were three other stallions one grey with ginger mane, the other with a Stetson and red scarf, the final one light grey wearing sunglasses with a black and purple collar, both stallions with black manes and tails. “Doctor Caballeron, I see your with the usually crowd of ponies.” Greystorm eyed each of them with caution. “You have the two golden discs?” Caballeron rubbed the back of his neck. “Erm... No...” Greystorm flare his wings. “Care to explain why we having this meeting then?” He showed the predator side of the griffon, eyes narrowed talon claws marking the cobble stones. Instantly the Earth Pony stood on his hind legs waving the front ones quickly. “Please! Let me explain Mayor Greystorm, I have a perfectly good reason!” Rash and fast his words blurted out. The griffon eased his stance as the other ponies quickly retreat a few steps from their boss as the predator now circled his prey. “Then speak Caballeron.” Caballeron turning around to follow the griffons movement around him. “We found where it is but we couldn't get near it, for two whole days we waited, these pony and griffon guards in this strange looking armour never slept, never rested. They kept the whole creator and the ruins well guarded.” Greystorm stopped circling Caballeron with a thoughtful look as his eyes drift away. “Golems?” “Golems? What is this Golems you speak of?” “I recently discovered there is guards that never need to sleep, eat or drink. They are magically created guards by Princess Celestia herself, they are not really alive.” Greystorm explained. “Griffon Golems is a new one on me.” Caballeron rubbed the underside of his snout. “How can I complete my contract with you if they do not leave their post?” “That is a interesting question Doctor.” Greystorm glanced up. “Octicovix.” The raven flies in and lands on top of his head. “Hello Caballeron.” She said calmly to him with her yellow solid eyes glowing and piecing into the very soul of the Earth Pony. He shuddered as the piecing looking continued to stare directly at him. “H-Hello...” He step back a little. Octicovix flare her wings a bit before shifting back into a resting position. “Now the ruins you did examine directed you to this creator correct?” “Yes, the griffish ruins did.” He answered. “We did have to pretend to try and take artefacts to redirect Daring Do, she some how caught wind of our plans to explore the ruins.” Octicovix narrow her eyes. “You or her didn't trash them did you?” “N-no... I made sure to make it look like she would win, so the damage was almost not noticeable as agreed upon.” “He good.” Octicovix look down at Greystorm. Greystorm rubbed the underside of his beak. “As it is Octicovix, it doesn't solve the problem that this unnamed creator and ruins is heavily guarded by Golems that are both pony and griffon.” She crossed her wings tapping the talon on his head. “True Grey, it strange to even know it took weeks of exploring many ruins to even find it.” She look over to Caballeron. “How many did it take?” The pony rubbed the underside of his snout looking up at the swaying light. “About seven ruins.” He looked back at them. “Each ruin had a small amount of detail that put together adds up to the location of the creator.” “It just like you said Mr Mayor!” The ginger mane pony spoke up. “The real treasure was the ruins themselves and their tales!” “That it is.” Greystorm smirked. “Now do you have any photos of these clues?” The doctor smirked back. “Of course I do.” “Good here is your payment on exploring the ruins.” Greystorm pull out two bags of Bits throwing them over to Caballeron. Catching them he and his henchponies looked through them seeing it was all there. “Now Doctor Caballeron part of our terms and the contract agreed upon, we will pay the rest once we all found the discs that reside within the unnamed ruins.” “Oh of course, I always fulfil my part of the contract.” “And you have so far.” Greystorm said calmly to him. “Meet us in the train to Trottingham tomorrow morning, we will talk over how to gain entrance to the ruins and the creator.” Doctor Caballeron smiled. “We will be there.” “Octicovix give them the tickets please.” The raven wings glow and the tickets appear before the four ponies. “They will allow you all access to the Private Carriage of the train, do not be late.” “We won't, I bid you all a good night.” Caballeron pick up the bags of bits, with his henchponies all disappeared into the darkness of the night leaving a envelope on the ground for Greystorm to take. Greystorm walk over to it, picking it up he opened the envelope to pull out many photos of each ruins to a map circling the eastern side of the Macintosh Mountains range. “It interesting that seven ruins that are only connected by these markings on the walls, they have nothing in common with each other are kingdoms that rose and fell at different points in history.” Octicovix stated looking at each of them from on top of Greystorm's head. He put them back away. “I am curious about that myself, we will figure out why part of the mountain range seem to be hiding a creator and ruins from the rest of the world.” Greystorm turn walking back onto the streets heading back to the castle. “You going to stay up there?” He looked up at the raven. Octicovix showed a smirk on the beak. “Yep.” Greystorm shook his head laughing softly followed by squawks of laughter from his wife. “We do have a lot of work to do Grey.” “That we do Octicovix and what secrets these golden discs hold.” Greystorm turn his head towards the full moon. “With everything that unfolded this weekend has truly gave me a goal for my fellow griffons.” “Keep that up and every single being will see you as a big ol' softy.” She giggled. Greystorm chuckled back. “Well maybe that what they need to see.” With a few flaps of his wings the griffon took off back to the castle causing the raven to fall off, she flaps to regain control. Octicovix hovering just where he took off blinked a few times. “You can't be serious! Greystorm! You need to keep your image up at Trottingham! Damn it Grey answer me! Don't ignore me!” She flew after him.