//------------------------------// // Chapter Five: A Sneak's Job // Story: DOOM of Griffonstone! // by ShadowStar_IMHP //------------------------------// Gallus POV There are three ways to survive in Griffonstone according to Gallus. Take other’s stuff, take other’s stuff, and take other’s stuff. Most people would not even realize the difference. The first is the way the wealthy or powerful do things. Governments call it taxes, wealthy call it insurance, powerful call it protection. The second way is for the strong, grab, and takes from weaker. The worst beat the weaker they are taking from. The last was the cleaver. This can take a few different ways. A con could come up with clever ways to trick the weak-minded, or there are thieves. Gallus was such a sneak. Fortunately, for him, Gilda was not. The trick to being a sneak is not to try to hide; this makes you stick out, even more, no a pro sneak blends in. So when Gilda looked back at the store Gallus opened a nearby trash can and reached in dumpster diving. Something any street urchin would do. Once Gilda looked away, he hurried to take flight and move along the rooftops. The streets weren’t busy, at the same time they weren’t empty. Even on the lower side of the trunk street stores were run down and a few were empty. It was a good thing Gilda wasn’t going up the street it would be harder for Gallus to blend in. After following her from the safety rooftops, he shakes his head. Gilda hasn’t even looked up once. Sure most life on Equis had large eyes to have a wide view. Even predators tend to have enough range of sight to look for threats. However, it seems Gilda was not used to sneaking life and wasn’t paying enough attention. Spotting Gilda stop at Guss’s deli shop she looked back but by the time she did he was high up on the building on the other side of the street. He jumps down. It was time for another change of tactic. The second rule of sneaking is always changing how you sneak. Habits form when you do the same tactics each time, these habits make one lazy and predictable. It was much better to shift methods every so often. So Gallus headed to a fellow urchin this one was begging for the coin on the street corner. “Faina, this is a mission from Gramps. I need some cover.” The street urchin was ragged and small. A runt her weak and pathetic appearance seemed to shift as she stopped the act. Though still small her shoulders roll and her eyes sharpen on his face. “Half.” “What? I need cover Faina just do it.” “I get half of what you get, or you can sit on a thistle.” “No way, not for a cover job. I still have to track and infiltrate. I give you five percent.” “Twenty-five my final offer. I’m not going to get bruised just for a measly copper sliver.” “Fine, twenty-five percent but you stay on task and follow along.” “Okay, so how you want to do this?” Gallus smiles “Scrap” When Gilda left the deli, she had a bag of food with her. Instead of heading to the workshop, she turned to see how her home was doing. Just then Gallus ran past her holding a small pouch. “GIVE ME MY STUFF BACK!” Faina playing her role ran after him. They got about a block up ahead before Faina seemed to caught up to him and tackled. The two fought and were ignored by the rest of the population including Gilda. After all, these were the lower roots no one cares. That was, after all, part of the plan. Most people would never think the two causing a ruckus were in truth didn’t want to be noticed. The fighting ended when Gilda turned the corner and stopped seeing her home. Gallus slaps his forehead as Gilda did the classic blunder and duck into an alleyway with her back against the wall. The reason was her house was indeed being watched. Gallus noted it was also being raided, the door was busted down and the sounds of a search being done were heard over the hustle and bustle of the streets. “She’s such an amateur,” Faina says from behind Gallus. “Yeah, but if she gets caught we don’t get paid.” “Crap I hate rescue missions.” ----------------------------------------- Gilda’s POV Gilda felt like she was being followed. The feathers on the back of her neck fluffed up as she felt eyes on her. She has been feeling them since leaving Grampa Gruff’s. Looking back she saw nothing out of the ordinary. Some old hen was screaming at a young male who was caught trying to get out of a window. Various poor folk coming from work or just moving about. A few street Urchins scurry among the people, some seeking easy pickpocket targets. Others like the blue fledgling opening a trash can looking for scraps. Everything she expected to see. Shaking her head, she continues along her way to the deli. Once at the door, she looked around, still nothing in sight. The deli was simple none of the fancy crap in wealthy locations. There were two rows of meat counters with various meats for display. There was a third counter with various plant material for sandwiches. She looks up from looking at the hams and sees two blue eyes way to close in a field of gray. “AGH…” She leaps back “WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!” Flashbacks to blue-eyed pink pony flashes in her mind. “Hi, I’m Gabby! Short for Gabriella, how can I help you. Please let me help you.” “Ugh, fine.” A near ear-piercing squeal came from Gabby. “Thank you, thank you. Now, what would you like?” Gilda tries to get the ringing to stop in her ears, shaking her head. Then it dawns on her… what would Doom want to eat? She could tell that his eyes were that of a predator, but could he eat bread or plants? She looked to the toppings, would he want the roasted crickets? “I have the pastrami on rye bread with lettuce and tomatoes. Light on the mayo and mustard on that as well.” Gilda then looked around might as well get a sub sandwich that was heavy with meats. “And a Special ham with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, mayo, and add some crickets.” She fought the disgust at how happy and cheerful Gabby seemed to be. Once her sandwiches were done, she hurried out of the building. Suddenly two fledglings raced past her. “GIVE ME MY STUFF BACK!” the female fledgling yelled as they got into a fight. Soon she was coming near her home turf. Perhaps she could return and grab a few more things. If they would be sleeping in the workshop, they would need pillows and blankets. he stops in her tracks, there her house was two guards outside and a who knows how many inside. What caught her attention was the figure in blue robes. “WELL! Where is she?” The robed Griffon yelled. A third guard came walking out of the building. “Sorry Lord Cristoff. There doesn’t seem to be any sign she returned home after her work this morning.” Gilda rushes to the alleyway and presses her back to the wall. Suddenly two fledglings drop from the rooftop. No not just two fledglings the same two who were fighting. She takes a breath getting ready to yell at the annoying balls of fluff. The male hisses “quiet they hear you. If you want to not get caught, follow us.” She let the air out keeping her voice low “why should I follow you, two dweebs.” “Because if you don’t you get caught. Now come on or say hello to the city prison, your choice.” Gilda watched as the two hurried down the alleyway. She glances back seeing two guards take flight. “Fuck.” She was never a street rat even if she lived in the poor part of the city. Not growing up as an Urchin, she never learned the tricks and hideaways of the sneak. Turning the corner they came to a dead end. “You brats, you tricked me!” “Shut up feather brain,” Faina yelled back before she pushes on a stone causing a fake wall to move aside.“Hurry moron, they could have heard that.” Gilda blinked seeing the hidden passage and got in just before Gallus closed the door. He didn’t wait either. As Gallus closed the door Faina opened a hidden passageway down. “Move it.” Crouching down into the underground tunnel Faina and Gallus closed the passageway with boards making the trap door unmoveable. Gallus motions his talion to his beak in the universal keep quiet motion. Then head down into the dark underground. The two fledglings seemed fine in the dark but Gilda was fighting her fear. Griffons weren’t made to be underground, but the sound of someone trying to open the secret passage door drove her forward. At first, her eyes couldn’t see anything she kept her path forward by having one hand on the wall and another on the low ceiling. Then there was a light, faint barely enough to see but it was there. Glowing fungus stuck to the tunnel faint blue-green bioluminescence. Gallus went back and shoved a wooden beam. The sound of earth falling collapsing the tunnel was the only sound she hears for a few seconds. “There we got time now.” Gallus turns “You moron, why you had to return to your house. If they catch you, I don’t get paid." “What you mean twerp” “Well duh, Grandpa Gruff wants to know where you got that Moon Silver. Don’t give me that lip it’s your mother’s. If she had that orb, you wouldn't pawn that Equestrian Games medal.” Gilda facepalmed as it dawned on her she did mess up. Of course Grampa Gruff would realize she didn’t have the orb hidden till now. “Moon Silver? Oh, I’m so getting half of your pay Gallus!” “We made a deal, Faina.” “Huff, that deal didn’t include dumb and grumpy here.” “You little brat!” “Oh, I’m sorry who was the feather brain that froze in her tracks then obviously jumped into an alleyway like a moron? Oh right, that’s you. The only reason they didn’t see you was that noble was hogging the guard’s attention.” “Look, you don’t want to get involved.” “Too late, now tell us where we are going.” “Old Decker’s place.” “Not bad, Old Decker had the best locks in town. How do you get in?” “That, really you don’t want to know. He, well you find out if you don’t chicken out.” Gallus narrows his eyes, “No one calls me chicken.” --------------------- Doom’s POV Doom’s sensors detected them before they even opened the door. Gilda’s biosignature was already recorded, but the other two were not. The only reason he didn’t move to attack as they were small. Was Gilda a mother? That would explain the children with her. But if that was the case why didn’t Hans or her say anything. “Um… Sir, we got a problem. Well two, maybe three?” “Why are you so submissive feather brain?” The young female asks in a very sarcastic tone. Interestingly enough it fit what he has seen in the cartoon representation of typical Griffon behavior. “Listen, you little twerp pay respect you don’t want to anger my boss.” Gilda’s tone was much different to the child than to himself. Doom watched the young male look around into the darkness. So the poor dark vision was true, he could use that. Stepping into the light “Gilda introduces me to the two young ones.” “I’m Faena, but I’m not afraid of you! Oh, that’s Gallus.” “Faina I can speak for myself!” Then to Doom “What the heck are you?” “I am Doom, your future ruler. Now tell me why you are here.” Faina steps forward “Money. We know Gilda got that Moon Silver from you, so pay up or I scream and get the guard to come here.” Gilda gasps and rushes forward. “Please… don’t kill them... They are just…” “Do you take me as a Monster Gilda? I don’t kill randomly.” Doom kneels to one knee. “You are brave, but how do I know you won’t sell me out if I do pay you. Faina?” Faina blinked her feathers fluffed up a clear sign she never even thought her life was in danger. “Um, I’m not stupid. Everyone knows snitches get stitches. Grandpa Gruff doesn’t like snitches, we starve without him.” Doom nods “This Grandpa Gruff reliable?” “Well yeah, he pays us and lets us sleep in his buildings. He sent me to follow Gilda, but she almost got caught by the guards if it wasn’t for us.” Gallus speaks up then. Doom moves his hand to his belt and removes two aluminum bean size orbs and holds them to the children. “Tell this Grandpa Gruff to meet me tomorrow. He will know when to meet me. Now leave and remember Gilda was right my anger is something you don’t want to mess with.” The two children take the Moon Silver and hurry out of the building. Doom looks up at Gilda’s face “A ruler is a poor leader if he leads by fear. Remember this Gilda; I killed those ponies not because they angered me, it because it was clear they value a plant more than the life of a fellow sapient being.” Standing up “Now let us eat; I’m hungry.” ------------- Gilda’s POV How many times was Doom going to shake up her reality? Thinking over what happened at the fields indeed he didn’t attack till Penny mentioned there was always another griffon. She went to one of the cleaner counters and laid down the sandwiches. “Um, I didn’t know what you could eat, so I got you a ham sandwich sub. Doom walks over and opens the paper wrapper seeing the foot long roll of bread with heaps of ham meat, lettuce, as well as tomatoes. “Are those crickets?” “Yes…” She gulps. “Is it alright? If not you can have my pastrami?” He took half of the sandwich “Once I was sent into the past, I had to survive on my skills and cunning. Survival taught me … I’m sure I ate worst.” Gilda watched him then used his left hand and removed his mask. The face underneath was pinkish similar to the color of a domesticated pig. No fur, beak, or even fangs. But… the face was scarred, her appetite vanished as she looked over the twisted flesh. It almost seemed as if his skin had both been burnt and melted. She could see where someone operated on his face to repair function to his mouth. Scars warped his mouth into a permanent sneer. The area above the mouth was a hole she could almost make out a triangle-like shape bone still shown through the flesh. Perhaps one time the face had a snout? No, it was more like what a dog or cat would have a nose. Just the nose was gone just leaving the void for nostrils would have been. Doom ate in silence and soon Gilda started eating. Part of her mind trying to reject the scarred face, the other intrigued. What could have caused such damage to his face? What kind of being could suffer so much and still be sane? ------------------ Doom’s POV 'OH MY GOD, YOU ARE EATING CRICKETS!’ ‘Just shut up I’m trying to eat.’ When was the last time he ate? What was the last thing he ate? These thoughts ran through his mind as he tried to ignore the gaging sounds of Hans in the back of his mind.