//------------------------------// // The Gryphon's Gambit // Story: Mystery of the Draconics // by Wanderwing //------------------------------// Mystery of the Draconics Chapter 14 Gryphon’s Gambit I was awakened early by the sound of Stoic pounding on my bedroom door. I rubbed my arm across my face and shook my head, trying to clear my head. “Come on kid, we need to get going, we want to be there before they are! Get your lazy flank up!” Stoic called through the door. “I’m up Stoic; I’ll be down in a few minutes.” I answered. I looked out the window and saw that dawn had yet to arrive. I grumbled to myself, “How does a stallion so old have so much energy? It’s incredible.” I quickly disassembled my barricade and returned all the furniture to their proper places. The room in order I put on my cloak and hurried out the door and down the stairs. I found Stoic at the bar downstairs talking to Warmhearth. I walked in but tried not to interfere with their conversation. “I am just telling you, you need to be careful Stoic, you’re strong but you aren’t as young as you used to be.” Warmhearth said. “I know that, and I promise I’ll be careful.” Stoic answered, trying his best to be reassuring. “We need to head out now, but I promise I’ll come back to you. Okay?” At that moment, when he said those words, I saw Stoic as he must have been once. He was not the old warhorse in aging armor he now is, he was the young warrior. He was the stallion who could command a battlefield by his presence alone with his armor shining in the sun. “I trust you,” Warmhearth said nuzzling Stoic’s side, “But still, keep safe, please.” Stoic turned to me and said, “Well let’s get going lad; we’ve got work to do.” We both pulled up our hoods and headed out the door. The sun had still not risen but the meeting was for noon, at least we would have all the time we needed to scope out the place. The sky was dark with clouds. It appeared there would be a storm that night. As we arrived at the address Stoic looked over to me and began going over the plan again. He would hide behind the stacked crates in the corner, allowing me to appear alone. The gryphon and his companions were unlikely to be aware that I had backup. We couldn’t jump to conclusions though; I had to hear why they were looking for me. They knew about my secret and I didn’t want to need to run away again, especially with a near complete library down in the Druid’s chambers to research. “If we are lucky there won’t be more than just a few ponies with the gryphon,” Stoic said, “We can probably handle it if there are only two with him, but any more than that and we should make escape our top priority.” “That’s when we jump out the windows, right?” I asked. Stoic nodded. “Okay, let’s head inside.” The inside was a little bit on the dark side, but that was to our advantage. It would keep them from noticing Stoic. We found a few crates and stacked them in a position that would leave no way for Stoic to be seen from any entrance or window. We agreed upon a signal to cue Stoic to emerge from behind the crates. I would drag my hoof across the floor three times. The sharpened tips of my hooves would ensure this would make enough noise for Stoic to hear it. Stoic walked back behind the crates and I took up my post in the center of the room, watching the front door. I wasn’t sure if wearing my disguise was the right choice, but without know the true intentions of these ponies and gryphon, I would rather be disguised than not. Even if they knew about my talent for fire breath, at least I could continue fooling them about my appearance. I kept my pendant on to disguise my eyes, they were the secret I was least comfortable with giving away. Time passed and the hour of our meeting drew closer, and just as I had expected a storm began. The slow tapping sound of drops on the roof grew quicker, and soon it was apparent that the rain had grown quite heavy. The steady rhythm made my eyelids feel heavy but I was determined to concentrate on the matter at hand, it wouldn’t be long now before the gryphon arrived. The door swung open and no less than five hooded figures entered the warehouse. They fanned out with the four smaller figures still seeming to guard the larger. Then with an almost creepy level of coordination they all dropped their hoods at once. There were among them two pegasi, a unicorn and an earth pony. The gryphon stood at the front, and much to my surprise he was wearing a pendant similar to my own in appearance, but his featured the darker alicorn more prominently. He opened his beak and began speaking. I thought it was odd he had no accent, he sounded as if he’d been living among ponies for most, if not all, of his life. “Ah, you must be Wanderwing,” He said, almost friendly, “You are not an easy pegasus to find, then again…you aren’t most pegasi are you? That’s right I know you secret.” I glared at him, but refused to acknowledge I knew what he meant. “Oh, and just what secret is that?” “Your draconic blood may be hidden to some, but it hasn’t escaped my notice, or the notice of my employer. I have been sent by somepony very powerful to find you. The Celestial Sisters have some questions they believe you can answer.” “What would the royal sisters want with me?” I asked, nearly to stunned to speak. “I’m not allowed to tell you that,” he said, “I was simply told to find you and convince you to come back with me to Canterlot. I have however been authorized to use force if it is necessary, but I deplore violence and would much rather you come willingly.” I sighed; it didn’t look like there would be an easy way out of this one. “You don’t leave me many options. I suppose I will have to.” I quickly dragged my hoof across the floor three times, and Stoic and I both ran for the windows. Now it was the gryphon’s turn to sigh. “Ugh, would you mind catching them please Trip?” The unicorn in his group began to channel magic through his horn. Before we even made it to the windows we were both caught in a complicated snare spell. I struggled in vain against the force holding my hooves to the ground. Stoic managed another slow shaking step forward but then was stuck as well. “I knew this wouldn’t go smoothly,” said the Earth pony, “Maybe we should torch the inn, I bet that would change their minds pretty quick.” “An interesting idea… I abhor violence but if we have no other choice then it may work. What do you think, Wanderwing? Stoic? Would you sacrifice those you care about, just to deny a peaceful offer?” The gryphon asked. “NO!” yelled Stoic and began struggling even harder against the magic holding him. “Okay,” I said, “you’ve made your point, I’ll come with you, it’s clear I can’t escape this time. But let my friend here go, he has nothing to do with this.” Stoic then spoke up again, “Wander if you think I’m just going to walk away when you need me more than ever you aren’t as smart as I thought, if you are going I’m going with you.” “Surprisingly loyal for a mercenary,” the gryphon said, “Okay then, let’s get going. We have a carriage waiting outside, you can let them go now Trip, they should be fine, but keep an eye on them just in case.” “You’ve got it boss.” The unicorn called Trip answered. He spoke quickly but not harshly, as if even his words were bait for a trap. “Come on, let’s get moving.” We were led outside to find an extremely stately carriage awaiting us. Stoic and I exchanged nervous glances and moved inside. The gryphon, unicorn, and earth pony joined us inside while the two pegasi joined the pull team. I was surprised we could all fit inside; some form of enchantment must have been used to expand its space. The carriage began to move, and before long it was flying. We sat in silence for a few minutes, but then the gryphon looked across to me and began to speak. “I am sure you have some questions, but I must ask you to allow me to explain before you ask. I am a loyal servant of the Celestial Sisters, I have been sent to collect you by the younger of the two. Apparently Princess Luna has a few questions about what you know about the Druid order, and the remainder of the Draconic ponies.” I nodded and said, “Pardon my ignorance, but I wonder why exactly the Princess of the Moon cares about my kind, let alone me. How did you even find out about me? And why are the Druids so important? They are supposed to be wiped out.” “I do not know, I am just the messenger, the Princess only tells me what I need to know. I guess even being among the most loyal I’m still under suspicion.” The gryphon, whose name I still did not know said with a sigh. Stoic, who had grown tired of sitting quietly said, “Just what should we call you anyway? Other than your unicorn friend there we haven’t been introduced.” “Ah yes, where are my manners?” He said, shaking his beaked head, “I am Goldbeak. I was born in Canterlot, and raised among the nobles there. I became a vassal of the Princesses, and I have served them for many years. These others are my escort, mercenaries not unlike yourself who I keep on retainer to protect me during my endeavors.” He pointed a claw to each of his partners in turn, “The unicorn you have already met is Trip, and he specializes in trap magic, containment, and things like that. The earth pony beside him is Hardhoof, I’m sure you can guess what he is good at. Its good you choose not to fight us, or you’d surely have been out like a light.” “The two pegasi outside are a pair of siblings, the Twin Winds, as they have been called. The brother happens to be an accomplished medic, and the sister can find just about anyone, given a few clues. No one knows their true names, just the group name they go by. They also have a strange habit of finishing each other’s sentences.” “Now we have a long flight ahead of us, I suggest you get some rest while you can, you are sure to be busy once we arrive.” He ceased talking and simply sat looking out the window of the door we came in. Hours passed, and Stoic eventually managed to fall asleep, I could never sleep in such close quarters with others, so I waited and thought. I was extremely worried about meeting the Princesses who had been built up for most of my life as powerful ponies who would harm me if they knew who I was, and yet all others seemed assured they were kind and gentle rulers. I looked down at the pendant I always wore, that symbolized loyalty to the sisters, and I wondered if I had been living in fear for no reason. I couldn’t be sure, I had to meet them…I had many questions to ask. After many hours of sitting in silence we arrived in Canterlot, the carriage touched down and the door swung open. Stoic awoke with a start and grumbled something unintelligible. Goldbeak spoke once again, “We must get you to the audience chambers, let’s get moving.” I gulped and we began walking into the imposing castle carved into the mountain. The place would be beautiful under any other circumstance, but as fearful as I was it seemed looming, and intimidating. I would have to keep moving forward…and hope for the best.