As they continued down the stone roads of Slo Dusk and Escutcheon rode on Turkeyleg's back. The griffon twins filled Escutcheon in on all the changes that he was leaving in his wake. Each one trying to one up the last ones bit of information. Ranging from new trade with the desert unicorns, the griffons of Griffon Rock heading out passed Storm Peak, and even the desert unicorn rebuilding the city as an oasis in the desert all traces of its slave history now nothing but a memory.
"I'm impressed." Myrrh looked between the griffon siblings and then to Escutcheon. "I mean, you should really sell yourself up, you didn't even tell me about half of this stuff."
"Well I mean to be fair, he's only now finding out."
"Yeah he's been to busy going forward kicking ass and taking names."
"I'm just trying to get home, that's my main goal, and after we fix this misunderstanding up with the king then I'll be heading across the sea."
"You mean across the sea? To the west?"
"Yes, he means to the west." Red continued looking back over his shoulder at the colt. "And to be honest I hope your the first one to make it across. Because no one going that way ever makes it back. Alive."
"I have no intention about coming back," Escutcheon answered. "No offence."
"None taken. I look forward to seeing what's on the other side," Atlas answered. "know a couple of spell that should get my notes back to the University's main research office in good time." Escutcheon looked up at the old stallion.
"Wait you're coming with us?" Dusk asked.
"Why wouldn't I."
"Yeah, road trip." The twins cheered.
"You can't be serious. Escutcheon what's your thought on this?"
"I mean more the merrier." Escutcheon looked around. "But would really prefer that none of you come with me." He looked back to the ground. "I think it would be best if I go alone."
"Buck that idea, I'm going with you too." Dusk glared at him. As if to answer the same question Turkeylegs turn her head and nuzzled him softly.
"Ditto colt. Mom'd be here right now too if she thought she could do it." Gildan nodded at his sister's answer.
"And this would be the greatest research opportunity of my life. My Magnum Opus." Atlas smiled over at the white colt. "If you think that I'm just going to let you and that pass me by then you must think I've gone senile." They crested a rocky hill over looking more of the Mountain range of Slo, and in the distance standing high and proud were the walls Black Mountain.
"Impressive." Gildan said. "How could you have made something like this?"
"Hard work, and hard wills." Myrrh answered. "Remember Pick Ax is the mayor of this city. Don't drop your guard don't stray away from the group. And lock your and barricade your doors when you go to sleep." She looked at the black stone walls of the city with almost a sense of fear. "I really wish you could have turned down this invitation."
"Is he really that bad."
"She's being charitable." Escutcheon and Dusk cast Atlas a worried glance. "We should all sleep in the same room."
"He can't be that bad can he?"
"There have been five hundred independent attacks to incite war for the last two decades and all of them fall on Pick Ax. I have no doubt that if he thought killing you or Dusk would incite war he'd do it in a heart beat." They continued slowly to the wall, and the city within. "If something goes wrong it would be a good idea to have a back up plan."
"Or a rescue team." Gildan smirked. "If things go bad you'll have some bad ass griffons on the outside."
"Or at least one badass griffon and her brother."
"You wanna go?"
"Any time any where." Gilda smirked the two lunged at each other wrestling on the ground.
"A chance to not deal with you two as well as Pick Ax sure," Red Wine nodded. "Stay here, we'll fetch you in the morning if everything is fine, if not. Try and figure something out." Red Wine nodded before looking back to the city. "Great Kings preserve us if you two are our escape plan."