“Sir, we’ve found him. He was holed up in the mountains west of here, almost to the border.”
“I’ll assume you’ve…detained him.”
“Of course, sir.”
“Then bring him to me at once.”
“Yes sir. I shall return within the hour.” The scout stepped through the door and departed.
The captain simply returned to his work. He meticulously studied the parchment in front of him. If this was to work, there was no room for error. On paper, the plans seemed foolproof. However, there was always a possibility of mistake.
It wasn’t much longer until the scout reentered the captain’s quarters.
“As you have ordered, sir.” On the floor next to the scout writhed the mangled body of a white unicorn, though the color was barely discernible through the blood and dirt covering the majority of his coat.
“Ah,” spoke the captain, “very good. You are dismissed.” At that, the scout left the room. “Now then, whatever shall I do with you?” the captain said to the unicorn.
The unicorn’s eyes rolled around for a moment, trying to focus on the captain. He tried to speak, but no words could escape his mouth. There simply was not the strength left in him.
“Can’t speak then? Very well. I shall do the talking.” The captain circled the collapsed pony as he spoke. “You see, Silver Tongue, I simply cannot let you go back to the safety of your home.” Panic and anger flashed in the unicorn’s eyes. “Oh? I see. You thought that I had intended on keeping my end of the deal. Let me tell you something…pony.” The captain spat the word out with loathing and anger, as if the thought of even saying it would defile him. “I’m a griffon. That’s reason enough for me to kill you.”
Tears welled up in Silver Tongue’s eyes. He wheezed, still unable to find the strength to form coherent words. In the back of his mind he knew that there was no way out of this.
“Even worse,” continued the captain, paying little attention to Silver Tongue’s futile attempts to talk his way to safety. “You betrayed your own kind. Because of you, we griffons will leave Canterlot in ruin.” He slammed his claws down and brought his face within inches of Silver Tongue’s. “You are the lowest form of being. Betraying your own friends and family at the opportunity of wealth. You are pathetic.”
Silver Tongue’s tears ran down his face, mixing with the blood and dirt as they fell. The captain continued to circle Silver Tongue. Whimpering, he could only manage a single word. “Please…”
The captain shot him a look of disgust. “Please what? Spare your life? Now why ever should I do such a thing? Let’s just look at it from my perspective for a moment. If Celestia’s Royal Guard were to catch wind of what you told us, then my plans would be ruined. And you are the only loose end that needs tying. But from a moral standpoint, you are a disgrace to life everywhere. You’re a thief and a liar who came to me with information compromising the safety of the very sovereign who works every day to protect you. She sent her very sister to the moon barely a decade ago for you.” The captain laughed. “This is how you repay her.” He grabbed Silver Tongue around the throat and lifted him up. “You truly are a pathetic being.” Silver Tongue was slammed against the wall with such force that the room shook. The captain only tightened his grip around Silver Tongue’s neck. “I almost feel like I should thank you for your assistance, but I simply cannot. It would be wasted breath. Goodbye, Silver Tongue.”
The griffon took his free claw and dug it into Silver Tongue’s body, painting the walls with his blood.