The sun peeked through the jagged teeth that were the mountain range that the ruined city of Griffonstone was perched on. Dead trees littered the mountainside, markers that the few living trees avoided. Stones and boulders obstructed the only footpath up to the city centre, which explained why the “glory” of their city was desolate and abandoned.
The few inhabited homes were dotted with holes that their residents had desperately tried to plug with mud and mortar, with varied results of success and failure. And those that weren’t inhabited were crushed like the tin cans that piled up on the street corners. Nogriff bothered to clean the streets of their once glorious home.
Nor did they dare to enter the streets after the events of the night before.
Gallus stretched his claws over the rotten, wooden railing that pretended to offer some level of protection on the balcony. He dug them into the scratched surface, trying to keep a neutral expression as iron-helmeted griffons swept through the streets, slug-throwers slung across their wings, laughing.
The soldiers below kicked at the mound of cans that the babushkas had collected in a desperate effort to reestablish an order only they remembered. Gallus knew the aftermath that would follow, the outrage the older griffons would express, how they’d nag the youth to care about the glory they never knew.
But the younger ones never cared. The past wasn’t theirs. All they had was what they were given now.
‘Hey, Gallka!’ an excited voice chirped behind him, ‘What are you doing?’
‘Nothing, Gabby,’ Gallus muttered, dragging his claw along the rotten wood, ‘What do you want?’
‘I just wanted to chat.’ She paused. ‘Is everything okay?’
‘Yeah. Everything’s great.’
The grey griffon walked up, resting her forelegs down on the wood as she sat down beside him. Gallus didn’t as much turn his head to acknowledge his visitor, instead, he kept his focus solely on the patrol down in the street.
‘That wasn’t serious--’
‘Yeah, it wasn’t,’ Gallus interrupted with a wave of his claw, briefly glancing toward her. ‘It’s a joke.’
‘That wasn’t a joke. Jokes are funny.’
‘I’m not talking about what I said, I’m talking about--’ All he could do was gesture violently over the entire scene-- ‘this!’
‘What happened?’ Gabby turned her head to look down at the mess.
How was she so oblivious to it all? She’s seen it before.
Gallus sighed, ‘What usually happens. Somegriffs wanted to speak up, and, well.’
‘They got the stick.' Gabby finished the thought.
‘I just don’t get it, it’s supposed to be better than what -- the Politburo? The Empire? Well, at least griffs get meat in the east! And back then they had gold! Now the dedushkas are proud about their collection of sticks and splinters and whether their mud survives the storm! How is it something to be proud of if your hut survives a rainstorm? That should be the expectation!'
'You know there’s a war, that there's been famine.' Gabby reminded her as she turned her eyes to the ruins of the castle, 'It's a hard time for everygriff, we just need to give it some time.'
'Time?' Gallus scoffed, 'Time is going to fix this? We're just going to wait it out and hope that everything is going to get better just because?'
'Well, it'll take some dialogue--'
'Right, since we haven't been trying to talk with the Interims for years now! Since we haven't asked for them to take their paws off our throats--'
'Gallka!' Gabby warned, a frown displaying her dismay, 'We shouldn't be saying that!'
'Why? Because the GG is listening and I'll have to visit Eagle's Nest to explain myself?' Gallus shook his head, 'You don't see how that's a problem? We just don't talk because that's inconvenient for them to hear?'
'We don't talk not because they can't hear, but because it's hard for them to listen when there is so much going on.'
'Really, Gab?' Gallus spat down onto the street below. 'Yeah, and when this all passes, we just expect them to give up all that authority. Because the President can be trusted to submit after being there for thirty years already!'
'Twenty-six.'
'Right, that makes it better. By the Boreas, we’ll probably be dead before she finally steps down!'
Gallus rested his cheek on his claws. His gaze moved down the street, following the Griffish soldiers. He hated seeing them. But at least they were visible, unlike the Arlenae Byuro Uunutranay Byaspeke -- the Eagle Internal Security Bureau -- or what they were better called the Gryphon Gestapo.
They were the reason he couldn't stand being around other griffons, why he couldn't trust those friends he had since he was an eaglet. So many were conscripted to fight in a conflict they objected to, few disappeared after they shared anti-State sentiments... and that left the others.
The others that regurgitated that same shameless propaganda. They smiled falsely, greeted him on the streets, told him how they were becoming something.
Yeah, they were becoming something alright.
'Maybe you could move to Equestria.' Gabby suggested, ‘There's a lot of good creatures over there, a nice peaceful life!'
'Gabs,' Gallus sighed, 'I don't want to go somewhere else to live a better life. I want to live that life here. Is that too much to ask?'
Gabby stayed silent. Gallus eventually turned away from the soldiers to look at the grey griffon, who was staring off in the distance.
He shouldn't have said any of that. Not because he couldn't trust her, but because it wasn't right. He shouldn't have vented his frustrations with her around. She always tried to be positive, tried offering alternatives, anything to help him overcome that sense of despair he always felt.
'Well,' Gabby finally looked back at him, 'I know you don't want to be a courier like me, so there's not much I can do in the way of helping, but there is one opportunity.'
'I don't need you to job-search for me--'
'It isn't a job-search.' Gabby raised a claw, 'But there's a school opening in Equestria.'
'I haven't been to school since the Didactic, Gabs.'
'Not that sort of school! I've got something in my satchel--' Gabby's claws set to digging through her courier satchel, flapping the little pony medallion as she rummaged through the papers-- 'Here!'
She fished out a pinkish parchment with an Equestrian seal binding it closed. Gallus had seen something like this before, years ago, but this one caught his attention. He blinked as Gabby offered the scroll to him, almost reaching out to snatch it.
Yet he hesitated.
'I-I can't read another griffon's mail--'
'It's an invitation, Gallka. The Princess of Friendship is opening an academy to teach the value of friendship. She wants to invite everycreature!'
'Friendship?' Gallus couldn't believe the suggestion, 'How does a pony teach that? Sounds like a scam, Gabs--'
'You never know until you give it a chance!' Gabby encouraged, ‘Besides, it’s a little while away from home. It’ll give you a chance to get away from everything that’s troubling you.’
Gallus took a moment to consider the scroll he held in his claws. He didn’t want to leave his home, he didn’t want to look like a coward that was running away from what his fellow griffon was being oppressed by-- but that very thought! Freedom! The chance to get away for a bit, perhaps meet somecreature that wouldn’t take off to the GG should he say something that wasn’t approved of by some overbearing state.
Maybe Gabrellia was right. Perhaps it would all blow over in a few years, and he could come back to a home he finally wanted to live in. Crazier things have happened in less time.
‘By the Boreas.’ Gallus groaned, attempting to feign disinterest, ‘Be around other creatures? Put up with their antics? It’ll be humiliating!’
‘But you haven’t said “no!”’ Gabby smiled, ‘It’ll be great! Sure it’ll be strange at first, but just think about it! You need it, Gallka.’
‘Gabs--’
‘I’ll talk to Grampa Gruff!’
‘Gabs--’
Gallus couldn’t finish that thought. Gabby broke off and flew away. He swore to himself. He shouldn’t have said anything. Keep quiet! Just like what the Interims wanted! If he kept to himself, he wouldn’t have to deal with the fallout that would've followed.
Sure, it sounded good. Everything sounds good on paper, but in practice it was always worse.
Griffons knew that all too well.
Gallus hoped it would be different this time.