Monkey Business- Birds of a Feather Part 2
Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.
The ornate corridors and winding halls of crimson and iron in the acropolis that overlooked the griffon kingdom were quiet and empty. What was once originally a home for the first king of Griffonstone had been abandoned for centuries after the mistakes of the late King Guto. Even though the castle had not fallen, it stood as a reminder to the kingdom of what became of their home because of his arrogance. To venture inside on your own, whether in the pursuit of greed or discovery, was just asking for trouble and for you to be cursed by the kings that came before.
Or at least, that was what the population was led to believe. For in reality, this place was not seen as an ill omen, but a home. A sanctuary to those who had been oppressed and seen as inferior by the self-centered creatures that saw them as nothing more than animals and pets to be kept on a leash. Not just to those who were weak and helpless, but to those who wanted to fight and show their oppressors what happens when the beasts bite back.
Of course, in the present moment, one such person that saw this as their home was making their way to the door that led to the main hall. Two tapestries were placed on both sides of the doors to the chamber, but they did not have the kingdom’s regalia. Instead, the tapestry was black with the red marking of a feral tiger with its fangs ready to sink into its prey. Along with that, two guards stood outside. Griffons that did not follow the mistakes of their forebears, but were still rather rude.
“Halt,” The first one spoke as the two griffons crossed their spears and blocked the way forward. “State your business.”
Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.
“I have news for the Lady that needs to be shared immediately.” The figure stated directly, her gaze directed at both of them. “Step aside-”
“And who are you supposed to be, ordering us around like this?” The second griffon asked, “I don’t believe the two of us have seen you around here before.”
“Right. Fresh new blood on duty. Of course,” The figure rolled her eyes, before looking back at both of them as she motioned one of her hands to the clock on her waist. “Tock.”
Both griffons looked at each other, puzzled by her words before the second griffon spoke again. “Wait, Tock? Like the sound that a clock makes-?”
“Well, looks like one of ye’ is a quick learner. Should make this simple,” The crocodile faunus grinned, before clicking on the clock and unsheathing the cutlasses that were at her side. In the blink of an eye, she thrusted both of the blades forward as they impaled the door, inches from both of the guards necks as she smiled widely. Both griffons now got a clear view of the sharp metallic edge that was her teeth as she spoke, “I am the lady’s blades. If she wishes for something to be done, it is for me to carry out. If blood is to be spilled, then by my hands will be spilled. And if either of ye’ end up crossing my path, then ye’ will only have seconds to live. Are we clear?”
Both of the guards were quick to nod their heads, just as the faunus let out a small breath and retrieved her blades. “Good. Now, about meeting the lady?”
Immediately, the griffons opened the doors to the inner chamber and let her step inside. The same tapestries hung from the walls on both sides as she followed the scarlet carpet that was stretched out in the middle of the room. Torches lined the walls on either side to serve as light for the room as Tock saw the throne in the back. Carefully, she walked to the steps, before bending down onto one knee as she spoke one simple sentence.
“Lady Khan, I have returned.”
Sitting atop the throne was a dark skinned woman with dark stripes marking her shoulder to wrist and a red bead in the center of her forehead. Poking out of her asymmetrical raven hair were a pair of tiger ears that twitched upon hearing her name.
The faunus, garbed in an elegant red and black feudalistic outfit, opened her amber eyes, staring cooly down at Tock with an unreadable expression.
“Your report?” Her voice was the only sound Tock heard besides the flames, authoritative and on edge.
“There are two things to report that require your attention, my lady,” The crocodile faunus replied back, “While out on patrol, Yuma caught a glimpse of a pair of outsiders that aren’t from here. Not only that, but from what he overheard, their business here might conflict with the goals of the Red Fang.”
Lady Khan’s neutral face cracked, hints of a smile forming on her face. “Oh? And what was overheard?”
Looking up to the fellow faunus, Tock was quick to reply, “That they’re searching for the bird man. And the last purchase is with them.”
“Oh?” The smirk widened into a devious grin, “Well, I suppose he was going to come around eventually. Maybe we should roll out the red carpet for his return~?”
“Oh really? What exactly makes you think that this is a time for celebrations?”
Immediately, Tock rose from her knees and immediately unsheathed her blades as she glared at the newfound voice. The sight of two unfamiliar humans had the crocodile faunus on high alert as she snarled. “How did you two get in here!?! What have you done to the guards!?”
One of the intruders, a pink and brown haired girl with multicolored eyes playfully put her hands together against her cheek in a gesture for sleep. Which did not do well with helping convince Tock of their intentions.
“Easy there,” The green haired girl assured her, “We do not mean any harm. We just want to talk with whoever is in charge-”
“Like hell!” Tock spat the ground and grit her blades tightly.
“Silence. I will grace them with the chance to plead their case.” Sienna’s mask returned, hiding any traces of emotion. The command was enough for Tock to stop herself, before sheathing her blades as the tiger faunus looked back towards the two arrivals, “Now, what is it that you wished to speak about, illusionist?”
“So, w-we’re actually here,” Sun said as he looked around nervously. “Can’t really say that much has changed but…”
When both he and Raven arrived on the outskirts of the city of Griffonstone, they were welcomed by a mass of Grimm swarming the edges of the glorified nesting ground. The entirety of it was domed by an enormous bubble that shielded the inhabitants from the almost rabid swarm. Yet, it did not stop the Grimm from trying anyway. Some of them even went as far as to rush through the defenses that were stationed outside, only to have themselves impaled on spikes before they could even get close to the city’s walls.
Their guide, a female griffon named Greta, groaned. “Looks like it’s rush hour. We’ll have to be cautious. They usually move on after a few hours for more vulnerable prey.”
“To another town or province?” Raven asked.
“Likely to their own territories. They usually hunt couriers or stray griffons that didn’t get the memo that they’re lunch.” Greta shrugged, trudging towards the city. “They shouldn’t linger for long. You two can clear a path after they settle down, right?”
“I think I can,” Raven said, before looking over to Sun and giving him a reassuring nod, “Do you?”
Sun blinked for a moment, as if he snapped out of a trance as he looked back at her and tried to refocus on the task at hand as he prepared his staff. “Y-yeah, I can help as well.”
“Then don't let them near me.” Greta grunted. As the two followed the griffon, both Sun and Raven took notice of not just the mass amount of Grimm that were on the ground, but also in the air above them. While it was true that the faunus had fought Grimm before, those Grimm were usually in small numbers. If they tried to pick a fight with a horde of this size, it would only be suicide.
Though, as Sun looked around, the faunus noticed that not far from where they were, there looked to be a cave that was above ground. “Hey, y-you think that we can wait out the Grimm from up there?”
Quickly, Raven looked at what the faunus was talking about, “That could work. Wait for the horde to pass and then hurry in when we get the opportunity. Would be much easier than picking a fight with every Grimm here,” The swordswoman replied, before turning to Greta to inform her of their plans. While the griffon wasn’t exactly open minded to it at first, the three of them didn’t exactly have a lot of options to work with.
It didn’t take too long for them to get their chance, yet there were a couple of complications. For when the Grimm chose to move on away from the main gate, some of them almost spotted the three of them. To buy them some extra time, Sun conjured two doppelgangers with his semblance, before sending them out into the forest as a diversion in an attempt to distract the ravenous pack. “I really hope this actually works.”
Luckily for the three of them, some of the beowolves that were farther out into the forest fell for the trick. When the beasts started to swarm the decoys, the three of them hurried through the side entrance along the city’s walls without a second thought. Even when one of the Grimm caught on to their plans and attempted to give chase, they dissolved into nothingness upon coming into contact with the barrier that protected the city. Which had Sun feel a bit of relief, but only for a mere moment.
Then, the monkey faunus realized where he was… and a feeling of dread began to set in. “Welcome to Griffonstone.”
As he slowly turned around, Sun looked upon the city square of Griffonstone as memories the faunus thought he had locked away were slowly beginning to resurface. Everything he was seeing now was exactly the same as it was before. Griffons ignoring those that were desperately in need, shopkeepers overcharging on prices for simple goods and the glares of suspicion from others as they were passing by. Everything was the same as it was before, and nothing had changed. Even with the Grimm on the prowl outside the city walls, the griffons only cared about themselves.
In Sun’s mind, the sooner that they took care of this and got the hell out of this place, the better. Though, he had the feeling that this wasn’t going to be as easy as Raven told him it would be. For if his previous experience here taught him anything, griffons didn’t really take kindly to strangers that just happened to arrive in their city. Especially strangers that did not look even remotely Equestrian.
“Greta, there you are!”
The sudden voice made Sun jump as he immediately turned towards it. He was going to draw his weapons, until Raven grabbed hold of his wrist and shook her head. “Stay calm. This griffon looks to know Greta, so they shouldn’t be a threat. No need to jump to conclusions.”
The swordswoman’s words did little to make the faunus feel relieved, but for the moment, Sun trusted her judgement better than his own. Though, as he looked back towards this other griffon that was talking to Greta, something about them seemed familiar. As if he had seen them somewhere before but couldn’t quite put a finger on it at that moment. Where exactly did he remember them from?
“So, what exactly are you doing out here? And who’re-” As the griffon spoke, her eyes glanced over to both of them. Yet, when she saw Sun, their eyes widened in shock, “Wait a minute, I remember you!”
The faunus blinked, a bit caught off guard by this. Clearly, she remembered him from somewhere, but he was having trouble recalling when exactly, “You… do?”
“Yeah, I was in the harbor when you escaped on that ship!” The griffon's words helped a bit with putting the pieces together. She must’ve witnessed him when he escaped the vessel of the griffon that put him in a cage. Though, he didn’t really stick around afterwards to see what happened to the bastard after he was apprehended by authorities. Yet, the mere mention of that was enough for the griffon’s next words to throw him and the swordswoman off guard, “I’m going to need to have you two come with me.”
“Hold on a minute,” Raven interjected, “Just who are you exactly? And why exactly should we trust you?”
“First off, my name is Gilda,” The griffon told them, “And second, with the way Griffonstone is right now, I know a place we can go that is away from prying eyes,” At that point, Gilda lifted up a talon and pointed directly at the faunus, “Because right now, if any griffon sees him, no one would hesitate to try and kill him on the spot.”
The faunus looked back towards Raven as he tried his best to ignore any feelings of panic and fear so he could focus a bit. While meeting Gilda was rather sudden, she did not come off like any of the other griffons around the town. Not only that, but if Griffonstone was as bad and dangerous as she said it was, going to a place that was relatively safe would be ideal. However, there were still a few things that didn’t make sense to him.
That was when he made up his mind and looked back towards the griffon, “Alright, we’ll follow you, but on two conditions.”
“Name them.”
“First, you explain to us what exactly you mean by ‘the way Griffonstone is right now’,” The faunus retorted as he folded his arms, “Second, you help us with what we came here for since you and Greta know this place better than either of us do. In addition, if we at any point have to venture outside of the city, we’ll keep you safe from the Grimm.”
“You two think you can handle those monsters-?” Before Gilda could continue, Sun noticed Greta say something to her as she broke eye contact for but a brief moment. Shortly afterwards, the griffon looked back at the faunus, “Well, if what Greta told me is to be believed, then you two can handle yourselves against them.”
“So, do we have a deal?”
The griffon replied with a nod of her head, “Follow me and stay close. Just because you’re inside the city doesn’t mean you're safe from harm. If you pay attention, you’ll see why.”
At first, the two of them were confused by Gilda’s words. Yet, as they walked through the various streets and alleys of the city, both Sun and Raven began to notice a few things. To start, some of the griffons they’d seen had scars or injuries that looked too precise to be something from that of a grimm attack. In addition, many of them stuck together in small groups and were armed in some way, whether it be a knife, crossbow, or something else to defend themselves with while anyone else just stayed in their homes.
Something about this was not right at all. Yet, the faunus couldn’t understand why everything was this way.
Before they reached their destination though, Greta had them stop for a moment as several of the griffons they saw before passed by, “Well, that’s just great. Trouble’s about to start.”
“They haven’t noticed us though. Let’s keep it that way,” Gilda told her, before looking at Sun and Raven, “Both of you, whatever you do, don’t draw any attention to yourself. Once Greta unlocks the door, get in quickly.”
As she said that, Greta went over to the building that was across the street from where she was and pulled out a key from under the scarf she wore around her neck. As she went to unlock the door, the sound of shattered glass could be heard in the distance and bolts from a crossbow landed onto the sides of nearby buildings. Whatever was going on made the griffon try to hurry faster as she got the door unlocked and forced it open as Gilda ushered the others inside. As they hurried inside, a couple of crossbow bolts landed in the door as Greta slammed it completely shut.
Gilda herself let out a necessary sigh of relief as she looked back towards the faunus and the huntress that were inside with them. “Glad we got in here as quickly as we could. If we stayed out there any longer, we would’ve been caught up in that mess.”
“W-what the hell was even going on?” Sun now asked, “Why were those griffons-?”
“Trying to kill each other?” The faunus nodded in response to Gilda’s question as she took a moment to think to herself, before she came up with a proper reply, “Well, I was going to ask if you wanted the short answer or the long one. Though, the thing is, you’re not going to like it either way.”
Then came a question that Sun wasn’t prepared for, “Do you remember the griffon that locked you up on that ship you escaped from? The one that ended up getting arrested by Equestrian authorities?”
“I remember e-escaping, but not what happened to that guy afterwards,” he replied, “Why?”
“Well, here’s the thing about that,” Gilda now took a seat across from where Sun and Raven were as the two of them sat down as well, “That guy was in charge of one of the major gangs that ran Griffonstone. They’re called the Steel Wings and when their leader got locked up and stripped of everything they had, his sudden departure created a massive power vacuum. Which is bad for them… and for us since they were the only ones that kept everyone in line. Now, for the last several months, several different groups have been fighting each other tooth and claw to try and seize control of Griffonstone. There isn’t a day that goes by where fighting doesn’t break out and many griffons are scared to even leave their homes. For not only are their monsters outside the city, but inside too.”
The faunus couldn’t even begin to describe what was going on in his head after he heard that. When he first arrived in Equestria and broke free, Sun thought that he did the right thing by having his captor get arrested. However, he now realized that his actions from back then were the reason why Griffonstone was in chaos right now. The grimm at their front door and all the fighting going on inside the city was his fault… and the whole thing made him sick to his stomach.
“Have anyone tried to get out?” Raven then asked, “I mean, with the way you described it, you would think that someone would try to get out and find help.”
“When the fighting first broke out, Grandpa Gruff left to try and request aid from the Equestrian Diarchy,” Greta spoke up now.
“Who?”
“Gruff’s the town’s historian, and the closest thing we have to a leader,” Gilda added, “Since he left, we’ve received letters from him. However, with the monsters outside the city and the fighting inside, it would be near impossible for him to come back in. And even if he did manage to get aid, it wouldn’t go unnoticed.”
As she said that, Gilda let out a small breath as she glanced back outside briefly. After a moment or so, the griffon refocused his attention back to Sun and Raven, “Now, since I answered your question, it’s time for you to answer ours. Why the beak would the two of you decide to come here of all places?” Then, she focused her attention on the faunus, “Especially you, all things considered.”
“That’s a bit complicated,” Raven answered before Sun had a chance to speak, “But for me… I came here because I want to fix my mistakes.”
“Griffonstone isn't really a place to fix mistakes,” Greta retorted, “If anything, creatures just keep making them-”
“A long time ago, I made a choice that pushed away the only people I had that were family to me,” The swordswoman continued, “Whether it was out of anger or out of fear, I pushed them away and left them behind. Now, they’re the only ones that could help Sun and I find my daughter, Yang. I’m not looking for forgiveness, nor am I trying to excuse what I’ve done in the past. But if trying to make amends with my brother is the only way we can find Yang, then I’ll do anything to find her so she can come home.”
The whole room fell silent shortly after Raven had finished speaking. Sun might not entirely know her story or what exactly led to her and her brother's relationship being the way it was now, but he could tell that her intentions were sincere. The swordswoman wanted to mend the open wounds that she inflicted on their relationship. Yet, she knew that such things couldn’t be healed overnight and that their relationship might not be the same as it was before.
Both of the griffons in the room were silent at first. Though, after a bit, that was when Greta asked her a question, “You’re looking for your brother, right? What’s his name?”
“Well, I’m not sure if he’s changed it or anything since I’ve last seen him. Though, someone I know told me that he calls himself a ‘Dusty Old Qrow’ if that helps at all.”
The name alone had both of the griffons freeze for a moment as they looked back at one another and began to talk among themselves. To Raven though, this felt strange. Mainly, because she wasn’t sure if anyone even knew about her brother or where he might be. Yet, when both Gilda and Greta looked back towards the swordswoman, Raven was caught off guard by the first thing they said.
“You’re… kidding right?” Greta asked. “Is that really what your brother calls himself?”
“Well, from what I was told, yes,” she answered, before looking over to Sun. The faunus added a follow up question after she finished speaking. One that, despite sounding simple, would be difficult for both griffons to answer. “Is something wrong?”
“Is something wrong?” Gilda repeated, before folding her forearms, “Listen… uh, what’s your name?”
“Raven.”
“Well Raven, I’m not sure if you’re aware, but the Dusty Old Qrow is but an urban legend around Griffonstone,” the griffon continued, “A hunter of creatures with the blackest hearts both inside and outside Griffonstone’s walls. No griffon has ever seen them, but the only way they know that they were there was that the mark of a crow was left behind in the vicinity of every creature they hunted and what’s left of their prey. And that’s not the worst of it.”
“The worst of it?” Sun asked.
Now it was Greta’s turn to speak, “Another griffon that we happen to know and that we’re close with, Gabby, claims to have met them. At the time, we didn’t think much of it. But then a couple of days ago, Gabby left a note saying that she was going to prove to us that they do exist. We haven’t seen her since and honestly, both of us are worried. If she didn’t get caught up in the fighting going on right now, then she could end up being a snack for one of those monsters outside if they set their sights on her.”
That was not good. Either this griffon was really brave… or really foolish. If they were honest, both the huntress and the faunus did not want to find out which one of those was true. But then a thought came across Sun’s mind. One that was risky, but if they got it to work, then perhaps it would make finding who they were looking for easier.
“S-so you’re saying that if we find her, we could find Qrow?”
That question had everyone in the room look back at the faunus. “Sun, are you out of your mind? Do you really want to go back out there? With how you were acting earlier, I was shocked that you didn’t have a breakdown.”
“Well, think of it,” he replied, “I-if this ‘Dusty Old Qrow’ is your brother, t-then there’s two things they potentially ‘hunt’. The first being criminals, while the other is…”
At this point, Raven was slowly beginning to realize what he could mean. “The grimm… and if Gabby is trying to find them-.”
“Then she could be either inside or outside of the city,” Greta now realized, “B-but how would we know for sure though?”
That was when Gilda let out a sigh and folded her forearms, before motioning to what was happening outside, “Only way that we know for sure is if we split up… where we have one of you with one of us and go look at both places. While it is a possibility, I’d rather not resort to it. Wandering around aimlessly, especially with the kind of chaos going on right now, is more likely to get us killed than find anything.”
As Gilda was speaking though, that was when the Faunus began to notice something. A bipedal like figure moving closer to one of the windows that was behind Gilda. However, when he saw them move an arm and the windows began to crack and shake, instinct began to kick in. Impulsively, he clapped his hands together and conjured a clone of himself that lunged towards the griffon, before saying two words.
“GET DOWN-!!”
Within seconds, a raging storm of wind and glass scattered everywhere as everyone in the room hit the deck. Whatever had hit the home was enough to have the door swing wide open as the interior if the home was a mess. Almost everything inside had looked to be torn or shredded to pieces. Thankfully though, it didn’t look as if anyone had gotten hurt.
Then, they heard the sound of footsteps and the sound of glass cracking as a voice came from where the door was, “Well, isn’t this a surprise? When the boss told me that a little birdy was in town, I didn’t think that would’ve been you.”
In the doorway was a woman with ice blue eyes, short brown hair and tan skin that almost looked to be around his age. They wore a light brown vest, maroon-colored jeans, dark brown calf guards and a leather pouch on her right side. She also wore sleeveless gloves and was holding a pair of weapons that looked to be a pair of crescent shaped blades with a double barrel pistol in each hand. Though, the woman didn’t pay much attention to him… and instead, she was focused on Raven.
“Y-you know her?” Greta now asked, watching with Gilda and Sun as the swordswoman rose to her feet.
All Raven did at first was nod calmly. Then, she gripped the sheath of her blade, Omen, tightly and spoke, “Hello Vernal.”
End Part 2