Charles Pathfinder – A gryphon in Canterlot
Chapter 6
The next morning was the usual. Get up at 6am get a shower and eat breakfast. I really didn't have a plan what to do so I decided to study first and then go hunting. Maybe there would be something happening today. I didn't know. So I made some tea and started reading Equestrian history. Yeah, I know history, but I have to be well prepared when it comes to the test I have to take part in. But I think that's okay if you want to get your graduation.
So I went left the motel after I studied history for about 6 hours with some breaks. You know some parts of the Equestrian history are really interesting, like the great wars that started millennia ago. I mean what they used for weapons. Then, the Elements of Harmony used by the two Princesses brought peace into Equestria. After that Luna got jealous on Celestia's sun because the ponies enjoyed staying in the sun and only slept while the moon was up. So Luna became Nightmare Moon and then was banished to the moon after a fight with her sister. Thousand years later and so on. I probably think you know how the story goes on then right? I hope so, because if that's not the case you didn't listen to your History teacher.
But back now to the past. I flew into the forest to hunt some small animals. Sometimes you know predators need meat too. I mean I can eat vegetables too but I am so happy to be able to go hunting. I connected a very happy memory with hunting. It was just like walking through the desert after my parents freed me and then I started hunting. I mean I was only about ten years old and I started hunting. The pure adrenaline you get when you kill your prey is awesome. But I never thought about killing a pony because this would not feel right for me. So I landed in the forest and started sneaking, looking for everything that I could see as a prey. And then there was a group of deers. I watched them turning around as I stepped on an branch and broke this one. I cursed myself because they were alerted now. The adrenaline kicked in and the hunt started. I chased the deer through the hole Everfree Forest but I couldn't get one into my paws. I decided then to go fishing. I mean what else to do with the rest of the day when you got nothing to do. Go fishing old-school style.
I reached the small river which came from a small cottage. The cottage was a place where many animals are around there. I thought maybe I can get one of them but then a cream colored pegasus with a pink mane and three butterflies as a cutie-mark came out of the cottage and started feeding the animals. So I thought it would be a bad idea if I kill one of her animals. I sat myself in the river and waited till a fish came over. And picked with my beak after it but I missed it. This went on like for hours like that. And after hours of waiting I got the first fish then the second and then the last one I needed. I ate all three of them just like that. I have to say that I normally don't like fish. I only eat it when it is necessary. She realized that I was there and watched what I was doing out there. I mean it is not everyday that you see a gryphon hunting and normally I don't like it to be seen when I am out hunting. After I finished my meal I cleared my throat and walked to her. She instantly shied behind her mane and I started introducing myself into her.
“Hello, Miss. My name is Charles. Charles Pathfinder. May I ask you what your name is?“ I asked her in a friendly tone and tried not to look as threatening as I normally look.
“My name is Fluttershy” she said extremely quietly.
I didn't catch that Miss.“
“My name is Fluttershy,” she said more quietly.
“Okay I think we forget about that.” I looked nervously around her. Maybe I frightened her. I started scratching on the ground which made a really uncomfortable sound. “I think I am flying back to the hotel. Maybe we see each other again Because I am staying in Ponyville for a week.” I waved a goodbye to her and started flying into the town again.
When I reached Ponyville I wanted to go to the local library there. So I had to ask where it was. I asked some of the ponies who were living there and they said it was the tree where the local librarian lives. And they told me that the librarian was Twilight Sparkle. So I was going to meet the pony who is doing the final exam. I walked through the town and watched the ponies doing her daily routine, like talking to friends or visiting their family. I think it is ironic that these ponies don´t know what is happening outside of the borders of Equestria. I mean how can they live in peace when others have to work till they are death? I mean look they only care what they do now and in the future or the fillies care about what their cutie-mark will be. I had to care about how I will survive the next day. Everyday could be the last day for a young gryphon like me when I worked down in the Diamond dog mines. Okay worked is the wrong word. I think being in slavery would do a better job then `work´.
I was so deep into my thoughts that I arrived at the library and stood there like a tree. Funny staying like a tree in front of a library that is in a tree. I realized that and knocked at the door. I heard a female voice saying “Spiiiiikee! Go to the door please.”
“Ugh. Fine, Twilight,” said a rather young male voice.
And then a dragon answered the door. A little purple dragon with green spikes. I don't know what made me angry in this moment. I think it was that this dragon opened the door and dragons are the problem why gryphons have to dig for diamond dogs. Dragons need to eat diamonds and they blackmail diamond dogs to give them their food. So you probably know how I came into slavery.
I started growling at the little dragon. My claws got ready to attack him and thats what I did. He was really defenseless against a raging gryphon. I mean I sliced through his scales like they were butter. He never had a chance. I mean how would you feel when a 200 kg heavy gryphon lands and you and start clawing you. Okay I never thought about his past and his future but I was angry at this moment okay? A dragon is a dragon, in my opinion. Every one of them will be a beast in some time and they get greedy. So they are going to kill and destroy. I wanted to prevent that but Twilight Sparkle heard the screaming dragon and ran down to see what is happening. She just stopped me. Okay she put me in some magic bandages and trust me this mare is really stong. You should never underestimate a mare. Especially not her.
“Whats wrong with you, Mister?” she asked angry.
I tried to speak but my mouth was covered with a bandage made out of purple magic. I looked like a small package with feathers and all the gryphon things you know?
“Oh yes I forgot you can't speak because I put the ball in your mouth.” She giggled and levitated the ball out of my mouth. “So what can you say in your defense, Mister?”
“He's a dragon!” I shouted at her. “He is the reason why I lived most of my life in hatred and slavery! You'll probably forgive me if I kill him.” I growled.
“But Spike has nothing to do with that what you are talking about. I mean he always lived here. I hatched him since he was a hatchling. Since he came out of his egg.“ She explained.
I was still angry and I wanted still to argue with her that dragons are the root of all the evil that happens out in the world. I mean I looked really terrible and this dragon looked even worse. He needed some medical help. But not from me. In my opinion he didn't even deserve to live.
“Are you going to help me?” She screamed at me in anger. As an answer I just shook my head to signal to her that I am not going to help her. So she teleported the dragon into the hospital and materialized again . She was still glaring daggers at me. Okay I can probably understand her. If she would have attacked somepony I knew I would be glaring the same daggers but at this moment I was just so angry that I saw this dragon.
“So what have you to say to your defense?” She asked me with a very angry tone.
“Hmm If you would have seen this things that I have seen. You wouldn´t think the same about dragons...” I just sighed. I felt so numb. I mean I probably could have killed him. I was just so in my rage that I nearly killed somebody.
“So this is all you have to say?” She was probably still angry. I mean yeah she was still angry. But you know how mares are. They can probably have the best pokerface. “I am going to tell that to Prinncess Celestia. I think she knows what to do with you.” There goes my first impression I thought defeated. “When the guards arrive here you will go with them. Is that clear?” I just nodded and accepted that I am going to be thrown in jail again for attacking a dragon. I sighed again but this time I just sighed because it was dumb what I did.
I still couldn't move because Twilight levitated me into the library and put be down somewhere where I can´t move or do something bad. After about one hour Princess Celestia and two of her guards entered the library. She didn't look like she was foinf to discuss with me.
“Hello Princess Celestia.” She said and bowed her head.
“Hello Twilight my lovely student. What mattered that you asked me for your help?” She looked at me and saw that I couldn't move.
“He attacked Spike and that's why I called you here Princess. I wasn't sure what we are going to do with him so I decided the authorities should decide what to do with him. After all the doctors said that Spike wasn't that badly hurt.” She sighed in relief.
“You know I wanted this gryphon to do the test I asked you for. And his name Is Charles Pathfinder. I want that you prepare the test for him.”
“But he just attacked Spike.” She said really surprised. “I mean he just could have killed him easily.”
“That's why I want you to teach him something about dragons while he stays here in Ponyville and I also want you to rent him some of your books about dragons. He has been enslaved by diamond dogs and had a rather bad life. I wanted to change that because everypony or in this case gryphon needs the same chances.” She explained in her beautiful voice to Twilight.
“Ah that's why he attacked Spike.” She realized now. “And now what are we going to do against that Princess?”
“We have to be patient and let Spike and him talk to each other to sort things out.” She said. “I am going to send him back to his place where he stays at the moment. I think he has enough to think about a lot of things now.”
“Yes Princess as you wish.” I know she wasn't really happy with what the Celestia said but that's what the Princess said. So she let me go and I flied back to the hotel. I took a shower to wash the blood out of m feathers and laid down in bed. I needed to think that's right. So I fell asleep and had a terrible flashback.