On Black Wings Unfurled, A Half-Dragon's Roar to be Heard

by Coal


An Important Event... Best not to be Tardy. (Chapter Fifteen)

Chapter Fifteen

An Important Event... Best not to be Tardy.

A week ago, if you had said that I'd be in a world where magical ponies, ladylike dragons, savvy Kobolds, Roman Griffins, and dogs who ate gems lived, I would have just nodded very slowly and thought you were crazy. If you had told me I would have a race to escape the Pretty Pony Princesses' Palace, I probably would have called the police. If you had told me that I would be standing over the smoking corpse of a Land Worm while a filly riding a dragon waved to me, I probably would have found to nearest exit to whatever insane asylum we were in.

Now however, all three of those things have happened to me, and seeing as there aren't any insane asylums where I am right now, I'm not entirely sure as to how to respond to this situation. But who knows, maybe I really am in an insane asylum.

It's more likely than you might think.

Shut up.

Hey, all I'm saying is that you do kind of have conversations with yourself.

No I don't.

You're doing it right now.

You're not me, just a voice in my head. I'm not nearly as big of an asshole as you are.

You do realize that even if I'm not you, a voice in your head that talks to you is still pretty crazy right?

Shut up.

And at least I don't tell you to shut up, now who's the asshole?

Shut up.

And at least I respond to you quickly, making people wait is kind of a dick move.

Alright, I'm just ignoring you until after we deal with the dragon.

Thinking of Dragons, the one is question was quite a bit closer now that I had that little argument with that asshole. Cobalt was still just as contradictory as I remembered, her scales a stark contrast in color to what her name would imply. A noticeably odd addition to what I remember of her was the filly and pair of Kobolds on her back. I'm certain that there's a story there that I'm going to find implausible, but hell, why not roll with it.

"Well, you have certainly made a mess of things, haven't you?" The Dragoness said, looking down her nose at me. Although with how she towered above me, that's somewhat unavoidable. "You just cause trouble wherever you do, don't you? It is a very uncouth thing to do. First you break into my home, throw a chair at my face, cause a veritable riot in the capitol of Equestria, and now this."

"Hey, in my defense, this last bit here wasn't my fault, they made me do it."

"Oh yes, the boasting about how you're royalty now was certainly necessary." She said rather sarcastically, and showing me that evidently Dragons can roll their eyes surprisingly well.

"I... actually didn't intend to do that. I just got kind of caught up in the moment." I meekly responded.

"Oh, I hold no issue with the boast, if you had no such actual claim it might have gotten under my scales, but after meeting these three." She said as she nodded her head towards Fiery Thought and two Kobolds who had just finished dismounting her. "I can see you are quite a bit more than I originally thought when I met you. Half-Dragon."

"Oh, so they told you about that?" I said, suddenly feeling nervous, which considering the fact the most famous Half-Dragon had personally killed quite a few dragons, I think I'm justified with feeling a bit on edge.

"Why yes, they informed me of how you strode into their home and proclaimed yourself the Half-Dragon, and set out upon your noble quest to spread the word of your arrival across the world."

Wait, we did what?

I quickly turned to look towards Virnuln and Nirkul, who promptly proceeded to find the stunned crowd around us very interesting. Virnuln actually whistled innocently.

Oh come on, let them have their hero complex. Besides, Cobalt looks impressed, and I mean, you're halfway to dragon already so.

And just what are you implying?

Oh nothing, just that you might enjoy playing "tag" with her a bit more than Celestia or Luna.

I... didn't realize we were into that kind of thing.

Eh, I don't really think we are either, but it doesn't hurt to... explore new options.

With my inner thoughts making the situation far more uncomfortable than it had been just a moment ago, I struggle to find a way to continue the conversation. Cobalt's appreciative gaze of me was certainly not helping matters. Luckily however, I appear to be in luck, as a flight of armor clad and heavily armed Griffons were making their way towards us. Thank God.

As they come closer, I find my gaze drawn towards the odd one out of the bunch, a purple robed Griffon with a rather odd expression on its face. I don't know about anyone else, but it's rather hard to see what a bird if feeling from the expression on its face, sapient or not. However, from my merely tangential knowledge of the Roman Empire, which these Bird Lions emulate, purple was a color reserved specifically for the Empire. So I might just be in luck, my old plan to get out of this by talking with him might just work. The only difference is now I have a Dragon, and an Doomsday weapon Cuteness, with me to back me up.

Oh yes, I'm sure we could give Cobalt some, Incentive to "back us up".

You're really enjoying making me uncomfortable with that aren't you?

Why yes, yes I am.

As the Griffons finally set down, several of the armored Griffon, with very distinct plumes on their helmets stepped forwards to form a pair of lines that the purple Griffon proceeded to walk between. The display was surely meant to inspire a sense of awe or respect in the Purple People Eater, but all I can think of is how amusing it must be getting plumage for helmets when you're part bird. My musing are unfortunately interrupted however when the Purple one spoke up.

"I am Emperor Sanguinem, ruler of the Griffon Empire, and I extend my sincerest apologies to you honored Paragon, for this unforgivable crime perpetrated by those who claim fealty to me." He said as he bowed his head low, much to those in the audience, while certainly not the spectacle they had come to see, this day at the area was shaping up to be a very interesting one. "I had intended to come right away when I had been informed a strange creature that appeared to be part Dragon was to fight to the death in the arena. I would have arrived sooner if not for the City Watch being sent into a panic by the appearance of a Dragon, I hope you understand the need to see to my subjects' safety Paragon."

"It is not my fault they did not believe me when I was simply coming to watch the match." cobalt replied, her tone certainly expressing how she felt she was in no way at fault.

Oh my, she wanted to watch us sweat and fight in the arena, she must be into the idea too. The idea of our body exerting itself and showcasing our physique must be a very enticing thought.

I am getting very close to shunning you again.

"Ah, yeah... of course, I take to offense." I say, feeling mildly thrown off with the situation at hand. Ever since I've arrived in this world I've been surprised and left clueless, but this is certainly one of the stranger occurrences. "I am very sorry your Eminence, but I find myself at a loss, how exactly is it that you know of me, and why do you keep referring to me as 'Paragon'?"

"Ah, I had thought you knew and that was why you came to the Empire. I apologize for presuming." He says before taking a look at one of the guards with him and saying, "Head back to the Palace and instruct the servants to prepare accommodations for the Paragon and his... acquaintances." At the last bit of his sentence I could hear Cobalt give a slight snot, which earned her a wary glance from the Emperor. with a quick nod and what I presume to be some form of salute, the Griffon took off into the air, towards the biggest and fanciest building in the city.

"I am very sorry Paragon, but this is not the place to answer the questions you pose, if you will accompany me to the Palace, I will gladly explain."

"Well, although I /am/ very attached to the place I nearly died, I suppose I could go." I said, a bit of sarcasm in my voice. Unfortunately however, for the quick pained look that flashed across his face, I'm getting better at reading the expressions, it seems he took it seriously.

Good job dick, make him feel bad. See if that'll make you any friends in school young man.

I graduated from college with a Bachelors three years ago, I think I'm done with school for a little while

The next half hour or so was not that interesting, the Emperor seemed too wrapped in his thoughts to talk while we headed towards the Palace, the Guard just didn't seem like the most social of Bird Lions, and while Cobalt allowed Fiery Thought and the Kobolds to mount here, I was strictly forbidden from doing that,

Hey, that's fair. You haven't even taken her out for dinner yet.

Okay, that's it, not talking to you anymore.

Oh come on, don't get your panties in a bunch.

...

Ugh, fine, I'll stop.

Good.

It took some time to find a place where Cobalt could fit that wouldn't unduly insult her, and she eventually ended up in a large courtyard, where she crushed more than one flower bush. Fiery and the Kobolds were both tired, and very worried. In fact, once we had landed Fiery gave me a tearful hug to the leg, it nearly made my heart explode, but I managed to survive. During this hug, the Emperor spoke up.

"I am sorry to interrupt the moment, but young pony, the Paragon and I must discuss in private."

It takes a little bit of doing to get Firey Thought off of my leg, for such small legs she has quite the gripping power in them. After making a promise to spend some time with her doing whatever she wanted though, she finally lets go of my leg.

The Emperor nods with his head towards a door, a pair of guards stand on either side of it, and I assume he wants me to follow him inside, so I do. The door revels a father lavish room, with all manner of rather comfortable looking pieces of furniture, as well as what appears to be a exquisitely worked wooden table in the center. The Emperor pulls up a cushion to sit at one side of the table, and I do the same to sit on the opposite side. He looks at me a moment, evidently considering where to start, as he finally begins, he speaks in a surprising manner.

"Ahhh, I can't tell you enough how good it is to be behind closed doors." He says as he reclines back on the cushion, which is rather odd to observe something with the back legs of a lion doing. After he leans back he takes a moment to unfasten his purple robe and tosses it off to lay at rest on another nearby cushion.

"Sorry Paragaon, it's just rather stressful for me to appear so formal all the time, I've never really enjoyed all the pomp and ceremony. Now that I'm settled in a bit however, I suppose I can answer some of your questions, where would you like me to start?" He inquires rather casually, as though we've known each other for quite some time.

In all honesty, it makes things a little easier, for a minute there I had thought I was going to have to walk on eggshells, hah bird joke, around the Emperor but he seems surprisingly laid back.

"Well, I suppose the whole 'Paragon' thing would be a nice place to start." I say as I take the opportunity to sprawl out on the rather bean bag like cushion.

"Fair enough I suppose. The term Paragon has existed among the Griffons since ages long past. It is a title reserved for those who exemplify the best among Griffon kind, and it is a title implying only the utmost respect for the one who bears it."

"Oookay then. How exactly am I a Paragon then? I'm sorry, but last I checked I was king of a Ape Dragon thing, unless now I've started to grow a beak too." I say as I somewhat seriously, somewhat jokingly put my human hand to my face to check for a beak.

"The way the title of Paragon woks is that not only is the Individual the bearer of the title, but for so long as no descendant of theirs commits some great atrocity, any who bear the blood of the Paragon are thus a Paragon as well."

"Okay, makes a bit more sense, but the major issue is that I still don't have any Griffon blood in my, I mean I'm kind of a mutt, but I don't think any of my ancestors did to do with a Griffon."

"Ah, but it is not the mammalian part of you that gives you the title of Paragon, but the Draconic part. You see, one of the Paragons of the past was the Great Griffoness Crimson Tide. She was what the Kobolds call a Half-Dragon, and for some time it was thought that she would be the only Half-Dragon to ever exist, until the appearance of Starclaw. At the time of his appearance, it was decided, that with Crimson tide bearing no Griffon offspring due to her untimely end, that hose who bore the title Half-Dragon would bear the honor of being regarded as a Paragon instead." He takes a moment to play idly with an unruly feather on his head before he adds, "Honestly, I've never really had that much interest in the Paragons, none are actually alive in this day in age. That was before I saw you in the arena however. I only caught the end of the fight, but what you did... it was truly terrifying."

Well great, now I feel bad, I probably scared the living crap out of everyone present and scarred some children for life from te way people keep going on about when I lost control at the end.

"And it was inspiring."

Wait what?

The look of surprise at his statement must be plastered plainly on my face, because he quickly explains by saying, "For so long the status Quo has remained unchanged, certainly there have been times of panic or danger, but it has not really changed much. However, when I witnessed you, standing there in your victory, it sent a chill down my spine and then I realized what you were. you were, and are, change incarnate. Now forgive me for my selfishness, but I wish to make a request of you, Paragon of Change."

"And what might the request be?" I ask, feeling rather overloaded by what he's saying, and more than little of it might just be going to my ego.

It indeed is, I feel myself growing stronger by the second.

"Paragon, I am going to call a summit, a gathering of all the rulers of the known lands of Equis, to announce your ruler ship of, and the existence of the Kobolds. I have grown so very bored of the Status Quo, and I know that you are going to shred it to pieces."

"Why not? I already declared myself a King in the stadium, why not make it official."

While I might not have every expression nailed down yet, it wasn't hard to understand the almost manic smile on the Emperor's face and he then said, "Good, I shall call the summit immediately, I would suggest you prepare yourself, we wouldn't want to be late for our own party, and the meeting place is very far away. It never makes a good first impression to be tardy."