“So, Swift Hooves do you remember what the ponies were talking about?” Asked Silent Trot.
“I don’t think they are saying anything besides ‘where’s the food’, the fat one was the only one that spoke.” Answered Swift Hooves in a little confused matter.
The three zebras were trotting at a regular pace, Silent Trot at the head, Swift hooves and Stripped Grillis watching their surroundings, making sure no nasty surprises came along in their pursuit of the ponies that they recently learned to have found or hidden large amounts of food. But they were not the only ones following them; a group of griffins were following from above the clouds.
“But don’t you think that they all would have a least some sense where the food is? You know, being them the ones going toward it?” Rambled Silent Trot as he looked towards the ground looking for hoofprints, “hey, have you seen where are the griffons are at?” Asked Silent Trot clearly lost as to where those oversized things were at.
“Wait what? You mean you lost the griffons?” Asked Swift Hooves amazed from her companions negligence, “it was your turn to follow the griffons movements, why else would you be leading us.” Swift Hooves’s voice turned into an angry whisper.
“Hey, I though Stripped Grillis was the one doing that, isn’t he the ‘Wilderness survival expert’ he could see easily through the canopy.” Silent Trot said emphasizing insultingly at Grillis’ title.
*SMACK*
The smack resonated within the group area with the combined effort of two zebras.
“OUCH!! What was that for?”
“Oh, I don’t know? For losing the griffons, also insulting Grillis, and being a pain in the flank?” Said Swift Hooves non chantingly as she shook her head and moved ahead of the ‘pin.'
“I pretty much did it for the fun.” Added Stripped Grillis smirking at Silent Trot, who was rubbing the back of his head and giving him a glare.
“Yeah, fun’s over, what do we do now?” Silent Trot said trying to move the subject away from him.
“We stay in the shadows, head to the last direction the ponies went; eventually we’ll find the griffons.” Swift Hooves explained as she gesture at the general direction they last saw the ponies.
“Yes, Ma’am.” Said Silent Trot and Stripped Grillis in unison.
The group went through the forest skillfully, dodging any dried leaves on the forest floor and any bushes that might create any noise as they did their best to not be heard by anything, especially the griffons.
They finally reached the border of the forest edging a shore that the zebra saw it was the edge of land they magically brought, but something lingered in their peripheral vision on their right.
“Wow.” Was the clever remark given by Silent Trot.
It was a ship, one made of wood, a wood that was impossibly bent perfectly as if the trees that made them were actually grown to be bended that way, it lacked colors of any kind and was damaged with a huge crack on its side. But there was one noticeable unique feature of it.
“Look at the size of that thing!” Exclaimed Silent Trot, eyes wide in amazement. This exclamation didn’t go unnoticed, his companions turned to see what had happed to be in an equal if not greater state of awe as of Silent Trot.
“It’s too big to be a pony airship, and too small for your normal Minotaur airship. And is that iron between the wood?” Grillis stated.
“I know right? Wait, the minotaurs have airships? Please tell me you’re joking, the minotaur’s don’t have magic and their too stupid to be able to do something like that.” Said Swift Hooves with his mind full of memories.
“You forgot about the Changelings did you--”
“Hey, keep it low down there or they will hear you!”
The Zebras quickly turned to the source of the incredebly loud voice, thanks to it, it took the zebras nothing to spot both the griffons and ponies all looking surprised at each other. The source by location and distance would be of one of the griffins.
“Uh, Grillis? I though you said griffons warriors were smart.” Said a confused Silent Trot noticing whose voice they had heard if the two other griffins reaction to the voice was to tell anything.
“If it was a griffon I would personally like to ask how he keeps his position.” Said and equally confused Stripped Grillis, then a thought crossesd his mind, he smirked, “And you better than anyone else should know Silent Trot, that not all creatures from a species is intelligent.”
“Yeah, but maybe it was one of the ponies that yelled? We can't exactly know that.” Asked silent Trot, missing the insult by a mile.
While both Silent Trot and Stripped Grillis were discussing about whom yelled, Swift Hooves noticed something, or better yet ’somethings’ on top of the ship, at first glance it looked like minotaurs by logical deduction that could be on the ship, but before she could speak to her compations one of the ppoed minotaurs exited the crack on the side of the ship and angrily paced towards the griffons and ponies.
She quickly dismisses the idea of it being a minotaur due to its size and lower legs that were divided in two places instead of three, and then dismisses diamond dogs as its body was thinner and more dexterous.
“What kind of creature are you?” Swift asked to herself.
When she looked closer upon the creature she immediately knew something was wrong about it. She knew every creature in Equestria and also seen each of them at least once in her entire career as a scout. And what drew her most about its awkwardness was its armor, was it shiny endevor, the creature was trotting too swiftly to be wearing iron armor. And it must be incredibly mad in both facial expression and gesture of body.
“What is it doing?” She asked again to herself.
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Leo was inspecting the food in the cargo deck, it was a mess; the water had entered all of the sealed rooms. He was now incredibly thankful that they got to the shore so quickly; the most impressive damage was of a small crack in the side of the front of the ship that, with help of the idiotic of the crew, was now a immense hole that one could walk through. It was safe to say that Leo was in a bad mood with his crew, so it was easy to understand his reaction when he was able to heard voices outside the “God’s generosity”.
“WHO’S SLACKING!!” Yelled Leo as all the crew around him stopped in silence, hoping that it wasn’t their work that was considered ‘slacking’.
He knew that his men should be working on the interior of the ship; no one was supposed to go outside near the unknown forest. Grinded his teeth, Leo exited the ship.
Looking around the shore he easily centered the location of those that were speaking, he couldn’t understand what they were saying and it sounded as if they were yelling, but he couldn’t care less.
As he moved closer, his anger raised as he heard more than three voices in the forest and it was noticeable if his threatening posture was anything to go by.’How many slack offs are they?!’ he thought as he closed in towards the bushes. And as he was upon the forest he placed his hands in between the flora and spread it apart he yelled.
“HEY! WHO IN THE NINE CIRCLES OF HELL THINKS HE CAN JUST SLACK OFF IN MY-”
He immediately silences himself, as his eyes adjusted upon a strange sight.
__________________________________________________________________________________
“Uh guys, I don’t think that I am so sure that they were Minotaur’s’ after all.” Said the strange small creature.
Leo jumped when he heard the creature speak with the voice of who he had thought was the slacker. The sounds coming from the creature was continuous and different, making it out to be like a language of some sorts, Leo knew the different languages in the Mediterranean, or at least heard them once, but he never heard something like what the creature was blurting out. But before he could do anything in his surprised state the familiar sound of a bag of coins being shook was heard.
*SHINK*SHINK*SHINK*
He then turned to the creature other creature, the dark colored small horse in massive armor; he made the noise by moving a sack of coins, which it was holding with one of its hooves!
‘Whataretheywhatyouwhatisgoingdoestheforesthaspowerdidweangergodsomhowarethesedemons?’ Was his very easy to follow thought, his mind flew everywhere in between that it went completely blank; he thought he was going mad.
That was until he looked up.
He was surprised that the creature spoke, sure, but he wasn't focused on that right now. No, he was staring at the griffins looming over him, all staring at him, all wearing a warrior’s armor.
As many of this time of a simple life were aware, the myths of griffons are very well known, the drawings and text very illustrative on their potential in killing a person very well. His mind flew back to those days as a child where he heard the old man at the church talking about them and their beaks granting people good luck to those who drank from them. His eyes glowed, he was a merchant but a merchant in need, he was in a bad situation a really bad one, he saw a griffon, his beak specially, and his logic which was already doing loops left him completely there.
‘A griffon’s beak may fetch me the fortune I dreamed of, but I can’t handle three griffons and three… whatever these small horses are. Are they wearing actual armor?’ he thought.
But that logic was only visiting family as he was roughly brought back to the reality of his situation in two small logical pointers.
One, three griffons and three brightly colored horses were staring at him. Two, he was alone with them.
His mind went into fight or flight mode ready to choose what to do, but something in his mind began to nag that the griffins were doing nothing of harm, that maybe, just maybe, they were not going to do what tales and myths have settled them to usually do with people.
That was until one of the griffons responded to his presence with a horrible screech.
It was obvious which ‘mode’ he picked.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Sgt. Redwood was having a bad day.
First, he was demoted for the unusual reason that involved disorderly conduct due to being intoxication and assaulting several officers claiming his ‘iron rod’ could destroy the troops barracks, in which, no one knows how or why, after some time the barracks was nothing more than a pile of rubble, on the top was Redwood which continues to yell to the wind that his ‘iron’ was successful.
Now he was demoted to Sergeant, and was in charge patrols within this land with the most inexperienced rookie and a very annoying as well as a mysterious Corporal. But he didn’t give up, he wanted to prove himself again, and took his job seriously in every aspect of it.
So, it was to be expected when he heard of the food shortages that he would keep a watch for anything that involved or even resembled to what happened to the granary, which was recently attack again by an unknown idiot, ‘who’ is still kept secret from the public or very mad officers.
Secondly, after he heard someone yelling about a feast he thought that ‘at last’ he had found a way to get out of his boring patrol route and into something meaningful. What he didn't come to expect was that the ponies he found that were talking about feating, which he first expected to be criminals thinking them to be selfish culprits that hide food to feast by themselves, instead were three hungry guard ponies hoping to find food for themselves, he felt horrible and stupid for ever concluding on them without making sure. But that wasn't the bad part.
That bad part is the third reason that this day was a bad day. The fact of the unknown creature which was staring at them wasn’t the real problem, the real reason that it turned his day bad was that he had accidentally killed it.
The blood in his talons as he presences the creatures soon to be dead body finish his griffon-like scream, were the only thing that filled his vision, that was until in his mind twists he saw more of the same creatures come out of the broken crack of the ship, with thirst for blood in their eyes.
Dozen more came out on top shooting arrows at them. His mind wreaked back like a surreal nightmare that would never end, one that was his entirely his fault.
“Uh Sarg, what is that?” Asked Pvt. Moon Stone quietly as he pointed to the staring creature with his right talon.
“I…don’t know.” For the first time since he could remember, Redwood didn’t know what to say or even what to do.
“Hey, Moon Moon do you know what that is” Said Cpl Copper Spear actually sounding serious. He didn’t hear the Private’s last question, Corporal Copper pointed at the dumbfounded creature that was now staring at him which he though was a grin. But this unintentional insult was to be the peak for Private Moon Stone.
“Can you please stop calling me Moon Moon.” Answered Moon Stone loudly, his rage was visible.
And this was enough for the creature as it began to make loud noises and began to run the direct he came from.
It was looking for help.
The Sergeant, that was now free from his mental shook, began to notice the armor the creature was wearing, this could be an outpost of some kind, and fearing the worst his mind set into wanting to stop the creature from making any rash decisions that could result in a war.
“Stop him!” Commanded Redwood.
“Huh?”“What?” Were the intelligent responses his subordinates gave him, but he didn’t have any time to explain. Using his powerful wings he was airborne in less time for anycreature around him to notice, and with his speed he moved towards the unknown creature with the mob minded ponies and griffons behind him.
“What are you doing! Don’t attack him, I’m hungry!” Yelled the pony named Stone Wall as he tried to stop the griffon .
The sergeant was now upon the creature and did what instinct told him to do. Grab it from the scruff to stop it harmlessly and at the same time make hard the production of loud noises.
The funny thing is that, a sentient creature is basically two things, reason and instinct, they could work together but mostly they fight each other; reason is the invader, the abnormal thing in the body, the body, the instinct, was fine until it came along; no morality, no justice, no mercy, no basic logic. It was perfect for itself and it would not think for the major consequences of its action.
Which in turned happen when he grab the creature at its supposed located scruff. Turns out it wasn’t his scruff but in fact his ‘spine’ which he grab accordingly, and the Sargent could only question if it was correct for the creature to bleed when his scruff is handled.
As sudden as the scream came, it stopped; the creature collapsed, losing speed and with that the griffon collided violently with it.
_____________________________________________________________________________
“The first thing I heard out of the ordinary was Leo screaming about some poor bastards that decided to slack off in the woods, I didn’t pay too much attention, it usually happens.”
“But after he suddenly stop in the middle of his yelling I became aware of him being outside it was strange but possible, it still gave me a sense of eerie, but I did no mind to it and continued my work.”
“That was until we all heard the scream. You can tell that everyone heard knew who could have done that kind of scream; everyone with me in the ship moved fast to grab a weapon and some armor. We needed to respond quickly, the ones that already had armor went to grab weapons and moved fast to help Leo.”
“Five? Six beats it took me to move outside to see what had happened, and I unfortunately found it. Leo was on the floor, lying face down. With something I would never, and believe me when I say, never would’ve expected, on top of him.”
“What we all saw before made us pause… It was a…Griffon… an Actual Griffon… an actual breathing and very bloody Griffon in armor. And from what we could see was that the griffon wasn’t alone. Two other griffons with armor were behind him holding themselves in the air with their giant wings, and next to them made, even me, question what I saw.”
“Brightly color horses… I swear to almighty God that there were brightly colored horses in armor below the two griffons. But two of these were special kinds of horses, one had wings, small ones but wings nonetheless, and the other one had a horn, the horned horse had to be a demon because it had some kind of unholy aura emitting form its horn moving Leo’s body like a puppet, moving his arms up and left them fall.”
“I knew it was doing it because as soon as I saw Leo’s body move my eyes snapped towards my friend, to see if he was alright. I saw the griffon with his neck bone in one of its talons; I immediately knew that the man was dead.”
“I then looked at the murderer’s creature’s eyes, was aware of me as it stared back, but by then I was blind… blind with rage, and thus without thinking I attacked.”
“It didn't take long for me to move close to the creature, for it just stood there unmoving; by the time my helmet’s steel face had concealed me. I tried to strike it with my weapon as it was at reach but before I could slay it a different creature came upon me and with all its might tackled me to ground.”
“It was both similar and different to the brightly colored horses, I have yet to determine if weather its white with black stripes or black with white stripes, may it have been one or the other was of little importance, it has shown me it’s an enemy and before anything could stop me, I thrust my sword through the creatures pathetic armor easily, but my efforts were useless, since that coward Mark had already shot the creature in the face, I knew it was him since he yelled ‘headshot’ from the ship. But the battle wasn’t over.”
“From my angle I could see one of the griffon’s companions was heading directly towards me, I of course rose quickly to my feet and realize, once I carried my slightly heavier sword to my vision, I was not going to slay my enemies anytime soon.”
“It was due to the body of the striped creature that was tucked through it, due to my desperation in rising my sword I twisted it inside the creature’s body and due to that body being lunge in the middle, in the place where my sword has a hook, it was impossible to move, believe me, I tried.”
“The griffon was near, I had no protection due to my shield being within the ship, and it was only due to my cleverness which came from grabbing the body instead of my sword by its hair using it as meat shield, that I am alive this day.”
“But I should have known the speed of the griffon being similar to a diving eagle but with bigger body at the speed it came was going to be too much for me, but I was too caught up in the heat of the battle and the rage build within me.”
“It stroke and with that I flew, I meet the ship with my back. The force was so strong that I took the front part of the ship with me, but the griffon wasn’t going to take any chances, it came to verify my death, but his hopefulness was but a lie."
“I reach quickly to the creatures neck, but it was faster than I expected as I only grabbed a couple of its feathers and its helmet, it was screeching in different tones as it reared backwards, and as if something had responded to its call, a blast appeared to my face which sends me even further within the ship.”
“It was thanks to my armor that I survived to speak this tale. Some of the ship collapsed around me and I realized I was stuck, I was forcedly knocked unconscious due to the force of extra falling debris, but luckily due to my helmet I was allowed to breath.”
“I regained consciousness due to the pain of debris upon me; moved slightly at some point of my unconsciousness.”
“At first I thought I was still in the moving ship and the battle I had was but a nightmare, and thus I tried to stand, but found my person blocked.”
“Then as I lay there I remembered my time on the ship; we would put armor, clothing and anything else we would find over sleeping men that sometimes had more than they should drink as I do in most nights. I was one of those many people.”
“And so, finding myself feeling this huge headache and aching body I was sure it came from one of my nights of ale, and as I do every time this happened, I continued to sleep.”
“Darkness took me in less that it would usually do, I’m sure now it was because of my exhaustion, and from my slumber I did not know the exact matter the inevitable fate of what had befallen of my friends, happened.”
_____________________________________________________________________________
“Ha I have defeated the giant. Take that Copper Spear!”
The battle rage on many men yelling and chaos with both their commander and champion they were at a lost with the battle going on. The crossbowmen had a hard time choosing target because they never have to fight a battle with mystical creatures both ground and aerial targets and were having trouble with both aiming and reloading their bows under the constant threat of the enemy’s thunder attacks and the decision of who to shot at.
While Moon Stone was busy gloating of killing the giant.
That was until of course he heard a loud noise come from within the ship.
Moon Stone, who had turned away from the creature to yelled at his superior officer of his achievement, stopped cold.
“Please let it be my imagination please, pleeeeeeeeease.” Plead Moon Stone as he slowly turned to the inside of the ship, only to be received by a pair of giant armored gauntlets. With surprising speed they tried to reach him, but thanks to his training he reacted in time to get away from its grasp but losing some of its feathers and helmet in the process.
“Help, help, help! Help!! Help!!!” Cried Moon Stone with what at first a quiet whimper but quickly became louder in a hopeful desperation for someone to help him.
Fate somehow smiled upon the griffin as the unicorn, Lightning Strike, was aware of the gigantic creatures rage. To end the most dangerous thing in the field of battle quickly she launched a spell once she knew of its location.
The spell collided with the creatures helmet in a loud energy wave, ‘it’ was launched deeper into the ship, only after hearing a very very loud thump noise from within the ship, and the sound of pieces from the already broken ship starting to fall, was Moon Stone ready to open his eyes.
Moon Stone was at halt from the unicorns’ attack, stuttering he said, “What….Just….Happened.”
“Help that’s what happened.” Replied Stone Wall, who was behind the griffon, Moon Stone was still at surprised stage and slowly turned to the pony.
“Was it not the magical blast that saved me?” Asked Moon Stone incredibly confused.
“Of course it was magic,” Replied Stone Wall as if the griffin had asked him if the sky was blue, “but my friend would have never seen you if I didn’t point her towards you.”
“And now if you need me I’m…uh… going to scout…to uhhh… check if the giant is actually dead!” Finished Stone Wall as his face turned into a sly smirk, “and also you check your Sargent he was a little pale”
Moon Stone jumped at the mention of the Sargent, he quickly turned outside and saw his paralyzed-from-messing-up-big-time commander still staring at his blood-covered talons.
“Sargent, move!” Yelled Moon Stone as he raced to his commander to save him from some smaller versions of the giant.
Only when Moon Stone began fighting the smaller version of the giant Stone Wall began to move sneakily into the ship to find where exactly was the food that Keen Sight kept saying they had.
But he didn’t need to move much, after a couple of steps what he saw made his muzzle water. Before him were barrels on top of barrels full of food, the only mental issue he had was on what he was to feast on first.
But before he could begin in the center of the end of the room was a collapsed part of the ship, the one on top of the giant, this last observation came from noticing the giant’s hind-hooves comically outside of the pile.
To make sure the giant was dead and allow him to eat without any unpleasant interruptions, Stone Wall closed the gap between him and the pile.
Using one of his fore-hooves Stone Wall knocked at the pile a couple times to make sure it was dead, but what received was not the right answer.
A huge groan resounded throughout the room. The thing was alive.
He was about to run away from the thing until he came on the knowledge that after a failed try to rise, the creature stopped. Stone Wall looked onto the pile on top of the creature and easily deduced to himself that no creature that of size could get out of that pile, remembering the gigantic creature’s dimensions, he deduced by experience that it was to carry over twice his size in rubble to free himself.
“Better luck next time buddy… or could it have been a gal?” Stone Wall thought to himself as he now had a free passage to eat as much as he wanted, he would help his friends… well at least Lightning Strike, she at least was a mare, if it was not because of the incredible need to eat that he had, he couldn’t pass too much time without having a feast, it was his emblem after all.
_____________________________________________________________________________
“I’m tired of these stupid mythical creatures on this stupid mythical island on this stupid bloody mythical shore! Why won’t you die you bird-brained freak?!” Screamed Mark as he angrily reloaded his crossbow, cursing under his breath in each desperate second, until he heard the satisfying ‘click’ telling him it was ready to be fired.
The best word to describe the ‘battlefield’ for the inexperienced crew was chaos at best. As these people were barely used to fighting other people, mediocre at combat but still better that whatever in hell they were ready to fight actual breathing mythical creatures?!
Mark was a good marksman, he had been able to get a couple of arrows against both creatures, in extremities and wings, but they just don’t die! The arrows went right through.
The main enemy was a lancer-griffon, which stabbed through one of the screaming men every twenty seconds with its lance and only after disappearing with them to the clouds did the thing unceremoniously let them fall to the ground, ‘dead before falling’ were the lucky ones, because nearly dead falling were picked off by the lighting-shooting-freak-horse-thing above the clouds
“Come on you little devil spawn, where are you?” Said Mark almost to himself, but before his little evil flying friend could pop out of the clouds he felt his crossbow being pulled away from him.
He grabs it forcefully and quickly looks to his supposed new enemy, only to see nothing.
“Ok I am tired of this are we fighting ghost now. Are we on a mythical haunted island because if we are, is God is surly showing his hatred towards me?” Said Mark sarcastically as he fought desperately against the invisible force.
That was until he was pulled towards the border of the ship and saw another magical fiend on the shore.
But this one was special; it didn't have wings but a horn, that was moving at the same time with the mysterious force that is pulling his crossbow.
“So it was you! “Yelled Mark as he skillfully shifted his crossbow to the creature, and fired. the arrow went clean through the creature’s armor and leg making it howl in pain.
But it was a short lived victory. The distraction of the horned creature was enough for the spear Griffon who closes in to mark with enough time to shove its spear going through his leather armor from behind Mark.
But Mark wasn't going to die without a fight. He grabbed the spear with his left hand and with his right he pulled out his steel dagger from his sheath and repeatedly stabbed the griffon behind him, not caring where each knife stab fell.
In between each strengthened filled stab the being tried to pull out its spear, but unfortunately for the creature, Mark still had his grip upon the spear. But over time Mark began to feel weak, he pulled the last of his strength to try to kill the creature. But he was suddenly cut off by the creature’s hidden dagger which struck Mark’s face with little force, barley entering his cranium.
The creature, noticing Mark's weaken stabs, renewed its efforts into burying its dagger up into Mark's brain. The young Mark, already weakened and tired, couldn't do much, but embrace deaths sweet embrace.
_____________________________________________________________________________
“I woke up from my tired slumber thanking my partner’s prank that allowed me to sleep a little longer. Having no fear of the weight on top of me, as usual I tried to move the ‘the armor and cloths’ off of me, I then noticed it to be harder and heavier than usual.”
“’Did they sneak barrel for this trick? Is Leo involved in this?’ I thought as I began to panic due to the ‘armor, cloths and now barrels’ on top of me, and I started to yell, “It is enough for this joke, this is too heavy for I to carry, I need help!”
“Receiving no answer I started to become mad at my supposed ‘friends’ ‘entertainment’, my mind reeled back to the nightmare I had, but quickly forced it back, thinking it was only a dream, and that my friends are getting me back for drinking for the last barrel of ale we had.”
“But the more I struggled, the more the nightmare came back. Until I finally remember the last thing that has happen to me in the nightmare.... the blast, the rubble, and now….my rage… with that alone and my rested muscles I was able to move the base of the debris causing the rest of the debris to fall off before me.”
“Now with the removed debris, I cleared my mind of the nightmare, because it was that. Just a nightmare.”
“In my woken state I was meet with the ship of my friend Leo, but slightly altered. ‘Did we already reach Jerusalem? And they dare pull this trick upon me now?’ I thought, while I struggle to move my feet, ‘They are surely spending their time in the brothels with the women, ale, and bards, enjoying life while I sit here to watch the ship. Those bastards’ ”
“Sir Jacque, you quite going away from the point.” Pointed out Ermo, leaning on his chair, heavily interested in the man’s story.
“Right, right I am sorry. Now where was I… oh yes.”
“I of course in my mornings I am a very observant person, I notice the lack of activity of the ship, the ‘new windows’ in the ceiling and the new decoration of wood across the ship. Now my mind was reeling back, ‘Did the ship wreck? Did I just sleep through a shipwreck?!’ I asked to myself.”
“Then I thought back to the nightmare, more possible with every step I took to the outside of the ship… and there I stopped. Meeting me outside were my friends, all still wearing their armor, most of them wearing their blood and their faces frozen forever in their moment of death”
“The rage came back to me in full force… and I had a target to use it against.”
“I WILL BE YOUR END YOU MURDERERING CREATURES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”