//------------------------------// // Chapter 5: Aethris // Story: The Reader: Book Two // by GnollReader //------------------------------// Were all of the featherclaws going to be like this? Scar let out a tired sigh as he watched the eager look in Aethris' eyes. Practicing was one thing, but this... how was he supposed to hunt rats if every featherclaw he met was going to challenge him? Not to mention that it was much to early in the morning for his liking. "Why does featherclaw want to fight Scar?" he asked her with a hard gaze. "We griffons always strive to prove our strength, so we are always eager to challenge a strong opponent." Aethris replied with a smirk, "Also, if I do this my husband will no longer be the only one able to claim that he has fought a real, living mountain gnoll." "He isn't actually the only one..." Purple Haze interrupted with a frown, "Vayu also challenged Scar back in Equestria." She was not necessarily anxious to get the gnoll into a fight the moment they set foot in griffon territory... even more so if it was against Blackbeak's wife. "She did?" Aethris raised an eyebrow in surprise before turning her gaze back to where her husband was still standing, "You allowed our daughter to fight a gnoll?" Blackbeak visibly cringed, "I tried to talk her out of it, but you know her... she wouldn't have it any other way." Aethris gave her husband a meaningful look before turning back to the gnoll, she'd have a talk with her husband later concerning his parenting. "How did she do?" At the other side of the port, Vayu whispered a silent prayer that the gnoll wouldn't tell her just how badly she had done. Scar scratched his head in thought, "Is young, not much experience... Also quick to lose temper and grow frustrated so attacked without thought in straight line." he closed his eye for a moment in thought, "Did last longer than it had anticipated though... strong will and hard skull." he chuckled, "Scar thinks that Vayu can become good warrior, but still has to learn a lot. Much potential, but too little patience and not enough wisdom." Aethris studied his face before a small smile found its way onto her beak, "That does sound like her, alright." she turned her face slightly to the side, "You hear that, Vayu? Just like I told you too; Patience and observation..." "Are the key to victory." Vayu groaned, "Yes, mother. I know." Aethris shook her head with a small laugh, "Always willing, but never listening." she returned her attention to the gnoll, "So? Will you fight against me as well?" The gnoll shifted his shoulders slightly, feeling the weight from his maul on them. Just as a precaution, he had told Tag to be quiet for the time being as his mere appearance would likely already serve from some raised eyebrows. He studied the griffon another time, trying to judge her strength. She looked to be in good shape and her eyes were sharp... she was probably more experienced than her daughter too. Then there was the matter of her wings. Out here in the open it would be difficult to catch her, though it would be just as hard for her to get close enough to him... Scar came to the conclusion that he would probably be able to beat her, but it would definitely take more time than with Vayu. Time he had originally intended to spend napping somewhere dark and quiet. He weighed the two options he had; either pummel the featherclaw in front of her fledglings or find a quiet place to nap... "Featherclaw wants to prove strength?" he asked her after another moment of thought. "I'd like to know how strong a gnoll is in comparison to a griffon." she corrected him. "Mmmh..." the gnoll scratched his chin, "Then there is better way of doing." Before Aethris could ask what he meant, Scar gave a small grunt and lifted the maul from his shoulders, holding the huge weapon out in front of her to see, "This be Scar's weapon, is Tag." The griffon gave a confused nod, wondering why a weapon like this would carry such a ridiculous name. She was even more surprised to see that someone had painted a huge mustache onto its head of stone, something that by griffon standards would have been totally unacceptable. The gnoll turned the maul slightly in his hand before setting it head first onto the ground before her, the force of the impact making her squirm a little as she felt the tremble go through the foundations of the port. "If featherclaw wishes to know how strong gnoll is, then can try and lift Tag. If featherclaw can lift, then gnoll will fight too." Even as Scar removed his huge hand from the heft, he could feel a slight chuckle go through the wood. It seemed that Tag had understood. "That's your condition?" Aethris asked with a smirk, "You should know that we griffons are a lot stronger than we look." she placed her talons on the heft, gripped the wood tightly, gave a strong pull and... nothing. The weapon did not move, not even an inch. She pulled again, feeling her muscles strain but from the feeling in her talons she might as well have been trying to lift a mountain. "Go mommy! You can do it!" the triplets cheered for her. Aethris gave off a small curse and pulled from the side, trying to at least to get it to fall over. But no matter how hard she pulled, no matter how furiously she flapped her wings, the maul was unmovable. She gave the gnoll a blank stare, "How can you even lift that thing? It must weigh a ton!" Scar gave a small huff, reached out and picked up the maul again, giving it a small whirl as he held it in the air, "Is heavy, good weapon for gnoll... also makes nice sound when it hits skull. But..." the maul came down again with a heavy crack, "Is condition. If featherclaw can lift, gnoll will fight." With that said, Scar started to head up the port with Purple Haze in tow and leaving the befuddled Aethris alone with Tag. "You do realize that she'll probably be furious once she finds out that Tag can turn himself unmovable?" Purple Haze whispered to him with a small chuckle. "Let featherclaw be furious." Scar replied with a small grunt, "It has more important things to do." "Already rearing to catch some rats?" Purple Haze asked, "We haven't even gotten all of our stuff from the ship yet..." The gnoll shook his head, "No. Is too early for gnoll to be awake, so Scar goes and looks for someplace to sleep..." then find some food, then sleep again. "That's your important thing?" a small sigh escaped Purple Haze, "Alright, go find yourself someplace to nap. I'll make sure that the rest get settled in and everything gets unloaded." her face scrunched up for a moment, "We can't have you go through the castle alone though..." The gnoll raised an eyebrow, "Why not?" "You're a gnoll." she stated flatly. "Oh..." "Yeah..." Purple Haze did a quick check of the port, a small smirk appearing on her face as she spotted the three fledglings dangling from Scar's maul, "Hey! You three..." the blood started to leave the gnoll's face as he realized what she was about to do, "Want to give Scar here a tour of the castle?" "DOGGIE!" --- A good hour later, Aethris was still struggling with the maul. Everyone else had already left and the few guards present were smart enough not to ask what it was she was doing. No matter how hard she tried or how she pulled, the maul would not budge. Ever so slowly, the griffon became furious, "Damn it! This is ridiculous! Let yourself be moved, you confounded piece of shrubbery!" "Nay, I say thee!" Aethris gave a surprised squawk and jumped backwards, almost falling over herself but quickly going into a fighting stance instead. "By the wind..." she whispered in disbelief, "It talks!" "Pah! Talk I can, indeed! And much more!" Tag happily sang, "I am Sir Tag, herald of heroes, slayer of rats and bearer of honor! I only have one master! Only one who may wield me and use me to bring his art to the world! And you..." his voice lowered a bit before rising again, "Are not worthy! Never shall I let myself be lifted by such scrawny little arms! Nay, I say!" Aethris' eyebrows furrowed, "Talking maul or not, I will lift you and have my fight with the gnoll!" "You?! Fight my master?! Allow me to rear back my head and laugh at this preposterous notion!" there was a short pause, "Ha ha ha ha!" "You don't even have a head!" Aethris fumed and wrapped her hands around the heft again. "Get your filthy claws off me you damn, dirty griffon! A good beating with a door is enough for the likes of you, I say!" "Shut up!" "Good lord, how do you even expect to lift anything with that pose? You'd sooner break your own back than lift me!" "I am Aethris, of the Blackbeak clan. I have proved my worth against many adversaries and my name is written on the wall of warriors in the maiden chambers! And I will lift you!" Aethris gave a grunt as she tried to lift him again. "Your name is written on a wall? Be it as it is that I already have difficulties believing that, but many things are written on walls, my dear. Profanities included. My master's name though is sung by the bards of Canterlot and the Crystal kingdom! How would you even compare to that?" Tag was quiet for another moment as Aethris continued to pull on him, "But most importantly... I have a mustache!" "I hate you!" "I know..." a sinister laugh escaped the maul. A good distance off, the guards on duty made worried faces as they watched their esteemed monarch scream and shout swear words at a huge maul standing on the port. --- Scar wasn't sure how he had done it, but after a good hour of being led around the castle by the almost frantic fledglings he had somehow managed to lose their interest. While the three little griffons were busy troubling the kitchen for pastries, the gnoll had used the opportunity to sneak off and down an old set of stone stairs. By the looks of things it was an old storage, unused, covered in dust and filled with old furniture in the dark... perfect for a nap. No one would disturb him here. The gnoll settled down in one of the corners of the room, next to an old gargoyle set in stone. Even as he shifted to a more comfortable position, he couldn't help but feel that there was a very familiar smell to this place... though he couldn't quite place it yet. For a moment his red eye searched the room, his ears turned and he took another smell of the air; faint... familiar... unpleasant... what could it be? A small sigh escaped him, it was too early for him to go on a wild search. He'd find out after his nap. Inside the dark, old storage, the gnoll went to sleep. --- A small creak penetrated the silence of the dark room, "Careful! What if someone's down here?" a tiny voice whispered fiercely. "No one ever comes down here!" a second voice whispered back as a tile in a wall slowly swung open, "See, completely dark." Four little feet landed on the floor and two small figures carefully crept through the dark, big round ears standing on attention. "What are we looking for?" the first voice whispered. "Chest with threads..." the other replied, "They put their old clothes in there and..." there was a small squeak, "Watch it! You stepped on my tail!" "I can't help it, I can't see a thing!" the first voice replied, "Where is it?" "There's an old gargoyle to the left... Should be right in front of us." a tiny hand reached out and touched something soft, "That's strange..." "What?" the little voice asked with a stressed tone, impatient to leave again. "This doesn't feel like stone..." the little hand gave the object a tentative squeeze, "Feels wet..." "Wet?" the other voice replied with impatience, "Did they move the stuff again? Wait, let me get a light..." a small hand drew out a match, drew it over the floor and held it up like a torch. In the radiance of the small source of light, two big mice in ragged and makeshift clothes looked around themselves and tried to see what lay in the dark... and from the dark, a head bigger than themselves stared back at them with a single, red eye while the mouse's hand rested on a wet nose. Two little faces with long whiskers and small noses froze in sheer terror as a huge mouth filled with teeth longer than their limbs opened itself to speak a single word with a deep, rumbling voice, "Rats..." The match went out, the dark returned... and the screaming began.