//------------------------------// // Chapter 10 - Gates of Griffhala // Story: Death's Bargain // by Haseo //------------------------------// Chapter 10 Gates of Griffhala The majestic snow-capped mountains of the Griffon Kingdom stretched endlessly in both directions. They got closer and closer to the giant gate built inside the mountains. Countless torches illuminated the area in a bright flickering light. The gate was built in the centre of the mountain wall. There was no possibility of entering the gate by hoof. Even if some insane pony might be dumb enough the climb up the wall, the various griffon guards would bring them to their senses. The frame of the gate was decorated with the sculptures of two giant griffon and various images of the glorious battles that the griffon race had fought in the past. A few of the guards had caught sight of the arriving chariot. The guard of honor formed two rows to welcome the ambassadors of Equestria. Their torches led the way. The bat ponies in front coughed and hissed. Many a time they had to fight griffon traitors in the past. A very unpleasant opponent. Slowly, they decreased their height and closed in on the hard stone ground. Everything around them passed by in an insane speed. But it was even now clearly visible that griffons had no concept of elegance or anything of the like. The heavy chariot touched the ground and slowed down completely. Four griffon guards approached them rapidly, holding tight on their pikes. They were staring merciless at the bat ponies and their passengers. The next false move could be the last one. Completely careless, Soul leaped out of the chariot and turned around in mid-air. The griffons pointed their spikes at the agile stallion. Soul offered his hoof to Applejack and helped her out of the uncomfortable entrance. From the corner of his cold, blue eyes, he gazed at the guards behind him. They could feel the power through his very appearance and lowered their weapons for their own sake. The tallest of them, a completely snow-white griffon with shining golden eyes approached them through the soldiers and saluted the visitors. “Welcome to the Gate of Griffhala. State your identity and purpose of your visit.” Soul approached the guard with a poised chest. His eyes presented strength and determination, he left no place for any weakness. Applejack noticed that the guards were uncomfortable around Soul. Griffons were non-magical beings, they couldn't possibly feel the magical capacity of Soul, could they? “My name is Soul Tearer, ambassador of Equestria, Captain of the Nightmare Legion, and vanquisher of the madness. I'm here together with my lovely companion, Applejack from the famous Sweet Apple Acres to discuss the conditions of Equestria's surrender towards the Griffon Kingdom.” The vigilant guards looked at each other in surprise, but the white griffon in front of them seemed to be informed about their arrival. “Ah, yes. Gium already told me that you will arrive very soon. I'm glad you made it this early. The preparations are already made. Follow me.” Without more detail, the griffon turned around and walked away from the runway. Soul left some distance between their guide and began to follow him. To his right side was the orange farmer, pacing along. Applejack gently nudged him, and Soul carefully lowered his head so she could whisper something into his ear. “Rarity, always told meh that Ah'm rude, but this guy didn't even tell us his name.” Soul waited for a short moment to be sure that the griffon didn't hear them talking. He elevated his head slightly and whispered beneath Applejack's hat. “It is very odd, every other official would have introduced himself first. That and the fact that the other guards weren't informed leads me to the conclusion that something must be wrong here. We have to be very careful, always stay by my side, and remember that you are wearing that necklace. It will save you if necessary.” The griffon walked down a long grey hallway. There were no ornaments or decorations at all, only plain old stone walls. He slightly turned his head and looked sharp at them from the corner of his eyes. The tile under the right rear claw of the griffon sank into the ground and produced a strange clicking sound. The sound repeated over and over again. Small holes were visible all around Soul and Applejack. The farmer leapt forward to escape this trap, but Soul continued in his steady pace. “Soul! What are ya doin'! Run!” Applejack did her best, but she still wasn't quick enough to escape the hail of arrows. Time seemed to run slower around her. She saw the sharp edges of every single arrow that aimed for her body. “Ridiculous.” The countless arrows around them were vaporized inside intense black flames. No trace, not even dust remained of the deadly missiles. Applejack's eyes widened in amazement as she turned her head around to face the still relaxed stallion. Applejack stopped and gazed at the griffon in front. A warning glimmer of danger shone in her eyes. “Hey! Are ya nuts or somethin'? Ah thought we were here to discuss and not to fight.” The guard laughed at the scared mare and elevated his claws in an excusing pose. “I don't see your point, little pony. We just had to be sure that you were not an imposter. You mastered the first step, we'll see about the second.” A thick grey barrier stretched from the right side of the hallway and parted Soul and Applejack from the snow-white guard. They were trapped. Applejack galloped to the barrier and bucked against the massive wall, but not even a crack appeared on its surface. “Soul, we have to get out of here!” Another clicking sound rang through the hallway. Applejack couldn't believe her eyes when she saw the floor behind Soul moving. It exposed a dark emptiness. He returned seconds after with an uninvited guest. The dirt-coloured being drooled from his misshapen maw, where only two short, already broken teeth were visible. The yellow eyes of the monster didn't testify great intelligence or any other cognitive abilities, but they showed the unconditional willingness for violence. It was a weird sight to see such a being, standing on two feet and using its arms to wield a gigantic mace. Applejack paled at the sight of this miserable being. Never before in her life she had seen something like this. The being roared a terrifying scream, but Soul didn't even twitch. He just walked in the same pace as before towards the wall. The monster raised to its full height and grabbed the mace. It was at least five ponies high and three ponies wide, but even though its great mass, this being was fast. Snot and drool leaked from his open mouth as it stormed at Soul. Applejack's lips moved, but no words wanted to escape her mouth. The being leashed out and prepared the strike at the seemingly uninterested stallion. The mace made its way around, heading for Soul's back. Just a moment before it made contact, the tip of Soul's horn produced a small spark and the mace dispersed into thin air. The being lost its balance and fell over the walking stallion. The shadow of the downcoming being swallowed Soul completely. The massive body already covered him from Applejack's eyes. She gasped, but before the body hit the ground, a sapphire-blue light illuminated from underneath the being. A thin blue bolt raced through the being and ripped the being apart. Every bit of its flesh burned to ashes. “An oger. A pitiful creature. They have no purpose in life since their territory was destroyed.” Applejack followed Soul with her eyes. Calmly, he walked past the astonished mare and closed in on the barrier. With another spark of his magic, the wall began to move. It crumbled and contracted into space that simply couldn't exist. The whole wall formed into a small ball and finally vanished in front of Applejack's eyes. “What happened to their territory? What could drive such strong creatures away from home?” The guard behind the wall stared at Soul in terror. The stallion simply headed for the terrified griffon, showing Applejack no further attention. “Me happened to them. I destroyed their home.” The griffon gasped, he was afraid. “I'm sorry! It was just a test, I swear! We only had to be sure that you were not an imposter!” Soul stopped directly in front of the griffon. In sheer fear, the guard closed his eyes, but nothing came to harm him. Only the sound of Soul's voice. “Good evening, Gium.” The guard slowly turned his head around to face his superior. Gium grinned over his whole face and carefully hovered down from the air above the scared guard. “You are dismissed for now, my guard.” He quickly bowed in front of the approaching grey griffon and made his way out of the hallway in a rapid step. The griffon who had formerly introduced himself as ambassador of the Griffon Kingdom was wearing the armour of a soldier with a higher rank. “I warmly greet you, Soul Tearer. I'm sorry, but we had to test your true identity. We really didn't want to fall for an imposter, did we?” Applejack followed the stallion carefully to his position but still kept some distance to Soul and Gium. She knew that she was safe around Soul, but the tension between them made her feel uncomfortable. Soul's stare towards Gium was challenging and hard. It was the same gaze that Applejack hoped never to see again. It was the identical expression from when he fought Lunacy and the Princess’s darker halves. The fact that he had come here to pretend to surrender didn’t seem to matter to him anymore. “You just could have asked. There was no need to threaten our lives in order to check my true identity. Moreover, it looks more than odd to me that you would want to confirm my abilities so extensively. Would you like to tell me the purpose of this ridiculous measure?” Gium's grin had almost faded. Obviously, he noticed the change in Soul's attitude and got more careful. “The adviser of the king wanted us to make sure that they really sent you and no copycat. Even I don't know the exact reason, but that is nothing for you to worry about.” For a few seconds the grey griffon and the black stallion stared each other. None of them even blinked, but there was something strange with the griffon. When he came to Canterlot Castle, he was much more self-confident and more cocky. Applejack narrowed her eyes and decided to observe the situation. Soul's expression remained unchanged, the chill of his gaze was undeniable. His patience seemed to fade. “Right.” Gium turned around and pointed further down the dull grey hallway. “Right down this hallway is a underground train station. The journey to Griffhala is quite long. We will begin with the negotiations when the train starts moving. In Griffhala, you have only to sign the surrender declaration with our King.” Soul nodded and took a single step forward. Applejack followed them along and eyed them carefully. It was five long and silent minutes before they reached the end of the unspectacular hallway. It ended abruptly at a single train wagon. The rest of the train was hidden inside the walls. The tunnel that housed the train was perfectly circular, only big enough to allow the wagon to pass. Without the doing of the griffon, the wagon doors slid open and offered its welcoming-looking seats to them. The interior of the wagon was fabulous. A fine red carpet was neatly attached to the floor, two wine-red padded bench-seats with golden molding were opposing each other, parted by an glass table. Applejack rendered the situation more than suspicious, but she laid her faith in Soul's hooves. The three of them walked inside the wagon and took a seat. Before Gium sat down, he turned around and left the wagon, heading to the wagon in front. “What kind of host would I be if I didn't even offer some drinks for my guests?” They only had the speck of a moment to talk before Gium returned and stuck to their flanks. Soul leaned over to Applejack and grabbed her shoulders to pull her over to him. He blocked her face from being seen by the griffon. “Listen, we don't have much time to talk. This perfectly rectangular hallway and this perfectly circular tunnel, they both were just recently magically shaped. The griffons have no need for such facilities. The tests before and this caged surrounding were planned especially for me. Judging from the short amount of time they had to react and the memories of Fluttershy, I've got access to evidence that leads me to the conclusion that Twilight might be the advisor of their king or better, she could be called the puppeteer. We have to be careful, she is up to something, and we won't fall for it.” Applejack blinked rapidly and simply nodded at the razorsharp-minded stallion. “So here are two nice, cold glasses filled with crystal clear water from the snowy tops of the mountain around Griffhala. I hope I didn't interrupt something here.” Gium stepped back into the room with a pair of glasses in his claws. Again, he was flashing that cocky grin. Soul used his magic to levitate the glasses over. His sharp eyes inspected the liquid while it hovered to their sites. The spark of his magic leaped into the water and cleaned it of any impurities, hidden from Gium's eyes. “Thank you, my dear friend.” Applejack nodded in approval to show her good manners. Both of them grabbed their glasses and poured down the clear liquid. The griffon watched every single drop run down their throats. Soul laid his glass back to its place and cleared his throat. “Now that we got past the formalities, shall we start the negotiations regarding the diplomacy status of our countries?” Disappointment was the major feeling that Gium's face expressed towards them. Despite the lack of teeth, the griffon gnashed his beak. It was almost invisible, but Soul could clearly see his anger about the failed plan. The cocky grin had changed sides and was traceable on Soul's face. Gium forced his beak apart and pressed words with a threatening sounding undertone out of it. “All right. As my fellow guest, I would like you to start. At which point do you want to begin? Maybe the hand over of Equestria's wealth to the Griffon Kingdom?” Soul scratched his chin and thoughtfully closed his eyes. He licked his lips and began to bargain for the sake of Equestria's population. “I think the parting of our possessions does not matter right now. The safety of the Equestrian population should be the first priority here. I want to ensure that every single living creature, including animals won't be harmed by any griffon, they’re allies and beings with a connection to the Griffon Kingdom. Furthermore, I don't want any griffons to touch Equestria's ground, but due to the tactical value of my home, we can discuss the possibility of tactical bases to move your armies to your destinations. Of course, you won't be allowed to enter any of our cities either.” Gium pounded his claws against the glass table between them. A vein underneath his feathers began to throb. “HOW DARE YOU? YOU COME HERE AND TRY TO GIVE ME COMMANDS? I'M YOUR CONQUEROR! NOT THE OTHER WAY ‘ROUND!” Soul carefully and gently let his horn light up. The air inside the wagon seemed to cool down a bit while the silhouette of the griffon radiated in the colour of Soul's magic. Applejack only briefly looked at the helpless griffon. Her eyes wandered around the room until they caught sight of something weird. The clock-hands of the little clock at a side table were running visibly faster. Her eyes widened when she finally realized what Soul was up to. He was taunting Gium in order to get him angry. Gium wasn’t a real diplomat after all, his pride would lead him into Soul's trap and slow the negotiations down. In addition, Soul was manipulating time so they wouldn’t come to an agreement in time. The black stallion flashed the stunned griffon his darkest gaze and closed the distance to him, only a few inches parted them. “Don't be mistaken, Gium. Only because we are here for surrender negotiations, doesn't mean that we will give you permission to do everything you like. It simply means that we won't like to fight against your folk. Equestria won't be exploited nor will it be exposed to any violent acts. Our country doesn't like to fight, but when these negotiations fail, we will defend ourselves against your kind. And believe me when I tell you that your puny army of avian fighters won't stand a chance against the glorious Nightmare Legion.” Gium tried to fight against the magical skin around him, but his body wouldn't do as he pleased. Soul forced him to take his seat again. The skin around the griffon vanished and Gium almost fell from his seat due to the lack of body tension. “You fraud! You will pay for this, so much I can promise you. I don't need to be afraid of you. They will come for you, there will be no escape.” The grin of a winner crept onto Soul's face. It was easy to trick the soldier in disguise. “They will come for me? Who exactly is 'they', and why should they come for me? Seems like something is going on here. Maybe you want to tell me before I find out for myself?” The grey griffon gulped in the realization of his mistake. The sweat began to pour down his feathered face and dripped on the fine red carpet beneath them. “Of course some of my friends will go after you if you dare harm me!” Applejack followed Soul's lead and grinned victoriously at the harassed griffon. She laid her hoof around Soul to support her weight and leaned forward towards Gium. “Ya know? We already know that somepony is pullin' the strings in your lil' play. Ya spoke of somepony in particular. Ya can just tell us her name now. Ya can't get away from here anyway.” Gium's eyes opened wide, like he saw the beauty of nature for the first time. “Her? Why do you expect a girl to be behind this? But that doesn't matter anyway. Why should I tell you?” Soul stomped his hooves on the table and cracked its surface, but the plate still supported his weight. “You underestimate your situation. You are all alone here. No pony will help you when you are facing one of the most dangerous ponies in world history. If your life has any value to you, talk. Otherwise, I will get my required information... another way.” Gium's entire body was shaking. Applejack got curious and watched the griffon closely. His bravery had faded quickly in face of a serious threat of his life. “You sick bastard... There are two of your kind waiting for you. The advisor of the King brought them to our country. They are far beyond your capacity.” The black stallion narrowed his eyes and took a deep breath. “The identity of the adviser... tell me his name.” The grey griffon stroked his chest feathers and pressed himself back into his seat. “I don't know his identity. I swear. None of us had ever seen the advisor in person. The King only talks about him so far. The advisor just brought the two up and told us that they would get rid of you.” Soul flashed his teeth to the anxious griffon below him. His horn ignited in a dangerous deep-blue light. It seemed like even some darker hues of fog were mixed within the magic. “Liar! How can you trust somepony that you’ve never seen before! You saw the advisor, at least once! So now tell me!” He pounded a second time against the glass plate of the table and smashed it into a thousand tiny pieces. Gium cringed in fear and covered his face to be safe from the shards that flew through the room. Applejack grabbed Soul's shoulders and held him away from the griffon. “Soul! He is honest, believe me! I can see it in his eyes.” Soul gnashed his teeth and slowly withdrew from the shattered table. Gium climbed out of his seat and tried to calm himself through his relaxing breathing technique. They could feel their own weight pressing them out of their seats as the train proceeded to slow down. The confidence seemed to be returning to the shaking griffon when they reached their destination. The doors of the wagon slid open and a blinding light fell inside. Soul and Applejack covered their eyes from the light and walked through the blinding barrier. Outside the wagon, their eyes slowly acclimatized to the light. The snow upon the roofs and statues of Griffhala reflected the light and illuminated the whole city. Two long shadows approached the stunned form of Soul and Applejack. The shapes formed into ponies that belonged to the unicorn race. The slightly bigger unicorn to their right side whipped his tongue against his own chin and laughed darkly at them. “My name is Pestilence. I'm pleased to meet you, Soul Tearer. Our mistress had told us about you. I can promise you. This will be a festival...”