//------------------------------// // Chapter 3: Homecoming // Story: Ace Combat: Gryphon Wings // by Bwaak //------------------------------// Chapter 3: Homecoming Drakenridge Mountain Range, En-route to Gryphus, Griffin Kingdom April 22nd 2020, 1345 hrs Kestrel’s squad along with the survivors of the ambush flew back to Gryphus in silence. The cold howling winds were the only music to their ears as they made their way up to to the griffon capital. Unlike most Equestrian or other griffon cities and or capitals, Gryphus was located high on the tall mountain peaks of the Drakenridge mountain range. Legends say that the early griffon nomads who founded the Kingdom chose that place to hide their precious treasures from dragons and from other griffons. Equestrians always believed that griffons were fiercely protective of their territory and will do anything to protect it. Because of this, the griffons were often viewed as good guardians and their statues are often built in places the ponies believed need some extra protection. Gryphus is also surrounded by a mountainous terrain, giving the capital a sense of being protected by a natural fortress. To this day, only Celestia and a handful of strong pegasi can enter Gryphus by flight. Normal ponies need to be teleported to the kingdom since they’re incapable of getting there by their own wings or hooves. As the group broke through a thick layer of clouds, a familiar but bitter site greeted their eyes. In front of them was a giant crater, roughly about the size of Ponyville. It’s center had been completely covered in snow, but it’s rim is still perfectly visible from a bird’s eye view. Some will say that this is a remnant of an ancient volcano, but the griffons and some ponies knew the ugly truth behind this crater. Riddle still remembered it well, the apocalyptic event that nearly tore the world apart. Even thinking about it made Riddle cringe a bit. Nearly thousands of innocent ponies and griffons died in that event, and the scars only made it worse. A total of two wars broke out outside the Griffin Kingdom after the event, and the causes were pretty much obvious from the looks of it.. Even though the Griffin Kingdom was also affected by the event, the Kingdom managed to get back to it’s feet and rebuild itself from the damage. Each griffon still remembered that event, even though some of them were born after it. Kestrel slowly distanced her squad from the crater and continued to the general heading of the capital. The mountain peaks grew higher and higher as they approached the capital’s vicinity. Thick clouds obscured their vision, and bone chilling winds blows from every side, but these didn’t stop the griffons from getting to their home. Kestrel started to tweak her communicator a bit and then listened carefully. Seconds ticked by as Kestrel continued to listen carefully to her comm. She was searching for a distinctive sound emitted by a beacon that showed them the right flight path to Gryphus. After a few minutes of silence, a familiar beeping sound was heard from her comm. Kestrel quickly changed course and followed the beeping. She was quickly followed by the group. The winds started to pick up as the group entered a thick layer of clouds clinging to the tall mountains. “Kestrel to all units, we’re entering Gryphus airspace.” Kestrel ordered the group. “Stay close and don’t separate!” The royal guards yelled “roger!” in response while both Riddle and Black Star only nodded in confirmation. The winds picked up as the group passed through more clouds, and soon, small ice crystals formed around the edges of their feathers. Few griffons shivered and fell behind, but they were soon helped by the others. Kestrel kept her eyes forward and focused on what lied ahead. Soon, she started counting down after the beeping signal on her comm started to pick up the pace. “Ten… Nine… Eight… Seven…” The other griffons picked up some speed as each of the signal’s beeping began to get closer together on each tempo. “Six… Five… Four… Three…” Riddle flew over to Red Tail and the other guards, who were carrying the wounded Metal Sphere. He gave them some help carrying their wounded leader. The griffons flapped their wings as hard as they could as the beeping signal slowly merged together to form a single continuous line. “Two… One… Zero…” As if on cue, the thick clouds dispersed and the sunlight burst through; revealing a magnificent sight to all griffons. Gryphus, the capital city of the Griffin Kingdom lied ahead. Large districts and the capital itself were carved into the mountain peaks, effectively turning the city into a large natural fortress. Large industrial complexes were also carved into the mountains, giving an easy access for raw materials to be transported to the factories. Long aqueducts were built around the city, transporting fresh water from the mountains to the city. The griffons also built heaters along the aqueducts to keep the water from freezing. The capital itself resembled the Equestrian capital, Canterlot, though with some minor differences. Legends say that after many years have passed since the alicorn sisters overthrew the spirit of chaos, Discord, early griffon settlers offered some help to build the capital city of Equestria. With their architectural knowledge, the griffons successfully carved Canterlot into the mountain. All in all, Gryphus really was a sight to admire. The griffon society managed to develop technological wonders in a world filled with magic and powerful deities that can control the planet’s rotation and the moon. Ponies focused on their magics, while griffons focused on science. The two concepts might clash with one another, but the two races managed to tolerate each other and were more than happy to share their knowledge with one another. That was until that mishap that went by the name of Red Cyclone. The group continued to fly towards the city. The rocky texture of the mountains was soon replaced by small houses and eventually large urban homes. Riddle kept his eyes on the capital while Black Star tried to avoid any unfriendly stares from below. Kestrel then turned slightly to the left where she set her eyes on a large complex beside the capitol building. She then motioned the entire group to follow her, and soon they began their descent to the complex. Once they were close, a griffon guard on the ground guided them in for a landing. One by one, the griffon guards, including the two guests, landed on the field in the middle of the complex. Riddle finally had the chance to see the complex up close. It was a military training ground, no doubt. He could see several trainees staring at the group from across the field. One of them, a small male falconide griffon, caught his attention. “Alright, let’s wrap this up. Ridgeback, take Metal Sphere and the other wounded guards to the infirmary.” Came the authoritative voice of Kestrel in front of him. “Roger, Kestrel,” Ridgeback responded before he and his underlings carried Metal Sphere inside the building, followed suit by the remaining guards. The griffoness took a disgusted glance at the restrained Black Star before speaking again. “Take that filth into the dungeon and note his majesty about the capture.” “Right away, ma’am,” the black griffon who Riddle guessed as Corvine nodded as he drag the incapacitated griffon towards the building. “What about him, ma’am?” another griffon asked the leader while pointing at the blue griffon. Kestrel’s response was a long sigh. “I’ll deal with him.” Riddle could only smile at his own thought when the griffoness approached him with a frown plastered on her face. “OK, we’re in Gryphus. State your identity,” She spoke harshly. “Geez, didn’t your mother told you how to speak politely to a stranger?” Riddle retorted, earning himself a snarl from an already irritated Kestrel. “Don’t play mind games with me, Belkan,” She snarled. “Now where did you get that idea from?” Riddle asked casually. “I was telling you to be more polite, and you said that I’m messing with your head? Hah, you’re paranoid one, aren’t you?” Kestrel was about to retort but, Riddle lifted his talon, gesturing her to let him finish. “But I’m afraid my name will have to wait. May I ask, what time is it?” Kestrel was getting tired of this. He just broken his own deal and was obviously going to replace it with a new deal, but she had better answer his question to know what information he has inside that twisted mind of his. “It’s nearly 1423 hrs,” she answered flatly. “Damn,” Riddle cursed while Kestrel only raised her eyebrow, clearly detecting something wrong with him. “I know this might sound absurd, but I need an audience with your king right away.” “What makes you think I would let a stranger like you waltz inside the palace?” Kestrel frowned. “You will be taken to custody and will be questioned for what you did.” “Did what exactly? Helping a fellow griffon in need?” Riddle asked. “You assisted a war criminal! A scum who betrayed his own kingdom!” Kestrel objected, pointing accusingly at Riddle. “Helping that filth is the worst mistake you’ve ever done. You should be ashamed of yourself.” “What makes you think I should be ashamed of myself?” Riddle raised his eyebrow. “I did the right thing. And in turn, he helped me escape from my own problems. As a matter of fact, your leader, along with his cohorts could’ve been killed in the mountains if it wasn’t for him—” “Enough!” Kestrel barked, silencing the blue griffon. She motioned her two underlings over and gave them an order. “Take this smart-ass down to the interrogation room. And keep him quiet until I’m there.” “Roger ma’am,” one of the two underlings said before taking Riddle away. She growled when she saw Riddle still had that small smile on his beak. Once Riddle was out of her sight, Kestrel gave out a loud sigh before she heads down to the main building. She had a feeling that this was going to be a long day. Below the Palace grounds, Underground dungeon, Griffin Kingdom 1430 hrs Black Star found himself being thrown by the guards into the dungeon cell, still bounded and completely helpless. “Enjoy your stay.” The guard said coldly before leaving the dark griffon alone in his cell. “Hmph, not even a thank you,” Black Star snickered in his mind. Soon, the griffon propped himself upon the wall, finally finding a comfortable position if he was going to stay here until his execution. The sounds of water droplets echoed through the dungeon, and the occasional thumps and clangs from the pipes above were the only sounds that were able to keep him company in the dark. But another sound made its way to his ear. A loud metallic clang came from beside him, prompting Black Star to turn to his side to pinpoint the exact location the sound came from. It's came from another cell beside him, and he could see another figure sitting there in the dimly lit dungeon. "So, they finally got you,” a gruff voice said from the figure inside the cell. “And I see that you are too,” Black Star inquired. “Believe it or not, I gave myself in, but it’s only a small price to pay for keeping a knight’s word.” “Is that so?” the figure chuckled quietly as he moved closer towards Black Star, his messy feathers and scarred beak were barely noticeable in the dark. “Tell me, who is the knight you’re referring to?” the figure said mockingly. “Is it one of those aristocratic Belkan twits that promised you freedom? It’s always the Belkans, isn’t it?” “You’re awfully interested about this, aren't you?” Black Star said. “But I already know the reason why, since you sought the same goals and worked for them, Geier.” “Ah, so you do remember me Star,” The figure laughed. “I’m touched. I was beginning to think that everyone have forgotten me.” “How could they forgot the biggest traitor in the Kingdom’s history?” Black Star smirked. “Not only that you betrayed our kingdom, but also the Equestrians. And then you betrayed the Belkans as well.” “I did what I had to do,” Geier shrugged nonchalantly. “A mercenary has to do what he does best, work for the highest bidder.” Black Star stayed silent as Geier continued. “They finally got me near the border, caught me red-handed for trying to smuggle out some foreigners from Neue Gryphus to the Kingdom. And you probably know the rest.” Geier sighed for a moment before chuckling slightly. “But I never protested. I’m a bad guy, and I deserve to be locked up and be executed. Once I die, my soul will spend an eternity in the fiery pits of Tartarus.” Geier turned towards the dark griffon and smiled, “But for some reason, I’m still alive. Maybe being alive is proof that I’m good.” Black Star just stared at the griffon before turning away. Geier’s words really made him lost in his thought. He survived the war, living with the guilt for what he had done in the past and escaping capture from the Kingdom until his meeting with that mysterious griffon, Riddle. The only punishment for a traitor like him and Geier is death. But for some reason, Geier was still here, locked up like a common criminal scum in the dungeon. This fact really confused him, and there was a spark of hope inside his mind that said he might have the chance of being spared from the death sentence by being forgotten like Geier, but the logical side of his mind denied that hope and told him to just accept his fate. He’s a traitor, he’s a murderer and he deserves that sentence. All of his thoughts came to a stop when Black Star heard a loud metallic clang from the hallway. Soon, he heard the sounds of several footsteps coming toward his cell. “I guess they didn’t forget about me after all,” Geier chuckled. “Welp, looks like my time has come.” Black Star stayed silent when the footsteps were slowly getting louder and louder. Finally, two guards came into his view, and behind them was a griffon Black Star knew all too well. His glare deepened when the griffon ordered both of the guards to leave, to which they hesitantly complied. Once the guards were gone, the griffon unlocked the cell and entered it before shutting the cell doors shut. The two silently glared at each other. Black Star's gold eyes met the glare from the griffon's sapphire eyes. Before long, the griffon cleared his throat and spoke. “Hello Blake. It’s been a long time isn’t it?” Black Star only squinted his eyes when he heard the name the griffon used to call him. After a while, Black Star finally found his voice again. “Valdar…” Somewhere in Sudentor, Neue Gryphus 1555 hrs “…and that concludes the mission’s debriefing, sir,” Blau 1 finished the report with a scowl still present on his face. His superior, Kriegstreiber just sat there, his eyes and ears twitching and his anger boiling. Finally, he gave out a loud growl as he levitated his glass of water and threw it into the wall. “DAMN IT!” he cursed before trotting over to Blau 1. “You said that your team are the best hunting dogs for the job. You said you will take that griffon back to me! YOU said that that task will be easy!” “Indeed, I said all those things, sir.” Blau 1 said while rolling his eyes in annoyance. “Then where is he? Where is Ratsel Wonderfalke? WHERE IS HE!?” Blau 1 merely stood there in silence, keeping his remaining eye on the unicorn pony in front of him. There was no doubt that everypony inside the building could hear the outburst but chose to ignore it. Kriegstreiber growled in frustration when Blau 1 failed to gave a response to his question. “I knew I shouldn’t have hired you pirates in the first place,” the unicorn ranted. “Not only that, my assistant’s foolishness helped him escape, and now you alerted the whole kingdom of our plans!” “It doesn’t matter, sir,” Blau 1 said calmly. “Even if they decide to act, they will be far too late to stop the development of Valkyrie.” “You think I didn’t know that?” Kriegstreiber spat, giving the pegasus a venomous glare. “But you forgot one thing: He knows the secrets! That griffon knows too much about the plan, and he’s our only ticket of acquiring the secret that would lead to our plans' success.” Blau 1 was about to reply, when the huge monitor on his office started to blink. Soon the words [INCOMING VIDEO MESSAGE FROM: AS] appeared on the screen. Kriegstreiber widen his eyes in horror before shoving Blau 1 out of his office and locking the door. Then he pushed a button under his table, and soon, metal shutters closed the windows and the doors, making sure anyone stayed out from his office. Once that was done, he clicked a remote and opened the video message. The screen was black for a moment, but soon a figure stepped out from the darkness, and a cold feminine voice was heard through the speakers. “How is the progress, Kriegstreiber?” “Not so good, my lady,” the unicorn said hesitantly. “The armors you requested have been completed, and test subjects were able to operate at 100 percent, but…” “But what?” the figure asked. Kriegstreiber gulped and continued, “The griffon, Ratsel Wonderfalke won’t co-operate with us and won’t spill the secrets about the project. H... he escaped and alerted the Griffin Kingdom about the situation… ” “Then you have failed,” the figure growled. “Your armors are wasting my valuable time, Kriegstreiber, and I have grown tired of waiting. Once more, your incompetence has cost you one of your greatest minds in the project. The deal is off, Kriegstreiber. I will do it myself.” “Wait! My lady please! Give me another chance!” the unicorn pleaded in front of the monitor. Causing the figure to look down on the unicorn. “Why should I give you another chance when you clearly used up your last one?” she asked. “Please my lady, if you give me another chance. I promise to deliver twice the armors you wanted in addition of the Valkyrie to strengthen your forces.” The figure was silent for a moment as she rubbed her hoof on her chin, weighing her decisions and the offer Kriegstreiber just said. Finally, she sighed and spoke again, “One month.” She said slowly. “One month, that is all.” “Oh, thank you my lady.” Kriegstreiber bowed to the figure. “Thank you so much.” Blau 1 sticked his left ear on the door, hoping he could hear something from Kriegstreiber’s office but so far, the sounds were muffled by the metallic doors. Blau 1 finally gave up and trotted away from the office and heads down to the hallway, heading to the training grounds to sharpen his skills. “So, have you figured it out yet?” Blau 1 halted as he heard a gruff voice coming from the right hallway. He turned around and saw a brown eagle griffon leaning against the wall while crossing his arms. The griffon's red eyes and the strange smile plastered on his beak made Blau 1 hesitant for a moment. "Damn, I thought I'll get used to this freak's look by now!" he thought before answering the griffon's question. “Nothing yet, Esser.” he answered. “I still haven’t figured out whose been supplying the materials for this backwater project.” “I have one guess.” The griffon, Esser said thoughtfully. “But it’s probably false. We haven’t heard from her since that wedding. By the way, what happened to your eye?” “Shut your beak, freak.” Blau 1 growled. “I lost it to that griffon. No matter, next time I’ll see him..” “Hey, hey. Don’t get so worked up about it.” Esser said after he wrapped his right arm around Blau 1, earning a venomous glare from him. “You’ll get your chance. You’ll see.” Blau 1 simply ducked and escaped the griffon’s grip. “Don’t touch me, griffon.” He spat. “Kriegstreiber might have employed you to work alongside with my team but that doesn’t mean we’re friends.” The pegasus lifted his front hoof and pointed towards the griffon’s head. “If you dare touch me again, I’ll make sure you’ll never have to do it again.” Esser just chuckled at the threat and said, “Sure, whatever you say Blue.” Blau 1 just turned around and trotted away to the training grounds. Leaving the smirking Esser all by himself. “That stupid colt thinks he can kill me? Heh, he’s in for a surprise.” He chuckled at his own thought before heading down the opposite direction.