//------------------------------//
// Chapter 3: Play time 
// Story: A human in the Griffon Empire: Into the Pit. 
// by Lethally Insane 
//------------------------------//

	Chapter 3: Play time

A dinner of oats and some gangly weeds from the cistern shore. Violet noticed that Joshua had scraped at the oats, but wouldn’t eat the grass.

“You don’t eat grass?” she said.
“I don’t know,” he said placing a strand in his mouth, “tastes yucky.”
“You don’t have to eat it if you don’t want to.” Golden Script chuckled, “ I’ll see if I can find something more meaty for you to eat.”
“Okay.” He said, raising his eyes a bit.
“How can you not eat grass?” Sugar asked with her mouth full, “ Itsh really good.”
“Tastes yucky,” he stated flatly again, then he pushed her his pile, “you can eat mine.”
“Yay!” she said, beginning to eat his too, “ And it doesn’t taste yucky.”
“Does too.” he said.
“Sugar,” Violet sighed, “mind your manners, please. You too Joshua.”
“Okay.” he said.
“Oh,” she said stopping mid bite, “thank you Joshua.”
“Okay.” he said.

After dinner, the late summer sun was still shining through the huge opening above the cistern, reflecting against the calmly lapping waves. The light bounced in dazzling patterns against the sheer rock walls of the pit, making the day seem younger, far younger, than it was. Violet Streak reluctantly let Sugar Shine take Joshua out to play with her friends.

Joshua looked reluctantly towards the gravel beach that Sugar Shine was leading him too. He was tired, he wanted to sleep more. He closed his eyes, reliving glimpses of memories, sitting with his mommy, working with daddy. He remembered being hungry, and cold, last winter had been particularly harsh, at least, that was what daddy said. He remembered how his daddy would look up at the birds moving the clouds and curse at them. He looked at his worn out clothes, and his bare feet. ‘Mommy was about to make me new clothes.’ he thought. He wiggled his exposed toes as well, ‘ I left my shoes too.’ he thought sighing. 

“Hey Joshua?” Sugar Shine piped up.
“Huh?” he said, snapping out of his daydream, “ What?”
“C’mon,” she said galloping off, “my friends are this way!”
“Okay.” he said, running after her.

Three figures were running around on the beach, two others were standing off to the side. Sugar Shine ran off to meet them, however Joshua stayed lagged behind. The gravelly beach clawed against his bare feet, he gulped. ‘Okay Joshua,’ he thought, ‘ as long as I stay with Sugar Shine I’ll be alright.’. He slowly followed her down the beach, getting closer to figures. Now he could see with slightly better clarity as he got closer to the cistern opening. Two figures where hulking four legged beings. While three were smaller more equatable to Sugar’s size. He got closer, ‘Maybe they’re like Sugar Shine?’ He thought. He could hear them talking, Sugar was telling them about him. He stepped closer, until he could see them now. There were two huge dogs, and three birds. Sugar Shine beckoned him closer, but he couldn’t move. His eyes locked on the birds, ‘ Violet called them Griffons.’ he thought. He felt his muscles tensing, he saw his parents, remembered the recent pain. He ran, sprinting away from the birds, away from the pain, and fear. He felt his feet digging into the gravel, he tripped, smashed his shoulder on the ground. ‘Doesn’t matter.’ He thought pouncing onto all fours, gaining more distance as he got onto his legs again. Wisps of black hair fell across his face. He sprinted back to where he had come. He came to the house in the cliff, sprinting through the doorway, and flinging himself under a bed.

It was low and cramped, he slowly relaxed his breathing. He started to ache and hurt. His feet were raw from the gravel, his shoulder was slick with blood. All he could think about was the birds, the pain, and his parents. He heard Sugar Shine enter the abode, she peaked at him from under the bed.

“Are you okay?” she asked, “ You’re crying.”
“Huh?” he said, feeling the saline water streaking down his face, he hadn't even realized.
“You need a hug?” she asked quietly.
“Okay.” he said.

She got under the bed with him, it was cramped, but he felt better. She wrapped her hooves around him, they felt like her mother’s, soft and velvety. He sniffled a bit, slow stopping his tears. She felt his shoulder, he hissed in pain.

“You’re hurt.” she gasped.
“I guess.” he nodded.
“C’mon,” she said, “ Daddy says leaving cuts bleeding is bad.”
“Okay.” he said.

They got out from under the bed. Sugar Shine went into the other room, Joshua followed. She had taken out some broad leaves, and some gel on a rock.

“Daddy makes this stuff to sell.” she said, “ It smells really nasty, but makes cuts go away.”
“Neat.” he said.
“Now hold still.” she said, spreading the gel with her hoof onto the leaf, “ It stings when it goes on.”
“Okay.” he said looking back at her.

She put the leaf on his shoulder. He felt the sting and bared his teeth, but it faded. It was replaced with a soothing numbness. She repeated the process on his legs, and helped him stumble into a bed.





Meanwhile, elsewhere in the city. Golden Script and Violet Streak where slinking into the shanty town on the far side of the banks of the cistern. The place reeked of rotten meat, death, and disease. Up above the hovels was a large opening with a rickety, unsafe looking platform, with rotten ropes to draw it up to the surface. Where the platform set on the ground, the city guards had erected walls, and a gate. Just outside was a scraggly looking griffon with a blind eye, he sat at a rickety desk, with a scroll and quill. Golden Script and Violet approached him.

“Numbers?” he asked looking at them with his good eye.
“1024,” Golden replied, “ She’s 1123, we have a new one to register.”
“Ah,” he chuckled, “finally rutted and ‘ad another?”
“No,” he muttered, “it’s a non-pony.”
“Oh,” he said in mock shame, “then he’ll have to be marked like the rest of us.”
“Fine,” Violet said, “but we’re also here to register.”
“Okay.” he said, “ You’ll be on the quota for tomorrow’s games.”

They backed away from the desk and the unsavory griffon in it. As they walked away they whispered quietly.

“Are you sure you want to do this again?” Violet asked as she leaned against Golden Script.
“He eats meat, we have to.” Golden Script replied.
“There are other ways to get it.” she suggested.
“We can’t afford it.” Golden muttered.
“Yeah.” she sighed.
“C’mon,” he said picking up his pace, “we have to get home.”