Red Wind of Change

by Mimic Kairatta

Chapter 3

Red Wind of Change

by Mimic Kairatta

Chapter Three

_____________________________

"-and later today, representatives from Equestria will come seeking audience and discuss about renewing and revising the long-time Pony/Griffon treaty."

The king sat upon his chair at the dining table. His fur was hazel and his feathers were pewter. His eyes are almond-shaped, proud sienna. He wore a gold crown upon his head and a dark purple cape with white frills. He listened to the Secretary Jev Bluefeather tell him about today's agenda while the fellow nobles and family members ate breakfast. His personal guard stood near. Hand-picked from the best the Steel Wind Knights had to offer and trained at peak performance augmented by their inborn Aeromancy. Nicknamed the Blades of the Emperor by many, they swore to protect their king from any and all danger. Which isn't many as the lands have been quite peaceful the recent years.

Speaking of peace, King Fernand's life was..... dull. Sweet Anzû was it dull. There had been crimes and troubles, to be sure, however none required the attention of the king nor did it effect the kingdom at large. He rubbed his black beak with his paw as he continued to listen to his Royal assistent continue his report regarding how his day is scheduled. While he wasn't a military man like his father was, he often craved action. This came along when he, like all griffons, undergone a few years of military training in his younger years. Sure, it was hard and crushing, but it had it's own way of building a impressionable fledgeling. The idea of serving your country and making a difference was very appealing. Not like being a King, where your decisions are made with words and not action. Not to mention the local rich folk, or as ponies called them "Nobles," only cared about how much gold they had in their coffers or how many businesses they owned. It didn't help they came to him to gain royal approval to work solutions for problems they had like how a house was blocking the view or the excuse of how one was stealing the idea of the other simply because they have a similar look-

"Will there be anything else you'd like to add, sire?"

Fernand snaps out of his daze. He was daydreaming again and didn't hear what Jav told him outside of a meeting with Equestrian ponies and the day court. Having done this a lot, he learned to cover up his lack of attention by catching only small bits and work with that.

"Hm, yes. Is there more information regarding the ponies that are attending?" He was hoping it wasn't that Blueblood character. Last time that blowhard came here, he couldn't stop complaining and regarding himself in such a high regard. If it wasn't the fact that he was polite enough to know proper manners, the "prince" would have got kicked out. Plus, any good political relations they have with ponies would go out the window.

Jav nodded. "Yes, we do. According to the note, Celestia's former student and newest Princess, Twilight Sparkle, will be attending with the bearers of the Elements of Harmony as well as a personal bodyguard accompanying her. "

"The Elements of Harmony..." He tried to recall where he heard of them. "Hmm.... celestia mentioned something about them in the last meeting we had a few months back. How they stopped an invasion and help bring about the return of the Crystal Kingdom."

"That's correct Sire. Together they held a remarkable record of accomplishments. Though individually, they have impressive credentials as well."

"I see." He finishes up his meal and takes a sip of his drink. "I'll need more information about them before they arrive here. Best to know who I am meeting with than to stumble along by word of mouth."

"Of course Sire. I'll gather more information about these Elements of Harmony."

"And please don't use the spies... again."

Jav chuckles. "No promises, Sire."

The doors to the dining hall burst open as a guard rushes in. "My lord! My lord! There has been an incident in the Great Hall of History."

Fernand raised a brow. It's rare to see anyone, especially the guard, so flustered. He was both curious and worried. "What happened?"

"Sire, the statue of the Red Wind has been broken."

The noble family at the table gasped in shock. Who would do such a thing? The statue represented the one of history's renowned warriors. The king was the first to speak. "Broken?"

"Yes Sire. The remains of the statue had been found near the crime scene. The only thing that’s been damaged besides a set of curtains. We're currently investigating the incident. The only other piece of evidence found was traces of Aero magic."

"I see." The king was silent for a moment before he spoke once more. "Find out more and locate the cause. Report to the Captain if you find anything. If it's of grave importance such as an invasion or potential threat to the kingdom, let me know immediately. "

"Yes Sire, at once!" He saluted and vacates the dining hall. The noble family were murmuring to themselves about this new development.

"Should I put the meeting with the Equestrians on hold for now, Sire?" Jav asked.

Fernand shaked his head. "No, we'll continue with the meeting as scheduled. A little vandalism is hardly worth it."

"Of course Sire."

Fernand smiled and finished up his drink. "Well, then, lets start the day then. Perhaps something exciting will happen for a change."

-- - - - --

I've landed near a local bookstore, carefully looking around to make sure no one saw me. No one did.

I've spent the entire night looking around the city, scoping the buildings and observing my surroundings. The teachings the chief taught me in the past. I had to know where the important buildings are located. Also where food and water are so I won't get lost. Good news is that getting fresh water was easy. Simply make a cloud and make it rain. aim it into a container for later storage. Food, on the other hand, was tougher. At least legally. Swiped a few apples though. That’ll tie my hunger. Not really the most moral thing to do, but I figured I'd pay back when I get a few coins to my name. That is, if I can get any.

Now you're probably asking: Why not go talk to the griffons? They could help. Honestly, if a being that's suppose to be older than the kingdom itself walked up to you, would you react calm and collected? Personally, I dislike large amounts of attention and having the attention of the entire kingdom is too much. Anzû forbid any kind of public speaking.

So with food and water no longer an issue at the moment, that leaves the issue of knowing more about the place as well as finding a place to live. While I knew my actions saved the griffons all those years ago, I have no idea what the result of those actions were nor did I figure out what the ponies did once I was out of the picture. Shelter can wait; I was dying to know what happened. Like knowing what happened after the hero saved the princess. Thus how I ended up next to the closest bookstore, trying not to be seen by anyone, in order to figure out what happened through history books.

I stood near one of the windows. Using my power, I pushed the latch off and opened it. Another thing I found was that my powers are a fraction of what they used to be. Tasks that used to been done with ease required more effort and concentration. It was like waking up after a surgery and you can't even stand up straight. Not a fun experience, I can tell you that much. Despite the handicap, I can still do what I need to do like move air and make myself lighter on my feet. So there's that I suppose.

I slid through the opening of the window and landed inside. Books surrounded me from all sides, mostly the newest ones. Which is good because what I need, had to be up-to-date. I pass the literature full of fiction and non-fiction, self-help books, and do-it-yourself manuals. There I saw a book. It’s on how to make a kazoo, so I flipped through it, then put it back. I returned to my search for the History section.

It didn't take long to find what I needed: A big freakin book about Griffon history. Complete with hard leather, decorated front, elegant title, and the picture of of the Griffon Kingdom's logo plastered on the front.

I go to pick up the book. After failing due to the sheer weight of it, I used my wind magic to lift it up onto the nearby table and set it down. I flipped to the table of contents and looked for anything that popped up. I didn't want to spend all day reading this monster of information to figure out what happened and what was happening. It didn't take long to find what I needed.

"The Griffon/Equestrian War: Battle of Harmony." I read outloud. "Hm, not sure if it's irony or Orwellian."

Author's Note:

Special thanks to BookMarkofCanterlot, and Brandedahall for helping me edit and write the story. Expect another chapter later this week.

Comments

[Spc jacko]

I have a feeling he's about to become very angry.

[Hekkar]

4356079 Wouldn't be surprised

[Architect Ironturtle]

Hey, Dude, wanna crossover?

[Mimic Kairatta]

5638265

Can't think of a reason not to. Sure.

[Architect Ironturtle]

5638276 Great, my universe or yours?

[Architect Ironturtle]

5638280 Wow, that sounds like a bad booty call.