What Remains I: The Griffon and Her Dweeb

by Bateman66

Leaving Centerpoint

Alistair stood adjacent to Captain Machek by the stronghold gates as the icy wind continued to howl away like mad. They’d been waiting for the past half-hour for the other member of the expedition team to arrive, but at the rate she was going, they’d probably be there for another half-hour.

He didn’t mind this, however. The frosty Griffon environment was very quite interesting and the nearly endless expanse of snow was quite beautiful if examined in the proper way. Some in his position would simply see the long and grueling journey that laid ahead, he saw a casual winter stroll that lasted for a few weeks. Positivity really was everything.

But as the two beings stood apart from another, one human the other a griffon, no clearer difference could be seen between their mannerisms. The Captain, attentive and observant as always, peered around the castle’s perimeter for any approaching threat, whether it be real or imaginary. And Alistair, who casually inspected the blowing particles of snow almost with a haphazard disposition that lacked any real direction.

To break the silence, the wooden courtyard gate clicked and groaned open on one side, just wide enough for a single female griffon to slip through.

The two males turned around to face the new arrival, while inspecting her simultaneously.

A glare seemed to be permanently plastered on her face, with light purple circles over each large eagle eye and a disheveled head of feathers to boot. Her chestnut wings were closed tightly to her torso as a set of leather armor wrapped around her with a large green packed strapped to her back. Taking notice of their attention, she spoke.

“What are you dweebs lookin’ at?” she snorted with a gruff tone that perfectly complimented her hostile stance.

Captain Machek sighed and turned to Alistair. “This is your partner—human. Corporal Gilda. She’ll be accompanying you along the entire stretch of your mission. She’s already been informed of what’s at claw, so no need to tell her what she already knows. Although I don’t support frivolous missions—”

“Why are you now callin’ it a mission?” demanded Gilda. “The way I see it, it’s a wild goose chase you blockheads are sending me on to get me outta your feathers.” She shook her head towards the white sky. “Treasure—more like waste of time.”

“I’m still your superior,” Machek shot back sternly. “Which means you still have a level of respect to address towards me, specifically with that attitude of yours. Do I make myself clear?”

Gilda reluctantly nodded, feeling some of her pride already shaken away.

Machek nodded. “Good. Then I entrust the both of you to stay safe and perform what you’ve been assigned to the best of your abilities. So with my best wishes in mind—” Machek began towards the wooden gate.

“Hold on a second,” interrupted Alistair. “Is that it, just a quick introduction and then a goodbye? Shouldn’t you prep us on stuff? Explain the terrain and what we might face along the way? I don’t really want to go into this half-cocked and without a sense of what we should be watching out for.”

The Captain smiled arrogantly. “You know, for an Equestrian diplomat, you don’t know much about the griffons you’re dealing with. Quick tip, griffons don’t need to be prepped on something they already know how to handle. And whatever you face along your way I can guarantee Gilda’s done it at least ten times. So don’t worry.”

Before Alistair could tell him off and say that was the stupidest philosophy he ever heard, the griffon officer was already pushing closed the gate behind him, leaving the unsure human and apathetic griffon to stand alone.

Looking around the empty expanse, Alistair turned to Gilda. “Should we get going?”

“I’ll just do what you do.”

Taking that for a ‘yes’, Alistair unfurled the map from his overcoat pocket and quickly inspected it.

“To the east,” he announced while pointing in that direction. “Straight ahead.”

Gilda shrugged. “Alright, whatever you say.”

The two began forward.

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They travelled for a majority of the day, with the slopping snow drifts and biting flurries of white powder the only thing that stretched before them. Alistair frequently inspected the map to determine if they were still heading in the right direction, which prompted Gilda to sigh obnoxiously each time at his insistent over-caution.

But even if they did stray from the given route, he doubted that they’d even be able to tell from where they stood. Everything looked the same, either brighter or darker shades of white that occasionally edged into the gray sector. If a single wrong step was taken, they’d be lost and alone in a matter of minutes.

Stopping once more, Alistair reached back down for the map from his coat pocket and unfolded again. Ignoring Gilda’s rolling immature eyes, he studied the map intently. Nodding to himself he placed it back where he found it.

“Shouldn’t be long now,” he announced to Gilda as he began walking again. “We’re coming up to our first stop, a cave network. Should be a good enough spot for the night.”

Gilda sneered. “I’ve slept in worse places. A cave ain’t a big worry. Just don’t get any ideas about ‘sharing’ my stuff. It’s mine.”

“Yeah whatever,” he mumbled shortly, his companions attitude already driving him to veiled infuriation.

And sure enough, after a few more minutes, a blurry mound appeared on the horizon. It was slimmer than a normal drift with a darker center that finally broke through the day’s normal color palette with a very much needed black.

Smiling that sanctuary had finally revealed itself, he hurried his pace as the oasis of sorts grew nearer and nearer.