The coming of the Shade

by Salizar65

Situations

His living room had been turned upside-down, no animal would ever touch most of what he had in here. The kitchen was just fine, if an animal was breaking into his house it would have been for food. So what had broken into my house, or who? He went to his bedroom next and found that everything was completely destroyed. The mattress was shredded by what looked to be the same claws as those that had been used on his front door. His closet was a mess and every lamp was broken and tossed across the room. Whatever they were looking for they really wanted to find it. Just what were they looking for though? And who had done this? As if on cue he heard a slight scuffing noise behind him and felt a set of eagle claws at his throat.

“Let go of your spell and don’t move or I’ll kill you. Don’t even think of using magic again. Very good, now tell me where is all of your money and valuables? I want everything you have that has any value to it at all. And don’t even think about doing anything stupid I have a crossbow pointed at you as well.” The claws moved away from his throat as he backed away from Camo. “Turn around slowly and answer my question. Where is all of your money?”

Camo did as ordered and saw that it was a griffon that had broken into his home and destroyed almost everything he owned looking for anything he could sell. “I don’t have any money, and as for anything of value you destroyed it. I have been alive for 2,000 years and have found no need for either expensive things or the need for money. The only things I had that held any value at all were the lamps you so recklessly destroyed. They were hoof made 1,300 years ago by my uncle. No they aren’t worth a single bit.”

“Don’t lie to me, you have to buy food and all sorts of things, you have to have some money. Now hand it over or I will shoot you.”

“I told you I don’t have any money. I have some silver bars though. But there is only one problem in retrieving them.”

“And what is that?”

“They are under a section of floor in the corner and I can’t pull the boards up without my magic. So you see the problem right?”

The griffon looked at him in thought for a second before he said “show me the spot and I’ll get them myself.”

So Camo led him to the corner of the room and pointed “The first six boards out from the wall is where I keep them all.”

The griffon walked over and started to tear at the floor while trying to keep an eye on Camo. Camo slowly inched his way back towards the door centimeter by centimeter. He was almost to the door when it finally registered that he was much farther away from the griffon than had been only moments earlier.

“Hey get back here!” he shouted as Camo dashed out the bedroom door. He hoped that the griffon hadn’t found his daggers. As he ran around the corner into the living room a bolt lodged itself in the wall where Camo’s hind quarters had just been. He was relieved to find that his daggers were still hidden in the mantle place. He grabbed them and threw several just as the griffon came into the room.

They struck him right in the torso, one punched itself into the griffons shoulder and two more plunged deep into his chest. The griffons arm dropped and the crossbow fell to the floor. The griffon coughed and spit out a large amount of blood on the floor. He looked up at Camo and said “It seems I underestimated you.” just before he collapsed on the floor. He coughed several more times before his breathing stopped and his eyes glazed over.

I didn’t know griffons were in this part of the world? They usually stayed on their islands, and don’t venture any further than Equestrian control on the continent. What was this one doing this far from his home? He was thankful for the fact it took the griffon so long to notice Camo had moved and hadn’t caught on to the fact that Camo had lied about his hiding place for his metal bars. On top of his skill for camouflage he had learned how to work with metals. They were in the room but in a different corner. He had several gold and silver bars but most of the ingots he had where of other less valuable precious metals. He had found platinum and copper ores along with some tungsten. All in all they added up to a hefty sum of money but he only had them in case he needed to barter for something he desperately needed. Most of the time he traded his services for the things he needed.

He went back to his room and found that his saddle bags were emptied but otherwise unharmed. He then began to pack the few things he still owned that weren’t destroyed. He went over to where he had his valuables stored and removed the floorboards. He placed all his ingots in his bags along with the pictures he had of his parents. He then went into the living room and grabbed the rest of his knives and placed them in his bags. He walked over to the dead griffon and removed the three knifes he had thrown. After cleaning them on the griffon’s feathers he placed them alongside the rest. He then picked up the crossbow and removed the bolt from the wall and tied those to his bags as well. After all he didn’t need it anymore. In the kitchen he grabbed some apples and carrots along with some dried apricots and oats. After filling the remaining room in his bags with food stuff he went back outside.

In his front yard he turned around and looked back at his former home.

“It’d be a shame to let this place fall into ruin. I think I will head into town and give the deed to the mayor in the morning.”

On his walk to the town he worked on what he was going to tell the mayor in the morning about what had happened in his home. As he entered the town he turned down Wing Street and headed for the local Inn, The Waltzing Pony. He entered the tiny Inn and headed up to the bar and asked for a room and was meet with a funny look from the Innkeeper.

“Don’t you have a cabin just outside of town?”

“Yes I do but because of recent events I cannot stay there tonight. All I require is your smallest room available for tonight. I will be leaving town in the morning.”

“When are you coming back?”

“I’m not.”

“Oh, I see. Well then that will be twelve bits. Oh I forgot you don’t use coins, I’ll go get my scales. Be right back Camo.” The Innkeeper walked into the back room and came out shortly holding a set of scales in one hoof. “No then that will be three ounces of silver.” Camo brought out one of his silver ingots and sliced off a few pieces and placed them on the scale. “All right here is you key, the room is the second door on the left, second floor. Have a good night Camo.”

He left the Innkeeper and went to the back of the Inn and began up the stairs. He entered his room and found it was really small but that was just what he asked for. He placed his saddle bags under the bed against the wall and moved the dresser in front of the door. Where ever the griffon had come from he was bound to have a partner and Camo wanted as much security as possible. His partner would investigate why he hadn’t shown up yet and go look in Camos’ house. And upon finding that his partner was dead he would want revenge and come looking for Camo. So the dresser in front of the door would cause some trouble for any pony trying to get in that way. He cast a spell that shielded the room from magical attacks. He also placed a spell on the window that would rebuff anything that tried to come in that way. Some would say he was being paranoid but out here in the ‘wild’ states if you didn’t watch your back no pony else will. Camo arranged his stuff for the night and drifted out to sleep with the worry of what he was going to tell the mayor about the dead griffon.