Daring Do and the Gryphon's Quest

by De Writer

Chapter 2. A Question of Gryphons

Chapter 2. A Question of Gryphons

As Daring Do was trotting across the quad toward her office, the two Gryphons from the lecture hall bracketed her.

With a curious and concerned set to his crest, the Gryphon on her left asked, “Doctor Do, we did not find the Gryphon Empire nor any predecessor civilization on your map. Are we not a civilized society?”

“Of course your society is civilized, Rahak. The reason that it is not on that map is simple. I have not been able to find ANY reference at all to Gryphons prior to the Nightmare Wars. The earliest one that I can find is quite dubious.

“Glugemdown reported seeing monster bird like creatures in the Far Northern lands, past the northern extremity of the Sunset Mountains. His travel narrative contains many clear errors of fact and it was published in 183 Post Nightmare Wars.

“That puts his sighting at about 180 to 181 PNW.”

Rahak's crest shot up in surprise. “How is that possible? We are an ancient kind. Our legends say that we were born in the light of Creation itself.”

Daring Do stopped in her tracks. “Can you show me any written sources for your legends? That would be a breakthrough paper! Academic dynamite! The whole matter of Gryphon origins is furiously debated in the journals and Meetings of the Royal Societies for Antique Studies! So furiously debated, in fact, that professor Light Wing is still in the Horsepital with a concussion!”

Rahak's companion's crest fluttered up and spread in amusement! “Really? Passions get THAT heated?

“I am Grata, by the way, Professor Do. Would you be willing to join us in a snack first, and then a trip to the Royal University's Library? We would like your guidance in trying to trace the origins of our kind.”

Daring Do replied, “I would like that. However, we will get nowhere at the RU Library. That is where I got my Glugemdown reference. If you have any materials detailing your legends, perhaps those could point us to better directions for the literature search.”

Rahak spread his wings and pounced for the sky! A powerhouse of a down beat, combined with his leap had him airborne and flying strongly away.

Daring Do looked questioningly at Grata.

She lifted her crest in a Gryphon smile. “Rahak has gone to get our books with our legends and what we know of our history. I am afraid that they are written in Gryphon. Will that pose a problem?”

Daring Do grinned, “For READING, no. If I have to read them aloud in Gryphon, I will have a sore throat for a week!”

Grata's crest smiled as she replied, “It is often so. Equestrian is easier for us to speak and it isn't easy. The grammar is no problem. The sounds are.”

Daring Do nodded sympathy. The entered the Student Unity Building with its large cafeteria. As the doors closed behind them, Rahak swooped into the building through the Pegasus Port in the roof. He spiraled down to a table and parked a substantial number of books and cheap popular scroll editions on it.

Grata brought over a drink for him in a good serving bowl for a Gryphon to drink from. Daring Do sat at the table and, tea going cold, immersed herself in both the books and the cheap popular edition scrolls.

Finally looking up, she grinned at the patiently waiting Gryphons. “You have more here on this table than everything in the RU Library, except for 'learned argument' junk.”

She paused to pull her thoughts together. “How attached are your sort to the Origin in the Fires of Creation idea?

“I sort of noticed a huge hole in the notion myself. It is near as big as the one in our Hearthwarming Pageants. Ours have no mention of Luna and Celestia and speak of a “rich and empty land” which we now know WAS inhabited. It just got emptied before the actual migration arrived.

“Similar hole in your legends. You speak of the Fires of Creation itself happening to the east of the Eagles. The first Gryphons were raised by the Eagles. One flaw is that they were literate. Eagles are not and never have been. The literacy came from somewhere.

“The legend contains another point that is telling. Creation of your kind was not complete in the first generation. It took a second generation for you to gain hind paws and the tail that you all have now. In the process, many malformed chicks died before or shortly after hatching.”

Grata softly noted, “That was why our kind fled their original home. We were seeking a place where our chicks would live. None now knows where that original place was.

“Our Empress wishes very much to know where our ancient land of origin is. She wants the truth of our lineage.”

“Your Empress? Pardon me, but how does she fit into this?”

Rahak sipped from his drinking bowl before replying, “Everything. We have come here as students at her request. That was done to conceal our true aim from many at the Imperial Court. Poorly handled, this could possibly trigger a civil war.”

Grata looked about carefully before continuing, “There is a very strong Manifest Destiny faction growing within the Empire. Their interpretation of the Legends is that Gryphons were the First Race and all others came after.

“That makes it the Duty of All Gryphons to rule the Later Ones, benignly if possible, by force if they must.

“The Empress does NOT want a war with Equestria. Our Slaver Civil War, where Equestria intervened on the Empire's behalf showed those of us who think what fighting Equestria might be like. The battle of Shattered Claw Pass, even though the Slavers won, proved to be the turning point of the war. Equestrians and Equestrian led GROUND forces did such damage to the rebels that our top brass could not believe it.

“Making Master Sargent Iron Hooves, the one who led the Shattered Claw action, an instructor for ground combat turned the tide and sealed the fate of the Slavers. What is important about that? He is now a General of the Equestrian Defense Bureau. No being in his right mind wants to fight the forces that he commands. That includes the Empress.”

Daring Do whistled softly as she digested the bombshell that the legends had just become. “I see. The Empress wants the truth of the legends in the hope of undermining the Manifest Destiny party.” She drummed lightly on the table while she organized her thoughts.

“Do you two have identification from the Empress that can stand up to a modern spell reader?”

The Gryphons stared at each other in consternation. “We do, but it is not to be used except for vital tasks. Why would you ask?”

Daring Do stared about the familiar confines of the dining room to be sure that she was not going to be overheard. “Because you will need it to go where we have to go next. We are going to have to go to the Great Library.”

Both Gryphons lowered their crests in dismay and suspicion. “Isn't the Great Library just a myth?”

Daring Do gave a lopsided smile as she replied, “If it is, what better place to search for the truth of a legend?”

Author's Note:

This tale can be regarded as an Alternate Universe or an Equestria of the future. I have incorporated both characters Of Carmen Pondiego and the Equestrian Defense Bureau with permission from both blog holders.
Carmen Pondiego I regard as a co author. She provides ideas and plotting assistance as well as writing critique.