With a look of stern disapproval, Laud marched through the town of Ponyville. He was no dragon, but he still made ponies shy away. Even those that knew him well could see the scowl on his face and the purpose in his steps. Only Bon Bon dared speak to him as he passed, "What's wrong?"
"Either the church--" He didn't pause, still walking at full speed. Bon Bon fell in line with him. "--has committed a crime on my watch, or we have a third force on this battlefield. I do not like the idea of either. Communication with my people confirms it's far more likely to be the church's doing." He swung a clenched fist as if to beat it against a house he was passing, but pulled it just shy of making contact.
"You're angry," calmly noted Bon Bon. "I don't recall seeing you this furious before."
"And why shouldn't I be? My protectorate has been attacked. My people have been hurt. If I was not, at the least furious, then every promise I have made to you and this country has been a lie and I am barely worth my weight of sorry flesh." His words, in Ponish, sounded so not angry enough in his own ears. English was a better angry language. Ah, if only he knew German...
Bon Bon dared to veer closer to her irate husband. "You are not alone. I will accompany you."
He was ready to tell her to go away, but her tone sounded serious. When he glanced, he saw her face had a stern look to match his own. She was a warrior, he had to remember. She was ready to fight at his side. He smiled a little, some of his fury fading a moment. "It is good to have you."
They approached the landing pad. Laud gestured at it angrily. "It's large enough to be visible, with effort, from space. It was no 'mistake' that would cause this."
"Tell me the facts."
A reasonable request, he decided. "They landed in the dragon's territory. A fight resulted. The humans involved fled back to space."
Bon Bon hiked a brow, a smirk on her face. "Even I would be hesitant to casually start a brawl with dragons. Still, from your expression I can safely assume it was not a one-sided lesson in humility."
"It was not. Their lord is being tended to in a hospital in town." He didn't look to her. His eyes were on the religious guards they were approaching. "Summon your minister. There are words that need to be spoken and questions in desperate search of answers."
They were on alert, only enhanced with Laud's loud request. They did not flinch or withdraw, save one. He marched up the boarding plank to the ship. Bon Bon had questions, but kept them to herself. She stood in solidarity with her husband and kept her mouth closed.
Inside the ship, Gregor was just emerging from his room, washed and wearing fresh robes. It did not do to appear before the masses looking slovenly, even if he did not attempt to look like a righteous lord. He patted his sides lightly, nodded to himself, then began walking firmly for the exit.
"Father!" A guard rushed towards him, concern on his face.
"Be at ease, My Child. What has your soul in such--"
"The Hawkwoods are here," rudely interrupted the guard. "Forgive me, but he does not appear to be pleased."
Gregor allowed himself a mild frown, but it turned into a gentle smile. "We'll see what he requires and send him on his way. We are all here for the betterment of these people."
"As is it written." The guard made a pious gesture and ducked out of the way, making room for Gregor to advance.
Gregor took the opportunity, strolling with less of his unguarded swagger. It would be of little effect on the Hawkwood. "My friends," he greeted as the light of day shone warmly upon him as he emerged from the ship. "It is too fine a day for such sour expressions. How may I disperse the miasma that hangs over things?"
Laud gestured eastward. "My lands have been attacked. All evidence speaks direly of the church's involvement. Do you have words in defense?"
"Please, please. We have broken bread together." He descended the plank at an easy pace. "Let us not forget we are friends before the fog of anger descends on us. I have received word of the unfortunate event. A ship suffered unexpected damage and was forced to land." He shook his head slowly. "Very poorly timed. They landed where they could."
Laud scowled at the religious man. "That may excuse where they landed, but does not pardon the violent engagement that followed."
Gregor quickly raised his hands in a placating gesture. "They were only defending themselves, good lord. The dragons they met; they were dragons, I believe? The dragons were not very friendly."
Bon Bon glanced aside at her husband. "That checks out," she whickered in Ponish, the rest of their conversation having been in English.
Gregor's eyes went up, scanning the sky. It was meant to be an idle gesture of calmness, that he wasn't staring at Laud or challenging him, but there was actually something up there to see. A tremendous dragon was approaching, dominating the sky and challenging the size he thought any living being could easily achieve outside of water.
Laud noticed Gregor looking suddenly very distracted. "What?" He turned his gaze to match and saw the moving mountain that was Torch approaching. He had not been briefed on Torch specifically. "That... is a very large dragon." His train of thought was derailed nicely.
Bon Bon joined the two, as did many of the guards. Grumbles spread among them. They had seen that huge thing once before. Bon Bon scowled softly. "He's... even bigger than I had guessed."
Gregor gestured. "With such... impressive stature and the strength that undoubtedly follows, the dragons were quite intimidating, I would imagine, for the poor souls that first bore witness to them."
Laud shook his head. "You met Spike. I've met another dragon earlier today. Most are not that... huge."
"Regardless." Gregor slapped the sides of his legs as if patting away dust. "We have done wrong, and we will set it right. There was no great harm inflict--"
"You injured their leader." Laud scowled. Bon Bon looked shocked a moment. "They have a lord, a queen. You have critically injured her and she is being tended to at a local hospital."
Gregor's joviality cracked a moment. That complicated things... "Is she taking visitors? I would apologize directly. To err is human, but to not accept a mistake, that is a crime before the Pancreator. I know a healing prayer or two to speed along her recovery. It is the least we can do, and not the last we will do. My friend, today a grave injustice has been done."
"I am glad to hear you accept that." Laud relaxed a little. He had expected more attempts to downplay things, but the open acceptance of how badly things had gone struck him far better. "We can visit the hospital together. Only those that labor there can tell us if she is in a shape to accept our audience or not. There are other dragons there, including the large one we just saw flying in, I should imagine?"
"Then we shall meet them all." Gregor gestured ahead. "We both have words to share. You are the speaker for humanity in this world, and we are those that forced you to have ill words to say. Come, let us not tarry any further."
Laud appraised Gregor a moment. "I'm glad you agree. I trust you will inform your superiors?"
"Of course." He dipped his head towards Laud. "They were not aware of how gravely this situation has unfolded. Would you rather I came with you, or reported?" They were both things he needed to do, and there were advantages either way. Better to give Laud some chance to call the shots.
"Come with us." He turned away, Bon Bon pivoting on her hooves to match. "Tending to the injured comes first when further injury is assured to have been prevented."
Several guards stepped forward as Gregor's feet hit the pavement instead of the plank. They fell in behind him without a word, ready to protect his sacred body. Gregor held up a hand. "Do not enter the hospital. Causing undue worry in a place of healing does not befit us. I feel safe enough in such a place."
They all nodded faintly, but said nothing. His word was accepted as law and would be followed.
They marched as one group through the town. There were more ponies up and about, not as scared of the humans as they had been of Torch's intimidating presence. Some even dared to wave at them as they passed, though some looked uncertain at the serious expressions on their bipedal friends' faces.
The hospital came into view with its cross with hearts on the corners displayed proudly. Gregor smiled gently at the sight of it. "Even their places of healing are warm and inviting; a feat very ill repeated as soon as one needs to tend to more than a handful of injured souls at once."
Laud had less time to be amused. He had seen the hospital before, even visited it as a patient. He moved for the door, only for things to grow suddenly darker. He looked up in time to see Torch landing heavily. Spike was floating beside him, keeping up.
"Glad you're back, um, Sir." Spike smiled nervously. "Send the dragons inside and the ponies will, you know, see they're barely hurt and send them on their way."
"Hmmph, the things we do for you, Spike." Torch extended a wing to the ground and the other dragons that had ridden him began to slide down. Some of them were clearly hurt, some badly enough that they didn't make the slide on their own. One of them that had made the journey dusted himself off. "Yeah yeah, whatever. It's just like you, Spike, to insist on this."
"Nice to see you too, Garble." Spike landed near the teenage dragon. "You don't look too bad."
"Cause it ain't. Just a little nick, see?" He held up a hand where a gash ran across the length. "It's nothing..."
Spike winced at the sight. "Oh, uh... Not life threatening, sure, but head on inside." He hiked a thumb. That goes for all of you."
"You ain't the boss of me." He shoved Spike aside, but went on into the hospital, the others trailing along behind.
Torch lowered his head closer to Spike, but aborted any words for him, noticing the crowd of humans also milling there. "I had meant to speak with you." His claws dug furrows in the ground. "Are you related to the ones that we had a little tussle with?"
Laud held up a hand quickly. "I am not, but I accept responsibility for allowing this to happen within my domain. I should have protected you--"
A huge hand came down between Laud and the others, casually nudging him away from the rest. "Right, rest of you?"
Laud looked quite irate, but perhaps had enough sense to not start back talking Torch.
Gregor dipped his head. "We are all related by faith. It is with heavy hearts that we offer apologies for such unseemly behavior."
Torch blinked softly. "Huh? You already getting spoiled by the ponies? I expected more fighting and arguing." He stroked his considerable chin. "Either way, you hurt my daughter! Sure, it's not... a big thing, but that doesn't matter! A single scale out of place is enough reason for me to raze a countryside!"
Gregor bowed his head lower. "We are mortally ashamed. We will not rest until this wrong has been made right once more. One should expect nothing less from men of faith. Please do not take it out on this land. The ponies had nothing to do with this grave injustice." He righted himself. "There is one question I have, if I may?"
"What... is that?"
"Why did you attack first?" He held up his hands placatingly. "This is an unsure time between alien people--"
"I saw some big silver beast making all manner of noise as it zoomed onto our lands. I thought it was roaring..." He rubbed behind his head. "I figured a good little grapple would show it who's on top around there. It usually works..."
Laud and Spike shared a mutual moment of their hand against their face.
Oh, I thought Torch was smarter than that and he mistook the ship for invading blimp, considering that not so much time from Storm King war passed.
9348184
Torch isn't the quickest thinker. He assume it was a dragon and needed put it it's place. I think had it thought it was a Storm King Airship it would have seen his breath weapon in action, I hesitate to guess what added effects Torch's fire has.
9348184
If that's how he reacts to these things, did that dragons ever even notice the Storm King?
That is my line of the day. Though as a german I still wonder why our softspoken language seems so angry? That are the Skandinavians.
"flying in, should imagine"
"flying in, I should imagine"?
"He striked his considerable chin"
"He struck his considerable chin"?
So Torch was just responding to a power play by an invading opponant?
The sensible thing when one is shown to be dominant, is for the lesser to offer submission, and the greater to accept it?
A lesser that doesnt submit, is rabid, and should be treated as such?
9348377
Fix fix.
9348184
Well, the mistake is understandable. Starships and the noise they make are unique after all, and one should think anyone assigned a mission to a comparatively primitive planet would be aware of the culture shock potential.
But it does mean that the dragons struck first, a point in the Church's defence favour. However, I don't for a second buy that "it was a ship that had a malfunction" nonsense, and neither should Laud. If it was a ship that had a malfunction, they would have communicated that with their fleet, and their fleet in turn would have had to report that one of their ships was making an emergency landing. In addition, broken ships making emergency landings don't remain undetected. The Hawkwood ships would have spotted it landing. The only reason they didn't is because the ship didn't want to be found.
What's funny is, a smiling embrace might be construed as aggressive. Regardless their excuse of "the ship had to land damage haha" never should fly for their violation.
9348470
I think they are saying that they landed because they were damaged... by Torch. It is quite possible they were only on a recon flight when the big fella decided to 'grapple' with them, and a dragon that size is going to cause damage, no matter how gentle he wants to be.
9348470
The briefing did not include dragons the size of hills.
pious
works..."
9348702
That would make sense from what we know so far, aye...
Misunderstandings are icky things.
Though now the fault lays with the dragons, at best we can tack it up to culture and a lack of information. If the ship wasn't actually damaged, though, it'll be trespassing and the the dragons can't be held responsible.
In any case, I hope for an amicable resolution.
I suppose it could have been even worse.
Torch could have mistaken the ship for a potential mate.
9350512
...and now I'm picturing it....and shiping it to.
9350512
Great.....now I have THAT in my head.
Interesting misdirection there. (Or did the comments on previous chapters make you decide to change course?)
9348717
The briefings also didn't say, who attacked first.
And now we have one of two options:
1: Torch has really strange ways to say hello and what he said here is just a more detailed recount of the events happening.
2: What Torch said to Spike last chapter was an accurate recount (done under 4 eyes, with Torch not needing to play tough guy), while the current story is embellished to uphold his reputation of biggest badass around. Being the one that is attacked and then needing/getting help would undermine that and could be seen as weakness by his fellow dragons.
9352605
How does someone of his temperament say hello to something that is very large and potentially threatening? I am certain he thought he was being very friendly.
9352656
As i said, a strange way of saying hello. Maybe normal for him/dragons, but not by most other standards.
Lol, I expected that outlook from dragons. No, dear Torch, they got used to live under threat of mutual destruction, so politicking their way out of disaster is their nature.
Not that ponies are different, but they took it into their heart.
yes the dragons did attack first, but any time a religious person shows up offering help in the name of his lord grab the closest gun and offer him a good deal on free lead.
9352807
This is a true statement. What is normal for dragons is not normal for most others.
If I were in Laud's position, I would be pissed at Torch. As the church, I would still apologise profusely.
Torch has zero diplomacy. If it's loud and roaring then it's good enough to attack
Of course the dragons attacked first. . . . . of course they did. sigh.