Imbalanced: Legacy of Light

by Nameless Narrator

7: Wilbur's Pass

Wilbur’s Pass, a city of ten thousand griffons and even a small but thriving pony community. Estabilished in no one cares by a certain baron, presumably going by the name Wilbur, no one has ever heard about before and since then. Anyway, in the terms of the Griffon Empire this was a tiny town barely noticeable in the corner of the map with zero impact on anything other than the lives of its few inhabitants.

To Harriet, who had never left Windy before, it may as well have been some bustling metropolis in the center of the world.

As she pulled the wagon through the gate guarded by a duo of bored griffons armed with traditional sword and a pistol each, even her exhaustion couldn’t stop her eyes from opening and taking in the fresh sights. In Windy, early afternoon was time to rest until sunlight relented a little. Granted, Harriet was an exception to the rule, and had always worked for as long as necessary, but it felt like a habit. Here, griffons were chatting, leaning from house windows on each side of the road, one merchant had already tried to sell her some piece of colourful cloth, and stopped only after Horst scowled at him, and two little griffons looking barely ten followed her, curious about the “big scaly horsie lady”.

Everything was so lively that the best she could do not to get completely lost in the sounds and sights was to follow Horst’s lead, and keep pulling the wagon. Eventually, they stopped on a wide open circular plaza with five-story building on one side and a big wooden gate in front. The glowing sign above it read: “The Weary Traveller”.

“This is an inn?” Harriet’s eyes grew wider than before. She was certain that if she saw something even more amazing today, she’s need glasses to keep those inside their sockets.

“A hotel, Harriet,” Marin corrected her, “and also the place where we part ways. We’ll stay here until tomorrow while I contact my business partners, and Horst takes Jester to the hospital.”

“This place has a hospital?!” Harriet couldn’t believe her ears. In Windy, there were two doctors who took care of all thousand of the town’s inhabitants, and both worked from home.

“Shush, booty girl,” Horst got out of his harness, and helped Harriet as well, “Hey, Marin, grab a room for me too. I’ve got something to talk about with miss globes over here.”

“Yeah, sure,” Marin gave him a raised eyebrow, but didn’t pry further. He took a step before snapping his talons and reaching to a pocket of his vest. Leaning closer to Harriet, he pulled out a handful of gold coins, “I almost forgot. This is for you. Technically, you’ve been working for me as a guard through the night, so here goes.”

Harriet stared at the presented reward.

“You don’t have to- I mean, you helped me get here fast and- Eep!” she stopped when Horst pinched her posterior.

“Quit yer bitchin’, girl. Marin’s giving, yer taking. It’s a sign of respect. Ya did a good job, and I agree with him.”

She scooped the presented gold into her pouch as Marin left, being watched by Horst until he was safely inside the hotel. Then the mercenary took Harriet’s chin into his talons, and looked her in the eyes. His stare was cold and serious this time.

“Harriet,” he said with absolute certainty, “Yer not chasing those ponies because they forgot something important at the inn. Marin knew you weren’t completely honest. He’s a merchant, he knows when others are lying to him. Heck, he does it himself a ton. He didn’t know exactly what was wrong, though, so he made me keep an eye on ya. The thing is, I know that face, Harriet, ya want to kill someone, and yer not made for it.”

“I-”

He flicked her nose.

“No lyin’ or I’ll spank ya. Yer eyes get all shifty,” Harriet lowered her head, her ears drooping. Seeing the disheartening display, Horst gave her a hug, “Something that bad, eh?”

“One of them… killed my mom...”

“Aw crap...” Horst pulled her closer, “Sorry to hear that.”

“Same here!” came from the wagon, “Hug her for me too, Horst.”

“Shut it, Jester!” he answered, hugging even tighter, “Look, Harriet, go tell the local Legion garrison. Don’t do anything stupid,” he stopped himself and sighed, “I’m not getting through to ya, am I?”

Harriet looked up at him, eyes wet.

“I just want to know why...” she sobbed, “Mom never did anything bad to deserve it.”

“I know, I know,” Horst stroked her mane, “I’m sure she didn’t, otherwise she wouldn’t have raised a girl brave enough to help a bunch of old mercs fight off a five-to-one disadvantage, or follow her murderers through Corrupted territory. Ya know what she definitely wouldn’t want, though?”

“What?”

“To meet ya too soon again,” he said slowly in an attempt to calm Harriet down. When it backfired completely, and Harriet started to visibly tremble, he sighed, “Fine… do ya want uncle Horst to come with ya, just in case? All I’m askin’ in return is ya making few squats for me.”

“HORST!” Jester’s facepalm resonated through the wagon.

Harriet allowed herself a weak smile. The two mercenaries as well as Marin were so nice to her, even risking their own health to help her get to Wilbur’s Pass in time. She couldn’t bear anything happening to them because of her. Those five ponies had attacked a dragon after all.

Plus, she wasn’t quite sure still, but the mercenaries actually… liked her despite all the plot jokes, maybe?

Determined, she gently pushed Horst away.

“I just want to ask why, or follow them to where they came from. That way I can tell dad and… he’ll know what to do.”

“Nothing stupid like punching a pony in the face with those sharp claws of yers?”

Harriet chuckled. She wasn’t really sure, but the fact that the two mercenaries were worried about her made her feel less… alone.

“I’ll try to contain myself, Horst. Thank you,” she nuzzled the griffon’s neck.

“Good,” he patted her head, “Now gimme a moment,” he jumped into the wagon, and returned with his backpack. No… not his one. This one looked almost the same, but it had a yellow banana sticker on the side for some reason, “Terry’s bag, as well as her suit, her sword, and her pistol. I wasn’t sure about the last one, but Jester insisted. Just don’t go waving it around, the Legion guys aren’t too keen on it. Consider it a parting gift from the two of us for saving our asses.”

“I can’t-”

“What did I tell ya?” Horst raised his talon, shaking it.

Harriet rummaged through the backpack to see everything that's inside, and in the end experimentally pulled the sword out of the sheath on its side. She… didn’t like it.

“I, umm, don’t want to be a bother, but do you have something blunt instead?”

“Don’t want to be a killer on accident?” when Harriet nodded, he took the sword back, and pulled a collapsible metal stick from his belt. After few practice swings, he gave it to Harriet, “This should do. Don’t worry, ya can smack a plate armor with it and it’ll be fine. It’s about fifth the price of the sword, but it’s yer call. What about the pistol?”

“I don’t really want that either...”

“Keep it!” Jester’s voice came loud and clear.

“Gotta agree with Jester on that one,” Horst helped Harriet put the holster on her belt, “Ya don’t have to use it, but it should scare everyone but the real nasties, and if someone isn’t running away from ya, then it’s yer turn to pump those legs.”

Sound logic, even Harriet had to admit. When everything equipment-related was sorted out, there was only one thing left.

“Come to think of it, I don’t even know where to look for the ponies. Marin said we gained about a day on them, but in a big city like this, they can be anywhere- hey! What are you laughing at?” she pouted.

“Big city, wow...” Horst chuckled, “This place is tiny, but I can see where yer comin’ from. If I were on my way out of here, I’d take the train. It’s the fastest way across the Empire. The train station is pretty nice, and has only one entrance which suits ya just fine. How about that?”

“Thank you for everything, Horst,” she raised her voice, “You too, Jester. I hope you get better soon! Goodbye, you two.”

“Good luck, Harriet,” Horst scratched his head, “Aaand… about the picture...”

She giggled, and rose to her full height, her ears making her actually as tall as Horst.

“This is all there is, a dragon pony a bit on the blubbery side.”

“Yer just big, Harriet. Strong and still huggable, the best combination. Chicks would kill to have yer physique, or at least mutilate just for the hips and thighs.”

Horst immediately pulled out a small square camera, snapping several pictures from all angles. He clicked a button on its side few final times, then he said:

“Perfection. I’m gonna have this one framed.”

With a shake of her head and one final goodbye along with the directions to the train station, Harriet left the mercenaries, and set out for her stakeout.

At the train station, she found a window in the wall with a menu next to it where griffons seemingly could get a meal or a drink. She asked for something to help her stay awake, and the griffon brought her a big plastic cup of something hot and black that tasted like licking a dusty paw called coffee. However, after few sips she definitely didn’t feel like going to sleep. Possibly throw up, but definitely not sleep.

Hours passed, evening rolled in, and with it…

...five armored ponies, the earthpony she recalled using the big shield pulling their cart.

Carefully, Harriet slipped behind a pillar holding the glass and metal roof of the station, and pulled out her heavy blackjack.

***

Wilbur’s Pass train station was built like most within the Griffon Empire. The roof was a dome made of metal and glass, pillars holding it in regular intervals. On one side, there was the entrance and a wide open area for passengers and shops, and the other half was occupied by train tracks and platforms. To Harriet’s surprise, there were three sets of tracks leading in and out of Wilbur’s Pass. Where? She had no idea. Geography was an unknown territory to her.

What was less unknown but vastly more dangerous, was the group of five ponies walking in formation towards the nearest platform, one pulling a covered cart. Hidden out of sight behind a pillar, Harrier gripped her weapon tighter. She couldn’t simply intercept them. Granted, there was a chance they wouldn’t hurt her with all the griffons waiting for the train around, but after Horst’s warning, she was in control, as calm and collected as one could be when faced with her mother’s murderer.

She watched the ponies load the cart into a heavy metal box which in turn got loaded onto the train when it arrived, and as the ponies one by one boarded the train as well, she rushed over. As luck would have it, the last one on the platform was the unicorn in light leather and chain armor, the long and wide dagger which had ripped open her mom’s throat hanging on his belt.

“HEY, YOU HORNHEAD MURDERER!” Harriet called out. The nearest griffons backed off, and the unicorn turned his head.

“Problems, Black Thorn?” asked the earthpony in front of him.

To her surprise, he just calmly waved at his companion getting on the train, who nodded and disappeared inside.

The unicorn turned to face her, his face portraying only boredom. He observed Harriet for a second, then realization dawned.

“Now I remember, you’re Hazaren’s girl.”

Nothing more.

“And you killed my mother!” Harriet growled.

“So, what happens now? Do you try something and have that stupid dragon lose a daughter as well?” he asked, undisturbed by Harriet’s burning glare.

“Just… why? She didn’t do anything. She couldn’t even defend herself. She was just a nice pegasus lady who enjoyed cooking. What did she do to deserve that?!”

Black Thorn scowled.

“I gave the dumb bitch a choice, and she chose to die. She could have given me the seal key voluntarily, and she refused. Simple as that. She wasn’t smart enough to realize what would happen, and she paid for it. If you have a problem with it, go scream in Hazaren’s face, not mine. We offered him a good deal. Gems, gold, magical trinkets, all for one small thing he didn’t know anything about that wasn’t even shiny. If he acted like a good greedy dragon should, none of this would have happened.”

Black Thorn’s complete lack of empathy or caring made Harriet’s blood boil. Grinding her teeth, she still retained control, though. The unicorn noticed, and grinned.

“Anyway, who would have thought a little prick from a dagger like this one,” he glanced to his belt, “would hurt someone who could take a dragon cock-”

Black Thorn only grit his teeth together when Harriet’s swipe sheared the hair and skin on one side of his face off, leaving deep scars and strands of hanging flesh. Seeing red, she cocked her foreleg again, this time grabbing the metal blackjack she’d dropped from the ground.

She swung at Black Thorn’s head. The unicorn blurred, and the blow went right through him. Despite her strength, the weapon got pried from her claws. Swiping wildly again, she lost her balance.

*CRUNCH!*

Harriet was suddenly seeing double. Her head was pounding, and blood roared in her ears. Rearing on her hind legs, she-

-got her wind knocked out of her as her own blackjack got rammed into her chest so hard she heard a crack. When she fell back on all fours, her stomach revolved from the pain shooting through her. She had enough presence of mind to look forward-

-just to see the blackjack rapidly approach again.

She dropped like a log, unable to breathe through her now broken nose. Opening her muzzle to stop choking proved like a bad idea, as she threw up immediately.

Horst had been right. She wasn’t made for this. That pony was a killer, and everything she’d gone through was just to bring his next victim straight to him. She closed her eyes, with all her remaining strength dragged one foreleg over her muzzle, and waited for the final blow.

It didn’t come.

“Drop the weapon and step away!”

Black Thorn simply raised an eyebrow when surrounded by three Legion soldiers aiming combat rifles at him, and let the blackjack levitate to the ground.

“You’ve got it wrong, officers,” he said calmly, “She attacked me,” he pointed at his face, “I simply disarmed her and made sure she wouldn’t go after me again.”

Two guns remained pointed at him, and the third griffon blew a whistle.

“WITNESSES!” he called out. The watching griffons formed a circle around, and the Legion soldier began questioning them. After a short moment, he gestured to the other two to lower their weapons, “Story checks out, you can go.”

“Something for the stitches?” Black Thorn pointed at Harriet’s backpack.

“Don’t push it,” said the leading soldier.

“Ugh, fine,” his horn glowed, and his shredded face returned to a marginally healthy state. The three deep scars remained, however. Without another word, he boarded the train as well.

The Legion soldiers pulled out parts from their own bags, assembling a stretcher, and put the collapsed dragonpony on it. The pain of loss and failure, exhaustion from going all night, and her wounds finally caught up with Harriet who passed out.

***

“Visitor!” was the first thing Harriet faintly heard before someone shook her by her shoulder. She was lying on something hard, couldn’t feel most of her muzzle, and generally felt numb all over. She didn't know how much time had passed, but to her the transition from the train station to wherever she lay now was instant.

Yawning, she sat up, hissing as pain shot through her. When her addled brain realized what was going on, she could only whimper and cover her face. A griffon soldier in a sand-coloured suit holding a combat rifle was watching her, weapon raised slightly although still pointed at the floor. She was in a cell, gradually recalling what she’d done.

“Visitor,” the Legion soldier repeated, and the other griffon, not armed and wearing a simple cloth jacket, waved his foreleg in front of her face.

“I didn’t know the pony caused her this heavy concussion.”

“She got out of basic surgery two hours ago,” explained the soldier, “the normal dose of sedatives didn’t work that well considering her weight and… species, so they overshot a bit. I’ve been instructed to let her sleep it off and be careful during the transport.”

“Eehoh-” Harriet tried to gain control of her tongue, and nearly keeled over. The griffon next to her grabbed her to keep her steady.

“Now, speaking of the crime. How’s the situation? A fine or jail time?”

“She can pay the fine or spend the night in jail. The victim didn’t want any process. The unicorn had to be pretty busy, considering she nearly ripped his face off. On the other talon, healing magic,” the soldier shrugged.

“Thanks, officer. Can I have a moment alone with her then? I doubt she’s dangerous.”

“She’s exceedingly dangerous to a civilian, mister Irving, whatever she is.”

“I believe she has no reason to be hostile, officer. Can you give us some privacy, or is it against protocol?”

The soldier sighed. He could come up with some reason, but according to the witnesses there had been… circumstances between the unicorn and the mare.

“Alright,” he left the cell, locked the door, and pointed at a button next to the bars, “If anything happens, push the button.”

When he was out of earshot, Harriet was at least marginally able to function without falling over. Irving’s patient expression shifted into an impatient one, and he snapped his talons.

“Hey, girl! You with me?” the griffon said quickly.

“Woo- who are you?” Harriet croaked.

“My name is Irving, and I think I can help you with your current… predicament.”

Harriet was barely remembering the recent conversation, but didn’t find anything really pressing about it.

“I… think I’ll sleep it off...” she blinked out of sync, immediately prompting more snapping of talons.

“I didn’t mean the Legion prison. I meant the fricking dragonslayers.”

Harriet’s ears perked up, prompting another headache.

“What? How do you know?”

Irving tapped the bars.

“Listen to me carefully, because I don’t want to repeat myself. I and some of my… associates belong to a company keenly interested in the dragonslayers’ cargo. We caught their trail when they first arrived in the Empire, and we know that whatever is on that cart of theirs is pretty valuable. Considering you seem to have some beef with them, I can get you out of here and we can help each other.”

“How?” Harriet was now listening with every little bit of focus she could.

“Ehh,” Irving scratched his head, “as a bait, to be quite honest. We tried to steal from them once before, and we don’t exactly have the firepower to deal with what they’re packing. They are also really focused on whatever their task is, so distracting them is kinda pointless. However, you’ve already managed to make one of them stop, so if you could draw their attention for long enough, my associates could part them with their treasure, and when they go after the ‘thieves’, the rest of us will help you get out. That’s the outline, you can get the details if you agree.”

She knew she shouldn’t. She knew it was exceedingly dangerous. However, if she could ruin the ponies’ mission AND take away what they stole in the first place…

“Can I get one thing from what they stole?” asked Harriet. When Irving frowned, she added, “Only one thing that they stole from my dad, that’s all. It’s a necklace.”

“Gold, diamonds-”

“Silver, I think,” Harriet’s brows furrowed, “It was kinda grey. There was this stone cube with writing on it.”

Irving thought about it. Something of that sort sounded like a precious antique, but getting rid of those meant finding specialized buyers. He’d have to rethink it after the treasure was in his talons, but if the scaly mare wasn’t lying, and the entire dragonslayer cargo was his, he was willing to part with a little bit.

“Deal,” he nodded, “Now, I’ll get you out of here, and let’s move.”

“But I don’t know where they went.”

Irving smiled.

“Don’t worry, I do.”