• Published 4th Aug 2012
  • 12,304 Views, 1,245 Comments

Honor Above All Else - Honored Service



Honored Service returns to tell the tale of his year long disappearance.

  • ...
46
 1,245
 12,304

Clawshank Redemption

Honored Above All Else
Chapter 7
By Honored Service

Warning: Intense violence and baddassery. But i mean, who cares? That's what this is about.

I woke up from my drug induced sleep to find myself in another cell. This one wasn't moving through the air. I was surrounded by stone on all sides, minus the iron and wood door on one side. There was a bucket in the corner and I was lying on a rickety cot covered in straw. My precious duster! I was wearing nothing but rags. My armor. My chest rig. My fucking duster and helmet! Oh someone or somegriffon was going to pay if I didn't get it back.


Would it be bad to say I've woken up in worse situations? The Nightmare said in my head. He sounded depressed. Can't blame him, this blows.


"Okay we're trapped in a prison, with my weapons taken away, I apparently killed a king’s brother, and to top it all off on this shit sandwich, nopony will be looking for me because I'm dead!" I threw my hands into the air and fell onto the cot. No sooner had I landed I felt itchy all over and saw little white specks jumping onto my arms.


"And now covered in bugs of some sort. I want to say lice of some sort. Nightmare, if you would?"


But of course.


The air shimmered around me and exploded into a wall of green and black fire. The small bugs dropped off of me from the heat, but the cot also caught fire. I fell onto the floor amidst burning straw and wood.


A loud knock came from the door. A griffon opened a latch and stared through the small window at me. It had a brown helmet made of leather on its head. "You better stop that!"


"Or what? You'll throw me in prison!" I snapped my fingers and let the fire rip across my arms. "I'm letting you keep me in here because I'm allowing it. I could blow that door down and waltz out of here slaughtering every one of you oversized pussies on my out the door." I stared the guard down as he (it's sounded like a he) backed away from the door and sprinting down the hall, as fast as his paws and claws could carry him.


Wow, remind me to never piss you off.


"Thanks for giving me dramatically awesome fire arms." I slowed the fire till it stopped and disappeared from my hands.


The door to my cell burst open and four griffons stormed in. All were armed with crossbows; these had arrows and bolts loaded into them. Ah so I went from prey to dangerous animal. If they want a dangerous animal, they'll get a dangerous animal.


"Creature, you are to be brought forward, before the almighty king of Griffmeny, and tried for your crimes against the state." The largest griffon spoke to me. He wore a red robe with a gold sash wrapped around his waist.


Looks like he's wearing a rug.


"I was thinking the same thing." I found all crossbows aimed at my head after I spoke.


"You will speak when spoken to!" Captain asshole barked at me.


"Oh yeah?" I stared him down, tempted to ignite my arms and roast this chicken.


"Move prisoner!" I was shoved forward and led through the dungeon. There were very few prisoners down here. Most of the cells were empty, and yet I could hear some type of screaming echoing through the dungeon.


Just screams, 'welcome to Griffmeny'. Don't you think so?


"Oh yeah, a real welcome party." I responded, not even lowering my voice.


"No talking!" Yelled another griffon guard who jabbed me in the back with his crossbow.


I politely told how what I would do with that crossbow. It involved lots of fire, curse words, and his ass.


I was nearly dragged up hundreds of stairs till I reached a massive throne room. The Princess's throne room is smaller than this. Lavish tapestries covered the walls and stained glass windows depicting griffon history blocked out the natural sunlight. At the farthest end of the hall, sitting atop and gold and red velvet throne, was a fat griffon. Dark brown fur covered his body, and gray feathers covered his head. He eyed me with bulging golden eyes as I approached the throne. I stood in front of the griffon king.


"Kneel worm!" I was kicked forward so that I fell forward in front of the king.


"So this is the creature that killed my beloved brother? It seems weak and powerless." The king said, holding a claw out to me.


I felt my body shudder and run cold as the nightmare took over. And I was okay with it.


Green and black flames whipped around me in a massive wave of fire. The floor cracked and split in jagged lines branching off from my feet. In a loud double toned voice the Nightmare addressed the king.


"POWERLESS IS WHAT YOU SHALL BECOME, ONCE I RIP YOUR HEAD CLEAN FROM YOUR BODY!" As soon as the Nightmare finished, I regained control of my body and the Nightmare receded back into my mind.


How was that?


"Fucking brutal."


Every griffon in the room stared at me. The rug around me was still smoldering as I glared at the king.


"Oh he has some fight in him. I like that. Condemn him to the mine. He'll make a good worker till we break him." The king picked at his beak with a talon.


The robed griffon clicked twice with his beak and I was led out of the throne room by eight guards this time.


Well look at it this way, now we have eight guards. We're moving up in the world.


"Nope," I looked down a dark tunnel leading into the mine that the griffons had led me to, "we're heading down."


******************************************************************


"You were enslaved?" Celestia looked at the human. The motherly voice was gone, and replaced with a serious tone that dropped of malice.


"Princess you may want to wait to hear all of this part of the story before you do anything." Honored gave the Princess an innocent smile.


"What did you do?" Luna asked, leaning forward on her throne.


The human's innocent smile became a little more evil.


*************************************************************************

"Welcome to the mine, all so known as Clawshank. You are going to work here till your bones break. Till your spirits are crushed. Till you are just a shell of what you used to be." A griffon with blue tinged feathers spoke down to the group of prisoners. I was standing among a group of other griffons and one earth pony.


"Remember, we are watching." The warden of the mine turned and walked up a ramp and into a cave at the top of the mine. That was the guard quarters, and the only way out of the mine. I had paid close attention as I entered the mine, memorizing any detail that could help in escape. In that room, there were thirty bunks for guards and I watched as one carried a bundle of belongings that made me growl in anger. My stuff was in that room, calling out to me to take it back.


I shuffled along in a long line with the other prisoners down a tunnel and to our quarters. The prisoner quarter was just a large open cavern. No beds. No blankets. Nothing. Just a rocky floor and rock pillows. Each prisoner was handed a dull pickaxe and assigned a number. That number corresponded to a section of the mine where we were instructed to dig. My group was ten strong and consisted of eight griffons and the pony. He had a dark green coat and a shaggy yellow mane. His cutie mark depicted a rake and a hoe crossed in an x. I walked beside him bad began to strike the rock wall.


"So what did you do to end up here?" I asked him as we labored in the mine.


Yup, just go ahead and start making friends. That's far more important than getting out of here.


The green pony turned to me. "I refused to pay the insanely high taxes on my goods I was transporting, on the griffons request, into Griffmeny." He picked the pickaxe up in his mouth and struck the rock aging. "You?" He mumbled around the handle.


"I was being hunted to be a pet to the king, and I ended up killing the king's brother." I shrugged my shoulders and swung at the rock in front of me. I stopped when I noticed all the other prisoners had frozen and stared at me.


"You killed Hathgar?" A female griffon asked, "That’s totally awesome dude." she wiped a claw across her purple hued feathers.


And boom, ran into another character from the show. Except Gilda was in prison.


"What's this?!" Shrieked a guard. "Stop standing around and get back to work. You!" He pointed a talon at me, "You better not talk again!"


"Come down here and make me!" I yelled up at him. He was standing on a cat walk fifteen feet above out heads.


What are you doing?


"Working on how to get out of here." I smirked as the cocky guard jumped off the catwalk and sailed down to the ground. All the prisoners scooted away from the guard, leaving a large circle around the guard and I.


"You may have the other guards scarred with your magic, but I'm not. I'll teach you a lesson." He flexed his muscles and prepared for a fight.


I was too busy staring at the keys jingling on his belt. This would be too easy.


The guard leapt at me with claws outstretched into fists. I dropped onto my back and kicked my legs up, just as he guard passed over me. He flew over me and smashed into the rock wall. I got up and smirked as he shook his head back and forth.


"Hmm, I’m still waiting to be taught a lesson."


You know human, I'm beginning to enjoy these shenanigans we find ourselves in.


"I agree Nightmare." I responded casually as I ducked around a right hook from the guard. I spun on my heel and planted an open palmed punch to the side of the guard's head. He staggered, disorientated from the hit. I danced around him and snatched the keys off his belt. I delivered a swift kick upwards, snapping his head back and causing the griffon to fall over onto his side.


The prisoners were cheering and hollering. This much noise caused an avalanche of guards to come to the fight. They jumped of the catwalk to come to the aid of their comrade. The guard picked himself up with as much dignity as he could muster and limped over to the other guards.


After a verbal tongue lashing, the guards retreated back to the catwalk. We picked up our pickaxes and got back to work. I went back to work happily, the keys jingling around my wrist as I worked.


That night once we were allowed to rest in our quarters, I hid the keys. Using the pickaxe, I knocked a rock lose from the floor and dug a small hole. I hurried the keys and covered the spot with the rock. Now I just had to create an escape plan.


Two days later we were lined up as he guards searched everywhere for the missing set of keys. I was questioned intensely, but never spoke of taking any keys. They keys were never found. Just a small victory for me in this damn hole in the ground.

The days began to run together in the mine. I would have lost track altogether if it wasn’t for the standard tally marks I was making on the wall near the hidden set of keys. I currently marking tally number fifty-two. Fifty-two days of the same thing over and over again and I felt like I was going to snap at any moment. Wake up, eat broth or bread, go down into the mines and continue making tunnels and carrying rocks, ten minutes to eat more bread and broth, if we were lucky, we would get two cups of water, back to work, finish working and get more bread and broth, sleep. Repeat. Guards watched us all the time, not once letting us out of their sights. I preformed the same motions over and over again to the point that even the Nightmare began to be affected by it. He eventually went quiet and stopped speaking altogether. If it wasn’t for the cold sensation in the back of my mind I wouldn’t have known he was there at all.

Then one day, a miracle happened. The guards left us alone in our quarters for the night. Whichever griffon guard was supposed to be on duty wasn’t. This was the chance I had been waiting for. I flipped over the rock and retrieved the keys. I he then above my head and shook them. Everyone in the room grew silent and stared at me.


"I'm tired of this shit!" I screamed to the eighty prisoners. An echo of agreement rippled through the crowd. "And I for one am going to do something about it." More agreements went through the crowd. "If you want to escape, then work with me. If not, stay put and wait for this to end. Let's ascend from this mine! This won’t be easy."


But if it was, it wouldn't be as fun. I trust you human. I'll help all I can.


"Good, because until I get to the chest, we only have your magic to fight with." I turned to the long ramp leading out of the mine. Inside that cave rested thirty guards, all of whom had some type of weapons.



Well and that. I picked up the dulled pickaxe and gave it a few swings through the air. Almost forty other prisoners picked up their improvised weapons and followed me towards the ramp.


I launched phase two of my escape plan. Gilda sat in front of the guard’s door holding the limp green earth pony in her arms.


"Guard! Guard help!" She called out to the door. A hatch slid open, followed by a guard stepping out of the cave to examine the injured pony. I watched from my spot hanging above the guard from a rock cluster over the guard's quarters. Pine Needle, the fake victim, winked at me. Time for phase three. I dropped from the rocks and landed on the guard's back. He crumpled under the sudden weight and attempted to call out for help, but weeks after swinging the pickaxe gave me one hell of a one hit strike. The point of the tool embedded itself into the guard's unprotected skull, crushing his brain and killing him instantly.


I pulled the pickaxe from the body and stood at the front of the prisoner army. The door to the guard quarters was still open, with one guard standing next to a table staring in shock at me. I snapped my fingers and let fire crawl up left hand as I stepped into the quarters.


And now the fun begins. The Nightmare called out in my mind as I drove the pickaxe through the chest of the guard sleeping in his cot closest to the door.


"Sure does. Wake up guards! The prisoners are escaping! Hahaha!" I cackled madly as I blasted fire from my arm, striking the still standing stunned guard center of his eagle beak. He flipped backwards landing on a table, smoke rising from the burn.


The other guards in the room quickly woke up and tried to stop the chaos unfolding before them, but it was too late. With my lightning fast assault and the unprepared attack by the other prisoners, the guards stood little chance. A lot of the armored griffons pushed out through the door and down the ramp where the fighting was the fiercest. Three guards stayed put at the door leading out of the mine and to the ladder leading out of the shaft.


"Nightmare, go nuts." I let go of control and felt the cooling sensation of the Nightmare take over. He flexed my arms in front of him and held to balls of sickly green magic form in my palms.


"Thank you human." My voice came out hollow and monotones as the balls of energy exploded in front of the trembling guards.


The Nightmare jumped through the green smoke feet first and drove a devastating kick into the beak of one dazed guard. A loud crunch echoed through the room.


Damn that had to hurt.


"Oh I guarantee it!" The Night are yelled with glee as he jumped up and spun around roundhouse kicking another guard into the wall of the cave. The griffon guards were unable to stop the sudden punches and kicks the Nightmare delivered.


The final guard drew a short sword and slashed at the Nightmare. His cuts were quick and desperate. Hacking and slashing towards me, the Nightmare leapt over the table performing a back flip as he traveled through the air. He reached down and grabbed the back of a chair and threw it forward as he came down from the jump, hurling it towards the guard. The griffon lifted the sword to block the incoming projectile but failed to stop the Nightmare as he slid under the griffon and kicked the creature in the gut with both legs. The griffon hit the ceiling and fell to the ground as the Nightmare bent its arm under its own chest and impaled the griffon on its own sword.


Holy shit! I gasped inside my own mind seeing the devastation the Nightmare chased in such a short time.


"Ah that felt good." The coldness withdrew back and I was once again in control of my body. I hurried over to the chest and sorted through the key ring till I finally found the correct key. The chest popped open to revile my precious belongings. I pulled out my pack and duster. My helmet was dulled from lack of shining and my weapons were all accounted for.


I got dressed and laced up my boots and strapped on my weapons. "Nightmare, let's get the fuck out of here."


I may have tried to bring about never ending night, but I'll admit I would enjoy seeing some sun.


"Yes, or some real food. Broth and bread blows."


Tomato soup please.


I loaded the rifle and slung the weapon on my shoulder. "Let's go see the king."


********************************************************************


"Honored, are you telling me that the change in leadership that happened in Griffmeny ten months ago was your escape?" Both princesses stared at the story teller with wide eyes.


Honored raised a finger to his mouth, "Shhhhh, you're going to ruin the story."


Everypony stared him disbelief at the human.


Yeah, I would be skeptical too.


************************************************************************


I rose from the mine shaft using a supply tunnel dug next to the ladder leading to the surface. I knew there had to have been another entrance leading out. The ladder was just for intimidation.


The prisoners spilled out of the mine in every direction running to freedom. I nodded to Gilda as she took off down another corridor wearing a full suit of guard armor. Pine Needle stuck close by me as I moved through the castle. Griffon guards were scattered everywhere trying to hold back the prisoners that had escaped. I wish I could say that all the prisoners escaped, but I knew that wasn't the truth. I had seen a few prisoners being dragged away, a lot of blood trailing behind them. Too much blood to be simple cuts. Those griffon prisoners didn't die in vain though, I would make sure of it.


My time in the mine, forced to work against my will had changed something about me. I wasn't evil, even though I was out looking to kill somegriffon, I was just insuring this never happened again. And from all the accounts and stories I heard, the king of Griffmeny was an evil griffon that wallowed in riches while nearly every other griffon was living in poverty. I was Robin Hood, except instead of taking money from the rich, I was going to kill the king, and let the griffons find a new leader. A little rushed yes. Okay maybe I was angry and wanted revenge.


Human, this was going to happen eventually. We just gave the griffons a small... push.


"Yeah, just a push." I smirked at two guards who stood in front of two large double doors. An engraved golden crown covered both doors. "I'll take door number one!"


Let's see what you've won! The Nightmare yelled in my mind, laughing as he did so.


I reached with one hand over my head and gripped my sword and with my left hand I grabbed my knife. I pulled both bladed weapons out smoothly as I approached the guards.


They stood tall and proud, not moving from their post as I drew closer. They each gripped a long spear in a claw. I jumped behind a stone pillar as one spear flew by my head and stuck into the stone wall behind me.


Damn that griffon can throw.


I leaned my head out and felt red hot pain rip across my cheek. I pulled my head back and saw blood dripping onto the gray stone floor.


Now let's just take a deep breath and go about this situation calmly and-


"Ahhhhhhhh!" I rushed out from the pillar and straight at the guards. One of them pulled a crossbow of his back and took aim. I kept running straight ahead and brought my diamond sword up vertically as the bolt left the crossbow.


TINK


The bolt split into two down the middle and veered off to the left and right passing me by harmlessly. "Holy shit that actually worked!?" I laughed and side stepped a swing from the other griffon who had unsheathed a long sword and was attempting to decapitate me.


You mean you didn't know if that would have worked! We could have died! The Nightmare screamed in my skull.


"Could, but didn't!" I yelled back avoiding another slash. The crossbow guard finished loading another bolt and took aim at me. I grabbed sword guard by neck and vaulted over him as the bolt was fired. It struck the sword guard in the side; blood flowed out of the wound. I ran around the wounded guard while dragging Bad Bertha across his neck. The guard collapsed into a heap, blood pooling around him. I jumped at crossbow guard and brought my sword down on him. He held up the crossbow and deflected the blow to the side. I came up under his arm with the knife and plunged it into his chest. I yanked the knife out and dropped my sword to the ground and snapped my right fingers. Flames sprouted up and I placed my open palm on the fresh wound. Flames shot into the guard and roasted his vital organs in seconds. The smoking body fell to the ground as I sheathed my knife and picked up my sword.


"Haha hey Nightmare."


Don't say it.


"Nightmare."


...


"Nightmare!"


WHAT!

"He had a bad case of... heart burn." I propped myself up against the door and laughed my head off. "Get it? Because of the fire in his chest."


Just kick in the door so we can leave.


I decided against the cliché dramatic entrance and open the door to the throne room. The griffon king still sat perched upon his throne. Although this time, he didn't look so arrogant. Sweat covered his feathers and he was trembling. I began to walk towards the throne dragging my sword behind me; every so often sparks would fly up from the stone meeting the diamond.


Just have to be dramatic, don't you?


"You know me so well Nightmare."


"What do you want?!" The king yelled out, his voice shaking with fear as I approached the throne.


"Tell me one thing." I spoke calmly bringing my sword to rest on my shoulder. "Why the fuck did you capture me in the first place?" I stared at him, raising my voice towards the end of the question.


"Because you're a human. The last human. I wanted to break you and then have you become a worker for me. Everyone knows the old legends about how powerful you are. I was going to make you a powerful griffon guard." His voice cracked as I stepped up the stairs and stood over the shaking king.


"And how did that work out?" I placed the diamond sword on his shoulder. The blue blade reflecting against his feathers.


"It… it failed." He croaked out.


"It sure as hell did." I flipped the sword up making a clean cut swiftly through the king’s neck.


Did I ever tell you you're scary sometimes?


I sighed and slowly sheathed the sword. Now that my adrenaline fueled rampage was over, I was feeling guilty, all those griffons dead at my hand. All I could hope was that this would work itself out. Sure I had just killed a king and slaughtered the guard. I had done all this off of what my fellow prisoners had said about the king and the way of life he enforced on the griffons of Griffmeny.


“Nightmare, do you think what I did was right?” I trudged through the empty, battle scared halls of the castle.


Do you really think I'm the best one to answer that question?


“Good point.”


I heard trotting come up behind me and turned and saw Pine Needle trotting up to me. “Honored! You did it, but it’s probably best if we get out of here while we have the chance.”


“Agreed, let’s move Pine.” The green pony ran next to me as we searched for an exit. We finally rounded a corner and saw a small door with sunlight pouring through a tiny window. Pine Needle galloped ahead and opened the door. I stepped out of the dreary castle and into the warmth of the sunlight. For the first time in a long time I breathed in clean air, and realized I stung.


I ducked and weaved my way through the griffon city towards the water. I still heard the occasional clash of weapons and shouts of guards. Pine Needle crept along behind me. We trekked along towards the edge of the city, far away from the castle. “Pine Needle, you’ll need to find a map that has more on it, than the one I have.” The map that Zulu had given me, only covered parts of Zebracia and the border of Equestria.


“Okay, I’ll be back in a bit with it.” Pine Needle saluted and took off towards the market of the city. He would blend in a little better than me among the griffons.


So what, are we starting a gang or something?


“No. We’re helping a pony get back home after he was wrongly imprisoned.” I said to the Nightmare.


Now how many days are from Canterlot?


“I don’t know, we can find out from the map once Pine Needle returns.”


I slumped against a tree and waited for the return of the green pony. Watching the clouds lazily roll across the sky, I realized it had been months since I had seen the sky. You don’t know how badly you miss something; until you no longer have it. I mean, even the Nightmare had missed the sun. The Nightmare said that.


“Psst!” I turned to see Pine waving to me as he pushed his way through some small bushes. “I found a map… but umm.” He neavervousily kicked at the ground, shifting his weight.


“What is it?” I asked taking the map from him and rolling it out on the ground before us. I looked at the map and couldn’t make sense of it. Here was Griffmeny off to the far right. But where was Equestria? A small point of land stuck out on the left, across a huge ocean. No. No fucking way!


Griffmeny was across an ocean from Equestria. I fell backwards against the tree. “Okay so we now need to cross an ocean.” Pine Needle stretched out a hoof and tapped a different spot on the map, “Or we could travel along here and skip the water.” He was pointing along the border of another large country that connected southern Equestria to southern Griffmeny. The name of it was Mythartica. Ive had enough of wondering through foreign lands. Sea ride it is!


“Let’s find a boat.”


But I get seasick.
















Hey everyone, I know this was a dark chapter with all the killing and what not. I personally didn’t like writing about Honored being somewhat evil, but after you’ve been held against your will in a mine, I’d imagine you’d be pissed to. I won’t be able to post another chapter for a couple of weeks. So I’ll make the next chapter a big one. I’ll be back with more stories in two weeks.
Peace-
Johnson