Piece of Parchment

by Metemponychosis

Catbirdking

No amount of imprecations, swear words or angry shouting stopped the once imprisoned griffons from shoving Lord Protector Gilmara into one of the cells at the back of the headquarters. Thrown to the concrete floor, she jumped back at the bars, held them, and snarled. If she could, she would have pecked her way through the bars just to get at the griffons outside. “Do you morons think you can get away with this shit?”

The griffons on the other side of the bars laughed at her. One of them more than the others. “Oh, man… I can’t believe I lived to see this! The Lord Protector of Griffonstone, taken down a notch.”

She sat with her forepaws on the floor and deadpanned at the griffon. “Gagliano, do you truly believe the Royal Guard is not going to wipe the floor with you and your new flame? As soon as they hear of this?”

He leaned against the bars, showing off the ugly scar under his beak, grinning and not staring directly at her, but his long talons. “Gee, Chief. I think the Boss is gonna be delighted when I deliver him a deal with our new northerner overlords.”

“The northerners are gonna have you beheaded or hanged…” One of the militiagriffons under Gilmara, sitting at the back of the cell, shrugged. “They hate griffons trying to join them because of the benefits.”

The black griffoness added nothing. Instead, she scooted back as another of her law-enforcement griffons dropped to the floor when shoved into the cell. Outside, Garon pulled the sliding door shut, despite not looking her in the eye, he spoke to her. “I’m sorry, Chief… I had no choice.”

“Hey, don’t talk to us, traitor.” One of the incarcerated militiagriffons snarled.

“And you!” Gilmara stood on her four legs and flared her wings. “I swear to Harmony, I will get you expelled and behind bars! The Royal Guard will kick your asses and you’re gonna get some consequences as soon as this storm blows over. I will personally have your butt prosecuted to the fullest possible extent of the law! You asshole! Genie would be livid at your stupidity!”

While the impressive and bulky griffon turned his eyes from her, the scarred one laughed and punched his shoulder. “Don’t mind her! She’s just grumpy she’s not in charge anymore.”

“I’m not your friend, Gagliano.” Garon slapped the griffon’s paw as he tried touching his shoulder. “I… I just want to see Genie again.”

“Are you out of your Celestia damned mind?!” One of his colleagues behind the bars yelled while tapping his head with a talon. “Genie is dead! Because of the northerner jerk whose toes this gangster prick is licking.”

“Snap out of this craziness, man!” Another cried, throwing his forepaws so frustrated he was.

“She got to you, Garon.” Gilmara sat on the concrete again and shook her head sadly. Her black tail wrapped around her, but the round tip kept flicking. “But this doesn’t excuse you for this nonsense. We loved Genie too, but you’re letting a false hope make you do stupid things.”

“But! But, you saw it, didn’t you?” The big, tan griffon grew restless, standing on his hindlegs and pacing one way and the other. “All of you saw it! The Lady in the Storm!”

“I don’t know what I saw!” Gilmara shouted back at him, also standing on her four legs. “It’s an urban legend. You don’t know what you saw either. You just accepted what the northerner psycho said because you want it to be true! What? Am I a feathering shrink now?! Why are we talking about old hen tales? Come on!”

“Hey, don’t listen to them, big guy.” The griffon with the scar stepped in front of Garon and opened his wings. When the griffon winced, Gagliano stood next to him and rested a wing over his back and a paw around his shoulder. Whimsically waving his paw in an arc. “I saw her too. In all her glory. And Gwineth told us who she is.”

The door opened and another batch of griffons with the local militia leather armor walked in under escort by griffons with their weapons. The big northerner hen, Gwineth, followed them, carrying a standard issue wheellock musket.

She sat and took the thing from her back. “Don’t you suckers have real weapons? How old is this thing?”

“There is a serial number and fabrication date on the chamber…” Gilmara deadpanned again. “We’re not supposed to kill, but to apprehend. Even violent thugs such as yourself. Not to mention you won’t sell your revolver muskets, much less the rifles to the Federation anyway.”

“Well, this is dumb.” She threw the musket back like a toy. “We kill bad griffons in the north and you don’t need a machine gun for that. It’s just so much more convenient. They stop being a problem and everybody can go about their day.”

“You know this jerk with the scar you just let go is a rapist, don’t you?” Gilmara gave the other griffoness a tired stare.

“Whaaa?” Gwineth stared at Gagliano with huge eyes. “Did you really rape someone?!”

“Eeeh… Kinda…” He shrugged and smiled like the suave guy he was. “They never proved anything; you know…. Outlaw stuff. She never said ‘no’.”

“Aaaw…” Gwineth sighed and slumped her shoulders, speaking with a defeated tone. “Damnit… I kinda liked you… Get him hanged on the yard, please...”

He cried and reeled back as two of the thugs with them grinned and moved closer. “Wait! This isn’t true! I was just joking!”

They laughed and held him. Without missing a beat, they quickly dragged him through the door leading to the closed yard at the back of the headquarters.

“See, this is how we deal with bad griffons in the north. He’s Allmother’s problem now.” Gwineth grinned.

Gilmara watched as the griffons dragged the third out and blinked a couple of times. “Do you understand that just because you already committed a crime, the crimes you commit moving forward, such as ordering a griffon killed, are still counted against you?”

“Only if my side loses.” The northerner shrugged and grinned. “So, where is my lieutenant? We got stuff to do.”

One of the freed criminals pointed a thumb back. “You just told them to hang him.”

“Oh well…” She sighed and pointed at Garon. “You’re the new lieutenant now. Get the others assembled in the front. Oh, wait… You’re the angry guy who wanted to see your mate again.”

He blinked quietly at her before she went on. “Ah, it’s okay. Get the others assembled. I need a big guy I can depend on anyways.”

Gilmara kept her deadpan expression. “What do they do with the clowns like you in the north? Put them in charge?”

Truth be told, they did it to the clown in the south, except Gilmara thought of politicians as a different kind of criminal. Maybe that Gwineth hen should run for some office on Griffonstone.

Oblivious to her thoughts, Gwineth frowned and raised a finger to respond, but one of her griffons interrupted her. He swung open the door leading to the front of the building and yelled at her from there. “Gwineth, there’s some military dude here to see you.”

“Ah?” She turned to him, ignoring Gilmara. “Military guy?”

With no further attention dispensed to Gilmara, she walked away with Garon. He did spare his colleagues a stare before following, though. More of the thugs Gwineth had enthralled brought other griffons to lock behind the bars. Several civilians among them, but Gilmara couldn’t do more than seethe. And hope someone would put that jerk in her place.

***

He turned on the magical lights, but they kept going dark each time lightning struck the city or rippled across the clouds above. In the dark, Chocolate Velvet grumbled at the switch on the wall and flicked it on and off several times with his hoof. But the light didn’t come back despite his glaring. Only after a few seconds the magical fixtures lit again.

“It’s pointless…” Celestia told him from the window. “The magic from the lightning wreaks havoc on the magical installations. It doesn’t seem to damage anything physically, short of a direct strike, but local systems can’t handle the interference. Nopony really understands the phenomenon.”

The office stood quite high above ground level and the window, large and luxurious, allotted a wide and deep view of the city. From the suburban area where the building had been erected all the way to fort King Grover, the river skimming the city and King Grover’s Plaza.

Considering the tower held the headquarters for the Blackfeather Division, it seemed appropriate. He could joke about the intelligence division being directed from an evil tower overlooking the city, but he remembered Palace Canterlot with Celestia’s telescope… Better to let the analogies rest. Well, he remembered a saying about the scalpel and the doctor’s hand. Or was it a line from a movie from his old world?

His hooves clopped with muffled sounds on the carpet as he walked and then sat behind Celestia. She quietly watched the rain pour over the city and crawl down the window as he joined her. Silence dominated the room beyond the splatter of heavy raindrops against the glass and he could feel her tense muscles.

“They should have met the fake ambush already.” Celestia spoke softly. “They should have reported back Gwineth is on her way and under observation.”

“Do you think it was a good idea to trust the local militia?” Chocolate scooted closer. He pressed his body against hers, resting his wing behind her back and she pressed herself against him. He breathed in her milky, sweet aroma and welcomed her warmth. “You were distrustful of the army.”

She sighed. “I hate to think of what they are doing around the city tonight. I hope my Justiciars and the Royal Guard can keep them from literally purging the Blackfeather Division. And keep the Blackfeather from preying upon the citizens. I have Miss Mallet going through their archives, hopefully, she will uncover what is so damning the Blackfeathers have found. Although I fear they will try to stop her.”

“Who?” He looked at her.

Truth be told, the whole situation had him confused. He had thought the army was on their side, until Celestia said they started splitting and helping the northerners. He thought the Blackfeather was on their side, as they opposed the northerner agents, but the Army turned on them and they scattered with no words. Chocolate thought the local militia was on their side, but things seemed to not be going as expected with them either. Something might have happened, but they didn’t know and nocreature reported back. They couldn’t even find a living official in the governmental hierarchy. They either hid or the Army defectors got to them. Not even loyalist army officers could be found.

If there ever existed a situation for which the word ‘mess’ had been invented for, it’s what Griffonstone had turned into. And whatever happened to loyalist military, the thick of still hadn’t arrived because several divisions remained unaccounted for. They had been mobilized in preparation for the invasion of Snow Mountains.

For the first time after coming to Equestria he felt fear. Because looking at Celestia, for the first time, she didn’t seem to be in control at all.

“Shouldn’t we already be investigating the northerner griffons if the Blackfeathers found something which made the southerner traitors so freaked out?” At least, the northerners seemed to be the source of the problems.

“We are.” She frowned at the rainy scene beyond the window. “The problem is finding evidence we can link to them. Until now, Lord Gilad had only been guilty of saying bad things about the hippogriffs. Today I found he may be involved in sponsoring an outlaw involved in the attack to the hospital and with several condemnations. But there is also this delicate matter of the nightmare. For better or worse, I sent Golden Rule to Griffindell some time ago. I will try to contact her via magical letter when the situation calms down. Hopefully she can provide some insight into the matter.”

The city lit up again, but not from the lightning storm. A gigantic explosion rocked the building and pink sparks flew into the air half a dozen blocks from them. Chocolate gasped and flared his wings, but Celestia simply narrowed her eyes. An instant later, the magical lights turned off with no signs of returning anytime soon.

Chocolate looked up to the ceiling and then to Celestia. Outside and then back to Celestia. Finally, he let out a ‘uuh’.

Modern cities, and parts of older cities had different methods for public illumination. They either distributed coal gas to streetlamps by a network of underground tubing, or magical flux, fed to the lamps via gold wires, also underground. At least when one lived in a sufficiently developed area. In some places, such as small cities, oil and wood still sufficed.

Griffonstone had a combination of the three. Poorer areas used more traditional methods for heating and lighting, but other areas could use a combination of both for public lighting and private use. In areas where the safer magical lights were used, the grid needed mana battery stations to ensure a proper flow of magical energies.

Mana batteries were safer, enough they could be used on airships, and even more when housed inside the proper distribution buildings to be found in cities. Unless someone tampered with them… Because if they were tampered with, they could release a lot of energy, very fast, and someone was going to have a bad day. It would not need saying such stations were built to withstand natural disasters and a random storm should not be enough to cause such an explosion.

Thus, Celestia worried and he worried too. She kept her eyes outside and he remained by her side. Neither spoke again for at least a couple of minutes. Lightning and thunder struck again, but nothing else exploded. He turned to her and her resolute stare over the city’s skyline only to turn his own eyes to it again.

Finally, the door to the office opened. A tan and white griffon with serious brown eyes came inside. A musket on his back and a halberd too, while a cuirass protected him. He stopped right by the door with a rigid military posture and spoke clearly. “Princess. The storm caused an explosion on a mana battery station. Reports say many griffons were injured. Colonel Gaspar requests your assistance.”

Rarely he’d ever seen Celestia don such a serious frown. It lasted less than a second though, as she turned to the door where the griffon soldier waited. “I will do what I can. Please tell Colonel Gaspar I will be leaving immediately.”

The three of them spent awkward ten, or so, seconds staring at each other until the soldier griffon coughed into his fist and excused himself out, slowly closing the door.

Celestia kept her eyes on the door and Chocolate’s ears slowly bent to gravity. “We’re going through last night all over again, aren’t we?”

“I am afraid so…” Her ears pulled back. “This could be a coincidence, but we cannot trust the GSA anymore.”

“I mean… You said you were almost sure they murdered a Blackfeather officer.” He winced. “This is bad. Like, really bad.”

“We must deal with it, Chocolate Velvet.” He would be lying if her steel resolve and piercing stare didn’t give him chills. The good kind of chills if the situation wasn’t so worrying. “I will assist the weather team and have one of the Royal Guard Engineers examine the damage at the mana battery station. You must protect Miss Mallet and ensure the young hen cannot escape with this sword. Remember the GSA is stationed at this building and the only reason they still haven’t destroyed everything is our presence here. Keep Miss Mallet safe from them too.”

He looked at the desk where the griffoness’ magical sword laid flat.

“Wait! What is going on?” He resisted screeching at her.

“The storm didn’t damage the battery station.” She pointed at the window with her wing. “They are trying to draw us away from here. Since Gilmara’s griffons never returned with the northerner hen, something went wrong. She is likely truly free, and she is likely to try recovering her sword.”

“So, it’s a trap? A maneuver?” He frowned. “You can’t go!”

“I will be safe. They cannot hurt me.” She shook her head. “And If I don’t go, the northerner hen will simply escape. We will lose our opportunity to examine her magic. Because of that, you must stay and fight her. We must hope she will underestimate your abilities, feel confident she can recover her sword with me gone. Additionally, you must assist the Royal Guards in the building. Protect Miss Mallet and the information the Blackfeathers secured and scared the GSA so much.”

“Well…” He raised his eyes and sighed. “I wasn’t counting on a calm night anyways… We knew stuff was gonna go down. I suppose flexibility is a virtue here. Alright.”

She smiled at him. “Be careful. She is dangerous and I don’t want to lose you.”

“Eh, don’t worry.” He waved a hoof at her. “Maybe I can get the Chivalric Society to give me points for this. You know-”

Her lips pressing against his silenced him. His eyes bulged at the surprise, but it wasn’t the first time and he regained control of his faculties. Soon enough his hoof slid down her silky mane as she pressed her warm weight on him and his back against the cold window. Her chest filled against his as his hoof slid down her back and mutual hums escaped them. He pulled her closer and she let him draw her further to him as her hooves found some space for them between the glass and his own mane. His head became lighter when his quickening breaths dragged in her personal aroma.

An eternity within the few seconds they remained together wasn’t enough and he found that he already missed her as soon as she parted from him. His eyes opened, but he said nothing more.

She giggled at him and nuzzled his neck as he returned the little horsey caress before she walked to the door. Going outside, she spoke to someone beyond the closing door and Chocolate waited a few seconds after their voices silenced before he did anything.

After quickly donning his armor, an ability he owed to practice and telekinesis, he squinted and looked around the empty room.

“Right. Think strategically.” He told himself, pacing around the desk with the magical sword.

He had to protect the young Justiciar at the archives. She had Royal Guards with her, so she should be safe from Blackfeathers or GSA soldiers trying to do stuff to the records stored there. The problem was the northerner hen. Even more so if the griffons showed up with her.

He blinked and stopped pacing for a second. He hated not knowing who the enemy actually was. Well, he knew he sided with Celestia, and things looked grim. They couldn’t reach Luna, but, but hopefully it would change once they managed to deal with the weird magic hanging over the region. In the end, Celestia should help the weather department with the storm.

His ears pulled back and he frowned. Of course, unless the weather department too sided with the northerners.

A more pressing matter, he had to protect the sword too.

He turned to the desk and the sword still laid where Celestia had left it. Walking closer, he studied it. Very well balanced, though a bit long for a longsword. Almost a greatsword. Probably a bastard sword. Of course, the term meant little to a creature which used telekinetic magic to hold almost anything, and griffons had thin paws. Nonetheless, the sword had the makings of a versatile weapon. It looked like a variation of the griffon sky sword, with the bent guard, leaf-shaped tip, and a broad fuller, used for airborne combat techniques.

He leveled his eyes with the table, staring at the lifeless blade. If Celestia was right, some griffon hens danced with their swords and the griffons really liked staring during the empire. Well, sword-dancing was a thing. Even in his original world. Just not with an extremely dangerous magical weapon sharp enough to kill you or chop off a limb.

Stupid edgy griffons.

Then he sat on his hind and frowned at the thing. It didn’t feel magical. He couldn’t detect any magic radiating off it. From the sword, he looked to the door. “I should be with Miss Mallet since Celesta won’t be around. Maybe even concentrate the Royal Guards in there with us, since she, the archives and the sword would be the only thing of interest in the building.

His eyes shifted and his lips scrunched. Letting whoever was coming just have the building to themselves was a bad idea, though. Especially if the GSA who occupied it couldn’t be trusted. Such a tactic would tell them exactly where he, the Justiciar and all the information would be: conveniently stashed in a single room for them.

He frowned. “I’ll leave the guards patrolling the rest of the building. But I’m holling myself up with this sword and the Justiciar in the archives. Come on, Miss Fancy Griffon Sword.”

The magic from his igniting horn reached to seize the weapon, but it responded by jumping on the table like it was alive and giving him the magical feedback of his life.

He yelped, pulling back, and rolling on to his back while the weapon ‘thunked’ at the table. He jumped to his hooves, stomping frantically at the carpeted floor. “Ow! Ow, ow, ow, ow! Stupid feathering, griffon mother… Hoofing piece of Aaaagh! Frick, frick, Fudge!”

No amount of complaining, pony-swearing, stomping, or rubbing at his horn in the dark made the throbbing pain pass before a couple of minutes.

“Okay!” He breathed in, staring wide-eyed at the weapon. It had gotten itself stuck point down through the desk like it was the fudging Sword in the Stone. He glared at it as though the thing mocked him.

The door opened and a royal guard pegasus poked his head in, white, gold, and blue, frowning at him. “Do you need anything, Your Highness?”

“This freaking thing has one heck of a magical feedback! It almost blew up my horn!” Chocolate shook the dizziness out of his head. “Uh… Celestia’s gone to help the griffons dealing with the storm. Keep the others patrolling the building and sound the alarm as soon as anything seems off. We’ll be by ourselves and Celestia had reason to believe the plan with the locals went belly up. So, we may get a dangerous griffon hen trying to enter the building.”

He shrugged. “The northerner hen is likely to come here to get her sword back. We’re gonna stop her. Also, keep whoever from messing with the archives before Miss Mallet is done. And don’t make it obvious, but don’t trust the GSA.”

The pegasus simply nodded at his words before he concluded. “Get the word around. The northerners, or the GSA are going to try and either infiltrate the building or fight their way in. Maybe even the Locals. Heck if I know who’s who in this crazy city anymore.”

“Yes, sir.” The pegasus left, leaving Chocolate alone with the sword.

The alicorn turned back to the sword and the light from lightning glinted off it in the dark. He seethed at it. Then he turned to the curtains flanking the window and pulled a sheet out. Holding it in his magic, he dropped it over the sword and pulled it around on a spiral until he satisfied himself it would be safe to manipulate.

But he wouldn’t use his magic, as it would reach for the word inside. Instead, his hoof slowly hovered towards the curtain-wrapped sword. Supporting his weight on the desk with a leg, his tongue sticking out, he folded his leg around the hilt.

Receiving no response from the sword, he pulled it free and yelped as the thing pulled his leg to the floor. Not as though the weapon was impossibly heavy, because it didn’t damage the carpet. It didn’t damage the sheet. It didn’t hurt his joints. More like it was made of sheer griffon uncooperativeness and refused to be manipulated.

He stared at the bundle and groaned, pulling back his ears. “Alright! Fine!”

He bit the curtain and pulled it, dragging the sword along the carpet out of the room.

***

After spending some time convincing her guards Celestia would rather they remained and helped Chocolate Velvet defend the building and the justiciar, they accepted. Her ponies often forgot few things could hurt her. She rolled her eyes at the thoughts it invoked. Once upon a time their commanders would tell recruits their job was to protect silly ponies from the repercussions of threatening her. Not the exact word they used, but the sentiment was close enough.

Stepping out of the awning above the main entrance, her golden-shod hooves struck the pooled water on the walkway. The heavy rain drenched her coat and kept her mane and tail from floating almost immediately, but it didn’t bother her. She had withstood much worse.

The public lighting outside had failed as well, and the rain gave the surrounding buildings a foreboding air. Warehouses with broken windows, workshops missing garage doors, and parking patios for vehicles taken by broken husks.

She didn’t spend too much time examining the street and flew with a hop. The clouds rumbled with the immense magical power of the lightning storms, but something seemed off. It seemed fiercer and certainly not under control by the local weather authorities.

She frowned and her wings took her higher and higher in a spiral around the tower and its two-story rectangular base building. The clouds stood high, and the wind reached dangerous speeds. She decided for flying farther from the tower. She couldn’t afford to injure herself in such a silly way.

The cold of the wind and rain grasped her, and she could have used additional protective spells. She didn’t bother with any, she had more pressing thoughts storming inside her head.

The Blackfeather headquarters used to be and should be in the Chancellor’s Palace. Supposedly, as they started spying on the Chancellor’s Office itself, they must have thought it prudent to move away. Gail apparently wasn’t smart enough to pick up on the clue, but other officers must have been.

Most of the buildings being abandoned shells told her they chose the tower in hurry. They could have found a better place for a base within the city. Maybe their backup plan was unfeasible. They must have been desperate, and Celestia bit her lip upon the thought. Why didn’t they ask her for help? Why didn’t they work with the Griffonian government? The northerners likely had infiltrated agents within the Griffonian Government and the Blackfeather knew of it. Still, they never saw Gast and Gustav coming. Maybe they knew their position was compromised, but never identified the enemy agents? It was the only explanation, although they seemed more spooked than they should.

Hard to believe they would’ve moved out without leaving their infiltrated agents or that other griffons wouldn’t catch up to what they did. Suddenly it became reasonable she felt caught in a three-way battle. The Blackfeather Division didn’t work for the Griffonstonian government anymore, and its army found itself splintered between two sides of the sad story of Lady Gaharjet and Master Gembert.

A small ember of fury burned in her chest. They were her friends, but such thoughts wouldn’t help her unveil the situation.

Did the event also motivate Lord Gilad? No… He had stood before her much earlier when his father died. He spoke to her before the Hall of Friendship. A noble griffon lord, distraught over Griffonstone and the political situation of his country. She understood him at the time… The political chicanery and corruption confused and angered his noble warrior heart.

***

A young griffon walked the narrow entrance to the Hall of Friendship. The engineers had to accommodate it under the seating for the House of the Chosen and made it unintentionally cramped. The red carpet on the floor and brown varnished wood along the walls certainly bore too much luxury for his tastes. The room where the great leaders of the world decided upon the laws and fate of numberless creatures of all walks of life stood before him. White marble walls and pillars, a grandstand of many desks and seats circled the room with the entrance tunnel beneath. None of it made him flinch.

It resembled an arena with the podium at the center, surrounded by bickering politicians cheering or denouncing whoever stood there and Celestia hated it. Especially whenever a local leader walked into it under the full attention of the assembled members. It meant they had opinions and would like to share them.

The ceiling reached far above. An opulent painting of their world occupied most of it, with the sun on one side and the moon on the other. Magical lights ensured all could see their individual nations highlighted upon the map. Only a few stretches of land had no marks. The Changeling Hives and the Dragon Badlands being the ones worthy of note.

Countless creatures occupied their seats. Ponies, buffalo, yaks, kirin, griffons, hippogriffs, centaurs, minotaurs… Zebras and tall ponies from Saddle Arabia. A dragon who represented the interests of the Dragon Lord, even if they were not an integral part of the Equestrian Confederation had a seat too. As did a diamond dog, even if not enough of them had remained to become an independent realm. Surely a few changelings too. All of them stared down at the young griffon walking upon the carpet with his head raised and the small blue griffon accompanying him. Unbroken pride of the kind one could no longer see within the many politicians who often spoke in those halls.

A proud leader, confident in his position and in his honor. Untarnished by the many deals which put the others on their seats, and maybe they saw it too, because the griffons didn’t like seeing him. They talked amongst themselves, but the marching griffon didn’t mind it. Although, much to Celestia’s chagrin, hippogriffs shared incensed comments amongst themselves, and Queen Novo quietly scoffed at him.

Reading the room was always so important, but she often found things she didn’t like.

During a hot summer he had traveled to Canterlot wearing his rustic armor of clear steel and the skin of a black wolf. A fierce visage in white with a powerful dark tan body. A black cape, a northerner battle axe and a round shield; white and blue for the snow and the sky, with the black gates of Griffindell taking the center. Those representatives not intent on criticizing him amongst themselves showed amused grins and murmured mocking comments to their colleagues.

Under flashes from photography machines, Celestia saw the honored and dedicated Governor of Snow Mountains Hold walk to the center of the hall. But mostly, he was the Lord of the Black Gates, Lord Gilad. Liege of the northerner griffons. To the others he seemed to be an actor, an artist dressed for a Canterlotian opera lost in the arena of politics. It was one of those days Celestia would later lay her head on her pillow and curse the day she accepted her position.

An infant accompanied him. A little cyan and yellow griffon who seemed much more intimidated by the environment and stares than the older griffon. His cute forward-swept crest of yellow-blue feathers remained charming, and he stood his ground with the larger griffon he accompanied. Gilad’s brother who actually spoke Common Equestrian and High-Griffonese.

He was a bit of a mystery to Celestia. Gilad’s mother decided to have another cub after Gilad’s father died. Something usually to not mind at all, it drew attention coming from an esteemed northerner lady whose culture preached that griffons should only mate once. But try as she might, Celestia never managed to see more than an old griffon lady who may have mated too young and wanted another try at love. It just dissonated with the northerner culture.

Something always seemed off about the northerners. She knew the northerner griffons kept an ancient culture among themselves. Maybe it was because she knew they never truly accepted the fall of the empire, even if they kept it secret. How long had it been? Celestia had imagined without Emperor Grigor’s unifying gravitas they would eventually fall under King Grover’s sphere of influence. But they never did.

Celestia had spent entire waking nights trying to understand and the only explanation she managed to produce was their dedication to protecting the southerner lands. It seemed right, given Gilad’s visit to Canterlot and the things he was likely to say.

Before the two griffons stood the House of Majesty, the seats of the most powerful beings in the world. Be them elected, chosen, or born into their position, there sat the creatures which ruled nations and entire peoples. Queen Novo of Hippogriffia, King Bohr of Yakyakstan, Chancellor Gail of Griffonia… All of them sat there. All of them had gathered to meet Governor Gilad. A rare day on Canterlot when all the Majesties attended a meeting, and it too spoke of bad omens.

Celestia sat above them. On the Golden Throne, overlooking the entirety of the two houses and the podium. Gilad’s eyes met hers and never faltered. He never cast them away, and they never drifted with the uncomfortable distress she often brought upon creatures. Not Gilad, he didn’t fear her.

Maybe that was one of the reasons she liked him. He treated her like an equal.

“Esteemed Majesties, your excellencies Chosen of all nations, regions, and peoples of our great world.” Celestia’s voice rose above the whispering creatures, leaving Gilad’s eyes to scan over the assembled creatures. “The Hall of Friendship recognizes Governor Gilad of Snow Mountains Hold, Griffonia. As it does recognize his brother and interpreter, Gallus of Griffindell.”

“Gallus?” She directed her words at him.

“Yes! Yes, ma’am!” The little griffon startled and straightened at hearing his name.

“Do you swear you will translate only and nothing more for the present creatures which do not speak High Griffonese? And for Lord Gilad who does not speak Common Equestrian? In the interest of clear communication and understanding?”

“Yes, ma’am!” The young griffon put a paw before his fluffy yellow chest. “I do.”

“Very well, then. Lord Gilad may speak, and Equestria will listen.” She concluded.

After Gallus spoke to him, Gilad took a step forward and his eyes scanned the seats around him, turning his head and taking a few seconds before he spoke.

“Lords, Kings, Queens, Princes and Princesses, chosen representatives of nations and their peoples.” His powerful and deep voice boomed and echoed within the halls, without need for the voice-enhancing spell, as Gallus translated for the other creatures. “My father used to tell me a liege ought not yearn for the money of his vassals.”

“It is his duty to use their coin in a spartan and dutiful manner for the good of his people. His vassals ought to offer proper tribute to their liege according to the needs of their brethren. This is the way of our race since times immemorial. Since before we met the other races. Since before The Sun and The Moon walked the land. Since before the Unicorn Kings who summoned the Windigos upon our lands and cursed them with Eternal Winter.” Although Gallus’ perfect translation was commendable, it would be the pain and the hurt in his voice that would stay with Celestia.

“When the Windigos came, before the days of King Grover and of the Kingdom of Griffonia, we held close to our hearts the words of ancient pacts written with the blood of all creatures. Above all, we have stood stout against the malice of the Windigos. We loathe their fell magic that would endanger the southern lands, it is our duty to be followed with warm pride and steel honor.”

Some creatures laughed and Celestia’s jaw would have fallen agape in her younger years. Unicorns, griffons and even hippogriffs commented on the barbarian’s ignorance.

“No monsters have come to Greenland in centuries, Governor.” A griffon senator spoke, barely hiding his contempt and leering. “It is a fairy tale your kind uses to justify your existence.”

Perhaps accepting her position hadn’t been the problem, but Celestia’s tendency of allowing creatures their blissful ignorance. Creatures wouldn’t be so happy if they knew of the monsters living in the attic.

“Have you come all the way from the northern lands to tell us fairy tales, Governor Gilad?” Queen Novo yawned.

Finally, Chancellor Gail spoke, standing from his desk in the House of Majesty. “Gilad, with all due respect to your culture... For feather’s sake, you don’t even speak Common Equestrian…”

He couldn’t keep the chuckling from his voice, and then he sighed. “What is it that you want? More bodies? More money? Weapons? You said it yourself. It’s what you northerner brutes are meant to do. Mine iron, hunt game meat, and kill monsters. If they happen to exist, that is. It makes for good folk tales, even if few even know them outside of your hold.”

The problem was… Tales often held a sliver of truth.

It took Celestia by surprise, but Gilad’s voice thundered after Gallus was done translating. “Do not mistake me for one of your friends, Gail. I do not seek money. I seek reparations. My father used to tell me… A bad ruler is a disease of the land that ought to be removed.”

Among gasps and some laughs, a griffon senator for the northern lands rose from her seat across the hall and raised her fist into the air as she shouted a single word. “Köttrornkonungr!”

Much to the surprise of the assembled creatures, her cry found traction and the northerner representatives for Griffonia banged their fists on their desks chanting the same word again and again. Celestia, of course knew what it meant, but she banged her hoof on her desk. “Order, please, order! We will speak in order!”

The chanting and shouts of Köttrornkonungr continued incessantly and creatures around the hall became more and more confused. Gilad turned and watched as his brethren griffons of the North shouted the word. He seemed as surprised as Celestia was. Finally, King Bohr of Yakyakstan managed to shout louder. “Excuse yak, but what odd griffon word means? Wee griffon translate griffon tongue. Yak not speak weird northerner griffon language.”

“Nobody speaks the tongue of these northerner barbarians!” A griffon shouted among the senators for Greenland Hold. “They should educate themselves for once and speak Common Equestrian!”

The senator’s words, punctuated by sarcasm, drew laughter while Celestia watched Gilad. He had turned to her and their eyes, again, met. He knew she knew things, and she knew he also knew many things. Things about the past the rest of the world had thankfully forgotten. Which was why she didn’t expect he would ever meet her in Canterlot. But there he stood, and the representatives for his people had opinions about him being there.

“Köttrornkonungr…” Finally, Celestia spoke in spotless High Griffonese, even if she lacked a beak to perfectly form the syllables. Her voice raised above the racket of chanting griffons, confusion, and mockery. “Is a word in High Griffonese which lacks a direct translation into Common Equestrian. It roughly translates to… Griffonking.”

More flashes. Celestia could imagine pens igniting and setting papers on fire as reporters salivated over the chaos which once again broke over the Hall of Friendship. She would have giggled at the panic the knowledge of such word spread among the griffon representatives of other griffonian holds. Representatives for other nations occupied themselves calculating what it meant to their own nations. Gilad again turned to his fellow northern griffons and then to Celestia, expecting her response as they chanted again, joined by a surprisingly large portion of southerner griffon representatives.

“Griffonking!” One of the pony senators for Bay County cried with his hoof in the air. Several pony senators cried too. It should have made Celestia laugh even pony representatives and their supporters tired of dealing with the griffons in Griffonia’s government. Kirin shouted too, and so did the yak king, slamming his hoof on his desk, mimicked by the representatives of his people.

Celestia raised from her seat and teleported down to the podium, letting her wings graciously open and show her size. Shouting creatures felt encouraged and repeated their cries as she approached and spoke to Gilad, in his language. “Corrupt as he is, we all know your brethren chose him and the will of the people must be respected. You seek something I cannot give you Gilad. I will not interfere with the griffon nation so far as removing a leader. That way lies much worse things.”

“I came here seeking your assistance. Millennia ago, you did exactly that for my people.” Gilad spoke back to her, pointing a talon. “Gail only rules because you gave Grover my country.”

Celestia frowned at him. “Your nation rebelled against the Emperor. The creatures of the world fought for survival. I led a desperate alliance of broken nations in a desperate attempt to undo the largest empire the world had ever seen. They sacrificed millions to an ideal that should never have been followed. Grigor had to be stopped!”

“My brethren call for change, Celestia.” His powerful voice retorted above the chaos, he screamed at her. “I came to you seeking a solution and my people demand one. I will obey the requests of my vassals. They know, as you do, I can challenge Grover’s ancient order from which stemmed the current political system. And you remember the pact my forefathers struck with you. The Throne of the Griffon King has remained empty for centuries and vile parasites have been feeding off its glory for long enough. If my vassals would have me, I would cleanse it of the evil which has taken root. I would seat upon the Throne of the Griffon King and it would fit me. If it is what my people ask of me, I will do as all rulers are required. I will be what my people need of me, and you must do so yourself.”

Meanwhile, a confused and distraught Chancellor Gail looked around the hall with his beak hanging open until he looked at Queen Novo, furiously shaking her fist at him. “They mean to replace you with the Northerner brute! Do something! Say something, you idiot!”

Gail Silkfeathers, so named for his famous silver tongue, quickly gathered his wits. Which was not impressive, but he was an old politician, after all. He stood behind his desk and yelled above the ruckus. “What is this madness?!”

He flew and hovered above his desk. “Do any of you even understand what you are asking for? I was chosen by the same griffons who chose you to represent them! In. This. Room! I cannot be removed from office on the whims of a barbarian and fairy tales!”

Oh Harmony… Why did Gallus have to translate that to Lord Gilad? He raised a fist to Gail, high among the other Majesties.

“My father died fighting a host of draugar and frostmanes the Windigos had sent across the north to Greenland Hold! By the blood of my brothers and sisters. By the blood of my father were your lands kept safe!” His fist turned to an accusing finger with a sharp talon he turned to the other griffon senators. “Meanwhile all we hear from you is more taxation! More coin! More, more, more! You want soft beds, and you want sweet food. You have abandoned the way of your ancestors and you would have me, and my vassals do the same.”

He turned to the other senators and their assistants, the Majesties, and their assistants too. He stood on his hindlegs and let his wings open. “I will not stand idle! We will be respected, and the ancient accords of our forefathers will be honored, or we shall rewrite their terms. Do not think my brethren meek or submissive, they respect only strength, and I am the Lord of The Black Gates! They will obey!”

Around them the bickering and the shouting didn’t help. Esteemed senators and interns yelled at each other, insults flying left and right as others laughed at titles which sounded empty to them. The young griffon who was Gilad's brother hid almost underneath him. And Celestia knew Gilad talked to her, more than the others.

“Silence!” Celestia’s magically enhanced voice shook the hall and the banners for each of the nations hanging from the walls trembled. Voices silenced as she demanded. She took a deep breath and teleported back to her seat, the Golden Throne above the House of Majesties. “Lord Gilad. Son of Garet, son of Gildon, and last in a line too long to count of noble leaders and Lords of the Black Gate. I recognize your lineage goes back to the first griffons which came from the north. And that it is within your right to claim the Throne of the Griffon King.”

“You cannot do this!” Gail roared as much of a roar his shocked voice would allow.

Howling whoops followed as well as searing complaints. Celestia rose her hoof, this time not needing to command silence. “Though it is within my power as agreed in the Alicorn Concordat, it would greatly exceed the needs of the situation should I invoke my powers to remove the Chancellor and instate Lord Gilad as the Griffon King. Such a decision must come from the griffons of Griffonia, and it must be informed by undeniable evidence of wrongdoing.”

As usual, by doing that cursed ‘right thing’, taking steps to mitigate what could turn into a violent revolution, she managed to get both sides angry at her.

Luna had had the right idea to stay the hoof away from politics.

“This is outrageous!” Gail wailed at Celestia, even turning to her, above and behind him, but she ignored him, and the chanting resumed. Queen Novo too whined and made exaggerated gestures. The minotaur president slapped his desk and pointed at Gail yelling something about justice and righteousness. “You can’t do this! Soon every Majesty is going to have their rule questioned by political enemies simply because they can! Because of this precedent!”

Celestia glared at Gail. “Session is adjourned.”

Gilad spoke to Gail, though, and Gallus translated it perfectly. “If you do not listen to the words of my father, then heed my mother. ‘If you hear thunder, be ready for a storm.’”

Sometimes she tired of the drama too.

***

The rumbling thunder roused Celestia from her reverie. The clouds lit up above her as she approached, and the wind resisted her. She squinted against the wind and the cold rain. She expected dialogue and what she got in return for her patience were threats, war, intrigue, and back-stabbing. Coincidence or not, years later a dracolich would make its way to Greenland Hold and the world would witness Lord Gilad slay it. Magical words and honor unbound by greed. The young and dutiful northern lord became The Lion, and suddenly, griffons loved a griffon they had never heard of before. Suddenly, the young lord became a politician who sponsored criminals and sent them to raid hospitals. Promising officers became murderers, honorable soldiers switched sides and government agencies turned on their population.

She had to admit her legendary, neigh infinite, patience started to wear thin.

Comments

[Kevin Lee]

The Harpy thinks there's just griffons vs everything else (led by ponies, as Celestia is the chief boogeyman, natch)
Celestia thinks she's caught in a three-way fight.
I'm pretty certain they're both seriously undercounting.

[new55]

That was a good chapter goodluck with the next one.

[Kevin Lee]

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Okay, the schedule for BBC America is currently showing "Cause and Effect" is slated to play again on Oct 6 at 6AM EDT (US/New York time zone).
Hope you can access that channel on whatever cable system you're on and can record it.

Just a reminder to recheck the schedule next week or so, as this is at the edge of the 2-week window that I can see, and I have seen that they sometimes change the lineup for shows that far out.

[Jinnchin]

Okay yeah, now I'm REALLY starting to think Celestia is going to regret letting Gwineth walk away from that fight.

So funny little detail I didn’t totally appreciate till now. It was established early on that the magical components in Twilight’s airship don’t mix well with lightning. Then this and the previous chapters showed that mana batteries can be detonated with the right “encouragement”. And finally, Gilda was able to cause the horn on that mercenary unicorn to explode in the most recent chapter of Folkvagner, again with a bolt of lightning. Oh yes, and the Equestrian military relies heavily on ALL of these things.
…the Equestrians are kinda boned aren’t they.

Impending doom aside, I'm looking forward to learning more about Gallus' role in all this. Sounds like he's going to have a significant role to play in this story!

Also I am legitimately curious to know if Köttrornkonungr really does translate to "Cat Bird King"!

[Metemponychosis]

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It's literally, and to the letter, 'cat-bird-king'.
I'll keep quiet about Gallus. He does have an important role to fill, probably not the one you think, though.