Gilda felt her flapping wings shiver as she spotted the silhouettes of moderately sized houses contrasting with the sunrise that came from the East. Her shivering wasn’t because of the weather or season. While it was Running of the Leaves Season—a rather ridiculously long name considering the Gryphons just called it Artumnus—and a step closer to Winter (strangely enough, it was the also the name used by both Ponies and Humans), the elements were not the reason for her discomfort. She was a sky-griffin of the North; even high above, colder than the fields below, the freezing bite of the wind was no match for her thick coat and feathers.
No, it was the town itself—Ponyville. It was a quaint little settlement in the Sovereign Nation of Equestria, situated at the base of the mountain where the Royal Capital City of Canterlot was located. From her position, she could see the river cut through the center, the big red building that had served as its town hall, the houses with bright yellow roofs, and the apple trees all around.
She had visited this place, once, and it didn’t turn out the way she had hoped. She’d lost a friend and with that, her reason to stay in Equestria. The years had passed and so many things have changed, yet the trepidation of coming back always remained. Was that the reason why she hadn’t stopped by the town yesterday, making excuses that the travel had exhausted her?
Gilda looked at Ponyville for a few more seconds, with no answer springing to mind. Was she too afraid to even think about it?
She turned her back to it. Her powerful wings flapped with practiced gracefulness as she soared higher and higher towards the overlooking mountains. Her eagle-sharp eyes shifted from left to right, trying to find the cavern where they set up camp. It took her a moment, but she spotted it: wisps of red-orange ember, dancing inside an open maw almost a kilometer away.
The wind shifted as her wings began to fold the air around it. With a powerful push, Gilda darted forward at breakneck speed, her eyes narrowing as she weaved through the clouds with expert ease. Before she knew it, she was at the mouth of the cave.
Smiling, she spread her wings outwards, immediately causing the air to drag her back, slowing her dash long enough to plant her claws on the mountain ground, sparks flying as her talons scratched the surface. Her momentum was still pressing her forward as she shifted her body without difficulty, her hind paws moving diagonally. With such an entrance and her wings spread out, she was the very image of a graceful griffin: lithe, majestic, and just plain awesome.
The first thing she heard was a series of sharp clapping sounds. She tweaked her head slightly, like those damn griffin models she absolutely hated. She couldn’t really help it. Her companion, her mate, was a special circumstance. She never really had a problem being a bit girly for him.
“Nice entrance,” he said. Oh, his throaty deep voice always gave her the tingles.
Trying her best to ignore the feeling, she approached the makeshift lodgings they had built yesterday. The cavern that sheltered them from the cold was large enough to be hoardplace for a dragon, though it was abandoned, of that much Gilda was certain. She had checked the whole place before they set up and there was nothing in this place except strong ancient stone.
The camp was definitely different from the usual griffin setup, which usually consisted of few dry twigs for the fire, firegems, and leaves for bedding. The basic materials were still there, though some amenities had to be added because of her mate.
At the center of the camp was a small fire contained within a hastily constructed fire pit. The usual one-time use firegems were missing, instead replaced by these human tools. Her mate called them fire-starters, which really consisted of basically two tools. One was the ‘flint lighter’, which was a simple looking metallic stick with a wheel at one end that could cause sparks with a simple flick of a finger (or claw, in her case). It was also reusable. The second was the ‘fire-tabs’, little cotton knotted ropes that caught fire quite quickly, even when wet.
These tools were far more usable and much more simplistic than the off-at-times firegems that needed a vial of liquid magic or a strong impact to work. It was no surprise when the ‘fire-starters’ almost single-handedly replaced the traditional magical gems back at the Kingdom.
Also, instead of the usual leaf bedding, there was a tent in place. Unlike pony tents, which were costly and used magic, this one was far simpler, using one of those refined strong aluminum frames as its skeleton. How these humans developed them were beyond her. It usually took a team of unicorns to refine the metal to a usable form, and even then, it was far too soft to use. The humans also developed interesting fabrics that they used to cover the tent. Her mate called it ‘nylon and other stuff’. It was thin, but it kept the insides toasty warm. While it seemed impossible, she ignored thinking about it too deeply. The tent was big enough for the both of them—wasn't that enough?
Speaking of her mate, there he was, sitting by the fireplace and stoking the flames. Since the cavern and the fire were more than comfortable enough, he was not wearing his traveling clothes—a gold-yellow and red hooded jacket, a pair of brown pants and boots. Instead he wore short pants and that thick fur vest she had given him as a gift some time ago, showing off his dark golden-brown muscled arms.
She remembered when she was so busy with her duties that it was hard to get enough free time to hunt animals for their fur. Worse, she had the bad luck of starting a month before his birthday and she at least wanted to make a coat for him. She failed, but her gift was wholeheartedly received nonetheless, and judging by the wear-and-tear, he wore it virtually every day.
It was a reminder of why she loved him.
Remembering made her neck and face feel warm and it wasn’t because of the flames. Approaching him, she laid her kill down next to the campfire. She licked the blood off her beak before she faced him.
It didn’t show now, but he was a tall, bipedal creature and while on all fours she’d only reach his chest. His brown face was muted by the low intensity of the fire, but it made his smile much easier to see. She nipped on his neck affectionately. In turn, he rubbed his cheek on her neck, his teeth nibbling on it as well, making her throat involuntarily trill.
“Morning, Gilds,” he greeted.
“Morning, Pet,” she greeted back. She settled down on her haunches beside him, and he automatically grabbed a brush from nearby and began to rub the lion half of her body, smoothing out the fur and removing a few specks of snow. She groaned with pleasure.
“You need me to skin it for you?” her mate asked. It took her a moment to realize he was talking about her kill.
“Not unless you want some,” Gilda replied absently. While she had discovered a greater appreciation for how humans prepared meat, griffins were more than comfortable eating it without any preparations. Plus, skinning the kill herself was quite an enjoyable task.
“Eh, I’ll stick with jerky.”
Gilda rolled her eyes. “You’d really pick that briny dry meat over my fresh kill?” she asked. It was always something she’d say every time he’d stick with the jerky on their travels. And, as always, he would always give his usual mock smile as a reply. She looked at him for a second before turning away, with a fake huff. “Humans really are masochists. The whole lot of you are weirdoes.”
Her mate just chuckled. “I don’t see why you’re complaining. Especially if...” and he let his words linger as he slowed down his brushing in a particularly sensitive spot. The griffin hiccuped a squawk of surprise and pleasure before she cuffed him with her wings.
“Stop that!” Gilda muttered, feeling her face flush.
“If I wasn’t weird, would I be able to make you feel this good?”
Her face definitely felt flushed this time. She whispered, “Oh, shut up and brush me.”
Brush he did. Up and down, his hands were steady as he worked a rhythm of even strokes. They were practiced motions, honed by weeks of repetition. Gilda always enjoyed his grooming ministrations, even when he wasn't that good at it first. Thank the Ancestors that he was such a fast learner.
Satisfied, she tapped his leg with her wing, signalling him to stop. With the pressure off her coat, it was time to return the favor. She walked behind him and draped her forelegs over him, her claws lightly scraping through the fur vest as she rubbed her neck and beak over his head, shoulders and scruff. She closed her eyes and lost herself as she smelled her own scent mingling with his.
Her stomach suddenly rumbled. Her eyes flew open and she felt her cheeks heating up, from embarrassment this time. She suddenly felt his fingers glide over her feathered neck, his lips kissing her throat.
“Go eat, Gilds. Thank you.”
The griffin gave a very fake huff of annoyance, and immediately stalked her kill near the fire. Before she dug in, she looked back at him for a moment, her eyes shifting.
“Are you sure you don’t want...?”
“I’ll be okay with the jerky for now,” her mate replied with an easy smile. “Besides, with Ponyville so close, I won’t have to suffer too long.”
“Ugh, Ponyville,” Gilda spat out before she began to eat her breakfast ravenously.
“Slow down, Gilds. Don’t want you to choke,” he advised, laughing.
Gilda rolled her eyes. Still, choking to death was a much better prospect than going to Ponyville. Who knew, maybe it’d convince him to let someone else represent him. “Better choke now before I enter that Ancestor-forsaken town,” she muttered, not bothering to keep the gruff out of her voice. “Why are we here again?”
“Well, I have to meet up with the council to finalize and secure the trade routes, while you claimed you wanted to protect me from amorous ponies,” he replied, chuckling.
“Claim nothing, I’m definitely going to protect you from those in-heat dweebs,” the griffin replied.
“Honestly, Gilda, I don’t think it’s that bad.”
She licked her beak before facing him again. Her mate wasn’t afraid of a little blood, but had told her that he was a bit unsettled seeing it on her. Oh, the things she would do for him. “You are talking about a race that practically built companies to hire out male humans for intimacy-driven services. As far as I am concerned, I can’t trust you with those... horses.”
He laughed loudly at that. “Okay, even if that’s true, I still say it wouldn’t be that bad. I mean, it’d be nice to have some additional affection.”
As soon as those words left his mouth, Gilda’s neck straightened, her eyes narrowing. The tone of his voice indicated that he was more or less joking, but the idea of having to share him? Her thoughts began to zoom around her head. She imagined seeing him with those stupid ponies or even other griffins. Her blood began to boil.
“Additional affection?” she asked in a low, deathly quiet tone.
“I heard the ponies practice polygamy. I wonder if that’s true.”
A growl vibrated from the confines of her throat. She turned, leaving her breakfast on a flat stone near the fire, and stared straight at her mate, who was wearing a goofy smile on his face. He was egging her on and she was playing right into his claw-er-hands, but she didn’t care. How dare he imply that she should share him? Wasn’t she enough?
Her hind paws kicked up a bit of dirt behind her before she jumped at him, her wings spread to make her look as big as possible. Her claws bit lightly into his shoulder, sharp enough to cause him to yelp, but not enough to pierce his flesh. She would not hurt him but he needed to be taught a lesson.
He put up almost no resistance, letting her pin him on his back. She settled her haunches on his thighs, staring at him for a few seconds before her claws moved towards his vest, and slowly kneaded them on the furred surface, a little rougher than her earlier actions.
Her mate stiffened at her aggression, yelping quietly as her beak darted quickly and bit him on his neck, more painful than the usual nibble of affection. She wouldn’t let him up, though. Using her claws to force him down, she slowly traced the outline of his shoulders, nipping in particular places, feeling satisfied every time he gave a half-muttered apology.
“You are mine!” she whispered harshly at his ear after a fifth bite. She earned a weak affirmation, before she bit again, earning another yelp. “What was that?”
“I’m yours,” her mate replied, more clearly this time. “I’m all yours, Grizelda Behertz.”
“And don’t you forget that, Marco Lakan,” she said, her throat growling at the mention of his name.
“Swear to God,” he replied, with his arm moving and positioning itself perpendicular to his prone form, palm facing upwards from the ground, open. A human gesture, he had explained before.
“Swear to me,” Gilda muttered, now settling on all fours, letting her full weight rest on top of him. She could feel the warmth they both shared and his beating heart and she smelled as her scent intermingling with his once more. She lowered her face, her beak almost touching his nose, internally smiling as she felt him squirm under her weight.
It was a gesture of dominance, a lesson to show him her displeasure. A normal griffin response was to expose their neck, a sign of trust and submission. Instead, his response was simple: he kissed her on the beak. Gilda stared at him, her eyes crinkling. Later, her face followed.
“Ugh, whatever,” she muttered, trying to force the smile from her face with an uninterested tone. She pulled herself up, letting her mate sit up. She then rubbed her neck on his back and over his shoulder. “You owe me some preening time.”
“Preening, or ‘preening’, Gilds?” Marco asked, a little heat escaping his tone as he began to give soft kisses on her feathery neck. Gilda felt like she was struck with lightning.
“What do you think, Pet?” she whispered hoarsely.
His only response was more feathery kisses, and sometimes a little tongue. His hands moved in precision as well, one towards her neck, massaging it with his digits, while the other rubbed her sides and shoulders with practiced motions.
Oh, Ancestors. When did she become so lucky?
Excellent.
1856169
Thanks. And congrats, first post!
I'm liking this so far. More please.
1856242
Yup. Next chapter will deal with their meeting and some insights on the Gryphon Kingdom and some of its cultures. God, I hope I don't mess it up,
Magnificent!
Sir! You're a genius!
1856300
^_^ Thank you.
1856302
Well, not really, but I try.
I'm glad you guys are liking this so far.
Normally, I'm not the one for human-x-pony romances but this is good, very good.
I expect more from this story, but take your time, I certainly don't want to see a rushed out chapter.
1856923
Yeah, working out a few kink.... *looks around for Starmans Ghost* .... narrative kinks. Have to finally get the feel of the Gryphon Kingdom right, make them stand out from Equestrian Kingdom.
1856999
Well, if it could give ideas i mostly picture the Gryphon Kingdom as something like Skyrim.
Anyway, I will deffinitly read this later, and give a proper review.
1857012
I'll eagerly await then. Enjoy.
1857015
This was a very nice way o begin his story. At least in my opinion. Really liked the romantic moments in here. Plus extra points for the romance being with Gilda. She really needs to be used more with these type of stories.
On that note, I am looking forward to the rest of the story. World building is always a fun thing to read, but others only tend to focus on Equestria, and not the other races/countries. It will be fun to read about the gryphons.
Good luck with all of your endeavors.
Yeah, yeah, this is what I like. Finally some Gilda-tastic romance.
She's always so pleasantly feisty.
I am most definitely looking forward to reading the rest of this.
1857200
Exactly! Its usually always about Equestria. I mean, its understandable, but I don't see a lot of stories building the Gryphon Society. Sometimes, even the Gryphons act like a much more aggressive Ponies, which I find odd. They are half-eagle-half-lions for goodness sake. Where's the raw intensity?
As for Gilda... I kinda feel bad for her. She won't even make a return in Season 3.
1857209
Working on it as we speak. I've buffered myself with extra G4M and Iron Colt chapters, so I can work with this without those stories hanging on my head yet.
1857233
We don't see world building on any of the other races at all really. Which is kinda sad. There is so much to work with. True, there are some stories that are building on the changelings, but what about the others. Instead of the diamond dogs being idiotic slave mongers , as a lot of authors have them be, they could have great underground cities with a greater enginering prowess then the equestrians. The minotaurs could have societies like that of the ancient greeks, and romans. The dragons, which could very well be the most ancient of the races, could be split into to factions, the ones shown in the show who are more nomadic, solitary, and wild, and another that is more magic oriented and have there own great cities. And each race could have its own mannerism, culter, beliefs. So much to work with. So I am really looking forword to hwo you ahndle he gryphons.
Is that true? That is kinda sad. Trixie got to redeem herself. Kinda messed up that they won't allow Gilda the same chance.
1857317
So far, I'm building them to be a warrior race. They place importance in regards to practical technology, whether its weapons, food, or tools to help them with everyday life. As of now, they are a bit dependent on magical items for a lot of things (the firegems being an example), but without a big enough number of unicorns (griffin mages exist, but in small numbers), these tools are expensive to be made locally and are mostly imported from Equestria.
Yeah, so far no news about Gilda. .... and with news regarding Discord... yeah, I'm not spoiling that.
1857363
That does sound right for the gryphons.
Yeah, I already know about that episode. Homestly, that is one that I am not looking forward to. Especially the aftermath of it. People are going to use that episode to justify those horrible ships with him. Nothing against the character, but man I can't stand shippings with him. It is like shipping Kefka with Terra, or Serpheroth with Aerith.
1857413
Why can't he just be that cool kooky old guy? I'm all for love and everything, but Discord....? Maybe if they use a character from another fandom.
Alright guys. So far, 100 percent approval, 50 plus likes in less than a day. Not bad. Thanks for all the faves and support. Good night!
1857459
Because all it took was one guy having the horrible idea to make a crack shipping him with Celestia, which for some odd reason gained popularity, and it just blew way out of proportion from there.
Well you have already made good works before, and this so far is no exception. So it is not surprising if the story is well recieved.
Good night, and good luck with all of your endeavors.
fantastic
followin'
I do see relations starting off smoother with griffons than with ponies, except that all griffons fly while 1/3 of ponies does. The meat diet, products of rougher environment without magic. Another draw is while we aren't physically imposing as them, we have a older, longer recorded history.
We are quite a sympathetic barbarian. Harmony is what humans yearn for most, but we never get our ideas far beyond paper without ill turns and consequences. We have quite the tendency to harm instead, yet quilt keeps that in check and spend often the rest of lives regretting or rebuilding.
So while the ponies call the devices of mankind 'blood-technology' I believe humans are for the most part are taking responsibility in this new frontier. They supply the griffons with materials and gadgets that they never dreamed of, but will need to be taught restraint from the humans and their history.
At first their attitude would make them think they have the advantage finally and be in excess over everything and feel in control, but to humans that would be the irrational thought that is history repeating itself and they wouldn't want to ruin this paradise with the blood on their hands again as usual.
So one draw that prevents immediate praise from all griffons is that while humans most relate to them they still hold Equestria as an ideal civilization that their ancestors would died for. Something infuriating to the griffons who are second-class, but would come to understand.
Hope his comments of 'affectionate, polygamy ponies' mean more than just words to intimidate Gilda, rather he has the real respect for ponykind and to possibly being Gilda's guide to help her reconcile with them.
I find the humans, if I'm predicting your world building correctly, to being the bridge species for all species. Next you ought to do Minotaurs.
1858114
Thank you kindly.
1859817
You win the longest post award. Have a Mac.
I can't answer most points, but I'm pretty sure weapon trading is illegal in Equestria. Heck, the reason why Gilda and her mate travel to Canterlot (passing by Ponyville in turn) is to secure trade routes for the herds of cow. They need Equestrian Authority to even begin. Its that kind of thing that will color a lot of perceptions for Griffins in regards to the ponies. Granted, looking at the big picture, humanity and ponies are actually quite lucky to meet each other.
What I haven't seen so far is someone twist the concept of the Gentlemanverse. What if it was the humans that punched through space-time, and landed in the Gryphon Kingdom? Or anywhere else for the matter? Peaceful resolutions? War at First Contact?
As for Marco's little teasing, who knows. He could have just wanted to rile her up, knowing that doing so they'll have 'preening' time later, or he could actually be trying to help her reconcile the fact that they are almost at the town where Gilda had lost one of her friends.
wait how did they get together and is he actually her pet or is that a 'pet' name
but cool story bro, needs more dragons
1860617
That's what the next chapter explores... or at least, how they meet. And yes, 'Pet' is her pet name for him. Same with 'Gilds'.
And no comment about the dragons. I still haven't thought on how far I can go with the world-building.
Turned out pretty well
1857459
1857491
It comes about because of the sheer enmity shown by Celestia during the S2 opener- people wonder about that, and some of them prefer the lover's betrayal option, as opposed to her simply being ticked that he was harassing "her" little ponies. It makes a certain amount of sense that some would prefer this for the added drama, Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned and all that. Doubly so given that they are both immortals, and the fact it would fit in nicely with some of the old world mythology used by the show. It can be crack, yes, but it also can be a legitimate historical pairing.
1862757
So basically what you are saying is that some are seeing animosity for a deranged, dangerous being that needs to be stoped as a lovers quarrel. I am sorry if you are a fan of that shipping, but that is preety dumb. But like in that South Park episode people will look for hidden meanings in anything, even when non exist. Plus there are still some that ship Cosmos, with Chaos, even though he is technically her son.
Finally! A well written Human/Gilda fic! There really isn't to many of them.
That aside, love how jealous and possesive Gilda is, and that she made it VERY clear that she would never ever share her mate, there are to many harem MLP fics here for my taste.
1862441
lol, thanks to you and coandco. Yeah, he kinda looked at it too. If you read it, it's a little different from how we finished.
1862757
I guess it will always come down to interpretation. I personally am not convinced on the pairing.
1862978
I thought following the usual practices of Ponies set in this verse wasn't going to cut it. Griffins and Ponies... they are pretty much different from each other. Why not culture practices as well? It also gives a semi-good explanation why Gilda acted the way she did in her episode.
Next chapter opening shows how different they are. Or at least, I'm hoping that's how it'll go.
1863318
Well, compared to the Griffins, human beings pretty much are weaker. But that's to say human beings are weaker than lions or bears. Physical differences didn't really fully decide how we spread out in this world. I'm hoping to show that a bit more of with Marco in the next chapter. It was definitely something that caught Gilda's attention.
Woohoo! 99 likes, 129 faves. Thanks for the support on this guys. Much appreciated.
Interesting idea, nicely executed as well.
Fav and tumb up.
1868058
Thank you.
Okay, everyone, the second chapter is... well, a doozy. Its not yet done, but its one big flashback. I'm a little iffy about it all honestly, but hopefully my proofreaders will tell me where screwed up.
Promising beginning, I'll give you that. I'll definitely be paying attention to this in the future.
1868841
I'll try not to disappoint.
I can't say anything that hasn't already been said, so just keep up the good work. Well begun is half done.
1872829
Thanks. I'll try not disappoint. xD Damn, just repeating myself aren't I?
1863465
Well ya a human would be weaker, but you have to remember birds have hollow dense bones and lions are are good at short distance speed bursts, but run out of energy quickly. Not sure how you want to portray a magical mythical creature, but have fun. Also bald eagles generally have a single mate for life (barring death).
This seems interesting so far, keep it up.
1878864
True. But my point still stands. Pound for pound, humans aren't that strong against Griffins. Hell, not even canon ponies. We evolved by spreading out everywhere and sharpening stones to stab the stronger bastards. We are the picturesque pragmatists.
1878918
Pony strength on the show varies from pulling a house with ease to can't walk across town carrying this cake so heavy. They are beasts of burden. We do got them on one thing...none of them can swim that well.
1879557
Really? Was it shown in the show about their swimming habits? I can't recall...
1879571
The only time we've seen any pony in water was Sleeping in Ponyville episode and that scene is a little inconclusive. RD can apparently cut tree trunks with other tree trunks, and she really didn't swim so much as dived like a bird. IRL horses kind of dog paddle in their own way. Lions are kind of the same. Birds don't really swim I don't think.
1881434
I think its fun that we can explore what they can or cannot do, and give explanations to what we present. For example, since Griffins and Ponies show that they have more than flexible legs, its not that impossible to think they can't swim. I guess, as always, its about interpretation.
As for the RD scene, it bothers me. Its a blatant disregard to physics, so I'll probably have to come up with a alternative explanation for that. Someone mentioned it could just be Scootaloo's eyes playing tricks on her (as RD is her idol), or RD pre-cut the trunks, and kicked them out for an explosive performance. Of course, the latter doesn't explain why the trees don't just topple over. xD
1881462
or you know just explode into a million pieces of wood chips.
The ponies having more flexible legs should actually make them weaker than a normal pony technically. That is just another part of being in a cartoon.
1881626
Or its magic. Granted, that's really a cop-out answer
ERMAGERD. Side story!
1884685
Yup. I wanted to build the Griffin world, and explore how different it is to love a griffin instead of a pony. Prologue chapter introduces the present setting, and then it goes backwards, from when the two meet, the places in the Griffin Kingdom, and how they came to be.
1884719 Well ya picked a hell of a griffon to start with. Gilda's quite the... character...
Ya ever read Banishment Decree? It's not mine but its prob my hooves-down favorite, and it pretty much built my headcanon for griffons.
1884741
Um, still going through it. I like it so far. ^_^
Griffins here... are a bit different. Definitely warrior race. Don't want to spoil a lot, so I'm hoping you'll enjoy what I have in plan.
Finaly! Gilda romance! Hope the bring her back in the show in the future.
As soon as I saw the name I knew that this piece would not disappoint and I am happy to say that I was not in any way disappointed with this fic your description and story telling skills drew me in instantly.
p.s thanks again for the tips
1888122
Yeah, me too. So many things left unsettled. Trixie had a chance, but Gilda?
1888533
Thanks. And no problem. ^_^