Chapter 10
A jolt woke Gilda up from her slumber, much to her surprise. She didn’t remember falling asleep. First thing she heard was indistinct shouts of Wind Knights as they tried to right the air coach she was riding. Curious at where they were, yet still yearning for slumber’s tempting embrace, Gilda just decided to look outside. It was still bright.
A groan escaped her beak as she stretched her claws and wings, still feeling sore from everything that had happened back at the steadholt. Memories blurred together. She remembered Fortrakt’s timely arrival with Gryphon soldiers from Aricia, which drove the cloven off. She remembered air coaches being brought to carry the humans, the wounded and the exhausted. She remembered the pyre to burn the griffin dead.
Whatever tempting notion there was to go back to sleep had vanished as the memory of the fire burning the dead griffins under her command came to her mind. Gilda felt guilt gnaw her chest, once more questioning her competence of command. All she could think of were their names, and even then, it didn’t seem enough.
“You okay, Gilda?” Marco asked.
The eagless turned towards the brown-skinned human. He was sitting down opposite of her, gently stroking the heads of the three sleeping cubs that made his lap into a makeshift pillow. Gilda couldn’t help but smile.
Marco blinked. “What?”
Gilda chuckled. “Nothing, dad.”
Marco looked at her, confused, then when he looked down towards the three cubs, he too chuckled. “They had a rough day. We all did, I suppose. Though I guess you guys took the brunt of it.” When Gilda lost her smile, he immediately added, “Sorry.”
Gilda shook her head, sighing. “It’s… okay. I’m just glad that it’s over.”
“Yeah, for now,” Marco replied. When the eagless just hummed her reply, he gave her a look. “Something wrong?”
“No,” she replied, a little too quickly much to her chagrin. “Nothing’s wrong.”
Thankfully, Marco didn’t say anything more and settled on stroking one of the cubs’ sleeping heads. That allowed her to look around. There were two injured griffin soldiers, their closed eyes and still bodies making her wonder if they too had succumbed to sleep. She also spotted two alert Marines, one staring out the window. Other than the rhythmic flapping of wings and the slight whistle of rushing air, it was quiet.
Gilda had almost fallen asleep once more when a greeting signal was cried out. When the confirmation code shouted out a few seconds later, she also felt a subtle shift of level in the coach. Whoever was carrying them up knew what they were doing because none of the humans reacted. It was only when Aricia came from view from the window that Marco seemed to realize that they were descending.
“Whoa,” he muttered. “Awesome!”
Gilda smiled, remembering his initial reaction looking at Arnau. She was willing to bet he reacted the same way when he first arrived at the steadholt they had just escaped from as well. Half-wondering if he would react that way to all Gryphon towns, it struck her as strange that a being quite alien from Tellus seemed very impressed with something so spartan compared to Equestria, architecturally at least.
The last time she felt at awe at anything griffin made was long ago. Maybe because she had lived long enough in the Kingdom. Or maybe she knew that all garrison towns rarely distinguished from one another, designed to be familiar to all Rotating griffin soldiers. Or maybe her excitement was just dulled by the simple fact that they were currently fighting for their lives.
The aircoach landed smoothly. First thing she heard were the shouts of orders, followed by more flapping wings, clanging metal, and grunts of soldiers at work. Someone opened the door of the coach, and Giraldi’s head popped in. Upon spotting her, he gave her a nod.
“Sir,” he began, “we’ve arrived.”
Gilda nodded her thanks, stretching her limbs a bit before she finally exited the coach. Aricia looked liked any garrison town, if not smaller compared to Tierra’s or other garrison cities in a big city. It was surrounded by a rectangular enduring stone wall, each side with three guard towers. Square houses, similar to the ones found in a steadholt, were placed in a spiral formation. It surrounded the central garrison, a tall building that acted as the Main Hall and barracks of the town, complete with its own defensive walls and towers.
That was where they had landed, just outside of it. She noted that they were being watched by more than just soldiers. There were unarmored griffins, all looking either tired, lost, or numbed as they watched the grounded coaches, whispering amongst themselves too softly for her to hear. If she had to guess, they were refugees from the surrounding steadholts that were able to escape the initial Cloven attacks. The unkempt look they all sported hinted on the usual problems of having additional beaks to feed while waging a war. She hoped the supplies of Aricia were up to the challenge.
“Hey, it’s okay,” Marco said gently. Gilda turned around just in time to see him coach the cubs into going out. “Come on, guys. We’re here. Safe and sound.”
The three still looked a bit sleepy and apprehensive, one even yawning as they climbed out. A shout came through the crowd; five griffins began to shuffle forward, pushing the crowd away—three tiercels and two eaglesses. When the cubs saw them, their sleepy expressions faded, replaced with wide smiles.
Gilda couldn’t help but watch with satisfaction as the three cubs were united with their families once more. Nibbles of affection were given freely, tears flowed, combined with warm hugs that had her forgetting almost everything, her weariness, the looming war, for just a moment.
Marco stood beside her. “It’s times like these that make everything worthwhile,” he muttered, only loud enough for her to hear.
“No doubt,” Gilda replied, watching the cubs as they introduced their parents.
“I don’t know whether to be sad or—ai, ai!” Marco sputtered as the cubs began to lift their claws, extending their longest talon upward at each other. He placed his open hand and rubbed the side of his head, partially covering his face. “Okay, right now, I’m relieved the parents don’t know what those meant.”
“Yeah,” Gilda chuckled. “Mare Chaser and Cub Corruptor. You are racking up quite the reputation.”
Marco was about to say something when both of them heard a strained grunt. Turning to their left, Gilda could see the griffins that were under her command and the Marines wasting no time in getting out of the coaches, helping bring out those too injured to exit the vehicle. Imlay was part of the crew that helped the prone Chris, who was secured in a flat board. Marco’s face turned pensive before giving her an apologetic look.
“Go,” the eagless said, then watched him go towards his friend, probably to give words of encouragement.
“Sir,” Giraldi called, getting her attention. Gilda looked at him motioning towards an approaching spear of griffin soldiers. The crowd parted like a curtain as they approached, clearing the way and giving her a better look of the group. She recognized some of the soldiers, having worked with a few of them before she was Rotated out of the Southern Farmlands. She was just an Auxiliary Guard when she had left, though. Judging by the shocked look they wore when they spotted her Command Chain, they didn’t expect her to come back as an officer.
Understandable, since she, herself, at times couldn’t believe it either.
The very seasoned First Spear leading them was someone she also recognized. Much older than Giraldi, he sported grey hairs that concentrated on numerous old wounds, but that didn’t seem to slow him down. Quite the opposite. He moved purposefully and confidently, though he wore an unreadable expression as they approached. “Sub-Tribune Behertz,” he called. He bared his neck before saluting. Those around him did the same, though slower. “This is a… surprise.”
“A recent development, First Spear Fillius,” Gilda replied, saluting as well. She stepped forward, with Giraldi following suit, staying just a bit behind her. “I was ordered by Captain Narada of Arnau to bolster garrison defenses any way I can.”
Fillius looked towards the the coaches. “Well, it’s not a legion, but we’ll have to make do.” He motioned towards the humans. “Those the apes, sir?”
“Humans, yes,” Gilda corrected. “Those in green-patterned clothing are the Marines.” When Fillius gave her a confused look, she added, “Human soldiers.”
The First Spear seemed to study them for a moment. “How do they fight, sir?”
“Unbelievably effectively,” she replied. “I’ll give my report to the Tribune about their fighting capabilities, and also some new effective tactics we have developed to combine formation.” She looked around. “Who’s the Tribune of Aricia?”
Fillius took a breath. “Sir… as of now, you are.”
That answer stunned Gilda to silence. She looked at Fillius, studying his somber expression, hoping to see anything indicating jest. All he did was stare back, unreadable.
“How?” Giraldi asked.
“Cloven struck him down even before we were aware that they had Corrupted the guards,” Fillius replied. “Like it was written in the history books. Their initial attack cost us at least five spears, but in one effective stroke, they killed the Tribune, her Sub-Tribunes, and the Count of Aricia.”
Gilda felt breathless. That left her as the acting leader of Aricia, the highest authority of the town. She would be tasked to defend the town, lead even more soldiers to battle. Everyone was going to defer to her. Everything was on her.
Doubt of her competence rose once more, the memory of those dying under her command swimming through her head. It transformed the little nagging nudge to an overwhelming weight that sunk in her stomach. It seems that the world was suddenly on her shoulders. She was numb. She was mute.
She couldn’t do this.
“Sir, you okay?” Fillius asked. His voice barely registered to Gilda, his question sounding hollow in her ears. She looked at him blankly, wondering what she was supposed to say, only for Giraldi to come forward and rescue her.
“First Spear, can you set a meeting later?” the Spear Centurion asked. “We can exchange inquiries and give Sub-Tribune Behertz time to gather her thoughts.”
“Good idea,” Fillius agreed. “We’ll give you word once we set up council. Meanwhile, I’ll have centurions guide our ape guests where they can stay and recover.”
There wasn’t really anything Gilda could say. At Fillius’ word, griffin soldiers gathered and listened to him intently. She felt a bit jealous of how easily he seemed to handle himself around them.
“Sir?” Giraldi asked, getting her attention. He looked at her for a moment. “Something wrong?”
Gilda looked towards the centurion, said, “I’m—” and stopped, shaking her head. “I’m fine. Let’s see if we can get the Marines and non-combatants settled.”
“Aye, sir.”
The next hour, Gilda and Giraldi began making arrangements, with the latter talking to the centurions of Aricia. She was glad he was stepping up because she had no idea if she could think straight. The last news had left her reeling, and she couldn’t afford to look so absent-minded when there was still work to do.
The humans and Marines weren’t exactly welcomed to stay in the central garrison, but Imlay didn’t seem to mind. Instead, he just requested a place for them to settle down, and arrangements were made so that they were placed in an inn not too far from the garrison. Giraldi needed to make a few more arrangements with the local Peacemakers to distribute the already disproportionate number of refugees, which meant kicking some griffins out of the space.
There were some really vocal complaints, but considering that all of those relocated were just the richer griffins who hoarded more space than necessary, Gilda felt absolutely no guilt in getting them placed somewhere else. As the humans began to settle in, Gilda ordered Fillius to spare any available Mages to look over the injured. With that done, and Giraldi insisting that he’d take care of the rest of the duties, Gilda made her way towards the garrison.
The walk up to the building felt weird, especially when more soldiers seemed to stop and stare, only saluting at the last minute, as if just remembering protocol. When the garrison came to view, she took a moment to admire the three-level building. The first level was an enormous open field, where she saw Gryphon soldiers practicing their formations, using heavier wooden shields, spears, warhammers and swords as centurions began ordering them to position. The third level was a flat-roofed area which contained the Storm Coils, large metallic spiral structures that served as the primary aerial defenses of the building.
After a short flight, Gilda reached the landing area of the second level. She passed a few more familiar-looking griffins, who looked at her for a second, recognizing her, then looking at the Chain she wore. They stiffened, saluting before giving her a wide berth, all quiet. She actually had to approach a soldier to direct her towards the Tribune Chambers. He didn’t seem to know how to react, quickly leaving after giving the directions.
The room was bare, but with comforts she had been used to since staying in Winged Hall Inn. Unstrapping her armor, she hung them on the armor stand, took a moment to look outside her window, then moved towards the bed.
Gilda didn’t know how long she lay on the bed or how many times she rolled around before her restlessness got to her. She got off the bed and wore her armor once more. She exited the garrison, nodding towards the griffins that saluted as she went on her way towards a crenel, and leapt up to the sky, high above the town.
Maintaining height, she stared out towards the surrounding area, wondering if she could see the cloven from her position. As the sun was slowly sinking from the horizon, thoughts began to coalesce in her mind. She wondered how much harder it was to fight the cloven at night, or how the humans would adapt, considering they had weaker eyesight than griffins. She also wondered the numbers they would face, or if they would finally fight more unconfirmed Corrupted, like the dragons Fortrakt spotted earlier.
Most of all, she wondered how she was supposed to lead a whole town against the enemy.
Sighing, she began to descend, eyes flickering all over the town. She tried to get a gauge of what was going on, and what problems would pop up once the cloven came to them. She saw griffins gathering near the blacksmiths, maybe forging weapons to defend themselves in case the cloven breached; cubs chasing each other around corners, supervised by older griffins; marines forming some sort of overwatch in the building they have been assigned to; and Marco dancing around near a small park grassland.
The last bit caught her attention. As she descended to meet him, Gilda watched with fascination as Marco twirled with practised steps, his arms holding wooden sticks as he struck a hidden enemy with a flurry of strikes. It was a mix of slow but powerful blows, to faster, overwhelming strikes.
Before she landed, Marco turned to face her, positioning himself as if to strike. His moist face relaxed when he spotted her. Giving her a nod, he greeted, “Gilda.”
“Marco,” Gilda addressed back. “Practising?”
Marco turned back to his unseen opponent, arms moving in a series of blows before replying, “Thought it would be prudent.”
“As much as I appreciate receiving help from wherever I can get, I don’t think a stick is useful in killing cloven,” she said, earning a chuckle from the human.
“Maybe. But it’s better than hitting them with my fist,” Marco grunted. “I tend to avoid that ever since I broke the little bones in my hand for missing a punch, and hitting my knuckles on a hard wall.”
Gilda winced. “Ouch.”
“Yeah,” Marco grinned. “They say I screamed so loudly, so shrilly, that people around me had headaches that lasted the whole day.”
“Maybe it’ll distract the cloven enough for us to counterattack,” Gilda said mock-flippantly, making Marco laugh as she made her way to a quiet area, sitting down and out of the way so he could complete his dance. He gave her a small smile before moving once more, feet sweeping the ground as his hands moved in circles. He would occasionally stab his invisible opponent, before doing more power strikes.
At some point, he stopped using two sticks and everything in his attacks changed. Instead of powerful strikes, he began to twirl one stick around him, while his free hand seemed to snake around the unseen enemy. The movements were odd and jerky. At first, Gilda thought Marco was doing random strokes, but the way his face kept still and concentrated made her think otherwise. Then, he struck the ground, apparently having tripped his opponent, before slamming a deathblow to a critical area. She guessed it was either the head or the neck.
“You know, we can spar if you like,” Marco said after settling down, his arms relaxing on his side. “Don’t be scared. Hell, I’ll go easy on you.”
“Right,” Gilda said, smiling slightly. “I seemed to recall your rear getting kicked so easily.”
“True, but that was me unarmed,” he countered, chuckling. “I’m more in my element now. And besides, I was talking about something more friendly.”
One of Gilda’s eyes widened. “Are you… flirting with me, Marco?”
Marco went absolutely, almost comically still. He blinked for a few moments, stared at her confused. “What? Flirting?”
She raised a claw and chuckled. “Nothing. Sorry. For griffins, asking someone for a friendly spar is close to asking them for a Round.”
“Round… yeah, I heard you say that once,” Marco said. “What is it, exactly?”
“It’s… ancestors, how to explain,” she whispered the last part. “A Round is traditionally a means to measure another griffin for, uh… compatibility.”
“Compatibility?”
“Yeah.” Gilda absently scratched the side of her head. “How do they fight? How much do they hold back? What kind of styles and tells do they have?” She paused, looking at him meaningfully. “How much stamina do they have?”
Marco snorted. “You serious?” he asked. He received a nod in return, which had him chuckling. “Wow. Uh… well, sure. Why not?”
“Don’t joke about that,” Gilda replied, though she couldn’t help but grin. “It’s one thing to stop hard-headed idiots who want to see how strong you humans are. It’s another to hold off frustrated griffins because you challenged them to a Round, and suddenly changed your mind when they accept.”
Marco chuckled as he went towards his backpack and placed his sticks beside it. Grabbing a clear water bottle inside, he took a swig before looking back at her. “Who says I’d change my mind? I’m the Mare Chaser, remember? Apparently, I have the taste for the bizarre.”
“Equestrians are tame compared to griffins, Mare Chaser,” she said, shaking her head. “You wouldn’t survive an amorous griffin.”
“You know, with that tone of voice, it’s like you’re challenging me.” Marco gave her a wide grin. “And I do so love challenges.”
Gilda couldn’t help but laugh. “Then you better learn how to fight us off before you go challenging us.” Shaking her head, she watched him take another swig before asking, “Those jerky movements earlier… what were those?”
Marco glanced at her, silent as he gulped down his water. When he finally placed it down, he replied, “Those were grappling moves.”
She blinked. “Really?”
“Yeah,” he replied, smiling. “Surprised me too when I first learned it. I mean, when you see a stick, the first thing that pops in your mind is bludgeoning the enemy, right? Apparently, you can also lock limbs and disarm opponents when you know what you’re doing.” He looked down a moment, as if to remember something, then nodded. “When we get back to Arnau, I’ll show you some videos I got about baritsu and canne de combat.” When she gave him an inquiring glance, he explained, “Self-defense using a walking cane. That ought to be a good eye-opener for you.”
Gilda frowned, nervously scratching her arm as Marco grabbed the second stick and continued to practise. “Sure. That sounds fun,” she said, softly.
Marco’s head turned slightly to his left. She looked at him impassively and the two stayed quiet for a few seconds before he asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” she replied, a little too quickly judging by how Marco raised his eyebrow.
“Right,” he said, tone telling her he didn’t buy her answer one bit.
Wincing, she changed the subject. “So, what brings you out here?”
“Well, as of right now, I’m a waste of space,” Marco replied with a small smile. “Literally. The Inn we were assigned barely has room for three people, and I gave my space to the Mage that was assigned to look after Chris and Tara.”
“How is Chris?” she asked.
“He’s doing fine. Hell, he’s acting fine.” Marco grunted. “Stopped me from being an asshole.”
Gilda inwardly chuckled. That was a word she hadn’t fully understood in terms of human context, but with just the words, she imagined a donkey donut. “What do you mean by asshole?” she asked.
He paused, just long enough to scratch the back of his head. “Stopped me from acting stupid, I mean. I may have been a bit… short-tempered with the mage.”
“Why?” she asked.
“Well,” Marco replied, twirling his arms around in a circle, making the sticks strike in a continuous manner, “I kinda asked him why they couldn’t heal Chris. The mage said that all types of healing potions have been rationed and were only to be used on life threatening cases.”
Gilda nodded. “Yes, that makes sense.”
“So, yeah, anyway, before I could say anything bad, Chris told me to shut the hell up.” He laughed. “So, I said sorry and let myself out. There was no point of me being there, grumbling and bitching on those helping, you know.”
“Marco, I can probably authorize getting the potions for him.”
He stopped immediately, facing her. “No,” he said, shaking his head. “Chris is going to kick my ass, thinking I made you do that. Tara would probably join in. Besides, I get it. Chris isn’t in danger of dying, and with what’s going on, shortages are to be expected. Especially in the frontlines. The soldiers definitely need it more than we do right now. ”
“That’s not all they need,” Gilda found herself mumbling.
“What was that?” Marco asked.
She sighed. “It’s… nothing.”
“Right,” he replied, surprisingly keeping the same disbelieved tone he used earlier. He went back to his fighting position again, standing immobile for a few seconds before deciding to take a neutral stance. Dropping the sticks near his bag, he walked towards Gilda, making her wonder what he was up to as he sat down in front of her. “Okay, seriously, what’s wrong, Gilda?”
She stared at him for a few moments before shaking her head. “You wouldn’t understand.”
“Well, of course I wouldn’t,” he replied. “You won’t talk about it.”
Her eyes narrowed at him for a few moments, but he just faced her without flinching. In the end, she scratched her arm once more before saying, “As of now, I am the acting Tribune for Aricia.”
Marco blinked. “You mean… you’re leading them?” When she nodded, he added, “That’s a bad thing?”
Gilda gave him an annoyed look. “Of course it is. I was only supposed to lead a few spears and supplement Aricia’s forces. I’m only a sub-tribune, promoted just a few days ago. How am I supposed to lead more griffins to battle?” She shook her head. “The soldiers need a proper tribune to lead them.”
“Proper tribune?” Marco scoffed. “You make it sound like you were a horrible leader or something.”
She sighed, remembering her conversation with Fortrakt. She had thought she was over it, but apparently not. “Maybe a bit,” she admitted.
“Well,” Marco said, “in my opinion, you did a good job leading.”
“Right.”
“Hey, you got us here, right?” he asked.
“Fortrakt got us here,” Gilda countered. “If that’s your example on how good of a leader I am, maybe you should be congratulating him.”
Marco shook his head, his face showing, if he was a pony, amusement with a mix of exasperation. “Okay,” he said, “I think I understand.”
“Do you?” she scoffed.
“You’re new at being an officer,” he replied, slowly, as if deliberately picking his words. “The weight of command is not something you're used to yet, especially if you were given the position to spy on us.”
Gilda blinked, staring at the human as if he had grown a pair of wings. The ambassador’s question on whether or not the humans have discovered her assignment came back to her. She had been so sure that they weren’t, but now?
She kept her face neutral as she replied, “What are you talking about? I was assigned to you because we had a fight, and we were supposed to make nice.”
“Right,” Marco said, though this time with teasing tone and a small smile, which disappeared moments later.
Gilda unconsciously rolled her shoulders, her claws scratching the ground slightly. She found herself tensing up, ready for his next words, which were sure to be accusations. Instead, she got something else.
“I asked Robbie one time about his LT. In his words, he had never met any greener CO in his life.”
She blinked. “Nantz?” she asked.
Marco shook his head. “No, though technically, Robbie is under his command. I’m talking about Lieutenant Rook.” He chuckled. “Straight out of officer school, unblemished uniform, fresh-faced, young, and lots and lots of questions. Not someone you’d expect to lead his own platoon. Yet, in just a few days, Robbie came to respect him more than some of the more experienced COs he had served under.”
Gilda looked at him, disbelieved. “A few days. Really?”
He shrugged. “Extenuating circumstances. You tend to form bonds quicker when you’re in combat.”
Well, that’s true. But… “Marco,” she began, “where are you going with this?”
“Just giving you my thoughts on the matter,” he replied. “Anyway, I asked him what made his LT such a good leader. And you know what he said?”
Gilda leaned forward. “What? Great tactical mindset, able to lead forces correctly to achieve victory with no losses? Inspirational figure that could rouse morale of his Marines?”
Marco chuckled. “Those help, I guess. But if you met Rook, you’d know those aren’t really his strongest qualities.” He paused for a second, before adding, “Not saying that he was a poor leader. Reyes would have said otherwise. But the topic made me curious. So, I asked him about what he looks for in a CO.”
“What did he say?” she asked.
“Well,” he began, “Robbie said there are officially fourteen leadership traits that the Corps look for, but for him, it was simple. A good CO for him is someone who can decide on a course quickly.”
She frowned. “Rushing decisions seems like a disaster in the making. What if the leader makes the wrong choice?”
Marco smiled. “I said the same thing, actually, and Robbie explained. Decisive, for him at least, is being aware of all available tactical options, and deciding on what course to take. It’s different than just picking blind.”
“I guess I lack that,” Gilda muttered.
“Really?” He shook his head. “Looking at everything, your first confrontation against the enemy didn’t cost any civilian casualties. Hell, you added three more to it by rescuing them from hostile territory.”
“I lost a lot of good griffins,” she countered.
“You kept half of your soldiers,” Marco replied. “And you suffered the most casualties only in the first ambush, when no one knew anything. After that first encounter, you moved them from one battle to another, suffering minimally.”
Before Gilda could say anything, she heard someone reply in Aeric, “He’s right, sir.”
Marco blinked, mouth slightly opened before closing it immediately. He moved to the side, as if removing himself from the conversation, Gilda noted as she went to all fours and glanced at the approaching centurion.
“Giraldi,” she greeted in the same language. “What are you doing here?”
“Looking for you, sir,” he replied. “Meeting’s in fifteen minutes. I’ll be bringing you there.”
She nodded. “Thank you. Give me a few minutes.”
Giraldi gave a sharp salute before taking a few steps away. Gilda looked towards Marco, who packed his things back in his bag. Seeing her approach, he gave her a small nod. “I’m assuming the enemy’s here?”
“No,” she replied in Equestrian, shaking her head. “It’s just a meeting. Though I think it’ll be safer for you to get indoors.”
“Gotcha,” Marco said. “That healer should be done by now anyway.”
As he inserted his arms around the bag straps, she asked, “How long?”
“How long, what?”
Gilda gave an annoyed trill and looked at Marco, hard. That had him chuckling.
“It was a guess, and you just confirmed it,” he replied. “In all honesty, I suspected it two days after we met.”
“Oh?” she asked.
“Yeah,” he said. “I remembered the first time I met you, recalling, distinctively in fact, that you had less armor pieces and no chain. It didn’t really mean anything to me until Fortrakt explained how your armor pieces denoted rank, and that chain indicated that you were an officer. Afterwards, it was all about connecting the dots.”
“Like?”
“Well, the whole trip was designed to learn more about each other,” Marco began. “The whole trade agreement was the ultimate goal, but you can’t trade with people you don’t know right?” When she nodded, he continued, “Then there’s your culture of meritocracy. Griffins respect strength, and they deal with others the same way you deal with yourselves. Correct me if I’m wrong, but if the roles were reversed and you were visiting earth, your people would have been insulted if my people provided untrained soldiers to act as bodyguards, right?”
Gilda stared at him.
“So, with that in mind, what better way to know us better than to use our, uh, little disagreement, to insert you to get to know us better? Then, they would promote you in a position high enough not to be insulting, but low enough not to give you power you’re probably not ready for. Am I close?”
She wanted to laugh. Shaking her head, she said, “You’re dangerous.”
Marco grinned. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“Well, that explains your selection of movies.”
He blinked. “What do you mean?”
Gilda rolled her eyes. “Don’t pretend. There’s a reason why a lot of the movies you shown me and Fortrakt didn’t have any of those guns and modern human weaponry.”
The human laughed. “Actually, I thought you guys would appreciate the sword and spear type of movies more than something from a John Woo flick.”
“What’s a John Woo?”
Marco’s smile widened. “Oh, we’re definitely going to have some fun when we come back to Arnau. I’m going to show you my abundant testosterone-filled over-the-top rip-roaring gun-galore movies that will make your eyes bleed and ears ring.” He gave her a solemn look. “So, you get out of your funk, Gilda. Lead the defense, kick some insect ass, and bring us home.”
Gilda stayed silent, a little bewildered by Marco’s confidence in her as he gave her a wide grin before leaving. As she walked towards the waiting Giraldi, she half-wondered where it was coming from, as it seems almost everyone found her leadership acceptable, maybe even admirable. When she reached him, she asked, “How long were you listening in?”
“Proper tribune,” Giraldi replied. “My apologies for eavesdropping, sir.”
Gilda sighed. “Accepted, centurion, if you give me an honest opinion.”
He looked at her for a second before staring back forward. “Sir, I think your lack of faith on your ability to lead and command is detrimental to both you and those under you. In this salty griffin’s opinion, you did a fine job. And this is not even considering that you weren’t fully trained as an officer.”
“Maybe that’s the problem,” Gilda said. “If I were better trained, or even a better leader, I could have done something more. Decided on our tactics better. Moved faster. Anything.”
“That’s a load of droppings, sir.”
“Is it?” she challenged. “Giraldi, I’ve read a lot of our history books. There were always better decisions that could have been made if the Tribunes or Captains knew all the information.”
“That kind of thinking is the worst thing you can apply in a battle, sir,” Giraldi replied, tone going a bit harder. “No one gets all the information completely. It changes as every second passes. Even if you could possibly get all your information right, the time wasted on not deciding on a course of action while you wait will mean the life and death of those under your command. And most of the time, it’ll be their deaths.”
Gilda shifted her eyes downward.
“What I do suggest, sir,” Giraldi continued, “instead of just pondering on who you lost, remember those who you have saved and realize that those that died did so for those that still live.”
Gilda took a moment to contemplate on Giraldi’s words before shaking her head. “I still don’t think I’m ready.”
“Not a lot do, sir,” he replied. “That’s why you have centurions, career soldiers. You can rely on their experience to help you decide on a course of action.” He smiled. “Which you have been doing quite well, I have to say.”
The eagless took a breath before nodding. “Alright. Has Corporal Imlay been informed of the meeting?”
“Told him myself before I picked you up, sir,” Giraldi said. “While a bit irregular, I thought you’d like his presence and input.”
Gilda nodded her thanks and looked towards the heavens. The afternoon sky was now slowly giving way to nightfall as the sun began to sink in the horizon. The enemy was out there and they had to plan out their defenses until the reinforcements would arrive.
“Let’s go,” she said, before launching herself to the air.
Well, here's chapter ten. Sorry for the delay. Blame my pre-readers/editors/advisers. No, don't blame me. Yes, I had writer's block. And I got lazy. But no. Don't blame me. Blame shira, coandco, Permanent Temporary, Eratosthenes, TownCrier, and Ponyboy245.
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I'll blame Shira because I recognise the name... THEN I'll blame you
You know what? This story reminds me of the Codex Alera series. Without spoiling, inexperienced officer/spy is thrust into command position by sudden death of ranking senior officers. Classic trope. Good cooldown chapter, I think you captured the emotional upheaval from a sudden promotion quite nicely.
I know it will never happen, but i can't help but imagine titans(titanfall) dropping in as human reinforcements. I mean wouldn't that just be awesome? Mechs just mowing/stomping down those zombie things like nobodies business while the griffons are just watching with buckets of popcorn going: "fuck going out there, they're fine on their own."
ur hase do moves ur duksbutts
gilda haseo ned die hard 1 and die ahrd 2 and hurr duurd 3 adn IRONN MUNN.
Gilda really shouldn't be that hard on herself. Yes she lost a portion of her own troops, but no human lives were lost. Pretty sure if someone died there would be a huge uproar back home on Earth.
Hmm, with the supply problem maybe we can negotiate getting vehicles across and starting a supply line that would be needed eventually anyway.... I want to see the griffions response of a glimpse of our unbelievably expansive industry.
Anyways, glad to see this update, I was afraid it might have been abandoned for a while.
4022449
My personal theory is, since if I remember right the portal is over the ocean, The navy will get temporary position to sail through and act as a big damn heroes moment at the apex of the climactic battle. Bonus points if there is a battleship or 2 with the fleet. Of course, this is random speculation.
4022449 In this situation I honestly think that the marines would just disassemble what they need or want and carry it across the portal a piece at a time. Of course that precludes heavy armor and stryker type vehicles, but against a pre-industrial society even a .50 caliber mounted on a land cruiser would offer almost exponential force multiplication. And before you laugh, keep in mind that a large portion of the earth's armed forces mechanize their troops this way.
defencetalk.com/pictures/data/3214/abir__ml.jpg
imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1280x1024q90/541/p394.jpg
milinme.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/yetoy-101.jpg
still hoping that Human reinforcements show up with some big guns maybe a tank or an assault helicopter or two and completely blow the Cloven away while the griffons just watch completely awestruck .
Let he who has ever been lazy or without writers' block throw the first stone... welcome back, Feathered Heart and DEL! I've missed you. And Gilda. And Fortrakt. And Marco. And Giraldi. And Tara. And Chris. And Imlay... may you kick some major flank in the battles to come... and Marco, before too long you're going to learn more about rounds than you ever thought you would. Can't wait.
If corrupted dragons come into play, I hope the marines brought some Stinger missiles. That or some black arrows. One thing we also haven't seen out of the marines are mortars yet. Those are man-portable and could certainly be useful. The marines sent in what appears to be a company-sized force, so there should be 66mm mortars attached.
4022313
I'd settle for the 82nd airborne or a ranger regiment dropping in.
4022643 And Russian bear cavalry!!!
great chapter ! and i don't blame you or your prereaders, cause i just finished the other 9 chapters this morning haha
4022577
well there were these storage gems that i would fill with as much ammo as possible, and then there are man portable AT weapons and tripod mounted autogranade launchers ... why do you need a jeep when the enemy is coming your way? and if you want it mobil, just mount it onto something griffin or ponys can move around.
oh and for maximum protection, you just need to place a unicorn or mage griffin next to the weapon and let him cast a shild whit a little opening for the weapon
IT IS ALLLIVVVVVVEEEE!!!
Can't wait to get to read the chapter, I have high expectations and hopes. However, I must get some less pleasant things out of the way first.
4022972
I was actually going for the whole 'hyper advanced' military thing, like White Glint > imgbase.info/images/safe-wallpapers/video_games/armored_core/18067_armored_core.jpg
How exactly is the town arranged? What do you mean by the houses being arranged in a spiral pattern?
Also, is this a diplomatic mission, or purely a research expedition?
I didn't read much but second paragraph ""Groan escaped her lips"... you mean "beak"? :P As far as I know Gryphons don't have lips.
And after they watch all the gun-fu movies there are, they'll move on to science fiction. Star Wars' planet destroying weapons and Star Trek's teleportation devices might cause interesting reactions amongst the griffins. Unfortunately, it might also give them the idea of energy weapons and cause them tho skip the whole gunpowder stage since their mages can store and use a lot of energy.
Rico'sMarco's title keeps growing. Corrupter of cubs indeed. He should have done a better job keeping the cubs from seeing the marines when they were shooting each other and their enemies the bird.The emotional turmoil that Gilda has been undergoing has been believable and makes her out to be more of a person than just a flat character. I also feel invested in the secondary characters like Nydia and Imlay along with the main cast. Good job doing that.
I think Fillius is going to be difficult to work with initially for all parties involved. Thankfully, I'm pretty sure that he and all the other Griffins garrisoning the town will be in for a large surprise when it comes to both the humans and Gilda's abilities.
Marco is WAY smarter than he appears.
4022113
hahahaha I'll get you for this DEL!!
4022113 4023773
4022292
Well, it is influenced by it. Though if I start making it out that Gilda is apparently a long lost Princess, then there's something funky going on.
4022313
4022353
And have Marco explain 'No, Gilda, the Marines can't do that. And no, guns can't do that either'?
Or wait... maybe not say anything to screw with her?
4022406
Burden of leadership.
Even weird ape-like aliens are comrades too.
4022449
Nah, not abandoned. Just... slowly writing.
4022521
The portal is land-based, actually. Its in a field right in the middle of Manehattan and Neighagra.
img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130403195243/mlp/images/c/cb/Map_of_Equestria_April_2013.jpg
This is the map I'm basically basing Equestria with. In time, I may add more details that slowly removes itself from canon.
4022577
While pieces can be moved and assembled, the problem is the transportation going to Gryphon Kingdom from Equestria, where the portal is. Transport ships right now are just for carrying basic goods, like food. Gryphon has no need for anything else, really, having their own metal-rich mountains of the North, while Equestria has no real need for such metals having their own supplies.
I'm hoping to get to this soon.
4022643
4022972
While they sent a good number to the Kingdom, and with Storage Gems allowing more leeway on what weapons to bring and logistics, right now the Marines are below 15, armed only for standard escort (with a bit more, if the 50 cal has to say anything). I'm also curious on what is going on outside their perspective. Cloven are moving en-masse. Are the Marines and Gryphon military working together, like how Gilda is doing?
I'll get to your draft soon, btw.
4023068
Good ideas on the defensive use of mages and unicorns. Mounted weaponry, though, is too heavy for a riding team. Plus they may need time (or earplugs) to get used to the deafening sound of gunfire. Not to mention getting used to the smell of cordite.
However, I'm working my way around that.
4023103
4023222
Four entrances, north, south, east, west, and the roads all take a curving road towards the central garrison, which has its own walls. The theory is that the way the buildings are placed is for the Wind Knights (blot shooters) to have clear shots at the incoming enemy if they have breached the outer walls of the town while the shield-wall delays the advance.
Arnau (capital city), though, is pretty much designed as a spiral. Long winding circular roads to delay the enemy as much as possible.
As for whether it is a diplomatic or research team, it's a bit of both. Plant, soils, and mineral studies to see viable trade options, while making griffins aware of humans to allow them easier to work with each other.
Preferably without anyone shooting at anything, of course. But as you know... Murphy's Law and all.
4023278
Nice spot. I'll correct that.
4023279
I actually thought I was overdoing the emotional conflict with Gilda. She already went through a bit of that last chapter.
4023598
He can be... if he stops being emotional about it.
4024243
granade launchers, they are just heavy, the sound is not so bad (sorry i'm a noguncivi)
also there are some LMG's that are tripodmountable and can be equipped with silencers.
MG4 silencer @ approx 6:30
i know its advertisment from HK, but hell it shows whats possible... also the MG3/MG42 is only around 11kg (unloaded i think) and well everything remotly human sized gets shredded by this (was called russiansaw for a reason i guess)
anyway, humanty got so many weapons, just think about RPG's or Molotov Cocktails! there are even manportable gattlinguns!!
only issue i see is ammunition
oh on that thought, imagine griffin build ammo with just one piece of firecrystal and a fitting metal projectile, god damn caseless ammo! just need a way to cool the gun with some magic than
sorry for spamming the comment section, but well spoiler isn't working as i thought it would ...
4024287
So the town would look a little bit like this:
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a2/Palmanova1600.jpg
With more gates and different walls of course.
If it's a diplomatic mission then they should probably have some Diplomatic Security agents along with them, not just Marines.
4024361
Huh. Nice. A town like that actually exists.
As for DSS, haven't really done research on them. I may add them somewhere, but we'll see.
4024380
Yep, those walls are still standing in Italy. So is the griffon city somewhat organized like that?
4024358
I am pretty sure that an MGL is present, but either wasn't brought with Imlay, or they haven't gotten it out yet. And as much as I'd like to show up a few more weapons, I also have to remember that Marines aren't fully armed like the Army.
I honestly think they should rename the whole Corps moto into 'We Make Do'.
4024401
isn't the standard LMG still the M249 SAW ?
well while i'm at it, why don't the marines use their granades to build some boobytraps in critical places like gates or stuff ? cause improvising with what they have sounds like a good plan at the moment.
Imlay doesn't stike me as someone who let his allies hanging just so he don't have to reveal everything that's posible for humans (not after he got a taste of whats truly coming)
4024456
I believe the Corps is upgrading their SAW. Something with less bullets, but more accuracy. Cost-cutting and all.
As for traps, that takes preparation and planning, something they haven't really had time to do so far.
Well, next chapter is the meeting, so, who knows, right?
I really love this story. As for John Woo Marco has quite a collection to great ones show her: Hard Target, Face/Off, Hard Boiled and The Killer, just to name a few of my personal favorites.
4024464
Happy Gun hunting
i hope Imlay don't stand back at the planning, even when he's not the highest ranked there.
i'm curious how the other griffins react, that still call the humans apes most of the time xD
just some more friction poor Gilda has to deal with.
oh i also wonder why there are only marines and not some mixed UN troops where every nation chips in some of their best ... maybe later huh when word gets around that there might be some problems on the other side of the portal ?
4024499
This is specifically a US-only effort, as they want to secure first right of trade. Get to know them, know what they need, provide options, and secure a sweet deal.
Like taking candy from a... feathered... baby? 
4024484
Nice. I like Face/Off too. I'll check on the other films as well.
4024513 someone have to pay for lock mart and the F-35 huh ?
4024287 Nah, it wasn't overdone. There's always the "Oh crap, what am I doing?" during the moment and then "I did a crummy job" after the fact. If the character suddenly gets better via their own volition, it usually feels forced. The progression is better when a different character breaks the first one out of the self imposed funk.
On a different topic, at what point will the Celestia and Luna allow the Marines to bring in non-man-portable equipment to go on their bug hunt? Also, have the Equestrians ever encountered these crazy bugs before?
4024521
Yup. Uncle Sam needs to pay the bills.
4024560
Cool. Glad I'm doing it right then.
For now, I can say the message has been sent, but without any real information to go on, there's going to be delays on getting reinforcements. I'm working on that, actually.
As for if Equestria ever met crazy bugs... yes. Yes they did. Though they are mostly hidden away, now. And one of them is seducing a human writer as we speak.
4024577 Wait, are the bugs attacking the griffins and the changelings somehow related? That would be all kinds of terrifying.
Good chapter. My only problem is that it wasn't longer. Oh well, keep on writing, can't wait for the next chapter!
4024603
4024613
Thanks dude. ^_^
4024617 It does make a certain amount of sense though and explains some things. For instance, it would explain how the Cloven came back despite being wiped out by the griffins. It does make sense though, the ponies sort of radiate love and happiness whereas the griffins do not. I could see a Cloven adapting to make use of the energy pouring out of the ponies.
I should probably finish Gentleman and start Roun. I'm off on an adventure, as soon as I finish painting and constructing a couple models.
4024648
And I'm off to sleep.
Later guys.
4024617
Let me guess, same kind they evolved from ?
one eating love, the other death griffins ?
>Blame my pre-readers/editors/advisers
Great -- that means we are probably nearer another new chapter than we would otherwise be.
I'm a little confused about something. Was the previous Tribune of Aricia male or female? The dialogue seems to refer to the previous tribune as both.
Gilda is moving up and going down, hard? 8}
Whats the minimum size needed to get a Harrier thrugh a portal? If you had repair gear, how close to the body could you slice the wings and tail, in fact, if you really had to emergancy rig it, could some psychotic fly through on pure engine power and jury rigged RCS, Hardpoints? Lunar lander style?
so glad this came out cant wait for the next chapter
4022313
Thanks for that; I have an entire scenario in mind now of a Titan dropping on top of an Elder Ram (that was the giant kind that destroyed the gate, right? Been a while, a little fuzzy on the details) and then annihilating the swarms.
Heck, I see the kind of Titan I used in the beta going at it; quad rocket, rocket salvo, electric smoke, and nuclear/auto eject.
So... they have Tesla coils? http://cnc.wikia.com/wiki/Tesla_coil
img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20090422120450/cnc/images/e/e0/TeslaCoil.PNG
4024965
One hopes.
4025258
Man, I completely forgot that I switched the sexes of the tribune after the first draft. I'll correct that, thanks.
4026004
4030737
Used in conjunction with mages. Griffins love their lightning strikes.
Aww yeah this is getting good, the fact that it's so heavily based off of Codex is giving me the best brain sensation ever
Now, we just need Tavi to show up out of the blue with a tale about how the Cloven are an escaped group of Vord or some such, that would be awesome (joking but still can you imagine?)
Anyways, great chapter, I can't wait for the human war machine to kick in and start kicking some ass.
Also, Marco/Gilda? Adorable!