Hand in Hoof

by AdamThePony

Chapter 17: I Now Pronounce You Lance and Strife!

Chapter 17: I Now Pronounce You Lance and Strife!

While the royal engineer now known as Kintober had already established himself as an eccentric stallion, I have reason to suspect that eccentricity was his way of hiding his superior intellect. This fact was made ever more clear by the vehicle which he used to reach us. While most sensible stallions would arrive by carriage, balloon, or even their own four hooves, Kintober arrived in a steel grey pod of egg-like shape. Around the rim there was the classic black-and-yellow safety line, while along the front was a large, conical light like one would find on a mining cart, with a decorative black stripe along the center. Propelling it was a large arcane motor with a rotor spinning at the bottom. It seemed like a hot-air balloon, minus the balloon.

To be honest, I half-expected Kintober to drop iron weights from it.

Slowly the pod descended into the grass, the propeller tucking itself inward as the unicorn clambered out. Though I could not see how wide his eyes swelled through his azure spectacles, his smile certainly illustrated it just as well.

“Color me pleasantly surprised!” he gasped. “I knew there was something marvelous in that temple, but my expectations were not so high!” The engineer approached Juno with a curious eye, almost completely ignoring the airship. “The ship is wonderful on it’s own, but is this an autonomous robotic service equine you’ve found?”

The men among us had a giggle at the inadvertent acronym. Juno was not so pleased as the engineer approached her, her eyes flashing a scathing red as two large wings shot out from her back.

“Unauthorized approach detected,” Juno droned, entering a fighting stance. “Engaging deterrence protocol.”

Kintober covered his head in surprise as I stood between the two. “Stay your hooves. He’s not going to hurt you. He’s simply an engineer who wishes to examine you.”

The red glare of Juno’s eyes began to fade as she examined the both of us closely. As she neared us, I had noticed another distinctly artificial part in her design. Looking at her eyes, it was less designed like a proper eyeball and more like the lenses of a camera painted in such a way as to look like one from a distance. Whomever built this golem must have been aware of that valley between the hills of what is artificial and what is genuine and made a concerted attempt to stay decently away from it.

Once she seemed sure I was telling the truth, she nodded. “Permission granted. Examine as you wish.”

I heaved a sigh of relief as I sidled out from between them, watching as the good engineer used a number of spectacles and lenses to see as much as he could of Juno from as many angles as he could reach. The ways in which he looked so longingly at her frame made me think he had some fetishistic enjoyment of machinery.

A shudder echoed in my mind as I considered that thought.

“Fascinating,” sighed the engineer as he looked between her seams. “Whomever built you must have been a machinist of a caliber equal to or greater than my own.” He gave her chassis a quick few knocks, solid thuds ringing out. “And they must have built you very well internally, to boot! I daresay it almost puts my work to shame.”

Juno’s head turned, the lights in her eyes blinking curiously. “You have encountered units like myself before?”

“Encountered them?” Kintober chortled. “I’ve built them, my dear! I remember days when I had to get by through building little helper drones in a cave! With a box of scraps, even!”

Juno squinted her eyes. “I have doubts that statement is accurate.”

Kintober shrugged his hoof in dismissal.“Nonsense! It’s the mark of a truly excellent machinist to be able to work with meager materials and make something great of them.”

Spike casually threw his arms up. “Whatever you say, gearhead.”

After Kintober had gotten his fill of ogling Juno, he retracted his tools and dusted the automaton off. “I must say, you are quite the intricate little piece of work! I’ve never seen such a finely-crafted, intelligent mare like you. I would die to find the schematics that went into making you!”

Juno turned away, presumably having been humbled by the compliment. “I believe the schematics are hidden somewhere in my database. However, long-term deactivation has caused many of my non-essential files to become fragmented. Therefore, I must dedicate time to defragment and recompile them.” She kicked up some dirt out of instinct. “My apologies.”

“They marked your system schematics as ‘non-essential’?” Kintober furrowed his brow. “Either somepony was smart enough to make it harder to copy you, or so stupid that they left vitally important data that could be useful for maintenance in a place where it could get mangled.”

“We can discuss the intentions of this later,” Roughshod grumbled. “For now, why don’t we do something a bit more productive and take stock of this ship we now have at our disposal?”

“Oh, that’s right!” Kintober took a moment to laugh to himself. “I was so caught up in examining Miss Juno that I nearly forgot about your other little discovery. Shall we go and have a peek?”

At his invitation, we followed Kintober onboard the ship. As we’d noticed before, the ship’s main form of propulsion was some form of ring-shaped thruster that circled around the center of the ship. If we had to guess, it was meant to be a means of giving the mainsail enough wind to carry the ship in less stable seas, if we were keen to sail them. We didn’t have a clue as to how we’d launch this ship, however, so Kintober’s inspection would be of great help to us.

Naturally, our first stop was the ship’s control center at the aft end. There, we could see the typical ship’s helm, as well as two levers to the left and right of it.

Kintober scratched his moustache. “If I were a betting man—which I’m not, but for the sake of argument, let’s pretend I am—I’d assume one of these levers controls the speed of those thrusters on the ring, while the other tilts them up and down, with the helm obviously controlling the horizontal movement.”

“So in other words, this thing can move in three dimensions while in the air?” Spike cracked a grin. “Sweet.”

“I’ll say,” Napalm chuckled. “You bet if we got high enough, we could see a good chunk of the world?

Nia let out a wistful sigh as her eyes turned skyward. “It would certainly be nice to get above the clouds and taste the crisp, cool air all the way up there.”

Kenta, on the other hand, seemed less enthusiastic to get airborne. He looked particularly pale as he crossed a paw against his throat.

As we went below deck, we’d found that the cargo hold was exceptionally spacious, as befitting a galleon. There was also a healthy supply of port and starboard cannons in the event we’d have to repel pirates. Shame we didn’t have the crew to make the best use of it, on reflection. Still, if I ever wanted to get into the business of trading once it was all said and done, this was the perfect ship for it.

Napalm let out a low whistle by the time we reached the quarters. “You think we lucked out, guys?”

I flashed Napalm a smile. “And then some.”

“She’s a fine vessel, that’s for sure,” Roughshod added. “Now all we need is some seaworthy spirits and we’ll be set to sail.”

“So you need provisions, do you?” Kintober let out a wry chuckle. “Well, since you’ve been so much of a help to my research, I’ll call in a favor and get you set up for at least three months’ sailing.”

Kenta practically slobbered at the idea of having a ready stock of food to eat. “No fooling?”

Kintober smiled as he gave a fanciful bow. “It’s the least I could do for some fine fillies and gentlecolts like yourselves.”

I bowed in gratitude, mimicking the engineer’s polite gesture. “We will not forget this, Kintober.”

“Anytime,” Kintober replied as he made his way back to his pod. “I should be back in two hours, at the quickest!”

As the pod ascended, kicking up dust as the rotor whirred to life, the lot of us—save Juno, who may not have known the significance of the gesture—waved the engineer goodbye. As he regarded us one more time, he smiled and burst out into his signature fit of throaty laughter.

As the ship dashed off into the horizon, we could hear him shout to us from above, “Pleasure doing business with you!”

When he was gone, the lot of us had our own laugh.

“Man, that guy is weird,” Napalm said, before cracking a smile. “But, he’s the good kind of weird.”

Nia nodded in agreement. “My master always told me that the most worthwhile knowledge can often come from the sources you least expect.”

Roughshod took a moment to noisily clear his throat. “I’d less call it knowledge and attribute it more to fortune; perhaps fortune is rewarding us for our good works.”

Spike flashed a dashing smile. “Guess we shouldn’t jinx it then.”

“You’re not wrong, Spike,” I replied, wrapping an arm around his back in a perfectly platonic manner. “We’re heading into territory most pony folk haven’t dared venture into; there’s no telling what we’re bound to face.”

“Well, if we’re to be prudent,” Nia said as she approached me, “Then it may be a good idea to practice what we’ve learned. I do believe you’d wanted a duel at some point.”

I gave Nia a sincere nod, my lip curling up slightly from amusement. “Nice to see you remembered.”

Nia nickered as she entered a fighting stance. “What good a master would I be if I did not uphold the obligations made by my apprentices?”

The others quickly made room for our engagement, while Juno decided to move between us.

“May I supervise this encounter?” she asked, her inflection like an innocently curious child. “This type of data could prove useful for my protection program.

The forwardness of her question took me aback for a brief moment. However, after thinking about it for a few moments, I gave her a nod. “You have my permission, Juno.”

“Acknowledged,” she chirped, her eyes blinking red for a brief moment. “Recording software prepared; begin the combat at your discretion.”

I gave a hum of approval as I turned to face Nia, entering the grappling stance I’d learned in training as I sized her up.

Nia’s brow arched up.“You’re not going to undress this time?”

“It’d be a waste of perfectly good outfit.” I gave my new suit a few hard slaps. “Besides, I wanna see just how effective this baby is at taking hits.”

“So be it, then.” Nia rolled her shoulders with a confident smirk. “I suppose that means you don’t expect me to go easy.”

I curled my fingers in beckoning. “I wouldn’t expect anything less of you, master.”

Nia’s composure slipped ever so slightly at being addressed by rank. However, she didn’t allow it time to fester as she dug her hoof into the ground, a determined puff of steam shooting from her nostrils.

“Then let us see what you have learned.”

Without missing a beat, Nia lunged towards me, the earth splintering as she charged forth, her hooves surging with power as she reared her hoof towards my chin. I was only barely able to hop away as a solid spear of stone shot out from beneath me. Noticing my opening, Nia wheeled around and cocked her leg back, a powerful kick shooting into my stomach and sending me reeling further back.

Hoping to press an advantage, she leapt to try and move us both closer to the ground. I managed to catch her in her dive with a quick grapple and direct her aside. With a quick sweep of her leg, the earth buckled beneath me, forcing me to turn away as though there were a split in the stream. As I spun away, I found a direction from which to flow back and retaliate, thrusting my arm out like a lashing snake. But, in spite all the force I’d put behind it, Nia barely budged from my strike, and shot a devious smile as she scraped her hoof against the ground.

Before I could retract my arm, I caught the brunt of a shoulder charge that drove me across the ground. For at least a few feet I clung on, digging my heels as deep as I could make them, before finally coming upon a counter. I began to squat down, changing the placement of my arms as I wrapped them across my master’s legs before, in one mighty heave, flinging her weight from me in a rolling throw. I could hear her hide scrape across the dirt as I returned to my feet.

“I see you have done well in understanding the methodology of the water style,” Nia noted as she sprung back up herself. “But tell me, what have you noticed between your style and mine?”

I relaxed my stance a bit. “It would seem yours is more rigid and unyielding. Where I would turn your offenses against you, you weather through mine and wait for the ideal moment for a counterattack.” I paused to wipe the sweat from my brow. “In other words, while we’re both acting on the defensive, I’m more active and adaptive, while you’re more passive and patient.”

Nia smiled in appreciation. “So you have noticed. The water shifts its flow when the earth obstructs it, but the earth neither moves nor yields; it simply waits for its next chance to split the stream.”

“I think I understand,” I huffed. “Then that charge just now—was that you splitting the stream?”

“In a way, yes.” Nia entered into a more relaxed posture, her legs crossed. “You overextended yourself, giving me an ample opportunity to strike your exposed flank. Though you eventually found a way to turn the situation in your favor, I believe the message of this exercise came through true enough.”

“What might that be?” I pondered aloud. “That there are some situations where you can only find the answer to a problem once you’ve been through the worst of it?”

“Something like that,” Nia chuckled. “While the water style’s ethos is in changing things to suit one’s needs, or to turn the tides in your favor, those who aim to master the earth must learn to be like the earth; when force is put upon you, you can’t allow it to push you. You can’t allow it to move you. You have to stand firm and show those who would dare to make you yield that you are not so easily swayed.”

Nia pointed to the nearest horizon. “Where we are headed, you are likely to face much more adversity than you did in pony lands. Gryphons are naturally combative. They will look upon you and regard you as strange or queer. They will try to obstruct your path, try to push you aside, and try to prey upon your insecurities.

“When this happens, don’t let them stay you, don’t let them sway you, and most importantly, don’t let them break you. Stand mighty, firm, and unbreakable before them, and when you spot a moment to strike back, show them just how mighty your will truly is.”

I joined Nia in relaxing, laying down and staring at the clouds. “I think I get the gist, Nia. I have a feeling I’ll have to learn to hold my tongue when we reach their territory; I don’t think any of us want to be the one who starts an intercontinental incident.”

Spike patted his chest with his fist. “Well, whatever happens, I’m ready to help in any way I can!”

I gave the dragon a calm thumbs-up. “Glad to hear it.”

As we all retired for the moment to stare at the clouds, we’d felt equal parts relief from having finally gotten back on track and anxiety for the road ahead.

I had a feeling that things would become markedly more interesting than they already were. We were headed across the ocean to a place entirely new to the lot of us. Who was to say what we’d find there? We had few plans in our heads aside from the task at hoof and my own personal agenda, and the more adventurous part of me liked that perfectly fine.

***

Anticipation made us exceptionally jittery as we stood atop the deck of of our newly-acquired airship. None of us, save our resident dragon companion, had ever flown before. As the ship was stocked with as much cargo as the people of Pasofino had to offer—thanks in part to its citizens helping to load it themselves—we weren’t certain if it would fly at all. But, nothing in this world can be done without a little risk, and this was a risk we had to take for our journey.

Thankfully, the good Kintober had given us more than a fair share of stock. Citrusy fruits, spiced breads and cheeses, barrels of beverages both sensible and saucy, and enough vegetables to feed an impoverished foal’s orphanage for the better part of a season. While it was lacking in the way of meat, we’d probably be able to find something Kenta could eat.

As Spike stood behind the helm, even he had a modicum of anxiety. At least, enough to jump when he heard two big thuds shudder against the ship.

“She’s all loaded up and ready to soar!” called Kintober from below. “Just holler when you’re ready for take-off, and we’ll be sure to give you a wide berth!”

I waved down to the crowd below with a smile. “Will do!”

Spike shuddered as he placed his hand on the throttle. Though he'd claimed to have had experience with aviation, he couldn't hide his inexperience with a vessel like this. It was quite the contrast to the man's man he'd made himself out to be.

Roughshod approached him with a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “Take her nice and easy, son, like a fine young maiden.”

Spike’s trepidation only grew from that choice of words. Regardless, he steeled himself, trying to steady his hands as I bent down from the railing to hail the onlookers.

“We’re prepared to launch! Please clear the way!”

“Can do!” Kintober called as he guided the crowd away. “Best of luck to you overseas!”

“I wish you luck in your research!”

“I’ll be sure to send you the details!”

Giving the fellows below a final farewell, I approached Spike, holding his shoulder.

“We’re clear to launch now. You shouldn’t have any trouble so long as you take it easy.”

“Easy for you to say!” Spike balked. “I’ve never flown one of these things before!”

Spike took a deep breath, this muscles tensing as he tightened his grip on the controls. With a careful push, the engines began to hum to life, and the ship began to tremble from its power. With a gulp, he then proceeded to tug on the next lever, causing the ship to slowly cut its ties with the ground beneath it. The ship shook slightly as it left the ground, and for a few precious seconds, we were worried we’d be bucked off the ship. However, once Spike had a decent feel of the controls, he managed to keep it from capsizing, and we quickly found our footing.

Now a bit more confident, Spike relaxed his breath and muscles, drumming his fingers against the levers and wheel. I could see his lips curl up as he more eagerly manned the helm.

“You see, Spike? You’re a natural pilot!”

“I’ll say,” Napalm added. “I guess the guy just has it in his blood to fly.”

Spike pointed his thumb up in approval towards me as he positioned his hands more properly.

“Alright, fillies and gentlecolts,” he grunted, virility flowing through his veins once more. “Better hang on to something, because this might be a bumpy ride.”

The professional part of me didn’t quite like the tone that Spike was taking, but a more daring side quite enjoyed the prospect as he watched Spike reach for the levers.

With a good hard pull of one lever and a mighty thrust of another, the Mysterious Melissa shot into the sky. The majority of us were thrown off our feet, save Juno, who somehow managed to ground herself enough to not be stirred or shaken by the force of the ship. Speeding winds lashed against the lot of us as we drew closer and closer to the clouds and into the blue horizon. Spike let loose a primal roar as he deigned to pierce the heavens, and as cloud after cloud popped away, he eventually slowed to a halt as we entered the stratosphere.

For several moments, none of us could speak. None of us had known our world from so high up, where the vast expanse was made truly clear to us. The sky’s true beauty hung above us now, while the clouds drifted below like an ocean whilst the true ocean lay further down. This magnificent panorama served to make clear a single, glorious point:

We had entered what felt like a whole new world, rife with possibilities.

For perhaps the first time in my life, I was at a loss for words or thoughts. I stared at the world below, awestruck and amazed, a primal stirring rattled in my heart, and my mind raced with feelings and moods that all seemed so foreign to me. While I was still young, I hadn’t felt this kind of zest for adventure since childhood. And yet, here I was now, staring at the great big openness before me, experiencing an emotion I hadn’t had so strongly in a long while.

I was excited, and rightfully so.

As I made my way to the bow, I threw my arms up in the air, relishing the wind as it brushed past me as I let out a loud, careless cheer of sheer unbridled joy.

My companions were equally excited, and Napalm approached me with an appreciative grin.

“Sounds like somepony just felt the glorious sensation of hype.”

Nearby, the sounds of Kenta hurling his guts out over the portside gave us a shudder.

“Sounds like somepony else is experiencing the awful sensation of airsickness,” Roughshod spat.

I chuckled for a moment as I held my forehead. “Nia, do you mind tending to him below deck?”

Nia smiled in reply as she helped carry Kenta below to sick bay. “Not a problem.”

I was then approached by Juno, who tapped my shoulder before giving a stately salute.

“Master,” she pleaded, her tone every bit as childlike as before,. “May I take ascend to the crow’s nest to scout ahead?”

The inflection in her voice honestly warmed my heart a little. It was just one of those voices where you honestly felt bad if you had to tell it “no”. So, I instead humored her with a bow and directed her to the crow’s nest near the mainsail.

“I understand. Please, excuse me.”

With a flap of her clockwork wings, Juno flew to her post and began looking out like a watchful dog.

Back to our own devices, the lot of us who weren’t preoccupied gathered to the bow, taking in the crisp air and breathing a collective sigh of relaxation.

“Sure is a sight, isn’t it boy?” Roughshod asked, looking fairly chipper. “Judgin’ by that look on your face, I take it you’ve never been this high up in the sky. Never seen the ocean either, I’ll bet.”

I shook my head. “Never; I rarely was so blessed to see such things, given how often I was studying or training.”

“Suppose that’s just her way, eh?” Roughshod chuckled sweetly. “She must have had good intentions for you. She had enough faith in you to leave you to your own devices. She only stepped in when there was something in serious need of her intercession. She must have had a good reason to send you off. You certainly got more friends this way, didn’t ya?”

Spike’s stories of Twilight echoed in my mind. “Sounds awfully familiar to me.”

“Don’t take it personally, Lance,” Roughshod said, patting me on the back. “You’re getting a rare opportunity right now—not everypony gets to travel like this, especially not as part of their job. Have a little pride in that. I’ve got a feeling that’ll be important for ya later.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” I said as I crossed my arms over the railing. “I’m just grateful that we’re finally on the move. Not that I mind the diversions, of course; I’m just glad to be back on the main road.”

“Nice to have your priorities, I guess,” Napalm said with a shrug. “Since we’re gonna be here awhile, want to watch to the clouds?”

I stared out to the clouds with her and gave a warm smile. “Sounds just fine to me.”

Observing the passing clouds proved a particularly powerful pastime, as before we’d known it, a couple hours had passed, and we’d been spellbound from calling out all the shapes we came across. It was like calling out birds you see flying around; a simple, but addicting little distraction.

We were so engrossed, in fact, that it took the repeated warnings of Juno from on high to snap us out of it.

“Unidentified griffon fliers inbound!” she called, her tone surprisingly natural and alert. “Five of them in total, four of them armed with repeating rifles!”

I looked in the direction she was pointing. Sure enough, a cadre of griffons carrying rifles with what looked to be revolving chambers flying in our direction, the lot of them clad in a simpler form of flight attire, consisting of chain and cloth armor fastened on tight to reduce drag. Each of them was adorned in a tabard emblazoned with an imposing bird of prey that glinted in the sunlight.

“Their attire is too uniform to be a band of brigands,” Roughshod groaned. “Guardsmen, more likely. Privateers, even.”

“Whatever they are, they look to be spoiling for a fight,” I replied, hands busy readying my weapons. “All hands, prepare to repel attackers!”

As quick as they could hear me, everyone save Spike and Kenta rushed to the deck, ready to counter as quickly as they could. However, for as well as he Roughshod could carry a rallying shanty, it didn’t help that between the lot of us, we had exactly two ponies who were any good against ranged assailants, and their projectiles weren’t exactly as potent as gunpowder and bullets.

Quicker than our magi could sling their spells, a hail of calculated gunfire peppered the deck, many of the shots bouncing off the wood. Errant sparks stung our sides as they unloaded shell after shell in rapid succession. For a change, I was glad to be wearing armor, but at the same time damning my lack of arcane knowledge or archer’s prowess.

Their shots didn’t seem to be directed at us or the ship, however. Most of them hit the deck, but nothing else, and seemed mostly designed to keep us pinned in one spot. Then, to further add to the shock and awe, suddenly canisters of acrid, blinding smoke rained down from above, covering the deck in a matter of moments. Before any of us had any idea what they were trying to do, I found two vices clamping down on my shoulders and my body unceremoniously snatched off the ship. I could not see my captor, but amidst the chaos, a few voices stood out.

“Sweet, we got one!” a female voice cried.

“He’s one of those two-leg kinda guys, too! How’s that for exotic?” asked another.

“I dunno, girls; he looks a bit plain to me. Still, if he’s rolling with a ship that fancy, he can’t be that lame.”

“Guess we’ll know when we get him across the border!”

Amongst the banter, my captor groaned to herself. “Can we save the chit-chat for when we’re home free?”

I could hear her subordinates whine to themselves as they started to pick up the pace, and I became increasingly more paranoid of my situation. I tried to shake myself free, but no amount of thrashing loosened her grip.

“Hold still, will ya?!” the lead griffon shrieked. “You’re heavy enough already, and that thrashing around isn’t exactly helping.”

I tried to reach for my sword, but a sharp squeeze kept me from drawing it.

“You draw that sword, you go in the drink!”

“So you expect me to go along with this?!”

“If you don’t want a free saltwater enema and a watery grave, you’ll pipe down and keep your head up!”

As I looked back, I couldn’t see the ship behind the obfuscating smoke. My heart sank at the possibility of my life being in the talons of a gang of glorified thieves. Being robbed of all but my armor certainly didn’t help matters. Unfortunately, my captor had a point, and it was one which I sadly had no choice but to accept. How ironic it was to have felt true freedom only to have it so quickly stolen away.

Then, the riflemen gasped as something shot out from the smoke. Blasting from the top was Juno, her wings spread wide and her eyes aglow with fierce, bright, furious power.

“I will not allow you to get away!”

One of the riflemen giggled in amusement. “Oh look! He’s got a bodyguard!”

“Stick to the plan!” roared the head Griffon as she picked up speed. “Take her down and get back to me.”

The rifleman closest to her gave a quick salute. “Aye, aye, boss! Good luck getting home!”

“Thanks,” the leader replied as she quickly adjusted her grip on me so that her arms now hooked around mine, clamping down at the chest. “But I won’t need it.”

Then, before I could call out another protest, the leader quickly jolted into high gear, shooting off like mad for what I could only assume was her native territory. The velocity she sped along at was so great that it forced my eyes to shut tight from the sheer force of the wind battering at me. The sounds of battle were far from me now, and dread filled me as I wondered what would come next. I felt myself getting light-headed as one of her arms wrapped against my throat. This, combined with the generally thinner air from being so high up, spelled a quick and steady loss of consciousness as all feeling faded away.

My final lucid thought echoed in my head.

Where will I wake next…?

***

Snap, snap, snap.

These were the first new sounds I heard as I started to come to my senses. I felt sore and cold, though the latter was honestly not as much of an issue. I wasn’t sure if I was fully in my right mind, as the sound was all too far from its source the first few times I’d heard it. Still, a primal instinct forced me to wake, and when I did, I truly became familiar with the appearance of my captor.

The avian half of her body was black as pitch, save for her breast, which was a strikingly golden yellow that matched the ends of her wings. The feline part of her was more simple, a pure white backside that contrasted her front quite strongly Her eyes were of such a dark shade of brown, they more resembled drops of the darkest, richest chocolate ever crafted, and her talons were akin to ash. The most striking detail, however, were the two large enamel-blue plumes that extended from her brow like a tribal headdress. Around the two of us was a simple room of stone with a flat bed and the barest of essentials, including a small window behind me and another inside the door.

She was a sight just as terrifying as she was beautiful. Even as she smiled, I couldn’t be sure if it was out of relief for my well-being or the anticipation of what she could do next. At least she stopped snapping her talons.

“Oh, sweet,” she said, stretching out. “Looks like you’ve still got some life left in you.”

”This doesn’t bode well, boy,” urged Iando, speaking for the first time in what felt like a decent while. ”I don’t think it would be wise to try and fight her; try and talk this out.

“You mean negotiate with a kidnapper?” I muttered beneath my breath, none less irate than I was before,. “Are you mad?”

“She’s got a pointy beak, sharp claws, and looks like she could cleave a bloody swath through a horde of five hundred stallions. I think you’ll have a higher chance of survival if you talk this out.”

“You realize she could be committing an act of war right now, right? That we could end up starting a massive intercontinental incident if we make even the slightest error?”

”If she’d wanted you dead, she would have killed you while you were still aboard the ship. Just trust me for once and talk this out!”

“I trust her about as much as I trust you!”

The griffon cleared her throat. “You okay, dude? I can give you a minute, if you need it.”

“I am perfectly fine!” I shouted, eyes wide and wild as I took a moment to catch my breath. “What I would like to know is what your business is abducting me without any provocation.”

“What my business is?” The griffon almost keeled over from laughter. “What are you, some charming prince from one of those romantic fantasy novels?”

I gave the griffon the most intense glare I could. “Believe it or not, I am a prince—if only by way of adoption—and I’d appreciate if you told me what you plan to do with my friends and I.”

The griffon scoffed. “You’re bluffing. No way you’re a legit prince.”

“If you believe so, then have your women examine the ship,” I ordered, none too eager for the griffon’s gall. “You’ll doubtless find a diadem and letters of emissarial importance. I’m doing the work of an ambassador, if the ship was any indication.”

The griffon held her chin as she tapped her talons against the floor, humming to herself as she thought things through. Then, with a smirk, she flapped her wings.

“Guess I’ll just have to take your word for it then, kid,” she agreed, her tone markedly more casual. “Sit tight for a little bit, then. I’m gonna go check on my girls and make sure your friends know what’s up; wouldn’t want them to get the wrong idea.”

I crossed my arms. “I’d say it’s a bit late for that, miss.”

“Miss?” the griffon snickered. “The name’s Gloria, and if you know what’s good for you, you’ll stay put.”

I blinked. “Gloria? As in, Kaiser Gloria?”

Gloria rolled her eyes. “Kid, I’m not a Kaiser; that’s my dad.”

“So what does that make you?”

“About one marriage away from an unwanted partnership,” Gloria replied in a flat tone as she took to the air. “Just bear with me for a little bit, okay? I’m not gonna hurt you or anything.”

“You do realize this could be considered an act of war?” I scowled at her with as much contempt as I could muster. “Unlawfully abducting a child of the royal family?”

Gloria held her beak and grumbled to herself. “Look, just keep quiet for a few minutes and I’ll clear things up when I get back.”

With that, she disappeared into hallway, sparing not another word more. I was alone again a dark, stony place with only my cerebral companion for company.

“So this is my fate, then,” I curled up, cursing my turn of luck. “To be a prisoner of a foreign power.”

”Well, at least you’re safe,” Iando assured me. ”Something about what Gloria said makes me wonder, however.

I furrowed my brow. “You mean the way she kept demanding we be still, or the fact she explicitly brought up she was apparently soon to be wed?”

”Both. If I were a betting man, I’d say she needs you for some form of plot. Nopony would be so specific in their choice of captive unless they needed them for a specific purpose.”

“Well, we won’t know until she returns,” I sighed, slumping against the wall. “In the meantime, what are we to do?”

“Well, if you’d like to entertain me further, perhaps we could continue this in your subconscious?” Ooffered the shade in my head.

I shook my head. “I think not. There are more productive things to do than mill about in slumber.”

“Spoilsport,” teased Iando. “At least your vocabulary is improving, so that’s good.”

I stood up, stretching my body and jumping about to liven up idle muscles.

“I suppose if I’m not to leave this room, then I should cultivate other skills with this spare time,” I reasoned, cracking my knuckles. “I may not have my implements, but I’ve plenty of other things to work on.”

Thus, having little else to do, I took to some training. This time, I’d decided to try work on my magical ability, hoping to get in tune with my developing abilities. After I took a moment to assure my privacy, I dressed myself down and took a few deep breaths.

“Okay,” I said as I stretched my hamstrings. “You’ve got plenty of space, and nopony will be coming for a while.” I gathered some phlegm in my mouth and spat it out onto the ground. “Let’s see what wonders we can make.”

I cleared my head, bringing my thoughts towards bubbles, spheres, and domes. Considering it was the first spell I’d ever cast, I thought it prudent to try and attempt the spell under more normal circumstances, considering it would likely in handy. Focusing my mind on the shape, my hands swirled around as if I were smoothing out a ball of clay. Then, placing my hands upon it, I spread it out into a fine sheet, focusing on wrapping it around my immediate vicinity like a blanket. “So far so good,” I mumbled to myself, trying not to break concentration as I bit my lip. “Now let’s see if I can get this right.”

With a deft flick of my wrists, the sheet expanded into a cylinder about me. A sweep of my hand expanded the base while the other closed the top. The field of energy was thin now, and focusing my mind to keeping it stable was a top priority. It was only through this focus that the dome was sustained, and as I beheld it, I was in awe once again. My only wonder then was how I could expedite the spell itself, and it was then that I had a brilliant idea.

I allowed the spell to fizzle away as I took my thoughts to something scholarly. I remembered the structure of a hoofball, and how it consisted of two shapes which were easy to remember connected together. This in mind, I focused on the shape of a pentagon as I raised my palm into the air. From there, I had a focal point, and I began to will hexagons to extend from it, occasionally linking those with pentagons for stability. Within a few seconds, I had a proper barrier erected, and I spent more than a few minutes replicating this spell at least a dozen or more times for the sake of getting the feeling and thought in perfect form.

I felt especially proud in what I’d managed to accomplish, as though I’d cracked some ancient cipher. Part of me seemed to connect more to the hidden depths within, and in so doing, gave me a greater sense of clarity.

Of course, as the saying goes, pride comes before the fall. Yet again, I was distracted to the point of ignorance. But, depending on who you ask, the result of this ignorance was either not as bad or far worse than before.

Gloria’s face flushed with blood, and she very nearly tripped over herself from the recoil of tearing her eyes away from my exposed form. As the two of us made eye-contact, the shield promptly crumbled away, and the two of us shared a collective gasp of lost innocence. Her initial shock didn’t last long, however, and she resolved to cover her face with her talon.

“I leave you alone for thirty minutes, and come back to you butt naked, playing with with your wizard!” she called out, trying her best to remain coherent. “If I’d known you were that kinky, I would have left you alone!”

“I’m so sorry!” I thought you’d be gone a little while longer!” Perhaps sharing her embarrassment, I covered myself with my hands. “See, I’m not used to magic, so I’m trying to learn it with as little encumberment as possible.”

Gloria muttered something under her breath I couldn’t make out. “Whatever floats your boat, dweeb.” She then blindly tossed a hooded mantle to me, turning around as a show of modesty. “You’re lucky I thought to get this before I came back; tell me once you’ve got it on and I’ll explain what’s going on.”

Without a thought, I quickly slipped the mantle on. “A thousand pardons, miss; that was most unbecoming of me.”

“Save the fancy claptrap for the ‘rents, Gawain,” the griffon squawked. “Here’s the skinny: Your friends are alright; minute I was outta sight, my girls let your guys in on what’s up. Your fancy little clockwork buddy took a while to come around, but once she and the others knew what I was up to, they calmed down.”

“If I might hazard a guess, would what you’re up to involve me playing the exotic young suitor from across the pond?”

Gloria was gobstopped . “What gave it away?”

“Well, it’s quite simple, really,” I reasoned, trying my best to not reveal my body through my gestures. “You were especially concerned for my well-being, even though for all intents and purposes, you could have left me in a far worse state. You also explicitly brought up the fact you were going to be getting married.” I gave Gloria a quick shrug. “It honestly wasn’t hard to put two and two together.”

Gloria seemed to be at an impressive loss. “I..well, you see...It’s like—” She let out a moan of defeat. “Alright, you got me. I was gonna try to ease into this—you know, to get you warmed up to it—but I guess that’s out of the question.”

“Well, what I’d personally love to know is, why me?”

“You want an honest answer?” Gloria gave me an affectionate prod in the chest. “It’s because you’re a wildcard. A rogue element, if you catch my drift. Someone nobody would see coming.”

“I see.” I moved Gloria’s talon back down to the floor. “So, what does this have to do with me? How am I to play into all of this?”

Glora’s beak curled in a smile. “Getting to brass tacks real quick; I like that.” She took a moment to clear her throat. “The short version is, my folks were starting to get Griffonstone back into shape and reconnect with our guys in the east. But, the guys east of us wanted a show of our good faith and wanted to seal the deal with one of those fancy political marriages. Of course, since I’m next in line, I was offered up as the bride.”

I crossed my arms. “I suspect that the problem lies in the groom?”

Gloria chuckled. “You catch on quick. The guy’s named Gottfried. Smaller than the average griffon, but has an ego at least three times bigger than him. He’s all snow-white, and he has a thing for making himself bigger if he thinks you’re a threat.”

I cocked my head back for a laugh. “It sounds like he has a lot to compensate for.”

Gloria rolled her eyes. “Like you wouldn’t believe. I think the guys behind him wanted him to get married so he’d stop bothering them.”

“So what is it you want me to do, then?”

“You pretty much know the gist of it already,” replied the griffon. “I need you to pose as a challenger to Gottfried. The way these things work is, as long as there's somebody of high enough status to challenge the groom, he has a shot at the bride. If he wins, he gets to decide what to do with the bride."

"Even if he's, by many accounts, a foreigner?"

"Well, I'm pretty sure Griffons have next to no clue about you," Gloria reasoned, scratching her head. "That said, this makes the first impression really important, so keep up that prim-and-proper thing.”

“That shouldn’t be a problem, milady,” I said with a bow. “Though I don’t believe I introduced myself properly. I am Lance Alexis Petal of Equestria, son-in-love to Princess Celestia.”

“Like I said, save the theatrics for the ‘rents.” Gloria scoffed. “Guess I’ll have to add “teach how to talk normally” to the list of things I have to do to get you ready.”

I frowned slightly at Gloria’s comment, but shook it off and nodded along. “I’ll certainly try my best.”

“Good, then let’s not waste any more time.” The black griffon quickly gathered my belongings and draped them across her back before pressing her wing against mine. “You’ll get to see your friends in a little bit; first, I’ve got to make sure you look presentable.”

“Well, you’re not wearing much, yourself,” I remarked, a catty grin on my face as I gathered my belongings.. “Surely it would be a show of good faith if I went unadorned as well?”

Gloria grimaced. “Very funny. I wouldn’t stop you, but I think the higher-ups would prefer a man who’s not hanging out with his privates out.”

With our awkward encounter at a close, I was prepared to behold Griffonstone in all its glory and to see familiar faces once again.

***

Griffonstone, at first glance, gave the impression of a place whose past wounds were barely visible. It was lived-in, but lively, with stalls erected all across the street. The scent of hot scones and succulent sweets had me smacking my lips with delight. I was feeling naked, not having my coin purse on my person. I tried to remain dignified and refrain from drooling, but hunger superseded manners, it seemed.

Gloria slapped her forehead. “Oh, that’s right. You haven’t eaten much, have you?”

I shook my head. “It’s nothing, Your Highness. I assure you, I’m perfectly well—”

My stomach decided to rumble like a mad beast then, interrupting me thusly. Gloria gave a guffaw and slapped me on the back with a cat-ate-the-canary grin.

“Don’t sweat it, kid,” she said as she guided me into a nearby tailor’s establishment. “I’ll go get you something and round up the gang while I have my girl here hook you up with something better than that lame bodysuit.”

I felt especially flattered. “I appreciate your generosity, Glora. You have my thanks.”

“I just figured I’d make up for all the trouble I’m putting you through.” Gloria shrugged one of her arms. “No big deal.”

“I only hope that neither of us ends up in any major trouble from this.”

“Relax; so long as everyone back home knows you’re okay, we should be fine,” Gloria approached the counter, reaching for her own coinpurse. “Yo, Gabby! You in today?”

“Is that who I think it is?” cawed a distant voice. “Yeah, gimmie a sec!”

A reddish-brown griffon greeted us now, dressed in a wool cardigan of checkered pattern. The tufts of plumage at her brow were tinged a rosy red, and her eyes were gold like rolling fields of wheat. Her eyes glimmered like copper when she met eyes with Gloria.

“Aw, sweet!” she exclaimed, leaping to embrace Gloria. “I knew that was you. What’s your pleasure today, girl?”

Glora placed a talon on my shoulder. “Got a fresh catch that needs dressing. It’s on me.”

Gabby cocked her head. “Why’s he in a cloak?”

“Let’s just say he’s a little…” With one swift tug, Gloria my mantle off my body, sleeves and all. “Underdressed.”

“Kinky,” Gabby giggled. “So you say you’re payin’ for this?”

Gloria rubbed her neck nervously. “Sorry to say, I don’t think the kid had his coin purse with him when I got him.”

“It’s all good,” Gabby shrugged a talon in dismissal, her eye never far away from me. “For a case this special, it wouldn’t be fair to charge. Especially not for royalty.”

“Thanks, Gabby,” Gloria bowed her head. “Goodness knows the kind of nonsense I’m gonna be dealing with today.”

“Don’t sweat it; just do what you got to do and let me work my magic. If everything goes alright, I should be done in an hour.”

“Thanks a ton, Gabby; I won’t forget this.” Gloria smiled graciously as she neared the door. “Take good care of him for me. I’m gonna go see about getting him something to eat; his stomach was growling like an angry dog when he came around.”

Gabby laughed heartily and nearly raked my naked back in joy. “You got it, Gloria! See you in a bit!”

With this, Gloria excused herself, and Gabby lead us further inside to a room filled to bursting with mirrors and assorted cloths and fibers. Closets and cubbies lined the walls, and in the center was a raised platform, much like the one I’d taken stage on at the Carousel Boutique. It had a familiar feeling to it, one that called forth memories of home. The moment the tape was brought to my skin, soothing nostalgia washed over me.

“So what’s your story, kid?” Gabby asked as she wrapped the tape at my waist.

“You’re sure you want to know? I’m not sure you’d believe it.”

“Kid, I’m lookin’ at you with my own two eyes; pretty sure any story that comes out of your mouth is just as real.”

I gave a sigh and stretched out. “You may want to get a chair then, this could take a while.”

“We’ve got a whole hour, sweetie.” Gabby gave a quick bow. “Let’s hear it.”

Thus, I recounted to the griffon the story as we know it thus. While I did abridge certain parts of it for time, she nodded attentively at every passage, practically immersed in the narrative. Then again, perhaps she was merely using my story to help herself work through the monotony. By the time I’d caught her up to speed, she was already drafting a design for an outfit, smallclothes and all.

Gabby giggled to me, “Well, it’s certainly one of the more interesting stories I’ve heard from a patron. Sounds to me like momma set you up for a long haul.”

“So it seems,” I sighed. “But, such is her way, apparently; given how others speak of her, she’s very hooves-off about the development of her successors.”

“Well, lemmie ask you this, then,” Gabby chirped. “Are you glad she put you up to this? Are you enjoying what you’re doing for her?”

I held one of my sleeves. “In a way, I suppose I am. I mean, I’m getting a chance to see the world with her blessing, and as it stands, I have at least an inkling of what I am.”

Gabby wagged a talon at me with a wink. “And that’s what makes adventure and travel worth it, kid; you learn things about the world and where you fit in it. Walking the earth does things to people. It changes them in a way that by the time they get back, they might not even be recognized again. A boy might start his life tilling fields, then the next thing you know, he’s taking whole armies on by himself, dressed to the nines in armor while wearing a sauce pot on his head.”

I blinked, the brief aside registering as something non-sequitur to my ears.

“Point is, the experience that seeing the world gives you ain’t like anything you’ll see in a library,” she surmised. “Book smarts’ll get you pretty far, but sometimes, you need a whole other kinda savvy to win the day.”

“That’s...awfully profound, coming from a total stranger.”

Gabby shrugged. “You wanna play the game of thrones, it helps to know how it’s played and who you’re up against.”

“I see,” I hummed, stretching out. “That said, while you’re designing, do you know anything about this Gottfried guy?”

“Only as much as Gloria knows of him,” she replied, shaking her head. “You got my vote, either way; better a monkey like you than a bird-brain like him.”

Again with that choice of wording. I sighed, resigning to maintain composure. I felt I’d need plenty of it later.

Within a few more minutes, a knock came, and Gloria returned with a large cloth sack, filled with

a steaming something that was cause for salivation.

“I’m back, ladies!” she called, inviting herself inside. “Heads up, Lance!”

The moment she finished her sentence, she tossed the bag underhand to me, which struck me like having a decently large dog come leaping into my arms. It felt particularly warm, presumably because it was full of freshly-picked goods. As I opened it, a slap of hot air made my stomach gurgle with anticipation.

“I didn’t know what you ate,” she said, strutting over to us, “So I got you a little bit of everything. Think of it as a sampler of what we’ve got on offer.”

Thinking quickly, Gabby produced a plate upon which I emptied the contents of the bag. Inside was a plethora of sweet and savory snacks. Lean strips of meat and fish, scrumptious scones and sweetmeats, and golden potato wedges queued up to me, and the smell of them made it hard for me to contain myself. With their permission, I tried each of them, savoring every succulent bite that I took with great gusto. Part of me did feel a twinge of guilt from eating the lean meat of what was no doubt an innocent creature, but the primal part of my brain reminded me that I was able to eat this.

I wasn’t quite certain whether the two griffons were appalled or amazed at how quickly I finished my meal. Maybe it was both? I remembered their beaks were wide enough to let a fly inside, which made me shrink slightly.

“Have I offended you?”

Gloria’s beak quivered. “Dude. That was…awesome!”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a guy eat that much as quick as that!” added Gabby. “You weren’t hungry, were you?”

I wiped my mouth and smiled. “Is it not considered polite to finish any food given to you?”

The griffons shared a nice laugh amongst themselves as I put on my suit again.

“Well, seeing as everything’s in order here,” I reasoned, dusting myself off. “Might I trouble you to see my friends again?”

“Sure thing,” Gloria gasped, trying to contain her laughter. “It’ll probably take Gabby a little while to make your piece, anyway. Gives you guys time to see the sights.”

“Wonderful!” I cheered, clapping my hands together. “I do hope things improve between us; as nice as you two have turned out to be, I can only wish we’d met in less troublesome circumstances.”

Gabby offered her talon to shake. “Well, I’ll be sure to make this piece extra special, then.”

I accepted her shake kindly and gave her a fond farewell as Gloria lead me out of the store.

Gloria had offered to bring me to my friends with a quick flight, but I decided against it for the sake of keeping a low profile. Then again, I doubt a man of my stature was any less conspicuous on the ground than in the air. The only true difference it made was that I’d be getting to my destination later than I’d wanted. Thankfully, where the port to which we were headed wasn’t very far to begin with, so we’d made it in decent time overall.

My friends were all gathered round the ship, which was being kept safe by Gloria’s gunmen, whom all regarded me in a surprisingly casual manner. Every shared glance was met with a casual salute at the brow, letting me by as if I were a close friend. Then, when my proper friends took notice of me, their elation was understandably large. They all rushed down to meet me, their eyes looking every which way they could to assure I was unmarred before sighing in relief. Juno was noticeably leery of the folk for whom we were playing guest, though not without good reason.

“Thank goodness you’re okay,” Spike said, clutching me like a concerned older brother. “They didn’t hurt you too badly, did they?”

I shook my head. “Not at all. If anything, after the initial shock, they’ve been quite cordial towards me.”

“I would prefer if it remained that way from here on out,” Juno growled. “We did not appreciate the unwelcome battery.”

Gloria, in her attempt to save face, bowed her head before the robot.

“Please understand that I do not ask complete absolution for this,” she implored, her beak all but level with the ground. “I only ask that my actions from this point make up for our initial misgivings.”

“So long as you keep your word regarding what you told us earlier, we should have no problem,” Roughshod rumbled.

“Right…” Gloria looked off to the side. “Well, now that we’re all squared away, may I show you where you’ll be staying?”

“Good idea,” Napalm said with a yawn, “I can sleep away all this horse hockey and hit the town in the morning.”

Nia gave her joints a popping and nodded in agreement. “After the day we’ve had, I’d say a good rest is exactly what we need.”

Once the lot of us were in agreement and had our things gathered, Gloria led us on her way, her girl gang following her dutifully as we followed her lead. While my expectations weren’t sky-high, I didn’t believe Gloria had it in mind for us to stay at a local inn. This suspicion was quickly confirmed when we neared an especially palatial piece of real estate perched in a particularly powerful-looking tree. Your guess is as good as mine as to what it was made out of it, but it was certainly made of sterner stuff than any tree I’d known—and this is counting Twilight’s old library!

“Seeing as you guys are political guests, you’re going to spend the night here at the King’s Roost,” the presumed princess explained. “We have a special suite for diplomats.”

“Sweet,” Napalm quietly cheered. “Maybe the beds will be better this time.”

“What was wrong last time?” Spike asked.

Napalm leered. “Maybe the fact there weren’t any beds at all.”

Spike scratched the spines on his head, his scales seething red. “Oh. Right. That.”

After showing us the way inside, Gloria and her gang guided us to the aforementioned suite, and the moment we’d laid eyes on it, we swore we’d all simultaneously died and gone to the promised land of milk and honey. The den was spacious, with tables, sofas, and chairs strewn all about, all hemmed from cozy satin and silk. The kitchen was small, but had most everything needed for whipping up a decent meal. The windows were large enough to bathe the whole room in light, even in the afternoon. In other words, it was the most opulent suite I think any one of us had seen, and it seemed too beautiful for a room of such specific purpose.

“She’s all yours for the night, guys,” Gloria said, inviting us inside. “If you need anything, just give us a shout.”

“We’ll be sure to let you know,” I said with a smile as they left us be.

As we shut the doors, we knew we were safe and sound once more.

Comments

[Shaded Jade]

Awesome chapter, can't wait to see how this whole thing goes.

I think the italics got stuck on at some point.

[AdamThePony]

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My thanks for pointing it out! Sometimes I miss a key when I hand-do the bbcode.