The Gryhon Knight Order

84/05/03

So, I suppose I should start by describing myself.  I am Rawko'r, fifth son of Naykor'r, member of the house of Thunder, cadet of the Storm Academy and currently a Gryphon Knight.  The only member in fact.  As for my physique, like all griffins, I posses the body of a lion and the head and front legs of an eagle.  My back, the top of my head, my front legs, shoulders,upper back leg, beak and feathered tail had all a slightly shining golden tone while my belly, throat, face and lower back legs were the same color as coal.  My mother used to say that it was as if I was constantly walking around with a gold blanket.  Well, it not for the fact that my wings were dark as nigh and had a gray line crossing them horizontally in the middle.  Lastly, I have ocean blue eyes.  Now, for my family and name, which I would suppose are quite curious to anyone not familiar whit the Gryphon Kingdom.

The current Kingdom is divised in multiple domains, each one ruled by a House.  Writting a list of each and every little family holding rights to every little piece of land would be pretty challenging since, with the years, the territory has been split into thousand and thousand of shards.  The Kingdom would have lost any right to this title a long ago if not for the Ban.  Each time the lord of a land would yield a part of it, the one receving the part had, and still has, to swear a oath of loyalty and servitude.  Also, more importantly for the giving party, had to pay taxes.  It was call the Ban and it is now the only thing maintening* the realms togethers.  It is also the only reason the seven Houses have any power.  Being the son of such a House, I am well placed to know.  But, let us skip those petty details.

My House, the House of Thunder, is a house of warriors.  We are the fury of the battlefiel, plunging from the sky onto our enemies with the speed of a light bolt and the power of thunder.  Or ''were'' should I rather say.  The many years of peace have transformed us into vile and manipulative politician.  Our once numerous fiery knights are now nothing but overweighted bodygards who have not face any real danger in all their life.  Anyway.  I have six sisters and no less than four brothers.  With only two sibling younger than me, one would expect me to complain on my position who is putting me away from any real position or power.  But, one would be wrong.  In fact, I consider it a blessing.  Since no one expected anything of me, no one opposed my choice to go to Storm Academy.

80/01/06

The Storm Academy is, at least I tought, the last place in the Kingdom still training warriors  A place of honor, martial tradition and strength.  A place were griffins, from the poorest to the wealthiest can be trained in the old arts of battle if they have the will to continue, no matter what.  Were your word is sacred and your sword is your life.  Were I would be tested.  Were I would be trained to focus the rage of our specie into the value of the knights of old.  In reality, it was a dollhouse full of rich and slotthy shadow of the shadow of a warrior.  From the General, changed to the Principal Helper now, all the way to the most recent of student, none was bothered by this.  To them, the Academy was a lazy school for those wanting to do nothing of their life and pathetic bullies.  Rather than sword training, we would get the ''history of sword training''.  Rather than studying strategy, we would study the life of great strategist.  Rathe than promoting unity and strength of will, the school would encourages simple memorization and minimal efforts.  After the first two months, I stopped going to half of my classes and I did not get one single warning.  I used my newly found free time to a more, active, kind of learning.  I roam through the old library, passing the new volume of history and comic book imported directly from Equestria for the dusty old tomes in the back.  It is in those I found real knowledge.

Books about swordfight, the handling of crossbow and bow, war strategies, blacksmithing, the history of knights, their values.  I read those with a renewed passion, felling like every word was getting me closer to my goal.  Of course, since most of them were practical guide, only reading them was not enough.  I first had to find myself a sword.  The forge of the Academy were long dead cold and in ruin.  Getting one from a nonexistent blacksmith or making one by myself was, therefore, out of question.  To my displeasure, I had to use more subtle method to get one.  Well, in all honesty, I had to stole one from the treasury.  Even if no one seemed to care, it still felt wrong to me.  Then, now armed whit a weapon, I could start to walk on the same path as the valiant knight of old.  The first step were, grinding.  Learning how to treat your weapon, to maintain the edge of a sword, the basic of how to wear an armor, understanding our values and memorizing the code of honor was easy.  The physical training, in the other hand, was, at is bare minimal, rough, at is arduous, painful.  Twenty miles timed flight in the middle of the night, obstacle run through the mud, exruciating series of exercice, long hours spent practicing every move in the sword fighting manuals, punching wood until my talons broke.  But, as hard as it may seem, I knew generations of past knights had went through the same routine as me and survived.  I would not cut corner in a effort to lessen my pain, an easier path would only dishonor the title I look to reach and, if I were to wear it one day, I feel is value would be diminish.  Another part that the books described was the alimentation.

A certains amount of them were survival guide.  In those one, I founded the parts you can found in every survival guide about finding food in the wild.  How to dig up edible root, which kind of berries were poisonous and the like.  What I was not expecting, was the section about meat.  The two third of these books was a textual and visual description of how to catch, kill, cook and eat every little living thing I could think of.  At first, that was a shock to me.  I had read the old tales relating the fighting of the knights.  The one in which they conquer whole armies, vanquish dragon and destroy magical creatures.  But, until then, I had not really consider the practical reality of kiling.  The idea of ending the life of another creature seemed alien and unnatural to me.  After all, of all my life I had never eat anything but vegetables or cereals.  But, with all I had already done in the pursuit of my goal, could I really stop now?  This question spinned in my head for a whole week.  Continuing on this path would mean that, one day or another, I would have to fight and maybe even kill a griffin or a pony.  Was I ready to do this kind of action, a murder, in defense of my values.  When you start to kill, does life loses is importance?  Do you start to become addicted to it?  Can you stop yourself?  Was meat really essential to knights?

Long reflexion were never my strength, so, I figured out that only by trying would I understand.   It still felt uncomfortable, but, if the knights of old did it, I did not see why I would be afraid.  Easely, I tracked down a little bunny, after all, why would they be afraid of me.  Hidden in the upper branch of a tree, I waited for one of the creature to come around.  As soon as I saw one, I plunged from high and grabbed him.  He did not even had any time to react that my claws were around is neck.  But, once to that point, now that the bunny was twisting in my hand, whimpering and scratching, I started to doubt.  Suddently, I felt a burning sensation in my claw.  The bunny had stuck his teeth into my flesh, making me bleed.  Reflectivly, I closed my fist, provoking a cracking sound.  Between my hands, the little rabbit had stopped moving.  Is head was resting down on my finger, is broken neck not capable of supporting it anymore.  I kept starring at it, unsure of what to do, waiting for the impact of what I had just done.  My mind went blank for a moment and, when I regained control of my senses, my beak was full of blood and flesh.  I was deep into the animal neck, ripping the meat from is bones.  I could feel the warmth of the crimson life dripping on the feathers of my neck and the tenderness of the flesh slowly making it is way down my throat.

I could not repress a sudden urge to vomit.  The content of my stomach was violently ejected, continually spilled on the green floor of the forest for long and painful minutes.  I felt dirty, immoral, a monster.  As soon has I could stand up, I flied to the nearest river.  Violently plunging into it and hoping with all of my mind that the flowing water would wash me of this sin against nature I just had commited.  I would never try this stupidity again.  But, did this also meant I had to give up my dream.  How could I hope to defend my honor and my values if a little bunny had me running away.  Then, it hit me.  That must be why the knights were eating meat.  It was a sign of will.  If you could eat another living creature, you had the willpower to defend the weak at any cost.  I hoped.  I could not fail, not now. With this idea in mind, I retraced my step, finding the partially eaten rabbit.  The sensation of disgust and horror I felt at every bites would make me throw up, but I resisted.  Soon, the only things left of the once bouncing creature was a small pack of bones and organs.  Still on the verge of fainting, I dug a small hole into which I putted the left-over.  That was the first time I ate meat, but not the last.  Through the weeks, I continued to track and hunt small animals, learning how to put trap, where to place them, how to skin animal, cook them and other things.  With time, the sickening feeling I had every time I would rip out a bit of flesh started to fade.  It become a normal occurrenc, in fact, I started to take a liking to it.  The act of kiling was still hard, but the meat had is own sort of flavor that I could not find anywhere else.  There was also another effect to my consomation of meat.  My muscles started to grow and become much stronger.  If the first kill was about willpower, I felt that the continuation was more a matter of gaining strength.  Rapidly, I became the strongest and most enduring griffon at the Academy.  And that was not to everyone liking.

84/04/29

It would have been an understatement to say that my inclination to the knight ideal of old time made me an outcast.  The lack of friends was not new for me and I had grew used to the situation.  What I was not expecting was the arrogance of some of the students.  Of course, every school has their bullies.  Some are fairly inoffensive to any but the most fragile of heart.  Other are scum, blinded by there illusions of power, resting on the shoulders of the weak and live in denial of their irrelevance.  It was the later kind that was festering in the entrails of the Academy.

The Griffin society, for as long as I and the official history book can remember, has had problems with bullying.  Every griffin has a spark of anger resting in himself.  Unrestricted, this spark grow inside the griffon, making his every action one of dominance, pettiness and wrongly placed pride.  In the ancien times, this anger was bound by a code of honor, a code shared by all.  Today, it is hidden under politic and greed masks.

I had tried to oppose this distasteful tradition in my first week at the Academy.  Unfortunately, rather than following my example, those I would help only tried to use the threat of my strength on those who were previously harassing them.  Seeing this, I wanted to stop.  But, the world and my values would not let.  The sessions at the Academy lasted for five month, and so, each five month I would see the arrival of news student.  Every time, I would try to help the weak.  Only to see my effort redirected onto a purpose of fear and power.  Strangely, to me, if bullying was rampant, violence was almost nonexistent.  Of course, a little push or a strengthless punch did happen from time to time, but nothing serious.  The result, I had not hit anything but sandbag, trees and walls in all of my training.  This, unfortunately, was only up until the last arrival of news students I ever saw.

This day, while I was training in the wood, I heard a sound I knew too well.  The sound of threat from the powerfull to the weak.  Three griffins from a wealthy House had put a young one against a tree and were surrending her.  Of course, I could have simply let them be, but, even after so many failures, I felt that living one griffin in need of help behind was the same has admitting defeat.  I knew it would not make any difference and that my intervention would surely be corrupted, nonetheless, I left the cover of the forest to approach the group.  At first, they did not saw me and the brown fur, gray feather one I figured as the leader continued to shout at the light blue and silver girl.

-So!  What is a little failure like you doing here?  Your family finaly got tired of your fooling around and sent you away?

-No, it's...

-Or maybe they felt ashamed of you.  Thats it?  One to many stupidity got out of what you call your mouth?

-Hi... hi...

I manifested myself before this went on any more longer.

-Hey!  Leave her alone.

The three of them turned at once, facing me.  I was a little higher than most of the griffins and, at this point, all the training and eating I had done had putted me way above those bullies in therm of raw strength.  Not mentionning talents.  I expected one of them, most likely the leader, to throw an insult and then leave.  I still do not know why she clawed.

Maybe it was an accident, maybe it was intentional.  It did not matter and does not anymore.  I felt his claws scratching agains my chin and draw blood.

-Stay out of this jackas...!

I was just training, so, of course, I had my sword.  She did not had the time to finish her sentence that I had draw out my blade and stroke.  The sharp steel slashed her exposed torso, creating a large wound flowing with blood.  The bully was socked, for a moment, before collapsing to the ground and starting dying.  Her two friends ran away, screaming and shouting at the top of their lungs.  The other griffin were still immobile against the wall, frozen.  Even I stand still for a second, not realising what I just had done.  Then, the reflex I had trained to the their utmost, in my current limits, kicked in.  I put my sword back in his sheath, grabbed the blooding body and flew as fast has I could to the infirmary.

The yellow unicorn in charge was pretty suprised when I bursted into his room.  Then, when he saw the wound, he started panicking.  I stayed, helping in any way I could.  My regular hunting had builted me to the sight of blood.  But here, it was the blood of a fellow griffin, who I had wounded.  Nevertheless, we managed to save him.  If what the doctor said was true, one seconde more and she would have been done for it.  He thanked me for my reaction and help.  But then, he asked me how it had happened and I had to tell him the story.  A moment later, I was siting in the ''Helper'' office.

She was an old and grumpy dark blue fur and grayish feathers griffon who hated me since the first time she saw me.  She was gaving me what she considered a reprehensing look from the other side of her desk and to me felt like she was slightly upset that her cat had not answered her call.  This lasted for quite a long time, which I used to look around.  The four walls were of a dark shade of yellow, surrouding a heavy wood desk, two chair and a plethora of files and other such things which were all lit by a single lightbulb in the celling.  Her profound sighing called me back to earth.

-Rawko'r.  Do you realise what you did?

-Yes.

She raised an eyebrow.

-Really.

-Yes.  I should have challenged her to a duel before attacking her.

She sighed again before strucking the desk with her fist.

-No!  You attacked a fellow student with a sword.  That is wrong!

-No.  I attacked a arrogant bully who was using his strength to intimidate the weak.

-She is the fourth daughter of the House of Wind!

-It is irrelevant.

-Of course it is not!

-Nonsense.

I could see she was holding herself back to not hit me.  Then, she sighed, again, and, strangely, put a smile on her face.

-Rawko'r.  In any other circumstance I would have you arrested and be done with it.  But, since your family is still really important, that kind of scandal would be bad for them.  Also, fortunately, a special kind of request has come to my attention lately and I think it would be a great occasion for you.

Now, it was me who was raising an eyebrow.

-What kind of request?

-One from the highest of authority.  Princess Luna of Equestria.

-What kind of request an Alicorn Princess would have which would concerned me.

It was evident from the look on her eyes that she was not going to tell me.

-It doesn't matter to you now.  It is either that or prison.  So go fetch whatever you own and leave for Canterlot as soon as possible.

The conversation was obviously finish for her and, by association, for me.

There was nothing left for me to do but obey.  I left the office, went to my room and packed my time.  There was not much, a couple of photo, some money, my journal, old books and my sword.  I putted them in a saddlebag, but left the sword in is sheat.  Concerning the sheat, it was holded by two strap, one which passed under my left armpit and over my right shoulder and the other around my waist.  Thus, the sword was secure and accessible at any time.  In a matter of minutes I was ready to leave and when I flew off from the Academy, I had no regret.

84/05/02

The flight to Canterlot from the Storm Academy took me less than two day, plus two days of boat.  In this time, I observed the change of vegetation resulting in the passing from the Griffon Kingdom to Equestria.  The woods of this country were making the ones of mine seems like the wildest and most dangerous of place.  The sky was also way better controled.  The pegasus assigned to the Kingdom were often too few to check on everything and we had some inconsistency with the weather.  Here, everything was well managed and planned.  Furthermore, the ponies I could see from the air were a real change from the all the brush-off griffins.  Everypony seemed happy and content with their life here, enjoying their work, enjoying their friends.  There was two problems for me in this picture.  First, I felt it would became way more arduous to hunt and eat meat here.  Second, who would need a violent would be knight in a peaceful place like this one.

When I arrived at the castle of the twin princess, the sun was about to set.  I presented myself to the guard at the gates.

-Salutation sir.

-What do you want griffon?

-I am here at the request of princess Luna.

It was easy to see that he was not going to let me pass with that.

-Papers?

-Sorry?

-Do you have any papers?

-No.

-Listen guy, if I had let everypony whishing to talk to the princess passed, I would have lost my job a long time ago.  So, get lost.

I played with the idea of challenging him so that he would let me pass.  But, he would probably only call for more guard and, if possible, I would rather not die by suffocation under a mountain of guard.  I moved away and started walking aimlessly in Canterlot.  The entire city was in shades of white, full of unicorns with their heads up slowly trotting around and judging others.  I could feel their eyes burning holes in my back, though, I was not sure if it was because I was the only griffon around, just their way or event maybe because of my sword.  Anyway, it felt like home again, a more white home, but still pretty close.  At least, the view here was beautiful.  Even when the night had fallen, my griffin eyesight allowed me to see every details hidden in the dark.  But, eventually, I had to find a place to rest and sleep.  That was my first contact with the Canterlot outrageous price of life.  Half of my savings passed into the one night rental of a tiny room under a roof.  A simple bed too small for me, stuck just at the place were the roof and the wall meet.

In this parody of an attic, I reflected on my situation.  I had not the wealth necessery for another night here, I could not go back to Storm Academy and going back home was the same as admitting all of my efforts and values were futile.  In short, I was stuck here and I could not see any way out.  Thus, I did the only thing I could, I went to sleep.

Nightmare

The dream I had this night is still one of the strangest I ever had.  Every details is so perfectly engraved in my memory that, to this point can not seems to forget even the smallest part.  I was flying over a large plain occupied by two endless army.  Surrounding me were other griffons, all wearing strong metal armor and waving swords.  I too was armored and armed.  All of us were wearing helmet hidding our face, nonetheless I could name everyone of them.  I could remember them, the time we had passed together, the battle we had fought.  We were all Gryphons Knights engaged in an immense battle.  Under us, ranks after ranks of ponies were aligned for battle, all wearing arms and protections and facing what seemed like legions after legions of creatures.  Both armies seemed to extend beyond the horizon.  I could not see who or what were the enemies, only that, like the pony, they were armed to the teeth with all manner of maces, swords, axes, lances and other sharp objects.  Like all my comrades, I knew that we would be the ones lauching the first assault.  We would be the ones plunging on their ranks through the volley of arrows, crushing against their spears and shields.  I also knew that our task was to open their lines and that every ennemy I would take down was one less ennemy that could hurt the ponies.  My hands were tightly gripping my sword and I could feel the blood pulsing in my temple.  Then, the war horn played.  It is low sound followed us has we descended to war and death.  Mostly death.  The wind was screaming at my hear, barely covering the shouts and taunt of the adversaries.  I could hear the swift buzzing of arrow shaft percing through the air around me and brush against my armor with a steel ping.  Each second passes was bringing me closer to the ennemy spears, bringin death closer to me.  I knew I could turn back, I had plenty of time, just stop and go back home.  But I continued.  Finally, we hit the ennemy.  I felt the edge of a weapon slide on my armor and another one cutting into the flesh of my left back leg.  The pain burst like burning fire, rushing trought my body.  I shut it down, I could not be bothered by something as trivial right now.  My sword swift through the air, cutting an arm holding a spear.  Blood flew like a burbling river, staining my armor and dropping on the ground, but, I was not important.  The nausea of murder outweighed by bloodlust.  The scream changed around me, from arrogant taunting to mindless panic.  We started to hack the creatures into pieces, chopping and slicing at every bit of exposed flesh.  After a couple of minutes, I was soaked in blood, the lifeless corpse of numerous ennemy resting at my feet.  Of course, we too were suffering losses.  For every adversary sent to the ground, ten would took is place.  But we did not fall back.  Slowly but surely, we started to die.  Our armor and skill could only protect us for so long from the endless ocean of blades clashing against our rank.  We could have run, but did not.  Their number started to close around us, cutting us from the ponies.  Over us, large winged shape, fire and spells were crossing the night sky.  We were going to die, of that, I was certain.  Did we stop to beg, to surrender?  No one of us emitted a single sound.  We continued to fight as our brothers were slayed at our side, as our body were cut to shred, as we were buried under the number.  In the end, my turn came.  Everything seemed real, the dagger which pierced trough the weaker point of my armor just under my left armpit and rendered it limp, the spear blade which slashed the nerves of my back leg, the axe which broke my back and, finaly, the sword which cut my neck.  I only had time to feel the crimson blood drip on my neck and a sensation of  cold before the world went dark.

When I opened my eyes, I was in a large throne room.  The walls were covered with grand banner showing the history of a long dead race, only lit by a strange dark light and, in front of me, was standing a pure dark Alicorn.  It was not one of the princess I knew about.  Her body was like a hole in the universe, almost as if she was absorbing light.  Under her right hoof, I could see the weak body of a wounded pony.  I also knew, for some reason, that this pony was an asshole, never liked me and insulted me daily.  She made our eyes met.  Hers were of a deep red, fascinating and tempting.  Then, she poke, her voice was sweet, but vibrated with power and importance.

-Rawko'r, join me.

I knew she had win.  She was the new leader and there was nothing I could do to stop that.

-You could be the new leader of my army.  Together, we could conquer the Kingdom and bring back the honor of the Gryphon Knights.

She was stronger than me.  I could not win in a one on one.

-If I join you, I am no longer a real knight.

She laughed.  It was at the same time the most perfect and terrible of laugh.

-Or maybe you need another incentive?  Drop your weapon now and I swear I will not harm him.

In reflection, I am not sure, in fact I am pretty certain, that I made the wrong descision here.  I should have drop my weapon, I should have swept my pride under the rung and drop my sword.  Why did I unsheathed my sword and ran at the Alicorn?  Because the alternative felt to me like gaving away my honor and I would rather die than see that happening.  Her hoof crushed the head of the pony like a melon.  The sound of the bang echoed through the walls, gaining in strength at every second until it became a defeaning cacophony mixing itself with the maniacal laugh of the dark princess.  The walls started to crumble, forming giant block which crashed through the floor.  I tried to fly, but the blood from the pony head had crystalised around my legs in the shape of skeletons hands holding me down.  I did not time to understand how this had happened that a shadow fell over me.  I raised my head only to see a giant chunck of stone which crushed me in one instant.

I woke up in the shred of what used to be a small bed.  Still half sleeping, I did my best to escape the sheet mess and reach the door which was trembling under the violent knocking of a hoof.  I slamed it open.

-What!

In front of me was a pair of white guards.

-Rawko'r?

-Yes!

-Princess Luna want to meet with you.  Please, follow us.

84/05/03

In a matter of minutes, I was dragged trough the streets, the gates of the palace, a giant staircase and brought in front of the millennium old Alicorn Princess of the Night.  She and I were of the same size but not of the same built.  She was all in fineness and grace while I was more a pack of muscle.  Strangely, it was the first time I felt out of place.  In the Gryphon Kingdom, even the smallest of griffins was stronger and bigger than any ponies.  Here, if we were of the same heigh, she was much more small, but, only in the physical sense.  In fact, she had an aura of royalty and power that made me felt tiny only by standing there.  I bowed to her and her voice.  It had a constant gravity to it but still retained a slow and delicate tone when she addressed me.

-Your majesty.

-Griffin.  Your name is Rawko'r, right?

-Yes princess.

-Stand up griffin and walk with me.

I raised my head and started following her.  We walked in silence through the palace, passing via large hallways exposing the history of Equestria from the coronation of the last princess to the banishing of the one walking with me.  This history trip had took us into the lower tier of the castle.  No glass walls or white marble floor here.  Rather, dark and cold passages lit by flickering candles.  We arrived before a large dusty and rusty gate marked with a sword pointing upward and covered by a shield.

-Rawko'r.  Open the gate.

The situation was really strange to me.  In the Kingdom, whenever a important person want to talk to someone, they make sure the be higher and in public to show their dominance.  The only time they would take a griffin apart was to conspire.  I did not knew what were the pony ways, I only hoped they were not like our.  I pushed the door, making the hinges cringes and revealing an old arsenal.  The walls of the room were filled with rusted sword.  Still on their support, old pony armure were waiting for wearer that would never come.  Pack inside barrels, rotten arrow and bow which crumbled at the smalest touch.  But, what was even more surprising was the armor stored in the back of the room.  It did not fit the the built of a pony, in truth, I looked more like a griffin armor.  Like all the rest, it was covered in rust, dust and spider web, but you could still feel a faint taint of her long gone magnificience.

-The first time I saw those doors close, all of these items were shining.

I turned toward her, brought back to reality by her voice.

-They were all perfect.  A fragment of the pony history.  Before friendship, before peace.  Before us.

For a moment, I think she forgot I was there.

-I never did quite understood the insistence of my sister to neglet this past.  It is true that those were certainly not our greatest hours.  In fact, I do still belive those time were the darkest of our long history.  But why, why try to bury them?  Why try to erase the past again?

She stood silent and motionless.  Her eyes lost in some distant memories of a forgotten time.  Then, as fast as before, she came back to the present and turned to me.

-Do you know why you are here?

-No princess.

Slowly, she walked over to the griffin armor.

-I called for the most valiant, courageous and best knight that the Gryphon Kingdom could offer.

-Then, I am sorry but we do not have knights anymore.

She had a little laugh.

-Really.  Then what are you?

-Only a strange griffin fascinated by old values.

-What values?

Our eyes met.

-Honor. Discipline. Respect. Courage. Strength. Willpower. Protect the weak.

-Some would laugh at this.

-Some would.

She suddenly seemed to get bigger, more menacing, more powerful.

You say these thing, even after having stupidly sacrificed your brothers?  After having put your pride before a life.

I could not say anything, but it seem that my expression was enought for her.

-Rawlo'r.  You are right, they are no longer any knights.  Gone are the warriors of my youth.  They do not fit in this age of peace that my sister created.  But, recent events have started to make me fear for this heaven my sister created.  Dark things from bygone times have become to emerge from the more somber corner of equestria.  Monsters from before my existence are awakening.  Discord.  Changelings.  Sombra.  Only precursor to far most powerful and dangerous creatures.  I will not let the innocence of the ponies my sister fought for be destroyed again.  In the pursuit of that goal, I need to bring back the order of the Gryphon Knights.  And that is were you come in play.

-But...

-Yes, you are not a knight, not yet.  You lack some of the lessons that cannot be taught by mere reading.  But you are still the closest thing to one in this realm.

-Pardon me princess, but, do you not have guards or heroes or...

-None who are nothing but mere shadow of their former glory.  None who would kill.

-Ho...

-I see everything that is happenning under the moonlight Rawlo'r.  From the most beautiful to the most horrible.

I bowed my head.

-Do not be ashamed.  Your act are not the most horrible I have saw in my life  Far from it, unfortunately.  Now, the ritual.

The wall behind the armor slid open, revealing a sword.  Again, like everything around here, it was not a normal sword.  Pony sword tend to be lacking in good handle, after all, it is mostly unicorn who wield them and they use their magic.  This one had a large grip, more attune to claws than hoofs or magic.  It was levitating between us, faintly glowing of a dark blue light.

-Normaly, we would need a knight to make you one, not mentioning the usual ceremony.  But, I am a princess and this place will have to do for now.  Bow.

I lowered my head.

-Be without fear in the face of your enemies, be brave and upright, speak the truth, always, even if it lead to your death, safeguard the helpless and do no wrong.  That is your oath.

She patted both of my shoulders with the blade, just before slapping me on the cheek.

-And that so you remember it.

I was shocked, less by the hit than by the gravity of what had just happen.  She then put the sword in my hands.

-Arise a knight, Rawlo'r, first of the Gryphon Knights.

The sword was resting between my claws, a perfect exemple of the lost art that was blade making.  It measured one hundred and thirty centimeters, one hundred of them being sharp and polish steel finishing into a narrow point and thirty of grip.  The grip was made of a white and sclupted material, the same as the pommel.  I could wield it easely with my two hands, his weight not over one point five kilogram.  As for the pommel, the carving on it were swirling on a circle, repeating the oath I just had made.

-Strange pommel.

It was Luna who spoke.

-It was made from the tooth of a dragon vanquish by the first ever Gryphon Knight.  He became the leader of their order and, at is dead, the sword was passed over to the next leader and so on.  It passed through the chaos of countless batle, wield by the greatest of hero, who are now nothing but dust, in fact, it defended the ponies longer than me and my sister have.  Now, it is your.

-Princess, I cannot accept such gift.

She shook her head.

-It is not a gift.  This sword belong to the leader of the Gryphon Knights.  Thus, it is your right to bear this sword.  It will allow you to strike at the darkest of creature without fear of it breaking and defend my people.

Saying this, she levitated a sheat as beautiful as the sword to me. A sheat made for a gryphon.  I slit the sword into it and strapped it to me.

-I cannot express my gratitude.

-Of course you can.  I did made you a knight, but you still lack those lessons I talked about.  To learn them, I will send you to the most dangerous place in Equestria.  Where the monsters and horrors of before the creation of this nation took shelter, where darkness feast, a place outside our control yet so close to our heart.  You will be the guard of the Everfree Forest.

I tried to answer, but she did not let me.

-Again, do not thank me.  This will most likely be your dead.  Also, should you survived the lessons you will learn, it will only be the first step into the rebuilding of the order.  Now, follow me.

We left the room and the lower floors behind us for one of the landing platform.  There, my saddlebag was waiting.

-I took the liberty to bring your bag here.  I added a map and a key.

-?

-By following the map you will find the old castle used by your order.  It must probably only be a ruin now, but still, this key will give you entrance.  From there, watch the forest.

-Why this place precisely?  If you would allow me.

-It is close to our own old castle.  The one princess Twilight is planning to rebuilt.  She do not know it yet, but this castle was built there so that we could try to damper the dark influence of the Forest. If only a little.  I wish you to make it so she continue to.

-I will do my best.

-I know.  Now go.

She left me alone a this point, leaving for, I suppose, royal duties.  Rapidly, I grabbed my saddlebags  and took off for the Everfree Forest.  As the princess had said, it was only about two hours from the center of Equestria, situated just beside a little town marked has ''Ponyville'' on the map.  I skipped right by it, there was no point for me to stop there and I do not think my purse had enough in it for another night in the Equestria motel system.  The vast green field, apple orchards and little cottages gave way to a seemingly endless forest, expanding beyond my sight hidding the ground.  Event at this height, I could feel the change of atmosphere.  From light to heavy, the air became thick and charged with a smell of antiquity.  Strange aroma and wild scent came to me, I could even taste the metallic flavor of blood.  Here, the tree grew without rime or reason, expanding into a ocean of green leafs.  Fortunately, the map was precise enought for me to find the castle.  She was also right again, the place was nothing but a ruin which has been slowly been eaten away by the forest.  What were once great walls of stone were now covered in roots the size of a barrels and large oak had thrived in the yard.  The only thing still intact was the central bastion, a large, round and high tower that seemed to be made from one single block of stone.  Exept for the large door and numerous loophole, I could not see any opening or time created fracture.

I landed on top of it, as it was the only place with a door not blocked by giant plants.  The heavy metal door opened as soon has I turned the key into the lock, giving way to a large spiral staircase.  I made my way down, passing through the numerous floor of the tower.  Four in total, plus two underground levels.  From top to bottom : A waiting room for guard. A dormitory. An arsenal. A great hall. A depot. A jail.  If the state of the bulding was astonishing, the condition on the inside was even more strange.  Not a ounce of dust on the furniture, rust on the sword, rot on the bolts or any signs of the effect of time.  Unusual but welcomed.  As welcome as my discovery of new books.

Most interesting to me was the one about all the previous commander of the Gryphon Knight order and their feats.  Only a rapid glance through it was enough to blow my mind.  The greatness of their exploit was extraordinary.  In fact, I was surprised nobody remember them anymore.  Then again, I suppose death is not to the taste of ponies.  I assume it is a good thing.  In fact, it seemed to be a source of pride for them.  In the great hall, engraved over the large and heavy steel gates was an inscription reading as:

The Knights stand

watching without rest

and die

So that the Innocents

can sleep in peace

and live

Inspiring... and depressing.  Also, their was a collection of journals, all written by the many old commanders.  Since it seemed to be some kind of tradition, I figured it would only be normal for me to start one.  I ate the last of my provision while starting to write this.  But, in here, it would be easy to hunt and I would not have to worries about being caught.  Well, by no one else than princess Luna that is.  I wrote until the moon has risen and replaced the sun in the sky, watching the world around me turn from a blinding white to comfortable shades of shadow.  And now with this line I have reach now.  I do not know what the future hold, especially with the recent events, but, I do know tomorrow I will have a lots of hunting and wood chopping to do.