The Griffon Who Would Be Knight

by Ivory Tower

Rating: teen
Tags:
Length: 13150

In the Canterlot of centuries past, a young Griffon tries to prove himself to the ponies around him.

Having long since traveled far from home, Karl found himself a Griffon adrift, traveling from place to place, in a world where he could never entirely find himself among friends. Long admiring Equestria, it was in Canterlot that the young warrior would try to make himself at home. His life as one of the few Griffons living in Equestria during this time, however, would soon prove harder than he had thought. As he struggles to prove himself to the ponies around him, his fate will take him along an uncertain road.

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2014-08-16 11:50:04 UTC

The Griffon Who Would Be Knight

“Really, though, what did you expect?”

Karl stared down at the castle below them and tried to act like he didn’t hear Ahren.  Ahren turned away from the fish he was eagerly devouring to give him a long look.  Karl’s expression was still despondent, after almost a half hour of continuous silence.  He seemed to hope that by not giving voice to his thoughts, Ahren wouldn’t notice the disappointment, but even to the hard-drinking, often coarse griffon it was obvious.

“You’re a gryphon, Karl; a gryphon who wished to join the Royal Guard of Equestria.  They were never going to let you in.  You can’t pass for a Pegasus with feathers all over and a beak on your snout, hard as you try.  I think the only reason Golden Shield let you try was he got tired of you bothering him.”

“I told you, Ahren, I don’t want to talk about it.”  Karl’s voice was almost a mumble as he ruffled his off-white head feathers in a show of irritation.  Down in the courtyard, far in the distance, he could make out the line of newly-selected recruits leaving the training ground for the castle proper.  By tomorrow they would be serving basic duties around the castle suitable for raw trainees.  In a year, they would be promoted, and a new round of recruits would take their place.

It’d been ten months since he arrived here in Canterlot, seven months since he began seeking the chance to join the Guard.  Now, it’d be another year at least before he could try again, if they would allow him to try a second time.

“Besides, lad,” Ahren piped up, “everyone knows the Royal Guard is less a fighting force and more a playground for the upper class families, give ‘em something ‘important’ to do, for the sake of everyone else.  Why punish yourself by trying?  Golden Shield clearly doesn’t want you to join.  I saw how ‘fair’ he made that trial for you.”

A ‘special case,’ Golden Shield had called his trial.  Usually, trainees would have to spar one another, but to avoid as violent and dangerous a foe as a griffon potentially harming his sparring partner, the Captain commanded that Karl would face someone who could keep the fight ‘under control, for everypony’s safety,’ to use his words.  And so Karl found himself squaring off with the most senior Unicorn mage in the entire guard.  Everyone knew Shining Tower could have pummeled the young griffon inside a minute, yet for the sake of pretending the trial wasn’t a farce, he dragged it out for five.  Karl only scored one hit, before Shining Tower pinned him to the earth with his magic.

“And half a dozen of those feather-brained stallions cheered when it was over,” Ahren continued.  “If they don’t want you in there so badly, why try?  Golden Road’s still looking for bodyguards; Ferdinand says he thinks having griffons is ‘exotic.’  The pay’s good, without any horseapples like them.  Let Sun-Arse have her toy soldiers, ‘knights,’ whatever she wants to call ‘em.”

“I told you not to call her that,” Karl grumbled.  He turned to look at Ahren with an annoyed glint in his eyes.  “Princess Celestia has kept this land at relative peace for almost four hundred years now.  She deserves more respect.”

Ahren rolled his eyes, yet decided not to fight Karl on that one again.  Turning back to his fish, he tore into his lunch again.  Karl watched out of the corner of his eye; it was hard not to, since Ahren was often a messy eater.  Noticing his friend’s gaze, Ahren stopped mid-bite and tilted his head slightly.

“Hungry?  I’ve got extra, I’m sure that beatdown took a lot out of you.”

“No thanks,” Karl responded, turning back to look at Canterlot castle.

“Still trying to prove to them you’re not a griffon?”  Ahren nearly sounded amused as he finished that fish and reached into his pack for another.  He tore into the next fish, before noticing his friend’s disapproving look, and his face turned a little more serious.  “Or, still trying to pretend you aren’t a griffon?

”I need to go practice,” Karl replied, turning away and grabbing his gear, taking off from their favored perch, a tall tower near the city’s heart.  He soared over the Market District, heading towards the lower tier in search of a quiet alleyway or an empty park, in search of a suitable spot.

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It took fifteen minutes to find a suitable spot, in a garden on the lower levels that saw little use on such a busy late morning.  Karl lost track of just how long he practiced.  The sun was just past its zenith when he finally looked up again.  He must have spent two hours taking out his frustration on an imagined opponent.  Muttering to himself, he turned back to look at his surroundings.  The park was still empty, and he was glad for it.  Looking ahead, he continued thrusting at the air with the wooden pole in his hand, an iron weight where the spearhead should be, to give it the proper heft.

Let him extend himself, flow with his strikes, block only when you must, or parry to gain the advantage.  He cleanly dodged away from his unseen adversary’s charge, as he recited the basics in his head.  His form twisted and turned as Karl weaved away from blow after blow, until he reared back, his spear in just the right position to deflect the imagined blow coming to his head.

Now, STRIKE.

A single swing of his spear to catch his adversary’s weapon, a turn of the shaft to push him further into his charge, a foot outstretched to trip him, and Karl’s spear was ready.  Without pause he noted the exact spot where his opponent would lie, and drove his spear into the ground.  There was a dull thud as the strike hit home and the iron weight impacted bluntly against the earth.

Karl’s eyes narrowed as he saw where it hit. An inch from where I aimed, that won’t do.  The gryphon relaxed his muscles and sighed, stretching his tawny wings.  He still needed to practice his thrust; then he could move on to sword training.  He headed over to the crude target dummy he’d set up.  It was far from perfect, but it’d have to do.

With clockwork precision, he struck at the target.  The crude construction was riddled with dents and small cracks by now, but in a sense, that helped his practice, as Karl challenged himself to try and hit the exact spot of each imperfection exactly.  Starting to feel more confident again, he flew back a few yards, lowered his head, and executed a running charge, aiming for the throat, right below the helmet.  He crossed the distance in a flash, his eyes focusing on his target.

His thrust connected hard enough to knock the training dummy over.  The wooden head flew off from the impact, sending it and the helmet flying.  For a moment he reveled in the perfect hit, exactly on target, before going to pick up the head and helmet.  He’d have to spar with Ahren later—nothing could replacing practicing with a real opponent—but at least he was still on top of his game after that morning.

It wasn’t until after he picked up the ‘head’ that Karl heard the shuffling of hooves some distance behind him.  He paused awkwardly, placing the head and helmet in his pack, and finally turned around to notice a mare and her foals, likely headed to the park after lunch.  The mare was giving him a looked that swung between confusion, concern, and tension, while her foals stayed behind her.  It was hard to say how long they’d watched.

Karl cursed himself inwardly for his mistake.  With no proper place to train, he’d made do with wherever he could find a quiet spot, but this was the fourth time in the last few weeks something like this had happened.  He shifted away awkwardly from the mare’s concerned glare, quickly disassembling the crude dummy and placing the parts in his pack.  He picked up his training spear, inadvertently looking her way again; at her side, a young colt was trying to get a closer look, probably torn between fear and curiosity at the frightening creature before him.  His mother kept him back with a hoof and maintained her uneasy look on Karl.

He felt like he should say something, apologize for being in their way, but he still had no real idea what to say when this happened; the words died in his throat.  Back home in the Greymist Mountains, the sight of a young would-be warrior practicing was hardly unusual, but here he may as well have threatened to devour her young.  Hefting his pack on his shoulders, he turned away and simply resolved himself to flee from the awkward situation as quickly as possible.  The young griffon took off with a flap of his wings, flying back towards the Market District.

The city flew by below him as he soared above the streets, past towers and spires.  To most, save the guards standing watch on the walls, he was likely just a brief shadow passing overhead, gone before they had much time to think about it.  The lower part of Canterlot was mostly made up of dwellings and the occasional shop, mostly for the poorer residents, or whatever passed for poor in a city under Celestia’s direct guidance.  Even here, the city seemed more prosperous and elegant than home.  The roads were carefully-paved cobblestone that seemed almost new, not a single blemish or rogue weed poking up through the cracks.  Even the walls of the houses shone like freshly-cut alabaster from up here.  The sound of ponies going about their business, talking and laughing, was clear as day to his sharpened hearing.

Everything was in harmony from up here.  Even the poorest in the city seemed content, for all he could see.  It was an image of perfection, and every time he flew over it, he felt like blight.  He was out of place here, and he knew it.  The moment he landed, he would create disharmony just by being there.  The moment he took to the ground and walked the streets, he would see the surprise, confusion and distrust in every single eye that looked his way, and even this perfect city would start to feel colder, darker.

Karl forcibly stopped his train of thought, shaking his head in an effort to clear it.  He was close to the lower Market District; the gateway to the upper tiers of the city was not far off.  His stomach growled.  His mind slowly shifted towards realizing just how hungry he was.  Usually, he tried to wait until later to go out and find lunch, but perhaps Ahren was right when he said the morning took a lot out of him.  And it was unlikely he’d find another place to practice his sword drills in time to leave him any reasonable length of time for exercises.

His wings beat faster as he zeroed in on the same tavern he usually ate at this time of day.  The barkeep was an acquaintance of Amber Glass, and did not seem to give his patronage any mind.  He would have some hours yet before he had to return to the Silver Horseshoe Inn to help his employer get ready for the evening.  Perhaps he would find Ahren and Ferdinand afterwards and they could get an extra hour of sparring practice in.  The thoughts fled his mind as he sought to find a somewhat isolated part of the street to land in, still attracting a look of surprise from a pair of unicorns walking in the opposite direction.  For a people where a full third were able to fly, seeing a creature land out of the sky still seemed to take them by surprise.  Karl pushed the thought away and tried to avoid the stares of passerby as he headed towards the tavern.

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Celestia bit back a sigh as she read through another petition from a noble family, quietly massaging her forehead with a golden-clad hoof after finishing.  Yes, that plot of land near the newly-settled town of Hoofington originally belonged to the family of Silver Stream, and she could even see through all the fine legal points—which that said, could still be quite debated—as to why the land still belonged to them.  But did Silver Stream really expect her to just evict the ponies settling there, especially when no one had used the land in over a century?  There had to be a counterargument she could make, or a compromise she could reach.  Either way, though, she was going to have to spend many hours more trying to convince Silver Stream as to why she couldn’t grant his request.

She lifted the cup of tea at her side in her magic, and took a long drink.  For a brief moment, she half wished she’d asked for something a little stronger, and her mouth curled into a faint, bitter smirk.  Alas, the Princess demanding a cider would probably be unseemly this time of day.  The thought still wormed its way through her mind though as she realized her cup was already empty, and reached for the kettle at her side to refill that cup yet again.  If the past was any precedent, she’d likely need multiple kettles’ worth of the miracle drink before the day was over.

The sound of the doors opening at the far end of the audience chamber caught her attention.  Setting both the petition and her precious tea aside, she looked up to see who it was.  Princess Celestia held back the glare she wanted to give the unicorn who was just trotting in.  It was him, alright; that same stallion who was likely to become one of her biggest headaches today.  Celestia took a deep breath, calming herself so the irritation wouldn’t show through in her voice quite just yet; better to wait until she knew what she heard was true.

“Golden Shield, Captain of my Royal Guard, I am pleased to see you’ve made it.  I trust the recruitment trials went well this morning?”

Golden Shield, resplendent in his full Guard armor, bowed deep.  “Your Majesty,” he spoke up, “I am pleased to report that the trials went well.  The new recruits displayed their skills admirably, and have been assigned their duties.  I am confident you will find that all will display the skill and valor expected of Your Majesty’s Royal Guard.”

“Indeed, I received the roster from your messenger just an hour ago.  I’ve already skimmed it briefly, but the new Guardstallions all appear to meet my expectations.”

Golden Shield, still kneeling on the floor, seemed almost relieved at those words.

“I admit however, there is one name I’ve not seen that I’ve grown somewhat curious about.”

The brief, momentary look that flashed across Golden Shield’s face told Celestia all she needed to know.  Still, she let the Captain speak first.  And he obliged.

“Your Majesty, I am not sure who you could speak of.”

“If I remember correctly, there was someone who spent over half a year trying to convince you to let him join the trials for the Royal Guard?  A Griffon, last I remember, Karl was his name, I think?  Shining Tower remarked that he would be very surprised if the Griffon lost in the trials.”  Celestia’s tone was still neutral, questioning for now.  But both knew that Golden Shield was trapped.

“I am sorry, Your Majesty,” Golden Shield replied after he swiftly recovered his wits.  “The Griffon Karl did not pass his trial.”

“Really?  That is… very surprising, to say the least.  Your own, most senior Unicorn mage felt he was probably the most qualified person on the list.  Who did he face off against, in his trial?”

“He faced…” Golden Shield went silent as he scrambled for a name.  “It…  It’s on the tip of my tongue, it was—“

“You should really get to know the names of your recruits better, Captain.”  The disappointment finally started to show through in her voice, and the frown on her face became more obvious.  “It doesn’t matter very much now, though, one of your Guards already came after the trial to tell me you had Karl face off against Shining Tower.”

Golden Shield grimaced, his head bowed down low.  “Um… then why did you—“

“I just wished to see if you would be honest,” Celestia interrupted, cutting him off in that usual, soft voice that was now ever-more tinged with disappointment.  If the situation weren’t a serious matter, and if Celestia were in a better mood, she would have almost found Golden Shield’s reaction amusing.  “But back to the more important matter, why did you choose to have an aspiring recruit square off against one of the strongest unicorns outside my own college?”

There was a second’s silence as Golden Shield went over the words he tried to rehearse in the event this worst-case scenario happened.  “Your Majesty, you know as well as I do how strong and potentially dangerous a Griffon is in close combat when riled to fight.  For the safety of the recruits, it was necessary to pair him off against someone who could keep the fight under control.”

“Has this ‘Karl’ actually broken any laws since he arrived here ten months ago?  I am sure that if there were concerns about his behavior, they would have been noted before he had been allowed to participate in the trials.  That is standard protocol.”  Before Golden Shield could reply, she added, “and why in Equestria did you deem it necessary to have him go up against one of your strongest?  Surely any of the veteran Guardstallions would have the experience to keep the fight under control.”

“I felt the need to make sure, Your Highness.”

“Sure of what?”  The disappointment in Celestia’s tone of voice started to gain a hint of an edge.  Both ponies knew exactly what Celestia was implying, but Golden Shield said nothing.  “Captain,” Celestia finally spoke up.  “You know as well as I do that none of the aspirants would have likely scored even a hit against Shining Tower, even if he was holding back.”

With no reply, Celestia was about to speak again when the doors at the far end of the hallway slammed open.

Of course, this is the exact time something interrupts us.  Celestia bit back her irritation, and looked towards the doorway, wondering idly if Golden Shield kept a Guard in reserve for just this moment.  Seeing the exhausted, frightened expression on his face quickly told Celestia otherwise, and internally cursing her previous thought, she galloped over to him.  He looked like one of the new recruits, and he looked as though he’d sprinted all the way to the throne room.  The Princess held a hoof out to steady him as he tried to salute, even as he looked ready to collapse.

“At ease,” she called out to him.  “At ease, Guard,” she repeated, her voice taking on an almost maternal tone.  “What has happened?”

Still trying to catch his breath, the Guard wordlessly grabbed a scroll from his saddlebag, giving it to the Princess.  Celestia held the scroll in her magic and opened it up, taking a long look.  It was addressed directly to her, from a Captain of the Baltimare City Watch.  It didn’t take long at all for her to realize just why the recruit was so alarmed.

“Golden Shield, we will discuss matters later.  For now, I need you to immediately muster your best Guards and put out a call for any volunteers.”

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It was still the tail end of the noon hour, and the square was busier than Karl would’ve liked.  Ponies were still out and about, and he could still feel eyes on him as he walked through.  He did his best to avoid meeting their gaze, keeping his eyes forward and just downward enough to not look them in the eye.  His destination was just across the way.

When he reached the right-hand side of the square, he took a turn down the second street, and kept going for a short ways.  The tavern he was searching for was just on the left, not far down that road.  Keeping his practice gear stowed, he turned in towards the door and opened it by the handle.  When he first arrived, he wondered why the ponies would use them; manipulating one with hooves had to be difficult.  By now, though, the novelty of wondering had long worn off, and he simply walked through the doorway.

The slight shade inside the building was more comforting than he would have expected.  The noon-day light cast through the windows lit the room up well enough without any candles, and Karl could not help but relax as he walked indoors, after a full morning out in the sweltering, late-summer heat.  For a moment he gazed out on the busy city street outside, his view faintly distorted by the ever-slightly uneven surface and imperfections of the glass panels.  Finally starting to feel a little more at ease, he turned and headed towards the bar.

The barkeep had noticed Karl walk in, but waited all the same until the Griffon approached the bar.  Karl seemed too tired to notice the occasional glance in his direction.  A few of the patrons muttered to themselves about it, like none of them had ever seen a Griffon before, but most seemed to just spare him an initial glance and the occasional, curious stare.  Perhaps it was for the best Karl seemed to have relaxed enough to not notice.

“You’re early, today,” he remarked as Karl took a stool near the far end.

“Practice ended a little earlier than usual,” Karl remarked.

“And the trials for the Guard?” he questioned.

“I’d rather not talk about it, sorry.”

The barkeep twitched his ear slightly, giving him a faintly confused look, and then decided to change the subject.  “Usual, today?” he asked.

“Yes,” Karl responded, fishing a few bits out of the pouch at his side and giving them to the barkeeper, who nodded politely and went back into the kitchen.

Alone again, Karl passed the minute in relative silence.  A few of the patrons who still hung around by the time he usually arrived were here, or they were just coming through the door.  He did not pay them much mind.  They said little to him, and he was rarely one to try and break the ice.  Eventually, the barkeep returned with a salad and a tankard of cider.  Karl nodded, quietly voicing his thanks before grabbing the utensils deftly and starting to eat.

It was a lunch that Ahren or Ferdinand would have balked at, and which Ahren would likely call a betrayal to every concept of food, except perhaps for the cider.  Mostly salad greens, some tomatoes, and a wedge of cheese dominated the plate.  No flowers; he still had no idea how the ponies were able to find flowers palatable.  The tomatoes were at least tolerable, as long as they were fresh.  He dimly recalled how most back at home thought they were surely poisonous.  The cheese was the most familiar thing on the plate, a wedge that reminded him of the goat cheese the Minotaur would often trade.  He usually saved it until last, after some cider to wash down the taste of the salad greens.

He ate in silence.  It was something he’d grown comfortable with over the last several months.  The patrons who had seen him around often enough soon ignored him and went back to their meals.  All told, he was fine with that.  He’d eat quickly, and be out of their way.

He’d almost finished his cheese when he dimly noticed out of the corner of his eye a stallion watching him from the far corner, close to the doorway he came in.  A bit younger than middle-aged, the Pegasus watched him with obvious rancor.  Karl recognized him surely enough, and tried to quicken his pace a little.  He had to finish and be on his way before that Pegasus tried to make a scene once again.

He would not be so lucky.  He downed his cider and fished through his coin pouch for as much of a tip as he could afford, when he saw the Pegasus get up from the stool where he reclined, over by the window.  Off toward the opposite end from Karl, the barkeep saw what was happening and bit his lip nervously.  If it were anyone else, he’d break this up without a second thought, but no one was too keen to get between a Griffon and a Pegasus like Winter Breeze.  Karl placed his tip on the bar as the Pegasus drew closer, flicking his ice blue tail.

“So, you think you can just come in here, scare the living daylights out of everyone, walk up to the bar like you own the place and just leave without a problem?”  The temperature seemed to drop a few degrees for everyone in the tavern as Winter Breeze spoke up.  Karl kept his hand on the bar, staying where he was, resolving not to meet eyes with the real reason he avoided eating this early like the Plague.

“I did not realize it was a crime for me to eat here,” Karl replied.  “I will go turn myself in to the constable at once.”

The display of sarcasm did little to ease Winter Breeze’s mood.  His wings flared and he pawed at the ground.  When that did nothing to move Karl, he spoke up again.  “What are you doing here early, anyway?  Hoping we’d run into each other again?”

“Hardly,” Karl replied, putting on his backpack and trying to ignore the bellicose display, most of all trying to keep the fire in him down as he saw it out the corner of his eye.  It was plain as day that Winter Breeze was trying to get a rise out of him.  He tried something similar the first—and until now, the only—time they’d met in this tavern.  His instincts still screamed at him to at least raise a talon as the Pegasus came closer.

“Oh, wait; the trials were just this morning, weren’t they?” Winter Breeze’s tone suddenly turned amused.  “Why aren’t you at the castle?  I suppose you must have failed, just as everypony in the Guard expected.  Did you spend the rest of the morning sulking like a foal, before hoping some food would take your mind off it?”

Everyone in the tavern stood stock still, and the room seemed to grow as cold as a winter’s day, as Karl stopped in his tracks.  Slowly, the Griffon turned about, and stared down at the stallion with an ice-blue mane in front of him.  Karl’s eyes almost seemed to burn for seconds.  It wasn’t until it passed, though, that he finally spoke.

“I would say it is still better to compete with honor and fail, than join and be thrown out for misconduct, wouldn’t you, Winter Breeze?”

Winter Breeze seemed to fume at that.  “Why do you want to join the Royal Guard anyway, Griffon?” he snapped back, his effort to change the subject transparent enough.  “What about Equestria makes you want to come join our Royal Guard?  Do you think you’re a pony or something?”

The room was filled with an uncomfortable silence.  Those closest to the pair tried to edge away, as if the rest of the room thought they might simply combust with no warning.  Some seemed to just wish they could go back to their meals without this scene lasting any longer.  A couple looked awkwardly on like they wished to speak up, but they were afraid to interrupt the two.  Karl did not notice any of them, though, his eyes fixated on the Pegasus in front of him.  “My reasons for wanting to join are my own, Winter Breeze,” he finally replied.

“Of course, it is none of my business why a Griffon wants to join the Royal Guard of my Princess,” Winter Breeze quickly shot back.  Karl couldn’t help but snort as Winter Breeze suddenly spoke so reverently of Celestia, but the Pegasus didn’t seem to notice.  “Why could you not join whatever marauding army your own homeland has?  I’m sure you would have far more chance for killing there.  What even gave you the reason to come to Equestria?  What is your reason for running away from your home and family?”

Karl’s eyes snapped back towards Winter Breeze, and the Pegasus knew he’d hit his mark.  “My reasons for coming here are also my own, Winter Breeze.”

“Oh, are they?” the Pegasus sneered.  “What, were you kicked out of your home?  Or perhaps you’re a criminal back in your own land?  I bet that—“

Winter Breeze didn’t have the chance to finish that next sentence of speculation as the Griffon in front of him shot forward a step, roaring a challenge loud enough to cause everyone in the tavern to jump back.  Winter Breeze’s own eyes went wide as saucers for a flicker of a moment, and the Pegasus quickly backed away, his earlier confidence completely gone.

Karl struggled to rein in his temper.  Everyone who knew of Winter Breeze knew he loved to pick fights, but in the end he was never able to back his words up.  Seeing the suddenly quivering pony in front of him demonstrated just why those who knew him knew he was all talk.  The sight of Winter Breeze cowering away filled him with satisfaction.  Perhaps if he roared again he could actually get the Pegasus to scream.

And at once, he stopped, rearing back.  Sensing where his thoughts where going, he looked away.  Never quite taking his eyes off Winter Breeze, he lowered his head and padded away, out the tavern door.  As he passed, Winter Breeze froze, before the realization that he got what he hoped for and was still standing caught up to the Pegasus and he watched Karl leave with a malicious grin.

“That’s the second time you’ve caused trouble here,” he heard the barkeep complain aloud as he made his exit back out onto the street.  The uncomfortable silence in the bar had lasted until Karl had made his exit.  Squinting as his eyes fought to adjust to the early afternoon light, he took wing and made his way back towards the Silver Horseshoe.

                                                   -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

He was in luck, for once.  Ahren and Ferdinand were both off duty when he returned to the Silver Horseshoe, and both were in the mood for a good sparring match or three.  His muscles ached by the time they were done, but he hardly minded the fact as he held out a hand for Ahren, helping him up off the ground.

“Not bad,” Ahren remarked.  “I’d say we were about even that time, eh?”

“Even?  I’d say he pummeled you!” Off to their side, Ferdinand laughed.

“Watch it or we might duel next,” Ahren remarked tersely, the two older Griffons turning to face each other.

“Aye?  Well, bring it on then y’milk drinker!” Ferdinand barked back, raising his spear.  The two watched each other for a moment, staring across the sparring circle they’d set up in one of the upstairs rooms.  They neither said anything nor moved, until Ahren broke the silence.

“…Eh, let’s do it later tonight, after a few drinks.”

The two old warriors laughed.

“Aye, aye, sounds good,” Ferdinand replied.  “’Sides, I think Amber Glass would have our hides tanned and chew us up if we wrecked one of his rooms again just before opening time.”

“Well, we wouldn’t want to give a pony a taste for meat,” Ahren remarked.  The two Griffons barked another laugh and headed towards the door.  “You coming, lad?” Ahren asked out loud before turning back to glance at Karl.

“Just a moment, need to put my gear away, and clean up the mess you two made,” Karl replied with a smirk.

Ahren laughed.  “Er, sorry about that, lad.  Well, we’ll meet you downstairs.”

Karl watched them go.  In truth, he did appreciate the chance to take a little extra time.  It allowed him to clear his head, and get ready to do his job.  Cleaning tables and serving drinks was far from his dream job, but at least he had a room to spend the night in and a few bits to buy a meal with.  A calm, clear head would help him do that well.  And it’d help him not make a fool of himself the same way Ahren and Ferdinand probably would once again tonight.

Karl hesitated, shaking his head as he put the armor back in the cabinet.  That thought was too spiteful.  Someone unfamiliar with the two might never realize it, but the two older Griffons meant well.  And they were the only friends—not coincidentally the only other Griffons—he often felt he knew in Canterlot.  They’d knock each other senseless on the sparring floor, and then laugh about it over drinks later that night, just like they would back home.  Back in the same taverns where it wasn’t really a good night until someone had a scuffle, and the people would probably joke about it the next morning.  Ahren and Ferdinand couldn’t quite help it, he had a feeling.  It was just a part of their nature.

Just as it’s a part of your nature, too.

The unbidden thought caused him to stop as he’d just gathered up the last of the sparring weapons.  The young Griffon was silent as he stared at the implements he carried in his black talons.  The dull iron shone starkly against his white chest feathers.  The edges were blunted and covered with canvas, but they were still solid iron, so the Griffons could feel the real heft of the weapon as they trained.  You could still probably bludgeon someone with them, and so they were kept locked up.

Just like how you try to keep who you are locked up.  Karl grunted in frustration as he walked back to Ahren’s room, past his selection of axes, and placed the practice weapons back in their own cabinet, locking them away.  He carried on, trying to stick to his sense of routine, but the dark thoughts kept creeping back into his mind.

Eventually, Winter Breeze found his mark.  It took several tries, but the Pegasus finally got a rise out of him, just like he did the first time they met.  You try and convince them that you are something you are not, every day.  Why waste the effort?  In the end, what you really are will show through.  They saw his anger, heard him roar, and in a flash they knew everything they needed to know about him.  It was no wonder their cities looked like a collection of hovels next to Canterlot.  It was no wonder their lands were a squabbling collective of feuding kingdoms.  You could look at Griffon society, and in the end you would find nothing of value.  All the proof of that was shown there, before their very eyes, in the roar of his voice and the violence in his eyes.

The chiming of the clock snapped him out of his stupor.  Only fifteen minutes until opening.  Amber Glass would give him a reaming for delaying any longer.  The cleanup from their sparring match at least done, he dove over to his room, changed out of his armor, and headed downstairs to the bar.

                                                   -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

He was back down in the dining hall just shy of a couple minutes later.  Thankfully, there was little for him to clean up or prepare before the doors opened.  Amber Glass saw Karl coming down from upstairs and gave him a quick nod before going back to his own work.  Karl braced himself for a question of why he was late, but none came.  Deciding not to question his luck, he got to work, putting the stools back in their places around the tables with a precision that came from practicing this routine more times than he could easily count.  The bar stools were ready in a matter of minutes, and soon he found himself kneeling over the fireplace, striking his flint to try and get a spark.  As promised, Ahren and Ferdinand were already downstairs talking.  Karl could hear Ferdinand helpfully call out that he should try striking the flint ‘like you mean it.’

A few more minutes of striking the flint ‘like he meant it,’ and the tinder in the fireplace caught the spark, and the room soon had a decent fire going.  It wasn’t exactly cold outside, at the tail end of summer, but with no fire the room would feel cold and uninviting all the same.  That task complete, he set about lighting the lamps.  As he just about finished he could hear Amber Glass open the doors up and welcome in the first patrons.

From there, the night carried on as it had most every night for the last several months.  Karl’s earlier worries were slowly lost in the flow of routine.  His job hardly allowed him time to think deep thoughts.  The patrons were loud as usual; many of them workers serving the wealthy families of Canterlot who’d just left their own jobs to relax for a few hours.  Some came in seeking room for the night, but the tavern on the main floor was the mainstay of the inn.

So the work continued for a solid hour.  Celestia’s sun was hanging a little lower in the sky, but it was still an hour or two before dark.  Karl was in the kitchen picking up a serving platter when he heard the doors open wide.  All activity stopped, and Karl spared a look out into the dining room to see what brought the silence on.

“Order!  Order!”  The Guard called out as patrons started mumbling to themselves and asking questions in a confused jumble.

“I’ll take the alfalfa bowl and a large tankard of cider, Storm,” a patron who evidently knew him called out.  There were a few chuckles, and the unfortunate Guardstallion endured the obligatory jokes for another five seconds before raising his voice again.

“Please, I need your attention!  This is serious!”  His words indeed got the room’s attention, and silence reigned again.  “Celestia has put out an official proclamation, and a warning to all those traveling to and from the city of Baltimare.  A dragon has been spotted moving out of the Hayseed Swamps in a northeastern direction.  Its path is erratic, but we have strong reason to believe its path will eventually take it dangerously close to Baltimare.”

A worried murmur in the room started to build towards a crescendo before the Guard raised a hoof to quiet the crowd.  “Silence, please!  Princess Celestia is already mobilizing some of the Guard’s strongest to confront the dragon.  She is, however, putting out the notice that any who would volunteer to fight the dragon are welcome; the Guard will leave to confront the dragon tonight.  The Guard is fully confident in its capability to stop the creature, but Celestia vows she will leave nothing to chance.  Any aid will be appreciated.  We expect to confront the dragon by mid-morning tomorrow.”

With that, the guard was finished, and moved on to the next hub of activity.  Now that he concentrated, Karl could hear other town criers and heralds elsewhere, up and down the streets, spreading about the same message.  The din in the dining hall was still quite loud, although things were starting to return to normal.  Standing there, Karl almost forgot the job he was supposed to be doing right now.  Snapping back to reality, he quickly hurried back, grabbed the serving platter, and hurried back out into the dining hall.

The rest of the evening passed by much the same as any other.  Now, though, the talk was of the dragon.  The vague rumble of concerned talk was the norm, but there was still a cautious sense of optimism that kept it from turning into a full-blown panic.  After all, dragons still once in a while came out from the Badlands of the south, or from the Everfree Forest, and Celestia had protected Equestria through it all.  There was little reason to believe this time would be any different.

To most, Karl seemed to pass the night as he normally did.  He just seemed more distracted than usual.  Then again, nearly everyone was.  He failed to notice Ahren and Ferdinand spare him the occasional glance, occupied with his own thoughts as he was.  The hours slowly passed, and people began to gradually leave the inn, heading towards their homes in varying states of awareness.  It was half past eight, just after sundown, when the lion’s share of Karl’s work was done and he quietly excused himself for a moment.  He headed towards the stairs and moved with a sense of purpose towards his room.

He found his equipment inside.  He wasted no time, unlocking the cabinet that held his armor.  He’d work out what to tell Amber Glass later.  He reached for his chainmail, putting the armor on.  It was a hard enough process on its own; he could only imagine what it’d take to put full plate on alone, as much as he’d wish for the extra protection right now.  He slid a chainmail coif over his head and made sure the straps on his gauntlets and greaves were tight.

“Well, it seems our knight in shining armor’s proven he can armor himself for battle all on his lonesome.  Spirits of storm and sea, they grow up so fast, don’t they?”

Karl stood there for a moment.  “I’m guessing this is the part where you try to talk me out of it?”

“Yes.”

Karl turned about.  Sure enough, that second voice belonged to Ahren, now on his right, and the first to Ferdinand, now on his left.

“You don’t expect me to actually listen, do you?” he asked curiously.

“No,” Ahren admitted.  “But I suppose we felt like we had to try.”

“You’re really sure about this, lad?” Ferdinand asked.  “If Celestia’s bringing the Guard’s best and she’s still not sure, this dragon has got to be the real thing, not some youngling that got lost.  I know you young warriors love to think like the old songs, but this could be far more than you’re bargaining for.”

“I have to do this,” Karl replied.  His tone was even, but adamant.

Ferdinand tilted his head slightly.  “You really think so?  More likely than not, the only others out there facing that dragon that are as young as you are will be the desperate fools with something to prove and no one sensible holding ‘em back.”

“Then I guess I won’t be alone.”

“Lad,” Ahren spoke up, his expression unusually serious, “Karl, don’t let what happened today cause you to do something foolish.  Don’t throw your life away because those featherbrains are too stuck up to give you a chance.”

Karl watched them both, his expression unreadable in the dim light.  He turned slowly towards each of the older Griffons in turn, silent.

“…Thank you, both of you.  Thank you for trying so hard; you’re both the closest I’ve had to friends since I arrived in this city.  I won’t forget you, in this life or the next.  But, I have to do this.”

The two warriors gave each other a defeated look, and turned towards Karl, nodding in unison.

“Well, lad, if you won’t listen to reason, I guess I at least have to give you a fighting chance.”

Karl turned questioningly towards Ahren, finally noticing that the older warrior was carrying a sword.  He held it out, still in its scabbard.

“I bought this recently, but to be honest with you, I’ve not had much use for it, even guarding a caravan from wild beasts.  You’re going to need more than your father’s old blade to make a difference with a dragon’s hide, even if you do find a weak point.”  He put the sword in Karl’s talons without a further word.

“Golden Road isn’t going to let us travel with you, but we owe it to you to do what we can,” Ferdinand added.  “You’ve got my helmet and breastplate.  You’ll need a real helmet out there.”

Karl stood there, unsure what to say.  For several seconds, he stood in simple silence, until he finally gave them a single nod.

“Thank you.”

The two older Griffons nodded in reply.  Nothing else needed to be said.

It took a couple minutes more to put the breastplate on, and make sure the helmet fit properly.  Karl was starting to worry whether he’d be too late.  Soon, though, he was plodding back down into the main dining hall.  He caught sight of Amber Glass when it finally occurred to Karl he hadn’t thought of what to tell him.

“Off to slay the mighty dragon?” Amber Glass called out.

Karl stopped in his tracks, dead silent.  When the young Griffon said nothing, Amber Glass turned about to give him an almost amused look.

“Karl, whatever virtues you have, you are still as easy to read as a grammar school primer.  I knew the moment I heard that Guard that you’d go out there and try to prove yourself.  I’m amazed you waited until the dinner shift died down.”

Karl could only tilt his head in confusion.  “So you’re not trying to stop me?”

The brown-haired Earth Pony chuckled.  “Honestly, if Ahren and Ferdinand couldn’t convince you otherwise, I’m not going to try.  Don’t worry, I know an acquaintance who can cover for you until you get back.”

Karl paused at that.  “…What if I don’t come back?”

Amber Glass finally turned to face Karl.  His dull, earthy orange fur looked almost golden in the firelight.  “You’re coming back, you hear?”  His tone was calm and firm; at that moment, for all the world was concerned, it was not an order, but a statement of fact.  “Us Ambers, we know these things.  Now, take care of yourself out there, and poke that dragon in the eye if it refuses to cooperate.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Dismissed!”

The Griffon walked towards the door.  A few of the evening crowd watched him go, and Karl stopped in his tracks when he heard them calling out.  He stood there for a while, not sure even what to say as he heard the few patrons still by the bar bid him farewell.  His jet-black beak couldn’t smile per se, but his eyes told enough, as he bowed his head in farewell before heading out the door.

                                                   -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The chariots were already taking off from the castle when he took wing.  They seemed to be wasting no time; the Guard really was leaving for Baltimare as soon as it could fly.  There wasn’t much between the northeastern end of the Hayseed Swamps and Baltimare, and the Swamps themselves were thick, dangerous and almost impenetrable to outside observation.  If a dragon was really spotted coming out of the swamps, who could guess how close that dragon got to the city before someone finally noticed.  They’d have little choice but to fly through the night.

Here and there, he could see nonstandard uniforms that were the tell-tale signs of volunteers coming to join.  Some of the armor looked rather fantastic in design, and was likely the property of wealthy, upper-class families that still recalled the days when they were knights or champions, back when Equestria still had need for them.  Now, Equestria could only hope that their valor had not faded along with the need to have them around.

Karl couldn’t help but feel a slight knot in his stomach as he recalled Ahren’s remarks that morning.  It wasn’t often at all that Equestria really had need for the Royal Guard to actually hold off a threat.  The common word on the street was that membership in the Royal Guard was almost more of a status symbol than a sign of true skill and valor.  He knew the lists of those aspiring recruits who’d just signed up for the trials this year.  He couldn’t claim to know a lot about upper class Equestrian families, but he knew there were a lot of old families on the list.  He could only hope that the veterans of the Guard would show ability to match.

Pushing those thoughts out of his mind for now, Karl strained himself to catch up with the herd that was leaving Canterlot.  The chariots were slower by virtue of often carrying four or more passengers in each, but they had a considerable lead.  Flying at nighttime, they would have to be more cautious around the city, which would give him more of a chance to gain on them.  Putting on as much speed as he’d dare without exhausting himself, Karl pressed onward.

It took a half hour of flying to really catch up.  By now, they’d passed some distance southeast of the Canterhorn.  Karl had sorely wished to dive into the lake at its base in hopes of finding some fish, but he couldn’t risk falling behind any further, and didn’t want to think about the looks he’d get from the ponies for his choice of meal.  The thought caused his speed to falter slightly before he recovered his wits and focused on flying.  That, at least, gave him something to do, and kept the thoughts from creeping back into his mind.

The lands of Equestria flew by below them.  It would’ve been a magnificent sight if it weren’t the middle of the night.  Though, as his eyes had grown adjusted to the blackness of the night, it had a certain beauty of its own.  The stars gave their own light, and it was enough.  He could still see the rolling hills and forests below them, and the lamplights of the occasional village.  And far above, the ‘Mare in the Moon’ looked down on them.  The astrologers back home did not know what to make of her, when she appeared in the sky a few centuries ago.  Some still maintained that a being of terrible evil had been locked away there, and the stories seemed about as wild when Karl traveled here, to Equestria; he’d never quite fully bothered with asking further.

He was near the back of the wing by now.  The slower flyers took their rest here, allowing the chariots at the fore to drive through the winds, making flight easier for the formation behind them.  He could hear some of them talking aloud now.

“The messenger arrived about noon; I hope we’re not too late.”

“I have relatives in Baltimare, if they—“

“Do not think about it, you will worry yourself to death before we even get there.  Focus on your flying, that’s something you have

control over.”

“What exactly do we plan to even do once we get there?  Can we really hope to take down a dragon?”

“Baltimare is by the sea.  You’re Pegasi. THINK.  We’ll use the weather against him.”

“I hope the Unicorns are prepared, and that their magic is actually worth something.”

“Celestia brought along several from her own college.  You trust her judgment?”

“Yeah, yeah, we know that, I just—wait, what’s that behind us?”

Even in the dark, Karl could feel eyes on him.  Several of the Pegasi quickly turned to look at whatever was coming up on their rear.  Before the tension could mount any higher, Karl quickly called out “Hold!  Ally!  Ally!”

The Pegasi were silent for a moment, but if they weren’t looking Karl’s direction, they were now.  “Thunder, isn’t that the Griffon Star Shield was supposed to duel this morning?”

“Yes, it is.”  ‘Thunder’ turned his head far back enough to call back to Karl.  “What are you doing out here?  You did not make it into the Guard, remember?”

“Celestia called for any willing volunteer to assist.  So I came.”

“What, trying to prove something, Griffon?” the Pegasi next to Thunder called back.  “You don’t belong here, this is an Equestrian problem.”  The accent sounded vaguely like it was from the western coast, probably the recently-founded Las Pegasus.  And Karl could recognize the voice from earlier that day.

“This land is still my home for now, and you asked for help.  You would have me turn back for your own pride?  And what is a bunch of recruits doing out here?”

“Recruits?”  the voice sounded a bit outraged.

“I can recognize your voice, Morning Sky.  You were one of the aspirants that insulted me after I had to fight Shining Tower alone.”

He couldn’t see exactly who it was ahead of him, but watching that same Pegasus almost tumble out of the sky in surprise told Karl he was probably right.  It was a brief moment of satisfaction.

“We are here to see to the needs of the veteran Guard members,” the other Pegasus explained.

“Right, we are.  Just try to stay out of our way,” Morning Sky remarked.

“I’d ask the same of you.  While you’re cooking their breakfast, I intend to be up front with the others.”  It was a prideful statement to make, but the reactions he could just make out in the dark were worth it.

“Enough chatter,” an older voice called out.  “Focus on our mission.”  The two recruits’ heads snapped back forward, and Karl quietly admonished himself for egging them on.  That wouldn’t win him any points with the Guard any time soon.

Below them lay the Hayseed Swamp.  The place was murky and it was impossible to see much save the treetops, but the smell told Karl easily enough where they were.  He was close enough now that he could make out the riders of each individual chariot, and his could’ve sworn his heart skipped a beat as he saw Celestia’s ahead and to the right.  To her right was Golden Shield, and to her left was a unicorn he could not recognize, likely a member of her mage’s college.  She looked about her, scanning the horizon and watching the progress of each of her ponies.  For some reason, the thought of her eyes being on him made Karl nervous, and he kept his gaze forward.  The rest of the night passed in silence, until he could feel the breeze of the sea on his face.

                                                 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was morning, now.  Karl struggled to relax as he soared along on the breeze, and the early morning light poked out over the horizon.

The rest of the night had been uneventful to say the least.  They arrived in Baltimare and had found that the city was, mercifully, yet unharmed.  That, however, was where the good news ended.  The dragon was still headed towards the city, and the rumors about it caused the whole camp below to come alive with nervous chatter.

Karl had not heard any of it, for good or for ill.  He’d found himself a small stretch of cloud to rest his head on and get some much-needed rest, before the fight against the creature came.  Contrary to what the Pegasi might think, they were not the only ones who could use weather magic.  Griffons did not have the same reserves of it, but he could manipulate clouds; a bit more messily and slowly than they could, but it worked.  It kept him well above the camp and away from prying eyes.  He’d have enough eyes on him when the fighting began.  Last he could see, he was the only Griffon out here.

Down below, Princess Celestia had come out to raise the sun.  Perhaps to boost the morale of the would-be dragon slayers around her, she did it in full view of her subjects, and the entire camp had come to watch.  It truly was an incredible sight to behold.  A part of Karl wished he could be down there, but his presence would only bring trouble, disruption the Princess did not need.

For now, he was flying out over the sea.  He could make out fish in the water below, and his stomach growled in hunger.  Earlier, he was worried about the ponies seeing him eat like this, but by now the growling in his stomach had grown too great to ignore.  Besides, if he was going to die today, he might just as well make sure his last meal was something he actually enjoyed.

A glint in the water caught his attention, and he made a full dive.  He tucked his wings in for the greatest speed he could manage.  It was a full school of fish; the sight felt like a good omen.  At the very last instant the Griffon flared his wings out, killing his speed and skimming across the top of the water.  His talons splashed across the surface.  He took off with a struggle, and as he lifted into the air, the brief wriggling of the fish between his talons told him his dive was successful.  Feeling a moment of triumph, he went back to the shore with his catch, back to where he left his bulkiest wargear.

It took a little while to fillet his catch properly.  He had a small fire set up already, and as soon as they were prepared he set about giving them a proper cooking.  In a better mood than he’d felt the entire day before, he quietly set about his breakfast.

Karl had finished his meal, and was re-arming himself, when he heard hoofsteps behind him, coming from the direction of the camp.  He stopped in his tracks at that, and bit back a sigh.  Steeling himself, he turned to face whoever his latest challenger was, only to have his words die in his throat.

He was a Unicorn.  He could not tell much, as the stallion was covered head to hoof in silver armor.  He could barely make out the white fur beneath, and could only just notice the jet black hair.  The armor, though, was enough to cause Karl’s silence.  He’d heard it described before, even though the Unicorn in front of him hadn’t worn that armor last time they met.

Karl struggled to stay stoic as the stallion regarded him with silence.  He had no idea why Shining Tower had come to find him.  He was almost afraid to ask why.  The Griffon grasped for something to say, anything.

“Well, good morning to you.”

…That was it?  That was all he could think to say?  Karl cursed himself in his mind as he saw Shining Tower look him over.  His eyes were impossible to see beneath the helmet, and the stallion was still utterly silent, as silent as he was yesterday as he defeated him effortlessly.  Karl opened his beak, as if to speak again.

It was then that a long, terrible roar shook the air.  Shining Tower’s head snapped back westward as a great gout of flame shot into the air.  The Unicorn spared him only a brief glance one last time, looking squarely into his eyes before heading back to the camp at full gallop.

Karl’s heart raced.  The dragon was already here, and the size of that fire…  He quickly regained his composure, putting the fire out, securing his helmet, securing his shield, and grabbing his spear and sword.

It seemed there would be no time for further planning, or to hear if the Guard even had a plan for dealing with the dragon.  He’d have to go now.

The Griffon took a deep breath.  It all came down to this, then.  Raising his head towards the sky, he took off, back in the direction of the Swamp.

                                             -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The thing was monstrous, more terrible than anything Karl had seen in his life.

The dragon’s scales were midnight blue.  It had great horns, and a long jaw.  Its wings were not as large as Karl might have expected for a dragon of its size, but Karl didn’t dare doubt that it could still fly.  Its long tail ended in a spiked club.

All of that, though, was secondary to the sheer size of the beast.  Karl was still not close enough to get the creature’s exact size, but it was a hundred yards from head to toe at least.  Karl could only stare in horror, as did most of the ponies around him.

“How…  How are we even supposed to fight that?”

“Celestia has gone out ahead, protect her!”

“Wait!  If we go in it’ll destroy us!  We have to lure it out, the rest of the Guards are making a storm.”

The Pegasi had been assembling a cloud while he was away on the shoreline.  It hung heavy in the air above them.  Karl could feel the energy of the lightning even from here.  It would have to work.  The city of Baltimare was just miles behind them.  There was no way the City Watch could hope to contain such a monster.

“I didn’t even know they could grow to that size…”

“It’s coming closer!”

“What is wrong with its scales?  Can you see that?”

“Guard, maintain order!”

Around him, Pegasi whirled as they fought to maintain formation without presenting the behemoth a clear target.  Among them were some of the volunteers, wearing more ornate versions of what seemed to be the same armor; designs from times past, it seemed, likely commissioned to remember the Pegasi’s glory days.  The armor glimmered in the morning light; it was a beautiful sight, marred by the dire circumstances they were in.

Below, Unicorns and the occasional Earth Pony moved forward in heavy armor.  Magic shields flared to life as they sought to prepare themselves for the onslaught of that terrible beast.

A bellowing roar from the dragon tore his attention away from the equines and back ahead.  The beast was lumbering forward now, steadily moving on the Princess.  As it crested the nearest hill and came out of the swamp in full, it stared Celestia down.  Karl could see now just what that Pegasus had meant.  Something seemed to seep from its scales, and its eyes were full of madness.

“…That dragon, it’s ill,” the Guard nearest him remarked.

“The stuff seeping from its scales… that can’t be natural.  It seems to be driving the dragon mad.”

“You almost feel sorry for it…”  A Guard further away turned quiet as they surveyed the two mighty beings.  Karl had expected more trouble when he joined the Pegasi up here, but it seemed the dragon was a greater concern now for everyone.

Well, you did do this hoping they’d see you as an equal.

The thought was chased out of Karl’s head as, all at once, the dragon reared its serpentine body backwards, breathed in deep, and sent a tremendous wave of sapphire fire straight at the Princess.

“CELESTIA!” Karl shot forward now with little regard for his safety.  But though the Griffon tried, the flames proved too great.  The ponies all around him could only watch in shock as the flames roared over the grassy plains.

The flames roared until the dragon finally closed its maw.  The grass was charred black, all across the hill.  Karl averted his eyes for a moment, afraid of what he’d see, only to find that Celestia still stood there, surrounded by a golden shield made of her own magic.

The dragon itself stared for a moment, as if in disbelief.  Moments later, it roared with fury, and charged forward, trying to pummel the Princess’ shield with its flames, coming further out of the forest.  The Princess looked like she was being forced to give ground, but looking above, Karl started to realize why she was backpedaling towards them.

“It’s working!  The dragon is coming, get ready!”

The Pegasi above him wheeled towards the storm clouds above.  With no other places to go, and realizing what was to come, Karl followed them.  He might not have the control to be of much help here, but even he wasn’t foolish enough to get caught between them and the dragon.

He could hear the Guards calling out instructions as he crested the top of the vast storm cloud.  Below, the dragon was getting closer, its almost snakelike body weaving as it moved.  Celestia continued to fall back, her shield holding against the dragon’s flames.  Even from here, Karl could feel the heat of the dragon’s breath.  Celestia was almost to the line of ground-borne ponies behind them.

The dragon was utterly fixated on her.  Karl could see the madness in its eyes for himself, now, as he peered over the edge of the thunderhead.  The creature was vast, terrible, yet almost mindless now.  Whatever disease afflicted it seemed to have corroded its ability to act beyond basic instinct as well.  Celestia was the one who had its immediate attention, and now it would focus on nothing else.

He looked about at the Pegasi around him.  Hopefully that would last long enough for their plan to work.

“He’s in position!  Shock him, now!”

In unison, the pegasi struck the cloud.  Lightning discharged in a thundering boom that split the sky.  Down below, Karl could see the Unicorns starting to spring into action.  Magi that Karl could only guess were from Celestia’s school conjured shields around their line and around the dragon, trying to block it in.  The dragon rammed its body against one of the domes and let out a roar that shook the air, only to double over as the lightning slammed into it from above.

Watching, Karl knew he should feel relieved, that all was well.  He knew that a part of him wished it had not gone so smoothly, though, and that his presence would be needed for at least something.  The thought grew sour in his mind; he knew he shouldn’t think that way.  Everything had gone according to plan, and no one was hurt.  It was what mattered.  Down below, the dragon was already hunkering near the ground from the lightning strikes.  They would ease its unfortunate passing soon enough.

Watching the steady bombardment, as the Unicorns of the guard joined in, he started to almost feel calm.  As such, he almost didn’t hear it when one of the Guards called out to the others, only catching the tail end of his words.

“…Captain, look!  That dragon isn’t roaring in pain or anything!  We aren’t hurting it!”

It was enough to cause Karl to look down.  And it was enough for him to see the dragon look back up at the thunderheads above him, the malice in his eyes clear.  The same realization that hit the Pegasus Guard nearby soon hit him too.

“Get away from the cloud!  Now!  NOW!”

Karl waited just long enough to grab the still-kicking Pegasus off to his left and take off as fast as he could, not looking back.  He could feel the heat behind him as a column of fire lanced straight upward, obliterating the storm clouds behind him.  He could hear the shouting all over the sky as Guards sought to escape the dragon’s counterattack.

The young Griffon was still trying to process what just transpired.  The course of the fight had changed so quickly.  To his side, the Pegasus he’d rescued was still numb from shock.  As the Guard finally regained his wits, Karl nodded to him and let go, allowing him to continue flying on his own.

Well, it seems you get a chance to prove yourself after all.  That’s what you wanted, isn’t it?

For a moment, he simply flew there.  No, this wasn’t how things were supposed to happen.  Things had been going so right…

“KARL, LOOK OUT!”

The voice of a nearby Pegasus snapped him back to reality in time to realize the dragon was now looking his way, seeing a target simply sitting there, in the air.  Karl just had time to realize what was happening as the creature opened its mouth and breathed in deep.

The flames came too fast for him to dive.  They were on him before he could even scream, but scream he did as they washed around him.

It took a moment for him to realize he wasn’t dead.  It took a moment longer to notice the faint, blue shield that surrounded him.

He stared for a while, uncomprehending.  It was only when the flames passed and only the shield remained that he quite understood.

They… shielded me?

It was a strange enough realization that Karl almost forgot to keep moving.  The shield moved with him for a while, but faded.  Whoever cast it was already occupied elsewhere.  But the fact that it even happened was enough to snap him back into reality.

One of the ponies he was fighting alongside actually thought he was worth saving.  It was enough to make him steel his resolve and press on.

                                                      ----------------------------------------------------------

The storm clouds had scattered.  They would not be assembled again easily, and it was all too likely the fight would be decided before they were.  Above, though, the Pegasi were still regrouping.  Karl could hear them call out to each other as he drew near.

“Its scales are deflecting any strike we make, the lightning is useless!  Not even the Unicorns’ magic is making a dent.”  The voice came from a mare off to his right in simple armor, probably a volunteer.

“Golden Shield is trying to press the attack against the dragon from the ground,” the second voice came from a Guard flying up to rejoin them.  “The shields are holding, but some are already showing cracks.  If they fail…”

The group was silent, until another volunteer—she seemed to be a weathermare, probably from the city right behind them—spoke up.  “Its scales are nearly indestructible, but something seems very, very wrong.  It’s almost as though they are starting to fall off.”

“So a direct hit will do nothing, unless we find a way to expose a weak point,” the Pegasus Guard observed.  “We have to try and remove the scales.”

“That kind of requires getting in close, to that thing,” the mare to Karl’s right pointed out.

Karl watched the three, who seemed to finally notice he was there.  The Griffon flew forward, alongside them.  “Well, if it’s our only chance…?”

Karl glanced at the Pegasi around him.  More were starting to mass near their position.  With no response, he took wing and dove for the dragon.

The Pegasi watched him go in silence, until one of their Captains flew in front of them.

“Well, what are you waiting for?  Celestia and everyone down on the ground needs us.  Charge!”

Fixated as it was on the ground, the dragon mercifully had yet to take wing.  Instead, it simply charged the domed shields around it blindly.  Its great bulk pounded against them but had little effect for now.

As it flailed against its prison, however, its breath was turned upon the dome in front of it.  A raging inferno broke against Celestia’s shield.  For now, it held, but even Celestia had to have limits, as much as her beloved subjects would wish to deny it.

The devastation became clearer as Karl flew closer to the earth.  He crested the dome just behind the creature’s right hind leg.  Even the soil seemed scorched.  He pushed it out of his mind as he flew closer to the great dragon.  He was only dimly aware of the others closing in to attack the dragon’s scales, by now.  Something was seeping from underneath the scales, and he could only hope that whatever afflicted the dragon, it would make their job easier.

Drawing Ahren’s sword, he yelled out a challenge as he dove onto the dragon’s hide.

                                                          ----------------------------------------------------------

Around Celestia, their carefully constructed plans were in turmoil.  The storm clouds had failed to do anything.  Their shields could only hold the dragon for so long.  Golden Shield’s Unicorns tried to hold the dragon down with their magic, but it was too strong.  A single dome would be so large it might prove too fragile, but might prove their only chance soon.

Her magic was bearing the brunt of the dragon’s assault, now.  If she’d thought straight, she would have engaged this nightmare while it was still in the Swamps herself.  Her magic would likely have won in the end if she didn’t have to worry about the damage to the area around her; now, though, they were too close to the city.

The dragon had to be tiring out.  It had breathed enough fire at her to lay waste to an entire town.  Any creature in its right mind would have stopped at this point, but this disease seemed to have pushed the dragon beyond its logical limits.

Celestia almost didn’t notice the Pegasi flitting about the dragon’s scales.  She almost balked at the sight, and spoke up to Golden Shield at her side.

“Golden, who ordered those Pegasi forward!?  They’ll get themselves killed!”

“I…”  Golden Shield balked, unsure.  “I did not give them that order.  The Captains must have ordered it themselves.”

The dragon roared as one of the Pegasi finally tore a scale loose.  Its concentration broke as it thrashed from the pain, and all but one of the specs flying along its body dodged out of the way.  Celestia paused, focusing on the one flyer that stayed close against all reason.

“…Karl?  What is he doing here?”

“You did put out a call for volunteers, my Princess.”  The two turned for a moment.  Shining Tower stood behind them, his expression unreadable beneath his helmet.

Celestia was about to say something when the dragon regained its focus and continued its onslaught.  “I guess their plan is at least working…  Go ahead, tell the Pegasi to continue, we have to keep breaking its concentration.”

Golden Shield flagged down a Pegasi to relay his orders.  Meanwhile, Shining Tower remained at his side, throwing bolts of magic at the dragon, trying to find a weak spot.  The lost scales were breaking the dragon’s concentration and giving Celestia time, but

that wasn’t enough to end this.  He scanned the sky again, hoping to find that speck in the air.

“Golden?”

“What is it?”

“I need your shield, and your spear.

                                                            ----------------------------------------------------------

His shield was broken five minutes into their attack, and now, his spear was lodged uselessly in one of the scales.  Karl was back to using Ahren’s sword, and praying the next time the dragon thrashed about wouldn’t knock him from the sky.  He gritted his teeth, grabbed the sword in both taloned hands, and dove in for another run.  He slashed wildly, but the blade found little purchase.  The steel simply wasn’t strong enough.  He wheeled away in frustration as the dragon started to roll towards him again.

He was at the neck, now.  Flying up over the head, he could see the Unicorn Guards down below.  They’d been just short of scattering before, as Celestia’s shield threatened to break, but they were starting to regroup and throw their magic at the dragon again.  He was about to turn around for another strike when he saw him again.

Near the Princess’ side, Shining Tower had his head raised, looking straight at him.  At his side, Shining held Golden Shield’s enchanted spear and shield in a light blue magical aura.

The pieces snapped together.  For the barest moment, the two defenders’ eyes met.  Karl nodded in Shining Tower’s direction, and the Unicorn threw the shield and spear towards him with his magic.

Karl sheathed Ahren’s sword, catching the shield and spear.  The Captain’s gear was known to be the finest in Canterlot.  Karl wished he had time to admire their craftsmanship, but feeling the magic enchanting both items was enough for now.

He gazed down towards the dragon below him.  The creature’s concentration was breaking, its actions becoming more uncontrolled.  But the scales were still coming off too slowly.  They had to end this, for everyone’s sake.

You have this one chance.  Make it count.

Karl dived.  There was only one spot he could think of.  As it regained its composure again and reared itself up for another strike, he struck.

He was dimly aware of the ponies on the ground watching his descent.  He noticed the light blue shield around his body as Shining Tower tried to help him one last time.  He fought to push it out of his mind.  All that mattered was this moment.  He was now right in front of the dragon, its serpentine head looming huge before him.

The dragon let out a breath of fire again, and he flew forward, fast as he could, straight into its maw.  He thought he felt his strike hit home.  He knew he could feel the shield finally give way under the heat of the fire.  He thought he could hear someone screaming his name as his world went black.

                                                                ----------------------------------------------------------

“How is he?”

“He will live, Your Majesty, if that’s what you mean.  Whether he will fly again…  I’m afraid I’m unsure.  The dragon’s fire got him head on.  Even I couldn’t shield him so close to it.”

The air hung still around Baltimare.  The casualties had been moved a safe distance away from the fallen dragon.  They were still not sure just what afflicted the creature and drove it to madness, but no one wished to go near its remains.  On a hill a short distance away, a camp had been hastily set up to tend to those wounded in the fight.  Miraculously, no one died, and severe injuries were rare.  Celestia tried to console herself with that fact as she looked down at the most severely wounded of them all.

“To your credit, Your Majesty, if it were not for you, he would have died.  You saved his life, as he sought to save ours.”

“I should have known something like this would happen once I put the call out for volunteers.  There are always some willing to do anything to prove their worth, even something this foalish.”

“It was still their choice, and they made it gladly.”

Celestia and Shining Tower watched as the griffon in front of them stirred.  He was covered in bandages now; Celestia tried to push how he looked earlier out of her mind.

“He really hoped this would give him a chance to join the Guard?”

“I’d guess.  I still have no idea whether my decision to agree to Golden Shield’s plan was the right one.  In the end, I feared Karl would only find misery under him.  He’s more determined than I gave him credit for, though.”

“It was you who brought the matter to my attention.  That, at least, is in your favor.”

The Unicorn at Celestia’s side said nothing, only looking down towards Karl as the Griffon showed signs of waking.  Without a word, Shining Tower excused himself.

As Karl began to regain consciousness, he could swear he heard someone weeping.  He was sure he was dead, but this felt like no afterlife he heard of back home.  It was coming from above him, and he tried to turn to see.  A jolt of pain as he moved his arm wrong caused his eyes to fly open and he let out a pained gasp.

This had to be a dream, for certain.  Princess Celestia stood right over him.  He blinked, trying to adjust his sight.  She looked as though she’d been crying?

“Princess, I…”

“Sh, don’t strain yourself.”  Her voice was soft, melodic, as he imagined it would be.  His whole body felt limp, and it dimly occurred to him he was resting on a mattress of straw, in a medical tent.

“Forgive me…  I tried… did I…?”

She watched him with a sad expression.  “…You truly did come out here, hoping that slaying the dragon would make you a good

person?  That I’d find you worthy because of it?”

His soul felt crushed at those words, until he felt a wing around his body.

“My brave knight, you were one already.  You always were one, even when you didn’t think it yourself.”

Celestia stood at Karl’s side and his wounds over again.  Her horn glowed like the sun, and somehow, his wounds felt cleaner, his body a bit more alive.  She turned her gaze back, to look him in the eyes again.

“My own Captain tried to bar you from joining the Royal Guard, did everything he could to make it impossible for you, and so you went to this length, all to try and prove yourself… to us, or to you?”  She looked down towards the young warrior questioningly, and he shifted uncomfortably.

Celestia saw his reaction, and a sad look crossed her face.  “I’ve seen plenty of Griffons in my lifetime, Karl.  Yes, sometimes, we’ve fought.  But that does not make your own people evil by nature, by a long shot.  We aren’t perfect either,” she gave him a sad smile.  “You’ve seen more examples of that than I’d care to admit.  I hope you'll also see in time, that there are more willing to accept you than you think.  Don’t be ashamed of who you are, nor let some idea of what you should be control your path.  Can you promise me that?”

The Griffon almost felt well enough to sit up, and tried to, but Celestia stopped him with her wing, and he simply nodded.  “Yes, Your Highness.”

“You showed more valor today than most of my Royal Guard, you and all the others who volunteered to stop that dragon.  It won’t be forgotten.”

“Did anyone… was anyone…?”

“No.  Everyone made it through alive.  In part thanks to you, I should add.”  An expression of relief crossed his face at that.

“As for you…” Celestia looked Karl in the eyes.  “Karl, you’ve shown devotion towards protecting the lives of others that I could scarcely hope to find anywhere.  It pales in comparison to what you sacrificed on behalf of us yesterday, but it would be my great honor to have you as my Guard, in reward for your bravery and loyalty in action.  Will you accept?”

Karl tried to sit up, but in the end simply nodded.  “It would be my great honor, Your Highness.”

The Princess smiled.  “When you are well, I’ll induct you formally, for now, rest well, my knight.”