Daring Do and the Griffin's Seed

Daring Do lay back and floated in the bath because that was all she could do. Her hooves were each bound to four little griffin statues at the corners of the huge tub. A female diamond dog sponged her hide with soapy water. Torrents of mud and pony sweat flowed off her body. Another dog hummed an unfamiliar tune as she scrubbed filth out of the mare's tangled mane. Daring couldn't remember having even seen a female diamond dog before. They didn't wear gems on their collars like the males did. Despite being so well traveled she supposed there were things about other societies she still didn't know.

Why had she forgotten to take her silphium? Those little heart-shaped seeds were worth their weight in gold to a pony who wanted to party and not be out of action carrying a foal. Now she was coming into estrus. The very thought of what that griffin wanted repulsed her. She'd had many stallions and a few mares too. Fooling with a mule was one thing but the idea of bedding that monster was more than she could take.

“You be good pony, yes?” the fattest dog asked, “No bite?”

Daring reluctantly nodded her head.

The obese dog untied the rope from her muzzle. It felt good to spit out the nasty taste of dog butt. Her hooves were still bound but the dogs washing her were gentle and thorough. They made sure to get all her nooks and crannies clean.

A dog wearing a strange outfit with a necklace of animal skulls bound her injured hoof and applied poultices to her wounds. She had to be a dog shaman. The wrinkled dog looked to be about a hundred years old and not just in dog years. The hoof actually felt better as soon as the wrapping was complete. She flexed it a little. There was pain but not as much of it. The shaman surprised her by pouring some sort of bitter tasting liquid in her muzzle then holding it shut and covering her nose. The mare couldn't help but swallow it or choke. It felt like lead in her stomach.

Before long her pain was nearly forgotten. Despite being bound and virtually immobile Daring felt like everything was just fine. Oh, crap, she thought, I'm being drugged. She struggled against the feeling of lethargy but could not resist it. The water was so warm and lovely and the dogs so gentle with her. She looked up at the domed ceiling. The sound of birds was coming from somewhere nearby and she thought she could see morning light through windows high in the walls of what looked to be a villa built of marble. The last of her struggle died away as Daring Do slipped away into a fine slumber.

The daring mare awoke slowly and found herself still bound. The cords weren't the rough rope she'd first been bound with. She twisted her fore-hoof to see and found herself to be bound with thick cords of blue silk on a bed of the same material. She was lying on her back with her limbs spread wide. Her wings were bound under her by some means that didn't cut off the circulation. She could wiggle them a bit but no more. Daring looked around. A silver champagne bucket sat on a stand near the bed with a bottle chilling in it and two silver champagne flutes. The whole bedroom was more poshly appointed than the best hotel she'd ever stayed in. The scent of incense reached her nostrils.

At least her opponent had good taste, she thought to herself. Her muzzle wasn't bound but she could feel the pressure of a hackamore on her face. She moved her head and found she couldn't raise it from the pillow on which it lay. The bitless bridle was attached to cords on either side. She tried her tail and found it to be bound as well. Other than the bridle she was completely naked.

“It's a lovely place but I can't say I like the service,” she said to herself.

In response there was a gentlemanly laugh that echoed through the bedroom. “I see you're awake my pet,” the oily voice said. Daring immediately recognized Ricardo's voice. He approached the bed, wearing a silk smoking jacket with some sort of drink in his claws.

“You've taken everything I had, Ricardo, what is it you want this time?” the mare asked. She tried to sound confident as if they were speaking on an equal footing. It couldn't be further from the truth but she had always been full of bravado and her bluffs had worked in the past.

“Why, my dear, there is only one thing I want and it is you. You have taken many fine prizes from me in the past but that is past. As you can see I have grown very wealthy despite those minor setbacks. It is indeed the nature of griffins to hoard gold. I have everything I could ever want except for one thing,” he said in his very smooth deep voice.

“Umm, friendship?” Daring guessed, trying desperately to keep up her jocular bravado.

The griffin laughed. “Friendship may be magic but love is divine, my fine mare,” he said, “I've found that no female griffin is my equal.” He approached and dragged his claws across the tender flesh of Daring's belly. “There is no female I've ever met who would be the match of you. I above all others appreciate that. I've found my thoughts straying to you more and more over the years,” he said very smoothly.

Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap, Daring thought desperately, this is totally not good!

“You may well know, my darling mare, that griffins have a taste for equine flesh. It's said to be the favorite food of all griffins. It is indeed the most treasured savory meat for my kind,” he said in his slippery baritone, “Indeed I do enjoy it very much but I prefer my pony flesh very much alive and flowing with juices.” He bent and pecked her cheek with his shining ebony beak.

Daring Do struggled against her bonds but it was hopeless. “I'll never marry you, you feathered freak!” she shouted.

He laughed in response. “I would never marry you, fine mare that you are. I would not share my fortune with any female. What I seek instead is the impossible. It is said that a hippogriff, the hybrid of griffin and pony, is the most powerful and magical creature derived from my kind. There are none known to exist in all Equestria nor in the lands beyond. There are, however, ancient legends of hippogriffs being fantastically powerful creatures able to wield great power. They also say that the hippogriff is impossible because no griffin can resist rending the flesh of a pony rather than mating with her to produce such a hybrid. I couldn't disagree more.” He took a sip of his drink.

The bound mare clenched her teeth. There was nothing she could say. Normally she would enjoy listening to the villain's monologue as she was secretly slipping her bonds in preparation for a daring escape from the shark tank or vat of acid or pendulum of doom. This time she found herself hopelessly bound by the hooves with silk in the most finely appointed bedchamber she'd ever seen. She felt more than warm now. She felt so hot her whole body was burning. The great Daring Do knew when she'd been subdued and beaten. Not only was she captured but she knew the thing she'd nearly forgotten was upon her. Despite the incense and the clean scent of the silk sheets she could smell the scent of her own estrus. For the first time in her life she was overcome with the complete feeling of defeat.