Feathers And Steel: Crimson Legacy
Pain. Not the stub my paw kind, but the kind that comes with a severe wound from a battle. It was all I could feel as I lay down on the rough ground, flashes of thunder and the screams of both griffon and pony alike filling the cloudy skies above me. I didn’t know how I got there, how I got injured, but it was quite obvious that I fell, even with my cloudy mind it was no denying that.
“Gorvin!”
The voice, Gapo, called out for me. He must’ve seen me fall from the battle above. My suspicions were confirmed when I saw the giant griffon enter my field of view, his one good eye staring down at me in concern.
“I’m f-fine Gapo.” I managed to force out as he helped me stand up. He was towering over me, his left eye covered by a dark eyepatch, his right eye, green and glowing with strength. Like any other son of the Redfeather family, his feathers were a crimson color, quite similar to my own.
Using his massive strength, Gapo lifted me up, allowing me to lean on him to avoid falling back down. “Fine? You’re far from fine sir Gorvin! Your wing is quite clearly broken and you just fell a distance that would kill most others!” I simply gave him a warm smile, though I had to agree, my insides were screaming in pain from more than a few broken bones and when I looked down at my left wing, I could see it bend like no wing should.
However, my fake smile faded instantly when a more pressing concern filled my mind. “Where’s Gael?” A single look towards Gapo gave me the answer. My brother was gone. I nearly stopped where I stood, but I kept moving, not wanting to inconvenience the larger griffon.
“He fell right after you did, sir. However, I suspect the unicorn responsible got a lucky shot, cause he was dead before he even hit the ground.” I could do nothing but stare blankly in front of me. The realization hitting me hard like a minotaur fist to the chest. Gapo himself was clearly affected by this as well. If anygriffon respected my brother, it was Gapo. The two had been friends for as long as I could remember, their bond only strengthened by their roles as leader and servant.
“What happened to the unicorn?” My own voice surprised me. It was rare for my anger to show as clearly as it did then. The large griffon could only stare for a moment in shock before he gave me the answer I needed to know.
“Captured. I imagine she will be put through the very worst King Giran has to offer for killing his heir and firstborn son.” I could feel my heart sink at that. The unicorn was probably just following orders, though I still felt angry at the mare for having killed my elder brother, I didn’t believe any pony or griffon deserved to face the full wrath of my father, the tyrant king of the griffons.
It was clear to see that Gapo felt the same. After all, few fates were worse than to be put before one of the great tyrants in this neverending war. I felt a twinge of guilt for thinking so poorly of my father, but it was short lived, as I remembered that the only other living creatures in known history to even match my father’s cruelty was the two princes of the Equestrian Alliance. Prince Blue and Prince Blood.
“Where are we going?” My voice was slowly coming back to me, making the larger griffon give me a small smile.
“The royal medical tent. Since Gael is gone, you’re the new princ-” I cut him off before he could finish the sentence, my eyes glaring daggers into his. It took him the entirety of two seconds to realize what he was about to say. “Oh… I’ll take you to one of the lesser tents then?” At my nod, we changed direction.
Several minutes passed and neither of us said anything. But once the nearest medical tent was within sight I decided to ask Gapo the last question that was burning on my mind. “Who do you serve now? My brother was the only prince and my sisters all already have servants.”
My question made him think for a few moments.
“You, I suppose. Even though you’re not a prince, my father won’t allow me to serve anygriffon outside the royal bloodline, and I think he’d probably want me to serve you either way.” I couldn’t deny his words. Even after my father dismissed my title as the second prince, uncle Gorl always preferred my company over my brother’s.
When we reached the medical tent, Gapo decided to say his goodbyes, most likely going to see his father and confirm his suspicions about his new role. Giving the larger griffon a quick nod, I moved inside the tent, sitting down on a stool as I waited for a medical griffon to come patch me up.
After what felt like an eternity with nothing else than my pain to focus on, a feminine voice caught my attention. In front of me stood a gorgeous female griffon, her yellow eyes captivating me with their endless debt and her blue feathers seemingly glowing in the light from the outside. Noticing her confused look, I shook myself out of my stupor, giving her the best smile I could manage.
Her confusion faded a bit and she gave me a small smile, though she was still rather unsure about the situation. “Excuse me, sir, but shouldn’t you be in the royal medical tent?” It was clear she didn’t know me and simply guessed my family by the color of my feathers. She quickly realized just who I was when she saw my frown. “I-i’m sorry sir Gorvin! I didn’t mean to offend you with my foolish ignorance!”
I simply shrugged at her response, forcing a smile to appear on my beak. “It’s quite alright. But if you don’t mind, I’d like to get patched up.” I pointed to my broken wing “I think I broke a few bones and I might have a concussion.”
It took a little while, but the medical griffon knew her stuff. I could almost move like normal after she finished patching me up. “You’re quite good at this, have you considered applying for a higher ranking? I’m sure my father would appreciate a griffon with your talents to take care of his daughters should any harm come to them.” I didn’t realize my mistake before I saw the dark look in her eyes at the mention of my father. “Oh... “ was all I managed to say after that, realization dawning upon me like a heavy wall.
“King Giran is a tyrant and a fool seeking power, sir. I know saying this could get me in serious trouble, but if anygriffon would understand it’s you.” I could only give her a sad nod in confirmation. I was after all the only griffon to ever stand up to the king and not be sentenced to death or worse. I doubted I’d be so lucky if I ever voiced my arguments towards him again.
She looked at me like I was some kind of savior, a griffon that could stand up to the tyrant king and end this pointless was once and for all. I could only sigh and shake my head “My father removed any power I might’ve ever had. The only reason most griffons see me as noble is because of my family. I am a noble only in name, not in title.” Her hopeful expression withered and died in front of me.
I was about to leave the medical tent when she spoke up once more. “And you won’t do anything to stop this war? Many griffons admire you for what you did, you know.” Her words stung me. I was no hero, I couldn’t rally the people against their king. Besides, if a conflict arose within our ranks, the ponies would be guaranteed to win the war, and that would be just as bad if not worse than the current rule.
I could only give her a sad smile as I left the tent, unsure of what to say in response to her words. She was right, after all, many griffons did admire me, but I simply hoped they would come to their senses and realize that I was nothing more than a fallen prince, stripped of all authority and power.
The outside air was cold and refreshing, the formerly cloudy sky had given way to a beautiful sunset. Then I saw it. The war still raging up high above in the sky. Airships filled with unicorns and earth pony soldiers, pegasi using clouds to both attack and defend while Griffons wielding spears and crossbows meeting the enemy head on, attacking the unicorns from range, countering the pegasi with their own control over the weather and primal fury allowing them to overpower most earth pony soldiers.
I could only stand and stare at the endless fighting. Griffons and ponies alike falling from the skies like sacks of sand. Unicorns using new and improved spells to freeze the wings of their foes or to outright kill them, griffons countering with crossbows and spears made with anti-magic runes.
I felt my armor grow heavy, the anti-magic sword on my back burning in an invisible fire as I could only stare at the carnage. The ponies were only following orders, same as the griffons. The true monsters hidden behind countless of innocent lives. No one had a choice in this war, you either served with your life, or you would be sentenced to death or imprisonment for treason.
A battlehorn sounded behind me, it’s tone filling the skies striking fear into the hearts of anyone who heard it. I knew all too well what it meant.
Turning around, I saw my father stand on the top of a hill, his golden armor nearly glowing in the sunset. When I turned back towards the fighting, I saw the ponies retreating, the griffons pushing them back with renewed power. The presence of the griffon king struck fear into the hearts of all. The griffons fighting harder to impress their king, the ponies retreating in panic.
I wanted to close my eyes, wanted to turn away, but I could not. I knew what was coming, and I knew that there was nothing I could do to stop it. My father lifted his legendary sword, it’s golden blade drawing power from the sun itself, small orbs of light melting into the golden blade like fireflies in the middle of night. The pony flagship was suddenly covered in what must’ve been hundreds of shield spells, but the brave unicorns effort was in vain.
With a single shout, King Giran unleashed the wrath of the sun itself. A beam so hot it could melt rock shooting out from his blade, striking the pony flagship with the strength of a thousand spells. The shield held for a few seconds, but in the end, the beam struck through, transforming the once impressive vessel into burning embers and charred wood. The golden beam didn’t stop until it hit a different kind of shield. A silver globe surrounding a smaller ship behind the enemy lines.
The presence of the two pony princes was not unexpected. Their shield held and the griffon king’s attack faded, leaving a path of death on both sides. I could only stare in horror at the aftermath of my father’s attack. Griffons and ponies alike falling to the ground, badly burned.
My father grunted in annoyance when he saw the unicorn princes shield, then he sheathed his sword and turned around to leave. but before he could move far, he stopped when a voice reached his ears. My voice.
“What king turns his back when he just killed his own subjects!” I had heard of my father’s enhanced sword, but to think he would use it without consideration for his own soldiers was unthinkable. I could barely hold back my anger as I kept shouting at him. “Even the pony princes have enough of a care to not put their own subjects in the line of fire!”
I felt like shrinking back when his red eyes glared down at me, but I stood firm. Before I knew it, I stood face to face with the large griffon himself. His gaze unwavering as he stared down at me. I started to feel less like a griffon and more like an insect in the front of his large frame.
“Kneel, Gorvin. Beg forgiveness and I might oversee your stupidity.” His words were cold and calculated, not a trace of emotion in either his voice or his gaze. I stood firm, refusing to kneel in front of the tyrant. “I see…”
Before I could act, I was knocked down on the ground as he grabbed my neck with one of his talons, drawing a thin line of blood. I tried to resist, but his strength was too much and I felt the fight being knocked out of me by the impact. “I won’t kneel for a monster…” I managed to force out, his talon tightening its grip.
Giran glared down at me, anger filling his eyes as his crimson feathers moved in the wind. He looked like a predator covered in the blood of his prey where he stood, towering above me.“Guards! Take this pathetic fool to the dungeons. He shall stay there while I decide on his punishment.” He let go of my throat, the guards dragging my limp body away.
I tried to fight the guards, but I was still too weak after my father's grip. Giving up, I felt my consciousness slip, the sad look of a blue griffon the last I saw before all faded to black.
Author's Note
Thanks for reading this far! This is my first attempt at a story like this, so I'm sorry if there's much that don't make sense or could've been written better.
If you see any grammatical mistakes, please let me know so I can fix them.
Feathers And Steel: Crimson Legacy
The dungeon was cold and dark, as I expected it to be. There was a single window in the back of my cell, letting in a sliver of moonlight to highlight the lonely bed and the disgusting bucket in the corner. The room itself was rather small, shaped like a box with iron bars blocking the one open wall. It was in each and every way, a prison cell.
Not seeing any way to escape, I decided that all I could do is wait. The waiting allowed me to think back to the events of the past day, the battle, my brother's death and my second act of defiance towards my father, the tyrant of the northern Equus. I knew what I did was stupid, that I would end up behind bars with a taunting guard watching over me. But I didn't regret it. I simply could not stand by and say nothing after the king slaughtered his own like it was normal for a king to do.
While thinking about my father's actions, questions started to form in my mind. Would he have still done it if I or my brother were still there? Would the king really think so little of his own children? The answer, I already knew. He wouldn't have done it if my brother were still alive, but if I, the son who defied him was the only one up there? The mental picture sent shivers down my spine. I knew all too well how little Giran cared for those who stood up against him.
"Why, Girvon..."
My thoughts were interrupted as I heard a very familiar voice. Looking up, I saw my mother, the Griffon Queen. Her eyes were filled with sorrow as she watched me in the cell. "Because I cannot support his cruelty anymore, Mother..." I turned my head away, I couldn't bear looking her in the eyes. "You know I can't."
I could hear her slump down to the dirty dungeon floor. "Please, Girvon, please beg for his forgiveness! If you don't... I can't lose both my children!" I had to force myself to look at her. Her bright green feathers and her sad yellow eyes nearly glowing compared to her surroundings. She wore a beautiful blue dress full of small diamonds in all the colors of the rainbow.
"Mother, I cannot stand down. Not now," I could see that my words hit her, drained the hope from her. But I couldn't do what she wanted me to do. "He won't let me either way... Standing up to him once removed every bit of power or respect I had. Doing it again... I'll be lucky if he decides to simply kill me." I could feel tears build up as I moved closer to the bars that separated me from my mother. I reached a talon out and held the side of her head as I gave her a sad smile. "I'm sorry, Mother. But It's too late, nothing I do or say will make him spare me, nor do I want him to. Not if it means living as a puppet under his strings. I hope you understand." I could see it in her eyes that she did, but I could also see that she didn't want to. She didn't want to understand the situation, she wanted to hope, to dream that we all could be a happy family together.
Letting go of her chin, I moved back into the cell. I couldn't keep looking at her crushed expression. "I can talk to him... I know he's stubborn, but I'm sure I can talk some sen-" I help up a talon to stop her before she finished her sentence. It was pointless, and she knew it.
"We both know that's a bad idea." I didn't turn around to face her, but I knew she was crying, even if she was keeping her sobs in. "He loves you. But not enough to allow you to question his authority and decision." She didn't respond and I didn't expect her to, we both knew there was nothing left to be said about the matter.
"No matter what your father says, I'm proud of you, Girvon. You are a great Griffin... Greater than either you or your father realize." I could hear her stand up, her voice barely above a whisper as she turned to leave.
Before she could exit out the nearby door, I raised my voice once more. "Don't try to convince him, Mother. I won't be able to forgive myself if you get hurt because of me." My words froze her, it was obvious that she had planned to speak to the king regardless of our conversation. I could faintly hear the sobs of my mother as she left the dungeon, the guard closing the door behind her once the last of her dress left sight.
The hunger was unbearable. It had been days since my last meal and all I had to drink was a small puddle left by the rain from the outside. Giran had yet to decide on my punishment so I was left to starve until he found a proper way to make an example out of me. A simple death was too good for the likes of me I figured. He wanted me to look sick and malnourished when he publicly announced my punishment. If not for the hunger, I would've cursed his name out loud for all the guards to hear. What kind of creature does this to his own son?
During my days in the dungeon, I had a lot of time to think about who my father truly was. A tyrant, a monster and an insult to life itself. I thought about what would happen if he won the war, what would happen to the ponies? Would he be able to kill them all? Or would ponies be treated as kill on sight for countless years in the future?
No matter how much I thought, I simply could not see what Equus without war would even be like. It was an unthinkable thought, after so many years of needless violence. Violence my very own family supported. I wasn't the normal one, I was the exception. My brother, a warrior unlike any other. My uncle, a brilliant tactician, and leader. My father... A tyrannical king with unmatched strength in the battlefield. All born and raised in times of war, crimson feathers soaked in the endless bloodshed.
I stared down into my puddle, my own visage distorted in the muddy water. My purple eyes a haze amidst a sea of red. I cursed my red feathers, my family name and my own life as I sat there, staring at my own reflection. My very appearance was a symbol, a symbol of war, death and all of the lives lost in the great war. I wanted to hurt myself, tear off all my cursed feathers, but that wouldn't change a thing. I was stained red, inside and out.
I used some of my remaining strength to slam my talon into the puddle, water splashing all over my broken armor, the steel dull and the cloth torn from the beating the king gave me. I would have removed it myself were it not for the heat it provided, keeping me safe from the unbearable cold of the night.
"You should not waste valuable water like that, Girvon." The voice echoed like thunder through the dungeon. I could only stare down in the remaining water, refusing to acknowledge his presence.
I could only ignore him for so long though. Before I knew it, he had entered my cell and slammed me into the wall, hanging me there with one of his talons as his dark red eyes stared into mine. "Speak when spoken to, Girvon!" His words held a tone of anger.
I simply glared at him, making sure to not speak even a single word as I stared at what some would call a larger version of myself. Giran's feathers had the same shade of red as my own and the feathers on his head were styled much like my own, slightly spiky and pointed backward with a metal band keeping one of the feathers on the side of my head hanging down. The only difference was that instead of one metal band, he had five.
It was a traditional style for the Redfeather family, the original meaning of the bonds lost to time, but all members of the Redfeather family got one when reaching the mature age of twenty. Giran took the other four he uses from the graves of the four kings before him, violating more than a few of our traditions in doing so.
Grunting in annoyance, the king let go of me and I fell down to the floor, coughing violently. He didn't move as he glared down at my broken form. "You have the same stubborn attitude as your mother," He paused for a moment before he grabbed my beak and forced me to look him in the eyes. "She came to me you know, begging for me to reconsider and to give you another chance."
My eyes went wide open when I heard that, desperate to find out what had happened, I broke away from his grip and grabbed him by his cape. "Where is she? What did you do!?" No matter how angry or desperate, I was no match for the larger Griffon. With one move, I was sent to the floor like a doll, Giran's expression stern and unreadable.
He moved out of the cell and locked the door behind him. "Good, your last words have been spoken. Your punishment is death and you will be executed in front of the people tomorrow." He turned around to leave, but I grabbed his cape through the bars.
"Tell me! What did you do to my mother!?" He didn't even give me as much as a glance before he moved further and further away from the cell. I tried to hold onto his cape, to halt his progress. But I was too weak. Losing my grip, I fell with my beak first into the bars, tears filling my eyes as I feared for my dearest mother's fate. "I hope you die the painful death you deserve, Giran! I hope you one day feel the same hopelessness you make your people endure!" Even after he was gone, I kept shouting after him, using all of my energy to curse the Griffon I once called my father.
I later woke up in the middle of the night, not because of a nightmare or anything else of a sleep-related nature. No, I woke up because the castle itself shook. The walls of my cell cracked and the floor felt like it was about to give in. But it lasted only for a brief moment, more like an explosion than an earthquake. This revelation confused me, for no one would be stupid or brave enough to attack the castle while the king was still present. Just as I was about to cast it aside as an accident relating something of an explosive nature, the walls shook again. This time it felt a lot worse. The cracks spread across the entire cell and I held close to the bars as the floor sunk enough for me to fear for my life. Then without any further warning, the wall with my lone window to the outside, exploded.
The wall fell apart in a cloud of dust and shattered stone and I could see the massive shadow of an airship through the smoke. Steeling myself, I prepared for any and all attackers who might try and force themselves into the castle proper. I refused to let any harm come to the innocent workers and staff. So my muscles tensed as I saw a shade step in through the opening, the massive body filling most of the newly formed hole.
I knew I wouldn't stand a chance against whatever the thing that stood in front of me was, especially not in my current state. My legs burning from the strain of standing up and my throat dry from the lack of water or any other kind of liquid. I would probably fall down dead if the giant as much as pushed me. But whoever it was, did not move closer. He just started laughing in a tone that seemed more like that of a bear than a Griffon, but I knew, the second I saw that moronic grin on his beak, I knew.
"Gapo!?" The large Griffon simply shrugged, his trademark grin seemingly glued onto his features. I had to take a moment, making sure that I wasn't dreaming or hallucinating. But, there was no denying the facts. Gapo, in all his glory, stood infront of me. Only one thing gave me a bit of pause, and that was the clothes he was wearing. Instead of his usual armor, he was wearing some kind of long red coat that reminded more something a pirate would wear. He had several belts and tools hanging around his body, attached to the coat and his usual gray eyepatch was replaced by a cheaper looking, leather version.
"The one and only, Girvon. Sorry, it took longer to organize the rescue mission than we expected, but breaking into the castle dungeons while the king is still here require a bit more planning than normal it seems." I could only stare, unable to decide if I should punch him for his stupidity or hug him for coming to save me. The decision was made for me as the giant Griffon gave me a crushing hug, making me fear for my life. The hug was quick though, and I was able to breathe once more as he let go of me.
Before I could fully recover, I heard him move closer again. "Though I would love to stop and talk for a bit, we have to get going or your father will be hot on our tails before we know it." I could only give a weak nod in agreement and without the chance to resist, I was thrown over his back like a sack of potatoes. "I know this might hurt your pride a bit, but you're far from able to fly on your own right now. Just bear with it and hold on as hard as you can, this won't be an easy flight."
I wanted to argue, but no matter how much it ashamed me, he was right. I could barely move as I lay there, flying was not an option. Letting out a reluctant sigh, I gave him a stern nod and held onto his clothes as hard as I could manage. Once he had made sure I wouldn't fall off, Gapo lept out of the hole, spreading his wings and moving us both towards the vessel that would allow our escape.
The outside of the castle was filled with noise and the sight of battle. Royal guards were attacking the airship, but it seemed that whoever the crew was, they were no pushovers. Guards fell from the sky left and right, arrows sticking out of them like large, deadly needles. Once one of the guard archers managed to aim their own bow, they were instantly targeted by multiple archers aboard the ship. I was quite shocked to be honest, whoever my saviours were, they made the royal guard seem like a bunch of rookies.
Even so, there was still a small army between the two of us and the ship itself. The sight made me fear for our chances of making it and I felt my hope stop cold as they saw us. But then I saw the doubt in the eyes of most of the guards. They feared Gapo, and I got a strong reminder why.
With a smile as large as ever, my cousin tore through the guards like paper. His strength nearly unrivaled in the Griffon army. Some guards tried to form a defensive line in front of us, but they couldn't withstand the raw power slamming into them. I couldn't focus much on the fight though, as I was busy with holding on as hard as I could. My attention was turned back to Gapo as I heard him grunt in pain, an arrow stuck in his shoulder.
The guards had given up on trying to stop him through raw power. Now they had retreated and found their bows, all aiming directly at the two of us. However, just as they were about to rain death upon us, they noticed their mistake. The ships crew had readied their own bows, aiming directly at the distracted guards.
Before they could move to avoid the attack, arrows flew, striking most of the guards with deadly precision. About twenty Griffons fell from the sky, dead before they hit the ground. The remaining guards were forced to retreat and wait for reinforcements. This gave us the chance we needed to reach the ship itself.
My brief moment of pure joy was quickly cut short when I saw just who the crew was. Diamond dogs, Minotaurs, Griffons and even Ponies, all looked directly at me with unreadable expressions. Countless questions filled my mind as I was stared down by eyes of all colors. The silence was almost unbearable, not even a cough to be heard.
"Come now everyone, no need to be shy!" Gapo said as he let me down onto the deck. He held out a talon, pointing to me. "This here is my cousin and our future leader, Girvon the true prince of the Griffon kingdom!" As if a string was cut, the silence was instantly deafened by countless cheers. The entire crew seemed like they had just won the battle of a lifetime, gaining the most precious treasure of all time as the reward. Even the few ponies seemed overjoyed at seeing me. My confusion only increased as I tried to figure out just what Gapo meant.
"Silence!" A voice rang out over all the cheers. It was undoubtedly female and it rang out loud and clear. Whoever the voice belonged to, knew how to give orders. "We're not out of the deep end yet, y'all need to get your priorities straight!" A slender form moved through the small crowd, stopping right in front of me. I couldn't believe my own eyes as I saw a beautiful Griffon standing in front of me. Her feathers were a deep orange, her beak and talons shared a darker yellow color and her blue eyes shone like moonlight over the sea. The feathers on her head hang loosely down the sides of her head, giving a rather feminine appearance and she wore similar clothing to Gapo. However, while my cousin's coat was dark red and looked like it was more than a little bit old, her coat was colored a dark brown and looked like it was recently made. Belts and tools of higher quality were hung around her body and the shoulders of the coat were decorated with her own Orange feathers, giving her a rather regal look.
I didn't realise how much I was staring until she gave me a confused look, tilting her head a bit to the side. "You alright there, Redfeather?" Her voice had a strange accent I couldn't completely place, but it made it obvious that she wasn't from the Griffon kingdoms.
"Y-yes, sorry I just... Uhm, ehr..." I struggled with trying to find an explanation for my staring, but thankfully she interrupted me.
"No matter, we have to get out of here or your father will surely take you back and kill the lot of us for daring to attack his castle." With that, she turned back towards the crew. "Y'all hear that? Get to it or none of us will see the morning sun!" without hesitation, the crew spread out and prepared to leave the city as fast as possible. Gapo went under the deck to receive medical attention for all the wounds he got from retrieving me and I was stuck leaning onto the railing, unable to move.
I was about to shut my eyes to rest, hoping I would wake up to clear skies far away from the castle dungeons. But just as I was about to fall into a deep slumber, I heard a thundering voice. A voice I hadn't heard for many years, and it terrified me to my very core.
"Traitors! Freakshow here to stop you!" When I opened my eyes I saw him standing on top of one of the castle's towers. One of the four great generals of the Griffon Kingdom. Freakshow, the strongest fighter serving under King Giran. "Now you be good toys for Freakshow!" The dark gray minotaur was twice as tall as the average Minotaur, his right horn broken off, a long scar running down the right side of his face. His eyes were a glowing yellow and he wore nearly no clothing, all that shielded the world from his naked form was a red loincloth and a similar cape draped over his shoulders.
Before anyone on the ship could react, The general found his weapon of choice, a large hammer fused with a long iron chain. With a mad grin, the infamous Minotaur started spinning the hammer over his head with the chain, laughing before sending the hammer at breakneck speed towards the ship. With a booming sound and an explosion of wood and splinters, the hammer lodged itself into the ship's deck, stuck in the wood like a giant hook.
At first I thought he had missed his target, but to my horror, he had hit the bullseye. Tugging on the large chain, the Minotaur started dragging the ship towards him, closer to the castle and further away from freedom.
The realization came with a feeling of hopelessness and I cursed through my beak, too weak to do anything else but watch in horror as we slowly got closer to the castle tower. I tried to think of a way to escape him, but the panic fogged my brain, clouding it too much for me to think clearly. I could feel tears build up in the corners of my eyes and I felt even weaker than before. "We were so close..."
"Don't you give up just yet! If you're supposed to become our leader, then I expect you to push through! Even in situations like this!" The beautiful Griffon stood in front of me, her blue eyes cold and hard. "I don't know much about our enemy, but you, you were their prince! So instead of sitting there crying, give me some info on this freak so we can get out of this mess!" I felt my eyes open wide as I found myself staring at her once more, not because of her beauty, but because of the inspiring aura that seemingly surrounded her.
Before I knew it, I opened my beak and forced myself to stand up. "T-that giant is Freakshow, one of the Four generals of the Griffon Kingdom.” I had to force the words out, trying to be as clear as possible. “As most of you probably have heard, he is near unbeatable in close combat, but his intelligence is on par with that of a slice of bread and his ego is near limitless," I closed my eyes, trying desperately to think of a way out of the situation, my current state of weakness making it exceptionally hard "We could escape if we somehow manage to loosen his hold on the ship, but we also have to make sure he can't attack again before we manage to get out of his range…”
I nearly fell down, but one of the crew members came up and helped me stand. He gave me a supportive nod, encouraging me to continue. “I’ll t-try to distract him if all of you try to move the hammer.” I looked over to the giant weapon, doubt strong in my mind. “You might be able to move it, though it won’t be easy.”
Almost as soon as I had finished a voice rose up. "You heard him everyone! Let's work on removing that hammer while the prince deals with Freakshow!" With a clear mind, I managed to come to the conclusion that she was the captain. I was a bit embarrassed that I hadn't noticed such an obvious detail before, but I quickly got myself together, there wasn't enough time to waste on such things.
"Captain! Be careful, that hammer is heavier than it looks." Freakshow's hammer was a weapon of legend, and it’s weight was infamous.
The Captain just gave me a sly smile. "Don't you worry about me, Prince. Me and my crew can handle this oversized tool, no problem!" Her confidence was comforting, but I wasn’t too sure if they were up to it. With that in mind, I turned my attention to Freakshow as the crew started working on the hammer.
The general eyed us with a bemused expression, his grin filled with malice. "Aww, the poor little traitors think they can lift Hammer? Well, Freakshow say good luck!" With that, he started tugging harder on the chain, dragging the ship towards him with alarming speed.
Desperate to slow the brute down, I opened my beak and shouted as loud as I could, leaning myself onto the shipside so I wouldn’t fall down. "Why are you in such a hurry you big dumb ox? Afraid they'll manage to remove your stupid hammer?" His expression told me all I needed to know. "What will the people think? The big strong Freakshow, afraid of some weak traitors? I'm sure the rumors will spread like wildfire!" My words were weak, faded compared to normal, but they had the intended effect. Freakshow was nearly fuming with anger, his arrogance not allowing him to ignore me.
"Freakshow strongest! No creature can lift Freakshow hammer, no matter how many!" He loosened his grip, dragging us slower than before. "Freakshow will show Girvon!" His eyes were so focused on me that he didn't notice when his hammer slightly moved under the strength of the crew.
I wanted to look back, to see if they were all alright, but if I did, so would Freakshow. I could only hope they would be able to finish their task in time. "If you are the strongest, why do you serve my father? Would it not be better for you to take his place?" I knew the answer already, but the question would still buy us more time.
As expected, he gave me a smug grin, thinking I was stupid for not knowing such an obvious answer. "Giran saved Freakshow, and Freakshow pay his debts... Besides, Freakshow may be strongest, but Giran can easily kill strongest. Heh, me not stupid, little prince!" I had to force myself to avoid laughing at that, but I managed to keep a straight face as he continued. "Your father is better king than Freakshow ever be and better than you ever be!”
I almost pitied the general, he wasn't anything more than a weapon for the king to use, too dumb to think efficiently for himself. However, it had worked. Freakshow kept talking about how worthless I was and just how great King Giran was. It was annoying to listen to, but it kept him more than distracted enough.
My attention was turned back to the Captain and the crew as I heard the sound of splintering wood. The hammer was held up by the entire crew, including the captain herself. Looking back to freakshow, I saw he had closed his eyes, still speaking fondly of the King in his own ignorance. Making sure he wasn't going to catch on any time soon, I gave the others a sign to keep going.
Seeing my signal, the captain and her crew started moving over to the side of the ship, the general himself actually helping them with his tug on the chain. Once they got to their destination, they all used as much of their strength as they could, dropping the hammer over the side of the ship.
Opening his eyes, the general glared down at us, noticing that something was off. "Wait a second... Whe- Aaaaaaaaah!" His voice echoed as he fell down from the tower he stood on, his own weapon's weight dragging him down to the ground below.
At first, I thought he had died in the fall, but I was quickly notified of his well-being when I heard him shout from far down below. "Stupid traitors cheated!" Not wanting to find out if he had some way to get up again, I turned to the tired crew.
"I may not be your captain, but I would prefer we get out of here before he gets back up or worse, the king shows up." Hearing those words seemed to give the entire crew their strength back and they all nearly ran to their posts, turning the ship away from the castle once more.
I stood still as a statue while I watched the castle fall farther and farther behind us. I didn't sit down till I was sure we were out of Freakshow's reach, nearly falling down when I did. My energy was completely drained and If not for the adrenaline still pumping in my veins I would probably have fallen asleep.
"You did good," I turned my head to see the Captain, sitting next to me with a small smile on her face. "I'm glad I was right about you, Redfeather." Seeing my confused expression, she continued. "If not for you, we would be in the grasp of that giant right now." She turned towards the rising sun as she closed her eyes, taking in the light with a relieved sigh. "Everyone here has been looking forward to seeing you, and I must be honest that I found myself a little giddy at the thought of meeting Girvon the defiant prince myself."
I could feel a blush force its way to my cheeks, but I was too weak to try and hide it, so I did the sensible thing, and held my head low, examining the wood like it was the most interesting thing possible. "I- I see, well... Sorry if I'm not the prince charming you expected." I nearly jumped out of my own skin when her talon grabbed the underside of my beak, forcing my head up so we stared into each other's eyes. I was too shocked to move and before I knew it, she let go.
"Well, it's true that I expected you to be a little more... Charming, but in a way, you're rather handsome compared to most Griffons. You got this warrior look that many Griffon gals go crazy for." The blush on my face became strong enough to shine right through the color of my feathers and I couldn't decide where to look as everything seemed way more interesting than it had any right to be.
Before I could say anything, I heard the familiar voice of Gapo from the other side of the ship. "Captain! That Griffon you hired as a healer is amazing! I feel better than before I got injured!" Looking at him, It was obvious that he was lying. Bandages were visible underneath his clothes and his beak was looking rather scraped up.
"You look like cerberus chewed you up, in all heads." His smile simply widened when he heard my words.
"Well, I guess it's my fault for trying to take on about twenty guards at once. Still, you're safe and that's all that matters right now." He sat down next to the two of us, his form towering over both me and the captain.
"Well, it's been a fun adventure," The captain stood up, stretching her tired limbs. "But I am still the Captain of this ship and I cannot rest before we get back home."
She started heading towards a large minotaur checking a compass, but she turned to look at me, a smile clearly shown on her beak. "My name is Gaia by the way, Captain Gaia of the Freedom Star," Turning back towards the minotaur, she shouted over her shoulder. "Nice to meet you, Prince Girvon."
I felt a smile push it's way forth and for the first time in a very long while, I was free. "Nice to meet you too, Captain Gaia." I whispered to myself, much to Gapo's bemusement.
"You have no idea how long it is since I last saw you smile like that, Girvon!" He stood up, looking out over the mountains. "We're free now and the world smiles upon us."
Managing to stand up myself, I looked out as well, a warm feeling pressing forth in my chest.
"Yes it does, Gapo."
Author's Note
Second chapter. Took me longer than I wanted, but I hope it's enjoyable. This is the end of the Griffon heavy start and future chapters will have more ponies and other creatures included as Girvon find himself in the crossfire between the two major factions.
