Griffonstone
Strangers and the lost Idol of Boreas
The sun was glaring through a hole in the roof as a rather annoyed griffon woke to an empty, decaying home. The sight didn’t bother her as much as it used to, months previous. She stretched, loosening her sore joints with several melodious crackles and pops. It appeared to be near noon, judging by the sun’s position through the hole in her roof that she constantly forgot to patch. Not that she had anything to patch it with.
Most days she wondered why she bothered to get out of bed at all; there was nothing to do here, no one to talk to other than the elders’ spastic rants about the “good ol’ days”. She looks back at herself in her cracked mirror. She dug the sleep out of her eyes, washed her face with a pail of water that she filled the night before, and smiled as best as she could. She scoffed and went back to her room to throw on whatever she could find that was clean; the water shortage had made even a clean shirt hard to come by. She settled on a white sleeveless tee, a pair of high waist dukes, and her last pair of clean socks.
She didn’t bother to eat. Her pantry was cleared out after last night. Maybe she could swipe some food from Darien. Well, not while wearing this; she looked like a reject mime at the moment, and the dukes are starting to feel a bit tight around her thighs. “Screw it…” she sighed.
~^*^~
Heat and regret were the name of the day. It was dry and sweltering. One would think being at the top of a mountain would grant chilly weather, or tepid weather. She could feel the sweat stain forming on her back just from walking around. At least the village folk were cheery today. She only got told to go jump in the gorge twice.
“Hey, Darien!”
The Gryphon turned sharply and stopped. He leaned on his cart, breathing hard as Gilda flew over to him.
“Hey.”
“H-Hey…” he panted.
“You got anything good today?”
“Depends… you got any bits?”
Gilda rolled her eyes and fished two out of her bra.
“Ew, they’re all warm,” Darien whined.
“I can take them back.”
“NO! These bits are mine now!”
Gilda coughed impatiently. “My food?”
He hastily put the bits in his side pouch and pulled out a couple of chicken legs. He placed them on a stone slab and handed it to her.
“Hey! I was able to get four of these with two bits just the other day!”
“Economics, dummy! Decreased supply, increased demand.”
“What are you talking about?
“Well, you dodo. That means that since I have no supplies, I demand more!”
Gilda slammed her hands on his cart. “The hell does that have to do with you ripping me off?”
“I can take it back if you don’t want it.”
“Well, give me my bits back!”
“No!” He clutched his pouch. “My bits.”
Gilda’s stomach growled fiercely. “Fine… give me the chicken…”
He handed her the slab. Gilda took it and looked down at the half cooked and obviously bland meat. Darien heaved and huffed, and moved on with his cart. Gilda understood why she got the short end of the stick, but still, you can’t just change up on folk like that. At least she has something to fill her up for all of three hours. She sat under the statute and leaned against its base. She took a bite out of the meat that was, for her stomach’s sake, described as tough, tasteless, and slightly raw. She would compare it to biting on an actual chicken’s leg. It was better than nothing.
She sighed and looked up to the cloudless sky while taking another bite. “Eugh…” She then looked back to her dilapidated village. Most of the denizens either sat in front of their crumbling homes or wandering around aimlessly in search of something better… or whatever shiny thing they could find in the dirt. As she looked around she noticed two unfamiliar gryphons coming up the trail leading into the village. The taller of the two was some guy who looked kind of dopey, and the shorter one looked stuck up and annoyed. They started talking to each other, then they approached Elder Jordan. She didn’t know what was said, but he yelled at them and hobbled away. She took another bite. Then, they ran into Gabbie. She thought about what that bundle of energy was telling those strangers.
“Hi! I’m Gabby! Welcome to Griffonstone!” she thought. “I met the Cutie Mark Crusaders! They’re, like, my best friends now!”
She chuckled and took another bite, cursing Darien as she did so. The pair moved on from Gabbie and made their way to the center of the village where she sat under the statue of king Grover.
“Hey, check it out,” the guy spoke. The girl looked up at the statue.
“Wot, it’s jus a old bust of Grover.”
“Exactly! This has got to be the place.”
Gilda wondered what the two were on about, but was too busy muscling through her ‘meal’ to put any more energy into it.
“Ehh, I dunno. This don’t seem like th’ kinda place it’d be.”
“It’s usually where you least expect it, trust me.” He looked down at Gilda who tried her best to act like she wasn’t eavesdropping. “Hey there,” he beamed.
“Hi?”
“Have you heard about the Idol of Borea- ow!”
The girl slapped him in the back of the head. “Oi ya dolt! Are ya gonna tell th’ whole damn village about our business!”
“I wasn’t going to ask if she’s seen it!”
“I don’t care. Ya don’t go around askin’ stuff that folk ain’t supposed ta know about!”
He rubbed the back of his head and grumbled. Gilda looked at them scared and very much confused.
The girl restarted the conversation, “Anyways, this bonehead-” he elbowed her. She gave him a glare and cleared her throat. “Okay, we weren’t s'posed ta ask ya straight up, but do ya know anythin’ about th’ Idol of Boreas?”
“Why? Are you two looking for it?”
“Yeah, we’re travelers ‘nd thought maybe ya had it on display somewhere,” the girl said in a tone so thick with sarcasm, Gilda wondered how she didn’t choke on it.
Gilda quirked a brow and looked the two up and down. They both wore at least two holsters and utility belts. She didn’t see any guns, but that didn’t mean they weren’t present. “You two don’t look like any ‘travelers’ I’ve seen.”
“Well, we often run into trouble. It has a way of findin’ us.”
“Hmph.” she took the last bit of meat off the first leg. “Well, you’re out of luck.”
“Oh?” the guy asked.
“The Idol’s gone.”
“Whaddya mean, ‘gone’?” the girl chimed in.
“Gone as in gone, genius. You can’t get to it.”
“So it is here?” the guy nearly screamed.
“Didn’t you hear me, dofus? You can’t reach it.”
The girl glared at Gilda. “Oi! Don’t call him a dofus!”
“It isn’t my fault that ‘meathead’ over here is hard of hearing.”
The girl unfolded her arms and sized up Gilda. “Keep talkin’ and I’ll make ya hard of breathin’.”
Gilda stood and looked her dead in the eye. “You wanna go?” Neither of them flinched during this game of chicken. Gilda tried to back her down, but she couldn’t find any ground. Her blood red eyes peered into her dismantling her resolve.
“Okay ladies. Put your claws away.” The guy stepped in and separated them, and not a moment too soon. “Maggie, can you apologize to…”
“Gilda,” she growled.
“Piss off…”
“Maggie, come on. She know’s where the Idol is.”
Maggie crossed her arms again and looked up at him. She tried to keep a straight face, but she looked away and grumbled. “I’m sorry yer a musty-”
“Maggie…” the guy said in a fatherly tone.
She sighed and looked at Gilda with her straightest face. “I apologize for almost landin’ ya flat on yer arse.”
The guy sighed and shook his head. “That’s about all you’re going to get out of her… sorry.”
Gilda peered around him. Maggie had her unrelenting gaze set upon her.
“Let’s start over.” He held out his hand. “I’m Clifford, but everyone calls me Cliff. And the lovely lady you see shyly hiding behin- ouch, Maggie!” He winced and rubbed his kidney, then resumed, “-hiding behind me is my sister, Ma- ow! Stop hitting me!”
“She don’t need ta know my name.”
“Right, well. You said something about a gorge?” Cliff asked, still rubbing his side.
“It’s about a mile outside of town. You’d be blind if you miss it.”
“Thank you. Come on, sis.” Cliff started off but Maggie took hold of his tail.
“Hold it! It took us two days of hikin’ through weather hot enough to melt lead to get here. I’m not goin’ anywhere.”
“Come on. A mile isn’t that long!”
“No, Cliff.”
“We can fly there,” he pleaded.
“No. I’m tired, I’m starvin’, and I need a bath.”
“Fine…” Cliff pouted. He turned to Gilda. “Do you have an inn or a house for rent or something?”
Gilda pointed to a tall hut. “Trudy rents rooms, but she’s a little finicky about it.”
“Finicky?”
“Don’t care. C’mon Cliff.” Maggie started towards the hutt.
“Well, thanks Gilda. I’ll see you around.” Cliff followed behind his sister leaving Gilda confused, intrigued, and scared. She sat back against the statue and reached for her second leg of chicken not sure of what to make of that encounter. She cursed as she realized that the leg was missing.
~^*^~
Gilda sat on her roof watching the sun dip lower in the sky. During this time of day the temp wasn’t unbearable; not hot or cold. Unfortunately it lasted barely an hour before the night chill crept in. She recounted her day. Not much different happened other than she was nearly attacked by some random bitch, and she probably took her food. She rubbed her growling belly praying that her and that bitch crossed paths again. Then, she wondered if those two ran into any trouble. Trudy wasn’t a fighter, but Gilda wouldn’t risk a spat with her. Knowing that bitch she probably got loud and had her eye gouged out. She chuckled at the thought of her running away clutching her eye socket then immediately realized that she may have a few problems.
She sighed and looked to the setting sun. “Tomorrow will be the same,” she told herself as the sky turned a warm orange. Same old house, same old village, same old “Aaaah!” she cried. She found herself in her bathroom amidst a pile of gravel. “Well, a new hole is still something new…” she groaned. She limped out and headed back outside. That was when she caught a whiff of burning grass. She sniffed the air before finding a narrow stream of smoke rising near the gorge. She thought not to investigate. Even if it were a wildfire there was nothing that she could do. They were in the height of the dry season, and she barely had enough water to bathe. She decided to put it off claiming that a fire just might liven things up around here. Yet, there was something nagging her to at least take a look. She stretched her wings took to the dry air.
It only took a few moments for her to pinpoint the fire. It didn’t seem to have been caused by anything natural. She flew lower, but was still not to make out who lit the flame. As she drew nearer she spotted two tents adorning the fire. She landed in the nearby grass and approached the camp. The familiar offenders sat near the fire, cooking an assortment of small animals. “Sup.”
The girl jumped and turned to Gilda with a furious glare and a knife in hand. “Do ya fuckin’ mind!”
“What’s up with the fire?”
She nearly lunged at Gilda,, but the guy grabbed her arm. “Calm down.” He looked to Gilda. “You’re that girl we met earlier, right? What brings you out here?”
“The better question is what are you two doing here. Was Trudy too much for you?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know…” the girl scoffed.
“The desk lady was being a bit-”
“Finicky?” Gilda answered.
“Yeah…” He motioned to their camp. “And now we’re here.”
“There, now she knows just about everything. D’ya wanna finish telling her all our private information or’d you like to bend over and moan them out to the world while she dryfucks us?” Maggie turned her back and sat down.
Cliff looked in between Maggie Gilda. “Wow… uh…”
“She’s a bit mouthy.”
Maggie gave Gilda the finger.
“I am so sorry. She’s usually not like this,” Cliff assured. “It’s been a long day.”
“Right…” Then Gilda’s stomach howled with hunger.
Cliff took notice. “I can make it up to you if you’d like a bite to eat.”
“Wot!” Maggie gasped.
Gilda was going to reject, but she was running off one bland leg of chicken. Maybe food from strangers wouldn’t be so bad. “Yeah, sure..” Gilda approached the fire and sat to Cliff’s right, avoiding Maggie as much as possible. She wondered how someone like him ended up with her. Cliff handed her a stick with a smoking hare on it. “Thanks.” She took a small bite.
“How is it?” Cliff asked.
“Not bad.”
“Hmph…” Maggie scoffed.
“What’s up with her?” Gilda asked, taking a much bigger chunk from the starched rodent.
Maggie gave Cliff a look and he shrugged then took a bite from his animal.
“So, about the idol,” She chewed loudly. “Why do you want it? Isn’t it, like, cursed or something?”
Cliff looked at Maggie then back to Gilda. “Well I-” Maggie was about to punch him again but Cliff countered it and pushed her over. “I found out about the Idol after I found an old painting of it showing King Grover running from some one eyed monster thing.”
“The Arimaspi, Cliff,” Maggie corrected, “‘nd they weren’t ‘One eyed monster things’. They used ta war with ancient Griffins for access ta mines ‘nd gold.”
“What she said.”
“I remember seeing a skeleton down in the abyss,” Gilda muttered, thinking back to how close she was to grabbing the idol.
“What?” Cliff asked.
“Nothing… so, how do you plan on getting it?”
“That’s none of ya business…” Maggie growled.
Gilda took another bite, spitting out bones. “Then, I guess you don’t need my help.”
Maggie cocked a brow.
“I know where it is, well. I almost had it.”
“Wot are ya on about?”
Gilda sighed. “Eh, you know what? It’s none of your business.” She stood and started to walk off. “Catch you guys later.”
“Maggie!”
“Wot?”
“She could have helped us.”
“We don’t know that, She coulda been scammin’ us.”
“It didn’t seem like she had a motive.”
“Again, we don’t know that.”
Cliff looked to the area where she disappeared.
Maggie rolled her eyes and sighed. “Look, if ya wanna ask for her services, go right ahead.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay, but if she decides to help, you two are going to have to get along.
“I’ll tolerate ‘er. Nothin’ more.”
“I guess I can live with that.” He ran after Gilda. “Hey, Gilda!” He dashed through the grass finding her standing at the edge of a chasm so dark that it could cast a shadow on the blackest void.
“Is this the hole you were talking about?” Cliff asked, barely able to make out the edge.
“Yep.”
“And you know how to get down there?”
Gilda shrugged. “More or less.”
“Can I get a yes? A no?”
Gilda rolled her eyes. “Yes, I can help.”
“Okay. How many bits do you want?”
“I don’t want any money.”
Cliff was shocked by this. “Are you sure? I don’t need to give you anything.”
“Not unless you want to.”
He tapped his beak pensively. “Okay,” he held out his hand, “welcome aboard.”
Gilda shook his hand, squirming under his vice like grip.
“Ow…”
“So… how are we gonna get down there? I was thinking we could fly.”
Gilda flexed the hand that Cliff nearly crushed. “Hm, I wonder why no one else thought of that?”
“Good question… I’ve always wanted to dive into a literal portal to hell.” He looked down into the abyss. “So, what’s stopping me from jumping on down there?”
Gilda snorted with a chuckle.. “The wind howling through there is too strong. You’ll become a red stain on the walls if you aren’t careful.”
“Lovely…”
“Oi!” Maggie approached them while holding a torch. “Are the two ‘f ya’ done makin’ out.”
Gilda glanced at Cliff. “Ew…”
“Eh? What’s wrong with my bro?”
“It’s okay Maggie. Gilda and I were just talking about how we’re going to get down there.” Cliff pointed to the gorge. Maggie approached it and tried to shine her torch in but the wind snuffed it out.
“A bit blustery, eh?”
“Yep, so flying is out of the question.” Gilda crossed her arms. “You got any climbing gear?”
“Yeah, but we only have two harnesses.”
“That’s cool. I know where I can get one… shit…”
“What?”
Gilda pinched the bridge of her beak. “She’s ‘finicky’ too.”
Maggie craned her neck back. “Oh, sonuva whore!”
Griffonstone
The Plunge into the Abysmal Abyss
It was a few hours after sunrise and the heat of the day had already begun to set in. Cliff and Maggie waited under King Grover’s statue waiting for Gilda. Cliff was studying the stone likeness of the late griffon king, while Maggie was humming to herself while looking around the town. It was an old song she used to sing when she was traveling the world. It told of a young girl lost from her home and the ones she loved, believing that she lost her place in their hearts only to return and find that they loved her more than anything. It gave her solace whenever she was away for months or even years at a time. She turned her attention to the village studying the crumbing architecture, wondering why there were some living in long dead trees. She asked why would anyone want to live their life in such a shitty place. Not that she used to live in the lap of luxury. She sighed and tapped her foot on the baked gravel shifting under the itchy dry heat.
“Where is that gal?”
Cliff shrugged nonchalantly. “She’ll be here.”
“She sure is takin’ her time…” She looked at the statue then to Cliff. “Wott’r ya doin’?”
“Just looking at the last ever King; kinda odd that there’s a statue of him here.”
“Wot’s odd about that?” Maggie asked while picking her talons.
“Why is it in the middle of a place like this?”
“Oi, I thought ya knew yer history, ‘e was born here, ya dolt.”
“I do, but this is the only statue I’ve ever seen of him.” He looked closer. “And his bottom beak is missing.”
“Weird.” Maggie noticed a large lumbering shadow enveloping her. She peered to the sky spotting Gilda gliding towards them with a backpack in her hands.
“Hey,” Gilda said as she landed in front of them stirring up a cloud of dust.
“Hey,” Cliff greeted.
“‘Bout fuckin’ time.” She flicked away the dirt she picked from her claws. “Wot took ya?”
Gilda rolled her eyes. “I’m here, aren’t I?”
“That’s not wot I asked…” Maggie sternly growled.
“Ladies, please.” Cliff intervened. Maggie folded her arms and stared at Gilda who dared not look into her eyes. “Good, now come on.”
“Where are you going?” Gilda asked slinging her pack over her back.
“Hm?”
Gilda pointed to a hut opposite to where Cliff was headed. “The shop is that way.”
“Oh... “ He chuckled, and pivoted. “Now come on.” Maggie and Gilda walked at his side. Gilda would steal a glance at her every now and then, but she kept her eyes forward. She couldn’t believe that this pint sized chick could break her off with nothing but a glare and a scowl. It made her equally curious and terrified what would happen if they ever did come to blows. For now she decided to focus on the smell of the baked clay beneath her boots.
“My dumb self forgot to ask,” Cliff started. “What are we getting anyway?”
“A harness. Wait, you guys have your own gear, right?”
“Yah, we’d come all the way up this parch’d mountain with no gear.” Maggie scoffed, her arms still crossed, her face set in a pout.
“Maggie…” Cliff looked over his shoulder. Maggie rolled her eyes and grumbled profanities. “Yes, we have our own gear.”
“Good, then we shouldn’t be too long.”
They approached to the hut on the shaded side. Little did that help dissipate the rising heat. A straw door barely holding to its hinges separated them from the inside. On it read “Sarah’s Surplus and General”.
“Surplus and General?” Cliff said to himself.
“Wot?” Maggie asked.
“I dunno. Just, odd wording is all.”
“Well, this is gonna be fun…” Gilda groaned. “Come on.”
Cliff and Maggie started towards the door, but Cliff stopped and turned to Maggie. She cocked a brow as she looked up at him. “I think it’d be best for you to stay out here.”
She dropped her arms, obviously offended by his suggestion. “Why?”
“I don’t want this one ending up like the last.”
Maggie tilted her head like a confused puppy before catching on to what he meant. “Oh, piss off! I didn’t do anythin’ to that cunt!”
Cliff slowly crossed his arms and gave her a mocking look of disbelief. “Sure you didn’t...”
“I’m serious! I didn’t do a thing to her the entire time we were there!” Maggie stamped her foot.
Cliff rolled his eyes and grinned. “And after I left?”
Maggie prepared a retort, but she stayed her tongue. She ground her beak looking for the right words to say. “Maybe I gave her a wee lovetap…”
“Define, ‘wee lovetap’?”
“Ya know, like a li’l tap on th’ shoulder.” She softly punched Cliff’s stomach as a demonstrative tactic, but her brother was no fool. All she earned was a cocky grin and a raised brow.
“Fuck it. I’ll wait…” she growled as she leaned against the wall, beside the door.
Cliff chuckled and turned to enter the shop. “We’ll only be a second.”
Maggie scoffed.
The shop was much cooler than the outside yet it teetered on the edge of uncomfortable. The scent of sandalwood and varnish permeated the small earthen hut as well as dust from the baked clay floors. Tools were organized, for lack of a better term, on the walls counters and shelves. Belts, harnesses, knifes, food, and miscellany gave it a cheap yet rustic mountain shack atmosphere. It felt like the kind of place ones parents would spent three hours in during a really boring family vacation, in between rounds of getting lost and arguing over what to have for dinner. They approached the desk finding an unamused brown and salmon Griffon with a blue beret counting three bits on her counter.
Gilda whispered to Cliff. “Now, usually I can haggle with her, so let me do the talking.”
“What do you mean, “haggle”?” Cliff whispered back.
“We call her Gimme More cause all she does is ask for more and more bit’s no matter how many you give her.”
“Well you may as well name the whole village, “Gimme More”.
“I can hear you two…” The griffon spoke in an uncharacteristically gruff voice.
“Right,” Gilda leaned on the counter and looked the griffon squarely in the eye. “I need a full body harness.” She stared into the griffon’s stale dead eyes.
“Do you have any bits?” the gruff lady asked, with her hand held out.
“Yes, now how much for the harness?”
The griffon flexed her fingers.
Gilda fished around her many pockets and put a small sack on the counter. The griffin eyed it, picked it up to test its weight, and looked back to Gilda. “Got any more bits?”
Cliff raised a brow and eyed the bag.
“That’s one hundred bits. Take it or leave it.”
She looked at Gilda with a glassy unamused gaze.“I’ll take it, but I’ll need more bits.” She set the bag down and held out her palm.
Gilda groaned.
“How many bits do you want?” Cliff asked.
“How many have you got?”
“A lot.”
The griffin emphasised that her palm was still held out and empty. “You gotta be kidding me…” Cliff sighed, burying his face in his hands. He fished around his pocket and pulled out his pouch and sat it in her hand. She tested its weight, set it down and held out her palm. “You’re shitting me!”
She pointed to her palm. Then the door creaked open. All eyes fell on Maggie. “Hey, Cliff, Shithead, I found what we're looking for. What size’re you, Shithead?”
Gilda didn’t answer.
“Well?” Maggie asked.
“I’m not going to dignify that with a response.”
“Just go with it…” Cliff sighed.
Gilda pinched the bridge of her beak. “A medium?”
Maggie looked up and down the wall and snagged two harnesses, a wilderness knife, a first aid kit and one of the candy bars on the checkout desk, then took them outside. She shut the door forcefully kicking up a plume of dry dust.
“Uhh…” Cliff looked at the griffin who ran the shop. She was unfazed keeping the same expression she had when they entered. “Well, uh… I hope those bits cover that,” Cliff chuckled nervously. The griffin didn’t speak. She only looked to the bags on the counter and shrugged. Gilda cleared her throat and started towards the door. Cliff stuck around thinking of what he could say to remedy what was basically theft. The Griffon just kept on staring, not even blinking or breathing for that matter. Cliff rolled his eyes around and coughed before sticking his hands in his pockets. “Well, thank you for your time.” He said as he hurriedly shuffled to the door. Before leaving he looked back at the Griffon who had her eyes glued to him, or the door.
Maggie stood outside eating the candy bar she swiped with a smug grin as Cliff joined them.. “See? ‘nd I didn’t lay a finger on her.” She took a bite and pointed to one of the harnesses. “Try it on.”
Gilda took the harness and looked it over. The leg holes seemed too small and the torso straps too short, but she decided to give it a try.
“How did you know where that stuff was?” Cliff asked as he picked up the first aid kit.
“Th’ place has no windows. Wasn’t hard.”
“There.” They looked to Gilda. She checked herself making sure she put it on right. “I dunno. It feels a little tight.”
“Maybe ya can stand ta lose a few?”
“Maybe you can stand to shut the fuck up?” Gilda spat back.
“Speakin’ of standin; I’m surprised ya can walk at all.”
“Ladies!” Cliff’s voice boomed over their squabble.. He looked between them landing on Maggie, shooting her a fatherly gaze. “Apologize…” he growled.
Maggie sighed. “Sorry for tellin’ ya the truth about yerself.” She chomped down the last bit of her candy bar and discarded the wrapper. “I’ll be waitin’ for ya back at the camp.” She took to the sky leaving Gilda’s mind buzzing with curiosity and animosity.
“What’s her deal?” Asked Gilda, struggling to get the harness from around her thighs. .
Cliff moved in to help. “I don’t know most of the time. She’s… complicated…” Cliff sighed.
“She’s a bitch. What’s so ‘complicated’ about that?”
“Hey! She’s still my sister. She’s just… let’s just get this over with.”
“Uh oh…” Gilda tugged at one of the harness’ tightening straps. “It’s stuck! I can’t get it off!”
“Well, it was cheap. Hold on.” He pulled out a knife and cut her loose.
“Thanks,” she sighed. She held the harness wondering what to do with it. With no other options she stuffed it in her pack. She then went to try the second harness on while Cliff looked up to the sky. Maggie was acting more hostile than usual, and that was the girl who liked to break chairs over folks backs for looking at her funny. They hadn’t even descended into the abyss yet and he was thinking that asking Gilda to tag along was a mistake.
“Got it!”
“Hm?” Cliff turned to her.
“She got one that fit,” Gilda said, while giving herself a full body check. “Well,more or less. Kinda tight around the thighs, but eh.” Cliff glanced at her thighs then back at the wrapper being nudged by the slight hit breeze. “Alright. I think I’m good.” Cliff picked up the first aid kit and gave it to Gilda. “Why are you giving this to me?”
“I don’t have any more space in here, besides,” He picked up the knife, twirled it with one finger and put it in his pocket. “I got this cool new shiv.”
“Nice… well. Let’s get this going.”
~^*^~
Maggie stood at the edge of the abyss with her harness secure and her pack. She forced a lump down in her throat as she looked down into the inky black pit wondering what could be resting on the bottom or if it had a bottom at all. Her feathers stood on edge, chilling her with the occasional eddie that spun up from the turbulence below. And she was going to be rappelling down with no knowledge of what will be there. Perhaps it extended to the very depths of hell. She took a deep breath. “No prob, Maggie. You’ve dun shit hundreds of times as daft as this…” She peered down into the abyss again. Chills ran up her spine, and her head swam. “Looks like a long way down, though.”
“Trust me, it is,” Gilda said from behind her.
Maggie nearly jumped out her feathers and took a claw swipe at Gilda. “Easy!” she cried.
“Fuck you! Scarin’ me like that!”
“I thought you knew I was there, Mag”
“Bullshit! And don’t fuckin’ call me Mag. That’s Maggie to ya!”
“Guys, come on.” Cliff landed giving the two a judgemental glare. “Can you act like adults for more than a minute?”
“I was mindin’ my own business!” Maggie seethed.
Cliff buried his face in his palm. “Do you two need a moment to calm down? We can do this another day.”
Maggie and Gilda shared gazes seeped with venom. “Sorry, bro,” Maggie sighed. He turned to Gilda and held out her hand. “Well?”
Gilda looked at her hand, then into her eyes. She felt uneasy again and quickly returned the gesture.
“Good, now, let’s get started. Maggie, how much rope do we have?”
“Uhh… maybe… two, three hundred feet?” Maggie shrugged.
“Let me check. Find something sturdy that we can use as an anchor.”
“Hey, Maggie.”
“Yes, Gilda?” She spoke through her beak.
“Your harness is on upside down, unless your butt is in your head. Otherwise, you’re solid, shorty.”
Maggie bit her tongue and exhaled deeply. “Thank ya kindly, ‘nd don’t call me short or else I’ll knock ya down a few inches.”
“You find anything yet?” Cliff called.
“Still looking!” Maggie replied. She started walking while taking off her harness. Gilda shook her head. Maybe she should have asked for a bit or two. Dealing with that witch was going to be a bigger ordeal than her first visit to Equestria. She looked down into the abyss, thinking back to the day she lost the idol. She soon felt a creeping feeling deep in her gut. It wasn’t a feeling of anxiety or fear, but one of imbalance. For her entire life this open wound on the parched face of gaia has festered and no one dared to test its depths. In a way, she felt excited to take a stab at the abyss again. But fear was still a factor.
“Hey,” Cliff approached her with rope wrapped around his shoulder the gear that they brought, “do you know how to use any of this?”
Gilda looked at the d-clips, cleats, and icepicks. “Yeah, I’ve dabbled with this stuff from time to time. Though, I don’t see a snowcapped mountain around here.”
Cliff chuckled. “Still good to have ‘em. You never know what could happen.”
“Oi!” Maggie called. “This old tree looks pretty sturdy!” Cliff picked up the gear and went to investigate with Gilda in tow. He inspected the old dried up trunk. There were marks near the base. He wondered who before them tried to brave the abyss. Then he gave it a good kick and a shake to be sure it would hold.
“What do you guys think?”
“Well, there isn’t anything else to attach the slack to, so. Yeah. Let’s give it a go,” Gilda replied.
“Alrighty then.” He set the gear down. “I’m going to go grab my pack. You guys can get us set up.”
He returned to the campsite to check that the fire was out and they didn’t leave anything behind. He grabbed his pack and questioned if asking Gilda to come with them was a mistake. Her and Maggie’s bickering was going to drive him insane. Again, he wondered why she was being so crabby. He desperately wanted to blame it on her cycle, but that would only earn him a decent slap. But it was too late to tell Gilda to turn back. She was suited up and ready to go. He dismissed the thought and focused on the reason why he backpacked across the entire continent in the first place. Back at the tree, Gilda was finishing up by tossing the rope over the edge.
“You get everything set up?” Cliff asked as he donned his harness.
“Yeah,” Gilda replied with a nod. “Hopefully this tree will hold though.”
“We aren’t that heavy. Should be fine.” Cliff put on his pack and pulled out a couple of headlamps. “Here.” He tossed one to Maggie. “Hold on. I may have brought an extra.” He dug deep through his cluttered supplies. “Ah, here you go.” He tossed it to Gilda.
“Uhh? It looks a bit small.”
“Sorry, that’s all I got.” He put on his lamp. “So, who’s gonna go first?” Gilda and Maggie didn’t say a word. “Alright… guess I’ll brave the hellhole first.” Cliff attached his clips to the main line and looked over into the hole. “Okay…” He rolled his head, cracking a few vertebrae, and took a deep breath. The wind whistled through the canyon as he lowered himself in. He tugged on the line, took a breath, and rappelled down. “Ah! Shit!” he cried as the full force of the wind battered against him. He could barely see or hear over the gale force gusts howling through the canyon.
“I’m gonna try and keep going!” He pushed himself off the smooth walls and deeper into the gorge. The deeper he ventured, the more violent the wind became.
Gilda noticed the line was moving and jerking around. “Cliff! Are you okay?”
She heard only muffled responses.
Maggie approached the edge as well. “Bro! Are ya okay?” There was no response. Then, they saw him climbing back up from the darkness. “Cliff!” Maggie hung over the ehde and held her hand out. She grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him out of the hole.
“Wow… you weren’t kidding about the wind,” He gasped while shaking granules of pulverized rock from his head feathers.
“Well, wot are we gonna do?” Maggie asked.
“We go down there.”
“But ya’ said that th’ wind’s a full blown gale.”
“Well, all of us can weigh it down enough.” He stood up and glared down into the pit, feeling as if it were looking back at him.“Count to ten, then come down after me.” He hyped himself up and went back down again by hopping in place and taking several short breaths. He approached the edge and began making his way down again. Gilda watched him slowly walk down the sculpted walls until he was shrouded by the dust flying through the chasm.
“Seven…” she counted. Cliff descended further out of sight. “eight… nine… ten. Alright,” Gilda called as she tugged at the line. “You’re up next.”
“Wot?”
“Are you scared?” Gilda teased.
Maggie looked over into the abyss. All that could be seen was the faint light from her brother’s headlamp. “I’m not scared.”
“Then, hook up.” Maggie sighed and hooked herself up to the line. “Wait!”
“Wot?”
Gilda unhooked her and set her up the way that she’s supposed to be. “There, now take is easy at first. And whatever you do, don’t rappel at the same time as Cliff.”
“‘Nd how in th’ ‘ell am I s’posed to know that?”
“You’ll be able to tell. I’ll be right behind you.”
Maggie took a deep breath, steadied her nerves, and started down into the hole. Just as Cliff experienced, the wind ripped through the canyon battering her small frame. “Fuck!” she cried.
“Maggie! Can you hear me?” Cliff called.
“K-Kinda!”
“Just take it easy, alright? I’m right here!”
“That’s not exact- shit!” the wind swept her off her feet, tossing her small frame as if she were a doll. Gilda jumped on the line, Using her weight she was able to secure Maggie’s footing.
“Go! I’m right behind you!”
“Okay!” Maggie inched her way down trying to keep her eyes open amidst the violent gusts. Soon after she started down, Gilda began to descend as well. They soldiered on into the abyss the wind growing more and more fierce the deeper they plunged. Maggie kept her eyes closed tightly, not like she could have been able to see anyway. She could feel the small granules battering against her fur and feathers and her beak. The hollow scratching driving her insane the whole way down.
“Hold on!” Cliff called. He looked around with the headlamp on high. “The rope stops here!” He saw a ledge just large enough for them. He stepped down and unhitched himself from the line. The wind here was at its most intense. He shimmied along the ledge until he found an opening that led into a open grotto. He shuffled back to the line and shined his lamp up at the still descending girls. They watched intently to where he was pointing. He ducked into the opening sighing in relief at the calm atmosphere. “Cliff!” Maggie called.
He went back to the entrance and helped her into the grotto. “Thanks,” she sighed. “Where are we?”
“Where’s Gilda?” Cliff asked as he took off his harness.
“She was right above me.”
“Where are you guys?” Gilda called, her headlamp darting around the entrance. Cliff went back to the entrance again and pulled her in with them.
“Man… well. We made it to wherever this is…” Gilda sighed.
Their headlamps danced around the grotto reflecting off the slick walls. Hollow drips of water echoed through the hole accompanied by the deep bellow of the wind lapping against the entrance. Cliff and Gilda were awestruck by the beauty of the stalactites protruding from the ceiling.
“Have you ever been down this far?” Cliff asked slowly as he looked around.
Gilda whispered something, but it was lost to the wind. She spoke up again, yelling to be heard over the wind, “No. Never.”
Maggie snickered. “Doesn’t surprise me.”
“What?” Gilda asked.
“Nothin’...” Then, she noticed an odd shape in the darkness. She reached for a nearby rock, and threw it.
“Careful, Maggie.” Cliff covered his head. “These things could fall at any moment.” He looked down to where she threw the rock and noticed an old withered skull with stalagmites sprouting upon it. He leaned in for a closer look. “Good eye sis.”
Maggie nodded and took her holsters from her pack. Cliff ran his fingers along the skull. “Wonder if there are any more?” He noticed a winding tunnel shrouded in darkness. “Come on!”
“Wait,” Maggie called. She placed a gun in each holster and put her pack back on. Gilda and Cliff gave each other a curious look. “Ya never know wot ya might run into. Betta safe then sorry.”
Cliff gave her a nod of agreement and started down the tunnel. The air grew colder the deeper they journeyed. The ground was slick yet dry and the walls were smoother than polished stone. Then, the ceiling begun to squeeze them in until they were reduced to a crawl. “Maybe we should turn back?” Gilda suggested.
“You two wait here. I’ll see if it continues to get narrow up ahead.” He continued on, feeling the walls tightening around him until the walls suddenly vanished and he tumbled down a shallow hill. “Ah! Shit!” He cried.
“Cliff! Are ya okay?” Maggie called.
“Yeah! Come on through. Mind the hill!” He stood up and dusted himself off. “Well, we’re definitely back in the main cavern.” He spoke barely above the wind. Up above a sliver of the blue sky could be seen. Suddenly, he felt something hit his leg. Gilda was on her back, clamoring to get up. “I told you to mind the hill.” He helped her to her feet just as Maggie came sliding in behind them.
She got up and dusted herself off. “That was fun.”
“Where are we now?” Gilda asked.
“The main cavern. It’s strange though. The wind is less intense down here.” He looked around wondering where they should go next. As soon as he took a step forward, he noticed that he stepped on a thin stone. He looked down, thinking it to be some ancient carved instrument or weapon, but upon closer examination, it proved to be far more grim. Half a tibia, belonging to a fully formed Griffon skeleton. The bone appeared to be cut. He looked around finding more and more skeletons. “My goodness…” he gasped.
Maggie looked down as well, noticing that she was standing on a ribcage. “Fuckin!” she recoiled.
The area around them was littered in the dead
“I’ve definitely never been down here…” Gilda said with awe.
“D’ya think these are th’ folk from the legend?” Maggie asked, minding her step.
“I don’t know. They look like they were running from something.” He looked opposite of where the bodies were facing. “They must have came from there.” He started off with Maggie and Gilda silently following behind. Every step they took landed upon some poor souls fossilised remains. Gilda wondered what killed them. What could they have been running from? How many more lie dead? Whatever it may be, walking over the remains of whoever called this dark ravine home. “Where exactly are we headed then?” Maggie asked.
“Whatever it was that these griffons were running from.”
“I can see that, but wot about th’ Idol?”
“Yeah, that too,” Cliff said with a smile. They journeyed on until the sliver of daylight above closed plunging them into perpetual darkness. “Lamps on.”
~^*^~
Hours seemed to have passed as they continued along the highway of bones. More and More they wondered what drove these griffons to flee in such a hurry. “Oof!” Cliff gasped. He walked straight into what seemed like a curved wall.
“What happened?” Gilda asked.
“Whatever this is got in the way.” Cliff felt along it, noticing that it didn’t feel like normal rock. He took a step back, finding a colossal one eyed skull. “Holy crap…”
“Is that Arimaspi?” Gilda asked in awe.
“One’f ‘em.” Maggie replied.
“What do you mean? I thought there was only the one.”
Maggie shook her head. “It’was an entire race’f beasts that hunted griffons down to steal their riches. They were pretty good at it, too.”
“How could you defend yourself against something that… big?” Gilda looked into the eye socket of a giant skull.
“Pretty sure the highway of bones answers that question…” Maggie snidely answered. “Where to now Nature Boy?”
“I’m thinking…” Cliff examined the skeleton finding that it had ossified like the other remains. But something seemed off. The wind blowing through here was still pretty strong so how could these bones turned to stone not have been eroded away over the last millennium. Now that he thought it through, the skeletal remains seemed too solid to have been here for only a short thousand years. It takes millions of years under pressure to fossilize even the smallest of skeletal structures, yet here these were made of the same material at the ravine’s walls.
Maggie tapped him on the shoulder.
“Hm?”
“Any day now?”
“Right, well. I say we keep following the trail and see where it takes us.”
“That’s good, or we can start lookin’ for the idol,” Maggie suggested.
“Maybe we’ll find it if we keep moving forward.”
“Or, maybe we ask th’ bimbo we dragged with us where it is?” Maggie pointed to Gilda who was inside of the skull.
“Gilda!” Cliff called.
“Yeah- Ah!” she tripped over the edge of the eye socket. “Yeah?”
“Do you know where the idol fell?” Cliff asked.
Gilda scratched her head. “Not exactly, but maybe we could have passed it?”
Maggie took a deep breath and exhaled sharply with an annoyed smirk. “That woulda been nice ta know b’fore we spent th’ better part of two hours spelunkin’ this chasm!”
“Has it been two hours?” Cliff asked.
“Yes, I’ve been keepin’ count.” She glared at Gilda, sizing her up. “Nary a peep about “Hey guys, it could be ova there” or “I rememba it fallin’ just over that skull, ya can’t miss it”!” She sighed and rubbed her temples. “Absolutely fuckin’ useless…”
“Hold on now,” Cliff started. “Gilda, when was the last time you saw the idol?”
“About a year ago…” Gilda said quietly.
“Ya really gonna believe that bro?”
“Gimme a sec, Maggie. So, you do remember seeing it right?”
“Yes. My friends were about to fall and I had the choice to grab the idol, or let them go so I saved them, but the Idol fell along with an Arimaspi skeleton. It could be this one.”
“Do you know what the idol looks like?”
“Cliff…”
“Maggie…”
She folded her arms and kept her beak shut.
“Okay, what does the idol look like?”
“It’s gold, has orange-ish gem in the center, and the base looks like a claw.”
“Does that match your book’s description, Maggie?”
“Yeah, sure…” Maggie said blankly.
“There. All we need to do is keep searching.”
Maggie huffed and growled, “Lead the way, Cliffy…”
They continued on past the skull. Gilda stayed close to Cliff with Maggie a few steps behind them. The path grew darker and colder the deeper they went, until even the ferocious winds that swept through the cavern tapered away. Now, all that could be heard were the hollow drone of the gale behind them, and the haphazard clunk of their boots. Maggie was slowly growing more and more uncomfortable the further they went. This place didn’t fit right with her. The skeletal remains had stopped a ways back, but she could still feel death’s cold unrelenting grip begging to take hold of her and her brother.
She moved closer until she was shoulder to shoulder with him, even going so far as to grab his arm.
“Are you okay?” Cliff asked.
Maggie gave him a thumbs up. They aimlessly traveled deeper until something shiny caught Maggie’s attention. She let go of Cliff and stopped to get a better look.
“Maggie?” Cliff noticed the glint of gold as well. Maggie approached it and wiped away the dust revealing an orange `gem, nestled within a golden wing that wrapped around it supported on a base with a claw.
“Holy shit…” She raised it to eye level. “This is it. We found it!”
“Awesome!” Cliff cheered. He nearly ran to his sister to get a better look at the idol. “It almost looks like a trophy or something.”
“It’s got a bit of weight to it.”
“Well, it is solid gold. Gold is very dense.”
“I know, Cliff...”
“Wait…” Gilda interrupted. “How did it get all the way back here? It fell near where we rappelled down from.”
“Part’f me wants to know, but it’s overshadowed by the part’f me that don’t give a shit.” Maggie was about to put it in her pack when she noticed something engraved on the wing. “Wot’s this?”
“Hm?” Cliff leaned in for a closer look.
“It looks like somethin’ written in an ancient tongue, but I can’t make it out.”
Cliff noticed the runes as well, but it wasn’t anything that he was familiar with.
“It looks t’be… ancient gryphon, but it’s worded all weird.”
“How can you tell?” Cliff asked.
“I read a few books on th’ matter. I’m no linguist, but I recognize it. If we can get to a library I could try ‘nd make it out.” Suddenly, the idol began to glow faintly. Maggie turned off her headlamp and Cliff’s.
“What are you doing?” Cliff tried to turn it back on, but Maggie swatted his hand away.
“Look.” She presented the idol to him, noting that the gem was pulsing and the gold was gleaming. “Oi, shithead! Turn yer lamp off.”
Gilda frowned.
“Well? Turn it off!”
Gilda cocked a brow and crossed her arms.
“Just do it. We’re trying to see something.” Cliff came and turned it off. Gilda too noticed the faint light coming from the idol.
“Whoa… what could it mean?” Gilda asked, eyeing the idol.
“Magic?” Cliff shrugged.
“Griffons don’t ‘ave magic,” Maggie retorted. “Either way. We got what we came for. Let’s go.” She turned her lamp on and started out the way they came. Just as she did, the idol lost it’s glow and the gem no longer pulsed.
“Maggie, wait!” Gilda called.
“Wot now?” Maggie groaned.
“The idol isn’t doing whatever it was doing.”
Maggie turned off her lamp again, surprised by how dark it became. “An astute observation indeed, shithead,” She jeered before turning her lamp back on and starting off.
“Wait a second,” Cliff spoke up.
“Fuck! You too?”
“Walk back over here with it; I want to see something.”
She sighed and walked back to them. Just as she did, the Idol began to glow and pulse again.
“That’s interesting.” Cliff took the idol from her. “Come on.”
They continued down the path. With every step the idol grew brighter and pulsed faster until they came upon a chamber with giant stone gates. Each one rose high into the cave and was adorned by stonework of Grover holding the idol high over his head with his followers beside him.
“Holy shit…” Maggie gasped.
“Indeed..” Cliff gasped as well. Gilda was the first to approach the structure. Disbelief, wonder, and a sight hint of anger filled her soul as she gazed at the gate. She reached to touch the generations old masonry. It was smooth to the touch and surprisingly warm.
“Hey Gilda.” Cliff called. “What do you think?”
“Mind… blown... I mean, look at this! And it was under my feet this whole time…”
“Sometimes the most wonderful things are hidden in plain sight.”
“Ugh, that whimsy was so forced I think ya made me cringe into a singularity…” Maggie gagged.
Cliff chuckled and turned his attention to the gates. “How do we get in?” He looked down at the idol and back to how Grover was standing.
Maggie too was looking at the carving of grover. “There’s one thing that’s throwin’ me though.”
“What’s that?” Cliff asked.
“Why does everyone celebrate Grover when Guto was th’ last king?”
“Because Guto lost the idol,” he rubbed smooth metal, “without this, everything fell apart.” He looked back up at Grover and mimicked his stance; holding the idol high and proud while flaring his wings.
“Wott’re ya doin’?”
“Trying something,” Cliff answered, not daring to move.
“Well, ya look daft.”
“Hey! I found something!” Gilda called from the top of the gates. “Let me see the idol!”
Cliff flew up to meet Gilda with the idol. There was a small hole where the Gem on the idol was supposed to be. “Do you think it’ll fit in there?”
Cliff looked at the base of the idol. “No, but.” He stuck his hand in the hole finding that it felt like he was reaching into cold slime. “Eugh, what is this?” He asked, shuddering at the squelching sounds emanating from the hole.
“What?” Gilda asked. Cliff reached around the moist hole. Every squish and squirm sent unpleasant shivers down his spine. The feeling of the goo dancing in between his fingers dared to bring his breakfast up. He fished around until his finger brushed against some rough metal.
“H-Hold on! I got something!” He forced his hand deeper into the hole gagging as the fluid inside seeped out. The tip of his finger caught the metal rod before he was able to get a tentative grasp on it. He pulled, losing his grip thanks to the now putrid slime coating his shirt. He forced his arm in again, the slime sounding a flatulent growl.
“Ugh!” Gilda gagged while covering her nostrils.
“Got it…” Cliff groaned. He found a firm grip on the metallic piece. With a heave he pulled surprised that it gave way clicking slightly before stopping. “Hold on…” He tried twisting it to the left, no response. He attempted a turn to the right. The clicking resumed.
“Oi! There’s somethin’ openin’ down here!” Maggie called.
“Go see what she’s talking about Gilda.”
Gilda descended upon Maggie. “Look.” Maggie pointed to a small stone door opening at the seams of the gate.
“Well!” Cliff groaned. “What is it?”
“We dunno yet. Keep doin’ wot yer doin’!” Maggie shouted back. Cliff tightened his grip and continued turning the lever all while more and more goop oozed out. “This is so damn disgusting… What’s going on down there?” There was no response. “Guys?” Still nothing. “Hello!” Suddenly, there was a low groan resounding through the cavern. Rocks crumbled around him and the door shuttered. He quickly withdrew his arm from the hole, dodging the crumbling ceiling as he returned to Maggie and Gilda.
“What the hell did you do?” He yelled over the cacophony of destruction surrounding them.
“This thing opened ‘nd we put the idol in th’ hole!” Maggie pointed to the Idol, which was glowing fiercely in the slot. The rumbling grew frighteningly more intense as larger and larger boulders rained down upon the three. Each of them danced around narrowly dodging a what could hopefully be a quick death. With every earth-shattering slam of the rocks above, the gate slowly moved open. Maggie noticed the laborious drag of the stone megaliths and took off towards them. “Come on!” she shouted. Cliff and Gilda followed without question, but Cliff stopped. Realizing that he and Gilda left their packs on the ground. He dashed back, dodging boulders left and right all while trying to see through the dust now filling the room. He grabbed his, but Gilda’s was pinned by a large dense stone. He tugged and pulled with all his might, but the rock was unyielding in its grasp. Maggie looked back through the gates. “Cliff! Wot th’ ‘ell are ya doin’! Bring yer arse!”
Cliff let go of Gilda’s pack and clamored to the door. Debris ranging from small pebbles to large stones pummeled him as he fought his way through the dust cloud. He pushed on with zero visibility. Dust clogged his lungs yet he did not relent until he found himself in his sister’s arms.
“Wot th’ fuck were ya thinkin’ ya daft cunt!” Maggie scolded intensely. “T’was bad enough th’ whole damn thing was comin’ down on us!”
“S-” He hacked and coughed then took a large gulp. “Sorry….” Behind them the grumbling grew softer until it ceased. Cliff turned his headlamp back on finding where once a gateway stood was now a pile of rubble. “Fuck…”
“Now wot?” Maggie asked, trying her best to mask her perturbance.
“Now we find a way out,” Cliff answered simply. “And a way to get whatever the hell this stuff is off my arm.”
Maggie covered her nostrils. “Yeh, that shit’s pretty fuckin’ rank. Like, feet mixed with a corpse….”
“Well, find something to get it off! Don’t you have a towel?”
“Yer fuckin’ crazy if ya think I’m lettin’ my towel touch that,” Maggie scoffed.
“Just use your shirt,” Gilda suggested. Cliff sighed, took off his shirt, and wiped away the dust riddled goop. “What is that stuff?” Gilda cringed.
“Could have been some kind of lube for the mechanism.” Cliff dropped his shirt on the floor. “Wait! Where’s the idol?” Maggie shrugged while Gilda shook her head.
“It was still in th’ door when it was openin’. I dunno where it is now.”
“Fuck...Fuck!” Cliff took a deep breath. “It’s fine, but we need to focus on finding a way out.”
They all turned to the long dark road ahead. Cliff headed the trio again, with his company lagging behind due to a certain unpleasant odor. Again they plunged deeper into the black, uncertain of who or what to expect next in this forgotten subterranean tomb.
