A Slow Interrogation

You can look over your past really quickly as you fall five stories. Of course, it's also an incredibly bad time to think over your mistakes. I could see now that even mentioning the dangers of my warpcraft was a stupid mistake, and with the ground fast approaching I wasn't in a position to think of why. I looked around me, seeing a gargoyle that may be close enough for me to grab. I reached out and grabbed on to the neck of the stone beast. I reached a sudden stop, my arm screaming in pain at my sudden stop. I dangled there for a second and looked down. "Great plan Gregor, just jump out of a freaking mountainside castle and hope you won't fall off the overhang." I glanced down, three more stories of air were below me. I looked up and saw Luna's head looking down at me. I sighed. "Fuck it, I'll probably live." I waved my aug arm at her in a cocky salute before dropping from the gargoyle.

I crossed my arms over my chest and bent my knees. I hit the ground with a solid thump, rolling onto my back. I lay on the grass for a moment before sitting up. Looking around, I found myself in a lawn. The back lawn of an overblown mansion to be exact. I stood up and tried to walk, only to stop and hiss as pain blossomed from my right knee. I caught myself from falling and flexed it a few times. I didn't hear a crackle of broken bones, so I made an educated guess at a sprain and ignored it. I limped around the mansion and made it to the wall. I leaned up against it and checked over my area a bit more closely. I was outside the castle walls if the fact that I could see a street nearby was any guess. I gauged the castles angle and decided I was on the east end of Canterlot, so if I just head south I'll reach that weird destroyed village again. Once I'm there it will just be a matter of meeting up with my hastily made ally, finding something to use as a safe house, and begin trying to dig up my old sword.

I took a limping step forward and moved across the street. I paused in the shadows and waited for the inevitable alarm. It was suspiciously absent after my landing, and in the shadows, I got to see it unfold. A squad of thestral guards seemed to fly out of my broken window, causing me to curse. "Damnation, the only frakking ponies that could possibly see me in the dark." I ducked into an alley and began a quiet limp down the darkened streets of Canterlot.

I made it to the cities outer walls before I was noticed, which is how it always goes honestly. A pair of particularly bright pegasi were flying above the walls and caught a flash of my cape as I ducked into an alley. I knew all this because they couldn't shut up. "I'm telling you Star, I saw something."

I sighed as loudly as possible and sat down beside a wall. I was just going to sit here until they found me and scare them off, it wasn't worth the effort to hide anymore. I heard a more feminine voice speak up. "Yeah, cause I'm sure a monster from beyond the veil sighs like a pony trying to get home after a late-night play. Nah, it's probably just some pony trying to get home and annoyed that we're following him."

I saw my chance and ran with it. I tried to channel my inner grumpy old man. "You two busy-bodies still there. Stop following me, you weirdos." I heard a few muttered sorry's before they flew off. I smiled and looked over my alley. It was covered in graffiti done by colts and fillies being stupid. I read over a few of the better ones. Snapshot has a hair trigger was my favorite I think. I paused over a series of crude sketches. A half-risen sun, a flaming sword, and an arrow straight down. That was my little thieves cant. I'd taught it to all my infiltrators. It meant that around dawn the solar guard patrolled here, but a safe house was nearby. I looked at the straight down arrow and followed it down the wall, and into a disguised sewer grate. By disguised, I meant there was a wooden plank over it. I was almost offended at the shoddy disguise work. I moved it over and lifted the sewer grate up. Sliding it off its rim slightly I jumped onto the ladder below before sliding it back in place.

I slowly descended the ladder while managing not to curse my busted ankle. I considered that a success, so I hopped into the ankle-high water and looked around. A sole torch burned in the tunnel, illuminating a wooden door with a picture on it. The Inquisitorial seal. I smiled as I walked towards it and gave the code-knock. There was a pause as I heard a few shuffles from behind the door. Finally, a voice spoke. "That's an old code."

I shrugged despite the fact the voice couldn't hear me. "Old code for an old agent. It fits."

There was another pause. "So if your an old agent, I assume you know the phrase that matches it."

I smiled. "Of course. The barber-surgeons knock. Shave and a haircut; no legs."

There was another pause. "Honestly we'll have to check the records. That's a really old code, don't know it off the top of my head."

I smiled, that was another code-phrase. I may have turned my whole organization into a bunch of security checks given life. "Of course, check under E"

The door unbolted before me and opened wide. A pony looked me over before his eyes widened. "You sure as Tartarus ain't a member of our group."

I nodded and walked in, I had to play the leader here. "I am not, but I have a claim for safety. I founded this whole order after all."

The stallion laughed. "That's a good one, we've been around as long as Equestria itself."

I simply looked over the room. It was filled with scrolls, like any good info dump. The issue was the fire gem tucked into the central bookshelf was old and cracked. I gestured to it. "Why is your fallback gem cracked? It should have been replaced as quickly as possible."

The stallion looked at the shelf as if confused. "No ponies replaced those things in centuries, they're outdated. We just enchant the shelves to teleport to the main library if the door opens without a codeword."

I stopped and thought about that. It was smart, but the magical strain would be immense. I pushed it aside. "Very well. But yes, I know the order has been around since the beginning of Equestria. Then the founder was beaten and imprisoned by the princesses." I turned and gave the stallion a smile. "I got out early though. So I believe it is time to raise our flag."

The stallion stared at me before his eyes widened. "But... but that would make you..."

I smiled and bowed. "Lord-Inquisitor Gregor Eisenhorn at your service. Now then, let's begin." I moved through the safehouse with a smile. "First up, what is this order, and who runs it."

The stallion began stammering as I explored. "Lord, this is the Ordos Vigilous. I am the head, interrogator captain Silent Eye."

I paused and looked him over. Grey coat, blonde mane. Eyeball cutie mark, not the exact style of interrogator I would pick, but close enough. I nodded. "Fair enough. So why is an interrogator the head of Ordos, I thought I said only Inquisitors would run full Ordos."

At this the stallion paused. "Well Lord, after you fell, the head Inquisitor stated that you would be the last Lord Inquisitor, therefore we couldn't promote any Interrogators to Inquisitor since you stated that they required a Lord's permission. So we added a few interrogator ranks and called it done."

I paused. "The head was Blue Skies right?" He nodded as he began walking through the snake-like corridors. I smiled at her memory. "She was a smart girl. She had her reasons I guess. Now onto the reason for my visit. I need a place to rest and heal, as well as safe passage to Ponyville later. I may have disturbed the Tyranid hive here."

Silent continued walking. "Of course lord. I have a spare room here, as well as a fair few healing kits stored in the back. For passage, I can give you a sewer route, though I doubt you'll enjoy it."

I shrugged as he led to a back door. He opened it to a spartan room. A lone bed sat in the corner, large enough for my frame. I smiled at it while I glanced to the other furnishings. A shower in the corner with a privacy curtain, and a sink. A lone door led to what I assumed was a toilet and mirror. All in all the normal set up for a safe room that I set out. If we were packed the most injured took the bed, the bathroom was the only thing actually separated since ponies are less shy about their bodies than humans. A perfect little room. I glanced at him. "Acceptable work Silent Eye. If you could bring me the medical kit and some fire making equipment I have questions for you."

He nodded. "I shall return in a moment lord. Just give me a moment to hunt it down as well as mark the door."

I gestured towards the door and he left me alone. I sat down on the bed and began checking my leg. All in all, not the worst mission I ever ran.