"The best part of waking up..."

"... are three birds in your bed!"

Your eyes slowly drift open. With an audible yawn, you make an attempt to sit up straight... but for some odd reason, you can't even budge.

Though your vision may be blurry, your ears work well enough to pick up the sound of three females breathing; all of which in close proximity.

Curious, you look down and immediately notice the reason why you can't get up... three griffons are sleeping on top of you, with their wings all draped around each other, and by extension, yourself.

Gabby, the youngest of the three that just barely graduated from school, is lying on your center, with her head nuzzled up against your chest.

To your left, lies Greta, the quietest and likely shyest of your "flock-mates". Like Gabby, she's lying nuzzled up against you, and snoozing peacefully.

To your right, however, lies Gilda, the grumpiest of the three. Unlike the other two, she's resting on her back, with her right talon over her stomach and her left hind leg sticking up slightly, kicking downwards every now and again.

Also worth noting (and definitely not telling anyone) is that Gilda is the loudest of the three, snoring almost as loudly as a bear. It's a wonder how you were even able to sleep at all, along with the other two griffons on top of you!

Finally, another question remains... why are they even in your bed to begin with? Just yesterday, you agreed to join this little "flock" of theirs, which you would assume simply meant that they're interested in having you as a roommate. Ever since, though, they've been a lot more clingy with you... in some ways, more than you really feel comfortable with.

You've only known them for about three months, after all, since that day you've woken up after a portal mishap.

But alas, the questions you have must remain unanswered, for you've another pressing matter to tend to... getting out of bed.

You open your mouth and are about to say something, when Gilda's voice cracks slightly. Looking down at her, you see one of her golden eagle-like eyes look directly into your own.

"Mmm... wake me up, and I'll claw the rest of your damn face off..." she mumbles, before closing her eye and returning to her sleep.

Though you're not really a pushover, you also feel like you shouldn't argue with her logic. Not really being a morning person, yourself, you finally decide that, perhaps, a few more hours of sleep wouldn't hurt.

And so you close your eyes again, and drift off into another dream, filled with the adventures you've had, and the thrill of the hunts you've found yourself in, ranging from a tribe of goblins to a mighty wyvern.

"The best part of waking up..."

"... are feathers in your cup!"

You sit there at the table, hand cupping your chin as you try, and fail, to keep your eyes open for more than a few seconds. It has been a long night, and frankly, you're exhausted. You've had to endure the boring, mundane tasks of looking for a job that can suit your... particular talents... but failed to do so. It seems that no matter how badly the shape of the world might be coming to, over here in Griffonstone, nothing tends to happen.

And so, today, your goal is to find a job that isn't up to your standards... a simple, boring, average job to at least make a few bits off of.

As lovely as Gilda's old house is, you also can't argue that this type of lifestyle just isn't for you. Sitting there, every morning, in a comfy little table with three women around you - each with their own quirks - and a constant wonder what the day might bring, be it a visitor from out of town, or a neighbor coming by to greet the local oddity.

Well, you can't argue with most of that. The women part, you'll admit, you can live with, regardless of species. It's just the mundane life that you can not stand.

Being born in a war-torn world, and trained with the sword in one hand, and runes in the other, you were among the best of the best Hexblades - warriors who have mastered the art of the blade and rune, along with many other things essential for survival.

You've also been enhanced far beyond the limits of your fellow Plainswalkers because of said training... though that's a story for another time.

Above all else, though, there's one thing you absolutely hate the most... mornings. You hate the fact that your hibernation has to come to an end, you hate the fact that your day has to begin, as slow as it is, and you hate the fact that you have to do this without being in the unpredictable wilderness, where the fun actually happens!

You turn to your side, and spot Gilda sitting there on the chair to your right, face down against the table. With a clever smile, you look away from her, sighing in slight relief.

"At least I'm not the only one here that thinks this is boring as hell..."

You look towards the kitchen and listen in on the happy humming from one particular griffon - Gabby. Somehow, that bird is hyperactive regardless of time of day, be it sun up or sun down. It's a mystery that you can't quite put your finger on, but at least it's something calm and relaxing to adjust to.

Ever since you woke up a few months back, she was the first one to find your unconscious form. Luckily, she made friends with a couple other griffons that can lend her a helping hand... or talon, in their case. Surprisingly enough, she's actually quite good at alchemy and medical treatments... but compared to most other griffons, she's not really that strong.

That was where Gilda came in, who's actually very strong compared to most griffons her age and size. You're even bold enough to assume she might be the strongest in Griffonstone, but that's debatable due to your limited knowledge on the griffons in this world.

Sure, you've seen a few in your old world, but they were all beasts of burden, and not as intelligent, or sapient, as these... nor were they as colorful.

If anything, these griffons are essentially more expressive than even a few of the people you've met in your travels... and you've met quite a lot of people in your line of work.

But again, you're digressing... probably from the tiredness.

"And it's ready!~" Gabby calls out from the kitchen in a sing-song voice. When you look up again, you see her flying into the Dining Area with a tray neatly balanced onto her right talon, carrying a teapot with four mugs placed on the opposite end of it to act as a counter-balance.

When she places the mugs down, however, you can't help but notice something odd about them.

"Why are there feathers in the cups?" you ask, eyeing the mugs curiously.

Gabby looks up at you as if you've asked one of the dumbest questions out there, but then shrugs her shoulders, likely remembering your otherworldly origins, and replies, "Rites of ownership, of course! We each have a feather in a cup that marks it as our own!"

You hum, eyeing one in particular that has three feathers in it, each of a different color. You nod at it and inquire, "... And that one is?"

Rather than answer your question, she goes on ahead and starts pouring a cup of tea in each cup, then passes them around the table, one to Gilda and one to herself. As she goes to pour the tea into the cup with the green feather, the owner of said feather enters the area, taking a seat left of you, not looking much more energetic than Gilda or yourself.

"Oh! Good mornin', Greta! I made us some Green Tea! Should help wake us all up in no time!" she says, while Gilda mumbles something inaudible underneath her arms, mug of tea now gripped firmly into her right talon.

Then Gabby places the mug with one of each feather in front of you, and pours the tea inside it.

You eye the tea curiously, before looking up at them. As Gabby picks her mug up, you take a mental note that she didn't remove the feather from it... and by the looks of it, the other two don't intend on doing so, either.

But even still, you also take a mental note that they're all staring at you, now... as if anticipating something amazing about to be happening... what's more, even Gilda seems to have adjusted her posture to where even she can see you.

You're not sure why, but for some reason, you feel as though removing the feathers would be a horrible mistake... and so, you decide to echo their actions, taking a sip of the tea, feather in the mug and all.

Not that you're really bothered by it, of course. From the world you're from, you've had to suck many a potion, which oftentimes had even worse ingredients in it. The feathers are nothing out of the ordinary, and even seem to provide a nice little touch to the blend... giving it that much more of a unique flavor.

They all quickly look away from you as you take the first sip, but you are quick to notice that their cheeks suddenly flushed red the moment you started to drink the feathered tea.

You'd ask why they're getting all worked up, but you doubt they'd reply at this point. At least you didn't piss them off, though, so that's a plus.

"Eh... probably just a griffon thing." you think to yourself, as you lift the mug up and take another sip.

"Some damn fine tea you made here, Gabby... thanks." you compliment. She giggles and bows her head politely before picking up her own mug and taking a sip.

The rest of your "tea time" goes by rather uneventfully and quiet... peaceful, at the very least. You're not sure whether it's good or bad... definitely not unpleasant, though.

"The best part of waking up..."

"... is a job search in the town!"

Awkward breakfasts aside, you'd have to say that one of the more interesting aspects of this world is its scenery... though when you say "world", you simply mean "town". Sure, there were floating cities in your old world... usually inhabited by those pointy-eared Aetherians, but to think that a sky-bound city run by bird people exists... it's charming in its own way.

With you are your three flock-mates, each self-assigned for their own roles - Gilda being the physically helpful "push" that nudges you towards the next place to look, Greta being the guide on what to say, and Gabby being... emotional support for whenever you're turned down.

Not that you really need emotional support, but you'd be a vile wretch if you turned that face down.

Speaking of faces, you can't help but notice that after the tea this morning, their faces have still been somewhat flushed... just what was the significance of that cup of tea, anyways? And you don't think you'll make it through the day if you mention it out loud, but you could've sworn you heard all three of them giggling behind your back... all three, including Gilda, of all griffons!

Again, though, it's probably just a griffon thing. Regardless, it at least brings a smile on your face when you envision big, tough, grumpy Gilda giggling like a little girl.

One of the many curses of mortality... you can't always hide yourself from being who you are.

As you step into the next building, a tavern of sorts, you wait over by the not-too-occupied counter and wait for someone to arrive.

When someone finally does decide to come over, she smiles widely at you and folds her arms over the counter; her eyes drooping to a half-lidded gaze that look up towards you.

"Well hey there, handsome! How can I help you today?" she asks in, what you'd assume sounds like, a flirtatious-sounding way. You seem to get that a lot, actually... perhaps a lot of folk in this world just find aliens that interesting?

Then again, it's probably just part of her job, what with this being a tavern, and all that... probably what it is.

You smile back at her, putting the thoughts into the back of your mind, and nod your head in greeting. Not wanting to sound rude, but still wanting to get straight to the point, you then try to reply to her. "Hey. The name's Regol. I'm looking for a jo-"

Before you even get a chance to finish your sentence, you feel Greta's talons grip onto your arm and turn you around. She then walks you towards the exit, while looking almost like the feathers on her neck have started to fluff out a bit more than usual.

"Nope, don't trust her. She's a horrible griffon, and likely trying to trick you into doing something terrible." she says, stretching a wing behind your back so you can't really look over your shoulders and expect to see anything more than her feathers.

"Uh... are you sure that's-"

"Yes. I'm positive. Simply put, that griffon is a conniving whore, and likely trying to get you to do something unpleasant for her. For all we know, she might be carrying a bunch of diseases, too!" Greta, the usually quiet one, points out to you.

You'd argue that she might be taking it a little too far, but that credit might be better sent to Gilda, whose reflection you can see from a mirror ahead of you. She seems to be giving the waitress at the counter a death-glare, with a few gestures that, without a doubt, make it clear she wants to kill her.

And the poor waitress seems to be hiding behind her counter, now, afraid to even look at either one of you.

As for Gabby... she's just like you, actually, and trying to piece together what the hell just happened.

Whatever the case, a similar thing happens for each place that's being managed by a female. You wouldn't get a single sentence in, and already your company smells distrust in the air... even though all you'd likely smell are the feathers of whichever Griffon decides to pull you away, be it Gilda or Greta.

Eventually, though, you finally manage to reach a place that's run by a male griffon. He looks up at you from across the counter and smiles. "'Ey! How can ah help ye today?"

You lean against the front desk and sigh, placing your hands on your forehead. It's interview twenty, now, and you're about done with this mundane bullshit.

"The name's Regol. I'm looking for a job." you say, at this point not even bothering to give the speech much emphasis.

The griffon hums, then smiles at you, shaking his head. "Heh... no ya aren't, lad."

This catches you off guard. Raising an eyebrow, you look up at him. "... Pardon?"

Again he shakes his head. "Aye, ye be pardoned... but ye ain' lookin' fer a job, neither! Ye look as bored as the Seven Hells of Tartarus, if anythin'! Ye seekin' a lot more adventure than a simple job can offer, ain' ya?"

You blink once... then twice. A small smile begins to form on your lips, as the thoughts of adventure finally returns to your mind. "Yeah... I suppose I am. But, uh, how did you...?"

He raises a talon up and waves dismissively. "Can see it in yer eye, lad... if'n ye want a TRUE adventurer's job, ye be wantin' to head on o'er ta Equestria... more specifically, Hollow Shades!"

Gilda tilts her head confusedly and approaches the counter. "Hollow Shades? Ain't that dump been abandoned for years, now?"

The shopkeeper shrugs his shoulders. "Fer the most part, yeh... but after Princess Twilight an' her friends freed the Pillars of Old, the place became a hotspot fer the brave an' adventurous... eventually, they 'ad a new building erected where the Pony of Shadows was once imprisoned! Tha' building would happen to be the one ye be seekin'!"

"Does the building have a name?" you ask.

"Aye, tha' it does, lad. The Adventurer's Guild!"

"And the place was established by a princess?"

He nods his head. "Indeed, it was. Despite bein' a princess, she an' her friends were quite the adventurers themselves!"

Gilda nods her head in agreement. "I can vouch for 'em, Regol. One of her friends also happens to be a good friend of mine, as well. She sends me letters all the time about the crazy stuff they've been through."

"I see..."

You then rub your chin in thought, deciding your next question to ask.

"What kinds of tasks do the Guild provide?"

He shrugs his shoulders. "Far as I can tell, pretty much anythin' for any profession, so long as yer able ta pass the tests!"

"And would slaying monsters happen to be among them?"

"Aye, believe it or not! Ye'd be surprised how often a beast needs ta be put down, be they Feral or otherwise! Even 'ad a few bandits that need dealin' with, though more oft then not an Adventurer would rather capture 'em and send 'em ta prison!"

"Killing them would be easier." you say with a shrug.

"Perhaps, but ye'd also likely be rewarded extra bits fer prisoners brought alive, as well!" he suggests.

"I guess that'll depend on how willing they'd be to comply."

He leans back against his seat a little bit. "Yer quite curious about it... I take it ye'll be wantin' ta give it a go?"

You sigh, shrugging your shoulders. "As tempting as it is, I'm afraid it may not be an option. I'm part of a flock, now, so I'm kinda stuck here."

Gilda shrugs her shoulders, patting you on the back. "Hey, relax Regol! It ain't that bad up here, once you've gotten used to it!"

Greta quickly flies inside, catching all of your attention. "Guys! Gabby might be in trouble!"

"WHAT?!" Gilda shouts, her wings flaring out.

You quickly stand up and run outside. Your flock-mates follow close behind.

"The best part of waking up..."

"... is a fight in the middle of the town!"

As soon as you step outside the building, you glare at the sight of a rather tall, burly-looking griffon looking down at Gabby, who's lying on her back, staring fearfully into his eyes.

"I-I'm sorry, sir! I promise, I wasn't trying to-" she begins, only for him to roll his eyes and motion with his right talon in a mocking pattern.

"Bleh, bleh, bleh, you're sorry, you're sorry! WHY DON'T YOU WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING, YA DAMN FEATHERHEAD!" he shouts, causing several of the gathered griffons to gasp at his choice of words.

You glare at him and instinctively reach your right hand over your shoulder, ready to draw your sword, when an unfortunate reminder comes up... your sword's back at the house, along with your Leather Armour.

With an annoyed sigh, you decide fists will have to do for the time-being.

"Not a local, is he?" you ask, briefly turning your head towards Greta.

She shakes her head. "No... but it looks like he's about to grab her! We've gotta do something!"

You nod and take a single step forward. Then you're about to call him out, when a white and brown blur quickly rushes past you - it's Gilda. And judging by the look in her eyes, she's definitely not looking to make friends out of the guy.

Before he could even turn around, she crashes right into him, sending him flying into a nearby house. Upon crashing into the wall, he collapses inside, with Gilda hot on his trail, leaping in for the kill.

Seeing how she's dealing with him, you quickly rush over to Gabby to help her back up to her paws and talons. As soon as she's up, however, she quickly pushes her head into your chest, wrapping her arms around you, weeping and shaken up.

You wrap your arms around her, pressing your chin onto her scalp, then slowly and calmly start brush her feathers.

"H-he was about to... h-he almost-" she begins, only for you to coo at her.

"Shh... no he wasn't. Not while I'm around... or Gilda, or Greta for that matter."

She sniffles a bit more, before the sound of the griffon crashing out of the wall and into the next house catches your attention. Looking up, you see Gilda fly into the place, and pull back from the hug.

"Gabby, please go and fetch me my sword." you ask, before turning towards Greta. "And Greta, please bring me some runes."

"What kinds do you need?" she asks darkly, perhaps having the same thoughts as you.

"Fire, preferably. But if you can't find any, then just something to help us teach this bastard a lesson."

She nods her head before taking flight, with Gabby following right behind her.

... Until a few seconds pass.

"Uh, Regol?" Greta calls out from behind you. You turn around and spot several armored griffons flying around them, each with spears drawn.

One of them lands in front of you and looks up into your eyes. Though he has a stoic demeanor, you can already sense the fear in him.

"You, there! Are you with them, by any chance?" he asks, motioning towards the scene behind him. By coincidence, Gilda crashes out of the building with the griffon male firmly gripped by the neck. Upon landing, he scurries back up to his talons and flies away, with Gilda shouting threats at him on the ground level, while several guards surround her.

You cross your arms over your chest and glare at him, making him take a single step back.

"I am... why do you ask?"

He straightens his posture back up and clears his throat. "I'm afraid this kind of behavior will not be tolerated... I'm going to have to ask you four to come with us!"

You sigh, before pinching the bridge of your nose.

"Listen. That griffon that just flew away was threatening one of us."

He nods his head. "I'm aware, but that's not the reason why we need you."

"Then what is the reason?"

"... Property Damage." he says, nodding towards the latest building Gilda managed to tarnish with the other griffon's skull... and spine.

You look at it and sigh. "Oh... well, that DOES make sense, I guess... but how the hell's that place even stand-"

As if on cue, the house's walls collapse, and with it, the roof. All that's left of it is nothing more than rubble on the ground.

You then look at Gilda and deadpan. It could've been any house, but no, it's almost like fate wanted to make a fool out of you all. Remembering the street you're on, you're quick to mentally note something very, very important that you don't think Gilda realized until just now...

... that was your house.

"The best part of waking up..."

"... is a Court Case for the flock!"

The judge raps his gavel against the platform, while you and your flock sit at the Defense Table. The jury surrounds you all in the room, with several armed guards in-between.

Gilda looks angrily at the judge, and Greta simply remains calm as ever. Gabby looks up at everyone with a worried expression adorning her features.

You, however, are also sitting there calmly, listening to the judge describe the numerous damages that she caused the town, both from today and some other times while you weren't there.

"... Then you lit the store on fire and said, and I quote, 'he's mine, lay off'. How do you plead, Gilda Gruff?" the judge asks, looking at her accusingly.

She simply grins at him and shrugs her shoulders. "Guilty as charged! And the bitch better remember it, too!"

He raps the gavel against the desk again, as the jury starts to squawk their anger and protest against her... some, quite literally, as well. It makes you grin a little.

"ORDER! Young lady, you will refrain from using such language at once!" the judge threatens.

"Or what, you old bag?! You'll lock me away for hurting your feelings?!" Gilda asks, leaning over the desk with the cocky smile on her face growing even wider.

Something tells you she's not really that interested in staying here... that, or she's too angry for reasoning. Probably both.

You quickly turn towards Greta, who's sitting next to you, clawing a symbol onto a small pebble. The symbol would appear to be shaped like a pair of eyes and a diamond in-between.

She looks back at you and subtly nods her head before placing it in your hand.

Cupping the rune into your hand, you eye the griffon judge's eyes, and mumble a word.

"Mex." (Mind.)

"You know what?! That's not a bad idea! Very well, then! I hereby sentence you and your flock to lifetime imprisonment in-"

"Objection, Your Honor... I have a better suggestion, if you'd like to listen?" you call out, standing up from your seat.

The judge turns his gaze over to you, and frowns. "It's improper to interrupt me during this trial... but very well, then, since you were silent enough during this case, let's hear what you would like to suggest!"

You have to act fast, or the spell might wear off prematurely.

"I'd like you to alter that sentence. Instead of imprisonment, why don't we just gather what we can from what's left of our home, and settle for banishment from this shitty old town?"

A few of the locals gawk at you, while the judge hums, thinking about the suggestion.

He then glares at you and shakes his head. "And if I say my suggestion was better?!"

In response, you glare back at him and point at his forehead, with the rune neatly concealed within your palm. "You won't. My suggestion is better, isn't it?"

His back suddenly stiffens. Though the naked eye wouldn't be able to see it, your left eye is able to pick up the aura of magic around his brain.

The Mind Spell worked.

"Yes... you're right. I hereby sentence your flock to banishment from Griffonstone! Only by lawful permit may you be allowed to enter, but not to reside within it for the rest of your lives!"

And as soon as he raps the gavel across the desk, you feel the rune crumble in your hand. The magic no longer surrounds his mind, but thankfully the judgement has been passed.

"About time, I'd say... this stupid town's boring, anyways!" Gilda comments, before you four stand up from your seats and make your way over to the exit.

"It took us a few hours to go through the remains of the house... but after finding my old chest, I quickly put my Leather Armour on, fastened my sword over my shoulder, and rendezvoused with the flock at the Town Gate. Once we were all set, we began our trek towards Equestria.

"Gabby was actually quite happy with this outcome, as she kept on cheering about how we're going on an adventure. Perhaps she was getting a little pent-up in the mundane lifestyle, as well? Whatever the case, she's quickly gotten over the incident in the town, so that's good, at least.

"As happy as Gabby was, though, I noticed that Greta seemed a bit saddened by this turn of events... and I guess I can see where she's at. Being born and raised in the town, but used to the secluded lifestyle, it only makes sense that she'd likely prefer the peace and quiet. Perhaps I could make it up to her later on... maybe help teach her about survival, and the beautiful part of living the adventurer's life. I'm pretty sure she'll be homesick for the next few weeks, though... best bet is to give her her space, for the time-being.

"Gilda was, more or less, neutral about all this. Despite her saying that she hated it here, I guess she also felt the sting of loss, due to this place being her home. She was, like Greta, born and raised here, after all. That, plus after the first hour, the reality of the whole situation kicked in, and she was somewhat disheartened by the fact that she just lost her home. However, the way how some of the locals looked at her was good enough motivation for her to give the town the finger... or the claw, in her case. Quite literally, in fact.

"Regardless of how things could've gone, we really didn't have many options at the end of it. If I'd have made the judge drop the case entirely, I knew someone would grow suspicious, and if we decided to stay, we wouldn't really have a house to go back to, anyways. After all, Greta sold her home to move in with Gilda, and Gabby mostly lived on her own on the streets until Gilda invited her into her flock.

"So now, let's wrap things up and summarize this little adventure of ours, if we can even call it that... hmm... well, I guess to make a long story short, this is how we were kicked out of Griffonstone."

Author's Note

Because I'm a boring guy, here's a picture of Regol in his Leather Armour, so that you don't have to take wild guesses what you look like in this world!

PARTY STATUS:

Gabby:
(Amity) ☻☻☻☻☻☻ o o o o +1
(Sensuality) ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ o o o o o +2

Gilda:
(Amity) ☻☻☻☻☻ o o o o o +0
(Sensuality) ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ o o o o o o +1

Greta:
(Amity) ☻☻☻☻ o o o o o o -1
(Sensuality) ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ o o o o o o +1