Escape

“Are we there yet?” I ask

“Does it look we are there?” Ideal answers

“No?”

“Exactly.”

“…When do we arrive at “Dark Wing”?”

There is something I notice; I have become a cry-baby. Of course, I have legitimate reasons to cry. I think. After all I found out I live in country in which I cannot fit in even if I wanted.

But for example, recently I had to walk a little bit to take a piss.

Now the problem is, after I took care of my business, I sprained my ankle, not in bad way that needed any attention. I just didn´t see the stone because it was covered in snow.

I shouldn´t have cried nor did I want to, but I did. I know it wasn´t bad, it didn´t stop my tear ducts. Ideal looked after me, to see if something happened. There wasn´t anything. So, now I´m back on her back (pun intended).

My point is that I have been a cry-baby since I can remember, literally. I think she is irritated with me; I can´t really tell with her.

“*sigh* Escape, you are annoying.” Oh, that confirms it.

I feel like crying again.

Governor Hedwin is having a bad day. Not in the sense of not being able to pay for food. But in the sense that he has meeting with his boss. The Martial. These are the few and short moments that are the most stressful moments of his life. Being the governor of the city and region of dark wing is stressful in it of itself. But the guy is always – oh no there he is.

Shortly having arrived via the train the old grey in a black military uniform griffon Martial enters the palace of the governor. The governor having been in the military like every griffon citizen knows how to behave with higher ranking officers and quickly straightens and salutes.

“At ease governor Hedwin, let us keep this short. There are still many griffons that I have to see during my tour.” He says with a little smile.

“Sir, then let us talk at my office.”

“Sounds good. Do you have by happenchance a little liquor. The ride has been rather long.”

“Yes, sir.”

As they walk along the halls of the mansion “In comparison to the other governor your residence seems rather modest.” Hedwin has of course meet the other governors, they always gave him the creeps. They had a way of intrigue and lies about them. That is why he takes the bare minimum of contact with them.

And yes, they had way too much money to throw around.

“Thank you, sir.”

Both are sitting in office, Hedwin is silently sweating. The only thing to hear is the breathing of the griffons, the rustling of paper as the martial is looking over a folder and his notes, and an old grandfather clock in the corner.

“Governor Hedwin, reports tell me that you have done a acceptable job. The taxes are fully paid, and dissatisfaction are kept at a minimum.” The martial closes his folder “But the workforce quotas aren´t fulfilled.” He looks over to the governor “There will be a second chance for you, as this is an easily fixable mistake.”

“Sir, in all honesty I don´t understand, how this is a problem? Shouldn´t a low crime rate be good? And it isn´t like I can just ask them to go into prisons.”

The martial gives him a light chuckle “That is true, but who else would work on the farms? How else would we support our mighty army with food?” Hedwin for the life of him never actually got an answer why they needed a large army. After all who could even attack them. “And Mr. Hedwin, you don´t need to ask. You forgot something very important.” He chucks his whole glass “We are griffons, We are predators, We don´t ask we TAKE what we want. Who cares if they steal from or murder each other?” The martial takes a watch from his pocket compares it with the grandfather clock and stands up. “Now if you excuse me, the clock is ticking. I expect you to correct this little mistake in a month. See you by then.”

“Farewell Martial, sir.”

The Martial leaves his office taking his bodyguards, to which Hedwin took no attention to, left. But before the martial went through the whole doorframe he stopped and turned back to Hedwin. Hedwin in turn began to sweat, more. “Oh, Hedwin, I have heard some rumours. I think you know which I mean. Are they true?” The martial began to smile, again.

His light sweating became very heavy sweating “Sir, if these rumours were true, do you think I would give you the truth?” He answers with his own little smile.

“Ha” the martial chuckles a little “Yes that is very true. Farewell.”

Silence. He is alone in his office. Oh calmness. The subject of his nightmares is finally gone. He slumps back into his chair like he´d just run a marathon. He takes some swigs from his liquor to calm his nerves and collect his thoughts. Even though the liquor will cause the opposite.

“Wow, what a dick,” says a voice from a cabinet inside his room. It was at this point, his panic just quadrupled. So, he drank directly from the bottle. Out of the closet came pointy eared and furry thestral. The exiting of the closet was more of a stumble.

“Cheerful, what in all that is sacred don´t you understand by “I am getting a visit by the, you know, THE MARTIAL” he rubs is forehead.

“Oh relax, he didn´t see did me, did he?” She says, trying to calm him down, doing exactly the opposite. His eye twitches.

“But could have. You have heard him. He already heard the rumours about us. He just had to be a little more investigative and he could have. Please, Cheer if he finds out I can handle whatever shit he wants to give me, but I couldn´t save you from his wrath.”

Another moment of silence broke out between “I didn´t think through it, again. Didn´t I?”

“Yes.”

“I´m sorry.” She tries to go over to another “What do you plan to do about the quota.”

“I don´t know.” He says, while looking back at the glass.

“You are good governor, I´m sure you will find something.”

“I thought I could be a good governor. But it is impossible. I thought that I don´t need play their petty games, but I have to.”

“But you aren´t, are you? I mean I know no governor who actually talks to their citizens.”

“You don´t know any other governor, because you never left this city.”

“True but my point stands, you are the best griffon.” She says and pats him on the head.

“Thank you. I…”

“…Love you.”

“Dreary, only you can tell me in such a beautiful way, that you love me and that I love … me.” Keep says few milliseconds before he gets a pillow thrown into his face.

“Aw Keep, were already late. Get up,” he says, already running through the kitchen, turning on the radio, and throwing things together in a way that it could be considered a breakfast.

“Oh no, how will I in this short time go down the stairs.” He says melodramatically, throwing in mock shock on his face, “it isn´t like we work and sleep in the same building.”

Dreary in turn just rolled his eyes “, here,” he gives a plate with egg and another maybe eatable substance over to Keep “the most important meal of the day.”

“You are always surpassing yourself with you cooking,” he says sarcastically “, but thanks,” in a more genuine tone. “Also, turn off the radio!”

After they ate their breakfast, they went to their bar. Cleaning and preparing everything for the upcoming day. Meanwhile checking upon their own little brewery. It alone doesn´t support them. They of course get most their supplies from different sources.

“It is a speakeasy,” says Keep.

“It is clearly a bar,” reiterates Dreary

“Do you even know what a speakeasy is?” asks Keep.

“Eh. No.” Submits Dreary

“Ok let me explain a speakeasy is indeed a bar, but the important difference is-” Keep is interrupted by a knocking on the door. “Already? Isn´t it a bit early.” The knocking became louder and quicker. “I´m coming.”

At the door, he opens the viewing slit and looks upon multiply cloaked figure. “Mysterious much aren’t you?”

“Is Mr. Shadowy and Mr. Shadowy here?” A female tone asks. Keep quickly panics. And opens the door letting the cloaked figure in.

“Not so loud. Stuff is secret you know. Come in. Come in. Why are you even cloaking yourselves, it´s illegal?”

When the door is closed, the figure throws away the cloth from her head and reveals Ideal Idea in thick soldiers clothing and heavily weaponed. She silently apologises to the clothier she stole the multiple cloths from and swears to return them.

Someday.

“Earth ponies? Here? Are you kidding me, who are-”.

“Ideal? What are you doing here?” asks Dreary.

“Dreary, why do you know her?” Keep asks.

“That´s because it´s hard to forget the leader of the Liberation Front, Keep.”

“Dreary,” Keep takes in a long breath. He puts his hoof on the shoulder of his partner “, what?”

Ideal answers for him “, he was an operative in Dark Wing, until you got together. That is why I know this to be a safe place.”

“Putting aside the long conversation I am going to have with Dreary. Ideal, you cannot possibly be here, you will get the whole army on our flanks.” Ideal in her case doesn´t listen she walks over to another of her fellow felons and pulls something out of his pocket.

She then hooves it over to Keep. “I think the blood stains shouldn´t be big bother. And the amount should be sufficient for my fellows and I.”

“That… That´s a lot of money.”

Dreary comments on that “Since when did you have such funding.”

“Recently,” she answers.

“I guess. We could close shop for a few days. And you can stay here. While you do, whatever you do.” Keep says.