Chapters Overture
Moonlight streamed down through the trees. It was midnight in the Everfree forest. But on this night there were no birds flittering through the canopy. No mice in the brush. No anything. Aside from the wind in the trees, silence hung over the scene. As she passed the stream which she did every night, Zecora took these oddities into account. She noticed the lack of animals as well as the abnormal darkness. It was never this dark.
A foreboding mist had settled in beneath the branches as well, making the forest's navigation quite the challenge. She was conducting her weekly rounds about her domain, checking for disturbances. She examined every facet of the forest though she put the natural aspects under the greatest scrutiny. Most nights it was the same. However tonight, something was stirring. She raced over to various trees, running her hooves over their bark. They were too rough and dark coloured. She darted to the river. The swirling navy water was coursing along it’s normal path. She knelt down to taste it. Reeling at its bitterness she thought aloud,
“Something is quite wrong, but what it is that does not belong...” it was in this puzzle that Zecora hit a wall. She stopped
at all the usual sensors. Each and everyone of them foretold something was askew.
“But what could possibly be amuck, though in this pursuit sadly I am stuck.” On any given day she was the go to for
inquiries of all sorts. Today she was utterly flummoxed. Zecora sighed and decided whatever it was could wait till morning to
solve. Looking back up at the canopy, a cold breeze whistled through the leaves. The rustling unnerved her now as her guard was up. Hastening her pace she began her return. On the way back the odd sugns were still evidnent as if the development was mocking her. Arriving at the cottage she made sure to secure the entrances before settling down. still she was offset by the quandary. Then, after making a note reminding herself of her search and consuming a light snack, she retired to her quarters to rest her mind for the inevitable puzzle that dawn would bring.
Meanwhile in Ponyville, the solution to Zecora’s conundrum was slowly sneaking through the vacant streets. Calmly yet decisively this shadow embodied the phrase festina lente. Without panic he stole through the gardens and found himself in front of the library.
“Alas. The wait is up! Intermission is over and act two of my ballad shall commence!” The figure was none other the great Discord. Unbeknownst to the denizens of Equestria, the Draconequus was free. While he may have been “defeated”, it isn’t so easy to restrain a force of his caliber. Now once again the long term thorn in the sun princess’s side was roaming the lands. The only difference was that the old stick didn’t have a clue. So as long as he covered his tracks he had carte blanche. But Discord hadn’t spent his free time faffing around. No the king of chaos was his usual self, which meant that he was most certainly plotting his revenge. Back when he first returned, the 6 “Elements of Harmony” shot him down. They supposedly incarcerated him within a stone shell. But, despite all of Celestia’s efforts, the chaos lord still escaped.
“Hehehehehe... Here I come Princess.” He chuckled to himself as he approached the library. “A chain of event which you could have never expected has been set into motion.” With a quick snap of his tail the draconequus conjured a mirror. He turned to his reflection smiling deviously.
“Why hello there. Quite the handsome one aren’t you. How would you like to hear all about my fun little plan? Oh don’t worry, it will be worth your while. So after I fled the scene of my most embarising defeat, I went to the mountains; the land of the Griffins. There I plyed my trade, using a few pinches of magic and many, many heaps of mollification to gain the irritable chickens as allies. Lucky for me the assuagement worked wonders not only with the bird-lions, but with plenty of other disenfranchised groups along the way. Lastly I made my way to the new abode of the Late Queen Chrysalis and her Changeling hordes. While the death of the queen to some odd disease was quite sad, it certainly made my quest much easier. The weak regent leader crumbled under my pressure and I soon assumed total control. With my army ready, I was almost ready to take back my rightful throne. One last problem. Those pesky ponies. Last time I grew prominent they impudently interrupted my coup. But I am no fool. I know that without the purple one, the others would have fallen easy prey to my tricks. But that one, the student of Celestia. She was the barrier. Get rid of her and all impediments would be done away with. Now thats why I am here. How would I go about doing so you may ask?” The reflection did not respond.
“Great question! While I was wandering the northlands, I developed a new spell. This new incantation was quite complex. I created a world! Yes a new world rich in lore and history with it’s own people and all that jazz. I simulated a quite interesting scenario there as well and it is to this world which I shall send Twilight. Yes it is in my made up realm that I shall imprison that incessant do-gooder. I care not for what she does when there but she won’t be able to return unless I permit it. That is the last part of my plan. So what do you think?” Once again the reflection did not respond. Discord chuckled, poofed the mirror away and entered the library. He pushed aside the dutch doors, having to squat to make it through, and proceeded through the first floor without a hint of noise. He seemed to glide over the floor and his conviction was evident: he was not going to fail this time. By the time he reached to top of the staircase the edge of the sun was becoming visible over the horizon and the ultramarine sky was growing orange. He knew now that time was of the essence. As he moved toward the bed, a small shape was stirring in the corner of his vision. No the dragon! Acting quickly without panic he tapped the lump with his tail and the purple ball was once again deep in sleep.
“Now for the job.” Most of the mirth had left his system as he sat beside the sleeping figure. Then, removing a scroll from his knapsack, he slit his finger and dripped a small amount of blood onto the design. Then after doing the same with Twilights hoof, he began the ritual. It took all of two minutes but in a flash of green and purple light, she was gone. It had sucked all the energy from him and he crumpled against the wall. Well that was worse than I expected. Barely have enough in the reserves to get me out of here. And with the thought thunk and the deed done, he zipped himself out of the library. But when the bicoloured haze dissipated a small amount of residue from the spell remained on the ground. Turns out the deed was done but not without complication.
Alexandria
Orange-yellow spring sunlight streamed through the windows of Henderson Estate. At 5 sq. mi the complex dominated the Imperial City’s High Rim District. Its marble walls gleamed in the early morning light and the intricate architecture was a sight to behold. Within the high walls, which wrapped around the gem of house were several small groves and ponds adding to its grandeur. Here lived Nathan James Henderson. A man of about 6 feet, his stature was by no means diminutive. Neither was his wealth. To call him rich would be an understatement. As head of a private tax collection agency for the lower districts as well as a leading politician he held massive clout in governmental affairs. Not to mention massive sums of money in bank accounts. But did this powerhouse bureaucrat live in his gem of a house? No. The sole occupant of the chateau, aside from the help and workers, was his daughter: Alexandria Henderson. A student at Walterton’s Academy for the Upper Echelons the 16 year old had carte blanche on the grounds for 5 days a week when her father was working. During business days her father stayed in the Capitol Ring and even when he came home for two days a week he resided in his on-estate office building and paid her little notice. Not that it was a problem though. Alexandria loved the freedom. The cooks, maids, and lawn workers didn’t bother her either so it was fairly peaceful. Despite being born into this class, she didn’t fit the stigma too well….
A siren sliced through the room as the alarm went off, tearing Alexandria from her sleep. Ughth… Monday. She had been up late the night before working on some diagrams for her engineering course. But for now, there would be no experimenting in the realms of mechanics. No today she had to rush off to the academy. What made today special? Just that there was a new truancy officer: one that didn’t know her too well. She was able to pay off the old officer, a lazy old man nearing his retirement. He couldn’t have cared less as to what she did allowing her to skip whenever she saw fit. This new women however was a witch all right. Everything was subject to her probing glares. Alexandria had to watch her steps and cover her trail.
Sliding off from the bed, she trudged over to the window to open the curtains. Bright light blinded her momentarily but she soon glanced out over the grounds: thrushes and jays glided about above the glades, the fountain was up and running and the grass was green as ever. She gave a slow groan and pulled herself to the washroom, careful as to not step on the work that covered the floor. Turning on the shower she shifted to face the large wall mirror.
“Well… might as well get it over with.” Alexandria muttered, ruffling up her already messy orange hair and aversely looked forward to the day ahead. Putting thoughts of the day away, she strolled back over to the shower, stepped in and let the hot steam envelop her. Despite living her entire life in the chilly Imperial City, she had always loved steam. It made her feel at home. Most likely that it was the product of countless hours in the workshops. After getting clean she pulled on the school uniform, toweled and ruffled up her hair again then set off for the door. Before leaving however she went over to the corner and grabbed her knapsack and jacket.
Stepping out through the door she looked around. Just as she expected, the hall was empty. She made her way down the dull hallway to elevator and after descending for a few moments she found herself in the lobby and made ner way over to the dining room.
I swear this house is too big. It takes years just to get downstairs… “Hello! Anyone here?” She called out through the kitchen but it seemed no cooks were present this morning.
“Eh. They’re probably in some other wing.” She shrugged, looking over at the large grandfather clock. It was still 7:00 am; there were still 2 hours till she needed to check in.
“Well might as well get some breakfast outside.” And she knew just where to go. Bursting through the great doors at the entrance she raced over to the offset building to get the motor scooter. Then, after letting it get started she hopped on and zipped off for the gates. It took almost 10 minutes for her to get to the exit of the estate and by the time she was out the sun was high up in the sky.
“Okay I probably have an hour and a half left. That’s more than enough time to get to Hawthorne’s!” Hawthorne’s was a fancy and expensive tea place further down the avenue her estate branched off from. Ever since she was young she visited that shop and developed close ties to the owners. Mark Hawthorne, the owner and founder of the Tea Shop was the closest thing she had to real parent. He was always there to help her out with whatever it was vexing her at the moment. His son, Sam, was also one of her few friends. Sam was 20, 4 years older than her and had recently graduated from the Academy 2 years ago. When Alexandria first came to the school at age 12 he was a prominent figure on both campuses. Due to a lapsus calami she ended up having to attend classes in the boys buildings and as fate would have she would be partnered up with Sam for a project. Mrs. Hawthorne was also close to Alexandria and was her only true female role model. All were people she would be glad to see. I can just get something quick to eat there. As she zipped through the street dodging its rich patrons her thoughts once again wandered to the day ahead. It was shaping up to be fairly uneventful: lectures in every class, until 4 pm that was. 4 pm was her favorite part of every other day. It meant she was free from the mundane chains of the schedule for an hour. During this slot she stole off campus to go to the other side of the school, the boys campus, to attend her mechanics class. That was one of the benefits of having her standing. But this privilege too was in jeopardy. While the new officer didn’t know of it yet, Alexandria was certain she wouldn’t take too kindly to such a blatant disregard for the rules. That’s why she was up the night before finishing her newest project. Today seems a good enough day to unveil it. She smiled to herself at the thought.
“Well that ride went by quickly…” Arriving in front of the teashop she chained up her motor scooter to the rack outside and made her way to the door. Before she opened the door however, a poster caught her eye.
Attention!
The Imperial Army Needs YOU!
Anyone interested in applying for the positions of, and not limited to, soldiers, pilots, mechanics and other specialists!
To Apply, Head To The Airship Docked In The Harbor!
The Ship Departs May 15th marking the last day for this opportunity!
“Well this is great! More than great! Perfect! Wait… the 15th.” With that her heart sank, “That’s the day after tomorrow!”
Starting a New Chapter (pun intended)
“So you’re telling me I should do it?” Alexandria broke the silence. She was sitting in the room off behind the shop’s seating area, across froam Mrs. Hawthorne. The enclave was rather simple. A circular table made from dark, majestic wood and embellished with carvings along the edges and legs dominated the small room. 4 chairs were seated around the table: two of which were occupied. There was also a bar counter protruding from the left wall and on it lay a handful of upside down glasses along a folder of papers. Behind it were various alcohols and elaborate wine glasses. The ceiling was of the same color as the walls and a fan hung down over the table. There were no windows.
“But look at all the problems that brings up. First I would need an alibi at school. What happens if I don’t make it in? What will I tell the officer then? And what if I do get in. I can’t just leave! And my father has never exactly supported my ambitions...” After the questions tumbled from her mouth Alexandria plopped into the chair. Letting out an audible sigh she looked over pleadingly at her sole audience member. Emma Hawthorne’s kindhearted smile gleamed down at her bringing about a smile on her as well. Emma, the wife of Mr. Hawthorne was 42 yet looked as if she was still 25. She wore a simple green dress and sipped a cup of tea as Alexandria spilled out her problem. As always she was the first person the Alexandria went to if anything came up.
“Well I’m not ‘telling’ you to do anything.” She chuckled. “ You need to do what you feel best.”
“Because that answer always solves everything...” Alexandria muttered shooting her an annoyed glance, her voice drenched in sarcasm. Emma laughed again seeming slightly amused.
“What else do you want me to say? I have no real experience to give you. I think we should call Mark in here, he would know what to do. He is a bit more sensible than I in these matters” She got and walked over to door. Then opening it she summoned her husband who reluctantly abandoned a customer to appear at his wife’s side.
“What’s going on here? Oh hey Alexandria! Wait why are you here now? Doesn’t school start in 15 minutes? Not that punctuality is your strong suit.” Her husband, like she, looked much younger than he was. A man of 6 feet and medium build he wore a white dress shirt and a black vest over it with black slacks. His dark hair was combed off to the right.
“Well you see I have a little problem.” She got up to show him the poster. He looked over the advertisement and after examining it his face lit up.
“Are you planning on doing this? That’s great! A courier actually came by earlier with more information on this and told me to pass it on to anyone interested! So where’s the problem?”
“You see... I really want to go for this. Joining the Imperial Army is just the break I need. But as you know the end of the application window is the day after tomorrow. It would be cutting it too close if I tried to make it then. So that leaves today or tomorrow. Now if this was a week ago there would be no worries. I already dealt with the old truancy officer a while back so skipping would be no problem. But now, this new officer seems to constantly have gas. Plus she has something against me though I haven’t given her any reason. Yet. ” She chuckled but grew serious again.
“No doubt she would be all over it if I were absent.” Alexandria finished up.
“I get it. And if you do make it, which of course you would, how would you pull off leaving.” Realization dawned upon Mr. Hawthorne as he sat down at the table alongside the pair. Propping her feet up on the vacant chair Alexandria smiled at his understanding.
“So what do you suppose I do?”
“Go. I know that this is your dream. Enlisting with the Imperial Army is where you belong. I see the problems but in my eyes, there is no doubt as to whether or not you would be accepted. And if you did have to leave, do you really think Mr. Henderson would be too concerned?”
Alexandria looked down at the mention of her father. She knew at heart he wouldn’t care if she left. She tried to push it down but it persisted deep within her. She saddened and grew somber but quickly shook it off and replaced it with a gaze of cold seriousness.
“Yes I know. When, or should I say if, I graduate, no doubt he will try to pawn me off on the son of one of his clients. There are countless wimps in the government who would love a connection to my father. But let’s say I leave. That just makes it easier on him. No hassle huh.” Mr. Hawthorne sighed as she finished. He looked back at his wife helplessly but she could offer him no aid. Finally he got up and sat beside Alexandria ruffling her hair.
“Hey now I never said that. Whether or not it’s true you came up with all those words.”
“Hah no need to apologize. What you said was true and it’ll take alot more than that to bring me down!” Her eyes flared with rekindled determination as she shot up from the chair. Looking around she went over to the counter and grabbed some paper from the folder.
“Is this what the courier brought you?” She asked tersely, sorting through the papers.
“Yes but uh -- “ Mr. Hawthorne could barely get the words out of his mouth as she cut him off.
“Alright let’s see what it says.” Alexandria said as Mrs. Hawthorne sat back chuckling at the antics before her.
“Now wait a second don’t you need to see the rules before entering?” He leaned forward with a glint in his eye.
“So that means...?” She looked up at him, a grin spreading across her face.
“Yes that does mean what you think it means. I think you should go.” Alexandria leapt up and hugged him. Then she let go, turned and hugged his wife as well. Prying her off, Mrs. Hawthorne had to hold her in place before speaking.
“I don’t see why you needed to ask us? We have no power to hold you back if we said no.” Alexandria blushed a bit but rubbed her nose, grinning from ear to ear.
“Well you see... you guys are like my family. But enough of all this sappy stuff. If I’m going we have some stuff to work out. Come to think of it, where’s Sam? He should be home now right?” She looked around as if hoping for him to appear out of nowhere. Mr. Hawthorne seemed confused at first but then shook his head.
“He didn’t tell you? Sam left three days ago. He was chosen for an internship program in the capital district. I’m surprised that you don’t know about it.” An internship program! At the capital! That’s big! How could he just go off like that without telling me? I mean really? This is great for him and all but... She was torn. She scowled at his lack of consideration yet was happy for her friend at the same time. Hr. Hawthorne patted her on the back and scratched his head.
“Well think of it this way. Now both of you are going off on your own adventures without telling each other.” Her grin returned as he said this. By this time Mrs. Hawthorne had left the room to go tend to customers who were piling up outside leaving the pair on their own. Mr. Hawthorne turned and picked up the papers Alexandria had put on the counter and sifted through them.
“If you’re gonna go through with this then we need to know what we’re dealing with first. Lets see,” taking out a pamphlet he began to read from it, “You will need to provide your own clothing but uniforms will be standard attire, any personal items that fit in a duffle bag, and yourself. Food and rooming are provided. Weapons, training stations, workshops and raw materials for practice are all provided as well. In order to be selected for a soldier position applicants must pass rigorous physical tests as well as mental tests. For other specialist positions there are varied assessments and applicants must bring an example of his their work. The program goes on for 3 months. During that time a selection process occurs and at the end a relative percent of the enrollees, based upon total number and categories, will become cadets in the army.” Catching his breath after the long list he furrowed his eyebrows clearly hung up on something.
“Did you catch that one part in there Alexandria? For specialist positions applicants must bring an example of their work.”
“Hmm... an example of my work. Aha! I got it! Over the last few weeks I’ve been working on a project for school. I would go as far to say it’s my best work yet. And the best part is it’s finished.” Alexandria was now buzzing with excitement and her grin was fixed from ear to ear.
“So about that other stuff. Clothes I have. Personal items? Well I don’t have too much I would bring... a few things I guess. So I’m all set!”
“Well just one thing. Do you even know what to expect out there. I don’t mean this as a jab at you but you’ve never left the High Rim. Things are quite different out there. Even in the lower districts. You sure you’re up for this?” Alexandria looked up indignantly. This prompted more chuckles from Mrs. Hawthorne who was passing by the door.
“Don’t worry about me. I don’t care what’s happening out there I can fend for myself.” He smiled back earnestly. Alexandria softened her expression as understanding dawned upon her.
“I get what you’re saying Mr. Hawthorne but it’s ok. I’ll be ok. Underestimating me is last the world should do.” He knocked her on the shoulder and got up.
“I know, I know. But be careful. Don’t be overconfident as it will be your downfall.” Slightly off put by his words, she quickly brushed it off and a spark returned to her eyes. Rising to come as close she looking him in the eye as she could she said:
“Once again you don’t have to worry about me. I’ll be cautious and everything. Now if I am to go then I need to head home and get everything ready. Let’s say I set out tomorrow. I need to pack my bag today and most of all make sure the project is ready. Not to forget getting some sleep.”
“I guess there is ‘some’ sensibility in that head of yours.”
“Aww come on that was uncalled for.” She tried her best to put on a hurt face but Mr. Hawthorne would have none of it.
“Wait you haven’t even eaten yet. Isn’t that why you came here in the first place?” Alexandria looked down at her stomach as it growled slightly. Nodding her head she got up and followed him into the shop. There he seated her at the bar where he set her up with a pastry platter and some tea.
“So how much will this spread cost me?” She asked gingerly before attacking the food.
“Oh don’t worry. It’s on the house today.” She needed no more and dug in. It took her only a couple minutes to devour the meal. After wiping her mouth on a napkin and gulping down a second mug of tea she pushed in the stool and thanked her friend.
“Ok well as I said I need to leave now so thanks! For the food and advice and opportunity.”
“Wait before you go off on this adventure what do you would happen if you applied under the name ‘Henderson’? It would be in every paper within a week. You need a cover.” Alexandria looked back interested.
“So what do you have in mind? I see your point though. I’m trying to escape this aren’t I? If they know who I am no doubt I’ll get some special treatment crap or extra attention and no way do I want that. I just want to be normal for once. Now for the hard part... coming up with a name.”
“And I have an idea. How about... Axel.” Alexandria’s grin was as wide as ever.
“It’s perfect! Axel. Short and right to the point. Perfect for an engineer extraordinaire!”
“Now calm down before you burst. You have things to take of... Axel” She stood there momentarily letting it sink in: her new life was about to begin. The name felt great. It’s almost as if I’m free now. Free from my name and life. Reality surged back as she bid her friends farewell.
“Guys I can’t thank you enough for all you’ve done for me. I promise I’ll stop by tomorrow before leaving to say good bye.” She stepped forward to hug Mr. Hawthorne who thoroughly reciprocated. Mrs. Hawthorne came out from the kitchen to do the same.
“Well make sure you visit us when on breaks. Also make sure you come by tomorrow. We’ll have a little surprise for you. Oh and don’t forget to write to us and to Sam. I’ll give you his post address tomorrow as well.” Mr. Hawthorne said as his wife hugged Axel a second time.
“Haha once again don’t worry. Of course I’ll write to all of you. So I guess I’ll be off then... see you guys later?” Axel was lost for words.Well this a rare occurrence... me lost for words? Well time to go I suppose.
“Bye... Axel” They couple said in unison as she opened the door and stepped outside. Axel was immediately swamped in water as she stepped onto the sidewalk. Well dammit. It’s raining. She pulled the hood of her jacket over her head and unchained her scooter. After revving it up once more she checked her pocket watch. It’s 1:30... I was there for 5 hours. No reason to go to school now. Might as well head back home. Axel sat on the scooter and set off into the street. Rain was coming down in sheets and coupled with the cold air it was not pleasant. Visibility was low as well so she had to be cautious riding through the waterlogged street.
When Axel arrived in front of her gate she stopped under the awning that covered the entry path. Before she could open up the gate however a voice caught her attention.
“Wait! You there please wait one second!” Axel turned to the shouts and caught sight of a girl running through the rain towards her. She was wrapped in a white cloak and was hardly visible through the wall of water. As she got closer though Axel could make out her hair was dark purple with what seemed to be a pink and lighter purple stripe in it. The sprinting figure finally made it the awning and began coughing. Axel quickly took off her jacket and draped it over the purple haired girl. She was about the same height as Axel and was thin.
“Thank -- you -- “ The girl managed to get out between a combination of panting and coughing.
“Take it easy. It’s ok and breath a bit.” Axel chuckled leading the girl to the bench, out of the hammering rain.
“What your name?” She sat down beside the purple haired girl. She took of her hood a
nd cleared her throat. The after wiping her face on the cloak she finally replied.“My names Twilight. Twilight Sparkle.”
Gryphon surveyed the situation. He and Pit were, as always, were sitting up in the Eagle’s Nest, the highest tower in the Imperial palace. They were beginning to spend all their time up there. A few months back, whispers of resistance in the East triggered the Emperor’s current whirlpool of paranoia. He had the two of them up here most of the day and all through the night to watch the skies and slopes around the palace. To anyone else it would seem that they did nothing all day. And that’s exactly what their visitor thought.
“I guess they were right. All you ever do is just lounge up here. Just toting that rifle around earns you the highest pay in the army. You’re nothing but the Emperor’s lapdog.” Their verbal assailant was a messenger. One the pair had never even seen before. A clear testament to her importance , Gryphon scoffed to himself. She came in just moments ago, to deliver a message he presumed. But she hadn’t gotten to it yet. The second she entered and saw the pair sitting against the wall she went off on them.
“And who happened to tell you that? I guess the whispers were right. It seems the guards might be jealous eh! I’ll have you know missy that we actually earn nothing. Yeah you heard right. The Emperor doesn’t pay us. We work for free. And this “rifle” is a Jackson-Miller Model 3 Sniper Rifle. There only happens to be one. Hand crafted for me. A well-aimed bullet could take even a military air base out of the sky. Granted only I could pull that off. And that is why we are who we are.” Pit seemed to spit the last part out. Gryphon knew he hated the Emperor’s guard. He called them all “self-entitled assholes who think they run the palace”. He’s even said it to their faces before. Pit was right, to an extent. The real work fell on he and Pit’s shoulders. Keeping the Emperor safe was their job and they were the best there is. Gryphon leaned back against the window to watch the encounter unfold. He wasn’t one to intervene but Pit could get ahead of himself sometimes so Gryphon stood at the ready.
“So who the hell are you? Sauntering in and slinging acquisitions around like you’re the equally useless Guard Captain.” Pit brandished his trademark smile. A smile he wore when he was dangerously angry. The rifle was too far for him to get to it but Gryphon noticed that Pit had a knife at his side. This could get ugly. Fast. He quickly stepped up in front of Pit and addressed the girl.
“What my partner means is that it’s disrespectful to enter someone’s post and accuse them of such things. You wouldn’t know a rat’s ass about what we do nor about our compensation so don’t speak as if you do. Now I can tell by the crest on your hat that you’re a messenger. The blue stripe means you are fairly high ranking. And that red badge on your uniform tells me that you’re also a soldier.” All she could do was nod. “So why are you here”. Gryphon preferred to be the silent observer rather than directly engage a situation but when he did so people were always stunned. Perhaps just hearing him speak out of nowhere came as a shock. Or maybe it was his sheer awareness of everything. Gryphon couldn’t care less. What others thought of him was of little concern. It took the girl a few moments before responding.
“My name is Tristessa Walker. I work in the Palace correspondence department. You’re also right about me being a soldier. I have background as a sharpshooter in the Imperial army though that was brief. I much prefer this job. Anyway I am here to deliver an order, a direct one, from the Emperor himself. He has a special job for the two of you and needs you to meet him in “a location that they will know” at 6:00 AM tomorrow morning. Sounds important.” By now most of her animosity had waned. She was smiling as she finished her reply to Gryphon. Meanwhile Pit was scowling at them from behind. Gryphon took the moment to examine her. He took in everything from how many strands of hair were out of place to a dark stain on the shoulder of her uniform. Anything that could possibly be of use, he noticed it first. All right a messenger. Chestnut brown hair, pointed features… most likely from the Illian highlands? So an Imperial native. Doesn’t really matter her ethnicity now does it. She’s from the Department of Correspondence and wears the telltale uniform. If the old Emperor sent her then he must trust her. Blue rank, that’s the second highest tier. Why does that make me wary? And she’s a soldier on top of it all. Seems about seventeen years old. Just like me… Fairly well accomplished. Nowhere near my level though. But I wouldn’t call what I’ve done “accomplishments”. Gryphon went through his thought process before his heart could even beat twice: that’s what made him special. He frowned, narrowed his eyes and tucked his findings away into the recesses of his mind, returning to the scene quick enough to see what Pit did next.
“Ok so now we know why you’re here. If you’re sorry for what you pulled earlier I’d like to show you something.” He turned back towards the cabinet by the window and she followed warily.
“I was warned before coming up here. If anything happens you’ll be in trou-“ Before she could finish he shoved a rifle into her hands. She looked at it. A Harrison 750. Just what she used in the army.
“You said you were a sharpshooter? Show me what you can do.” She nodded and grasped the rifle, going through the motions to load it. When it was ready she looked back at him.
“This is no firing range. How can I demonstrate my skill?” Her visible confusion mixed with distrust made Pit laugh and point to the window.
“See out there? About 250 yards out, there’s a few targets down on the road.” She looked. As he said, there in road stood four humanoid targets. “ I use them to practice. Someone comes and replaces them every night. Go ahead. See if you can hit them.”
Gryphon had once again slipped from the situation and was observing from the edge. His efforts to remain on the side were dashed however as Tristessa addressed him.
“Are you sure this is allowed? I’m don’t I trust Pit?” Gryphon nodded without breaking his silence while Pit laughed cunningly once more as he brushed his spiky dirty-blonde hair from his eyes. “All right then. Oh and you can call me Tessa by the way.” Her smile caught Gryphon off guard. He didn’t see too many of those and he didn’t like them too much. Smiles are as good as lies here in the Palace.
Tessa held up the rifle to steady and looked down its scope. Tightening up, her upper body muscles stood out as she took a good minute to aim. Then she finally shot. The bullet sliced through the air, whistling as it barely scraped the edge of the target. She turned back to Pit toting a look of accomplishment but was deflated by his unfazed frown.
“For all that aiming, the shot was mediocre at best. In the time it took you to ready you could have been seen, or worse caught. Then the actual shot. Oh my. You couldn’t even hit the target. And to think I was excited at seeing another marksman for a minute. Hah. That was laughable”
Tessa shot him a glare, which seemed deadlier than his rifle, before walking back to door, anger flaring. “Well you have your orders now. That’s all I came for.” She slammed the door behind her. Gryphon shook his head and glanced back over to Pit who was putting the rifle back in the closet.
“You’re always the charmer aren’t you? Anyways, stay here. I have things to attend to.” Pit just shrugged. He knew now to question Gryphon after working together for so long. “I’ll be back in a few hours.” Pulling his hood over his head he set off through.
Gryphon caught up pretty quickly and began walking beside her. She didn’t even notice the silent hooded figure before he spoke.
“So where are you off to now?”
Alarmed, she nearly tripped before turning on him and then recognizing the voice. “Oh It’s you. You scared me creeping up like that! Wait, I don’t even know your name!”
This surprised Gryphon, as he wasn’t accustomed to meeting new people and therefore was unaccustomed to introducing himself. “Oh? That’s right, I never told you. Well I thought you might be aware of it. Well my name’s Gryphon. I’m a special operative under charge of the emperor. Does that suffice for an introduction?” She could only nod again.
“Well then Gryphon, I’m going to eat now. Dinner will be served soon in my office. Would you care to join me?”
He had no reason to agree. He left the room to go to the library. A guard had requested him to research a topic, something the guard was too lazy to do himself, and Gryphon took the assignment. He could care less. It’s not like he had work at the moment aside from his obligatory training session with Pit in four hours. Gryphon wasn’t one to miss things. But somehow he couldn’t refuse her request. He shot the floor a signature scowl before replying. “Why not. Should I just follow you there now?”
She smiled again. “Sure. Now about earlier… is Pit always that sharp?”
Gryphon sighed. Pit was his closest friend and partner for three years now. They knew each other better than anyone else. “Well yes and no. He can come across fairly rough. He isn’t always like that. It’s just that we’ve haven’t had a job in a few weeks and he’s getting itchy for something to do. If you can get on his good side, which is an accomplishment in itself, he isn’t too cross. But if you anger him? Well then good luck. Also, I hope you’re not too dejected over what he said about your shooting.” Her smile sunk into an irritated frown quickly.
“He’s the expert. He is far more skilled than you could aspire to be.” Gryphon sighed again. “He’s the best the empire has. That’s why he has that job. Not just anyone get’s to where he is. He could bring down an Airfortress from five hundred meters with one shot. Don’t try to compare to him yet. Even he misses the target sometimes though.” What am I doing? Why am I doing this! I have work to see too! I can’t be wasting my time dining with a downtrodden messenger. With that visible cheering her up they arrived at the messenger’s kitchen.
“Here you can sit down at this table. I’ll be back shortly with some food.” He pulled his hood back over his silvery hair, letting it fall down past his nose, and lit a cigarette. After letting it sit in his mouth for a moment he took a deep breath of smoke. This is more than I’ve talked in weeks… I have half a mind to leave now and head to the training ground. That wouldn’t be too considerate though. I guess I’ll appease her for a little while but I’ll be off tomorrow. Who knows what the Emperor has in mind. Espionage, robbery, assassination, the list goes on. It could be anything. The fat old bird might just want us to stand behind him and physically watch his back. Before he could take another breath of the cigarette he caught sight of Tessa coming around carrying a food-laden tray. But that’s tomorrow.