The God of Sleep Has Made His House

I lift my tired eyes to the mountains in front of me, the sky awash with color.

The cool mountain breeze caresses my face, kissing me with it's tingling chill.

Ah, morning in the mountains.

It's always so beautiful. I could smell the robust aroma of pine and dew, I could hear the sounds of songbirds heralding the morning in. The dark of night was slowly receding to the abyss, and the morning sun rose from behind the peaks of the mountains, washing the landscape in warm light.

I shuffled from my seat, standing and stretching, while my joints popped and cracked.

True to my word, I spent the entire night on watch, only nodding off once or twice. And the times that I did nod off, certain images sprouted forth from my mind to torment the sleep away from me.

Two Equines, burnt to a fucking crisp.

Man, it bothered me more than I could have foreseen. I knew I had to talk to dad about it when I got home.

I don't know why, but I felt....depressed.

Do you ever feel that way some times? You just get this feeling of woe that washes over your being. It feels like all the world is lost, and you will never amount to anything in the end.

And than it goes away, just like that, in which you continue about your daily life.

I don't know how to describe it properly. Probably just rambling now.

Maybe it's because of those two Equines and their horrod fates. Maybe it's because Abinchova got away unpunished.

Maybe it's because I'll die someday, and all that I am will cease to be.

Maybe it's because everything has a meaning, yet everything means nothing.

Man, I should've got some sleep last night. It's to early to start thinking bad thoughts.

I tossed my cloak off to the ground, and removed my leather chest armor and tunic, leaving my torso bare to the morning air. I could feel the breeze picking up, slightly. It felt refreshing, alleviating all those shit thoughts from my mind.

I grabbed my bundle of clothing and walked inside the cave, careful to not disturb the two sleeping Equines.

Willow was curled into a ball, her little chest rising and falling in the rhythmic pattern of slumber, a small, but still noticeable smile upon her face.

Cute kid.

I hope she had pleasant dreams last night. God knows she deserves them.

Dash, on the other hand, lay sprawled out across the meager sleeping bag, snoring quite loudly (another reason why it was difficult to sleep at night). For being a lady, she acted very unladylike. Yet, she still managed to outstretch one of her cyan blue wings to cover the sleeping filly next to her.

She really is a loyal pony.

Careful not to disturb them, I dropped my cloak, tunic, and chest piece onto the ground, and rummaged through my pack to retrieve a set of fresh clothing, as well as a towel.

With my things in check, I strolled out of the cave and into the woods before me.

Pine needles cracked under my boots as I walked towards a small creek that was nestled a few yards in.

Following the creek up a bit, I came upon a small pond, which had been my bath tub for the past week.

The water reflected the still early morning sky, and, in the shadow of the trees, made the illusion that I was to bathe in a pool of liquid night. I cast off the rest of my clothes, and slowly waded into the water.

Like all bodies of water in the Northern Cold, it was freezing as shit.

Steeling myself and taking a gulp of air, I thrust my body under water, before bursting forth with a gasp of breath.

Immediately, I set to work scrubbing the residue of dirt and dried blood that was still caked upon me.

I'm pretty sure I speak for everyone when I say that we all do our best thinking when we are in the shower or in the tub.

And boy, was my mind going.

Laying in the cool water of the pond, a dozen different things came to mind.

Where is Abinchova?

Who were the two Equines back at the fort?

How many bandits does he have left under his control?

What time is it?

What flavor is Gilda and mine's wedding cake gonna be?

Where is Abinchova?

Is mom still worried?

What about Delilah, Sasha and Romulus?

If you eat yourself, do you become twice as large or do you disappear?

WHERE THE FUCK IS ABINCHOVA?!

But the thing I wanted to know the most at the moment is what to do with my two current companions.

Dash is a full grown mare, and can come and go as she pleases. I promised to escort her to Monolith, but as far as that goes, the rest, she's on her own.

But what about Willow? Where are her parents? Were they the two Pegasi at the fort? If not, than where did she come from? Most of all, what am I going to do with her?

I mean, I could take her back to the palace and she could stay there until we figure all this shit out, but than what?

Fuck, man. This job was so easy. Go in. Kill Abinchova and whoever else was there. Than leave.

Hostages always complicate things.

I'm just grateful that they're alive, though.

If push comes to shove, and her parents are either missing or dead, she could stay at the palace for awhile. At least until I could contact other family members of her's that would take her in.

Gilda and I are to young and dumb to be parents right now. The kingdom doesn't need anymore Un-Royalty as it is.

I'll figure this out later.

It took me a minute to realize that I had been floating and thinking for about a good thirty minutes, at least.

The sky was getting brighter, and the girls would be waking up soon.

Wading back to the shore, I dried myself with the towel and put on my fresh set of clothes, consisting of a simple dark tunic, pants, and boots.

I shook my head, my tattered, wet hair spraying water as if I was dog, and continued back to the camp.

Arriving back, I noticed that the girls were still asleep. I couldn't blame them, we didn't arrive back at camp until about 1 in the morning. Poor things must be exhausted.

Rummaging back through the supplies, I pulled out some basic flapjack ingredients, started a another fire, and began cooking up breakfast for the three of us.

Sadly, I wasn't in the possession of any meat at the moment. It wouldn't have been a great idea to cook it with my two Equine companions present, but nothing goes better with flapjacks than a couple of smoky sausages. Hash browns, as well.

The smell must have gotten to them, because by the time I had nearly finished the first batch, with aroma pungent throughout the cave, I began to hear stirring and muttering coming from my two little ponies inside.

"Morning." I said cheerfully, as I was greeted by two yawning ponies with a serious case of bed mane.

"Morning, Louie," Willow mumbled sleepily, as she gave me a tired nuzzle. Daw, so cute.

"Morning, Lou," Dash mumbled, as well, wiping the sleep from her eyes.

"Bring your plates from last night, guys. I made y'all some breakfast."

The two ponies shuffled over to last night's dishes, while I finished up another batch of great-outdoors-flapjacks.

Extending their plates, I shoveled on three flapjacks a piece, before digging into my own, humming a little tune to myself.

Willow looked up at me, inquisitively.

"You seem awful cheery Louie, did you sleep good?"

"I didn't sleep a wink at all, sweetie," I replied, before munching on a fork full of flapjack.

Willow and Dash gasped.

"Dude, you didn't get any sleep at all last night? Even after all that crap that happened at the fort?" Dash asked with a worried tone.

"I promised I'd keep watch last night, and I always keep my promises," I said without looking up from my scrumptious meal.

"But Louie," Willow pried,"Aren't you sleepy?"

"A little,"I replied, nonchalantly,"But I've pulled all nighters before. This wasn't any different. And if we were to be ambushed last night, I would've been ready. I said I'd protect you guys, didn't I?"

Willow and Dash looked at me with blank expressions, before both nodded their heads with a smile. I nodded back at them, before slouching down and enjoying my breakfast.

I heard both of them get up from their spots and walk to either side of me.

I felt lips press against both sides of my cheeks. At once, my face flushed with embarrassment, while the two Equines giggled at my expense before returning to their breakfast.

I guess I had Dash figured wrong. Maybe she could act like a lady. At least for a little bit.

"You still owe us a story, mister."

My inner thoughts were befuddled as a voice interrupted my thinking.

"What?"

Dash stared at me directly in the eye.

"You said that you would fill us in about yourself in more detail in the morning. It's morning. Now spill."

Fair enough. I did say that I would.

"Alright, what do you want to know first?"

Dash put a hoof under her chin in thought, while Willow looked at me with an excited grin.

"Well, you said you were an Un-Prince. What's that?"

I took a drink of water, before setting my empty plate down and facing the two curious ponies.

"Well, in Allerseen, the Griffin Kingdom, who do you think the predominant species is?"

"Griffins, duh!"

"And what species do you think is head of the kingdom?"

"Griffins, dude."

"And what am I?"

"Uh, a human thingy, right?"

"Yes, Dash, I'm a 'Human thingy'. So as you can tell, since I told you last night that the king and queen adopted me, that would make me part of the royal family, right?"

"I guess so."

"So wouldn't that make me a prince of the land, than?"

Dash rubbed her chin in thought again.

"Yeah, you would be."

"And that's where you are wrong, Dash. I'm not a prince."

Dash and Willow looked puzzled.

"But that doesn't make any sense. How can you be a king's son and not be a prince?"

I chuckled a bit, before replying.

"Easy. Because I'm not a griffin, Dash."

Dash still looked confused.

"I don't get it, dude."

I shook my head, sighing.

"Here's an example, you're from Equestria, right?"

"Yes, sir."

"Equestria is mostly ponies, with ponies ruling the government, am I correct?"

"Yeah."

"Now, how would you like it if you were all of a sudden ruled by a Diamond Dog or Minotaur?"

"I...I wouldn't really like that because they-"

"-wouldn't understand the populace they ruled because they weren't a pony, right?" I asked, finishing Dash's statement.

She nodded her head, waiting for me to continue.

"You wouldn't want a non-pony leading you; they'd never truly understand your needs as not fellow beings of intelligence, but as members of pony society. It only makes sense that a society of Equines should be lead by Equines. It's the same thing with griffins. I'm not a griffin. I live among them, I'm friends with them, my parents are griffins, as are my siblings and citizens. But, I can never truly be one of them. I'm a completely different creature, with a different biology and mindset. I don't have griffin instincts or ways of thinking. I can't even fly. So, if my father were to pass on, it wouldn't make sense for me to lead the kingdom. That honor would go to my younger brother, who is the oldest male  griffin in the family. So, though I am royalty, I cannot hold the title of prince, because that would mean that I am an heir to the throne, which I am not."

"So, why are you called an Un-Prince, than?"

"Because, though I'm not a prince in title, I still am royalty in name and deed. I have power, to some degree, to be present in all royal affairs, to give orders, and entitled to the family wealth as is all the immediate royal family, but I can never be king. Which is totally fine by me, anyway."

"You don't want to be a king, Louie?" Willow piped up.

I smiled at the little filly.

"No, Willow, I don't want to be king. I never really aspired to lead. I'm good just being my family's guard."

"That leads me to another question," interrupted Dash, "You said you're a Red Sparrow. What is that?"

"You don't know about the Red Sparrows or Un-Princes? Didn't you take a history class when you were a filly, Dash?"

A blush spread across Rainbow's face.

"I may or may not have necessarily payed attention in that class."

I shook my head with a laugh.

"Alright, than pay attention now. In the Griffin military, you have the standard army consisting of the Feathered Legion. Next, you have the Talon Guard, who are your basic police force. Every town, city and Rook has a detachment of the Talon Guard, with their headquarters being located in the city of Dis. God knows that city needs them. After that, we got the royal guard, who are predominantly in the 3 biggest cities of the Kingdom: Monolith, Hallow, and Dis. They're like the uber Talon Guard, where only the best of the best make it."

I took another sip of water, while the two ponies in front of me stared with rapt attention.

"Then, we got the Red Sparrows. They're the personal guards of the Royal Family, and the most violent of all the other military divisions. When we aren't guarding my family, we are usually sent on missions like the one I rescued you two from: search and destroy. My dad wants some creature dead or captured, we do it. Fast and brutal."

"So, you buys are a bunch of bad flanks?" Dash asked, wide eyed.

"I guess you could say that," I said, rubbing the back of my head.

"Too awesome! Well, not the crazy killing part, but the part where you guys just go around and kick flank! *squee!*"

I chuckled nervously.

"Heh-heh, yeah, so um, anymore questions?"

"I have one, Louie!" Willow practically shouted.

"Ask away, little one."

"How did you meet your family?"

A flood of memories poured back into my mind.

Cold nights, cold days (it always cold up north), no food, no clothes.

I was so young....

"That.....that's a story for another time, Willow," I said in monotone voice.

"But-I...okay.." the little filly mumbled, crossing her fore hooves across her chest.

I said it time and time again. That little filly is just to fucking adorable.

I reached and ruffled her mane, causing her to puff her cheeks out in annoyance.

"I'll tell ya one day, Willow, but not today. Right now, we have to figure our next course of action. First we go-"

"One last question, Lou. And answer it honestly." I was interrupted by Dash, who bore a stern look upon her face.

The look she was giving me made me feel uneasy, but I decided to play along.

"Alright, Dash, ask away."

"Back at the fort....what you did to that griffin...that thing you used....what was it?"

I could feel a grim expression across my face. Dash and Willow must've noticed it as well, because expressions of concern flashed across their faces.

I refused to look up from the ground that I was staring at. I don't know why, but I just couldn't look them in the eye.

"You only need to know this: it's a relic from another place. A place, you wouldn't understand. And, nothing good will come out of prying about it. Am I understood?"

Both Equines nervously nodded their heads.

"Swear to me. Swear to me that you won't talk about that thing. Not to one soul. Do you both swear?"

They both nervously nodded.

"Say it."

"I-I swear, Louie. I won't tell anypony."

"I, uh, me too, Lou."

I nodded my head.

"Thanks guys. If others found out about this thing and tired to have more of these made......just trust me when I say that nothing good would come from more of these things. Believe me."

An uncomfortable silence washed over us, each respectively thinking their own private thoughts.

By now, the morning sun was shining brightly in the sky, and it's warmth began to fill me life, washing away my weariness from last nights sleepless activities.

"Come on guys, put your dishes in the pile over by the supplies while I pack up the rest of the gear. From there, we're moving out."

The two snapped out of their thoughts before focusing their attention towards me.

"What's the plan, Lou?" Dash asked while Willow walked off and took the plates.

"We'll cut through the Woods of Desolation for a few miles. That'll take us to the Great Southern Road. At our speed, it'll probably take about 2 to 3 days of walking to hit Monolith. I think th-"

I could feel my senses tingling.

The faint sound of wing strokes in the air.

Too big and powerful to be a birds.

No Pegasi here.

It's a griffin.

Out here in this part of the wood? That can't be a good sign.

"Lou, what-"

"Shush, somethings coming."

In a flash, Dash tensed up, while Willow began to shake nervously.

"Get behind me," I told the girls before reaching for my sword and gun that lay beside the provisions.

A shadow passed over head.

My sword is sharp. My gun is cocked.

I hear the flapping of wings as the griffin lands about 10 feet away from us.

But I don't see an enemy.

I see a familiar red cloak, familiar black feathers, and the face of a very familiar griffin.

He wipes the dust off his cloak before turning to address me, while I sheathed my sword and pocketed my gun.

"Dude, I'd normally start off by saying how great it is to see that you're alive, but Ellie is, like, super pissed at you, right now."

I froze for a split second.

Ellie's home from the dragon migration?

God. Fucking. Damnit.