Chapter 1: Birds in Human Clothing

         Ugh I hit the ground harder than I thought I put my hand to my abdomen, only to notice that... my wound was gone! How?! Upon further investigation I strained my eyes open to find myself in a dungeon, with my leg attached to a heavy chain ball. If this is the afterlife, why do I still wear life fibers? Even more stranger I was wearing my MK1 uniform from my previous life, the earliest form of my 3-star uniform. Is this another form of strange punishment? Or reward? I was distracted by my thoughts as I heard the cell door the left of me being slid open, I turned my head and saw….

WHAT THE HELL!? It was, some creature with a lions body and an eagles wings, claws, and head, I never seen such a creature walk upon the world, though I might not be on my world anymore. I guess these are what the demons of hell look like I thought to myself while glaring at this strange looking creature.

Then it spoke in a gruff voice that I can assume means its male, “Hey! You awake!? You’ve been taking up space in my dungeon for about three days now, and I’m not letting you pass out again without some answers!”

I was not going to be rash, though I find this thing’s delivery completely disrespectful, I calmed down for now, despite the slight glare from my face. The thing snorted, “Well at least you can understand me. Now that you're awake, you're going to be interrogated for your crimes.” Crimes! How dare that he! I am law incarnate! I would never commit false acts without orders or reason!

My glare intensified, but despite that I was able to keep composer again, and asked the thing, “What crimes do you accuse me of?” “What crimes’? You are trespassing Griffon Kingdom territory despite the border control keeping anything coming in or out without permission! Though I never heard or seen a creature as weird looking as you.” Griffons? Although strange he does fit the part. He noticed my confused yet angered face, and made a signal outside the door with his claw...hands… I don’t know.

Two more griffons covered in armor, I assumed were soldiers for their military, ran in and the prison keeper, I assumed he was, pointed at me. The two soldiers had metal braces to latch my arms together behind my back, and then detached the ball and chain from my leg, and began to float me to this ‘interrogation room’.

“Jeez this guy is heavy!” “Yeah! Is he on a full-rock diet? Because that is what he feels and weighs like!” The two soldiers continued to bicker about my mass, with my patience drawing thin, as they pretty much hovered me throughout the halls of the dungeon. I observed my surroundings and noticed how many of these griffins filled the cells, almost like a recent war caused a flood of criminals to flood in. Most of the prisoners gave me glares with their eagle like eyes, I was even more convinced that these were war criminals as I noticed multiple scars littering their faces, and their eyes were filled with the bloodlust of a dedicated warrior.

We finally reached a room at the end of the dungeon hallway, which was forbiddingly darkened hiding everything in darkness except the chair in the middle of it. The two soldiers strapped me to the seat, and put my arms, legs, and torso in metal braces. I see no reason for hell to be precautions of its occupants, though maybe this is not hell.

Once again my thoughts were interrupted, but this time by slamming of a metal door I assumed. The two soldiers lit up the torches in the room to reveal upon my eyes something truly interesting. All around me were torture devices littering the ground: racks, pillories, ropes, chains, whips, iron maidens, scavenger’s daughters, and so many more. It was truly a medieval marvel to behold, my admiration for this dedication of collective torture devices was shut off by someone coughing out loud.

A new griffon that I never seen before was standing a few feet away from me, I noticed that this its beak was damaged majorly with one side almost looking completely chipped off. He spoke, “I am Carac the Sadistic: prison negotiator, or just Carac if you want. Sorry to distract you from my wonderful instruments” He seemed to be almost excited for this negotiation to start, as I could guess from the slight peppiness of his voice. I just stared at him with a slight glare in my face, “Well it seems we had someone, or should I say something, trying to cross lines that should never be crossed, though it is giving me the change too…. ‘talk’ to such a unique creature.” I could see a gleam in his eyes as he said that last line. “Now then, first things first, who and what are you? It may seem rude, but I never ‘interrogated’ a species that looked exactly like you, and you must be very confused”

I signed, but knew I had to comply to get some answers, so I gave them, “My name is Gamagori Ira: Disciplinary Bureau Chairman, Nudist Beach operative, and a member the human species.” He recoiled for a second, “I never heard of this species ‘human’ and you have an interesting position in your country, speaking of that, what country on Equine do you come from?” Huh ‘Equine’ is that the name of the afterlife plain? I answered back, “I never heard of this ‘Equine’ you speak of, but I represent Honnouji Academy, in the country of Japan, on the planet Earth” Carac turned his head in confusion, “Earth? Japan? Honnouji? I never heard any of those names, unless by ‘Earth’ you are referring to physical ground of Equine, I never heard it used as the name for a planet. Now, I would want to hear more of your origins, but the higher ups want to focus on your crimes and I don’t want to disappoint them.”

He walked slowing behind my chair and asked me, “How did you trespass so far into the Griffon Kingdom? We have the military guard the skies and borders of the entire country, and you seemed to just… fall out of nowhere to be blunt.” I had no idea how to answer that question; I died and fell from the sky, how could I explain this? Keeping a straight and serious face I told him all I know, “I have no idea, on my planet of Earth I received a grievous injury in the abdomen and bleed out till death. After a few moments of just darkness, I found myself plummeting from high in the sky of this ‘Equine’ and landed on some jagged rocks, knocking me out…”

There was just silence for a few seconds, until I felt the back of my chair detach. “Well” Carac spoke “I guess you want to do this the hard way, we griffons do not appreciate criminals who do not reveal their tricks to us.” An instant after he said those words I felt a crack of a whip hit my back, but because of my uniform, even at its earliest of stages, I barely felt a sting, plus I have a very high tolerance for pain. I just grinned widely, “Really, is that the best you can do? You might as well be hitting me with a feather.” Carac, with glee, said behind me, “Ohohoho! We have a fighter in here, I always love breaking those!”

He cackled madly as he whipped me with even more force than before, but after 50 lashes he could tell I was not feeling anything as I just laughed boisterously, “Not bad for an amateur! Tell me are you just going easy on me? Or are you too squeamish to inflict pain on a prisoner?” I heard him growling, “You want to act tough huh! You bastard! Well then I guess you do not want to feel anything but pain and agony today!” He dangled a whip edged with small sharp-looking steel spikes in front of my face. Laughing madly he brought the whip down with all his might:

CRACK! To only to discover not a scratch adored my uniform and I flinched not an inch. “Bu-but how!? Those spikes should have torn through your clothes like butter! And you did not even acknowledge my strike!” Carac screamed getting progressively angrier. He got up in my slightly grinning face, “Listen to me you son of a bitch! I WILL break you! I WILL get the answers I need! And I WILL make today a living hell for you!” I just laughed well if this is all hell can offer, then I guess this experience won’t be as bad as I thought.

For hours, I don’t know how long no way to tell time, this poor excuse for a so-called ‘Sadistic’ has been trying to ‘break me’ as he claims. Throughout the entire ordeal, I just laughed more and more as he got more desperate. When he attached me to the rack, my muscles broke the metal contraption in half, as the iron maiden closed on me I exerted too much pressure for it, so it broke into metal shards, the scavenger’s daughter, as it tightened, snapped in half, and I a metal piece hit Carac in the stomach, not helping his already fiery mood.

After many more of these so called ‘torture devices’ were used on me, and with every single one of them broke upon a few seconds of use on me, it seemed that nothing he could do would hurt me in anyway. Carac expression made it look like he was trying to break off more of his beak, his glare barely registered as a threat to me as seen by his failures in even denting me as much as breaking me.

I think the soldiers were enjoying this display from Carac as I could hear their muffled laughter echoed throughout the interrogation room. “AHHHHHH! I can’t take this anymore! What kind of freak are you!? You take these blows as if they were nothing! These tools are what turned tough and brutal prisoners to blithering piles of pity! I swear I will find a way to BRE-” clap clap clap clap. “Well well well, greetings Carac, is the prisoner giving you trouble? You might be losing your touch after all these years.”

A new voice announced with amusement as it walked into the room. “You-your majesty, I’m sorry for my outburst I’m just having slight difficulty getting the answers from this… thing… a human as it calls itself” Carac stuttered while bowing to this griffin. 'Slight'? Ha! He could not break a mere child! I smirked to myself. This new griffin walked into the light and I could make out his features a bit more: he had no obvious scars upon his body, his clothing can be best described as for royalty, maybe a king with the crown upon his head, and his eyes spoke of a demanded allegiance and command as I’ve only seen in Lady Satsuki's eyes as he stood over us.

“Don’t be a fool Carac, I can tell this ‘human’ was tough enough to handle the worst of your methods. I am rather impressed by his resolve. Tell me, human, is it true you just fell from the sky with no intent or reason of doing so? From this ‘Earth’ as you call it?” How did he hear that already?! Well it is needed to have eyes and ears everywhere to know what goes on for a leader. Satsuki knew that. “Yes, like you said, also it does not matter how much pain you try or do eventually inflict upon me, I will not submit to those who have not earned my respect or show their power of their resolve!!” I declared while attached to the chair again, a slight cracking of metal could be heard.

He… smiled? As if he was admiring my actions, “I can tell that this ‘Hounjinn Academy’ that you are loyal to has a very strong and powerful leader, and that you will probably never change your loyalties easily, I respect that. There are far too many griffons that can easily be swayed by power, pain, and the coin. I wish more griffons were as dedicated as you.”

I just sat there trying to figure out what he was going with this, he then put his claw on his chest and told me this, “My name is Sigmar the Silver Hammer! I rule over the Griffon Kingdom with utmost control! I make sure that my entire country is safe from all invaders, no matter what power or numbers they possess!” I could see a great radiance of power emanate around him, as the other griffons in the room could only look with awe as they bowed, and as for me…. I never felt so rewarded and insignificant by such power since...since Lady Satsuki!

King Sigmar then pointed to me with one claw, “I never met anyone or anything with such an invincible will, and I never shown this much praise for anyone! Many a griffin, pony, minotaur, and even dragon have cowered by my mere presence, and broken by my dungeons, yet you sit there and not a flinch upon your stature!” He grinned widely at his own proclamation, and continued, “Though you only been here for days, and tortured for hours, I can tell nothing my men or I could do will move you unless we brought you to your death! Guards! Release him from his bounds!” The two griffon soldiers staggered up from their bowing positions, and hesitantly took off all my metal braces holding down my body.

I got up, as looked down upon this King, though is felt like he was looking down on me despite our height differences. Sigmar then pulled out his silver hammer from behind his back and declared once more, “We can benefit from each other, though we only seen each other for these few minutes, I wish to bestow you a position to be beside me where you can assist me, answer my questions, and I can answer yours. And who knows? Maybe you can find a way back, or even decide to make my lands a new home for you. I promise this and much more if you will join me as a one of my respected guardians!”

At that moment, I felt like this was my destiny, as if Satsuki herself were asking me to join like all those years ago, and I knew what to do now…

I got on my knees, “King Sigmar the Silver Hammer of the Griffon Kingdom, I will gladly join your side so we can assist each other. I know I will probably never return to my home, but I can feel that doing this is a next step in my destiny!” I declared with no hesitation in my voice. Then King Sigmar touched both shoulders with his hammer, “Then as king I bestow the honor of you becoming part of my personal royal guard” he finished. This could be heaven, hell, or on the other side of space! It does not matter! I will show this world not to underestimate Gamagori Ira!

This will be the start of my glorious adventures as personal guard to King Sigmar, and my many challenges this planet will throw at me.

Next Chapter: Chapter 2: Know Thy Ally Estimated time remaining: 1 Hour, 23 Minutes