Darryl Hord was suited up in his armor and walking his set patrol around New Humansville. He had an unusual girlfriend, a steady job, a home, an icebox full of food, and a gun on his person. All-in-all, he was a happy man. He walked his set patrol path swiveling his head back and forth, 'Gotta keep an eye out for any sort of trouble or...' he stopped abruptly as Princess Luna landed directly in front of him, 'Or random Alicorn Princesses dropping by.'

Darryl kept his visor up but inclined his head toward Luna, "Greetings your Majesty. What brings you? I get the feeling you're here for me, specifically."

Luna wasted no time, "Darryl Hord, I need you to come with me as quickly as you are able. How soon can you be ready for travel?"

Darryl cocked an unseen eyebrow at her statement, "Care to fill me in on what the problem is? I can't very well pack effectively for something I don't know anything about, and besides, I'll have to clear my absence with Captain Joyner."

Luna shook her head, "I have already spoken to the Captain and he has granted you permission for an extended leave of absence should the situation call for it." She shook out her mane, not that it needed it. "We will speak of the situation as we go to your abode."

Darryl shrugged and turned around, "Come on, it's this way." he called over his shoulder, heading away at a brisk walk. Luna caught up to him and trotted by his side. Darryl unclasped his helmet and pulled it off his head, "Permission to speak freely?"

Luna nodded, "Please do."

"So what's this about huh? Did another group of Bloodmages suddenly pop up?" Darryl asked bluntly.

"My sister believes a group of Humans have invaded Gryphonvale and have taken a number of Gryphons hostage. She informed the Emissary and he asked for you to accompany him." Luna explained.

Darryl stuffed his helmet under his right armpit and scratched his chin with his left hand, "But why me?"

"The Emissary believes the group of Humans to be Marines." Luna said bluntly.

Darryl stopped dead in his tracks. He clenched his eyes closed and rubbed his eyelids, "Oh goddammit." he whispered.

Luna cocked her head to the side, perplexed, "Is something the matter?"

Darryl lowered his hand and opened his eyes, "Yes." He turned around and broke into a run, "Come on! We have to get the Headquarters!"

Luna galloped up beside him, "Why?" She asked.

Darryl kept his eyes on the street ahead, "I need another gun."

* * *

Razor Wit stomped her right forehoof on the floor angrily, "Yes, I am!"

Artex did not look up from where he was checking his belongings, "No, it's too dangerous."

Princess Celestia stayed silent, watching the scene unfold with interest.

Razor rolled her eyes, "Do you have any idea how many times I've heard that? I've gone into dangerous situations and places plenty of times before and I've always come back perfectly fine."

Artex shook his head, "Not like this. If these guys are Marines they might kill me. I couldn't live with myself if something like that happened to you too, any of you."

Twilight trotted up to the tense Human man, "You make them sound like bloodthirsty killers. What's wrong with Marines?"

Artex spoke as he stuffed more of his work clothes into his shoulder bag, "The United States Marine Corps. is the single most efficient U.S. military group in existence, not counting Special Forces groups like the S.E.A.L.S., Delta Force, or Army Rangers. Marines have a singular mentality and a single drive: to complete their mission. Simply put, Marines get it done. If somebody says that a mission is impossible, Marines consider it a personal challenge. They work with nearly flawless synchronization and every one of them is lethal. I'm surprised the death toll hasn't been catastrophic. If Marines get it into their heads to do something, they pursue it relentlessly."

Artex took a breath and continued, "They know how to kill but they're honorable. For example, Marines will never raise a hand toward a lady, not real Marines at any rate. In many countries, especially in the Middle East, a man beating his wife is a common thing, but a Marine? No. They are good people and they're extremely dedicated, but somebody they don't recognize as an authority figure is either another civilian to be protected or a threat to be eliminated. On an unknown world, if they see me as a civilian to be protected, they would probably take me and put me in some kind of cell, reasoning that it would keep me out of harm's way. They would know where I was and they could keep me safe. If they saw me as a threat, they would take me, interrogate me, and I don't want to think about what they'd do to me when they're done."

"I'm still coming with you Artex." Razor said firmly.

Artex sighed, "They would never see you as a civilian right away Razor. They might kill you on sight just to be safe. They're sworn to protect Humans. I doubt they fully realize what's going on. Remember, on Earth Humans are the only confirmed intelligent species. Back on Earth, Humans dominate our surroundings. If the Marines have captured Gryphons, it's because they want to train them. Humans use trained dogs to act in conjunction with soldiers and Marines. I'd put money on it being the reason they haven't killed the Gryphons."

Razor spoke up again, "Artex I HAVE to go. Before we even get to where the Humans are, we have to interact with Gryphons at the capital. How is your Areophene? Mine's perfect." Razor said pointedly, "I need to be there. These... Marines, are guilty of a number of crimes and as per my place on the Emissary Staff, I have to act as a non-biased witness. Part of our job is finding a compromise when cultural misunderstandings occur. In this case, I HAVE to be there. It's part of my job to coordinate with the representative of the local species and determine what is the best course of action to take that will lead to the most peaceful resolution possible. Your job, or part of it anyway, is to act on behalf of your people and to present their best interest. Another part of my job is to act on behalf of the native species and present THEIR best interest."

Artex sighed almost violently, "Fine." he said curtly. He went back to focusing on packing his bag for a few moments before he abruptly stopped again and looked up, "Aww shit!" He spat, "I have to take ALL the Emissary Staff with me..." he trailed off as he locked eyes with Oriana.

Oriana merely shrugged, "Nothing is certain in life. If we live, we live. If we die, at least we'll do so together."

"Not all of us..." Rose said quietly.

Razor Wit, Oriana, and Twilight didn't seem to hear the comment, but Artex did. He hung his head and sat down on the floor with a thud, "I'm so sorry Rose. We need to do this though. We have to go ensure that my people are safe..."

"THEY'RE MY PEOPLE TOO!" Rose yelled in a cracking voice, "I've worked and lived around Humans for more than half a year and I feel just as close to them as I do to Ponies! We fought together!" She stomped her left forehoof hard against the floor, shaking the entire library, "WE DIED TOGETHER!" She slumped down to the floor nearly weeping, "And now I can't go and make sure my people are safe..." she sniffed and wiped the tip of her muzzle with her left forehoof, "Humans gave me the chance to do what I love... I want to help..." she sniffed again, "And I can't even be with my own herd when they might not even make it back..." She closed her eyes, tears finally breaking free, "It took me thirty-six years to find a herd that I wanted and now... I can't help keep the Humans safe and I... can't keep my herd safe..."

Artex crawled across the floor to Rose on his hands and knees. He sat on his backside and pulled the minty, muscular mare into his arms ans squeezed her tightly. Rose reached her right forehoof up around the back of Artex' neck and hugged him back. The two of the quickly found themselves also being hugged by Razor and Oriana. Razor nuzzled Rose's cheek, "I wish you could come with us."

Celestia cleared her throat, "I'm sure that Captain Joyner would be most understanding if I sent him a letter. "

Rose looked up at the Princess hopefully, "You mean it?"

Celestia nodded, "Of course. We must hurry though. I shall go and ask the Captain for your armor... just in case."

In a flash of light Celestia was gone.

* * *

It was night when the Royal Sky Chariot landed behind the Palace, right next to a larger covered Sky Carriage hooked up to a team of ten Pegasi. The Sky Carriage stood on six large wheels, stood two Fathoms tall, four Fathoms wide, and six Fathoms long. It was tall enough to carry Princess Celestia while she was standing. Four windows dotted the left and right sides of the Sky Carriage and two more were set into the front and back walls. There looked to be a single door near the front of the carriage on left wall.

A Unicorn mare, an Earth Pony mare, and a Zebra mare exited the Royal Sky Chariot first and Princess Celestia followed behind them. Artex was the last to disembark. He stepped off the Royal Sky Chariot and whistled, "Wow, you sure are pulling out all the stops for this, aren't you?"

Celestia shrugged, "I would have sent you all in a airship for comfort, but this is much faster. An airship would have taken you four or five days to arrive. The Royal Sky Carriage should take less than a single day to go from here to Gryphonvale."

Artex pursed his lips and nodded, "That makes sense." He walked up to Celestia and boldly gave her a hug, "Thanks for this. I really appreciate it."

Celestia nuzzled his cheek and hugged him back with her wing, "It is my pleasure Artex. Oh," she let go of the hug and levitated a small object out of the Royal Sky Chariot, "This is a gift from Chris."

Artex held out his hand and the small box set down in his palm. He opened the box and beheld four crystal spars sitting on a velvet cushion. Three of the crystals were clear and the fourth was brilliant purple, "What are these for?" Artex asked.

"Those are some of the spare Teleportation Crystals from the shipping centers. Luna mentioned to Chris that you were going away to Gryphonvale. When she told him how far the forest was from any Gryphon settlements, he boxed these up for you. Since the Marines will probably he hungry and need clothes and so forth, Chris said we should use his shipping service to transport relief goods to wherever they are needed. He knows that you can manipulate rocks and soil with your magic, he included instructions on how to safely use the crystals to send a signal to one of his shipping centers. They will be on stand-by, ready to teleport the goods as soon as you send the 'ready' signal."

Artex closed the box and slipped it into his shoulder bag, "Tell him 'thanks' for me."

Celestia smiled warmly at the Emissary, "I shall. Good luck Artex. Go with the well-wishes of all of Equestria. I know I don't need to send you off personally and I'm afraid I skipped dinner. I hope you don't mind, but I'm going to go see if there is any of that triple-layer chocolate cake left or if Discord ate it already." She turned and departed, trotting quickly.

Artex quirked an eyebrow at the retreating Alicorn, but shrugged it off and turned his attention to the Sky Carriage.

*Meanwhile*

Rose Thorn nearly squealed in delight when she spotted the familiar armor clad figure of Darryl leaning against the side of the Sky Carriage. His helmet was off his head, presumably already in the Sky Carriage. Rose ran up to him then reared back onto her hind legs and gave her partner a warm hug. Her previous partner, Henderson, had been killed in the Bloodmage ambush, as had Darryl's partner. The two of them had just fallen in together so well that they both requested they be partnered up. They worked like brother and sister, they even thought of each other as brother and sister.

Darryl hugged her back warmly, "Good to see you Rose."

Razor Wit and Oriana trotted past the two of them and trotted onto the Sky Carriage to settle in. Rose broke off the hug and landed back on her forehooves smiling up at her partner, "I didn't think I was going to be allowed to come. The Princess sent the Captain a message and retrieved my armor. I have my gun and my magazines in my saddlebags. Do you know why she brought my gun though? I didn't ask her for it."

Darryl smiled and jerked a thumb toward the shotgun slung over his right shoulder, "Princess Luna and I ran into her while I was getting my little friend here. I told her that Marines respect a capable show of force, sans the hostility. They won't like the show of force, but they'll respect it."

Rose pulled off her helmet and looked up at him in concern. Razor, Oriana, and Artex were loading their things into the Sky Carriage while Rose and Darryl spoke. Darryl shook his head, "Wait until we're airborne and settled. I'm going to have to explain a lot of things and I don't like repeating myself. I'm 'damn' glad you're with us though."

Artex stepped onto the Sky Carriage and looked around. The inside was just as roomy on the inside as it looked on the outside. There were three normal Kavim-sized reclining benches arranged in a right next to each other on each wall. Behind the six regular benches was a single double-wide and double-long reclining bench set against the back wall. Above the large reclining bench in the back was a long hanging curtain that looked as if it could be pulled around the entire rear half of the carriage to provide some privacy. The front of the carriage had a series of open-topped wooden bins built into the wall. Half of the bins were already full and covered with rough fabric blankets while ropes stretched across the tops of each bin to hold the contents in place. The opposite wall from the door had a small room with a door in the front. The door had the a plaque with the Kavim symbol for toilet on it.

Artex noticed that Razor Wit and Oriana had set their saddlebags down right next to their chosen reclining benches against the far wall. Artex pulled his shoulder bag off and placed it into the closest bin then unbuckled his khopesh scabbard and put it in the same bin. He stepped back out of the Sky Carriage, "Hey Darryl, what is all this stuff in here?"

Darryl turned around and glared at his friend, "Well fuckin' nice to see you too, asshole." Darryl spoke in American English. He was smiling though.

Artex smiled back and adopted a severe expression, "What the hell did you just say, MAGGOT!? That is no way to address a superior officer! Drop and give me twenty!"

In response Darryl sat down on the ground and flipped-off Artex twenty times. He stood up and chuckled at Artex, "For your information, Mr. Emissary, you're not my superior officer. I'm here to act in an advisory capacity and to be a liaison if the situation calls for it. You asked for me, but I'M the one who knows about Marines. You don't get to give me orders. I'll guard you, I'll protect you, hell I'll even carry your ass if I have to, but you don't get to boss me around till you've earned it."

Artex face twisted into a deep scowl as he stepped out of the Sky Carriage and up to Darryl. Both men stared one another down for a few seconds before they both broke out laughing. Darryl hugged his long-time friend. Artex returned the hug and patted Darryl on the back twice, "Sorry about that, man. I'm just eager to get going. I don't want this to get any farther out of hand."

Darryl clapped Artex on the back, "Neither do I. Come on, let's get going."

Rose and Artex boarded the Sky Carriage while Darryl walked around to the front, "Hey guys," he addressed the Pegasi Guards, "How long is this flight?"

The stallion closest to him spoke without turning his head, "Fourteen hours. If you count our stops where we switch teams, then make it fifteen hours. There are refreshments and a toilet in the carriage for you. The benches fold out into beds and there are privacy curtains that fold down out of the ceiling if you need them." The Guard paused then spoke again, "Do you need one of us to demonstrate the workings of the beds for you?"

Darryl smirked, "Thanks, but I think we can figure it out." He peeked around the corner to make sure everybody was inside the carriage. Satisfied at seeing the three mares and Artex, he turned his head back toward the Guards, "Give us two minutes to sit down and we'll be ready to go."

Darryl ducked inside the Sky Carriage and closed and locked the door from the inside. Turning around he spoke quickly, "The Guards will be taking off in less than two minutes so sit your butts down and hold on."

Darryl laid down on his stomach on the closest bench and wrapped his legs around the back while he held onto the front with his hands. Artex laid down and did the same while the mares used the tiny hairs on their hooves to grip the sides of the benches. Moments later the Sky Carriage jolted as the Pegasi began to pull. Darryl had to yell over the rumbling wheels, "Give them five minutes to get onto a straight course before you move around."

The five passengers rattled around for a few more seconds before gravity suddenly changed and the rattling diminished significantly. Darryl began counting out the time and it was a good thing he did. The carriage banked hard to the right twice before he was finished. After the five minutes were up, Darryl let go of his bench and stood up, "Give me a second to look out the window and make sure we're on a steady course."

He made his way up to the front of the carriage and peeked through the window, "Yeah we're good. Everybody can get up now."

The mares let go of the benches and Rose arched her back, "This armor is NOT meant for that kind of posture." She trotted up to the front of the cabin, next to the wooden bins and began to unbuckle the various pieces of the armor.

Darryl decided to join her. The first thing he did was to unsling his shotgun. "Everybody stand clear." He ordered.

Rose backed away from him while he turned toward the outer wall and unslung the shotgun then proceeded to unload the metal shells. With the muzzle of the gun pointed toward the wall, he racked the pump and ejected the first shell. The sound of him racking the pump in the enclosed space made the mares' ears lay flat. He ejected all eight shells from the magazine then the ninth one from the breech. He placed the shells in a pouch on his belt then racked the slide three more times to make sure it was clear. He then placed it in the closest bin. Turning back to the wall he unloaded and emptied his gyro-jet pistol. He placed the filled magazine into the pouch on his belt then buckled his pistol back into its holster and removed his whole belt.

Once he finished he yelled out, "Clear." then turned and began taking off his armor.

"Was all that really necessary?" Oriana asked.

Artex nodded, "Oh yeah. Gun safety is not something to play around with. My great Uncle became complacent about handling and cleaning a gun and accidentally killed himself. Back on Earth I owned two guns and my wife owned one too. We were always VERY careful about how we handled them."

Razor Wit wiggled around to get comfortable on the padded bench. She then lit up her horn an levitated a sheet of paper out of her saddlebags, "Alright everybody, I know most of you have never even seen Gryphons before and we need to prepare as much as we can. I can't give you all of the little details about Gryphon society, but I can give you some history on them and give you an idea of how they think and operate."

Artex agreed, "Excellent idea Razor. Just hold that thought for a second." He yelled up to the front, "Hey Darryl, I heard you ask the Pegasi how long the flight was but I didn't hear his answer."

Darryl kept his attention on the metal clasp on his side under his armpit, "About fifteen hours. We should have plenty of time for a briefing and a full night's sleep before we land." He snapped open the clasp then moved to the one on his other side, "Razor can go first then we can have a snack and go to bed. In the morning I'll brief everybody about Marines and what to expect. How does that sound?"

Artex nodded, "Sounds good to me. How about you, girls?"

Oriana shrugged, "I have no problems with that."

Rose placed her helmet in the bin with a clunk, "Works fine for me."

Razor Wit smiled, "Good idea officer Hord. This way we aren't as likely to get confused on how to act with either group and we'll have time to mentally digest the information. I think we should reverse it though. Why don't we go over the part about Marines tonight then talk about Gryphon society tomorrow morning so that it's fresh in our minds when we land and interact with them?"

Darryl paused with his greaves in his hands and thought for a few seconds, "Yeah that would be better. Give me a minute to finish up here and I'll get going."

While Darryl and Rose finished removing their armor, Artex looked back to the big bench in the back, "That bench is wide enough to be a bed and I'd like to sleep with you girls if you don't mind."

"I'd like that." Razor said with a smile, "You're very cuddly."

"I've always liked sleeping next to you." Oriana added.

Rose threw in her two-cents, "Sounds nice." She set the last piece of her armor into the bin then walked back over and hopped up on her bench.

Darryl came over a few seconds later and sat down with a sigh, "Alright everybody... Artex, I know you're familiar with a few things about Marines, but I'm going to go over some of the ideals so that we're all on the same page."

Artex nodded, "O.k. Darryl, tell us what to expect the Marines to have? The group from Argentina had atlatls, knives, bows, and arrows."

Darryl regarded his friend evenly, "Did you ever see the movie: Predator?" he asked, "Remember when Arnold had to literally get Medieval? Remember the boobie-traps, the javelins, the powerful bow, the torch, the camouflage?" Artex nodded so Darryl continued, "Yeah picture that... for EVERY Marine. They WILL have a fortified position. They WILL have weapons. They WILL have a command structure. They WILL have water and fire though there is no guarantee that they will have sufficient food. They WILL have set traps and have people on guard at all times and GOD ALMIGHTY help us if they figured out how to use magic."

Artex blew out a breath through his teeth, "So... basically we're walking in to a worst case scenario?"

Darryl shook his head, "Nah. Worst case scenario would be if it were a group of Russian Spetsnaz. At least with Marines we can have an idea of what to expect and try talking to them. Just so you know, even if we get them to talk the chances of them being willing to give up their weapons and go to Equestria is pretty much nil. You are NOT going to disarm Marines in what they likely believe to be hostile territory." Darryl ran his right hand through his hair, "What I'm trying to say is that we're going to be playing this by ear the whole time. Once we enter what they've claimed as their territory, I'll get their attention while you guys stay hidden somewhere. I know how to talk to them. I can't guarantee they'll easily believe me but I have a better chance to either survive or get away than any of you."

Darryl sucked on his lower lip briefly, "I think our best bet is to approach this from an angle they can relate to. Marines rigidly stick to rules, laws, and regulations and they're used to modifying their conduct to satisfy the demands of other nations... within reason. They're going to be operating under the Marine Corps. given rules of conduct and I know those in and out. First off, if Artex and I approach them looking and acting like civilians, they're going to hog-tie us and keep us under guard for our own safety. That's why I brought my armor and weapons. When we go in, we go armed for bear BUT we have to present ourselves as friendlies. Once the Marines see our capabilities, our weapons and armor, the very next thing they'll do is examine us to determine whether or not we're threats. If they see us acting in a threatening manner, they'll attack and let me tell you, surrender is not in a Marine's vocabulary."

"If they've been in this forest for a while, they'll feel slightly more comfortable. They'll think of it as their home turf. We want them comfortable. We want them as relaxed around us as they can be. If we can get them to lower their weapons, and I promise you they will have weapons pointed at us at first, we might be able to get their Commanding Officer to talk to us. Once we open the lines of communication, that's where you guys come in. Everything up to that point," he gestured to himself, "Let me handle it. After we get the Commanding Officer talking, that's when we start to SLOWLY explain the situation. Do not bombard Marines with surprises in a strange or tense situation unless you want them to take over and take command. After we give him a minute or two to adjust, then ease him into with the next topic. Also do not under, any circumstances, enter their camp. They will have claimed it as Sovereign Territory despite any local laws and anybody on their 'Sovereign Territory' will be subject to the C.O.'s decisions."

Darryl rubbed his thighs with his open palms, "Luna mentioned that there were a number of Hunter Gryphons captured by the Marines. You do realize those Gryphons may very well be dead. If they are not though, if the Marines have figured out that they're intelligent and part of a civilization, we may be in for more trouble than we want. To a Marine who is on-guard, everything is a battle and dealing with the prisoners will be no different. They will likely want to use the captured Gryphons as diplomatic ammunition to maneuver the situation in their favor and they won't be willing to just let them go arbitrarily. When they are already at such a significant tactical disadvantage they're not going to handicap themselves any more toward a possibly hostile enemy, namely the Gryphons."

Darryl sat up and stretched, "Here's my guess of how this happened. If the Gryphons are still alive, the Marines captured a single Gryphon at first but then they discover that they're intelligent. They try to teach it English, but that doesn't work so they capture a few more in the hopes that one of the others could learn. At some point things get out of hand, probably when that one who gave the eyewitness statement got away. Now they're concerned that a large group of Gryphons are going to descend on them in force and with lacking the armaments they're used to, they're not willing to reveal themselves openly. They probably don't actually want to keep the Gryphons right now, but they won't risk giving up their only bargaining chip and open themselves up to an attack by a vengeful community of Gryphons."

Rose, Oriana, Razor, and Artex all groaned. Darryl stoop up and slapped his right leg, "Whelp, I think it's time we hit the hay. Just one last thing to keep in mind. When we go to deal with the Marines, let me handle them at first." He waved to the back of the carriage, "You guys take the back area. The bench folds out into a bed. Have fun with the fur-pile, I'm going to bed."

Next Chapter: Chapter 82: Learning About Gryphons Estimated time remaining: 3 Hours, 37 Minutes