Back in Boralus

“It’s been three days’ councilor…” Silvertongue urged the meeting of the council to press on with the subject on the table. As he looked to one of those that sat on the committee, all the while the councilor simply looked upon the others for some sort of guidance.

“This I know, Silvertongue,” he remarked to the drake, “It’s a largely known fact now that the princess has been taken by our enemies… likely to force our own cards on the table.”

“What else would you be proposing?” a Brigadier general questioned, “They have our nations’ leader, in my eyes there’s little else we can do other than an all-out fight…”

“One that would likely result in the death of Princess Saving Grace herself,” another answered out of turn.

For three days Grace had been gone, for three days the council (of military as well as civilian leaders in their respective fields) had taken the rungs of the nation to lead it in her absence, and for three days… they have done nothing but bicker about what to do with the situation that they had been dealt.

Going back and forth with those at the table, Silver had put in his two cents here and there when needed, attempting to steer the conversation and debate back in the favor of the mare he works for. Right now he had them all teetering on the edge of just rolling up at the Gryphon Kingdom with spears sharpened and ready for the go.

Right where he wanted them to be.

‘Bunch of children…’ he chuckled at himself, while watching the shouting match between two of those present grow, ‘no wonder she wanted to wipe the slate clean.’

Calming down, the female gryphon that acted as an overseer, on the medical side of things to treat those that would be wounded in a fight, took her seat back after going off on a colt across from her. Clenching her fist to keep from pounding the stallions head in, she took a deep breath, “As hard as it is to say for one in my profession,” she exclaimed her distaste for what would come next, “I believe that Mister Silvertongue here has made a point…”

“And as easy as it is for one in my profession to agree,” a chief arms-master spoke up, “I would still say it’s a bad idea.”

“With what the Gryphons have at their disposal, it’s a wonder they haven’t come to our front door step already,” a mare spoke out as she tried to make some sort of point, while putting more facts out on the table, “Either they’re waiting to see what we’ll do, or planning something else.”

“Perhaps they’re just not as bold as they once were, especially considering they don’t have any reinforcements in the matter…”

“She’s right you know,” the Arms-master added to another councilors’ comment, backing them up, “Early reports from the few scouts we have out in the other countries tells us that the DDR have all but stopped a majority of their production, and even has begun disarming most of their troops.”

The brigadier General started to smile at the sound of his enemies’ demise, “seems that when their leader was taken out, they lost all motivation to keep the fight up…” he tasted those sweet words like honey on his lips, “perhaps if the same were to happen to King Rhorkin, then we wouldn’t need a large fight… at least not in one place.”

Raising his scaly brow to him, Silvers’ interest instantly perked the moment he caught on that at least one of them at the table may have had a plan. “What are you suggesting there, General?”

“Simple, don’t just attack their capital like they would expect…” using the horn atop his head, the officer called upon a simple spell to draw it out for them, as lines started to trace themselves across the top of the table. “You see here, there’s many water and rail ways in to the gryphons’ country,” he pointed out as they all started to take shape on the map, “If we used those, then we could attack quite a few cities and towns that have their bases at the same time, giving our force that would go after the capital to the princess a fighting chance. Considering they wouldn’t just be able to call in for back up all that easily.”

“And what of their new tech?” the medic gryphon asked, picturing the numbers of casualties in the back of her head, “after all the bodies that I saw from the scuffle in the border town against the DDR, I doubt the Gryphons would have a reason to hold back at all.”

“While sadly hooves don’t seem to work all that well with the toys that the gryphons have mustered, talons and claws do…” the General answered, having read several of the reports on the uses of those guns in the capable hands of their own troops, “should our soldiers get a hold of their weaponry, then they should be instructed to use it against them to its’ fullest capability.”

“Fight fire with the proverbial fire hmm?” a Master Sargent mused over in his mind.

“Precisely,” he motioned to his subordinate, “Grace can be secured, while the gryphons are dealing with their other bases being attacked… should their fair king get caught in the cross fire, that’s just a bonus.”

Looking around the table, Silver took notice of the silent stares that were given to the General. As much as many of them didn’t want to admit it, he did have a point. They all wanted to see Grace returned home to them safe and sound, and if that meant sending company after company of soldiers out in to a foreign land to likely meet their own demise. Then so be it…

…Just as the drake was hoping for.

“We’re out of options, time, and ideas it seems…” another that directed produce responded, “I’m no war dog, not by a long shot, but then again this is all we got going for us.”

“Does anyone here second this motion?” Silver asked to see if any would oppose the thought by speaking out, though as he saw a few of those present raise their hooves or claws for it. The drake simply began to smile, not because they had finally come to a decision, but because it was the one he was sought.

Getting up from his chair, the drake looked to them all, “Then it would seem we have some work to do… go get what you need ready for a fight.” He said to them all, as he watched the committee disband after a wave of his claw.

Silvertongue may have not been royalty, or even in the military, or for that matter even hold a position other than a glorified secretary. That said, he has been around the royal family for countless years, and watched the young princess come in to her own, while helping her late parents with their own political troubles. For that alone, his word was as respected and trusted as if it had come from Graces own two lips.

Resting his claws on the table for a moment after they all had left, it did pain him for what he had helped do to Grace. But in the end, he was hoping the reward would outweigh the cost. After all, she had no reason to get hurt in this matter… Bronze had told him that much.

Shaking off the thoughts going to his head, Silver looked around the room for a moment to see that the coast was clear. Before he walked over to one of the back doors of the chamber, and slipped out of sight from those that might wonder where he was.

Being a creature of habit, it was never hard for one to track down Iron should one desire to find him. Even a new comer to the area that had really just gotten to know him, soon discovered that if you wanted to find the colt on a late Saturday night. Closest place you had to go, was the local bar…

Egyes walked through the doors of Elixirs and Edibles, as he poked his head around the area looking for the young stallion. Eventually though, his eyes sat on the emerald coat that belonged to him, while Iron remained at the bar chatting way with the mare running the show.

“Whelp, I can’t say I blame ya…” Able said to the colt as she filled up his glass once more.

“Tell me about it,” Iron started to groan from over top the brim, stirring the glass lightly with a twist of his magic, “And the worst part is, what do I have to offer? Other than just being a good colt?”

“Meh… if a mare already could have anything else she wanted, that might be the only thing she’s looking for,” the mare mused with a light wink to him, as she watched a peculiar gryphon walking up to meet them. “Evenin’ there sir, what can I do ya for?”

Egyes smiled lightly back at her, “just here to pick up a… friend?”

“We’ve been through a few battles now, so we sure as hell aint just acquaintances,” Iron sheepishly started to chuckle.

“Well if that’s all it takes, then I’m glad to have you on my side,” the gryphon laughed lightly with him.

“Ahh so you’re here for this one,” Able responded without even paying their comments really any heed, slowly letting the smirk from her and Irons’ previous conversation grow, “We were just talking about somepony you might have some input on.”

“Able, zip it…” Iron snapped back at her as he grinded his teeth together, enticing but another grin out of the mare as she started to giggle.

“Well never mind then… anything I can get cha?” she asked to the gryphon.

“Just a mug of mead, if you would be so kind,” watching the mare nod in response and go about her business. Egyes turned his attention back to the colt that he had sought, “have you talked to Free yet?”

“Na… every time I go in there he’s still passed out,” Iron remarked as he took a sip, wishing that he had spent more time around his friend. Then again, he knows Free would be telling him to go about his business as normal even if he were conscious, “but I hear he’s getting better at least. Shouldn’t be much longer till he’s awake full time, those are some powerful drugs they’re pumping in him.”

“Tell me about it,” Egyes rolled his eyes. Fondly remembering some of the trips he had to the med ward, and then the trips he got taken on while there from the meds. Though meddling with the past could be done later, as of now, he had to make sure the colt knew what was going on, “did you hear any rumors about what Seren plans on doing? Sense the news of the princess,” he asked in hushed tones. Watching as the ears of the colt perked up in interest, while Iron still remained lip locked with his glass as he shook his head.

“Two days from now, full scale attack on those of my kind…” he watched as the colt started to choke up on some of his drink. As the gryphon gladly took his own in claw when Able came back with it, and chugged some of it to brace his nerves, “The council apparently believes that if they attack several places controlled by the gryphons at once, then it will give the real rescue team a better chance at getting in and saving her.”

“… Stupid fools,” Iron muttered under his breath, just enough for the one sitting next to him to catch on.

“What makes you say that?” he asked, wondering of the colts’ judgment on the decision, “It’s better than sitting back and arguing about what to do.”

“That might be true, but what you don’t realize is Grace is very much liked by those that serve,” Iron made his point known, or so he thought. The curious eye of the gryphon telling him all he needed to know about his friends’ confusion, “think of how this will all play out… Seren will make a big show of force in an attempt to save her. Though once she’s carted out in front of those that fight with a noose around her neck, her wings clipped, up on to the edge of a tower… do you really think any of those soldiers will continue to try and fight?”

Egyes held up a single claw in an attempt to make a rebuttal, though his words quickly fell on deaf ears. Namely his own, as they failed to make sense in even his own head. “Alrighty, you have a point there… all of Seren will want her to be safe, no matter the cost.”

“Even if it means losing a fight to do so.”

The gryphon watched as the colt continued to sip on his glass as if everything in the universe was all fine and dandy. How the stallion could be this calm during a time like this, Egyes would never know. Unless there was something already brewing in the back of his head that would sort matters out.

“I take it you have a plan?” he watched as the colt stopped mid drink, and sat the glass down, all the while the smile on his face grew ever wider.

“Get to her, before the army gets to the kingdom…”

“Could you elaborate a little more than just leaving it sounding like a suicide mission?”

Iron huffed for a moment before leaning his fore hooves on the bar top, “you’ve severed under them before trading sides, you know their stronghold where the king resides, correct?”

“Like the back of my talon,” Egyes answered proudly, “So I’m assuming that you think Grace will be in the same place?”

“Where else would they keep her?” he didn’t even wait for a response to that before continuing, “Grace will probably be somewhere tucked away at their fort, along with the king. Ideally, we put a blade in that gryphons’ throat… though I’ll be satisfied with just getting her out.”

“Will you now?” Egyes teased, as Iron froze for a second where he sat.

“Shut it…” the colts’ eyes narrowed down on him, “you have the knowhow of the place, and I have all the bells and whistles to cause quite a stir in their home while there…” calmly picking up his glass with a hoof, Iron looked at him once more, “what do ya say? Are you willing to follow me in to combat once more?”

Smirking at him, Egyes couldn’t help but raise his glass to Irons’, “Screw it, why not…” he finished as they clicked their goblets together.

“Good…” Iron said as he got up and polished off his glass, before dropping it on the counter with a few bits, “now meet me at the shop in about… meh, an hour or so.” He said to the gryphon after looking up at the clock without another word and waltzed out.

Right on schedule as the clock struck seven in the evening, Egyes opened the door to the colts’ work area, and inside found exactly what he was expecting to find. Iron had a few open tubes set off the side as he filled them with what looked to be black powder, before topping them off with a generous coating of shrapnel. As he gingerly placed them inside the tubes of the launcher on his armors’ back.

“Prepping for war I take it?” Egyes said, grabbing the colts’ attention.

“Actually hoping to end it…” he remarked, “think about it, if the DDR pulled out after losing their Chief. What do you think will happen if King Rhorkin met his demise?”

“Depends how much they’re beaten… Gryphons are notoriously stubborn…” he started to smirk a bit at that notion, “Although, I have the sneaking suspicion that our Marefriend is behind the princesses’ capture.”

“Ya think?” Iron deadpanned as he looked over his shoulder at the gryphon, “she seems to have her hooves in a lot of this now… or talons, I guess.” The colt started to shake his head, hollowed at the fact that usually this was the sort of mission he would find himself doing with another more often than not, “If Free was feeling any better he’d be fighting me to come along…”

“Think we’ll need the back up?”

“… You know how they say there’s no such thing as a dumb question?” Iron asked as he watched the gryphon facepalm himself, “Yea… that was one of ‘em.”

“Well if I had thought of it I would have asked the princesses secretary when I last saw him…” Egyes mulled over with a wave of his claw, “I’m sure he would have helped, no matter how dangerous this would have been.”

“Silvertongue?” Iron perked up, thinking where he himself last saw the drake, “I already tried to ask him, though couldn’t find the guy… odd how a dragon of all things, is the one that’s lost in the crowd.”

“Speaking of Silvertongue,” Egyes brought up a question that had been going around his mind ever sense Iron had left the bar, “how exactly are we supposed to get in the kingdom itself? After all, last time you did have a little assistance.”

“I’m glad you asked…” Iron put on his most surreal expression he could muster, before telling the gryphon what he had planned, “We’re gonna steal a train…”

For a moment or two, there was nothing but silence, and then the laughing started. Egyes didn’t know why he was laughing, perhaps it was the insanity of the suggestion, or that maybe Iron was just trying to get a good laugh at a time of rather low morale. Two soldiers, trying to take over an entire gryphon locomotive for their own means… sounds crazy enough, right? Though all it took was the straight forward expression still plastered on the colts’ face to tell the gryphon one thing.

“Wait… you’re serious?”