Fortunately, Gilda didn’t have to walk to the meeting. Not that she couldn’t walk for a bit. She did a lot of walking back in Griffonstone, but… Heck! She was supposed to be climbing in life! Once she made it to Griffindell, she’d make sure to set some money apart to buy a nice carriage for her. Maybe hire one or two servants.

But she hadn’t reached Griffindell yet. An irritating aroma of citronella hung in the air inside the carriage, but she tolerated it. It seemed to come from the red satin on the walls and she made a note of not having such things on her carriage. She sat on the reversed front seat, in front of Grunhilda, springy and jumpy for her tastes, covered in tacky red velvet. The big griffon lady kept looking at the hammer she held with her paws, though and didn’t seem to mind.

Two earth ponies pulled the vehicle. They even had decent coverings against the cold. They kept a steady pace and the carriage bumped here and there on the way. They kept a slow pace and Gilda could see the stony griffon houses passing outside the rectangular windows in the doors. The only noise came from the squeaking springs keeping their vehicle reasonably stable and the wheels and hooves on the stony street.

Dark and cold claimed the street outside, most buildings lost to the shade past the gas public illumination. Workshops, warehouses and small stores, closed for the night, not a griffon outside.

The green Gia sat next to her holding a frown and a pout which almost reached ‘cute’, staring at the red satin finish of the inside. Grunhilda quietly examined the hammer Master Galahault had given her and Gilda mostly stared at nothing in particular.

“Where’s Galahault?” Gilda turned to Gia and she scoffed, rolling her eyes.

“I don’t need no carriage!” She mimicked his deep voice with profound consternation and arrogant gestures, imitating his beak. “I was born with wings!”

But then she silenced after, glaring out the window on her side.

Why was she so angry? If things worked, Gia would get Chancellor Gail’s money, after all. Maybe she wanted it to be her grand moment, and Gilda had stolen her spotlight. Whatever… Gilda had no time to worry about Gia’s pettiness.

Her eyes fell on Mythical, leaned against the wall, point to the floor. She constantly occupied Gilda’s mind after Galahault gave her the sword. When she noticed, her paw made soft strokes, petting the sword on its pommel.

“Miss Gilda?” Grunhilda called her softly, though. She held a frowning stare at the hammer, still holding it with her paws.

Something about the way she spoke made Gilda worry and she turned her attention to her friend. “What is it?”

“I feel weird. I’m holding this hammer… It belonged to my Pappa… But I don’t even remember his face.” Her frown deepened. “I don’t remember Mamma either. I don’t remember anything… Just that they taught me some things…”

Great… Gilda could never stand sappy talk or deep conversations, but hearing Grunhilda didn’t bother her. She just didn’t have the experience in dealing with others grieving. She spoke slowly, carefully. “What happened to you was… What they did to you was messed up, Grunhilda. Really… Messed up.”

Gee… Profound, Gilda… Smooth too, dumbass. She kicked herself. Both at her lack of tract and the awkwardness. Her chest hurt at her lack of something… Anything better to say to her friend. She never experienced it before. At the same time, she found herself frowning. They really screwed up Grunhilda, didn’t they? Even more so than they did to her. How vile… The griffonian military made an actual operation to murder a couple travelling with their cub.

Gilda’s tax money hard at work for the safety of Griffonian citizens… Sure, Griffonstone’s mayor was a corrupt prick, and so was his wife, but they reached another level of… How to define what they did? Murder? Murder meant someone got killed, sure. But what word to use when one killed a cub’s parents? So young she couldn’t remember her parents’ faces anymore.

Suddenly Gilda heard whimpering, and a sob followed. Gia startled and stared, but Gilda simply reacted. She stood on her hind legs and hugged her big friend’s head against her fluffy chest. What had gotten into her? Gilda had never done anything like hugging someone crying before. She’d probably find it annoying to hear someone crying.

Of course, Greta would never need Gilda to ‘be there for her’ and Rainbow Dash would have died before she admitted needing a fluffy chest to cry on. But Gilda stood there for Grunhilda.

What they did to the big girl made her angrier than what they did to her. Ultimately, though, the problem remained: Chancellor Gail gobbling up their money. But Gilda could at least blame herself a bit for losing control of her temper and punching that little prick all the way back in Griffonstone.

But Grunhilda? They caused a train accident. How many did they kill? How many little Grunhildas lost their parents or how many parents lost their cubs. And for what? Because they worried the heroes from a story mostly unknown moved to the south. They probably wanted a nice place to raise their child, away from the monsters and the cold. Maybe so Grunhilda could have an easier life than they did.

After they slayed a monster which would likely have reached the southern cities and caused all sorts of havoc before the powers that be managed to deal with it.

Gilda found a word for it all: wrong.

“I feel angry…” Her friend snuffled at her feathery chest and Gilda lowered herself to her sitting height.

Tears wetted Grunhilda’s feathers, and she still frowned, but it a different frown from when she made her ‘dumb face’ of confusion.

Gilda let herself frown too. “You should be angry.”

Gia cleared her throat quietly, looking out her window. “We’ve arrived.”

“Yeah? Well, chill.” Gilda snapped at the green griffoness and didn’t care for her surprised wince.

“I don’t care.” She told Gia and then turned back to Grunhilda. “I want to help these griffons… I want to get this city for The Harpy. But if you’re not cool… I don’t really care. If you need to, we’ll walk on out of here. We’ll just go to Frozenlake right now.”

Fortunately, Gia didn’t say anything, or Gilda might have forcefully shut her beak.

The carriage stopped, but Grunhilda didn’t answer immediately, and it gave Gilda some time to think about what she had just said. She had committed to help Gia and the others take the city. But Grunhilda came first. So, she waited. Gia could go screw herself and the others would have to take care of themselves. She would apologize to the Harpy later, Gilda supposed, but Grunhilda took precedence.

The big white griffoness sniffled again and cleaned the tears with the fluffy feathers on her forelimb. Then she sucked it up like the tough girl she was and finally squared her shoulders, returning the hammer to its belt.

“I’m okay, Miss Gilda.” She grinned but didn’t quite convince Gilda.

“Alright them.” Gilda smiled back anyways. “Do you want to stay back?”

“No… I want to stay with you.”

“Alright, let’s get this done.” They shared a smile and Gilda opened the door for Grunhilda while Gia left via the other door.

Hopping outside, she kicked the door closed with Mythical resting on her back. Her feet met the wet cold snow on the walkway and the chilly night breeze washed over her. Grunhilda stared up at a four-story building made of red bricks and dotted with rectangular windows. Gilda couldn’t see the roof and the street was mostly dark, but she could see the building went on and on.

The same stony griffon buildings crowded together as though they had been pressed against each other on the other side of the street with windows that offered no light. The public illumination provided enough light, and it easy to see the straight street. The cobblestone tiles of the road had been completely freed of snow, but ice had claimed the shallow gutter on the center. While Griffonstone dwarfed Thunderpeak, the latter had a more active services department.

Or an actually active services department, Gilda groaned as her eyes rolled.

Meanwhile Gia gave instructions to the ponies pulling their carriage. A white and fancy thing with gold and decorative nonsense Gilda didn’t care for. It drew too much attention to her and to the other carts just arriving. Pulled by some of the manor’s soldiers without their armor, they made a line of ten covered carts under rough white cloths. Conspicuous, but she supposed it would be worse if they wore their armor or openly carried piles of guns. They looked like nothing more than a bunch of griffons minding their own business of carrying cargo for someone rich.

Grunhilda still stared up at the building.

“It looks like a manufactory.” Gilda explained. “They make… Er… ‘Stuff’ in there.”

“Like carts?” The other shot her curious stare.

“Yeah.” Gilda nodded. “Carts are a good example.”

“They make woodworking tools here.” Gia approached them as the ponies left with the carriage and the griffoness waved a paw around. “You know… Saws, hammers, they even smith some nails in here… It belongs to Gilberto, one of our supporters and we use it for our meetings. The Local Militia started messing them up in the Stormrend Manor after we had to move from the public areas.”

“How did they mess up meetings in a private place?” Gilda turned to Gia.

“They’d harass our not so rich supporters out of participating in the meetings.” She explained. “When they were on their way.”

“So, we’re not meeting in the central plaza?” Gilda also frowned at the sudden change of plans.

Gia shook her head. “One of our guys said the local militia was on to it. It’s not ideal, but I sent Geary to talk to the others and tell them the meeting had been cancelled. Then sent a less obvious messenger telling them to meet here. This is where our supporters meet anyways, while our leadership meets in the manor. It’s a private place, though not as outstanding as the manor. They haven’t caught up to it yet and locals are used to seeing many griffons here, anyways.”

“That sounds like a violation of civil rights.” Gilda cocked an eyebrow. “You know… A crime.”

“Gee…” Gia gave her a condescending smile. “I hear embezzlement is too.”

“Isn’t that the truth?” Gilda sniggered back at her.

Meanwhile, a bunch of seemingly random griffons with all sorts of accessories such as cloaks and capes converged on the two. The drivers of the carts, once they had set their vehicles at the edge of the street, out of the way so that they didn’t look more suspicious than a nightly delivery of supplies to the manufactory.

“Make sure none of the locals come too close, but don’t draw too much attention.” She told them with a conspiratorial grin. “Most of the griffons in the area will be in here anyways, but you never know. If all goes right, we’ll march straight from here to the main square. The most important thing for you to do is to get them the weapons and keep snoopers away.”

“Sure thing, Lady Gia.” One of them grinned and bowed a little. He seemed the gruff military type. Probably part of the manor’s soldiers. The others waited somewhere else, keeping eyes oin all directions. Including up.

Gia then led Gilda and Grunhilda to the entrance of the structure. The trio reached a wide double door, striking and well-kept, in addition to the large carved wood sign above. ‘Gilberto’s Woodworking Tools’, it said in fancy letters, stuck to the brick wall.

She unceremoniously pulled the doors open to a humble hall with a welcoming desk and one of those punching time clocks. A closed wide door on the other end and smaller doors to the sides. Galahault sat at the desk, armor and all, weapon still on his back with his shield. He was calm, despite the heated arguing Gilda could hear from the other side of the door.

“What took you so long?” He directed a bored glare at Gia.

“We’re normal…” She didn’t miss a beat.

Regardless, while Grunhilda closed the door coming in last, he nodded at the other wide door. “Well, come on. They’re waiting on the floor.”

Galahault stood and led them through the forementioned doors to a wide indoor space. The ceiling reached about three stories above ana magical crystal lights illuminated it well enough. Although some lights have been removed and the dimmer light gave the space a secretive feeling beside the sheets over the windows.

Sturdy steel beams held the ceiling and supported the whole structure. The floor contained countless different machines of manual operation and workbenches, pushed aside to make way for thousands of griffons waiting for something, anxiously discussing amongst themselves.

But they all silenced when Galahault and Gia entered first, followed by Gilda and Grunhilda. They made way and stared. Mostly at the newcomers Gilda knew she and Grunhilda were. Their expressions ranged from curiosity to confusion as Gilda made her way among them. Many seemed angry.

Their number might be enough to take over a city, as Thunderpeak’s size implied not professional defenders on the government’s side. Not many local militias. After all, most of the population wouldn’t actively fight to protect the city, or avoid it being taken by the present leadership’s opponents. If Gilda’s side had an advantage, it was how much griffons disapproved of the present leadership.

Maybe they would be enough to fight the city’s own public order forces, but not five divisions of the Griffonian Standing Army. Gilda really hoped there were more of them. Or, at least, that Gia actually had a solid plan for dealing with an actual army.

Piled crates against the white-painted masonry made for an improvised stage at the deep end of the factory floor. Those important griffons Gilda had met at the manor had come, and one spoke. The one with the smoking and the top hat talked to another well-dressed griffon at the front of the assembly. The big northerner guy sat next to them, and not only wore an armor covered in white fur, but also looked incredibly bored. And so did the beautiful lady with the high-neck cape.

Of all the feelings going through Gilda, concern reigned. It seemed as though the city’s defenders were already onto them, and they hadn’t even started the damn meeting. Things didn’t look so hot. If they wouldn’t meet opposition before the meeting was over, then certainly once they made it to the central square.

That is why you are there.

She didn’t stop, or say anything, but she did frown at The Harpy’s voice inside her head. A different point of view, and an empowering way of thinking about her place in the whole situation. Especially when Gilda could consider herself ready to be of significant help. In fact, it wouldn’t be news to her The Harpy demanded service for her sponsorship.

When they finally reached the stage, the griffon in the front, one of the particularly well-dressed ones talking to Top Hat pointed at Gilda. “What is this? What are you up to, Gia? And is this what you made me come here for, Gilberto?”

A blue griffon, with a light cyan head and sapphire eyes. Dressed in rich, fancy clothing with so many silks, satins and fluffs he looked more like a Canterlot unicorn than a cool northerner griffon used to harsh living. But then again, Thunderpeak technically sat south of the border. Not all griffons could be badass survivors. Some of them had to be bureaucrats and capitalists too.

“Why don’t you ask the lady why she’s here, Gaunde?” Top Hat told him with a grin.

The griffon in question did stare at Gilda, but he only blinked. She didn’t wait for him either. “I will help, however I can in taking over the city.”

“Do you even understand what you said?” The griffon recovered fast enough to give her a petulant answer.

“Yeah.” She shrugged, half intentionally being a jerk and half actually believing what she said. “You keep killing the ones that don’t want to give over the town until their friends decide it’s not worth to keep fighting for the town and die too.”

She wasn’t entirely sure she liked it, but griffons laughed around them. He lost his composure, letting his wings flare and pointed furiously at her, screaming. “And I suppose you are going to kill the local militia and the Chancellor’s goons protecting the town hall and the mayor?!”

“Yeah.” She kept her solid and self-important tone. “That is kinda what I plan on doing. My intention was going straight to Frozenlake. But I kinda want to help you guys take over the town for The Harpy. It sorta comes with being the Chosen of the Harpy thing, you know.”

Heavens forbid she let her own insecurity show through, but her words sounded about right. And griffons seemed impressed by her words, so she liked it.

She did her best to block off Grunhilda’s giggling from behind and started dropping some names too as memories of the unnamed Loremaster in Griffonstone came back to her. Names held power and even non-Loremaster griffons knew it. “Lady Gwendolen is waiting for me, but Master Galahault is kinda good at rallying griffons for the cause. I suppose I owe him something after he forged my sword. Also, I kinda liked Master Gabriel and Miss Gerdie. I want to help their friends.”

She noted how a Loremaster wouldn’t use words such as ‘kinda’, but it worked. It wouldn’t hurt to allude to the fact that friends of the beloved Master Gabriel and his daughter would want to pick the right side. Funny how their faces grew more and more shocked as she added one name after the other. “But… If you guys ain’t interested; I guess I’ll be on my way to Griffindell. It’s what Madam Gladys told me to do, anyways, now that I checked on Gerdie and made sure she’s alright.”

Gia must be satisfied since she shared her superior grin when Gilda turned to leave via the stairs on the side of the stage and didn’t interfere.

“Wait!” One of the griffon ladies, quite young and cute, cried for her among the older griffons at the front. “Lady Gwineth came from Griffindell, but in less than a day she left to rescue Master Gabriel, and she didn’t tell us much more!”

“Yeah!” Another griffon among the crowd spoke too, the manual laborer kind. “She freed Master Gabriel’s griffons from jail but left us hanging! She just pulled her strings with the Lord Protector and didn’t do anything to help us.”

Gia cleared her throat. “Lady Gwineth wasn’t very forthcoming with anyone. All she wanted was to get those griffons out to help her free Master Gabriel in Griffonstone.”

“So…” Gilda turned to her ‘new friends’ and rose an eyebrow. “The Lord Protector of the city is on our side?”

“Well, slightly, I suppose,” Gia started with a grimace. “Although not exactly.”

Galahault scoffed. “Loyalty is not particularly a priority for some griffons, Lady Gilda.”

She liked the sound of that… ‘Lady Gilda’.

“It seems,” Galahault went on. “Our stalwart Lord Protector believes letting go a few prisoners behind the Princess’ back, and not getting split in half by a Swordmaiden, is acceptable. Helping us win the city for The Lion is another story.”

“Eh… I have it on good faith he is actually on our side.” The well-dressed Gilberto explained with a paw up. “He is just afraid of the thugs the Chancellor sent to watch over his possessions.”

Sounded like a cowardly douche… Seemed to be a theme with Griffonian local militias, but Gilda supposed her view on them contained biases. To say the least. They couldn’t all be bad griffons, but the system, the deep-rooted corruption, and the lack of moral values in their leadership got to them.

If only they had sided against The Lion out of loyalty for the other side, Gilda might have some sympathy for them.

“A coward afraid of the Chancellor’s thugs and afraid of us.” Gilberto concluded with a shrug. “He’s going to fold as soon as the fight gets too intense and too close to him. You see, space is limited. For every griffon here, we have at least one or two more willing to fight for our cause.”

They had popular support, as a lot of griffons got themselves crammed in there. Between those, the soldiers from the manor and the guns the ‘vampire-lady’ had delivered, they should have the city under their wings already. Maybe the populace could use with some encouraging?

What was she doing, though? What did Gilda want from the situation? A combination of wanting to help those griffons and being fed up with the other side getting away with shit motivated her. Because she had come to accept The Harpy had the right idea. She wanted those griffons to side with The Lion as it would be ultimately better for them. They could sort out the bad stuff later…

It also helped she liked the feeling of belonging and having the power to influence them in the right direction.

For a change, she could be a damned hero. She could take part in screwing with the Chancellor. It only slightly bummed her she still couldn’t get back at those jerks in Griffonstone. Eventually…

“All of this is of little consequence.” Gaunde, The Fancy spoke again, more to the crowd than to her. Despite staring at her like he expected her to spontaneously catch fire. “The point remains it is not worth our lives to fight a pointless battle. The military will siege the city as soon as they hear of what happened. We’ll see our children and our families starving and succumbing to disease.”

“I don’t think so…” Gia spoke next. “The brass is offended their political leadership launched a military operation without authorization from our elected representatives in the Hall of Friendship. Celestia is bound to show up any day in Griffonstone and have a few words with our adored Chancellor. Word from Frozenlake is that General Grommer had no idea of all the shenanigans the Chancellor pulled. Somehow, I don’t believe the military will be eager to respond. Even if they are little more than a day’s flight from us, their response, if it ever arrives, should take weeks.”

“You are delusional if you think they’ll take that long, Gia. And even then, what is the point?” Gaunde gave out a frustrated sigh. “What do we gain by starting a revolt in a city both vulnerable and that stands to gain nothing by siding with one or another?”

Plain wrong. Gilda didn’t need to be a trained military leader, to see the city both sides benefited from controlling the city. If for nothing else, for its location, right at the edge of the border. It was likely to receive a lot of attention from Griffindell if it sided with The Lion already.

“This borders on the blasphemous!” One voice cried in the middle of the throng and was met with a strong positive reaction. “You all saw the storm behaved strangely, right after we heard of the northerner girl arrived at the teleporter with Lady Gilda! She says she is a Swordmaiden! The signs couldn’t be clearer!”

More cheering followed and some griffons in the assembly threw hats up in the air, which prompted Gaunde guy to fly above and make soothing gestures. “What is the point? Are you really going to risk your lives on a myth? A fairy tale.”

It didn’t go as he planned. The response came in the form of angry cries and furious birds flaring wings and raising fists at him.

“The point is you are a coward!” The big northerner in armor laughed with his boisterous voice. With his armor and furry cape, he looked double the size of the overly well-dressed griffon.

Griffons not only accused Gaunde, but they argued angrily among themselves, and hearts seemed divided. Why did Gaunde not want to fight? Surely, part of the reason was not enough of those Bits in the depot would go to his name… Gilda doubted the griffons with whose lives he gambled cared.

Talk to them. Their leaders are the problem with griffons nowadays.

The Harpy gave Gilda some moments to ponder on the meaning of those words. Curiously, She had taught griffons they had the freedom to look after number one.

Wealth is meant to serve a need. The meaning of the Raptorial Creed is lost to these griffons who see in the battle for the city an opportunity to acquire more of it and not a battle for the hearts of their fellow griffons. The wellbeing of their kind should be, at least, as important as their own personal wealth.

Oh yeah… A grin almost showed through Gilda’s stoic façade, as she watched griffons argue with each other and Her voice sounded in her head. Griffons ought to be independent, as long as they did what the Allmother wanted. Right? She still remembered what Empress Geneviere had told her, through Ghadah.

You wound me, My Child. It should be better for all griffons once we have dealt with the problems plaguing your kind. Wealth comes with dutiful service, as so does celebrity and power. But most of all, what is good for me, is good for your kind.

Welp... Gilda wouldn’t argue. Specially with the part about the trickle-down economy of awesomeness, given she was one of the top cats.

Talk to them. Remember.

She urged again and memories rushed to Gilda’s mind, but not like a vision. As when she tested the sword and at first didn’t even know what she was doing. As though instinct took over, ancient memories guided her mind and she suddenly knew what to do.

“You are wasting time talking about one dumb detail or another!” She let her voice reach and griffons both startled and glared at her. “You are forgetting what they did to Master Gabriel!”

They exchanged stares and then returned to her. Some nodded at her words but waited for her to go on.

“They took Master Gabriel to the hospital at Griffonstone after what Princess Luna did to him. They didn’t want you to see what happened. They didn’t want you to see Princess Luna impaled one of his paws and crushed the other because he shot at her. Even when it didn’t even hurt her.” She gave her best dramatic flourish to her crude and direct recounting. She didn’t want to sound like Gia. “I was there! I worked as a nurse at the hospital. I saw him! I talked to him! The Princess’ guards kept him locked in his room and under watch like a petty criminal!”

“She tried to destroy his paws!” She put up her own paw, showing it to them, in all its contradictory beauty, so strong and at the same time so fragile.

She allowed them a moment of chagrin and shock at her words. “I don’t know who this Lady Gwineth is, but it is a good thing she’s gonna take him out of there. He helped me find my place. He helped me listen to The Harpy and I don’t want him sent to Shatteredrock. Much less that he remains under their care. He deserves to be brought back to his home!”

Griffons generally agreed and some outright called for a revolt already. Most just listened, but others tried to get their opinions heard with the preferred method of shouting louder than the other side. Some, though, called for calm and for some time to think over the situation with clear heads. Gia rose a paw and called for attention, which she got.

Apparently, despite not being very good at her Loremaster job, she still commanded quite a bit of loyalty and respect.

“We don’t have time to wait! If we allow the Chancellor to realize something is going to happen,” she pointed out with a finger. “And he will as soon as Lady Gwineth assaults the hospital to save Master Gabriel, we will lose the element of surprise.”

Her words seemed reasonable and well-balanced, while the well-dressed griffon called Gilberto nodded emphatically. He voiced his agreement a few times as the crowd also agreed with several calls to action. Immediately.

“Chancellor Gail will send reinforcements via the teleporter!” Gia concluded with an alarming tone.

“Shut up! All of you, stupid birdbrains!” Gaunde took flight above the assembly and yelled at them but barely had any effect. Griffons called for their mayor’s head and for a revolt at once.

They also dragged him to the floor and punched him a few times. He may have suffered injuries, but… Well… He had chosen a side. The wrong one.

Gia stood next to Gilda and looked pleased as punch. She took a few steps forward, raising a paw, talking above the noise of angry griffons.

“Yet again, another assault on our culture and our customs, by one of the beloved pony princesses.” The Loremaster took a step forward, standing by the edge of the crate stage with a ‘oh-so-offended tone’, but the other griffons heard an honest and concerned Loremaster. “I believe the time has come we act. The time for patience is past and we must make it clear, much like did our ancestors, there is a point we are no longer willing to allow them to push us.”

Griffons cheered and exchanged furious shouts of indignation and righteous anger in support. It almost made Gilda feel bad Gia and the others used them and their anger to reach for the Chancellor’s money. Such bizarre conflicting feelings.

“Friends, friends!” Gilberto started with a faux soothing tone. “Save this aggression for those who deserve it. We need dutiful able-bodied griffons willing to wield arms in favor of our cause. We’ll meet in the central plaza and make our desire the town aligns with our rightful liege known to the mayor.”

They were angry, but too many reeled at the mention of actual violence. Their reaction sapped Gilda’s confidence, and the others noted it too. Again, it felt wrong they would use these griffons, afraid, and willing a better life for their loved ones.

It does not matter. I will deal with Gia and with the others when convenient. It is more important griffons side with us. With the city under our wings it will become easier. Moreover, the city and its region are important to us. But above all, it shall be the birthplace of your legend. Talk to them! Reach their hearts! Find the cherished pride that lies inside every griffons’s heart. Call to the raptor and they will answer!

“This is more important than petty politics!” Gilda added without thinking and taking to the air. She hated Gia and the others trying to move the population because they wanted the Chancellor’s money! The Chancellor and his goons did such things! It was disgusting The Harpy had been invoked for a scam. For better or for worse, the Allmother was the reason Gilda even was alive.

Maybe it was foolish, but her chest burned. It drew her back into the storm. Sitting before her cave’s entrance as the rain fell, and thunder called her to reach forward. “This is more important than…”

She held her tongue, just as realization struck her the same way lightning hit her sword on Master Galahault’s paw. It really was no coincidence she had arrived just as all had happened. It was no coincidence Galahault was there. It might not even have been a coincidence that she met Grunhilda.

Never in her life had she ever imagined herself in such a situation. Never, in her wild imagination of a teenager. Much less when she got herself stuck making scones, beating dough to barely make it month after month. She never saw herself doing what she was about to do.

As her fingers wrapped around Mythical’s grip, it’s powerful magic hummed in her bones, and she felt as she did in that dream. She stood on top of a blurry barrier between dream and reality when she held lightning in her paw.

“It is not about money or politics! It is about griffons and their souls!” She pointed her sword down at the assembled griffons, it shone either with magical light, or reflecting from the ceiling. “It is about what those cursed equines stole from you! What they stole from your forefathers, millennia ago! The Mother of Storms calls! She is tired of finding Her Children remiss while in the north our brothers and sisters stemmed the tide of malevolence spilled by the Windigos since times before remembrance!”

“Enough!” She cried at the top of her lungs. They seemed to spit fire into her airways much as they did when they filled with smoke and the stench of her own burning body. “Are you afraid of dying? Are you afraid of losing all? The Children of The Harpy don’t fear death! They don’t dread over pain nor duress and the only enemies they fear are cowardice and indolence! And when they die, she will meet them in her hall in the Stormy Eyrie!”

They cried and cheered; Gilda could even see it in their eyes. The same fire burning in her chest. Then she inhaled deeply and shove Mythical towards the ceiling. “Children of The Harpy!”

Maybe she just didn’t expect it. The answer from the crowd and from the big northerner guy and the older lady with the cape almost stole the air from her.

“The Harpy demands!” Their response thundered in the hall, loud, guttural. A combination of roaring cry and wild cheering, spontaneous and in deep contrast to Gia and Gilberto’s carefully construed words.

She let excitement take over and pointed Mythical to the exit. She flew above the griffons stomping their way out with excited cries to meet the manor’s griffons-at-arms outside with the carts. In them, piles of swords, shields, spears, halberds, and muskets. Many, many muskets, and pouches which she supposed contained ammunition.

Griffons didn’t even question and some of them grinned at the high-quality weaponry at their disposal as they helped themselves to their weapons of choice. Most preferred the muskets. Some of them were experienced fighters, preferred the other weapons.

Things certainly didn’t go exactly according to Gia’s plan, but she didn’t complain as she flew above the mass of griffons with the others and hovered next to Gilda, to whom she gave a dirty grin. “Great job!”

As Gilda remembered she shouldn’t be flaying about with a magical weapon, she returned Mythical to her back and Gia even turned to the older griffoness with the cape. “Excellent. These weapons should be perfect.”

Gilda didn’t answer, nor did the older griffoness. The clouds rumbled above, and lightning flashed over the city. Several shapes of flying griffons arrived from the sky and Gilda couldn’t understand how in the freaking heck they even managed to fly.

Several hundreds of them descended on the street where she hovered above griffons either distracted with the weapons or who stared too. Not only big griffons, but they wore hefty heavy armor. All shiny black and gold, complete with open helms, but their red scarves grabbed Gilda’s attention. They carried themselves like soldiers, strong and proud, wielding firearms and halberds.

One of the griffons in armor approached her. A strong among the strong griffons in full armor, but without the helm, a black and white cape between his flapping wings. White handsome face with a serious stare in his black eyes surrounded by dark plumage. His eyes fixed on Gilda, and on Gia when she approached.

“Greetings, Sky Sentry!” Gilda wasn’t sure what she wanted, but Gia gave him a horny smile. “Were you sent all the way from Griffindell to help us take over the city?”

“I am looking for Lady Gilda.” He gave her a disinterested stare. “And I don’t suppose you are her, Loremaster.”

“Oh…” Gia deflated out of the way, and he found Gilda in front of the others, hovering above a throng of curious griffons.

“Are you Lady Gilda?” He frowned at her a little and cocked his very aquiline brow.

“Uh… Yeah… Gilda’s my name.” She gave him her best smile as Grunhilda gave her the properly cleaned and ironed out red scarf. She wore it immediately. It convinced the griffon guy in armor.

“A gift. From Lady Gwendolen of Griffindell.” He spoke as one of his subordinates approached them and opened a black wooden box for her.

Inside, in the middle of many white satin tissues the box held a pair of golden bracelets with beautiful reliefs of swords engulfed in flames. And a diadem made to resemble a pair of griffon wings that would follow to the sides of her head as they grew from the middle. They sprouted from a golden griffon paw holding an amethyst in its shiny talons. So big Gilda could see her own smile in it. And at the top sat a profile of The Harpy. So meticulous and attentive in its details Gilda could see the small lines in between the soft feathers and the Allmother’s stare in that thing.

I am very wealthy, and I am very powerful. And those are both things which come to the dutiful griffons who use their talents to further my goals.

Next Chapter: Hero for the Day; Legend Forever Estimated time remaining: 24 Hours, 32 Minutes