Treachery-The Tales of Niles
I felt my head as it for the fourth time that night fell onto one of the multiple books on law and diplomacy and whatever else I had to study. If I'd thought learning the history of Griffon Law had been bad then learning the Equestrian one was worse as their kingdom had lasted for a thousand years whilst the Falcarian line a mere five hundred.
However I was determined and with his last book my four days of non-stop study would be complete and I could finally try for the job of a diplomat or whatever I really would n't mind as long as I never looked at another book for the rest of my life.
I realised it was past midnight and about the fourth day since my arrival. Yesterday I had sent a letter by train to be delivered to Dawn detailing what had happened and where I was. I wasn't sure where he was staying so I had to just put Dawn and hope that a pony in Ponyville knew him or could ask around.
However I had written the address of my hotel on the front of the envelope so expected a reply and to know everything about those mystery mare. I wanted this to take no more than one or two months already I wanted more adventure and jewels and I couldn't keep stealing a few of the best picks from these lame Jewellery stores with almost no security.
I wondered if Dawn was as bored as I was. Usually when we got bored we'd begin to mess around in the town, village or wherever we were staying and as usual either get kicked out or leave when it got boring pretending we were having fun.
Life just seemed really slow and right now my patience was wearing thin. "Maybe we could have gone back to Zebricia and bought lots of that magical black powder and blown the doors to the elements open with fire" I thought as my head once more dropped onto the huge book on my desk.
It was hard enough to get it through the door of he library but up to my hotel room on the sixteenth floor was just a nightmare. The hotel was of course luxurious and everypony was very good at sucking-up to me and especially when I gave them a bag with only a few thousand bits and told them to sort me out.
However although the room was luxurious I couldn't see it since it was buried under no less than a hundred books. I'd skimmed maybe a couple but the rest I'd read and tried very hard to imprint into my brain.
"Well if I fail this entry exam then at least I'll have something to tell the other inmates about in prison" I thought as I decided I'd studied enough and I should catch some sleep before I collapsed on top of my books.
I tiredly flapped my wings and landed on my bed and the second I hit the covers I was asleep. However in a mere seconds I awoke and it was bright daylight flooding past the towers of books and I realised I had slept all night and morning.
I was still tired but new energy and the desire to get this over with forced me into action. "I'll show that old man that I still got it" I told myself with a determined feeling in my chest.
I showered and skipped breakfast not feeling hungry and strode through the crowds of all he snobbish and rich aristocratic and business ponies that went about their daily business. I couldn't recall but I think that once Dawn had mentioned coming from Canterlot and that his parents kicked him out or something.
It was an interesting tale that I and Dawn had. We had met when we were both still children really and Dawn had told me about how he had outran a Princess and I had told him how I'd crashed an entire train (although it was a freight train so nopony was hurt) and eventually we decided that it would be a good idea to stick together until we reached the nearest town.
It was so long ago that it felt like a hundred years although it had been really about ten and we had done so much so fast in those ten years. "I'm sounding like some kind of old guy" I said to myself with a slap of my head "Stop Reminiscing Niles and focus on remembering... all the crap about law you had to learn".
Eventually the fancy and rich stores, hotels and apartments began to turn into a long selection of mansions which just got more and more luxurious as they went on. "I suppose these will be the owners of large companies and Ministers in the castle" I supposed as I went by.
I supposed that maybe Dawn had lived in one of these although I remember so living in a luxurious place with my fellow brothers. To be honest the news I'd received of them taking and running off with the family fortune wasn't surprising, they were always crooked bastard my brother and always greedy and whining about how they never had enough freedom.
I didn't even think about my parents as despite what I had said they ended up still being my parents and I was in a way feeling guilty.
However not guilty enough to apologise and even if I did Griffons were stubborn and could take even he littlest insult to heart and end up with a three hundred year vendetta. I would simply be wasting my time.
I stopped thinking and started concentrating on what I'd learned as I approached the gates to the castle with a smile on my face despite he stony look of he guards. I saw that they usually didn't take kindly to anyone. In fact they seemed almost completely like living statues just staring ahead without looking at me or maybe looking I wasn't so sure.
I approached the gate and gritting my teeth I asked "Err I'm here to see my Uncle he's a diplomat for the Griffon Kingdom a kind of fat old griffon malting feathers might like donuts"?
"Sorry Sergeant Sunshine I'll take it from here" came the voice of none other than my dearest uncle who hopefully hadn't been standing behind me for the duration of my cruelly accurate description.
"Oh hello Uncle I am here to take my little test" I said trying to sound respectful but unable to suppress a grin. He scowled at me and asked "You sure you learned everything? Took me weeks to learn it all by heart you know boy" he said gruffly and I just chuckled and replied "Well Uncle I'm just too clever for my own good".
He grunted and roughly grabbed me by my fore-leg and dragged me through the gate that Sergeant Sunshine had let me through. It was quite painful but I wasn't about to protest anything when I was already on a dangerously thin line.
He was mad which was understandable but when he dragged me to the gardens he fumed "It you're trying to upset me then you are doing a good job!" With an annoying smack over the head received by me.
"Maybe if you lightened up a little then I would respect your authority more" I grumbled but only got another smack over the head.
"Do you know what our job is boy? We aren't cheerful we represent our country through good and bad times and we oversee the signing of important treaties and on occasions sign the smaller ones ourselves, Diplomatic niceties are tediously boring and long and require that no loop holes or overlooks which can harm our country are in place which means we must suck up but also receive a large quantity of sucking up to us and never ever lose our cools"!
I was of course listening but then a really pretty butterfly went by and I didn't catch the last bit. "Uh-huh, yeah so can I get the test like right now"?
He groaned and replied "Yes, you are lucky you didn't come yesterday as it was hard convincing the foreign minister to sign your pardon, he was a friend of our family before it practically disintegrated and a large supporter of the king but had I not sent back the crown and those gems I honk he might have had you kidnapped and smuggled back home" explained my Uncle.
I gulped, why was politics oh so dirty?! My Uncle saw my worried features and explained "Do not fear they have pardoned your crimes here are your documents" he handed over a small file and explained "Also you are going to be issued with a new thing we call a passport which we are needing to control the amount of Griffon's fleeing into Equestria from the hunger of the Kingdom".
He seemed saddened when he explained "Although Equestria will usually open its doors to anyone struggling it was the king who made the decision to ban travel to other countries without a permit.
Celestia agreed with this despite the problems of our country but also she knows the number of Griffons would soar and soon Equestria would also face hunger" explained my Uncle and I actually took interest and asked "Why is here hunger, I recall rich farmland with so much corn and berries that we gave surplus away practically"!
He nodded grimly and replied "That all changed years ago when suddenly the corn crops failed.
No griffon could have interpreted this and here was no back-up plan but we've gotten through rough winters before and always have stores of food but the warehouses store had all gone due to something called a parasprite infestation which are some kind of insects which have the ability to eat and eat and then split into two and four and six and so on until almost all our food was gone and we had a catastrophe on our hands" he said with his tone getting alarmingly quiet.
"Equestria lent the food it could spare but it was embarrassing the amount and weakened the view of the crown. Using his power King Falcarius was able to banish all the parasprites but he was somehow weakened by the use of magic and now he is dying and you know the rest" my Uncle grimly finished in his eyes turning from that of anger to tiredness.
"I never knew our people were suffering so much" I said actually feeling bad for he old man. I wasn't usually so caring but so many Griffons in trouble made for a little bit of rare worry.
"Ok well let's see if I can organise a treaty to help" I said and my Uncle chuckled "You think you can help then try but there is nothing more we can do except wait for the inevitable" he said which confused me. Seeing the confusion on my face he promised "I'll explain later" before leading me through the gardens across a courtyard and into the main gates of the castle.
He didn't strut like I did by stride purposefully into the case and across the red carpets, nodding to the guards as he went. I gaped at all he painting and shiny suits of armour and vases and at the identical looking green doors everywhere.
My Uncle sighed and pausing he turned and dangerously told me "Don't touch anything" before striding on with me swaggering lazily behind.
All these rugs and things were neat but there was no real beauty here except the elements which I had to find upstairs somewhere and eventually find a way to create a distraction big enough to get Dawn and the princess's student up to the vault and then Dawn could do a dissipating act and nopony would be the wiser.
"We have reached the doors to the embassy, you will try and stop lounging about when you walk through hear doors and show the highest respect to the guards and the other ambassadors, consulates and diplomats" he ordered, startling me out of my train of thought.
I straightened my posture slightly and tried to look really important before he opened the door and led me through. "You are now in Griffon territory" he said like hat was a big thing and looking around it really wasn't.
The main lobby was really big but more like a dumping ground as every corner and wall was filled with Griffons standing or sitting up against it with defeated looks and tons of baggage.
"Most here have no passport but can't be sent back yet due to problems with containing Griffon's in the ports and he skies, they've even called all the Wonderbolts hey can on sky patrol duty and they are beginning to star garrisoning the big cities with ports like Fillydelphia and Manehatten, an endless stream of immigrants are trying to push through wherever they can and we can barely find the money to send them all back" he explained as he nodded to a Griffon guard holding a spear who nodded back in acknowledgement.
"What of the Kingdom I mean it can't be *this bad* I said gesturing to the crowds of homeless immigrants.
My Uncle grabbed me and yelled "Don't you get it our country has no too! No food means money is worthless and our economy crashes, paying our soldiers in coin is worthless, paying our farmers is worthless and the common Griffon being paid is twice as worthless we're on the brink of losing it all"!
I looked around to see if somepony was watching us but they all just kept looking down with sad features and actually they a looked quite scrawny now that I saw it.
"Follow me to my office" my Uncle told me and I did so, being led up a large staircase and down a mare hallway with tons of documents and paperwork stacked as high as the outrageously high ceiling.
I followed him into his office where he immediately kicked over some papers and went to a liqueur cabinet in the corner. Pouring a very, very thick and red drink for himself he downed it all in one before telling me "I am your Uncle and despite what you've done you are family" he paused to hiccup and sat down on a ruined cushion before continuing "Every job was filled here a few months ago and with the recent influx of immigrants any other Griffon we could make an excuse for has taken up all the jobs we can think of but you are lucky because I need a Griffon like you"!
I didn't know whether to be suspicious or touched but I chose suspicious. If he needed me then the situation must be desperate and this probably involved danger which although fun if not in relation to shiny things was a complete waste of time.
"You wanted to serve your country well our time of need had come and to be honest everything I said earlier was sugar coating it the Government obviously want control, the King's idiotic sons want control and the people want food and they will blame the King and maybe the Government and then we have rebellion on our talons" he said standing up.
"In retaliation of the destabilization of leadership Equestria our long standing ally sees us as a threat and prepares for war and I have proof, swords once a thing of the past are beginning to slowly be produced in secret locations throughout Equestria and the guard are bolstering their ranks, this country has seen peace for over a thousand years and now our country is threatening to destabilise the whole era and create a possible war which will devastate both sides and probably cause the assimilation of the Kingdom of the Griffons into the Kingdom of Equestria"!
I was quite confused by all this and asked "So why do you need me to be all diplomatic and stuff cause the way I hear it I am the only Griffon for the job" I said and my Uncle growled and explained.
"I am the envoy for the King and speak on his behalf but messages aren't enough anymore and we believe they are being falsely sent by his sons in a bid to keep us in the dark and change what they want, I've already received five letters demanding he closure of the embassy and fear that if something is not done soon then another envoy will be sent to express these wishes and have me arrested and the Embassy closed" he explained sitting down in defeat.
I'm old boy and cannot go back to the Kingdom, it is inevitable that it will fall unless something is done so I have turned to somepony else to assist us in our hour of need" he said almost in shame and I had to hold he presses right there before it got out of talon.
I stammered "Whoa now you want me to save the day, come on Uncle I was a thief not a hero" I said but he nodded his head and said "Exactly you were a thief and you know how to get around quietly and how to traverse long distances without much detection well you wanted a job to serve your country and you will do it"!
I gulped, I really didn't like where this was going. "Princess Celestia doesn't wish to leave her capital to help as it may unbalance everything as it is.
However a more willing soul is her younger sister who believes that she can utilise the power of the moon to help revive the King and hopefully help settle the quelling siblings and rebellious government" he explained with hope in his eyes.
I was clueless to what I was supposed to help with and asked "What are you talking about? What does this have to do with me? He grinned and explained "Oh nephew, you are going to help the Princess get into the Kingdom and then escort her to the palace and make sure she gets back safely".
Ok things were getting out of control now. Alarm bells for myself preservation went up. I was here to steal the elements and didn't need this not a revolution laced hell-hole of a home, not being a bodyguard to a Princess and not being trapped on the losing side of things.
"Sorry Uncle" I said sweetly while standing up "But I wanted a nice cushy job and to retire not to go gallivanting around a place I never want to see again with some prissy Princess"! I went to leave and heard my Uncle say "I know" before I felt and agonising electrical shock spasm throughout my body and a metallic object dug itself painfully onto my back right between my wings.
I gasped and yelled "What the hay did you do to me" before turning around to see my back had a small blue box with spikes dug quite deep into me. Thy bled slightly but the blue electrical energy seemed to seal them up. "This little artefact will make sure that you stick to whoever has the other like glue, well not glue but if one tries to run away from the other then boom and little bits and pieces of the both of you go everywhere" he said with a grin.
I blinked and made a grab for it but he pressed into the box he held and I felt a spasm as electrical shocks wracked my body. "Also I can do that" he said laughing. "You bastard" I shouted and tried to get up to leave but again I felt more of the shocks as they wracked my body.
"It takes a few hours before the box gets used to you, which is why it is so sensitive and can harm you but trying to move too fast and even a metre away from the box is agonising and in some instances will kill you" he said and I grimaced and asked "I thought we were family, I gave you back the crest and the crown so why do this"?
He looked at me coldly and asked "Did you really think I took your little facade for a second? You came here to steal riches and I saw that and saw that you actually did have potential so I sent you on a useless learning trip for a few days at he least whilst I made a plan with the Princess's.
Celestia disliked he idea most but Luna leapt at the chance of leaving and after a day or two of arguing agreed to go even knowing the risk" he said and I asked "What you mean me running away and killing us both"?
My Uncle laughed and said "No you love yourself too much to kill yourself even to spite me. No the bandits, rebels and other things which may happen is what worried Celestia".
I couldn't believe it. The situation once going my way was all a lie and now my life was practically in my Uncle's talons and now I had no choice but to submit to this very not little danger errand. "What will Dawn do? Will he come after me or not even know I'm gone before it's too late?
My Uncle could see the look on my face and said "Chin up, you wanted to we've well here you go you silly little eaglet". I tried to move again but another shock wracked my body and I collapsed in defeat.
My last thoughts as my vision faded to black was "Dawn if you are drinking tea with some fancy mare right now I will kill you" before I thought no more.
I didn't even see this coming... Literally I just began writing and then KABLAM it went that way. Ok well review and thanks everyone for reviews and if there are any terribly bog mistakes then review about it or PM me. :)
