[Appleoosa] Fire Water [Gerrard, Conor Colton, LordBrony9: PM for invite]

[Conor Colton]

Appleoosa. Cowponys, cattle, apple plantations and not to mention blistering hot air. Yes, this place never changed much, and to almost nopony was that more evident to at this time than to Colton Cloudkicker. This white coated, blue maned pegasus had found his way to this desert town, as always, close accompanied by his faithful bird; more specifically sparrow companion, Sparks.

The two of them had ventured to this place in search of, what else, work. Colton had never frequented the town as much as he would have liked to believe, and despite a decent number of visits he never did get the lay of the land down to memory. Due to this, every time Colton visited this place he was practically lost, with no idea where to begin. However, this time things were different for the stallion and sparrow. They were in Appleloosa for a reason, being to get some money, from the irrigation industry. The two had picked up a flyer in the next town over, one that described an interesting offer.

The flyer read "[colour=#40e0d0]Two weeks, work on irrigation systems. Pays handsomely for dedicated workers. The apple industry needs water, so the apple industry needs you.[/colour]" Colton read off as he and Sparks entered the town center. He then put the piece of paper in his saddlebags and spoke to his bird friend, resting on his shoulder, "[colour=#40e0d0]Usual corporate language, right? Eh, as long as we can get in, get some money and get out. We'll be okay.[/colour]" The stallion stated as he gave the sparrow a playful pat on the head. "[colour=#40e0d0]Soo...Where do we start?[/colour]" Colton asked as he looked over the busy town, not knowing where to start at all. The stallion and the bird both gulped nervously.

"[colour=#40e0d0]Okay...Let's go I suppose.[/colour]" Colton stated with relative enthusiasm as he began his search. The pair started with a stroll down the main street, so they could get a vague idea of their bearings and where to begin, "[colour=#40e0d0]Okay...make note of everything here, little buddy...Vital importance.[/colour]" The pegasus emphasized with great concern as they both began making mental notes of where they were and how they would get where they needed to be.

"[colour=#40e0d0]...A guide wouldn't hurt right now, huh, Sparks?[/colour]" Colton asked as Sparks shook his head in response as the two continued looking around, without the foggiest of notions where this venture would take them.

[Gerrard]

The weather had been hot, but that was expected, tumble weeds practically overpopulating the somehow bustling town. Ponies seemed busy with their day, roaming about the dusty town square, seemingly unaffected by the overpowering weather. A shadowy figure was standing atop one of the buildings, just out of vision of most ponies. An irrigation flyer dangled lifelessly off one of the roofs, almost forgotten by the citizens in the fiery weather.

The flyers had been posted by one of the primary irrigation architects in Equestria, an eccentric fellow whose methods often served to alienate himself from his potential clients and employees. They advertised for strong and stout individuals capable of taking the weather and conditions in stride. It was unclear much more beyond that, but the poster was the one to determine the exact specifics.

A pair of keen yellow eyes gazed over the landscape of Appleoosa from high atop one of the many buildings that lined the frontier town. They quickly spotted their next target, a white pegasus who was holding an eerily familiar note. A smirk slowly spread across the face of the onlooker, a griffon with a black coat who had grown interested in the stranger. His dark talons roughly grabbed the rooftop before leaping from his perch, the large predator silently drifting down to the ground before landing with a light thud. "Hello stranger. I see that you took one of my flyers. Are you interested in making a bunch of bits?" a strong, if not imposing voice called out to Colton from behind. The griffon leaned forward, his long black beak uncomfortably close to the pony. His silver feathered face wore a devilish smirk, the griffon seeming a bit off, a large backpack tightly bound around his own neck.

[Conor Colton]

Colton wiped a bit of sweat from his brow, exhaling deeply as the pair continued walking. It was at this point that Colton was starting to realize he may just need to ask for directions. This was always considered very embarrassing by him so he only resorted to this when he really needed to. This instance being an example of that. The pegasus looked around for anypony that could possibly know where he was supposed to be heading. What he got though, was rather unexpected.

Colton heard an odd thudding noise from behind him, slowly followed by a voice. The pegasus continued staring forward for a bit longer before turning around, realizing this figure was talking to him specifically. When he turned though he saw something he didn't expect; that being a griffon. And something even more unexpected; that being the proximity of the feathered citizen's beak to Colton's person. The pegasus backed up slightly with a slightly raised eyebrow, wondering if this griffon was being genuine. He examined the figure from beak to talon and couldn't help but feel, not at ease. Colton didn't assume the worst in individuals though, it wasn't in his nature. So instead, he responded with some greetings.

"[colour=#40e0d0]Ah, hi. Nice to meet you. I'm Colton Cloudkicker, and this here is Sparks.[/colour]" The pegasus stated as Sparks gave a slight bow, but was just as uneasy as Colton, "[colour=#40e0d0]And a bunch wouldn't be a bad idea. Not exactly what we were expecting but, I guess it'll do.[/colour]" Colton smiled as he extended a hoof to the figure, "[colour=#40e0d0]Your flyers then, eh? Y'know I meet most of my employers at a work site or some other generic place. Nice to see a griffon taking personal interest in his employees.[/colour]" Colton chuckled light heatedly; still unsure on how he should see this new character.

[Gerrard]

The fierce eyes of the griffon pierced through the pair, their immediate intentions unknown as he looked them over, face to face. "Ah, the honor is mine Mr. Cloudkicker. I am Gerrard Grayfeather, irrigation architect from the Royal University of Canterlot. May I see your resume and credentials good sir?" he replied in a suddenly formal voice, the griffon seeming to turn on his professional mode as his keen eyes glanced down to see a white hoof extended his way. The hybrid carefully grabbed it with his black talon and firmly shook it as his gaze drifted towards back up to the bird. "And I am honored to meet you as well Sir Sparks. I don't often see many of my ilk in the desert," he added formally for the small bird as he lowered his own head to eye level with the tiny bird.

"It appears I may have... misplaced, my monocle," the griffon commented, glancing down to the ground for a moment to look at the sandy gravel beneath them. He lightly clawed at the dirty before chuckling lightly, unable to keep up his act any longer as he started laughing loudly. "Ahh, I have to admit, it is quite the chore to be a fake formal griffon. Your resume is your ability to carry gear. Ponies, even pegasus, can carry a heavy load, correct?" he commented in his usual strong voice, the hybrid looking at Colton one last time to see if he had any visible injuries. He couldn't spot one on the pony before drifting his eyes towards a blacksmith shop on the edge of the town. "You are interested in the job right? I can discuss the details in transit, but the pay is approximately 200 bits with an additional twenty percent at my discretion in the event the job has unseen complications. Is this acceptable?" he commented, reaching down into the bag around his neck to pull out a gorged bag full of bits, seemingly trying to prove he had the pay on him.

The griffon still seemed a bit suspect, but nothing specifically about him was too imposing aside from his slightly frightening appearance. He didn't have any telltale signs of nervousness, the griffon almost seeming to swell with confidence. His body language seemed relaxed, even in the hot weather. That was probably to be expected from a griffon though, their homeland a similar climate to this particular region of Equestria.

[Conor Colton]

As Colton shook the griffon's talon he observed the other feathered creatures fierce gaze. The pegasus kept a pleasant and straight face though, not wanting to offend unwillingly. Sparks however gulped rather loudly and nervously, only to receive a slight glare from his master. After the shake was over, Colton cleared his throat and replied in turn to the griffon revealing his name, "[colour=#40e0d0]Very nice knowing ya, Gerrard. And uh...resume...? Uh...Credentials?[/colour]" Colton wondered as he looked at Sparks for clarification. The sparrow merely shrugged. "[colour=#40e0d0]Oh well aren't you a huge help.[/colour]" Colton whispered sarcastically to his bird.

Colton raised yet another eyebrow when Gerrard came off with the strange statement that he had misplaced his monocle. This got Colton thinking, "[colour=#40e0d0]...Can guys who can fly even wear monocles? Is it a formal land thing? Should I have one?[/colour]" He asked himself absentmindedness as Sparks just rolled his eyes at his master's contemplation. What Colton got in the next few seconds though was something he didn't really expect, but most likely should have saw coming. When Gerrard revealed he wasn't quite as formal as he let on, Colton breathed a sigh of relief; especially since Gerrard didn't care about credentials or resumes anymore; the most Colton had in that line of reasoning was a journal. The pegasus chuckled shortly after the griffon before calming himself and realizing this griffon probably wasn't as imposing as he had previously seemed. Following this, Colton replied to Gerrard's questions, "[colour=#40e0d0]Yeah, Pegasi are pretty good at that. If nothing else we can get something somewhere fast.[/colour]" He stated confidently before replying again.

"[colour=#40e0d0]And yes, we are interested in the job, so long as that bag of bits you got there means business.[/colour]" Colton stated as he stood tall and proud to make himself look like a hard worker as he intended to be, "[colour=#40e0d0]And 200? Nice. We've worked on irrigation before but never for that much. Not saying it's a bad thing of course.[/colour]" Colton retorted, having let down any notions that this griffon may have ill intentions; however his natural skepticism was still there, waiting.

[Gerrard]

Gerrard chuckled lightly as Colton tormented himself slightly over his own lack of documentation. He loved to make ponies squirm and this seemed like an easy enough of a target. The griffon started his march over to the blacksmith, showing a small interest in the pair as he lead the way to their next destination.

"You shouldn't be so critical of your bird. Why is he supposed to know about your credentials? How cruel of you," the griffon acting in defense of the much smaller bird. He gave Colton a stern, almost angry glare as he paused his march. Gerrard was holding back a laugh from behind his serious facade. Gerrard glanced at the sparrow for a moment before playfully wrapping an arm the neck of the pegasus, careful not to hit the bird. The griffon leaned on Colton and wore a devilish smirk. "Well I hope you are fast," he playfully threatened before releasing Colton.

"At delivery," he added afterwards with a laugh, the griffon clearly liking to play on the reactions of the pony for his own personal amusement. "Just wait right here, I'll be right bag with your portion of the load. You can handle a heavy bag of pipes, right?" he added with a laugh, hoping his new hire could take the heat and weight of the job. "I'm mostly almost sure that this will be a safe and easy job. You being the only pony to respond is merely a coincidence," he explained with a chuckle, the griffon smirking widely as he tried to hold back another laugh.

[Conor Colton]

Colton raised his eyebrow as Gerrard defended Sparks. The pegasus was rather confused. He and Sparks would just consider there banter to be lighthearted fun, with no underlying tones of nastiness behind their words and or actions. They looked at each other for a second, merely shrugging as they followed Gerrard to their next destination. Colton was still trying to wrap his head around this griffon, for the life of him the pegasus didn't know how he should react to anything Gerrard would say or do. He just decided it'd be best if he just, went along with it.

Colton also couldn't help but spot that Gerrard was holding back a lot of laughs and also laughing at situations that, well weren't exactly humorous. Which made the pegasus wonder if he had missed something. At this moment Colton had no idea what to think or to do. Gerrard seemed legitimate in the sense he was offering them a job, and a following pay. But he couldn't shake the feeling that there was something he was missing, the griffon just seemed a tad...Off, to him. It didn't make matters any better when the griffon put an arm around Colton's neck and said his next sentance, almost sounding like he was threatening him. And that's when it hit Colton.

"[colour=#40e0d0]Why that little...He's messing me about to get a reaction, he thinks it's funny.[/colour]" Colton realized as he sighed and removed the griffon's arm from around his neck. Colton had been in these sort of situations before, and honestly, he couldn't stand them. He seriously contemplated just walking away and not being made a fool out of. But instead he merely came to his own conclusion in his head, "[colour=#40e0d0]He wants a reaction? How about I give him nothing.[/colour]" Colton thought as he responded to the griffon's question.

Colton simply nodded coldly with as little expression as he could. Sparks took the same attitude. When Gerrard said Colton was the only pony to respond, the pegasus just have him a glare similar to the one he had given him earlier, "[colour=#40e0d0]This is gonna be a looong job.[/colour]" Colton thought.

[Gerrard]

The griffon did indeed love toying with ponies, his friends in particular. He would never admit it, but he wholeheartedly did. Gerrard saw his glare and nodded in confirmation, gently patting the pony with a black talon before turning back to the black smith. "I will return in just a moment with your load. If you are patient, I'll even get you some ice cream too," he commented with a laugh, the griffon walking into the building. "You can come under the awning, of the building, it's probably a few degree's lower," he explained before talking to a worried looking earth pony in the building.

The pair spoke to each other in a normal voice, their conversation too far for Colton and Sparks to make out anything meaningful. Gerrard nodded in confirmation of something, pushing a small bag of bits across the counter to the clerk. Oddly enough, the clerk accepted the payment without even counting the money. The pony gestured to a portion of the building that was out of sight and the griffon wandered out of vision before returning with a pair of gorged bags. They looked exceedingly heavy but the strong griffon managed with minimal effort, his species being rather strong. "Here ya go, your portion of the load Colton," he explained with a smile as he carefully placed the load on the ground, the heavy saddle bags still managing to make a noisy clang. "This load is probably too heavy to fly with. We can just walk to the work site, you brought your sunscreen right?" he commented with a chuckle, looking over the white pegasus before glancing off into the distance.

The griffon coughed loudly, putting a balled up talon at his neck as he cleared his throat. He prepared to speak and decided to give Colton one last inspirational speech, the griffon wanting to give him something to think over. "It will be a long walk. Many have traveled it, but few have returned from the fiery inferno of the desert. But do not fear, I will return you to the promised land, dead or alive. Your efforts will not be forgotten in the long storied history of Equestria. Believe me when I say, I will protect you with your own life. Let's go, for justice!" he announced in a fiery and dedicated manner, the griffon cheering their charge.

[Conor Colton]

Colton stood and watched as Gerrard made his way into the blacksmith's to gather no doubt something for Colton to carry. The pegasus opened his mouth to speak during this brief window of opportunity when it was only him and Sparks present, "[colour=#40e0d0]This guy's a rare one, ain't he?[/colour]" Colton asked rhetorically to his sparrow companion, the bird nodding anyway. "[colour=#40e0d0]It's weird, he seems nice just...He acts like he enjoys messing with ponies...Is that a griffon thing? Is that even a thing?[/colour]" Colton wondered out loud as he continued musing, "[colour=#40e0d0]Well...best thing I can do is not give him any more material to work with, and just be friendly.[/colour]" Colton ended.

Sparks then whispered a few chirps and cheeps into his master's ear as the pegasus grew more and more confused as the bird continued, "[colour=#40e0d0]I don't really get what you're saying, buddy. Good natured fun? I don't really think ya understand Sparks. If this guy's soo intent on making a fool of us then that's his concern, I'd just rather not have it.[/colour]" Colton replied as the sparrow continued, leading to another reply from the pegasus, along with a sigh, "[colour=#40e0d0]Yes, Sparks I will make an attempt to be friendly. Though to be honest I'd rather not talk to the guy if that could just give him more material to work with.....But...fine. I'll make an effort...Somebody has to.[/colour]" Colton admitted defeat as he saw Gerrard exiting with a few saddlebags.

Colton listened as Gerrard spouted off something that no doubt sounded inspirational to him. Colton on the other hoof was less than eager. The pegasus picked up his share of the load by scooping his head under the bags and shifting them onto his back. Colton almost felt the need to hover slightly just to show that these bags could be carried whilst flying, though he quickly realized how much of a non option that was when he noticed he had placed the saddlebags...Directly in front of his wings. "[colour=#40e0d0]Okay, Gerrard...Lead on.[/colour]" Colton stated.

[Gerrard]

Gerrard had finished his pseudo inspiring speech and turned to look at Colton. The pegasus was in no way inspiried, his expression almost seeming to be one of disdain. "You and me, we will go far!" he announced in an eager voice, the griffon leading them out of town as they started their long journey into the desert. "Alright, I suppose you are wondering what exactly we are doing out here in the heat of the desert. And I also suppose it is fair to explain that we are setting up a network of pipes to a nearby salt mine," he explained, the griffon finally seeming to no longer be playing around.

The sun was still weighing heavily on the pair, showing no sign of letting up for at least a few hours. "So, anything you want to ask? About the job, me, maybe about yourself?" he mused aloud, the griffon's long black tail wagging softly in the hot air. "Before we go to the mine though, we need to go to the closest water source to the mine. That is..." he explained, the griffon pulling out a map from his bag as his keen eyes looked for their destination. "Ahh, as I thought, we need to go to the local ghost town. Apparently the ponies there abandoned it for some reason, but water pipes are still connected there. Let's see what was so bad about the town," he explained, the griffon not seeming afraid of whatever might come their way.

[Conor Colton]

Colton was actually intrigued by Gerrard's question. He wondered over it for a moment or so before actually responding. Sparks nodded in approval as his master attempted conversation, "[colour=#40e0d0]Yeah, I'd like to ask about yourself, Gerrard. Where do ya come from? You been in the mainland for a while? And...Well what exactly is it that you do?[/colour]" Colton asked quizzically, actually eager to hear the response. Despite things not getting off to the best of starts, Colton was keen to try and make friends with this new individual. He couldn't exactly explain why so he chalked it up to an old bit of philosophy he heard on his travels. Better to have more friends than more enemies.

When Gerrard brought up the subject of a 'Ghost town' Colton was visibly interested. The pegasus' ears perked up and his eyes widened slightly as he the prospect of seeing something cool or exciting on this job made his day all the more better. Colton pulled out his own map and looked on it to find a relative direction towards the ghost town. He realized this was completely irrelevant since Gerrard had the directions sorted out, but sometimes Colton just loved the adventurous feeling of plotting his course on a map. And also he wanted to see if he could get there any faster. With a newly found spring in his trot the pegasus continued on.

"[colour=#40e0d0]Cool, ghost town.[/colour]" Was all he had to say.

[Gerrard]

The griffon paused for a moment when asked the question of his origin. He stroked his sharp black beak with an equally dark claw as he contemplated a response. "Well I came her from Canterlot, my current residence. But I am going to assume you meant where my ilk comes from. I am from the neighboring nation of Aquellia, or as it is sometimes referred to here as the griffon nation. They are a nation at peace with your own, so there is no need to get plucked off in the claws of a griffon, unless they are crazy or a criminal. Thank goodness there aren't any around here like that though," the griffon chuckled with a heart laugh, playfully alluding that he might be a bit strange.

"I've lived here for over four years, heck I'm a citizen here now," he remarked, the griffon seeming a bit more relatable as he started speaking. "In regards to what I do though. As my associates in Canterlot might say, I am an Irrigation Architect from the Royal University of Canterlot. In laymen terms though, I make sure that all you ponies are kept watered by diverting natural occurring water to your towns and fields," he explained, the griffon reaching into his bag as he pulled out a large crescent wrench. The tool looked incredibly heavy, yet shined with a distinct glean that seemed to indicate either extreme craftsmanship or an unusual building material. He left the tool in view for only a few minutes before putting it away.

The pair had made quite a deal of distance across the desert as the ghost town slowly came into view. The town had all the stereotypical western styled buildings, albeit most of them looking abandoned and decrepit. It was still unclear why the town was abandoned, but the pair would probably found out if they mustered the courage to venture into the town limits.

[lordbrony]

[colour=#FF8C00]I really should not be here....[/colour]

The past 2 days had not been kind to her, but she did it. Finally Appleoosa was in sight.

Most ponies have a voice of reason to guide them, and Telki's was telling her that she was tired, that she should just go into town and find a nice inn, get a good nights sleep, resupply and then look for work.

But then again she spotted something that looked like a creepy old abandoned town; and despite the voice of reason telling her to go the other way, her curiosity got the better of her, after all how many opportunities does one have to explore a real genuine abandoned town?

Curiosity gets satiated real quick when it is given what it wants, and quickly the initial rush of seeing creepy old run down building after creepy old run down building gave way to the tedium of seeing creepy old run down buildings which looked very much similar to the one before.

Passing by what what looked like a general store (actually the signage said "ENERA T R", but close enough), Telki stopped to wonder; there might be supplies in there, but the risk of entering a rickety building that might collapse anytime weighed on her mind.

"[colour=#FF8C00]Nothing ventured, nothing gained.[/colour]" she thought cheerily, as she sauntered in

[Conor Colton]

Colton followed carefully as himself and Gerrard made their way into the derelict, run down ghost town. Even Colton had to admit that this place gave him the creeps. Despite this, the pegasus continued to converse with the griffon. "[colour=#40e0d0]You're from the University, eh? Must be one heck of a gig...Pay must be great too then, I'm guessing?[/colour]" Colton questioned as he paced forward and forward into the empty town. Or at least, he hoped it was empty. The pegasus continued conversation, even if it was only for the sake of his own sanity in this off-putting place, "[colour=#40e0d0]I have to wonder though, why do they have you out here if you work and report to all the way back in Canterlot? Surely they'd have somepony sending reports on water Canterlot's way, right?[/colour]" Colton had to question as the two continued on.

As they did so, Colton couldn't help but feel he heard something, multiple times. He couldn't shake the feeling that he heard somepony speaking, which was of course, absurd to think, "[colour=#40e0d0]Why would anypony else take a detour through a place like this?[/colour]" He kept asking rhetorically to himself, sure that he was just having tricks played on him by his imagination. However the noises persisted, and it came to a point where Colton couldn't help his curiosity. The pegasus sighed in frustration at himself as he spoke up to Gerrard.

"[colour=#40e0d0]I think...I think I heard something over there...One second.[/colour]" Colton stated as he walked towards a building where he determined the most sound was coming from. The pegasus approached the ruined door and promptly began to slowly open it. As he did however, the age of the door started to take it's effect. The rusted hinges broke away and the door fell right onto the ground in front of Colton, creating a large banging noise as wood collided with wood. Colton turned to face Gerrard again with a slight look of regret on his face, "[colour=#40e0d0]...Sorry. False alarm.[/colour]" He meeped. As Sparks just glared with a smirk.

[Gerrard]

Gerrard followed alongside Colton as they entered the abandoned town. It was labeled a ghost town, so it was to be expected, but something seemed eerie about the forgotten western town. "Well, it isn't like I haven't earned it. When all the ponies and griffons in town were practicing to be flight masters, wonderbolts, or whatever their griffon counterpart might be, I was studying my craft. At least my father was okay with me pursuing my own goals. Being the only child in your clutch not wanting to join the military was, troubling at times. Regardless, I am here, collecting bushels of bits as I help ponies live carefree lives," he explained, the griffon familiar enough with town layouts to know that the pipes in question should be hidden out of public view.

The griffon was often asked questions about why he was dragged across Equestria to work on strange jobs, and didn't waste any time thinking up a response. "Well, the art of irrigation isn't the most widespread thing in the world. Griffons dont make many of their own crops, and ponies rely on pegasi to water most of their lands. There aren't many of us around, so it is more reasonable to have a few travel across Equestria doing their work. Griffons are ideal actually, flight being a requirement and our tools requiring great dexterity to use efficiently. We both know that the princesses have more important things to do, so that is where I come in, the unspoken savior of the masses!" he announced dramatically, the griffon being truthful while probably exaggerating the truth somewhat.

There was something indeed strange about the town, something he couldn't quite put his talon on. He remembered back to his day in the office when he was presented this job, and the pony who gave him the job seemed frightened, more so than usual. He was starting to feel like he had been had yet again by his lazy and superstitious colleagues. "I actually think I was assigned to this town because nobody else was willing to do it, now that I think about it," he mused honestly, the griffon seeming eerily suspicious, the hybrid not scared by their environment. When Colton scared himself with the false alarm, Gerrard blinked, hearing something as well. "That was a false alarm because you pinpointed the noise incorrectly. You lack a hunter's instinct!" he explained excitedly, the griffon leading him over to the adjacent store. "There is someone in that building," he whispered, pointing at the general store. The decrepit building had a fitting sign that was damaged and the front of the building was littered with sparse amounts of trash, wooden debris, and a few unusual looking plastic bottles.

[lordbrony]

"[colour=#FF8C00]This was a waste of time[/colour]" Telki thought. Surveying the corridor of the second floor.

She had painstakingly searched every room, every room. Well not so painstakingly when considering that most the rooms were empty, lack of furniture included. All she could find that resembled a traveler's supplies were broken digging tools, bits of frayed and dusty rope, cut into pieces not long enough to be of use to anypony and bits of cloth which she assumed were tent and caravan remnants based on their coarseness.

"[colour=#FF8C00]Well...enough exploring...guess I should try to get to Ap-[/colour]" she mused, before a loud CRASH rudely derailed her train of thought.

One's natural instinct would be to find the source of the crash and Telki was no different, save that she had totally forgotten that creaky spot that she had accidentally stepped on earlier and had resolved not to do so again. Why? Because not only was it emitting creaks, it was emitting splintering noises. The kind that screams "THE WOOD IS GOING TO GIVE WAY DUMMY!"

But of course in the excitement of it all, she had completely forgotten about said spot, and in her hurry her hoofalls were heavier

The kind of heavy that makes really old wood roll over and give in

All that she felt was a temporary sensation of falling, followed by the sensation of weightlessness as her front left leg went clean through the floor, followed by the oompf as her chest hit the floor.

[Conor Colton]

"[colour=#40e0d0]Hunter's instinct? What does that even mean?[/colour]" Colton asked before sighing and making a hoof gesture as a way of saying 'never mind'. He followed Gerrard, taking smaller and smaller-and quieter and quieter steps. When the two of them reached the door to the general store, which appeared to be the back entrance, Colton went to open it. To the pegasus' dismay however, the door was apparently locked. Colton sighed and turned to Gerrard, "[colour=#40e0d0]You have anything that can get through a lock?[/colour]" He asked, wondering if he would even get a positive response to that. What happened next however, Colton didn't even think of.

Sparks flew off his master's head and began pecking at a rusted segment of the lock that hung on the door, Colton wondered exactly his pet was doing before it hit him. Sparks was indicating they should just break the lock, "[colour=#40e0d0]Good idea, buddy.[/colour]" Colton stated as he looked around, and found a rock with a sufficiently flat enough side and positioned it parallel to the lock's rusted section with his mouth. He mumbled through the rock he was holding to Gerrard.

"[colour=#40e0d0]Okay, be careful if anything's in there, this door's gonna fly open when the lock's done...Just a heads up.[/colour]" Colton stated as he lifted his head, positioning it carefully so the rock would collide with what he wanted. He knew if something potentially dangerous was on the other side of this door then this lock had to come off as quickly as possible. He lifted his head, braced himself and slammed the rock down; once. Twice. Three times in quick succession then the metal gave way and the lock broke, along with the door drifting open and Colton and Sparks proceeding in, "[colour=#40e0d0]Reckon we should call out or something?[/colour]" He asked

[Gerrard]

Gerrard watched the pair examine the situation as they tried to figure out a way to gain entry. The griffon winced, noticing Colton smashing the lock in the most awkard of ways."While I admire your tenacity Conor, you seem to have forgot that you're a pony! While a rock is sufficient to break that lock. It is also sufficient to break your teeth. I would know after all," he playfully remarked, while poking his tongue out at the pony, the bird having no teeth as he joked again. "I want to teach you a forgotten technique. It will prove invaluable in your journeys. An apple bucking mare showed me the ultimate pony battle technique! Just lean on your fore hooves, raise your hind legs and kick as hard as you can. No opponent can withstand your onslaught, rusty locks included. You won't even chip a tooth!" he excitedly explained, haphazardly recreating the motion, the griffon never really trying to buck anything. his paws not nearly as hard as the hooves that ponies had.

Gerrard put a talon over the mouth of Colton to silence him, the Griffon devising a clearly devious plan. "Shh, I know a safe way to figure out who is here, watch," he explained slyly, the griffon clearing his throat as he remembered a specific voice. "Halt who goes there citizen? You are trespassing on her majesties territory without proper permission. I am afraid I must throw you in the dungeon. Show yourself!" he announced in a strong voice, the griffon sounding like a royal guard for a moment, granted they all seemed to be the same two ponies anyway.

[lordbrony]

[colour=#FF8C00]"Owwwwwwwwww"[/colour]

As her body slowly recovered from the dual shock of losing her footing and the impact of bruised ribs, Telki took the time to wax lyrical about her recent run of rotten luck and its impact on her health and well being.

Finally deciding that she should probably get going, she attempted to use her front right leg to hoist herself up, only for a sharp pain to firmly drop a wet blanket on that course of action, Sending her crashing back to the floor, right back on those ribs.

"[colour=#FF8C00]Great[/colour]" she thought. "[colour=#FF8C00]How am I going to work with a twisted knee....[/colour]" Carefully, she lifted her front left leg out of the hole, taking solace that at least she wasn't cut by the splinted wood, then slowly carefully hoisted herself (after checking for the firmness of the floor of course) up on all fours.

Gingerly, she took a few steps, and her spirits were restored when she discovered that she could at least walk, albeit with a slight limp.

"[colour=#FF8C00]Well.. Apploosa is not that far away and if I need to, I guess I can camp out for one more night[/colour]" she though, carefully limping down the corridor to the stairs.

As she slowly and carefully trudged down the stairs, she became aware of a rhythmic sound and throbbing. Initially she assumed that that was her bruised ribs and bad knee throbbing with every step taken, but as she reached the base of the stairs, the sound and the throbbing seemed to desync, to the point that perhaps they weren't connected after all

Halt who goes there citizen? You are trespassing on her majesties territory without proper permission. I am afraid I must throw you in the dungeon. Show yourself!"

The voice cut in out of nowhere.

Telki's initial reaction was borne out of guilty fear; she had clearly been doing what one might classify as 'trespassing'. But perhaps if they were lawponies the worst thing that could happen to her was a scolding, maybe a fine. Maybe she could try to argue her way out of it. But at least for now they represented some much needed aid.

"[colour=#FF8C00]Um..uh I don't mean any harm...really![/colour]" she let out a pained shout

[Conor Colton]

Colton was going to say something as the two of them entered the building but he was quickly pacified as Gerrard placed a talon over his mouth to silence him, he wasn't really inclined to listen to Gerrard's plans to see if anypony was around if it involved behavior like this. The stallion burst away from the griffon's grip as he let out his exclamation to anypony around and spoke up in protest, "[colour=#40e0d0]Gerrard, seriously. Don't. Do. That.[/colour]" Colton stated authoritatively. The stallion wasn't one for getting mad at anybody but that last move got on his nerves.

The stallion quickly regained his composure when he heard that somepony else was actually in the immediate area. When Colton heard a loud thumping noise and a following sound of pain he quickly rushed towards the nearest set of stairs. As he did though he noticed a pony, a mare no less, stepping with a noticable limp and speaking a few words claiming she meant no harm. Colton wasn't exactly thinking as he normally would and rushed to meet the mare at bottom of the stairs to see exactly what was going on.

"[colour=#40e0d0]Are you okay?[/colour]" Colton asked, probably knowing what the answer was going to be. "[colour=#40e0d0]Gerrard, c'mere![/colour]" Colton asked of the griffon as he glanced at the mare's leg and chest area, "[colour=#40e0d0]What's your name and...what happened?[/colour]" the stallion inquired to the mare.

[Gerrard]

The pair of ponies soon had a griffon upon themselves, Gerrard following Colton as he went to rescue the injured mare. "You know that abandoned buildings are dangerous right? What would make you want to go scouring through one? There isn't anything here aside from a bunch of empty water bottles," he asked in a concerned voice, the hybrid looking the mare over with his keen yellow eyes. He could tell that she was somewhat injured from her misadventures with the damaged floor, the griffon lifting a talon as he scratched his dark beak.

"Want me to amputate your leg, it might get infected!" he asked with a grin, Gerrard walking up to her as he looked at her injured ribs. It was nothing too serious, a sprained ankle perhaps, the griffon wondering where a pony's 'ankle' would start. "I told you she wasn't a criminal Colton, we don't have to arrest her after all. You gonna be okay gal?" he commented in a slightly concerned voice, the griffon getting uncomfortably close, his beak inches from the mare as he inspected the situation. He shuffled through his bag of supplies, the griffon pulling out an odd kit. "I have a travel size first aid kit here, what needs treatment the most my lady," he added in a suddenly sincere voice, the shifty griffon suddenly seeming interested in helping her out.

[lordbrony]

"[colour=#40E0D0]Are you okay?[/colour]" Colton asked, probably knowing what the answer was going to be. "[colour=#40E0D0]Gerrard, c'mere![/colour]" Colton asked of the griffon as he glanced at the mare's leg and chest area, "[colour=#40E0D0]What's your name and...what happened?[/colour]" the stallion inquired to the mare.

"[colour=#FF8C00]I went clean through the floor[/colour]" Telki replied in between winces, looking up at the hole in the ceiling as if to reinforce her point. "[colour=#FF8C00]I'm Telki, I'd shake your hoof but I need this one to stand on and I think I sprained this one[/colour]." she finished, looking at her left and right front leg in succession.

Telki's mind had suddenly began to buzz, as if she had somehow caught wind of something but just could not figure out what, something about the blue Pegasus in front of her. But before she could figure out what it was...

It was nothing too serious, a sprained ankle perhaps, the griffon wondering where a pony's 'ankle' would start. "I told you she wasn't a criminal Colton, we don't have to arrest her after all. You gonna be okay gal?" he commented in a slightly concerned voice, the griffon getting uncomfortably close, his beak inches from the mare as he inspected the situation. He shuffled through his bag of supplies, the griffon pulling out an odd kit. "I have a travel size first aid kit here, what needs treatment the most my lady," he added in a suddenly sincere voice, the shifty griffon suddenly seeming interested in helping her out.

[colour=#FF8C00]"Its my knee.....[/colour]" Telki gasped in between heavy breaths, hoping that the amputation comment was a joke "[colour=#FF8C00]Some first aid would be nice if you have something for a twisted knee....hopefully it'll be ok in the morning[/colour]."

"[colour=#FF8C00]Could one of you help me out? I don't think I want to stay in this building any longer than I need to...[/colour]"

[Conor Colton]

Colton almost completely disregarded Gerrard's amputation 'joke' he hoped as he offered helped to lift Telki off of the ground, being careful with her knee, "[colour=#40e0d0]Easy now, let's get you up. No sense in hanging about down there.[/colour]" Colton stated as he got the mare to a more stable and comfortable position, Sparks helping her up as best he could. Once that was taken care of, Colton turned to Gerrard in response to his previous statements, "[colour=#40e0d0]Gerrard I never said she was a criminal, now quit the wise cracks and let me see if there's anything of use in that bag.[/colour]" Colton said as he took a look inside said kit Gerrard brought out.

"[colour=#40e0d0]Huh, you weren't kidding when you said first aid.[/colour]" Colton smirked as he looked through to see if they had anything that could be of use. Luckily his search turned up fruitful and he saw they had pretty much everything they needed. "[colour=#40e0d0]Okay, good, have everything. Gerrard is there any clinics or anything like that close by, or would we just have to turn around?[/colour]" Colton asked as he once again offered Telki a hoof, lifting her carefully and walking slowly outside, being careful not to hurt anything. Once the two ponies got outside, Colton set her back down and made sure her leg wasn't twisted and lay in a proper position.

"[colour=#40e0d0]Doesn't look too bad. May hurt a lot but nothing a little time and relaxation wouldn't fix.[/colour]" He stated reassuringly as he decided he should try and get to know this pony as best her could, "[colour=#40e0d0]You probably guessed by now but, my name's Colton, Colton Cloudkicker. And...what are you doing all the way out here?[/colour]" He wondered.

[Gerrard]

Gerrard let out an audible sigh, finding the pegasus to be unbearably stuffy as he always felt the need to lecture him. "Yes, I brought a first aid kit here to help you out. Do you have one Colton? I guess not, we can use mine," the griffon retorted to the pegasus as he pulled out some ointment and bandages for her injury. The griffon carefully helped Colton and Telki as the trio carefully exited the building. Gerrard looked over her small cuts and carefully dabbed a bit of ointment on a strip of cloth. "Okay, you gotta promise not to kick me in the head, this will probably hurt a bit," the griffon explained, looking over the cloth with his fierce golden eyes.

Before she could reply to him though, the griffon dabbed it onto her chest in an attempt to not make her realize it was on her. "Better?" he asked, probably unleashing a stinging sensation on her as he treated her superficial injury. In the bright light of the sun, it was a lot easier to make out the details of the pair, Gerrard looking a bit unusual, even for a griffon. His black beak practically shined in the sun, and his coat and talons were a similar colour, his head and eyes the only things that seemed to deviate from that pattern, being silver and yellow respectively. He sat on his haunches and patiently waited for her response, deciding to delay his job for a bit to make sure nothing was too wrong with her injuries.

[lordbrony]

Resting her injured leg on Conor's back, Telki allowed herself to be helped out of the building.

Once outside, she carefully slid her leg off, wincing slightly as her hoof bounced off the bag carried on Conor's back, making a muffled metallic ([colour=#FF8C00]Was that a metallic sound?[/colour]) and then carefully sat on her rump.

"[colour=#40E0D0]You probably guessed by now but, my name's Colton, Colton Cloudkicker. And...what are you doing all the way out here?[/colour]"

Okay, you gotta promise not to kick me in the head, this will probably hurt a bit," the griffon explained, looking over the cloth with his fierce golden eyes.

Before she could reply to him though, the griffon dabbed it onto her chest in an attempt to not make her realize it was on her. "Better?"

Mentally refocused on her injuries, she could barely catch head or tail of what was being said around her, what she could not ignore, was a sudden stinging sensation as the ointment touched the sore spot on her chest.

An "[colour=#FF8C00]Ughggggg[/colour]" escaped her lips as Telki tried to prioritize gritting her teeth over yelling like filly over the pain.

The sting soon dissipated and Telki felt the soreness fading away.

Catching her breath she turned to the griffon. "[colour=#FF8C00]Thanks, could you put a bit more on my knee then I can bandage it, I think[/colour]" she said, stretching her injured leg towards the griffon.

Turning back to Conor, she took a deep breath "[colour=#FF8C00]Well I meant to go to Apploosa to find work, but this exploring this ghost town was too tempting to pass up soooo yeah. If you don't me asking, what's that you're carrying?[/colour]" pointing her good front leg at the sling Conor was carrying on his back