Pathfinder and the City of the Griffons (Phil the Time Wizard and SteelEagle)

[SteelEagle]

If there was one thing that Pathfinder knew she could find solace in, it was her dreams. Everything was find in her perfect little world of severe mental fiction. She was still wounded but that was more because arrows in the wing only added to an adventurer's day rather than took away, if her personal experience with arrows was any indication. She had just eaten some nice leaves and the adventure she was undergoing was heavy on puzzles and traps and short on griffons and wing-eviscerating chemicals. She was not a fan of the second grouping, but even that living nightmare had it's silver lining. Mostly that when she got out of it and escaped to Equestria with the Helm, she'd have as whole new layer to the story. She would be the first pony to have ever gone through something like this and Pathfinder enjoyed being a pony of first- first in her orphanage to get expelled from every school, first pony to have been a patient at every major Equestrian hospital, first pony to have led a convention from and subsequently been banned from every convention center in Equestria. She was a mare of firsts and this story was easily one of a kind.

Such was the pleasant thought running through her as she was snapped awake by Gilda, who was struggling to try and tear her head off. Or at least that was how Pathfinder figured it was going down as her body came back to the pain and starvation that stalked her waking reality. She struggled weakly for a moment while she tried to understand what was happening and when she did, she let out a nearly audible sigh of relief and went to helping Gilda try to pry the muzzle off. Sadly, Pony muscle and Griffon might proved too little for the stainless steel muzzle to be torn off. Gilda fell back after exerting herself and Pathfinder didn't need to be a genius to see the defeatism spread between them. Luckily, she was genius enough to feel a small space in front of her mouth, and even smarter to realize that the thing they needed at that moment was Pathfinder to speak.

[colour=#006400]"Gooooout chob gowa,"[/colour] Pathfinder began, her best Gilda coming up like a flower she had liked a s a kid. It was aprapo, she figured, since she liked Gilda too. Pathfinder got up, woozy, shaky, and better than she had been before.

[colour=#006400]"Doorn thing shucks," [/colour]She continued, pawing at it some more as the sound of talons on weathered stone echoed towards them. Then some grunts as a large griffon opened the sheet and stepped in, a huge backpack overflowing.

[colour=#000080]"Mail for the new prisoners," [/colour]His tone was even and monotonous like a drone as he literally dumped all of Pathfinder's belongings on the grounds- letters, books, fanfiction, cease and desist notices, the whole thing. He then turned and left.

[colour=#006400]"Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay,"[/colour] Pathfinder tried to scream with joy but couldn't as she hobbled over and jumped on the pile of materials. She may or may not have started to cry out of joy.

[RarityDash]

[colour=#006400]"Gooooout chob gowa."[/colour]

Okay, so it didn't entirely work, Gilda observed as she looked ahead, but evidently some progress had been made. Pathfinder could now move her mouth to speak inside the muzzle. Well, maybe "speak" wasn't a good work for it. Gilda really couldn't quite make out a thing the pony had said; it was like some crazy other language.

[colour=#006400]"Doorn thing shucks."[/colour]

This was easier to discern. Gilda laughed. Finally they had a fortunate turn of events in this dingy old pit. She smiled, feeling a return of some confidence. This was a plus.

[colour=#000080]"Mail for the new prisoners."[/colour]

And what happened next was nothing short of a godsend. Pathfinder's stuff was plopped right before them in a pile. Gilda's eyes lit up. Daring Do would not just give them something to do other than stair at the ceiling and waste away. It would also motivate them. For Pathfinder, it would keep her crazy mind ticking forward. It was the perfect fuel to rouse her dimming fire. In this place, Pathfinder needed Daring Do, and now she had her.

[colour=#006400]"Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay,"[/colour]

Pathfinder was, needless to say, even more pleased than Gilda was. The griffon smiled. This was too positives right in a row following probably the worst day ever. She had said a lot of crazy things the previous day but now she believed them all even more than she did before.

[colour=#996699]"Heh, this is great. Stuck in this miserable dark hole, but at least we now have reading material to last us a good long while," [/colour]Gida said, smirking.

As Gida surveyed the pile, something caught her eyes she hadn't noticed in Pathfinder's belongings before. Among the books and obscenely huge piles of fanfiction were a number of stray documents. [colour=#996699]"So what's with all the letters?"[/colour] she asked, head tilted as she stared down..

[SteelEagle]

Pathfinder could hardly contain her excitement. Well, that was a lie. She couldn't contain her excitement, as seeing the pile of Daring Do material in front of her was akin to seeing a thousand bars of gold stacked neatly on top of one another. You could have given Pathfinder the choice of a thousand different things and the only choice she would have placed above having her beloved collection of Daring Do would have been getting out of this dank pit. Then again, maybe becoming a zillionaire was even above that. No matter, seeing as she had no choices and her excitement was contained not through her will but through her physical condition. With the exception of a smile hidden in a muzzle and some bleated advancements of joy, she could do little beyond lovingly nuzzle her vast collection.

Gilda seemed happy, though as much as Pathfinder considered her a hyper cool Griffon, her happiness didn't really matter much at the time. She would get her chance to read the books but immediately as Pathfinder allowed her eyes to feast upon the collection in front of her, she knew that hiding out in between the pages of these timeless classics was the key to her salvation. Codes, plans, all sorts of awesome stuff, and now she had a treasure trove- pun intended as she sniffed the hardcover trade version of Daring Do and the Treasure Trove- of information at her hooves. These griffons had an odd code of honor; condemn the prisoners to a terrible fate but give them their personal belongings? Maybe they were just taunting her. Well, who'd be taunting who when Pathfinder escaped and found the Helm!? Pathfinder, that's who!

Gilda asked about the letters and Pathfinder out of reflex drew a hoof over her personal correspondence and pulled them right under her despite their significant size. Her blush grew in size like she was a filly being grilled by the mistress at the orphanage over her first coltfriend! Or, in a more specific example, after reams of questionable fanfiction involving her and Bravado had been discussed under her sheets at the orphanage. Boy howdy, who woulda known that the pegasi and the unicorns talk could get so awkward so quickly?!

[colour=#006400]"Ooooh, well, 'his is...errr...pravite le'rs 'rom my illyfhand,"[/colour] She mouthed through her muzzle, her two front hooves playing with each other. In her head, the wheels started churning. Admittedly slow for Pathfinder, but she wasn't going to discount progress, no matter how sloppy.

[colour=#006400]"Ahnd 'heee 'mit be 'ow we git out!"[/colour]

[RarityDash]

[colour=#006400]"Ooooh, well, 'his is...errr...pravite le'rs 'rom my illyfhand. Ahnd 'heee 'mit be 'ow we git out!"[/colour]

Gilda stared at the pony, rather shocked. She hadn't expected to ever see Pathfinder respond to her with what appeared to be shyness. The answer that came was equally shocking, if Gilda understood it right. It was hard to tell, as while it was now easier to understand Pathfinder than when she was relying alone on her mess than adequate mind reading abilities, making out her intentions out through the garbled sounds escaping the muzzle was still kind of hard.

[colour=#996699]"Did you say fillyfriend?"[/colour] Gilda started, shocked. She hadn't even ever considered the remotest possibility that Pathfinder might have romance in her life. Gilda had immediately wrote her off as the sort the stallions wouldn't want anything to do with. She hadn't even stopped to considered the mares, but somehow that seemed even less likely. [colour=#996699]"You seriously have a--what do you lame ponies call it?--a 'special somepony'?" [/colour]Gilda rolled her eyes as she said the words. Really though, she wasn't sure how to feel about this, especially when she herself had effectively a dark, bottomless void in place of a love life.

[colour=#996699]"How you think she's gonna help us out anyway?"[/colour] she asked, head tilted. [colour=#996699]"If that's even what you said..."[/colour] she added, glancing down. [colour=#996699]"It's kinda hard to tell with that blasted thing strapped onto you."[/colour]

[SteelEagle]

Pathfinder should have felt a tad self-conscious about her love life, but when one was confident of a feeling and the ice between two parties broken, self-consciousness had a habit of going the way of the seaponies. And that was with a normal mare! Pathfinder was not a normal mare, that much just about everypony(and griffon) could agree on. Her self-conscious was absorbed by a stunning amount of naive self-confidence in everything she did or believed and her love life was just another feather in this excitable Pegasus' hat. Literally, at times, though she had taken that lucky Snowfall feather out of her hat at an opportune time and placed it under her old bed at the Cloudsdale orphanage. The fact that she wasn't technically allowed in there anymore(and that the bed belonged to some really adorable little filly) didn't matter all that much as long as Snowfall's feather was kept safe. Point was, she didn't mind telling everypony that she loved Snowfall.

[colour=#006400]"Yep!"[/colour] Pathfinder screeched with some semblance of accuracy, standing up swiftly. If Gilda had x-ray vision and could see through the muzzle, she'd see as wide a smile as possible. [colour=#006400]"'Er name is snow'all, ahnd 'he is the C-E-Ooooo of Naooort'er 'orm In'stries...N...S...I,"[/colour] Pathfinder was trying her darndest and was having some manner of success, she believed.

[colour=#006400]"'He's ritch, ahnd 'uper cute, ahnd 'eally nice, and 'as really nice 'ings,"[/colour] Pathfinder started digging through her collection of books as she spoke, or did her best imitation of it, until she found what she was looking for: Daring Do and the Legend of Okeanos. She picked it up, flipped through the pages with renewed vigor, and then pushed the book into Gilda's face.

[colour=#006400]"Ahnd 'HIS is ho-ooow we get 'ut!"[/colour]

[RarityDash]

[colour=#006400][colour=#006400]"Yep!"[/colour][/colour]

Pathfinder confirmed it for the scrupulous griffon. She had not misheard a thing. This mare really had a love life. Of all the things she had learned and observed since first meeting this pony, this was somehow the most shocking of them all. She just couldn't see Pathfinder ever being the slightest bit romantic. It was an effort just trying to picture it. Just what sort of pony would go out with this eccentric ball of crazy? The only thing she could conclude is that this mare was every bit as out of her mind and bizarre as Pathfinder was.

[colour=#006400]"'Er name is snow'all, ahnd 'he is the C-E-Ooooo of Naooort'er 'orm In'stries...N...S...I,"[/colour]

Gilda gave a laugh. Okay, the muzzle had to really be messing up this pony's cadence. There was no way she heard that right. She had heard of NSI; She didn't know much about it since it didn't interest or effect her in the slightest, but the company was quite visible in Aquelia. A lot of griffons would at least know the name. Pathfinder couldn't possibly be saying she was the special somepony of that company's CEO. That was just bizarre. Plus, wouldn't it mean she's have more money and connections? Gilda could maybe remember her one time saying something about a "source" she was using, but this? It was hard to swallow.

[colour=#996699]"Did you just say CEO of NSI?"[/colour] Gilda asked, head spinning. [colour=#996699]"That can't possibly be right..."[/colour]

[colour=#006400]"'He's ritch, ahnd 'uper cute, ahnd 'eally nice, and 'as really nice 'ings,"[/colour]

Gilda didn't even know how to react to the gurgled romantic talk that came from the pony. She had never expected to hear Pathfinder say such things, but she had to admit is sounded genuine. She felt another slight bit of jealousy that this crazy mare had something that seemed deep while she never had. Then again, it's not like she had ever put the slightest effort into looking for anything...

[colour=#006400]"Ahnd 'HIS is ho-ooow we get 'ut!"[/colour]

Pathfinder then thrust a book into Gilda's face. She looked at it a moment tilting her head to look at the title. [colour=#996699]"Legend of Okeanos, huh?" [/colour]she started. [colour=#996699]"Don't think I quite got around to this one. What happens? How can it help us?"[/colour]

[SteelEagle]

Pathfinder couldn't believe her silly Griffon friend sometimes. For all of her uncanny wit and subliminal smarts, she could be a dense one when it came to matters of imperceptible fact. She had said NSI, not the EMP(Equestrian Muffin Patrol) or some other fanciful organization, so what on earth did Gilda not seem to understand? They were in a world of hurt- well, a cell of hurt- and Pathfinder was somewhat vexed at finding herself momentarily sidetracked into having to affirm somet6hing she had already previously stated. She wasn't easy to annoy, but something about Gilda's somewhat incredulous tone had done a number on her sensibilities. It made her think of the time that Daring Do told Derring Do that she had a crush on Bravado after a night at the salt bar. Daring could hold her salt better than anyone and had used it just as an excuse to reveal it, but in the end it was all moot. Derring just laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed and the two had ended up in a brawl, with Derring come out on top. She was always just that much better than Daring, but the similarities were there. She didn't like being made to feel like she wasn't worthy of her little Snowfall. Her little Snowflake.

So Pathfinder weakly stomped her two front hooves and glared as much as possible at Gilda in a childish temper tantrum.

[colour=#006400]"Yea-uh! 'NOWFAL' OF NSI!" [/colour]She almost roared at Gilda as she then opened up The Legend of Okeanos in a huff. She tried to calm herself down and was mostly successful perhaps unleashing the most epic eye roll in the history of the visual medium. She found what she was looking for on page one-hundred and sixteen, starting at the second paragraph. For the rest of the novel, the epic adventure was interspersed with coded messages in letters to her little brother. It was awesome and the author had laid it all out in fantastic detail. She once again plastered the book all over Gilda's face, this time with the code implanted.

[colour=#006400]"'oded le'ers,"[/colour] She spat through her muzzle before limping her way to the cell door and peeking out. No one in the hall yet, though the door was likely locked. When they came for her, they'd have some warning. She limped back.

[colour=#006400]"'Nowfal' 'an 'elp!"[/colour]

[RarityDash]

[colour=#006400]"Yea-uh! 'NOWFAL' OF NSI!"[/colour]

Gilda recoiled from the shear volume of the pony's roar. She shook her head and grimaced.[colour=#996699] "Okay, okay... You don't have to shout my ear off about it," [/colour]she said with a groan. [colour=#996699]"It's just surprising, you know?"[/colour]

Pathfinder proceeded to show off the book before Gida's eyes. She looked at it, not really sure what to think. That was until she found the code in the volume highlighted for her. She smirked. It was the sort of cleverness she might expect from Daring Do. More over, she was beginning to see what Pathfinder was getting at.

[colour=#006400]"'oded le'ers. [/colour][colour=#006400]'Nowfal' 'an 'elp!"[/colour]

Gilda laughed and gave a nod.[colour=#996699] "Sounds like a solid plan. Are you sure she knows about this code though?"[/colour] she asked, scrupulously. An important businessmare wasn't going to be some mega fan like Pathfinder was.

[colour=#996699]"Also, just how much do you think this mare will actually be able to help? She may have money and connections and all that, but I don't think this is the sort of place where you can just buy yourself out..."[/colour] the griffoness added after a moment, still not entirely convinced.

[SteelEagle]

Pathfinder gave a contented sigh, pleased with the progress she was making with her erstwhile Griffon ally. Friend. Frienemy betrayer? She hadn't completely settled on that yet. It would come with time probably and after they had solved that dilemma, they could solve other important problems, like how to find new dye for her coat. That was an emerging problem that if it was not solved would only start a virtual cascade of personal issues that Pathfinder had no desire to deal with at this stage. Or at any stage, she was adept at avoiding the question of interpersonal identity.

[colour=#006400]"'ell, it sh'ldnt 'prise ya. Ahm sup'r kewl. She 'nows all 'bout 'his code fer sure. 'he loves 'em books. ahn 'vn if sha c'nt get us ou', shecan giv' infohmashion," [/colour]Pathfinder garbled as she fished out a pencil and started writing.

[colour=#006400]'Ey, yashuld find ou' wha time its. whenyahafta work."[/colour]

[RarityDash]

[colour=#006400]"'ell, it sh'ldnt 'prise ya. Ahm sup'r kewl. She 'nows all 'bout 'his code fer sure. 'he loves 'em books. ahn 'vn if sha c'nt get us ou', shecan giv' infohmashion,"[/colour]

Gilda sighed. This Snowfall wasn't the only one who was going to have to decipher a code in this. Seriously, making sense of this pony's garbled words would probably drive her insane faster than the chemicals and the lack of reliable food. Nevertheless, she listened closely and nodded as she made sense of it all.

[colour=#996699]"Guess you're right. It can't hurt, and maybe this CEO of yours will be able to help somehow,"[/colour] she said with a small shrug.

[colour=#006400]'Ey, yashuld find ou' wha time its. whenyahafta work."[/colour]

Gilda gave a sigh. That was right; she couldn't just sit around in here all day plotting escape. She had to play by the rules of this joint, which meant doing the work demanded of her. She wasn't looking forward to it, but she supposed it was to be her routine for now, until they found a way out. As it was, it was probably time for her to go check in with her cruel overlords.

[colour=#996699]"Yeah, yeah," [/colour]Gilda said giving a sigh as she stepped toward the door, ready to make her way to the worksite. [colour=#996699]"I guess I probably should check in with those creeps before they decide to yell my ear off. We'll just have to see what happens."[/colour]

[SteelEagle]

Pathfinder agreed with her companion. No, it would not hurt when Snowfall rescued them somehow. It was not a bad thing when a super rich CEO used her funds to help you. It was not a bad thing when she was the CEO of a technology corporation who had an active working relationship with Talinpolis and the Griffons at large. It was not a bad thing that the CEO seemed to have a lil' thang for a silly adventurer who was currently in quite the hole. Literally, pun intended. Gild was right. That would be useful. Pathfinder smirked or did her best impression of a smirk behind the muzzle as she went about working on the code that she was sure would see her to safety. Gilda too, if things went well enough.

[colour=#000000]"Up and at 'em, ya lazy bums," [/colour]A gruff voice bellowed down the short hallway that housed the various prisoners in this tiny section. Not a few moments passed before the sound of metal on concrete echoed down it past the sound of a metal door being pushed open, that resounding groan playing tootsy with Pathfinder's hearing. About a dozen griffons grumbled and within a minute had made their way out. A solitary pair of talons remained, a slow and methodical clack against the cement and brick until it was outside of their cell. The blanket that covered the opening was swept aside and a rather handsome looking griffon stuck his beak in.

[colour=#000000]"Well, they told me we had a lady here now. They didn't tell me she had a pet too. Fun times. Worst comes to worst, you have dinner," [/colour]He ended with a hearty laugh, throwing a talon over his hair.

[colour=#000000]"If you'll follow me, I'm to escort you to your first work site. Bring the pony, we'll find work for her too."[/colour]

[RarityDash]

[colour=#000000]"Up and at 'em, ya lazy bums,"[/colour]

As if right on cue, just as Gilda was about to reach the cell entrance, she hear a bellowing voice out in the corridor. It took her off guard and caused her to stagger back. A few moments later, after much groaning and racket from outside, a griffon emerged to greet them. Gilda's eyes narrowed as she looked him over.

​

[colour=#000000]"Well, they told me we had a lady here now. They didn't tell me she had a pet too. Fun times. Worst comes to worst, you have dinner. [/colour][colour=#000000]If you'll follow me, I'm to escort you to your first work site. Bring the pony, we'll find work for her too."[/colour]

Gilda rolled her eyes. This was one of those sorts, wasn't it? Some self-obsessed jerk caught up in how great he looked and how cool he was. Did he expect her to find him charming? As if! She was mostly just surprised a guy like this was able to survive down here. She gave a shrug and stepped toward him.

[colour=#996699]"Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say,"[/colour] she said with a sigh. [colour=#996699]"Let's go, Pathfinder," [/colour]she added, pulling the muzzled pony along. [colour=#996699]"We gotta put up with these creeps for a while."[/colour]

Frowning and looking over at the griffon she then spoke again, [colour=#996699]"Lead the way, pal."[/colour]

​

[SteelEagle]

He liked them when they still had a spine. Maybe he was just so sick of seeing proud griffons reduced to sniveling wrecks or colluding with those who had staked a claim to leadership. Over time a few of the most willfull among them had been driven down below as they could no longer take such insanity, but former Captain Razorclaw of the city guard was above the dregs below only because he was never really sane to begin with. That was why he was here.

[colour=#000099]"Good. I don't like it when my escorts act too excited. It sucks talons down here!" [/colour]He gave a hearty laugh as he started walking slowly ahead of the duo. Pathfinder, meanwhile, allowed herself to be led by Gilda like a pet. It allowed her to ruminate on what she would send her Snowy in the letter. Overall, not a bad time.

[colour=#000099]"So,"[/colour] Razorclaw started as they made their way past the main room, where dozens of fellow workers were eating and preparing, [colour=#000099]"What got you and your little pony friend down here? Must have been bad for those guards to not just eat the pony and punish you harder than this for consorting with one,"[/colour] He asked, pushing the door open. Bad move probably as the sound of thousands of chisels and hammers and various mechanical devices doing what they did echoed throughout the whole Pit's superstructure.

[RarityDash]

[colour=#000099]"Good. I don't like it when my escorts act too excited. It sucks talons down here!" [/colour]

Gilda smirked. Okay, maybe her snap judgement was a little off with this one. His response showed a griffon who wasn't so resigned as the others. He still resented it and wasn't letting it define him. That spoke to a rare level of sanity for this place. Then again, maybe she was reading too much into a single string of words. It was really kinda hard to tell sometimes with so little, all the same she felt more prepared to speak than with any of the previous creeps.

[colour=#996699]"Does it now? Hadn't really noticed,"[/colour] Gilda sarcastically replied giving a shrug as she continued off with this griffon and Pathfinder, finding her way eventually into the main room.

​

[colour=#000099]"So, w[/colour][colour=#000099]hat got you and your little pony friend down here? Must have been bad for those guards to not just eat the pony and punish you harder than this for consorting with one,"[/colour]

[colour=#996699]"I dunno. A little bad luck and a lot of gross incompetency from all involved parties,"[/colour] Gilda said in a caustic tone, trying her best not to pay much mind to the loud mechanical sounds all about her. [colour=#996699]"Pony here basically played the bunch of them for fools, caused a circus, shamed them in ways they couldn't very well have been happy about. I got caught aiding in her mischief and was forced to be lead along like an idiot until they caught her, thinking they'd let me off the hook if I played their game,"[/colour] she continued, ending on a long, resounding sigh.

After a pause, the jaded griffoness gave a short laugh and continued to speak, [colour=#996699]"Long story short, we griffons are backstabbing jerks and I'm a featherbrained moron for ever thinking otherwise. As for the pony, probably shoved her down here to be done with the situation so they didn't have to be reminded of their own ineptitude any longer."[/colour]

​

[SteelEagle]

Sarcasm was a pretty powerful tool when it was wielded like a swift sword to cut someone's ego in half. Gilda seemed to have sharpened her sword for ages, or so Razorclaw guessed. It had a pleasing and biting tone to it. He liked it. He liked feisty. On a weaker griffon, sarcasm of any type annoyed. All it produced here was a mild chuckle and a smile.

[colour=#0000cd]"Yes, we have the finest gruel! Talinoplis fatcats wish they had our food. Don't you agree, Griffon?" [/colour]He asked as they made their way into a huge section of the facility that was equaled only in how open it was. Far above them, flightless griffons used rope and crudely fashioned landings to rest while tools laid about them. Teams of griffons pulled mine carts full of debris away while many others worked to fix cracks in the foundation or went about slowly, painfully, demolishing huge rock faces with their claws.

[colour=#0000cd]"Yeah, incompetence sucks. Especially when it's a pony's fault. Can't trust them. They suck. Untrustworthy. They also don't move very fast. That the case with the pet you have there, or is it a case of wrong place, wrong time?"[/colour] He asked, starting to climb a ladder up a watchtower. After a few moments he succeeded and started looking for someone.

[colour=#0000cd]"Lazy bums everywhere I look, Griffon. HAY! HAY YOU! GET OVER HERE!" [/colour]He bellowed and a minute later a small, obviously tired griffon showed up pulling a cart full of tools.

[colour=#0000cd]"You suck."[/colour]

[colour=#4b0082]"Shut it, Razorclaw."[/colour]

[colour=#0000cd]"You're off. Go back."[/colour]

[colour=#4b0082]"Thank the ancestors!"[/colour]

The griffon unhitched himself from the minecart and wobbled away, breathing heavily. Razorclaw jumped down to the ground, impacting with a slight metallic clank common to talons in this environment, then pulled Pathfinder away from Gilda and hitched her to the cart.

[colour=#0000cd]"Good job for a pony,"[/colour] Razorclaw then proceeded to ignore Pathfinder's mewlings about her back leg as he crawled over her into the back of the cart, rummaging through tools.

[colour=#0000cd]"Aight, so do you have any experience with construction or tools or anything?"[/colour]

[RarityDash]

[colour=#0000CD]"Yes, we have the finest gruel! Talinoplis fatcats wish they had our food. Don't you agree, Griffon?"[/colour]

Gilda gave a wry smirk and a shrug at the sarcastic response. [colour=#996699]"Wouldn't be able. I've managed to avoid ingesting any of that slop just yet,"[/colour] she said. [colour=#996699]"But I can only assume it's a treat to the taste buds..."[/colour] she added with a laugh and small shaker of her head.

​

[colour=#0000CD]"Yeah, incompetence sucks. Especially when it's a pony's fault. Can't trust them. They suck. Untrustworthy. They also don't move very fast. That the case with the pet you have there, or is it a case of wrong place, wrong time?"[/colour]

The griffoness smirked some more as her companion continued to speak. He was proving at least interesting, but something was starting to wonder just how balanced this guy was. She was hearing a lot of choppy, pointed sentences not showing a particular breadth of maturity. He had seemed the most rational of the bunch, but maybe it was because he was out of his head in the first place. It was kinda hard to tell.

[colour=#996699]"Eh, I'd say this one's got some speed to her. At least she proved hard to corner for her featherbrained pursuers," [/colour]Gilda said, shrugging. She avoided the question of trust. Trust was a difficult issue for Gilda. She had been betrayed too many times now, that it was kind of hard for her to put much trust in anyone. She only really trusted herself, and even that had lead her to a fair number of stupid places, this one included. She didn't have a lot of trust left. And yet, at that moment, she did have trust in this pony somehow. She trusted in her to find a way out of here. This wasn't the right pony to announce such things to, however.

Instead she just went silent, listening as the griffon went off to argue with another in the work area. He dug into a hapless griffon rather childishly before relieving him of his duty. The situation wasn't all together all that interesting to Gilda, save for one small detail, the name this other griffon used for her friend: Razorclaw. He couldn't mean to say that this griffon, this unhinged prisoner rotting in the Pit was a member of the most esteemed Razorclaw clan, could he?

Gilda began to analyze him more thoroughly, wondering if he might truly be from the same stock as that self-aggrandized Major who had set Pathfinder's trap. His good looks did speak to good breeding... It was just bizarre though; couldn't Razorcaws get away with pretty much anything? Just what would one have to do to get thrown down here? The possible answers to that question made Gilda want to keep her distance. As he took Pathfinder from her to hitch her to a cart, Gilda backed away on instinct.

​

[colour=#0000CD]"Aight, so do you have any experience with construction or tools or anything?"[/colour]

The question forced Gilda to shove her current train of thought to the side and focus back in on reality. She shook her head. [colour=#996699]"Pfft. Because I totally look like a construction worker, don't I?"[/colour] she sarcastically repllied, laughing. [colour=#996699]"Hard labor and me aren't quite things that have ever gotten along."

​[/colour]

[SteelEagle]

[colour=#0000cd]"Yes, you'd be amazed what a decade's worth of cave slime can do when you burn it just right and mix it in. Produces a mild hallucination and gives this burnt cherry aftertaste to the thing,"[/colour] He said, rolling his eyes and sticking his tongue out in disgust before smiling- and then flapping his fully functioning wings as he smoothly lifted himself over a minecart.

[colour=#0000cd]"It's why I never eat the stuff. Plenty of food sources down here for the smart griffon,"[/colour] He finished, pushing a button on the lift that the minecart was on. It beeped once as he took in her last words.

Razorclaw had to stifle a mental giggle. No duh, the pair had turned out to be a major thorn in the side of the ruling authority. Every living creature in this griffon made Tartarus had done a few deeds too dark for too long to too important a griffon to be punished properly. It was the only way you got sent here, Embarrassing the wrong griffon at the wrong time. Some of the most violent scum in the nation found their home here, same with lunatics and the self-appointed champions of the downtrodden. Many more were fairly decent griffons who had run afoul of the powers that be and, having nothing to fear from publicity, were taught to fear here in the dark.

He still didn't buy the pony as anything other than the somewhat pathetic figure chained to the griffon. It looked haggard. Ruined. Very tender. He almost dove for the steak knife, then thought better for it. His tools were better saved for a later stage in the life cycle.

[colour=#0000cd]"Ha, well I'm not so sure about your pathetic little pet there," [/colour]too bad Pathfinder couldn't lift her head without falling or she'd bore holes through his head, [colour=#0000cd]"but I know for a fact you had to have angered some mighty flighters up there. That's the only way you get sent to The Pit. Criminals, activists, madgriffons, griffons with good ideas and bad connections,"[/colour] he tapped his claws expectantly on the button, which was still red and beeping.

[colour=#0000cd]"As for construction, well, if you have no skills that should still be okay. Get that pickaxe and head to...that collapsing pillar,"[/colour] He pointed markedly at an ancient marble pillar that was collapsing.

[colour=#0000cd]"We're gonna bring that down in a controlled manner so it doesn't take the whole arch it's connected to with it. See?"[/colour] He directed her towards the pillar once more. It was the middle- and tallest- pillar in a five pillar set that held up an arch which, one could guess, kept this clearing from collapsing on top of the prison. A hundred or so griffons could be seen nearby, a small section on hooks and ropes all the way to the ground chipping away and setting something up while the majority went to work apparently building a new support.

The light turned green, Razorclaw smiled, his wings flapped mightily.

[colour=#0000cd]"Any questions, sharp-claw?"[/colour]

[RarityDash]

[colour=#0000CD]"Yes, you'd be amazed what a decade's worth of cave slime can do when you burn it just right and mix it in. Produces a mild hallucination and gives this burnt cherry aftertaste to the thing, [/colour][colour=#0000CD]It's why I never eat the stuff. Plenty of food sources down here for the smart griffon,"[/colour]

Griffon wasn't sure what to make of what was said. The words were reassuring on their own. If there was enough food that could be scavenged up from the depths to sustain oneself that was a plus. If she could minimize the intake of the sop being provided to her, that would be entirely ideal. However, the girffo nthat was saying these words now made her very skeptical. What was this guy's deal? His wings were working! He was flying around and everything. Why was he even here at all? Choosing to stay in this place was a sure sign that his mind was ruined. There was only so far she could trust anything he said. She certainly couldn't trust Pathfinder around him...

[colour=#996699]"Well, that's a relief to hear. I don't plan on sticking around, you see, so I'm gonna try and keep the wing-destroying slop I ingest to a minimum,"[/colour] she said with a huff.

​

[colour=#0000CD]"Ha, well I'm not so sure about your pathetic little pet there, [/colour][colour=#0000CD]but I know for a fact you had to have angered some mighty flighters up there. That's the only way you get sent to The Pit. Criminals, activists, madgriffons, griffons with good ideas and bad connections,"[/colour]

Gilda kept a dour expression and looked away. [colour=#996699]"Eh, I suppose you could say that. The two of us did get the attention of both the military and pretty much all three of the leading families,"[/colour] she said with a shrug. This was of course a stupid thing to brag about, especially since she had lost in the end, she decided to just leave it there.

​

[colour=#0000CD]"As for construction, well, if you have no skills that should still be okay. Get that pickaxe and head to...that collapsing pillar. [/colour][colour=#0000CD]We're gonna bring that down in a controlled manner so it doesn't take the whole arch it's connected to with it. See? [/colour][colour=#0000CD]Any questions, sharp-claw?"[/colour]

Well didn't this sound like fun? Going up under this stupid pillar, potentially getting herself crushed under it. She couldn't really think of anything she'd rather be doing at the moment... oh, wait, except for practically anything else imaginable. She rolled her eyes and gave another long sigh. This was gonna suck even more than she had thought.

[colour=#996699]"Nope, can't say I do. I mean I can't imagine having any problems with banging on that thing with this thing and hoping it doesn't all break my way and crush me to death. Really sounds like fun,"[/colour] the griffoness flippantly remarked as she held the pickax. Slowly then she walked toward the pillar and found a place to start chipping at.

​

[SteelEagle]

Razorclaw liked everything he heard from this griffon. He liked the ones who had fight in them who weren't willing to let this place eat them up, both literally and figuratively. He had big ideas and too few griffons to help him see the ideas to completion. Maybe this Gilda would be part of his solution to the Talinopolis problem and not a symptom of it's disease

[colour=#0000cd]"I like you, Griffon. I'll take care to learn your name before I call on you for something cool,"[/colour] he slammed his talons on the button, sending the lift up, [colour=#0000cd]"something I think you'll really enjoy,"[/colour] he finished, vanishing in a flash.

[colour=#006400]"Huh. He sheemed nhice," [/colour]Pathfinder moaned in her mask as the pillar they were to work on came into view. She walked right into it, bonking her head, letting out another moan.

[colour=#006400]"Think warhe 'ere."[/colour]

[RarityDash]

[colour=#0000CD]"I like you, Griffon. I'll take care to learn your name before I call on you for something cool, s[/colour][colour=#0000CD]omething I think you'll really enjoy,"[/colour]

Gilda just rolled her eyes at the griffon's words. She wasn't out to impress anyone. Not that overstuffed Director, not that aging idealistic fool Thunderpaw and not this Razorclaw and whatever brand of madness addled his no doubt violent mind. She certainly didn't care if he "liked" her or had a "something" he thought she'd enjoy. Unlike the others in this mini-Tartarus she had met so far, he was at the very least interesting. He stood out in this place; concerning herself with others was atypical for the griffoness, but something about this guy was at least curious. She didn't like him and she didn't trust him for a second, but this was the first in this place she'd at least be interested to meet again.

​

[colour=#006400]"Huh. He sheemed nhice," [/colour]

Gilda chuckled at the pony's words and shook her head. [colour=#996699]"Nice, eh?"[/colour] she started under her breath. [colour=#996699]"I'd watch it around that guy. Wouldn't be surprised if he turned out to be the most dangerous one in this whole place."[/colour]

This seemed likely. Razorclaws weren't like other griffons. The breeding was too good, too pure. Gilda's mind went to that Brenda and her perfect mix of strength, eloquence, cunning, beauty and ferocity. She had made even that initially intimidating, more cunning and devious than he seemed Stormwing look small and foolish; she had set the trap that had successfully ensnared the previously unstoppable mare at her side. If this was a pony from the same stock but with the unhinged mind of a maniac or even a killer, he was quite possibly even a bigger threat. She really would have to watch herself and Pathfinder around him.

​

[colour=#006400]"Think warhe 'ere."[/colour]

[colour=#cc6600]"I'd watch out, if I were you. Work areas can be dangerous if you're not careful,"[/colour] one of the workers--a griffoness slightly older than Gilda with thick and messy bright red plumage and a smooth voice--spoke to Pathfinder as she continued carelessly right into the pillar they were to work on.

[colour=#cc6600]"So you two must be the newest unfortunates to be thrown down into this place. I had heard murmurs about there being a pony..."[/colour] the griffoness continued, her tone even. [colour=#cc6600]"I've only been down here a week myself, so I'm still learning the ropes, you could say but if you two need help getting started, I can share what I've learned so far."[/colour]

She looked at Pathfinder and nodded. [colour=#cc6600]"You probably won't find many others down here who would even consider helping a pony," [/colour]she added. She looked down and sighed. [colour=#cc6600]"But I probably don't have a lot in common with most of them... plus I heard murmurs of what you and your friend told the Director and I'd do anything to find a way out of this place."[/colour]

Gilda stared a bit, surprised at what she was hearing. She wasn't expecting any of the griffons down here to talk to Pathfinder or even acknowledge her. This one seemed kind of different somehow. Gilda smirked and gave a nod. [colour=#996699]"Well, the two of us are gonna find just that. Aren't we, pony?"[/colour]

​

[SteelEagle]

At least some griffons down here were playing against the type of the hard-taloned prison griffon. Razorclaw may have been shifty and Pathfinder may have had an adled brain, but he seemed pleasant enough to the pony who desired little more in this setting other than some kind words and feelings. Maybe she was just looking at it as a ray of hope when there was none, seeing as he had done nothing but refer to her as some sort of object, but he was nice to Gilda. That meant she had some sort of in, though for all of his obvious charm and excited nature the fact he had wings was a tad disconcerting. Unliked the shriveled and weak forms of the others his were still strong and impressive. He wasn't a normal denizen of The Pit and that made him an incredibly more attractive option for escape than everypony- griffon- else.

This new griffon, she didn't seem so bad himself. If Razorclaw was going to be either the mysterious benefactor or a new villain, she was definitely going to the kindly instructor who taught them everything they needed to know. Maybe she knew karate! Pathfinder had tried taking karate once but found the fact that she needed to show up at specific times to be a drag on her schedule, and she was getting dirty looks the whole time. Foal classes were the only free ones at the orphanage; if they offered one for mares, she would have taken that. Sometimes people lacked perspective and that got them in trouble. Oh well. Losers lost, Pathfinder won, and Equestria prevailed. Such was life! These griffons would learn the hard way. Well, not these specific griffons, they seemed pretty nice. Others would be saddened. But they sucked.

[colour=#006400]"So, whachan ya tesh Gilly 'ere?" [/colour]Pathfinder pushed through the mask as she got her bearings post-head bump into the pillar. She could confirm if nothing else that it was certainly a sturdy structure.

[colour=#006400]"Sho, whatcha in for? Andch how man' ponies in thi' place?"[/colour] She asked, moving the harness and chain so she could rest her upper half on a ancient piece of stone. It felt smooth- it would work. Hopefully there was enough slack in the line so Gilda didn't pull her off of the stone, but if she did, oh well. Life sucked then you flew out of The Pit and found the Helm again!

[RarityDash]

[colour=#006400]"So, whachan ya tesh Gilly 'ere?" [/colour]

[colour=#cc6600]"Tesh...?"[/colour] the other griffoness started looking up a moment, clearly confused by how the muzzle had mangled the pony's words. [colour=#cc6600]"Ah!"[/colour] she exclaimed when she had deciphered it.[colour=#cc6600] "What I can teach her? Well, I can definitely show you both how they like you to work down here. I may be kinda new, but I've already had the basics of it all forced down my beak."[/colour]

[colour=#996666]"Oh? And what do you get out of being so helpful?"[/colour] Gilda remarked, giving a small huff, not trusting what this griffon was saying.

[colour=#cc6600]"As I was saying, I heard about what this pony allegedly told the Director before she was muzzled. Maybe it's just because I haven't let this place consume me yet... but I'd rather cling onto some sort of hope. Anything to beat back the madness a while longer, you know?" [/colour]the griffons replied earnestly, her words somber and heavy.

Gilda wasn't sure what to make of this griffon. She certainly did seem the most normal of the bunch she had met so far, but this was probably just because she wasn't as indoctrinated as that Thunderpaw or as unpredictable and dubious as Razorclaw. She didn't really suit this place, which struck Gilda as odd. She didn't fully trust any of it. She would have to be wary, even of this one.

​

[colour=#006400]"Sho, whatcha in for? Andch how man' ponies in thi' place?"[/colour]

The griffoness nodded at the question and looked down. [colour=#cc6600]"Ponies? Not a lot. As barbaric as it is to think about, most who get tossed down here would get eaten pretty quickly. Rumor has it there's some kind of dangerous unicorn mage that got tossed down and ended up on the bottom level. Rumor is he cut out his own little corner down there and has managed to ward off the crazed bottom dwellers with some smart spells and still survives, but of course no one's in a hurry to confirm this. Other than that, I think I've seen a couple bigger stallions around. Probably decided they were more useful as workers than food."[/colour] The griffon considered the question some more and then shrugged. [colour=#cc6600]"And that's about it really for ponies. Whole lot of hippogriffs down here though, if that counts for anything. Predictably, they're not treated the best,"[/colour] she added with a note of finality.

[colour=#996699]"What about her other question?"[/colour] Gilda prompted, not going to let the other get away with answering only one of the inquiries.

The griffoness gave a laugh.[colour=#cc6600] "Aren't you going to at least ask my name before you get to all that?" [/colour]she started, shaking her head.

Gilda just glared.

[colour=#cc6600]"You really don't have the best manners, huh?"[/colour] she said with a sigh. [colour=#cc6600]"Well, it's Ava. Ava Piniongale. And you are?"[/colour]

[colour=#996699]"Gilda,"[/colour] the more brusque griffoness replied. [colour=#996699]"Pony's Pathfinder."[/colour]

[colour=#cc6600]"Nice to meet you both,"[/colour] Ava replied with a smirk. [colour=#cc6600]"Hope we can get along!"[/colour]

[colour=#996699]"Yeah, yeah,"[/colour] Gilda said through clear frustration. [colour=#996699]"Enough with it. Answer the question already."[/colour]

[colour=#cc6600]"Sheesh. You're not letting this go, huh?"[/colour] Ava said through an even more protracted sigh. [colour=#cc6600]"The truth of it is that I made one huge mistake and now I'm paying for it. Though I suppose the same goes for any of us down here save the ones who claim innocence and are actually misfortunate enough to be telling the truth...[/colour]" She looked downward. [colour=#cc6600]"It isn't really much of a story to tell. I wasn't satisfied with how I was treated and I ended up challenging the wrong griffon to a fight over it. To my eternal misfortune, I won that fight... and not in a pleasant way.... and this griffon had friends... and they were the important kind... and yeah the rest... it kinda goes without saying."[/colour]

Gilda frowned at the elliptical story that darted around any specifics. This griffon definitely liked to keep her secrets. She rolled her eyes and sighed. Forcing it anymore would just be stupid. She instead just looked toward Pathfinder, curious what the pony was making of all this.

​

[SteelEagle]

Pathfinder wasn't the biggest fan of dodging the question, as dodging boulders and traps were the only situations when a dodge was fully appropriate. But she also figured that Griffons were more likely to have all these secrets and play inter-personal espionage games with one another. Under normal circumstances, Pathfinder would

have loved the intensity of the games beuing played. It was, after all, almost the very definition of fun! But for now she didn't want fun, just a little bit of security and time to recuperate her injuries. Every inch of her hurt in seven shades of pain, from her head which felt like a pulpy tomato all the way to her leg which, quit frankly, she couldn't feel but knew for a fact was curled up against her. She wouldn't normally say this, but she missed Canterlot General Hospital, even if the debt she had accumulated there wasn't something she missed.

But in all reality, Pathfinder had to play the waiting game. She was going to go hungry and bide her time, but that din't help her Griffy friend here. She was going to have to work and, eventually, just to keep her strength up was going to be forced to eat. That meant time was limited, which meant her options were limited as well. The Razorclaw outcast was a good start, and the story of the wayward unicorn down below sent a tingle through the three hooves she could still feel. These things weren't necessarily connected but Pathfinder was sure that somehow she would make them all connected. between the healthy looking Razorclaw and the story of the unicorn, Pathfinder was more than certain that there was more to the tunnels and caverns below than crazed meat-eaters. And she was determined to find out!

But first things first, they had to work. The new griffy showed Gilda the ropes and the two worked well, if a little slowly. Pathfinder's job was pure dumb muscle,

moving debris out of the way as they made it. Not fun work, that, most especially with a leg that refused to respond. They worked and worked, sweating in a profuse manner until they couldn't work anymore. Then they had more work to do and Pathfinder felt her vision fade every once in a while from the shocks of pain from her abused lungs and legs. Just when collapse was the order of the day, food arrived. Beautiful, disgusting, spiced goop. Four griffons were pushing this massive cart full of the stuff, and they pulled out copper trays and gave a decent helping of the stuff to everythig that was working. Pathfinder wasn't gonna eat it, though. She didn't need the strength as much as Gilda did, so she pushed her tray over. Once Pathfinder got this muzzle off, she could find her own food. She nodded haphazardly at Gilda.

[colour=#006400]"Yer'needin' strength. I's'kay, get'uzle off, fin' ow' food."[/colour]

[RarityDash]

[colour=#006400]"Yer'needin' strength. I's'kay, get'uzle off, fin' ow' food."[/colour]

It had been a long, stupid day by the time Gilda heard these words. This other griffoness, Piniongale, had helped them learn how to do the job, but that didn't change the fact that the job just kinda sucked. It was dumb, physically exhausting menial labor, which ranked up there with lame do-gooder ponies and being told what to do as one of her least favorite things ever. Gilda was too defeated to care though. What was one more thing on the giant pile of suck already crushing her under its staggering weight? Honestly it was just clinging to the hope of escape from this pit that would keep the griffoness sane down there.

Now, here she was facing down a bowl of slop, Pathfinder speaking these hopeful words to her. Gilda wasn't sure what to make of it. [colour=#996699]"Y'sure, pony?"[/colour] she asked trying not to show her concern.[colour=#996699] "Might be a while before you can get that thing off, and in your sorry shape you might just keel over if you don't get anything to eat."[/colour]

She gave a sigh. [colour=#996699]"Honestly, I think I stand a better chance working on an empty stomach for a while,"[/colour] she said, shaking her head.

[colour=#cc6600]"You might think that,"[/colour] Ava said, looking over from her own bowl of gruel. [colour=#cc6600]"But it's gonna be hard to avoid and it's hard to find other things to eat. Sure, maybe on occasion a stray rat or bat or a bird from above will wander by, but with how many of us are down here, it's beyond good luck if you're the one around when it happens." [/colour]She shook her head. [colour=#cc6600]"And this job really will kill you if you don't keep your body energized. Trust me, fainting on the job isn't worth the risk."[/colour]

Gilda gave a frustrated grunt as she glared at the other griffon. She was, quite regrettably, right. She wasn't gonna last if she didn't at least have a little of this slop. She didn't want to risk ingesting too much now, but it was the most plentiful food source and after working the job for a day, she now knew just waiting her growling stomach out wasn't going to cut it down here. If they broke out quick enough, it wouldn't matter, she supposed. This just meant they had a deadline. They needed to escape and escape quickly.

Reluctantly, Gilda took a bite of her slop and immediately spit it out. [colour=#996699]"Ugh! Forget not eating this because of my wings! This is just gross!"[/colour] she declared, repulsed.

[colour=#cc6600]"Yeah... it really kinda is," [/colour]Ava said through a sigh as she fed herself some of the same slop. [colour=#cc6600]"You'll get used to it though. There really just isn't much else after all."[/colour]

Gilda winced and forced the gruel to her beak again. This time, she was able to force--and keep--it down. As her disgusted expression settled, she shook her head. [colour=#996699]"Well, at least it shouldn't be hard for me to limit how much of this stuff I eat..."[/colour] She gave another sigh and then looked at Pathfinder. [colour=#996699]"All the same, we need out of this place, and we need it quick, pony."[/colour]

​

[SteelEagle]

Watching Gilda choke down the slop that was give to her- doubly thanks to Pathfinder's insistence and encouragement by the more than helpful Ava- made Pathfinder very pleased that she had foregone the, uhh, opportunity to partake in the feast. She had gone great stretches of time without sustenance and while her underpowered frame wasn't any better for it she had a trained tolerance to hunger. Pound for pound, however few of them she may have had, nothing else there could endure as well and she and this was her greatest strength. Plus, seeing Gilda struggle to force it all down her cracking gullet tickled her fancy and she let out a giggle- or a strained, wheezing sort through the muzzle.

[colour=#006400]"Hehehehe- docha worry Gildja, if gotta plan,"[/colour] Pathfinder strained confidently, tail twitching to betray her harried levels of excitement. Hard to express through the pain, but her mind was making connections. A member of an above ground, highly important family with fully functioning wings? He looked healthy. He seemed cocky. He seemed so sure of himself. Evergriffon else had some sort of panic-stricken madness about them; even The Director's rule seemed the sort that was born out of the desperation surely forced upon him and others. Without that power, he would be nothing more than a stuttering fool. A stuttering fool with nasty talons and a beak the size of Canterlot, but she had dealt with worse! He was mad. That Razorclaw? No. He seemed devious. Thoughtful. Insane, but on a more personal level.

Those types were the ones you needed to hinge your mad plot for escape on, even if they were inherently going to betray you. You had to expect that, as in every great journey there had to be a few littered about. There had already been two and they resulted in putting Gilda and Pathfinder in this situation. By Adventure Law, which was the title of a book Pathfinder was going to release after she had made her fortune and taken her place in the Daring Do pantheon of adventurers, the third betrayal would be to their benefit.

[colour=#006400]"Donctha fret y'illy griffies. Shish time nex' mon'h, we'll b'sippin' drinks near Saddleshore Beach,"[/colour] Pathfinder nodded towards Ava,[colour=#006400] "How'uch longer ish sha shift? Gotscha get ta escapin'!"[/colour]