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Post by Glide Heart on Apr 22, 2014 17:51:53 GMT -5
Gasping for air trying to catch her breath and remaining on the floor glide watched as the Griffons brought out the blocks. She was dizzy and sick to her stomach from the lack of oxygen. Her mind wandered to her coat still laying on the cliff edge. She should probably get that before it disappears. She flew over to the cliff and put it on. It had taken her awhile to get there so she hurried back. It still took awhile, but when she returned to the ship the blocks were all set up. Glide searched around to find Avitus or what she was supposed to do.
She stopped and asked one of the griffons. "What are we doing where should I go?" It was one of those awkward moments where she didn't know what she was supposed to do. Hopefully the griffons would be kinder towards her now, and that she wouldn't get into trouble for retrieving her coat, and taking so long. She probably should have kept it on during the exercise.
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Post by Red Charge on Apr 22, 2014 18:02:26 GMT -5
By the time Glide came back the griffons were already each practicing on piles of blocks, breaking them with ease. Avitus completely ignored Glide Heart when she landed and continued to ignore her as she waited. He was obviously not pleased with her flying away.
He congratulated several of the younger griffons when they were able to break all of the blocks in their piles. Continuing to ignore Glide Heart.
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Post by Glide Heart on Apr 22, 2014 18:31:24 GMT -5
Being ignored was not one of her favorite things, but in this situation she was the one at fault. She left the ship in the middle of training to retrieve her coat. Instead of standing around and waiting for Avitus to stop ignoring her she decided to take initiative. She looked around and located a unoccupied stack of blocks to work on. She stepped behind the stack and gulped. her hoof would shatter on contact if she tried to punch this without being taught how to. She had never broken a block and had no idea how anyone would be able to do so without breaking bones on a first attempt.
Perhaps she should have let the coat sit or even ask before taking off to retrieve her coat then she wouldn't be in this situation. her only two choices were wait for Avitus or break her hoof attempting to break these solid blocks. So she sat down with a hearty sigh and waited for Avitus to get to her. She had no time for broken bones right now.
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Post by Red Charge on Apr 22, 2014 18:57:37 GMT -5
Avitus however, did not. The entire exercise went along and concluded without him ever making any sign he knew Glide Heart was there. By the time the exercise had ended and every griffon finished with their blocks, a couple of more griffons pulled out what appeared to be a sheet of metal straight from the ship's hull. It was definitely thick enough to be from the hull, this was confirmed when Avitus began to talk.
"Conviction, this is a hull standard metal plate. You've all seen it before in every training session yet none of you were ever able to penetrate it. I think it's time one of you did. Let's try it again."
At that, the griffons lined up in front of the hull, making sure to keep no room in the line for Glide Heart, should she attempt to try and squeeze in. One by one the griffons tried to punch through the hull pointlessly. Who could puncture a ship's hull? It dawned on Glide Heart that this was an impossible task set by Avitus to always keep his griffons aspiring to something. They would always seek to improve until they've finally managed to break through. Only as Glide Heart knew, that was impossible.
"You all have conviction, but it is WEAK. Know you conviction is unbend-able, know it is absolute. Do not let you will bend, force everything around it to bend instead." The griffon captain raised his voice, "This is a sheet of metal, it has no conviction, no purpose other than not being broken, your will must be unbreakable, because when two powers in nature clash," Avitus said, taking a combat stance in front of the plate and with a single motion punching through it, the metal bending outwards as though shot by a cannon. "The lesser force yields."
Even Avitus' griffons seemed dumbstruck at this show of... conviction? Force? Beaks were hanging agape as Avitus pulled out his bleeding talon, having cut it on the metal. "Believe you cannot break the hull and you will NOT be able to break it. KNOW that your will is absolute and nothing can ever stop you. Dismissed, except for you, Glide Heart."
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Post by Glide Heart on Apr 22, 2014 19:11:14 GMT -5
Glide heart watched from the sidelines as each griffon attempted to break through the sheet of hull metal. There was no way any of them would be able to do it. She wondered just how many of them thought as much about themselves. When Avitus began to speak and yell in his thundering ans strict tone she couldn't help but feel small, and much like the griffons around her she was awe struck when Avitus broke through the seemingly impenetrable sheet of metal. She wouldn't want to be on the business end of his talons. She felt even smaller seeing him preform such a display of raw power. She knew Avitus was tough, but her estimations of just how tough were thrown out the window right then and there.
Out of habit Glides attention fell to Avitus' talon looking for injury. The sight of his blood made him seem less like a monster and more like an approachable being. It also made Glide Heart itch wanting to take care of it before who knows what awful things were on that metal harmed him. Judging from this distance it would need stitching to heal properly.
When Avitus dismissed everyone except her she felt a twinge of fear and butterflies swarm in her stomach. She was in trouble now and she was gunna get it. She stood up and remained on deck waiting for Avitus to chew her out for leaving.
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Post by Red Charge on Apr 22, 2014 19:20:13 GMT -5
"You came to me today asking to become one of us." Avitus said,rubbing the blood clean of his talon as he approached. "You wanted to become something more than you are, a part of something greater, a way to truly serve your country."
"You have been with us for several days now and I have personally told you of our creed, of the sacrifices we make in order to be what we are." When he finished cleaning the blood off of his talon, Glide Heart noticed the cut had already closed, not healed, but scabbed over.
"Yet you deserted training, without permission, for a coat." Avitus said, he did not sound angry or disappointed, his voice was oddly neutral.
"Please take off your coat and throw it off the deck."
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Post by Glide Heart on Apr 22, 2014 19:25:50 GMT -5
His oddly neutral voice made her feel more uncomfortable than if he would have been yelling. Not to mention how shocked she was that his wound had already scabbed over. Griffons must have some sort of super platelets to be able to clot so fast. Putting it off for thought later she tuned into what Avitus had to say. Being told to throw her coat overboard made her feel slightly sad. This was her coat and she wasn't sure why, but it was an unspoken dignity to have your own and wear your own coat in her field. She sighed and nodded taking it off as she walked to the edge of the ship. Throwing it over board she watched as it plummeted down before returning to where she was standing before.
Only one thought went through her head as she threw it overboard. I should have waited to get that Dang coat.
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Post by Red Charge on Apr 22, 2014 19:29:00 GMT -5
"You want to be one of us, understanding perfectly what you would be expected to do as one of us. Correct?"
"We have no property of our own, we have what we are dealt and that is all we need. We are only allowed the trophies of our achievements to remind us what our conviction is capable of. Other than that, we only have each other, but our brotherhood is absolute. You will never be alone, you will never be lonely, you will never need aid without having someone administer it. But as such you must never deny or withhold aid from any of your brothers and sisters, that includes anything and everything. Do you understand?"
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Post by Glide Heart on Apr 22, 2014 19:37:20 GMT -5
"Yes sir I understand" She replied with a hearty agreement. She was not sad she lost her coat, it was just a coat. In her mind she traded the coat for something better. "On the topic of not withholding aid sir, would you like me to take care of that?" she pointed at his talon where the scab was "It will only turn into a nasty scar if you let it remain like that sir." Old habits die hard. "Another thing. You say we have no possessions, but what if said possessions help everyone? Like the medical supplies I salvaged from the hospital? They wouldn't be mine alone but supplies on the ship much like food." trying to add a little humor "Or the random sheets of hull metal" It was a long shot, but healing and aiding the others in her way would be much easier if she had the supplies to do so, and her attempt at humor might lighten his mood slightly.
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Post by Red Charge on Apr 22, 2014 19:39:58 GMT -5
"As I said, you would have everything you need in the field. It is my job to worry about that. Before I can truly make you one of us, however, you must prove this principal to me. You know what is expected of you, show me that you are capable of truly being one of us and after, we will join with the others in celebration of your becoming one of us."
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Post by Glide Heart on Apr 22, 2014 19:45:09 GMT -5
Glide was confused. How in Equestria was she supposed to prove she was one of them?! If this was a test, this question stumped her, and she was usually a great test taker! Looking around she wondered what she could do to prove that she was one of the crew. She had given up everything she had on her!........Except.... She had almost forgotten about her knife strapped to her. Taking her coat off would have made it visible.
She took the knife off of her and tossed it overboard following behind her coat. She hoped that was what she was supposed to do. She had nothing else left on her that was her own. All she had was the fur on her back and the mane on her head. Everything else she had left at the refuge camp. Who knows maybe that was what she had to do. Besides that she had no idea what Avitus had wanted.
And then it all clicked. All her previous questions where answered and get let out a long drown out ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh of understanding. She rubbed the back of her neck and cleared her throat. She probably could have kept the knife after all.
She awoke the next morning laying in a cot in a dark room. Opening her eyes and rubbing them she realized she was still on the ship not the refugee camp. Finally she had proved she was able to commit to them, be one of them and yet she still felt guilt boil in her stomach. As she slowly woke up she came to the realization that she had no clue what time it was. She could be late for training! Jumping up and running on deck she hoped that she wasn't late again.
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