private Midnight in Manehattan Part 2

[crispy fries 432]

@,

 

"All we have is that the griffon we're hunting has it. The Zebra didn't even know the artifact was taken until he heard that the griffon had stolen something from this changeling queen. He flipped out, gave me a sack of cash, and told Illiad and I to go look for the griffon."

 

(Last post before I go to bed)

[Illiad Easle 3,175]

@,@@crispy fries,

 

Illiad was impressed with the gadget, no doubt it was a strain to use given it would have to draw from the same magic pool as his constitution. "In regards to the artifact, I'm hoping someone I know has seen anything, maybe my friend, maybe some buffalo. We'll have to ask around and see if anyone has seen the griffon or Swift. That should give us a better lead on their path." 

[Guest]

Second looked surprised, albeit barely. "A Griffin? They aren't the kind to mess with magical artifacts" he muttered. "Well, asking around seems to be the best course of action.

 

He noted the time.

 

"Well, we best head over to the platform now. We might miss the train."

[crispy fries 432]

@, @@Illiad Easle,

 

Ballpoint made her way to the platform as the train came chugging to a stop.

 

"All aboard for Dodge Junction!" yelled the conductor.

 

Ballpoint stepped onto the train, handing her ticket to the conductor, who promptly clipped it.

 

"C'mon you guys," she said.

[Illiad Easle 3,175]

@@crispy fries, @,  

 

Illiad quickly followed after Ballpoint, making sure to pass his ticket by the conductor as well. He realized then that he had not told either party his name, he shrugged it off. Perhaps it is best neither knows my name, they might recognize it. They may have heard the lies those that attacked me spread. Names have power after all.

[Guest]

Lastly, Second Sight entered the train after Iliad, letting the conductor clip his ticket as he went.

 

'imagine if we had reusable ticket passes that stored credit and charged you as you enter the train automatically. We wouldn't need conductors that much.'

 

He looked expectantly at ballpoint and Iliad. "Where do you want to sit?"

[crispy fries 432]

@, @@Illiad Easle,

 

"I don't care where we sit," Ballpoint said, "Wherever works."

 

Her stomach grumbled, and Ballpoint realized she had barely eaten today.

 

"Know what, I'm gonna hit the food car."

 

The food car was near the back of the train, and Ballpoint began to make her way towards it.

[Guest]

Second Sight shrugged. "I'm going to take a nap." He said, moving down a car or two and lying down on one of the 'beds' ( the trains in fim seem to always have beds ).

 

He closed his eyes, trying to drift off to sleep.

 

'I didn't ask the other pony for his name.' He mused. 'I'll just wait for Ballpoint to call him.'

[Illiad Easle 3,175]

@,@@crispy fries,

 

Illiad just sort of stood there as the other two wandered off. He shrugged before sitting down on an open chair near a window, he preferred being alone anyway. He opened his bags and began looking through it, pens and paper were the majority of the contents, as well as a sturdy clipboard. He pulled out his softball sized diamond and held it aloft with his magic before releasing it, letting it slowly float upward to the roof of the car of it's own accord. He stared at it a bit before pulling out his clipboard and jotting down notes on the excursion and the current state of affairs. 

[crispy fries 432]

Ballpoint arrived at the dining car, delighted by the wide range of food. She immediately got a beer and a burger, two unsophisticated pleasures which she tended not to see much in Canterlot. Ballpoint enjoyed the meal, as she figured it would be the last good one she'd have for a while.

[Guest]

Second Sight roused from his slumber as the train pulled into dodge junction. He judged that it was around late afternoon when they arrived, judging by the position of the sun. Night would fall soon: they would need to find a place to stay till tomorrow. He got up from the bed, looking to the others.

 

"Let's move"

[Illiad Easle 3,175]

@,@@crispy fries,

 

Illiad looked up in surprise, had it been an hour or two already? He stowed his accumulated notes in his bag and retrieved the cloud diamond from where it had been idly spinning by its point on the ceiling of the train car. He stowed it too in his bag before securing them to his body. "Alright then, I'll show you guys where we can get supplies, but I also need to meet with the one that sent me to see if she has any new information in regards to Swift or the griffon. Maybe they passed by here?" 

[crispy fries 432]

@@Illiad Easle, @,

 

Ballpoint woke up with her face pressed on a table in the dining car and empty bottles of beer around her face. 

 

'Did I drink that much?' she thought. 'Whatever. We're Dodge now.'

 

Ballpoint got up and went over to the car where she was supposed to be sleeping.

 

"What time is it?" she asked Second Sight and Illiad.

[Illiad Easle 3,175]

@@crispy fries,

 

Illiad thought for a moment before realizing that he had no idea what time it was, and also that he felt slightly woozy like when he encountered those drunks a few months back, which taught him to avoid bars. "I have no idea what time it is, and have you been drinking? It's not really a good idea to start an expedition with a hangover you know."

 

(Illiad's emotional abilities are strongly effected by drunkenness, he would get drunk by coming too close to a drunk. And he hates being drunk which is why he avoids bars.)

[crispy fries 432]

@@Illiad Easle,

 

"I only had, like," Ballpoint paused to count in her head, "A few beers. Look, I'm fine, I'm fine, you don't have to worry about me. Point is, we're at Dodge, home sweet home for you, and we got a griffon to hunt. C'mon, let's get a leg on."

 

Ballpoint had a headache, but she didn't want to admit it to Illiad.

[Guest]

Second Sight looked incredibly at his drunken comrades. "It's around 6.00PM" he said with a deadpan stare. "And have you been drinking?" He asked the rhetorical question with a bit of a scowl. He walked out of the train. "Let's go shop for supplies. A few cold ones are not on the list."

[crispy fries 432]

@,

 

"Man, you guys are no fun, and I wasn't going to get any booze anyways," Ballpoint said indignantly. "Okay, so we're gonna need food, water, survival stuff, and probably weapons too. Should we get a guide? I sure as hell don't know my way around here, and I'm pretty sure you don't either."

[Illiad Easle 3,175]

@,@@crispy fries,

 

Illiad knew Ballpoint had a headache, he could feel it. "I know a deer who's a decent explorer, she leads caravans for a living, though I know a good deal of the land around here having explored it whilst in between the tribes of buffalo. I live here now remember? And yes, alcohol is definitely off of any list. Getting drunk and carrying flammable liquids is not a good idea when dragons will be near." 

[Guest]

Second Sight clapped his front appendages together."Great. Llets go go look for our guide. Since you know the place better than us, you take the lead." He said, gesturing at Illiad. "And I didn't know dragons lived in the badlands. Last I heard, they were exclusive to olcanic regions ."

[Illiad Easle 3,175]

@, @@crispy fries,  

 

Illiad shrugged before taking the lead into town. "Alright then, while dragons are mostly there and in the scorched region, they can be found throughout the continent, there was one not too far from Canterlot a few years back and the migration routinely passes over Equestria."

 

Dodge had grown into a bustling town over the last few years, the streets were cobble and the buildings a few stories high by the few main roads. Plenty of shops boasted items that would be useful to their exploring. "It shouldn't be too far to the deer's house, this town still isn't too big yet."

[crispy fries 432]

@@Illiad Easle,

 

Ballpoint was underwhelmed by Dodge Junction. It was just a little dust town on the edge of Equestria, with some shops and weirdly enough, a cherry orchard.

 

"So where's this shop we're going to?" asked Ballpoint. "Also, are we gonna see any Buffalo? I've never seen one before."

[Illiad Easle 3,175]

@@crispy fries,

 

"The deer lives near the edge of town, I just hope she isn't out on one of her adventures. We may see some buffalo as we travel, but it's unlikely we'll see any in Dodge." 

 

In a few minutes they arrived at a small house, though it seemed like more of a shed at first look. Illiad approached and knocked on the door, the could here shuffling within before a bleary-eyed doe poked her head out. Her expression brightened when she saw Illiad though. "Oh Hey there! Didn't think you'd be back so soon. You come to introduce your new marefriend to me?" She stuck a slender foreleg towards Ballpoint "Name's Glen, Glen Conegher, explorer extraordinaire."

Edited March 10, 2016 by Illiad Easle

[Guest]

Second Sight inched backwards at the Doe's friendly nature. Was this really the Deer they were going to work with?

 

He didn't want to judge the Doe's skills by her personality. He chose to stay back and observe, silently taking note of her every aspect of her. Sure, she had the body of an athlete, indicative of her being one of those.. Adventurous explorers

[crispy fries 432]

@@Illiad Easle,

 

"Hey, I'm Ballpoint," she said as she extended her hoof to shake with Glen. "I'm a reporter for the Canterlot Press. Now, I'm gonna cut to the chase. We're looking for a griffon. She stole something very valuable, and a friend of Illiad's went missing looking for this griffon. We've got it on good word that she ran off here."

[Illiad Easle 3,175]

@@crispy fries,

 

"A griffon you say? An odd looking one came through here just a few days ago, she bought up a bunch of supplies and was gone the same day she came in, I suppose that makes sense now that apparently Swift's been chasing her, I don't think I saw him come into town though, must have had some sort of plan to keep up with her. I'll gladly do what I can to help if it means helping Swift."