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>>160299"They're all in it for themselves and will tear each other apart when there are no more easy victims," Amber agrees. "The tricky part is staying low until then."
>>160297"You seem disturbed by that."
>>160300“They will.” He nods. “We’ve stayed low for a while. Now I think it is time to leave. It is not the Katerintrue I am afraid of. The Imperials may become involved.”
>>160301“Of a Zebra getting killed? Or a foal stabbed? Yes.” She asserts
>>160303"Well- Then we better be out of here. The Imperials won't be tolerated around here long. They will be gone soon. Let us hope we are out before then."
>>160305"
Both." She says indignantly. She scrunches
>>160304"You don't think the Imperials will
make themselves welcome?" Amber asks.
>>160307“The local government will force them out. Give it time.” He says
>>160306"And why is that? it happens, more often than you would think."
>>160309"I'd like not to think about it." She says
>>160308"And what then? Will they stay independent, or be swallowed up by another larger power?"
>>160311"That's their concern. For us, a return to the shadows is best."
>>160312"Now you're sounding just like Helder. But I can't say either of you are mistaken. Obscurity is painful, but also safe."
>>160310"Understandable. which part disturbed you the most?"
>>160313"Yes." He says, nodding. "I have some items that will have to be moved from a room downstairs. I will need some help."
>>160314"I would rather there not be violence." She says
>>160315"Yea in a perfect world there wouldn't be, but we don't live in that world."
He says taking a drag off his cig
"Sometimes commiting violence is the only way to stop even more violence."
>>160315"Alright, I'll do my part."
>>160316She starts to nod, but then forms a very wide smile.
"Did you
really kill a changeling?"
>>160317He looks around, then back to Amber.
"It's in the cellar." He says
>>160318He Nods
"A Couple."
Slowly taking a drag off his cig, looking into the distance.
>>160318Nodding, Amber says, "Do you want to get that done with right now?"
>>160321"Yes." He says. "Do you have an appreciation for antiquities?"
>>160322"I can't say that I do, unless they are musical instruments. Not that I dislike antiquities, but my world has always been that of sound."
>>160323"I would have preferred somegriffin who understood my family's peculiar appreciation for art. No matter. Just understand that there are some of us who live in a world of sight and touch. What I am trying to move are things I would rather the police, and especially the Imperials never see. It may seem distasteful to many of the naïve and the common folk. But to us, it is simply an expression of art."
>>160325"If you say so. I am not one to judge. I did push for a domestic playing of
The Rite of Spring despite the jeers it received at some theaters."
>>160326He tries to withhold judgement at that admission.
"Very well. Come with me."
He starts off through the door of the room into the hallway, down another hallway, and to a simple looking wooden door, innocuously placed near the end of the hallway, just beside a door that forms a secondary interest to a larger study. Helm and Amber are not alone in this, as Mason has joined them. Helm takes a key, and unlocks the door, opening it, and going down.
>>160327Amber follows him, wondering what he might have that would warrant being stuck in an obscure corner of his manor, rather than on display.
>>160320She senses that he may have killed two
>>160329Her eyes become wide
"Is this from.... work?" She asks, tilting her head, and flopping an ear.
"Or from nights at the bar..."
>>160328He opens the door, revealing only blackness.
"Forgive me. Electric lighting has not been installed down here." On the inside, next to the door, he picks up a lantern. With a ighter he produces from his vest, he lights the latern, and holds it up, walking down. The stairs are stone, and it's a straightforward walk down.
"Careful."
When he walks all the way down to the bottom, he takes his lighter, and lights a lantern than he hangs on a column. In the dim and flaring light of the cellar, Amber can see that the ancient stone construct, with its leaks and cobwebs, is a fairly normal wine cellar. Impressive even, with big racks of wine that must surely have come from every corner of the Empire and beyond. Helm looks up at the two.
"Come on."
>>160330"Yes its from work. What do you mean nights at the bar?"
>>160330A chill goes through Amber, perhaps because of the temperature and the sensitivity of old age, perhaps because of the ambience. Glancing at the wine racks, which must have cost an exorbitant amount of money given the quantity and Helm's penchant for taste, Amber follows on.
>>160331“Nevermind…”
She looks to him, then away, and then back.
She takes a last, long drag of the cigarette, and discards it.
>>160333He smiles
"No no what did you mean. I'm curious."
>>160334“I was wondering where you would encounter Changelings.”
>>160332Helm picks up another lantern, and lights it. He starts to walk around.
“Come on. This way.”
There is an arch, leading to another section of the cellar. Within is a large set of shelves, with many strange objects on them. Headdress. Ornamental Dolls. A large cowbell. Innumerable flasks and vials. Armor. An entire walk of weapons. Otto at least, these are the things hunted at when the flickering red light of the Griffin’s lanterns reach them.
>>160335What a curious assortment of odds and ends stashed away, evidently from old travels. "Are these the antiquities?"
>>160335"Well. one......may have been pretending to be somepony important."
>>160336“Many of them, yes.”
He goes up to a self that contains many items that appear to be chalices and incense holders, as well as sets of robes.
“Could you give me a claw?” He asks.
>>160337She blinks
“We’re you in the Army?”
>>160338"Me. No, My Brother was though."
>>160338"Alright." Amber goes to help. "You have quite a varied collection."
>>160340“It gets better.” He says.
“Help me push this shelf to the side.”
He and Mason place their claws on the shelf to push it.
>>160339The waffles grow cold, snd both ponies are slowly sobering up.
She tilts her head.
“Are you also displaced?” She asks.
>>160341"Alright." Perhaps Amber wasn't the best choice for this, because despite this being a dream it's quite a struggle to accomplish.
>>160341"In a way. Oh Buck i forgot."
He hands her, her waffles
>>160342Roll strength!
>>160343She looks down at the paper containers, and blinks
"What are these?" She asks
>>160344"You and sorrel asked for these. open it up."
>>160344Amber's dream strength stat isn't the same as her waking stat, is it? Or is an elderly sedentary griffon as strong as a young farmpony?
>>160345She opens one, and looks inside
"Ha, haha! You actually bought her waffles?"
She laughs
>>160346>smol grill pony is as strong as big manly griffinYou know what? Use Amber's stats.
>>160347He rubs the back of his head
"Well yeah."
>>160349"Heheh" She tilts her head down, but looks her eyes up to Dark Star.
"You want to wake her to give her a waffle?" She asks
>>160348And... the shelf is pushed out of the way. Must be a pretty smooth floor. Very convenient. Anyways,
This reveals another door made of wood and braced with iron. Helm fumbles around with a key, but then opens it.
Opening the door, the griffins enter into a rectangular room which has several strange figures of creatures. There seems to be a skeleton of a small dragon, albeit a very strange looking dragon. There is an entire shelf of very, very old books bound with leather.
What stands out the most is this jet black stone statue of a creature that most resembles a very large hound, with a slim form, muscles, claws with long, pointed nails, and bone protrusions. But this is no hound. The elongated, pointed muzzle makes the creature look more like a bat than a hound, an intuition confirmed by the presence of large, webbed wings on the back. The whole statue is made with an utter commitment to realism, with every minor blood vessel and muscle represented. The sculpture must surely have had a very detailed vision, and an equal or greater ability to extract that representation out of stone.