1866 replies and 20 files omitted.
>>160400"Hehe" She pulls her lips back in an awkward smile, blushing, and trying to lower her head.
>>160401She looks back at him
Time to bring out the whiskey, beer, and condoms, Solar.
>>160396Ever lower….At this point Amber is highly disturbed and does not approach the statue. In shock, though nervously keeping an eye on the wretched piece, she turns to Helm and asks, "Do you know who made these?"
>>160402"Right. one second."
He stands up and goes into the spare room and takes the alcohol and blanket, then returns
>>160402All he wanted to do was have her look into his eyes, so he lets go of her with his magic.
"You have been through much. I want you to have good life, and to provide for you to best of my ability. If you wish it to be, that is."
>>160403Exactly what the statue itself is made of is hard to say. It appears white in areas, black in others. The base and the throne are covered in what seems to be amber, and some areas have an elegantly crafted black-grey metal that had not corroded. Most of the statue is white. Maybe it's Ivory, horn, bone, or even a rock like marble. Most of it is stained yellow, and covered in dark splotches of red-brown-black. It could certainly be cleaned, as it surely has the age of centuries on it. For all of that, there is no question that, like the Hound, it's creator had vision, and skill in executing that vision. Every detail of the suckers of the 'worms' is crafted, every individual 'worm' approximating a famished griffin.
"Yes. Well, no. No I don't. But I do know that it has been around for milennia. This was around before the first emperor ever sat on the throne at Griffinstone. This was around before the first Katerin Empire, before the first Rumaren Empire, older or at least concurrent with the ancient Karthinian Empire. Before even the Pony Empress. This was the culmination of the artistic tradition of griffins who lived in this land long before us, who themselves inherited concepts and traditions from older ages still. Imagine."
He looks over to Amber
"The wisdom, knowledge, and values of cultures that existed before, heh, before
griffin culture. All represented in one statue, that has been passed down for generations. Look at it! It was ancient when that hound statue was made. Utterly ancient!"
>>160404Tricky:
"You got more alcohol?"
Sorrel's head shoots up, and looks over towards Solar as he enters the room.
>>160405She pulls her head away, not liking it. She turns away, and then back.
"Heh, yeah. Maybe." She says
>>160406"Yea."
He throws the blanket over towards the bed, then he pulls out some whiskey
>>160406He smiles at her.
"I hope this date is just tip of iceberg."
>>160406"Don't…don't you think it looks barbaric? Evil even, like King Sombra? What wisdom do you get from that?"
>>160407If Dark Star was hoping that the blanket would serve as a distraction, he is sorely mistaken. Sorrel shoots up, jumps off the bed, and rushes over towards him. He is lucky not to be knocked over by the mare, and she stops just in front of Solar, the end of her syrup-covered snout almost touching the whiskey bottle.
>>160408"Eh heh... Why don't you uh, you ask me something?" She says, frozen.
>>160409"Barbaric? Evil? No. Don't be absurd. Yes, it is surely a depiction of something the ancients feared. A sound at night, perhaps a predator, or something. But it is a depiction as valid as any other. Think of plays or operas that depict something terrible. It is the same here with art."
He looks away
"Tis' a shame is has to be hidden away from modern griffins. No matter. I found a new owner for it in New Manehattan, if only I can get it there."
>>160410"Well...have you seen any creatures in Ngua Nam, ones that might not be here in Equestria?"
>>160410"That does not resemble any predator in the world I know of, not even timberwolves. And if it was something they feared, why is it depicted on a throne?" Amber protests.
>>160412"Well, it's one of their gods, of course. Sitting on a throne like an earthy king. Even without knowing what I know, I can tell you that as it is a decaying griffin made of worms, or what surely must be maggots, it is a god of death. They see death around them and see its power. So they deify it as a god. And in doing so they both place it beyond good and evil, so they may see it as something natural and thus to be accepted, but also as a ruler they can bribe and negotiate with, to give them a kind of power over it."
>>160411"Well yes. We have water buffalo, and pigs, ducks, geese..." She contemplates the answer.
>>160413"Well, we have buffalo, pigs, ducks, and geese, though maybe not exact same kinds of those. What about creatures like timberwolves, manticores, or chimerae?"
>>160413Amber clearly doesn't like the answer, but stays silent, looking at the statue strangely.
>>160415The most disturbing aspect of the statue, however, has yet to be explained. It isn't even noticeable until Amber approaches it.
The statue has an unpleasant
aura. Coming close to it, the air itself around it is uncomfortable. For a mundane explanation, there is an electric charge in or around or (most likely) in the base underneath the statue, that can be felt from inches away. All the same, it makes the idea of touching the statue absolutely repulsive.
>>160414"Well... I have never fought a monster, no. I've heard of them, like the Hồ ly tinh, but I don't think I've seen one before."
>>160416"Ooo, what are they like?"
Silver listens intensely.
>>160416"I won't help you move this one," Amber says flatly. "I don't want to be
near it."
>>160417"In another culture they are called Kumiho. They are shapeshifters. They change to look like beautiful mares. The legends say they prey on stallions. They will lure you, capture you, take you away and eat you slowly. I never saw one... until I came to Equestria."
She has a look of evident disgust.
>>160418He waves it off
"Oh don't worry. There are wooden planks underneath it to help move it. Then we will seal it in a wooden crate for the long journey by train and ship."
>>160419"Oh, you mean what we call Changelings?"
>>160410"You have something right here."
He motions around the entirety of his muzzle. showing her where the mess is.
>>160422"Huh?"
She tries to look down at her own snout.
She tries to reach her tongue out to lick it off.
>>160421"Yes, they are...something. I am not so sure they are wholy, inheritantly evil. I once met two young Changeling drones we rescued. They were very startlingly like pony colts. Save that they require feeding off of one's soul to survive rather than food."
>>160425She looks up to him.
"Wouldn't you like to lick off?" She smiles
>>160424"I think that needing to feed off of the souls of others is inherently evil." She replies.
>>160426He laughs
"I'm sure it tastes good, but i'll pass."
>>160427Sorrel pouts, and looks up at Dark Star with big, puppy do eyes.
>>160426"Maybe...but it seemed that they had just as much capacity for goodness and kindness as you or I. It makes me wonder...how did changelings come into existence?"
>>160428He Smiles
"You need to be cleaned up before you can have any whiskey."
>>160430"Okay..." She takes a hoof, and wipes away with a napkin what she cannot lick away.
>>160429"They must have always existed, like mosquitos, or lice."
>>160431"They look very much like insectiod ponies. What if they are corrupted by magic?"
>>160432Sorrel starts to drink directly out of the bottle.
Tricky yells
"Hey!" And runs over, looking to take the bottle
>>160433"What do you mean?" She asks
>>160436"What if they, in ancient times, were once tribe of ponies, but some form of evil, primordial magic corrupted them into form we know of today?"
>>160437She shakes her head
"How could that have happened?"
>>160438"I honestly do not know if it could have happened, but magic is something we still do not understand everything about. It is possible, maybe."
>>160439She pauses for a moment.
"Magic comes from the spiritual essence of the world, and from the same essence come those things that live in it, like changelings. Of course the changelings have less of the spiritual in them, and more of the material. That is why they are as they are."
>>160440Silver tilts his head at the Kirin.
"I always heard it was Friendship, Harmony, and emotion that powered magic. Or, at least powered pony magic."
>>160419"That would take too long, I'm not comfortable being in the same room as this thing. I've never felt this way about anything I've encountered."
>>160441She closes her eyes for a moment as she speaks
"No. Magic flows from the spirit itself. Well...
maybe it flows
through harmony, but it is a part of that which is beneath all." She says
>>160452He smiles at her.
"You are very intelligent mare. Where did you learn so much about magic?"
>>160453She again has a toothy smile.
“Heh, it’s a part of our religious education.”
>>160454"I am almost jealous. Northern Orthodox teachings were more about history of our people and culture than about things like magic. What else did they teach you?"
>>160455“Moral teachings, the role of a mare, the harmony of the world, and so forth.”
>>160456"I remember some of what you said about 'role of mare'. You seem like you would make for perfect wife."
>>160457Her eyes grow wide
“Why is…” she rubs her right foreleg “Why is that?”
>>160458Silver thinks to himself that Khoi is just too cute to be this single.
"I have already mentioned your goddess-like beauty, intellect, and moral character, but they absolutely deserve repeating. You have also excelled at all of what we would call wifely duties save for sexual intercourse, and that is just because you are waiting for marriage as you were taught by your parents and culture. You are kind and sweet, but you also have greater depths to your emotions and character than many ponies I know. I can see no situation in which in Ngua Nam you would not be seen as perfect catch for any lucky "ngựa giống".
>>160460D'awwwww. If there wasn't a table between them, Silver would cuddle the kirin mare right there in the middle of the restaurant, damn what everyone watching thinks.
"All in all, I am
very lucky stallion to be here tonight with mare like you, and I want to do my best and give my all to make sure you have wonderful time with me."
>>160461Still maintaining an awkward smile, she is finally able to force a reply:
"And what about the future?"