Upgrading the guards

[Devela]

Devela had spent hours making the poster and putting them around the city. They all had the same thing written on them.

Looking for a Unicorn worker.
Please report outside the Griffin HQ at 8am sharp.
The contractor will pick you up there.
Please bring this flier.


After putting up aroun d fifty of the posters, she took off and flew to the top of the building beside the HQ. She set up her crossbow with ribbons and waited.

December 3rd.

[Paradox]

Quantum Flash fumed. His so called "new employer" had taken one look at him and had said that he must have been mistaken, there had been no job available. That spiteful griffon had probably done it for a cheap laugh. In any case, Quantum was now here in this changed Manehattan without a job or place to stay. To make matters worse, he had little in the way of money for food.

He sighed. Without any source of income the first priority would be to attempt to find some sort of day job or another, since it was probably best not to loiter in the streets, especially not here on Mainstreet. Luckily it was still early in the morning and there would be plenty of time to look arou...he noticed a griffon stop on the street and place something on the side of a building before moving on, presumably to continue her task. Curious, Quantum approached and read what turned out to be a flyer looking for unicorn workers specifically. Activating a basic time spell, a quick glance at the sun told him that it was not quite 8AM yet. What luck, he thought to himself with slightly raised spirits, maybe things won't be so bad after all.

Grabbing the poster off the wall, Quantum placed it in his saddlebag with his few other possessions and trotted off towards the imposing presence of the Griffon HQ and sat down in front of it, but slightly to the side so as not to block any griffons who might turn out to be incredibly important and not so pleased to see him.

[Devela]

Devela waited for the time allowed and saw a few unicorns arrive. She noticed one was right after her and giggled picking up her crossbow and aiming above the poor thing's head in the wall. She picked out another target for her tail and fired at the same time. The bolt hitting directly above Quantum's horn and the red ribbon floating down into his face. It contained a small message written onto it. The black ribbon was sent between the hooves of an all black unicorn mare with striking slender limbs and long drak coloured mane. Then she had a striking red headband upon her head. the mare looked up following the trail of the bolt and smiled, seeing Deveal wave for them both to walk up to the top of the building.

[Paradox]

As Quantum sat and waited, he noticed that several other unicorns carrying similar flyers were also coming to the meeting. He snorted and closed his eyes, tilting his head back to better catch the slight breeze whispering by.

*Sssswhsh Thunk!* "Aaaugh!" Quantum cried as a crossbow bolt impacted mere inches over his head on the wall behind him. He looked around frantically for the attacker before noticing the ribbon that settled on his snout. It directed him to head to the top of the building next to the HQ. He turned his gaze up towards it and noticed the griffon from before waving for him to come up.

Quantum, along with the only other unicorn to get the rather unusual summons, a mare with a darker coat than his own, headed into the building and climbed to the top. Quantum was not entirely sure what now to expect, after having been shot at like that.

[Devela]

Deveal watched both the unicorns walk into the building and
smiled. She had two contestants and she might need more than one unicorn she,
so might keep them both if they are good enough. The griffonese waited patiently
watching the streets below until she felt a hoof tapping her rear and turned to
face the black mare that stood tall, about shoulder height to her which was impressive.
Devela was about 6 feet at the shoulder. She gave the mare’s mane a ruffle just
to mess with her as they waited for the second one and introduced themselves “I
am Devela and might be your new boss.”


The mare gave a flat look as her mane was ruined by the
griffon’s paw but used her magic to readjust it to perfection and smiled “I am
Black Aura.”

[Paradox]

As Quantum reached he top story of the building, the mare suddenly pushed by him and confidently strode forward and tapped the tall griffon to get her attention. The griffon turned and ruffled the mare' mane and introduced herself as Devela, their possible boss. The mare also introduced herself as Black Aura.

Quantum stepped foreword and introduced himself as well, saying, "And I am Quantum Flash." Much to his chagrin, this close he found himself to be shorter than both of them. The overall impression left him feeling somewhat intimidated considering that this Devela had just shot at him, but despite this he was curious and so continued, "may I ask what this job is then."

[Devela]

Devela was looking both the ponies over when Quantum asked a question and she looked at them both. "That was on the ribbon attacked to the bolt I gave to you. Aura had a bolt that was slim and sharp, you had one that looked strangely odd. The banner said to bring the bolts with you." She thought of how they could of missed that little tidbit of info...

Aura let out a wide bright white smile, before producing her bolt "Here it is."

[Paradox]

Quantum frowned. "Well excuse me for being more concerned with being shot at." In truth he had only skimmed the message as he had been more than happy to get out of the chaos that had developed in front of the HQ when the bolts had struck. Nevertheless, he had grabbed the bolt and now took it out and rotated it in the air in front of him, mindful not to point it towards either of them. He took a closer look at the ribbon.

"Well then what exactly are you trying to do? Use magic to stabilize the bolts or make them sharper? Perhaps use it to increase the power of the shot?" The "strange" bolt meant little to him as he was generally unfamiliar with the weapon, but as he looked at the bolt, ideas began to stream through his mind, ones which he decided to keep to himself for now.

[Devela]

Devela shrugged looking at Quantum Flash, "Well if you wish to know then let me show you what this thing does." She gave a mighty yawn before grabbing a bolt out of her bag and aims at a target at the other side of the roof "Watch out and grab those buckets of water."

Aura did as she was told and levitated the bucket she was given and looked first at the bolt on the crossbow then at the target "Flames?"

[Paradox]

Quantum also picks up one of the very conveniently placed buckets of water. He was getting somewhat more used to this rather aggressive griffon but was very slightly disturbed by this particular move. It was clearly a setup, and therefore this Devela had been planning to demonstrate the bolts in any case. Quantum also noted with some concern the amount of water present. 'Just how powerful is that fire bolt then?' he wondered.

The mere fact that she was willing to use what could possibly even be an explosive bolt right in front of the Griffon Headquarters gave him the slight feeling that this was actually common. Apparently griffons had as many oddballs as Equestria did.

The thought struck him that the bolt that he was still holding bore a striking resemblance to the bolt that Devela was about to demonstrate. Eyeing it with caution and some apprehension, he subtly slipped it into his saddlebag. It was probably not more dangerous than a regular one but one can never be too cautious. Besides, it could come in handy sometime.

[Devela]

Devela looked at the ponies as they took care of the fire and smiled "Well now that you know what the bolts do, then you can help me refine them and make them better." She turned to the HQ building with a smile "We are going to sell those new improved bolts to the guards."

Aura gained an evil grin as she walked up beside the griffin and smirked "So they can kill those idiot rebels who dare to defy the mighty government of the griffins."

[Paradox]

Quantum finished extinguishing the fire and picked up the scorched bolt.  He spun it in the air in front of him, noting the crumpled tip which had revealed slits in the thin metal.  A quick sniff confirmed his suspicions that it had been alcohol fueled.  Trotting back over to where Devela stood smugly, Quantum glanced up sharply as she revealed the bolts' purpose.  

"Okay...  Anyway I can think of two improvements off the bat.  Since the tip broke I'm assuming these are meant not to be reused and so are not intended to be used often.  In that case, I suggest replacing at least the fluid container with glass because it will break easier and fragment.  I believe it also would be more reliable to use a small fire spell instead of metal sparks especially if it should be raining or otherwise wet."

[Devela]

Devela twirled a bolt in her paw as she waited form the unicorns to be finished. She nodded to Flash as he gave some ideas to her and smiled. "Well do you know how to cast a fire spell sir?" She looked at him fully ready to have him know it, but she knew it was a small chance of that.

[Paradox]

An easy one.  Quantum nodded as he replied, "Well I may not be able to shoot a massive fireball across the street, but I do know a particular variation used for smithing and glasswork that I imagine could easily be adapted. If I may demonstrate..."  He focused on the burnt arrow in his magical grasp, stripping the metal tip from the rest of the shaft.  A slight frown formed on his face as the metal began to glow before rapidly liquefying into a suspended molten sphere.

[Devela]

Devela sat there and smiled, giving a clap of her paws as she watched the magic, it was a good talent but she needed a bit more "That is good and all but I kinda don't want my bolt not being usable afterwards. And what if they go off in flight or when I'm trying to get around quickly?" She needed these questions answered.


Aura looked at the bolt in her magic and smiled "Well for this one, we could try to make it a bit longer, while maintaining a sharp point. Maybe even try for a wind spell to go off after it's fired."

[Paradox]

Quantum felt a bit miffed at this comment.  Certainly he had not been implying that the bolt would actually melt under the spell, but rather had just wished to demonstrate that he knew such magics.  In any case, the way the bolt was constructed forced it to be one use unless the head was meant to be replaced, at which point whether or not it melted wouldn't matter.  

He sat down to think, only half paying attention to the conversation going on in front of him.  If the bolts were actually intended to be reused, they would need to be almost completely redesigned.  The tip would need to be made of hardened materials with some sort sliding hatch to deploy on impact while enabling it to be refilled... That could be done.  More difficult would be ensuring that the shaft itself didn't burn.  Quantum sat in thought, oblivious to the world around him.

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