Just Browsing ~ Griffon Headquarters [Private]

Tisis paced about the room, moving about in a circular fashion around the table in the center. His brow was furrowed, and he scrutinized the table's contents with a hawkish eye. Today was going just well, just well thanks, Tisis'd say to someone if they'd ask. Don't mind him of course, he's just a bit boozy is all. A tad bit too boozy for this, perhaps, mind you, but it never stopped him from spy-work before.

"Uhm, Shady, come here. You see these-" he said, pointing to the crystals that had been carefully pried from the artifacts. "- these all came from the same source. One big hunk of crystal." He said this very as-a-matter-of-fact-illy, to assert his belief. "These artifacts- none of these are new. This one here-" he said, referencing the Equestrian Rifle he lifted from the table- "this one here, I saw ponies using this during the war. This is at least six years old."

"Someone's been taking these things, and outfitting them with new power crystals." Tisis stepped back from the table, letting Shady get at them to look. "I... I can't really say I know where they're getting these things. These artifacts are antiques."

Tisis huffed a bit, rubbing his brow.

Shady slowly cantered her way around the table, looking over everything that was splayed on top of it with an interested eye. "I see... Taking some old war machines and breathing new life into them, huh?" She replied, narrowing her eyes at the sights offered to her. "I'm not sure where these specific things could be coming from... Where did you get them, anyway? Some rebel scum you caught had them on their body or something?"

Stopping her pacing, she moved in closer to the table and snatched up one of the weapons with her left hoof to get a better look at it. "I have to admit, these do look pretty impressive for something so old. I'd like to see them in action at some point..."

Tisis nodded. "Yeah, go ahead and take whatever you want. As for where I got them, we hauled this entire lot in from a rebel storehouse that got raided. We didn't catch any rebels, but from what we gathered at the storehouse, these weren't made there."

"Which... hmmm... makes me reckon here, figuring from the crystal, and the artifacts, that someone who's been sitting on top of a heap of old relics has started figuring out how to retrofit them again."

He paused, and sighed heavily. "This city has... just too much old junk sitting around. We need to catch the parties responsible for this, get them off the streets. This is dangerous."

Tisis picked up one of the heavier rifles from the table. It'd used an entire crystal's charge to fire a single shot, a testament to the power it put out. "Hmmm... Allright, well I figure that sitting here will do us good no longer. I got two or three places you can investigate."

He accidentally pulled the trigger, sending a blast of magical energy that caused the rifle to jump from his talons and and crash against the brick wall behind him. The wall to his left was seared black from the magical buckshot, and the smoke drifted outwards. ".....that was accidental."

Shady ducked under the table the moment the weapon went off, staring at the spots on the wall effected by the magic. "Whoa...these things are powerful..." She said quietly, her usual composed mask breaking for the moment. She slowly came out from under the table and stood up to glance at the griffon. "Well, that has convinced me, I'll be talking this small pistol, then." She replied, looking at the weapon in her hoof.

"Anyway, it sounds like you have a mission for me. What are these places you want me to investigate?"

Tisis took a few moments to shrug off the daze of having nearly shot his own foot off or something. "That scared the shit outta me," he said, shaking his head. He put the rifle down, and picked up the paper pad from beneath a small clutter of the artifacts.

"Hmmm, we got some spots close by. I've got a couple other assets working on this as well, but I think you're the only one we got who can go the discrete route." He flipped a page. "Ah, here we go. "Radiant's Rare Luxury Goods". It's a relatively new place, we've not had time to inspect their business licenses or anything yet. Go check them out, if you could, see if everything looks level."

"Listen Shady-" he coughed, his rough voice pausing to catch his breath. "You won't tell anyone about that right? It's uhm, not mandatory that the staff learn of this... unfortunate discharge."

Shady slipped the collected pistol into the strap of the small leg guard on her right foreleg before giving the griffon a nod in response. "Alright, I'll check this shop for you. Anything you need me to look for in specific besides a license?" She asked in a calm tone of voice, her expression turning into a soft, fanged smirk. "And right...I won't tell anyone about your little slip-up."

"...Possibly." The final word slipped out under her breath, hardly audible by anyone who wasn't right up next to her.

Tisis ripped the address from his notepad, and passed it to Shady. "Mmm, quite. Why thank you in that regard. Here is the address to the store- it's on Main Street- did I say that already? I might have."

Tisis picked up one of the crystals from the table. "I don't really know what to tell you to look for- anything magical? You ponies have all the magic, I couldn't say I know what a magical unicorn shop looks like. Runes? Hmmm... Look for runes. Look for... anything suspicious... and see if they are against proper Griffon Authority."

Tisis inwardly hoped that his agent was understanding his orders.

Shady gave her superior a single nod of her head before taking the address and slipping it into her armor for safe keeping. "Alright, orders are clear. Visit this shop and take note of any items that could be a threat to us. I will report back once I finish my observations." She young mare replied in a formal tone of voice before giving a salute with her non-armored foreleg.

"Wait here for my success."

Without another word, the bat pony turned towards the door to begin her exit of the room.

"Wait!-" he tried to yell, before entering a coughing fit. "Uhm, I won't be in for two weeks. I'm on business to Aquillae. When you're done with the investigation, you will be reporting to the Praetor. He's also working this investigation. He'll collaborate leads with you. Understood?"

Shady stopped in her place once told to do so, giving another nod before speaking up with her back still turned towards her box. "Understood. Report to the Praetor once my mission is complete." She mirrored back just like before. "I will not fail this mission. My perfect record will last. See you when you return, master."

Tisis gave one more cough, before turning blankly to the table of arms and weapons. "Harrumph," he harrumphed. He opened a nearby cabinet and retrieved a small case of hard liquor.

He had four hours before departure to kill.

Without another word, the young bat mare slipped out of the room and closed the door behind her with a heavy slam. She was given a mission and her mind was focused solely on that. She spoke so no one who passed by in the halls of the headquarters and simply moved outside to find the address she was given.


Characters: Tisis Antony, Shady Silhouette

Summary: The OGI has claimed some old magical artifacts with new power crystals from the Rebellion. Shady Silhouette is sent out to find out who might have maintained the artifacts.