Sky Parliament

Griffonnier and the Griffin Masters had previously hidden in a shabby house while waiting for the secret meeting that was taking place in the Sky Parliament.

They entered the room as soon as the meeting began and saw a score of avians.  A yellow-feathered duck-man and a turquoise-feathered hummingbird-man were sitting in the center around the remains of a large statue of the miracle worker.  The aristocrats had torn it down in rebellion against the Peacock King.

Griffonnier flew to parliament’s stage and spoke there. He puffed up his chest with confidence and spoke in a loud voice. "The old monarchy released the enemies of the people has. It, the loss of our city will cause. A rebellion against the peacock king we must lead!"

A parrot man with orange plumage and blue beak addressed him in a solemn tone. "The peacock king deserves to sit on the throne, peacocks have always known how to rule our people justly. His father saved us from the great drought of 1260 and his grandfather from the iron crisis of 1210, peacocks have ruled our people for ages and it has always been so."

"But he has not given us an heir! He even refuses  all our advances," exclaimed a white feathered female owl.

"Name me chief and I will give you an heiress," said Griffonnier.

Among the avians, it was the woman who made the first move by initiating a mating ritual based on dancing, singing and sending gifts. It was even illegal for a man to make the first move. Men who tried to impose their domination over women had their wings cut and were condemned to the ordeal of the desert of Qitaria.

This is why the peacock king hesitated to choose a woman. He wanted to choose one who would be sane and loyal. One who would help him to conduct the affairs of the kingdom without plotting behind his back or causing a scandal.

A toucan-man rose from his seat.  He cried to the entire room. "Pff! If the peacock king has no heir yet, it’s because he’s only taking his time to choose a mate. The peacock dynasty won’t cause our downfall, the peacock king wants to protect the homeland from his enemies and will not let the Xidor Cèdre set our city on fire."

Griffonnier stood up straight. He spread his wings to take up as much space as possible . He even intimidated the assembly, glaring at them without smiling. Then he roared.  "Then why did he the servants of Xidor Cèdre release!?"

The toucan man trembled slightly due to Griffonnier's strong stance and muttered, "They had no maps of our island and they reneged on their oath to Xidor, they will fight against him."

Griffonnier shoved his hands in his pockets. He looked at the toucan sideways. "And yet, proof to the contrary, I have. This contemplate, then our king's betrayal far more than obvious will become."

The latter took out a large map detailing all the city’s places, secret passages, population and  key figures. The map was also accompanied by a letter to a certain Evergreen.

Skyhigh, 10 Arbatar 1290

Mr. Evergreen

1380 Cypress Boulevard Xidorville, Miradia 9S76 0P8K

Re: Mission Accomplished

Esteemed Mr. Evergreen,

I have completed my mission as required by our sovereign. You’ll find the map of Skyhigh in this bag. As for the secret mission, it has been done. I’ve probed the king and he’s full of flaws. His pride is beyond comprehension. He’ll certainly not react to the first phase of our plan. It’ll be too late and we’ll already have a foot in the city. The spies are already well established on the island and have avoided the avians’ surveillance.

They’ll have completed their work by D-Day. All you have to do is prepare the ground for war, otherwise all our efforts will be in vain... The documents must be ready. Please do not reply to this letter at the risk of jeopardizing our  operations.

Yours sincerely, Mr. Evergreen, in the hope of seeing you soon in Xidorville.

Karel Candelberry

Tax Collector and Special Agent to the King

The crowd fell silent, speechless, some even falling out of their seats. The Peacock King was so incompetent, how could he have missed that map and letter?

An aristocrat spoke up, his face contorted with anger.

"How did you discover these documents? And why didn't you tell the king? You’re inciting revolt when you could have prevented this crisis from the start."

Griffonnier, insulted, showed his lion fangs.

He told them with an hoarse cavernous voice. "When before him I presented myself, with this letter and card in my hand, he ridiculized me, calling me a traitor. After all, "cheated" at the game of the bag of leaves I have. What an understanding and intelligent king! Let's get rid of him.".

The Avians sat down. They asked him with great concern. "Give us time to make our choice. Too much haste causes delay. We could die, Griffonnier".

Griffonnier continued to intimidate the crowd while they argued.

The aristocrats moved closer together, forming a concentric circle. They ranted and raved for a moment. Finally, the Griffin Masters managed to convince the majority.

 The aristocrats turned to Griffonnier and announced with conviction. "We’ll support the rebellion, both in money and in men! But you must win, or we’ll all die."

King I will be, Hero I will be... Xidor I will defeat

Griffonnier flew above the crowd and told them. "Quick will be the coup, by next week will have tumbled the head of the peacock."

Griffonnier, the Griffin masters as well as all the conspirators left the building.

They flew proudly under the gaze of passers-by, heading  to a forge located in the greenhouse district. The armorer and their personal troops awaited them there, armed to the teeth.  

Griffonnier and his army began a long march to the merchant's quarter. On their way, they bought the services of other foot soldiers ready to betray the king.

Hundreds of birdmen bolstered Griffonier’s army and followed him.

In an instant, Griffonnier stood before the royal citadel’s bridge and began the siege of the King’s palace