What Should Daring Do?by ocalhounChaptersMaydayNot AloneA Rock and a Hard PlaceMaydayThe old unicorn stallion glared at Daring Do, his beard stretched out in the wind. He never would listen to anypony, not back at the university and certainly not now. Daring tried to stare him down in return, a contest she knew she was doomed to lose. “For the last time, I am not letting you come with me. It's too dangerous.” “You already did, my girl.” He waved a hoof at the sky chariot they rode in. “And after dragging my old bones all this way, I am not going to be left sitting outside the temple and waiting for you to come out. Why, as soon as I...” Daring groaned. This was going to be hard enough without dragging her uncle along. She should have just flown herself and told him he can keep his chartered sky chariot. Who cared how long a trip it was. She turned around, ignoring the old coot's continuing tirade, and peered around the two pegasus stallions pulling the chariot. Ahead, she could only see the unending sand dunes of the Saddle Arabian desert. The dust in the hot, dry air stung her eyes, and she strained to see through the heat waves, but she still couldn't see any sign of the Temple of the Sun God. Her eyes would have teared up, if they weren't desiccated already. For the thousandth time, she wished she had thought to bring along some goggles. Reluctantly, she ducked back into the shelter of the chariot's cab. “And that's why your mother never...” “Uncle Pineapple–” “...bothered to tell you that she and Honey Do hated–” “Uncle Pineapple!” He blinked through his thick glasses. “Yes, dear?” “Are we getting close yet? It's been hours since we entered the desert, and I still don't see any sign of it.” “Oh. Ah, yes. Let me check.” The old stallion peeled his leather backpack off and rummaged through it. Daring rolled her eyes as he shoved his entire face into the bag, mumbling something about his compass. She wished yet again that Pineapple could have just told her where the temple was, but the geezer guessed – correctly – that she would have left him back in Canterlot University if she didn't need his help finding the place. Finally, he pulled his map and navigational gear out of the bag. “Help me hold it flat, Daring.” She did as he requested, putting two hooves on the edge of the map to keep it from blowing away in the wind. She stared at the yellowed sheet, wishing he had marked the temple's location on it. No such luck – no 'X' to mark the spot on this map. Pineapple unfolded his dusty wooden-cased compass and stood up on his hind legs, taking his sight readings. “Are you ready, gal?” Daring grabbed the pencil in her mouth. “Ready,” she mumbled around it. “Mount Olymphooves, two hundred forty-five point two degrees.” She scribbled it down. “Saddle Peak, three hundred ten point five.” He spun around. “Mount Dragonsbane, forty-four point one.” She scribbled away on the margins of the map. “Did you get all that?” Pineapple asked, plopping back down to the floor of the chariot. Daring just pointed her hoof at the notes and tossed him the pencil. He caught it with his magic. For an old stallion, he still had good reflexes. He used it to scratch at a balding spot in his yellow mane before leaning down and working on the figures. Again, Daring Do rolled her eyes. Why did he have to insist on doing the navigation? Despite all the glamor and danger she was famous for, her special talent actually was navigation. She could have finished this in half the time. Finally, Professor Pineapple craned his neck out over the map and plotted another dot at the end of their line, marking their current position. “So, are we close?” She raised an eyebrow at him. He rolled up the map and began packing everything back into his pack. “Oh yes. Very close. I believe we should be able to see it before long, and we're perfectly on course.” He pulled the ties closed on the pack and slipped it onto his back. She couldn't believe he insisted on wearing it the whole time. Didn't he trust her? She wasn't about to dig in his bag and try to discover where the temple was, and besides, it wasn't marked on the map, anyway. He'd just been leading her on by memory of where it was. Hopefully, his memory was in better shape than his old grey trench coat. He'd been wearing that thing ever since he first mentioned coming with her, even though it had more holes than a doughnut shop and clashed horribly with his dusty brown fur. He claimed it had seen him through a ton of adventures, but she could hardly imagine him on adventures, even when he was younger. She leaned back against the front wall of the chariot, idly watching the dunes roll by behind them, as she had for much of the trip. She hated this part the most really – the long, boring trip to the beginning of her adventures. At least this time she was going by chariot instead of by balloon or under her own wingpower. It was faster, but her lack of involvement in the transportation left her even more bored. Sometimes, she wished something would just– The chariot bucked up and to the side from underneath her. She clutched onto the railing with an iron grip. Metal shrieked as it was torn, and the world around her spun. She looked up to see Pineapple clinging to the railing on the other side. Behind her, the two pegasus stallions pulling the chariot struggled to steady it. Supply boxes poured out of the back, dumping out into the desert sky. The wind whipped through Daring Do's mane, nearly knocking her hat off. She glanced over the edge to see the dunes growing larger dangerously fast. The pegusai up front whinnied and struggled, and slowly, the chariot stopped spinning and began to regain its lost altitude. Daring Do breathed a sigh of relief. That had been close. What even happened? Where had that come from anyw– Her eyes widened when she saw something glowing bright blue shoot towards the chariot from the ground. “Speed Breeze, Sunbeam,” she called out to the stallions, “I think we've got another–” Another jolt from the chariot threw her against the wall. She could barely peel herself away from the rail, the chariot spun so fast. She turned to yell at the pegusai again, but Sunbeam was missing. Only a smoking hole remained on the chariot where his harness should have been. After searching the spinning sky for a moment, she caught a glimpse of a pegasus hurtling away from them. It must have been Sunbeam. At least he was okay. She had her own problems though. The chariot spun and pivoted through the sky, falling like a rock, even flipping upside down. Speed Breeze strained at his harness. His legs kicked as fast as his beating wings, and sweat poured from him, but the chariot was still out of control and losing altitude fast. She glanced back toward Pineapple. Terror filled his eyes, and he clung to the railing as if he was trying to strangle it. Behind him, she could see the desert sand, coming up at them all too fast. She knew what she had to do. Fighting the massive rotational forces and squinting her eyes against the wind whipping her mane, she forced her way around the edge of the chariot to reach her uncle. Finally, she made it. She wrapped her hooves around his chest and shouted in his ear, hoping he could hear her through the randomly buffeting wind. “On the count of three, let go!” She tensed he leg muscles and flared her wings, preparing for the jump. “One... two... Three!” The sudden change of direction almost tore Pineapple out of her grip as she flew free of the chariot. If not for the backpack giving her something to hold on to, she might have lost him. She glanced down. The ground still rushed up at them, terrifyingly close now. They couldn't be more than a couple hundred feet up. She gave everything she had into her wings, flapping furiously to bring them up out of their dive. The wind tore past her, and her flight muscles burned at the unaccustomed strain, but she made progress. She was almost level by the time they first struck the sand. At the first impact, Pineapple was torn away from her grip, and she cartwheeled away. She tried to steady her flight, but before she could, another dune caught her in the side, knocking the breath out of her. She bounced up, completely out of control now, and too stunned to do anything about it. She could only watch with short-lived dread as another dune came rushing at her. As soon as the impact registered, her world started getting dark and fuzzy. She felt hot, and she felt like she might be sick. Warm darkness came in to comfort her. * * * Daring Do groaned... or, she would have, if her mouth wasn't full of sand. She picked herself up, pushing herself out of the sand dune she was half-buried in. She coughed the sand out of her mouth as well as she could, and shook her head to both sides to clear her ears. She took a look around. She immediately spotted Pineapple, laying face down on the dune maybe a dozen feet away. After watching him for a moment, she could see his chest rising and falling. Good – he was alive. The chariot and their two pegasus stallions were nowhere to be seen, though. She could only see undulating sand in all directions. Great. Stranded in the desert. With Uncle Pineapple, of all ponies. She shook her head. Better go wake him up. After a few grueling steps in the hot, soft sand, Daring Do gave up on it. She fluttered up with her wings and flew over to Pineapple. Even that short flight left her wing muscles aching, though. She must have really overworked them on the way down. The old pony groaned when she nudged his shoulder, and he spit out his own mouthful of sand. He didn't seem to be injured. Daring took another look at her surroundings as she waited for Pineapple to recover. Again, all she could see was sand, sand, and more sand. The sun burned lower in the cloudless sky now; it would only be a few hours until sunset, but still, the heat radiating from it baked into her fur. She was already sweating. “Ugh,” Pineapple said, looking around for himself, “So... what do we do now?” Author's Note So, readers, what should Daring do? Tell me in the comments. I'll pick one response, and Daring Do will do that. Be specific, serious, and practical, for a better chance of your suggestion being taken. Give advice about what she should do in her immediate situation, not long-term goals, please. This fic will develop based on your input. You control what's going to happen. Enjoy! (The length and frequency of future chapters will vary. Bear with me, folks.) Not Alone Plan of action: Check for injuries. Take an inventory of current supplies. Attempt to locate either the downed chariot and if possible locate the missing Pegasuses of their team as well in a timely fashion. Something shot them down and no doubt it would have sent scouts in order to confirm the body count; Who knows how much of a head start these scouts have had thanks to being knocked out on landing? When you're out in the field, the only ponies you can depend on are your crew and yourself. Good explorers don't leave their teams to uncertain ends! I'm thinking that she should try to get a higher vantage point before it's dark. Though it wouldn't be nice to her strained wing muscles and it could be dangerous if there's still an anti-air presence around, getting a better look over the dunes could help them navigate and find the temple if they really are close to it. It could also help them find the downed chariot, if it hasn't already been raided by whatever brought it down in the first place. And on that subject, they need to think about defense.Without the majority of their supplies, setting up a shelter of any kind will be difficult in the middle of a sandy desert. It would be helpful if they could even get their hooves on just one supply box that got lost during the attack. They'll need to find shelter, whether it be in the temple itself or just a tent made out of that raggedy old coat; it gets cold in the desert at night, and whatever brought down their ride might still be around. Daring's talent is Navigation, right? Then maybe she should try using her compass along with Pineapple's map to find out just where they are. Well the practice thing would be to assess the situation. Check for injuries. Take an inventory of current supplies. Determine location. If possible make contact with the rest of the squad. But that is about as fun as it sounds. “Ugh,” Pineapple said, looking around for himself, “So... what do we do now?” Daring shook her head. Stranded again. So much for being well-prepared. “You're not hurt?” “Nah, these old bones have seen worse landings.” Pineapple glanced away for a moment. “Thanks, by the way.” “Good, so, what do we have left? What have you got in that backpack of yours?” Without hesitation or ceremony, he took the backpack off and dumped all the contents out into the sand. Daring winced. She knew everything was bound to get sandy sooner or later in this environment, but she would have preferred later. It wasn't promising. They had the map and Pineapple's old compass, at least, so they wouldn't be lost. She spotted a pair of binoculars – cheap little ones, but they still might be useful. A coil of rope, that was good. But the rest... a now-cracked mirror, a shabby old wide-brimmed hat, a bottle of suntan lotion, reading glasses, and a snow globe... it wasn't exactly encouraging. Her face scrunched up. “What did you even bring a snow globe for?” “My ex-wife gave it to me, just before I left her.” “But I thought you hated your wife? And why did you–” Daring shook her head. “It doesn't matter, anyway. Do you have any water?” He patted down the pockets of his coat. “Nope. I've got a pack of gum though.” He used his magic to pull out a piece, and he popped it into his mouth. “Want one?” Her shoulders slumped as she let out a heavy sigh. She really should have left him back at the university. “No thanks.” She patted down the small pockets on her own vest. Her little first aid kit was still there, as well as her pocketknife. Again, the pocket where her goggles should have been was empty; hopefully there wouldn't be a sandstorm any time soon. They had to find their supplies, or they'd be done for, and she should try to find the two pegasus stallions as well. She pointed a hoof at her uncle. “Get that stuff back into the bag, and try to figure out which way the temple is. I'm going to climb to the top of one of these dunes to try and find Speed Breeze and Sunbeam... and maybe our supplies, too.” He nodded and started fishing the supplies out of the sand. Daring Do grabbed the binoculars and resolutely stepped off toward the top of the nearest dune... only to have her hoof sink deep into the hot sand. She groaned. This was not going to be fun. She tucked them under her wing and trudged on anyway. She prided herself on being unstoppable, after all. She reached the top of the dune, sweating and panting. Next time, she promised herself, next time she'd go someplace cool and refreshing. Plopping down on the crest, she took a look around. The direction she had come from – the direction where the supplies and pegusai should be – she could see only sand. Her ears drooped. Nothing ever came easy, did it? She made a slow circle around her... still, nothing but endless waves of sand. Finally, almost directly away from the direction she'd come from, she spotted just a tiny bit of green poking up above the dunes. She brought the binoculars up to check. Yep, definitely palm fronds. Hopefully, that meant there was some kind of oasis ahead. Finally, a lucky break. Now, if only she could find her missing pegusai, this day wouldn't be so bad after all. She kept scanning the desert around her, nearly completing her circle before she spotted a dark dot on the dunes, coming her way. Good, that would probably be one of them. Another dot crested the far away dune. Now that was lucky, to have both of them already– A third dot appeared, and a fourth. Wait... Daring whipped the binoculars up, just in time to see a couple more crest the ridge. Hyenas. Ponyfeathers! They had hyenas on their tails! She rushed back down the dune, hoping they hadn't spotted her. Even if they hadn't, they were still heading this way. They would have to get moving, and fast. Thankfully, going down the dune was much quicker. She slid most of the way down. Professor Pineapple still dithered over his map, right where she had left him. “Have you figured out which way the temple is yet?” she asked. He squinted up at her. “Now, don't rush me, Daring. Navigating's a tricky art, and I can't afford to–” “Oh, give me that.” Daring snatched the compass away from him “Daring Do! I haven't finished calibrating the–” “Hush!” She lined up true North and took in the direction of eighty-five West, the heading they had been on before they crashed. Good, it was the same direction as the oasis. “Daring!” Pineapple stomped his hooves down – which, in the soft sand, wasn't all that impressive of a gesture. “This is absolutely unacceptable. Crash or no crash, you have to respect my–” “Hyenas are going to be crawling all over this dune soon. We don't have time for you to waste fiddling with the map!” She pointed a hoof toward the oasis. “The temple is that way, now come on, we've got to move!” “Hyenas?” Pineapple trembled on the spot. “What are we going to do?” “I just told you. Now move!” Daring began pushing her way up the dune again. Hopefully, Pineapple would get the idea. When she looked back, he was indeed following her, not as quickly as she had hoped, but at least he was coming. His big grey coat flopped up and down with every step. The two of them pressed on, slogging up the dunes, and sliding or tumbling their way back down, over and over again. At the top of each dune, Daring Do looked back the way they came. Every time, the hyenas loomed closer. Finally, as Daring crested yet another dune, she could see the oasis laying out below her. Nothing but a wide, low expanse of sand separated her from it now. She gasped for breath and dearly wished they had brought a little water with them. Sand mixed with sweat clung to her everywhere. She turned to see how Pineapple was faring. He had fallen behind again; he was still trudging his way up the dune, barely half way up. As she looked back, though, a worse problem appeared. A hyena's head popped up above the nearest dune. He wore the thick face paint traditional to his people, and strapped to his back was a long, thin spear. “Uncle, move!” She shouted down. Pineapple looked behind him and saw the same thing. He redoubled his efforts in climbing the dune. Behind him, the hyena began sliding down the opposite dune, and another one popped up at the top. She knew they could travel faster in the sand than ponies could, but she hadn't expected them to catch up so quickly. As soon as Pineapple made it to the top of the dune, Daring grabbed him and flung both of them down the other side. Not a moment too late – the first hyena arrived just as they began to tumble down. She scrambled down, dragging Pineapple along with her. She could only hope that they would be able to lose their pursuers somehow once they reached the oasis. There sure wasn't anywhere to hide out here in the sand. With a final crunch that knocked the wind out of her, she landed at the bottom of the dune. She wasted no time in getting up and shaking the sand off of her. Groaning, Pineapple rose to his feet as well. She looked up. The hyenas were closing fast, tumbling down the dune themselves. “Come on, Uncle. We've got to move!” She dragged his hoof along to get him started and began slogging her way through the wide, low expanse of sand. The sand was different here, lighter colored and even softer. Daring was sinking down to her hocks on every step. She thought about just using her wings, but that would leave Pineapple behind, at the mercy of the hyenas... and hyenas weren't known for their mercy. She glanced back. Strangely, the hyenas had all stopped at the bottom of the last dune. They were unwilling to go into this extra soft sand, for some reason. Well, that was good. At least she knew she could lose them. As she watched, a few of them peeled off from the group and ran along the border of the softer area, going in each direction. So, they were going around were they? Slightly less good news. It meant the threat from them wasn't over. But at least now, she had a good chance of being able to lose them once she made it to the oasis. She and Pineapple were already nearly halfway across the– Something brushed up against Daring's back legs. A sinking feeling hit her in the gut. There was probably a very good reason why the hyenas didn't go here. Off to the left, a fin popped up in the sand, traveling around them and leaving a little furrow in its wake. Another popped up ahead, circling the other direction. “Daring!” Pineapple cried out, “Sand sharks!” “I see 'em.” She stretched out her wings, and she winced from the pain. No, she would have to save that as a last resort. “Run!” Pineapple whirled to face her, his eyes wide. “Can't we fly away?” “If they get close, kick them. Now run!” Daring took off as fast as she could in the soft sand. The two of them made the best time they could, making great sloppy leaps through the sand. It was pitifully slow going. More and more shark fins appeared out of the sand. Daring lost count of them. They circled and slid alongside, and they constantly edged closer and closer... but so far, none of them made a direct approach. Another one brushed up against her front leg. She winced. There was no way they were going to outrun these things, but they had to try. Just ahead of her, one of the circling fins turned inward. The attack had begun. She watched it carefully. This would take split-second timing, or she'd be done for. Just as it got close, she reared up and kicked a front hoof out. The shark shot out of the sand, its mouth opened like a flower, revealing rows and rows of needle-like teeth. Its worm-like body stretched out towards her. Her hoof caught it just below its mouth, deflecting it away. It fell back to the sand with a seething hiss. As it laid there on the sand, the ring of five dorsal fins around its midsection were clearly visible, but its back fins were still under the sand. Daring jumped over the writhing body of the sand shark, already on the lookout for another attack. There had to be dozens of them around her, and the one she kicked was already slithering back down into the soft sand. She glanced back at Pineapple. “Whatever you do, don't–” Another one stalked directly toward him from behind. She was sure he couldn't see it. She winced. There was only one thing she could do. She spread her wings and made a leap for him. “Don't what?” he said, as she latched on to him. She took off... or tried to. With her flight muscles as sore and tired as they were, she struggled to gain any altitude. Still, she managed to get just above the sand, skimming along the surface much faster than they had been moving before. The sharks kept pace. Daring lurched to the side as Pineapple threw his weight to the left, avoiding a lunge from one of the sharks. “Can't we go any higher?” “No,” Daring grunted. She could already feel her wings giving out, and they still had some distance to go before they reached what she hoped was safety. Another shark shot out of the sand, worm-like, and nearly clipped Daring's left wing. Her hold on Pineapple's backpack was slipping. Pineapple screamed, and Daring felt a sudden, extra weight. They weren't moving anymore. “My tail! It's got my tail!” Daring looked down. A shark had its mouth latched onto Pineapple's tail, and it was slowly inching its way upward. “Daring!” Not wasting a moment, she slipped the little knife out of her pocket, and let it drop. “Catch!” Pineapple grabbed the knife with his magic and slammed it into the sand shark's head. The little knife barely made a scratch on the thick, leathery hide, and the shark continued devouring Pineapple's tail, inch by inch. “Uncle, cut your tail!” Daring strained her wings, but still couldn't make any progress with that worm hanging on. She gulped as she saw two more closing in ahead of her. The knife shot downwards, sawing at Pineapple's tail, just above the shark's mouth. In just a moment of desperate sawing, they snapped free of the shark's grip and shot upwards, just in time to avoid the two coming in from the front. Daring got in a few more flaps before her wing muscles cramped up entirely. They fell from the sky. She landed hard, taking a blow from hard-packed clay on her left side before sliding along the ground for a moment. She ended up with a face full of thin, wiry grass. She thanked her lucky stars to have made it to the edge of the oasis before her wings gave out. She led a dangerous life, she knew that, but of all the ways to go, being slowly torn to shreds by sand sharks was just about the least appealing she could think of. “Did we... did we make it?” Pineapple asked from beneath her. She peeled herself off of him, and rose up to her feet. “Yeah... I think we did.” She looked out across the low expanse of sand they'd just crossed. The sand sharks wove back and forth just a few yards away, right at the edge of the hard clay she stood on now. On the other side, she could still make out a few hyenas watching her. One of them shook a spear. She turned back towards Pineapple. He was just rising to his own feet. “You still have my knife?” she asked. “Um... no.” He glanced around at the ground. “I think I dropped it when we landed.” A quick search of the area revealed her knife, tucked under a tussock of dry grass. She slipped it back into her pocket. Already, the sun was dipping down and the Western sky began to take on the tones of sunset. “Okay, uncle, we've got to find some shelter soon. It's going to get cold at night... and it should be someplace well-hidden, in case those hyenas come around in the night.” She looked around the oasis. A tall stand of palms stood up ahead, with the vegetation getting greener and greener the closer it came to that place. Large stones littered the area, sticking up out of the clay. “Come on, let's go.” Pineapple looked back at his much-shortened tail and sighed. “Okay.” * * * “Daring, over here!” She followed the sound of her uncle's voice through the thick stand of trees, and she hopped over the little stream that ran through its center. She had been glad to have found that and been able to quench the thirst she worked up in the sand. She still wished she had some way to carry it with her, though. After a moment, she found Pineapple. He stood pointing at a huge boulder. It had a perfectly square hole cut out right in the middle of it, with a yellow gemstone set in the middle just above it. Hieroglyphs surrounded the door's opening. “I think it's the entrance to the Temple of the Sun God!” He darted inside. “But it's all closed up. Still, we could use the entrance as a shelter.” She eyed the stone at the top. “Hm... that looks like a... Uncle, give me that mirror.” “Huh?” “Come on, give me the mirror, the sun's almost gone!” Shrugging, Pineapple slipped off the pack and fished out the cracked mirror. He handed it to her. “I really don't know what you think this is going to–” Daring rushed to position it correctly. She finally managed to catch the last rays of the setting sun and bounce them up into the gemstone. A crack resounded from inside, and a blast of cold, foul-smelling air rushed out from the entrance. She handed the mirror back to her speechless uncle. “Come on, let's go.” “Wait, wait, wait! Did you even read the glyphs on the door?” Daring sighed. As much time as she spent in ancient dungeons, she still hadn't really managed to master the old languages. “You can't even read it, can you?” She stared him down in silence. He rolled his eyes. “It says, 'Bow before the holy might of the sun. Only those purified by his light may enter. Death comes quickly to those who trespass against him,' but that's not the important part.” He pointed down to another set of glyphs, a little scrawl just off to the side. It was carved much more crudely than the other set. “'Beware what lurks the halls when the Sun God sleeps.' I really don't think we should go in there at night.” Daring winced. Face the unknown danger of the temple by night, or wait until morning and risk being found by the hyenas? Maybe she could think of a 'plan C'? Author's Note And what should Daring do now? Which danger should she face? Or should she wander around the oasis as the nighttime desert begins to get cold, looking for another option before the hyenas close in? Thanks for all the comments, everyone! I hope you enjoy it! A Rock and a Hard Place Shelter should still be top priority, they don't have to go far inside, just enough to hide and weather the night. The danger inside may be much farther in. Should also contemplate food, it doesn't sound like either have any Shelter is best. Stay at the entrance, but try to conceal it with palm leaves. Since you're going to be camping in front of the temple tonight, you might as well take advantage of Pineapple's knowledge to see if he can work out what 'purified by the light' means (You did carry him all the way here at great expense on your part now it's time for him to get to work!) Based on the cryptic warning, Daring should wait out the night. Shelter is always a top priority but the hyena's make it impossible to create any form of fire or shelter without revealing her location. She should make a fire and shelter in front of the entrance and place traps around it. There's more than enough trees for her to make an ensnarement trap or two. She doesn't want to kill them since she needs to find out who sent them in the first place. Also, a search for any form of food is important. That warning sounds to me like there might be one or more dangerous, nocturnal creatures known to live in the tomb. Hyenas outside, possibly danger and traps inside. They could take shelter just inside the temple, but that could mean getting sandwiched between the hyenas and whatever danger lurks inside (assuming it's mobile). Stuck between a rock and a hard place, for sure. As far as survival concerns go, an ancient temple isn't likely to have food; even if you counted mummies and rats, that's still not pony food. Stuffing your pockets with grass isn't exactly cool, but it might be a good idea. They could squirt out the suntan lotion in that bottle, though, and use it to carry at least a little bit of water. I can't think of a third option, so I'd say fill up on any vegetation and water around and brave the temple, perhaps setting a few traps at the entrance to deter the hyenas from following them (if they themselves are brave enough, that is). I'd suggest upgrading their arsenal first, though. A good knife can be used to make a wide variety of weapons and tools. A couple of spears would be a good start, if the trees around have suitable material for it. Perhaps even tipped with stone points, if they can find sharp rocks to tie on. But they should be quick, for those hyenas are likely getting closer by the minute. i suggest climbing the outside of the temple, if possible. With a high enough vantage point, you might get a visual on the missing party members. Plus, you are safe from ground attacks, and have an eye out for the ones who attacked the carriage. Ooh... Daring should take heed to the warning and wait out the night. They could use time to rest after the events that transpired throughout the day, especially since Miss Do's wings seized up on her not too long ago. If they are to make a fire, it needs to be concealed in a way that allows them to be near it, but not have to completely cover the flames. As for food, gum really won't cut it. There's bound to be various plants that bear fruit in this oasis, so they should search for berries or something along that vein to eat. It may not be much, but it's better than gum. “Fine,” Daring said, “We won't go in yet.” Pineapple looked out over the dense vegetation of the oasis. “This place is still in the middle of the desert – it's going to get cold at night. We should build a fire.” She gave him a sharp glare. “No.” “It might even draw our missing pegusai to us!” “It's not going to draw them – it's going to draw in the hyenas.” She rolled her eyes. “You don't want that do you?” He glanced back and forth. “No. Of course not.” “Good. Now, how about you see if you can find some food, and empty out that suntan lotion bottle, so we can carry some water.” “We're not going in there, are we?” Pineapple stared at her, wide-eyed. Daring shook her head. “No, not yet, but I want to be ready in the morning, so get out there while we still have a little light left. I'll set up camp here.” Pineapple nodded and wandered off, poking through the bushes idly. “Stay within hearing, Uncle!” She looked up into the rapidly darkening sky again. “And hurry. We don't have long before it's too dark.” The old unicorn just kept wading through the brush. His pace didn't seem to increase. She turned away with a groan. He'd never listened to her before; why should he now? Anyway, she had her own tasks to worry about. First, she decided, she'd have a look around. Daring Do turned to the slightly sloped sides of the temple. Her wings were still too sore to think about flying to the top, but... She grinned. That would work, and it might even be fun. She took off galloping as fast as she could toward the wall, building up as much speed as she could. Just before she smashed into it, she jumped up, transferring as much momentum as she could into the vertical. The slam of the wall against her hooves jarred every bone in her body, especially her sore wing bones, but she couldn't stop now. She kept up her run and pumped her tired wings as well as she could, now running up the side of the temple's entrance. Her momentum quickly ran out, and her wings were in no shape to hold her, but thankfully, the building wasn't all that tall. She reached a hoof up and grabbed the ledge at the top just as she began falling back down. With a grunt, she hauled herself up to the top. She shook off her fatigue and took a look at her surroundings. The greenery of the oasis still surrounded her, and in the deepening gloom, she could just make out Pineapple puttering around the little creek in the center; his freshly-cut tail stuck up out of the bushes like a little yellow beacon. He didn't seem to be getting much done. Further out, she could just make out the fuzzy line where the plants gave way to the desert sand, though the tall palms all around blocked her view in many directions. She sighed. Still no sign of the pegusai or the lost chariot, but at least there wasn't any sign of pursuit, either. Walking over to the other edge of the temple's entrance, she took a relaxing breath of the evening air. The desert would get cold at night, just like Pineapple said, she knew, but after the heat of the day, this cool evening was a welcome comfort. If only she had more time, she could enjoy the cool night air with the still-warm stone beneath. She looked down over the edge and gulped. Somehow, it seemed a lot taller from this angle... but there was nothing for it. She had to get down. She hopped onto the sloping side and skidded down, digging in her heels. Her heart hit her throat as she slid faster and faster. She hadn't intended to build up this much speed. She winced and dug in harder, watching the ground approach all too fast. She crunched into the bushes at the bottom, and stars swam in her vision. After a moment, she recovered enough of her wits to check herself... Good, no injuries. Someday, she'd learn to think things through, she promised herself. Still, that was two hard landings in one day. Groaning, she poked her head up through the thick, leafy bushes, or tried to, at least. Several big, fat leaves still clung to her hat. Pineapple's head popped out of the brush not far away. “Are you all right, my dear? Where are you? I can't see you anywhere.” “Ugh, I'm fine.” She shrugged the leaves off of herself. More of his help was the last thing she needed right now, but he had given her an idea... She pushed her way out of the leafy bushes and scanned the ground for fallen palm fronds. With all the trees around, she found plenty, of course. Yes, these would do perfectly. * * * Daring Do examined her work. The temple entrance wasn't exactly what she'd call 'cunningly concealed', but at least it was less conspicuous now, covered in palm fronds. She had hoped to have been able to find more green ones, to better blend in with the foliage, but hopefully, in the dark, the color wouldn't matter anyway. Crashing through the bushes, and making altogether too much noise in the darkness, Pineapple finally came back. His pockets bulged with clumps of dry, wiry grass. He looked up at her work and raised an eyebrow. “This is what you've been doing this whole time?” “Yes.” She glared at him, daring him to make a snide comment. Apparently, he knew better. “Well, I brought some water, though I fear it's going to taste rather strongly of sandalwood.” He grimaced. “It's better than nothing.” Daring shook her head. “How about food?” He pulled a clump of grass out of one of the pockets in his coat. “I found plenty of this.” She sighed. She'd been hoping they could find some berries or something, not just the stringy desert grass. “I guess that will do.” He shoved the clump back in, causing a tuft of it to stick out through a hole in the bottom of the pocket. “So, we're going to stay the night inside the temple?” “Just inside the entrance. It should be safe enough, and it's a good shelter.” Daring turned and walked to one corner of the building. “Here, give me that rope.” “Um, sure.” He dug the rope out of his pack. “I don't know what you're planning to do with–” “Just toss it over.” As soon as he tossed the rope to her, she tied one end to a palm tree standing just at the corner of the building. Pineapple watched, befuddled, while Daring pulled the rope along, stringing it low off the ground from tree to tree, making a wide circle around the temple entrance. “Okay, now come on, let's go inside.” Daring held the end of the rope in her hooves, watching Pineapple approach. He tripped on the rope, just as Daring knew he would. It yanked out of her hooves. Pineapple looked up at her, his eyes widening. “Oh! I see.” “Exactly. That's our alarm. Nothing too sophisticated, but it should work pretty well in the dark.” She tugged the rope along behind her and pushed her way through the palm fronds criss-crossing the entrance. “Come on inside. Let's get settled in.” * * * Daring stuck her tongue out. “Bleh. This does taste like sandalwood.” She capped the bottle back securely. Ill-flavored as it might be, it was their only water supply. “Come on, let's try and get some sleep.” “Won't hear any complaints from me. It's been a long day.” The old stallion already laid on top of his grass-stuffed coat, snuggled against the corner of the corridor. He yawned luxuriantly. Daring stared down the dark passageway, wondering what that warning on the side of the door had meant. She wished she would be able to sleep that easily. Still, she should at least try. She had a lot to recover from. She stuffed the lotionwater into the old leather backpack and tried her best to fluff the thing up. It wasn't going to make the best pillow, but it was better than a hard stone floor. She laid down, facing down the corridor and being careful to lay on top of the rope, so she'd wake up if something pulled it. It wouldn't be easy falling asleep here, but if anything was coming, she'd be the first to know. She yawned. Yes sleep wouldn't come easy today. Why, she couldn't even... * * * Daring woke with a start. What was that? It came again, a long, low growl from deep inside the temple. She clenched her legs close to her, wide awake now. As hard as she stared into the dark, descending passageway, she couldn't see a thing. The growl came again, louder this time. “Uncle,” Daring whispered, “I think we–” “I hear it,” he replied, even quieter than her. “Maybe we should get out of here. It might be cold outside, but at least it's safe.” Daring nodded. “I think you're right. We'd better–” The rope underneath her twitched. She winced. Oh come on, not now! She hopped to her feet and crept up to the curtain of palm fronds, peering through a small gap in between them. For a long, tense, moment, she saw nothing... but then, there it was, a slight movement in the pale moonlight. She could make out the distinctive peaked back of a hyena just above the brush. As she watched, another appeared. They were sniffing at the ground, no doubt on her trail. Another growl echoed from the back of the temple, and the hyenas suddenly looked up, straight at her. She could see more of them now that their heads were up, at least a dozen. She winced when she saw them start dashing toward her. They must have heard the growl! “They're here,” she said. “The hyenas? Now?” Pineapple latched onto her foreleg as another growl rumbled up from below. His grip was painfully tight. “What do we do?” Author's Note Between a rock and a hard place, for sure. What should Daring do now? Which to face, the danger she knows, or the unknown danger in the tunnel?
MaydayThe old unicorn stallion glared at Daring Do, his beard stretched out in the wind. He never would listen to anypony, not back at the university and certainly not now. Daring tried to stare him down in return, a contest she knew she was doomed to lose. “For the last time, I am not letting you come with me. It's too dangerous.” “You already did, my girl.” He waved a hoof at the sky chariot they rode in. “And after dragging my old bones all this way, I am not going to be left sitting outside the temple and waiting for you to come out. Why, as soon as I...” Daring groaned. This was going to be hard enough without dragging her uncle along. She should have just flown herself and told him he can keep his chartered sky chariot. Who cared how long a trip it was. She turned around, ignoring the old coot's continuing tirade, and peered around the two pegasus stallions pulling the chariot. Ahead, she could only see the unending sand dunes of the Saddle Arabian desert. The dust in the hot, dry air stung her eyes, and she strained to see through the heat waves, but she still couldn't see any sign of the Temple of the Sun God. Her eyes would have teared up, if they weren't desiccated already. For the thousandth time, she wished she had thought to bring along some goggles. Reluctantly, she ducked back into the shelter of the chariot's cab. “And that's why your mother never...” “Uncle Pineapple–” “...bothered to tell you that she and Honey Do hated–” “Uncle Pineapple!” He blinked through his thick glasses. “Yes, dear?” “Are we getting close yet? It's been hours since we entered the desert, and I still don't see any sign of it.” “Oh. Ah, yes. Let me check.” The old stallion peeled his leather backpack off and rummaged through it. Daring rolled her eyes as he shoved his entire face into the bag, mumbling something about his compass. She wished yet again that Pineapple could have just told her where the temple was, but the geezer guessed – correctly – that she would have left him back in Canterlot University if she didn't need his help finding the place. Finally, he pulled his map and navigational gear out of the bag. “Help me hold it flat, Daring.” She did as he requested, putting two hooves on the edge of the map to keep it from blowing away in the wind. She stared at the yellowed sheet, wishing he had marked the temple's location on it. No such luck – no 'X' to mark the spot on this map. Pineapple unfolded his dusty wooden-cased compass and stood up on his hind legs, taking his sight readings. “Are you ready, gal?” Daring grabbed the pencil in her mouth. “Ready,” she mumbled around it. “Mount Olymphooves, two hundred forty-five point two degrees.” She scribbled it down. “Saddle Peak, three hundred ten point five.” He spun around. “Mount Dragonsbane, forty-four point one.” She scribbled away on the margins of the map. “Did you get all that?” Pineapple asked, plopping back down to the floor of the chariot. Daring just pointed her hoof at the notes and tossed him the pencil. He caught it with his magic. For an old stallion, he still had good reflexes. He used it to scratch at a balding spot in his yellow mane before leaning down and working on the figures. Again, Daring Do rolled her eyes. Why did he have to insist on doing the navigation? Despite all the glamor and danger she was famous for, her special talent actually was navigation. She could have finished this in half the time. Finally, Professor Pineapple craned his neck out over the map and plotted another dot at the end of their line, marking their current position. “So, are we close?” She raised an eyebrow at him. He rolled up the map and began packing everything back into his pack. “Oh yes. Very close. I believe we should be able to see it before long, and we're perfectly on course.” He pulled the ties closed on the pack and slipped it onto his back. She couldn't believe he insisted on wearing it the whole time. Didn't he trust her? She wasn't about to dig in his bag and try to discover where the temple was, and besides, it wasn't marked on the map, anyway. He'd just been leading her on by memory of where it was. Hopefully, his memory was in better shape than his old grey trench coat. He'd been wearing that thing ever since he first mentioned coming with her, even though it had more holes than a doughnut shop and clashed horribly with his dusty brown fur. He claimed it had seen him through a ton of adventures, but she could hardly imagine him on adventures, even when he was younger. She leaned back against the front wall of the chariot, idly watching the dunes roll by behind them, as she had for much of the trip. She hated this part the most really – the long, boring trip to the beginning of her adventures. At least this time she was going by chariot instead of by balloon or under her own wingpower. It was faster, but her lack of involvement in the transportation left her even more bored. Sometimes, she wished something would just– The chariot bucked up and to the side from underneath her. She clutched onto the railing with an iron grip. Metal shrieked as it was torn, and the world around her spun. She looked up to see Pineapple clinging to the railing on the other side. Behind her, the two pegasus stallions pulling the chariot struggled to steady it. Supply boxes poured out of the back, dumping out into the desert sky. The wind whipped through Daring Do's mane, nearly knocking her hat off. She glanced over the edge to see the dunes growing larger dangerously fast. The pegusai up front whinnied and struggled, and slowly, the chariot stopped spinning and began to regain its lost altitude. Daring Do breathed a sigh of relief. That had been close. What even happened? Where had that come from anyw– Her eyes widened when she saw something glowing bright blue shoot towards the chariot from the ground. “Speed Breeze, Sunbeam,” she called out to the stallions, “I think we've got another–” Another jolt from the chariot threw her against the wall. She could barely peel herself away from the rail, the chariot spun so fast. She turned to yell at the pegusai again, but Sunbeam was missing. Only a smoking hole remained on the chariot where his harness should have been. After searching the spinning sky for a moment, she caught a glimpse of a pegasus hurtling away from them. It must have been Sunbeam. At least he was okay. She had her own problems though. The chariot spun and pivoted through the sky, falling like a rock, even flipping upside down. Speed Breeze strained at his harness. His legs kicked as fast as his beating wings, and sweat poured from him, but the chariot was still out of control and losing altitude fast. She glanced back toward Pineapple. Terror filled his eyes, and he clung to the railing as if he was trying to strangle it. Behind him, she could see the desert sand, coming up at them all too fast. She knew what she had to do. Fighting the massive rotational forces and squinting her eyes against the wind whipping her mane, she forced her way around the edge of the chariot to reach her uncle. Finally, she made it. She wrapped her hooves around his chest and shouted in his ear, hoping he could hear her through the randomly buffeting wind. “On the count of three, let go!” She tensed he leg muscles and flared her wings, preparing for the jump. “One... two... Three!” The sudden change of direction almost tore Pineapple out of her grip as she flew free of the chariot. If not for the backpack giving her something to hold on to, she might have lost him. She glanced down. The ground still rushed up at them, terrifyingly close now. They couldn't be more than a couple hundred feet up. She gave everything she had into her wings, flapping furiously to bring them up out of their dive. The wind tore past her, and her flight muscles burned at the unaccustomed strain, but she made progress. She was almost level by the time they first struck the sand. At the first impact, Pineapple was torn away from her grip, and she cartwheeled away. She tried to steady her flight, but before she could, another dune caught her in the side, knocking the breath out of her. She bounced up, completely out of control now, and too stunned to do anything about it. She could only watch with short-lived dread as another dune came rushing at her. As soon as the impact registered, her world started getting dark and fuzzy. She felt hot, and she felt like she might be sick. Warm darkness came in to comfort her. * * * Daring Do groaned... or, she would have, if her mouth wasn't full of sand. She picked herself up, pushing herself out of the sand dune she was half-buried in. She coughed the sand out of her mouth as well as she could, and shook her head to both sides to clear her ears. She took a look around. She immediately spotted Pineapple, laying face down on the dune maybe a dozen feet away. After watching him for a moment, she could see his chest rising and falling. Good – he was alive. The chariot and their two pegasus stallions were nowhere to be seen, though. She could only see undulating sand in all directions. Great. Stranded in the desert. With Uncle Pineapple, of all ponies. She shook her head. Better go wake him up. After a few grueling steps in the hot, soft sand, Daring Do gave up on it. She fluttered up with her wings and flew over to Pineapple. Even that short flight left her wing muscles aching, though. She must have really overworked them on the way down. The old pony groaned when she nudged his shoulder, and he spit out his own mouthful of sand. He didn't seem to be injured. Daring took another look at her surroundings as she waited for Pineapple to recover. Again, all she could see was sand, sand, and more sand. The sun burned lower in the cloudless sky now; it would only be a few hours until sunset, but still, the heat radiating from it baked into her fur. She was already sweating. “Ugh,” Pineapple said, looking around for himself, “So... what do we do now?” Author's Note So, readers, what should Daring do? Tell me in the comments. I'll pick one response, and Daring Do will do that. Be specific, serious, and practical, for a better chance of your suggestion being taken. Give advice about what she should do in her immediate situation, not long-term goals, please. This fic will develop based on your input. You control what's going to happen. Enjoy! (The length and frequency of future chapters will vary. Bear with me, folks.)
Not Alone Plan of action: Check for injuries. Take an inventory of current supplies. Attempt to locate either the downed chariot and if possible locate the missing Pegasuses of their team as well in a timely fashion. Something shot them down and no doubt it would have sent scouts in order to confirm the body count; Who knows how much of a head start these scouts have had thanks to being knocked out on landing? When you're out in the field, the only ponies you can depend on are your crew and yourself. Good explorers don't leave their teams to uncertain ends! I'm thinking that she should try to get a higher vantage point before it's dark. Though it wouldn't be nice to her strained wing muscles and it could be dangerous if there's still an anti-air presence around, getting a better look over the dunes could help them navigate and find the temple if they really are close to it. It could also help them find the downed chariot, if it hasn't already been raided by whatever brought it down in the first place. And on that subject, they need to think about defense.Without the majority of their supplies, setting up a shelter of any kind will be difficult in the middle of a sandy desert. It would be helpful if they could even get their hooves on just one supply box that got lost during the attack. They'll need to find shelter, whether it be in the temple itself or just a tent made out of that raggedy old coat; it gets cold in the desert at night, and whatever brought down their ride might still be around. Daring's talent is Navigation, right? Then maybe she should try using her compass along with Pineapple's map to find out just where they are. Well the practice thing would be to assess the situation. Check for injuries. Take an inventory of current supplies. Determine location. If possible make contact with the rest of the squad. But that is about as fun as it sounds. “Ugh,” Pineapple said, looking around for himself, “So... what do we do now?” Daring shook her head. Stranded again. So much for being well-prepared. “You're not hurt?” “Nah, these old bones have seen worse landings.” Pineapple glanced away for a moment. “Thanks, by the way.” “Good, so, what do we have left? What have you got in that backpack of yours?” Without hesitation or ceremony, he took the backpack off and dumped all the contents out into the sand. Daring winced. She knew everything was bound to get sandy sooner or later in this environment, but she would have preferred later. It wasn't promising. They had the map and Pineapple's old compass, at least, so they wouldn't be lost. She spotted a pair of binoculars – cheap little ones, but they still might be useful. A coil of rope, that was good. But the rest... a now-cracked mirror, a shabby old wide-brimmed hat, a bottle of suntan lotion, reading glasses, and a snow globe... it wasn't exactly encouraging. Her face scrunched up. “What did you even bring a snow globe for?” “My ex-wife gave it to me, just before I left her.” “But I thought you hated your wife? And why did you–” Daring shook her head. “It doesn't matter, anyway. Do you have any water?” He patted down the pockets of his coat. “Nope. I've got a pack of gum though.” He used his magic to pull out a piece, and he popped it into his mouth. “Want one?” Her shoulders slumped as she let out a heavy sigh. She really should have left him back at the university. “No thanks.” She patted down the small pockets on her own vest. Her little first aid kit was still there, as well as her pocketknife. Again, the pocket where her goggles should have been was empty; hopefully there wouldn't be a sandstorm any time soon. They had to find their supplies, or they'd be done for, and she should try to find the two pegasus stallions as well. She pointed a hoof at her uncle. “Get that stuff back into the bag, and try to figure out which way the temple is. I'm going to climb to the top of one of these dunes to try and find Speed Breeze and Sunbeam... and maybe our supplies, too.” He nodded and started fishing the supplies out of the sand. Daring Do grabbed the binoculars and resolutely stepped off toward the top of the nearest dune... only to have her hoof sink deep into the hot sand. She groaned. This was not going to be fun. She tucked them under her wing and trudged on anyway. She prided herself on being unstoppable, after all. She reached the top of the dune, sweating and panting. Next time, she promised herself, next time she'd go someplace cool and refreshing. Plopping down on the crest, she took a look around. The direction she had come from – the direction where the supplies and pegusai should be – she could see only sand. Her ears drooped. Nothing ever came easy, did it? She made a slow circle around her... still, nothing but endless waves of sand. Finally, almost directly away from the direction she'd come from, she spotted just a tiny bit of green poking up above the dunes. She brought the binoculars up to check. Yep, definitely palm fronds. Hopefully, that meant there was some kind of oasis ahead. Finally, a lucky break. Now, if only she could find her missing pegusai, this day wouldn't be so bad after all. She kept scanning the desert around her, nearly completing her circle before she spotted a dark dot on the dunes, coming her way. Good, that would probably be one of them. Another dot crested the far away dune. Now that was lucky, to have both of them already– A third dot appeared, and a fourth. Wait... Daring whipped the binoculars up, just in time to see a couple more crest the ridge. Hyenas. Ponyfeathers! They had hyenas on their tails! She rushed back down the dune, hoping they hadn't spotted her. Even if they hadn't, they were still heading this way. They would have to get moving, and fast. Thankfully, going down the dune was much quicker. She slid most of the way down. Professor Pineapple still dithered over his map, right where she had left him. “Have you figured out which way the temple is yet?” she asked. He squinted up at her. “Now, don't rush me, Daring. Navigating's a tricky art, and I can't afford to–” “Oh, give me that.” Daring snatched the compass away from him “Daring Do! I haven't finished calibrating the–” “Hush!” She lined up true North and took in the direction of eighty-five West, the heading they had been on before they crashed. Good, it was the same direction as the oasis. “Daring!” Pineapple stomped his hooves down – which, in the soft sand, wasn't all that impressive of a gesture. “This is absolutely unacceptable. Crash or no crash, you have to respect my–” “Hyenas are going to be crawling all over this dune soon. We don't have time for you to waste fiddling with the map!” She pointed a hoof toward the oasis. “The temple is that way, now come on, we've got to move!” “Hyenas?” Pineapple trembled on the spot. “What are we going to do?” “I just told you. Now move!” Daring began pushing her way up the dune again. Hopefully, Pineapple would get the idea. When she looked back, he was indeed following her, not as quickly as she had hoped, but at least he was coming. His big grey coat flopped up and down with every step. The two of them pressed on, slogging up the dunes, and sliding or tumbling their way back down, over and over again. At the top of each dune, Daring Do looked back the way they came. Every time, the hyenas loomed closer. Finally, as Daring crested yet another dune, she could see the oasis laying out below her. Nothing but a wide, low expanse of sand separated her from it now. She gasped for breath and dearly wished they had brought a little water with them. Sand mixed with sweat clung to her everywhere. She turned to see how Pineapple was faring. He had fallen behind again; he was still trudging his way up the dune, barely half way up. As she looked back, though, a worse problem appeared. A hyena's head popped up above the nearest dune. He wore the thick face paint traditional to his people, and strapped to his back was a long, thin spear. “Uncle, move!” She shouted down. Pineapple looked behind him and saw the same thing. He redoubled his efforts in climbing the dune. Behind him, the hyena began sliding down the opposite dune, and another one popped up at the top. She knew they could travel faster in the sand than ponies could, but she hadn't expected them to catch up so quickly. As soon as Pineapple made it to the top of the dune, Daring grabbed him and flung both of them down the other side. Not a moment too late – the first hyena arrived just as they began to tumble down. She scrambled down, dragging Pineapple along with her. She could only hope that they would be able to lose their pursuers somehow once they reached the oasis. There sure wasn't anywhere to hide out here in the sand. With a final crunch that knocked the wind out of her, she landed at the bottom of the dune. She wasted no time in getting up and shaking the sand off of her. Groaning, Pineapple rose to his feet as well. She looked up. The hyenas were closing fast, tumbling down the dune themselves. “Come on, Uncle. We've got to move!” She dragged his hoof along to get him started and began slogging her way through the wide, low expanse of sand. The sand was different here, lighter colored and even softer. Daring was sinking down to her hocks on every step. She thought about just using her wings, but that would leave Pineapple behind, at the mercy of the hyenas... and hyenas weren't known for their mercy. She glanced back. Strangely, the hyenas had all stopped at the bottom of the last dune. They were unwilling to go into this extra soft sand, for some reason. Well, that was good. At least she knew she could lose them. As she watched, a few of them peeled off from the group and ran along the border of the softer area, going in each direction. So, they were going around were they? Slightly less good news. It meant the threat from them wasn't over. But at least now, she had a good chance of being able to lose them once she made it to the oasis. She and Pineapple were already nearly halfway across the– Something brushed up against Daring's back legs. A sinking feeling hit her in the gut. There was probably a very good reason why the hyenas didn't go here. Off to the left, a fin popped up in the sand, traveling around them and leaving a little furrow in its wake. Another popped up ahead, circling the other direction. “Daring!” Pineapple cried out, “Sand sharks!” “I see 'em.” She stretched out her wings, and she winced from the pain. No, she would have to save that as a last resort. “Run!” Pineapple whirled to face her, his eyes wide. “Can't we fly away?” “If they get close, kick them. Now run!” Daring took off as fast as she could in the soft sand. The two of them made the best time they could, making great sloppy leaps through the sand. It was pitifully slow going. More and more shark fins appeared out of the sand. Daring lost count of them. They circled and slid alongside, and they constantly edged closer and closer... but so far, none of them made a direct approach. Another one brushed up against her front leg. She winced. There was no way they were going to outrun these things, but they had to try. Just ahead of her, one of the circling fins turned inward. The attack had begun. She watched it carefully. This would take split-second timing, or she'd be done for. Just as it got close, she reared up and kicked a front hoof out. The shark shot out of the sand, its mouth opened like a flower, revealing rows and rows of needle-like teeth. Its worm-like body stretched out towards her. Her hoof caught it just below its mouth, deflecting it away. It fell back to the sand with a seething hiss. As it laid there on the sand, the ring of five dorsal fins around its midsection were clearly visible, but its back fins were still under the sand. Daring jumped over the writhing body of the sand shark, already on the lookout for another attack. There had to be dozens of them around her, and the one she kicked was already slithering back down into the soft sand. She glanced back at Pineapple. “Whatever you do, don't–” Another one stalked directly toward him from behind. She was sure he couldn't see it. She winced. There was only one thing she could do. She spread her wings and made a leap for him. “Don't what?” he said, as she latched on to him. She took off... or tried to. With her flight muscles as sore and tired as they were, she struggled to gain any altitude. Still, she managed to get just above the sand, skimming along the surface much faster than they had been moving before. The sharks kept pace. Daring lurched to the side as Pineapple threw his weight to the left, avoiding a lunge from one of the sharks. “Can't we go any higher?” “No,” Daring grunted. She could already feel her wings giving out, and they still had some distance to go before they reached what she hoped was safety. Another shark shot out of the sand, worm-like, and nearly clipped Daring's left wing. Her hold on Pineapple's backpack was slipping. Pineapple screamed, and Daring felt a sudden, extra weight. They weren't moving anymore. “My tail! It's got my tail!” Daring looked down. A shark had its mouth latched onto Pineapple's tail, and it was slowly inching its way upward. “Daring!” Not wasting a moment, she slipped the little knife out of her pocket, and let it drop. “Catch!” Pineapple grabbed the knife with his magic and slammed it into the sand shark's head. The little knife barely made a scratch on the thick, leathery hide, and the shark continued devouring Pineapple's tail, inch by inch. “Uncle, cut your tail!” Daring strained her wings, but still couldn't make any progress with that worm hanging on. She gulped as she saw two more closing in ahead of her. The knife shot downwards, sawing at Pineapple's tail, just above the shark's mouth. In just a moment of desperate sawing, they snapped free of the shark's grip and shot upwards, just in time to avoid the two coming in from the front. Daring got in a few more flaps before her wing muscles cramped up entirely. They fell from the sky. She landed hard, taking a blow from hard-packed clay on her left side before sliding along the ground for a moment. She ended up with a face full of thin, wiry grass. She thanked her lucky stars to have made it to the edge of the oasis before her wings gave out. She led a dangerous life, she knew that, but of all the ways to go, being slowly torn to shreds by sand sharks was just about the least appealing she could think of. “Did we... did we make it?” Pineapple asked from beneath her. She peeled herself off of him, and rose up to her feet. “Yeah... I think we did.” She looked out across the low expanse of sand they'd just crossed. The sand sharks wove back and forth just a few yards away, right at the edge of the hard clay she stood on now. On the other side, she could still make out a few hyenas watching her. One of them shook a spear. She turned back towards Pineapple. He was just rising to his own feet. “You still have my knife?” she asked. “Um... no.” He glanced around at the ground. “I think I dropped it when we landed.” A quick search of the area revealed her knife, tucked under a tussock of dry grass. She slipped it back into her pocket. Already, the sun was dipping down and the Western sky began to take on the tones of sunset. “Okay, uncle, we've got to find some shelter soon. It's going to get cold at night... and it should be someplace well-hidden, in case those hyenas come around in the night.” She looked around the oasis. A tall stand of palms stood up ahead, with the vegetation getting greener and greener the closer it came to that place. Large stones littered the area, sticking up out of the clay. “Come on, let's go.” Pineapple looked back at his much-shortened tail and sighed. “Okay.” * * * “Daring, over here!” She followed the sound of her uncle's voice through the thick stand of trees, and she hopped over the little stream that ran through its center. She had been glad to have found that and been able to quench the thirst she worked up in the sand. She still wished she had some way to carry it with her, though. After a moment, she found Pineapple. He stood pointing at a huge boulder. It had a perfectly square hole cut out right in the middle of it, with a yellow gemstone set in the middle just above it. Hieroglyphs surrounded the door's opening. “I think it's the entrance to the Temple of the Sun God!” He darted inside. “But it's all closed up. Still, we could use the entrance as a shelter.” She eyed the stone at the top. “Hm... that looks like a... Uncle, give me that mirror.” “Huh?” “Come on, give me the mirror, the sun's almost gone!” Shrugging, Pineapple slipped off the pack and fished out the cracked mirror. He handed it to her. “I really don't know what you think this is going to–” Daring rushed to position it correctly. She finally managed to catch the last rays of the setting sun and bounce them up into the gemstone. A crack resounded from inside, and a blast of cold, foul-smelling air rushed out from the entrance. She handed the mirror back to her speechless uncle. “Come on, let's go.” “Wait, wait, wait! Did you even read the glyphs on the door?” Daring sighed. As much time as she spent in ancient dungeons, she still hadn't really managed to master the old languages. “You can't even read it, can you?” She stared him down in silence. He rolled his eyes. “It says, 'Bow before the holy might of the sun. Only those purified by his light may enter. Death comes quickly to those who trespass against him,' but that's not the important part.” He pointed down to another set of glyphs, a little scrawl just off to the side. It was carved much more crudely than the other set. “'Beware what lurks the halls when the Sun God sleeps.' I really don't think we should go in there at night.” Daring winced. Face the unknown danger of the temple by night, or wait until morning and risk being found by the hyenas? Maybe she could think of a 'plan C'? Author's Note And what should Daring do now? Which danger should she face? Or should she wander around the oasis as the nighttime desert begins to get cold, looking for another option before the hyenas close in? Thanks for all the comments, everyone! I hope you enjoy it!
A Rock and a Hard Place Shelter should still be top priority, they don't have to go far inside, just enough to hide and weather the night. The danger inside may be much farther in. Should also contemplate food, it doesn't sound like either have any Shelter is best. Stay at the entrance, but try to conceal it with palm leaves. Since you're going to be camping in front of the temple tonight, you might as well take advantage of Pineapple's knowledge to see if he can work out what 'purified by the light' means (You did carry him all the way here at great expense on your part now it's time for him to get to work!) Based on the cryptic warning, Daring should wait out the night. Shelter is always a top priority but the hyena's make it impossible to create any form of fire or shelter without revealing her location. She should make a fire and shelter in front of the entrance and place traps around it. There's more than enough trees for her to make an ensnarement trap or two. She doesn't want to kill them since she needs to find out who sent them in the first place. Also, a search for any form of food is important. That warning sounds to me like there might be one or more dangerous, nocturnal creatures known to live in the tomb. Hyenas outside, possibly danger and traps inside. They could take shelter just inside the temple, but that could mean getting sandwiched between the hyenas and whatever danger lurks inside (assuming it's mobile). Stuck between a rock and a hard place, for sure. As far as survival concerns go, an ancient temple isn't likely to have food; even if you counted mummies and rats, that's still not pony food. Stuffing your pockets with grass isn't exactly cool, but it might be a good idea. They could squirt out the suntan lotion in that bottle, though, and use it to carry at least a little bit of water. I can't think of a third option, so I'd say fill up on any vegetation and water around and brave the temple, perhaps setting a few traps at the entrance to deter the hyenas from following them (if they themselves are brave enough, that is). I'd suggest upgrading their arsenal first, though. A good knife can be used to make a wide variety of weapons and tools. A couple of spears would be a good start, if the trees around have suitable material for it. Perhaps even tipped with stone points, if they can find sharp rocks to tie on. But they should be quick, for those hyenas are likely getting closer by the minute. i suggest climbing the outside of the temple, if possible. With a high enough vantage point, you might get a visual on the missing party members. Plus, you are safe from ground attacks, and have an eye out for the ones who attacked the carriage. Ooh... Daring should take heed to the warning and wait out the night. They could use time to rest after the events that transpired throughout the day, especially since Miss Do's wings seized up on her not too long ago. If they are to make a fire, it needs to be concealed in a way that allows them to be near it, but not have to completely cover the flames. As for food, gum really won't cut it. There's bound to be various plants that bear fruit in this oasis, so they should search for berries or something along that vein to eat. It may not be much, but it's better than gum. “Fine,” Daring said, “We won't go in yet.” Pineapple looked out over the dense vegetation of the oasis. “This place is still in the middle of the desert – it's going to get cold at night. We should build a fire.” She gave him a sharp glare. “No.” “It might even draw our missing pegusai to us!” “It's not going to draw them – it's going to draw in the hyenas.” She rolled her eyes. “You don't want that do you?” He glanced back and forth. “No. Of course not.” “Good. Now, how about you see if you can find some food, and empty out that suntan lotion bottle, so we can carry some water.” “We're not going in there, are we?” Pineapple stared at her, wide-eyed. Daring shook her head. “No, not yet, but I want to be ready in the morning, so get out there while we still have a little light left. I'll set up camp here.” Pineapple nodded and wandered off, poking through the bushes idly. “Stay within hearing, Uncle!” She looked up into the rapidly darkening sky again. “And hurry. We don't have long before it's too dark.” The old unicorn just kept wading through the brush. His pace didn't seem to increase. She turned away with a groan. He'd never listened to her before; why should he now? Anyway, she had her own tasks to worry about. First, she decided, she'd have a look around. Daring Do turned to the slightly sloped sides of the temple. Her wings were still too sore to think about flying to the top, but... She grinned. That would work, and it might even be fun. She took off galloping as fast as she could toward the wall, building up as much speed as she could. Just before she smashed into it, she jumped up, transferring as much momentum as she could into the vertical. The slam of the wall against her hooves jarred every bone in her body, especially her sore wing bones, but she couldn't stop now. She kept up her run and pumped her tired wings as well as she could, now running up the side of the temple's entrance. Her momentum quickly ran out, and her wings were in no shape to hold her, but thankfully, the building wasn't all that tall. She reached a hoof up and grabbed the ledge at the top just as she began falling back down. With a grunt, she hauled herself up to the top. She shook off her fatigue and took a look at her surroundings. The greenery of the oasis still surrounded her, and in the deepening gloom, she could just make out Pineapple puttering around the little creek in the center; his freshly-cut tail stuck up out of the bushes like a little yellow beacon. He didn't seem to be getting much done. Further out, she could just make out the fuzzy line where the plants gave way to the desert sand, though the tall palms all around blocked her view in many directions. She sighed. Still no sign of the pegusai or the lost chariot, but at least there wasn't any sign of pursuit, either. Walking over to the other edge of the temple's entrance, she took a relaxing breath of the evening air. The desert would get cold at night, just like Pineapple said, she knew, but after the heat of the day, this cool evening was a welcome comfort. If only she had more time, she could enjoy the cool night air with the still-warm stone beneath. She looked down over the edge and gulped. Somehow, it seemed a lot taller from this angle... but there was nothing for it. She had to get down. She hopped onto the sloping side and skidded down, digging in her heels. Her heart hit her throat as she slid faster and faster. She hadn't intended to build up this much speed. She winced and dug in harder, watching the ground approach all too fast. She crunched into the bushes at the bottom, and stars swam in her vision. After a moment, she recovered enough of her wits to check herself... Good, no injuries. Someday, she'd learn to think things through, she promised herself. Still, that was two hard landings in one day. Groaning, she poked her head up through the thick, leafy bushes, or tried to, at least. Several big, fat leaves still clung to her hat. Pineapple's head popped out of the brush not far away. “Are you all right, my dear? Where are you? I can't see you anywhere.” “Ugh, I'm fine.” She shrugged the leaves off of herself. More of his help was the last thing she needed right now, but he had given her an idea... She pushed her way out of the leafy bushes and scanned the ground for fallen palm fronds. With all the trees around, she found plenty, of course. Yes, these would do perfectly. * * * Daring Do examined her work. The temple entrance wasn't exactly what she'd call 'cunningly concealed', but at least it was less conspicuous now, covered in palm fronds. She had hoped to have been able to find more green ones, to better blend in with the foliage, but hopefully, in the dark, the color wouldn't matter anyway. Crashing through the bushes, and making altogether too much noise in the darkness, Pineapple finally came back. His pockets bulged with clumps of dry, wiry grass. He looked up at her work and raised an eyebrow. “This is what you've been doing this whole time?” “Yes.” She glared at him, daring him to make a snide comment. Apparently, he knew better. “Well, I brought some water, though I fear it's going to taste rather strongly of sandalwood.” He grimaced. “It's better than nothing.” Daring shook her head. “How about food?” He pulled a clump of grass out of one of the pockets in his coat. “I found plenty of this.” She sighed. She'd been hoping they could find some berries or something, not just the stringy desert grass. “I guess that will do.” He shoved the clump back in, causing a tuft of it to stick out through a hole in the bottom of the pocket. “So, we're going to stay the night inside the temple?” “Just inside the entrance. It should be safe enough, and it's a good shelter.” Daring turned and walked to one corner of the building. “Here, give me that rope.” “Um, sure.” He dug the rope out of his pack. “I don't know what you're planning to do with–” “Just toss it over.” As soon as he tossed the rope to her, she tied one end to a palm tree standing just at the corner of the building. Pineapple watched, befuddled, while Daring pulled the rope along, stringing it low off the ground from tree to tree, making a wide circle around the temple entrance. “Okay, now come on, let's go inside.” Daring held the end of the rope in her hooves, watching Pineapple approach. He tripped on the rope, just as Daring knew he would. It yanked out of her hooves. Pineapple looked up at her, his eyes widening. “Oh! I see.” “Exactly. That's our alarm. Nothing too sophisticated, but it should work pretty well in the dark.” She tugged the rope along behind her and pushed her way through the palm fronds criss-crossing the entrance. “Come on inside. Let's get settled in.” * * * Daring stuck her tongue out. “Bleh. This does taste like sandalwood.” She capped the bottle back securely. Ill-flavored as it might be, it was their only water supply. “Come on, let's try and get some sleep.” “Won't hear any complaints from me. It's been a long day.” The old stallion already laid on top of his grass-stuffed coat, snuggled against the corner of the corridor. He yawned luxuriantly. Daring stared down the dark passageway, wondering what that warning on the side of the door had meant. She wished she would be able to sleep that easily. Still, she should at least try. She had a lot to recover from. She stuffed the lotionwater into the old leather backpack and tried her best to fluff the thing up. It wasn't going to make the best pillow, but it was better than a hard stone floor. She laid down, facing down the corridor and being careful to lay on top of the rope, so she'd wake up if something pulled it. It wouldn't be easy falling asleep here, but if anything was coming, she'd be the first to know. She yawned. Yes sleep wouldn't come easy today. Why, she couldn't even... * * * Daring woke with a start. What was that? It came again, a long, low growl from deep inside the temple. She clenched her legs close to her, wide awake now. As hard as she stared into the dark, descending passageway, she couldn't see a thing. The growl came again, louder this time. “Uncle,” Daring whispered, “I think we–” “I hear it,” he replied, even quieter than her. “Maybe we should get out of here. It might be cold outside, but at least it's safe.” Daring nodded. “I think you're right. We'd better–” The rope underneath her twitched. She winced. Oh come on, not now! She hopped to her feet and crept up to the curtain of palm fronds, peering through a small gap in between them. For a long, tense, moment, she saw nothing... but then, there it was, a slight movement in the pale moonlight. She could make out the distinctive peaked back of a hyena just above the brush. As she watched, another appeared. They were sniffing at the ground, no doubt on her trail. Another growl echoed from the back of the temple, and the hyenas suddenly looked up, straight at her. She could see more of them now that their heads were up, at least a dozen. She winced when she saw them start dashing toward her. They must have heard the growl! “They're here,” she said. “The hyenas? Now?” Pineapple latched onto her foreleg as another growl rumbled up from below. His grip was painfully tight. “What do we do?” Author's Note Between a rock and a hard place, for sure. What should Daring do now? Which to face, the danger she knows, or the unknown danger in the tunnel?
