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One Year & Two Months after Apple Family Massacre - Saddle Arabia
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Daring sat just up on a hill, overlooking the temple of Saries, the long lost temple she had spent the last four years searching for. It sat just beyond her reach, and it would only take about an hour to get to on hoof, nearly a quarter of that time if she decided to fly there which she fully intended on doing. She sighed happily as she tilted her pith hat back, turning around and strutting back to her camp to gather her teammate and head out.
Flaring out her wings she started flying, feeling the wind rushing through her mane and running across her feathers. She loved flying, but she loved finding treasure more, a lot more. As she soared overhead, she saw her camp down below and maneuvered towards it. Daring could make out the faint figure of her teammate standing by the campfire, already putting it out with a pile of dirt scooped up in his wing. The pegasus looked up at Daring's approach and smiled. "Hey Daring, the temple any closer?" He asked, his smiling changing to a smirk.
She landed on the ground next to him, bumping her hip against his and saying, "Nope," She returned his smirk, "today though we're flying there." She told him, watching as his hiked up his saddlebags with a grin. Daring watched him as he fixed his gear. He was a young pegasus, at least ten years younger than she was, Daring being an even thirty while he's close to his twenties. His coat was a dark blue color, his eyes a nice shade of gold and his mane a two tone silvery color. His name was Swift Discovery, and he was her partner, the only one she trusted to help her with her tomb raiding.
"Flying eh?" He asked, smiling that ever so sweet smile her way. "Alright, game on then!" He cried, flapping his wings and taking flight, she blushed and followed shortly after him. Both pegasi flew up high and stared at the temple from up above, it was a beautiful sight, with the sun setting behind it, and the clouds floating overhead, it gave it a terrifying yet thrilling appearence that drove both aventurers to fly towards it.
Daring had been waiting for this day for many years, ever since Swift had joined her eleven years ago. The temple had always alluded her, always escaping her grasp and proving to be the toughest temple, but now... now it was found, and the relic within was going to be brought back to Canterlot for safekeeping. Heck, she wouldn't have found it if it weren't for Swift's decryption of the tablet. He proved to have a brain under all that goob-headedness.
Both pegasi flew towards the temple, observing the natural defenses from above and plotting a way inside. The temple didn't appear to have any outward ways of getting inside, none that were visible anyway. Both kept looking as the sun began setting and the moon started to rise, aring had started to lose hope that there was no entrance. But then, the moon showed the way.
The lunar giant shone like a massive beacon, shining down on the temple's peak and making an object glow with such brightness, Daring could have sworn it was a high powered lighthouse of sorts. Both Daring and Swift flew towards it, landing on the top and examining the light source.
"What do you think it is?" Swift questioned, pulling out a sketch pad and quickly drawing the object.
Daring rubbed her chin, looking at the light with an observent gaze. Swift watched her, like he always did when she was thinking deeply on something. Daring praised him for doing so, he could learn things that way. When Daring reached out to touch the light, it started to shine brighter, and the temple peak began to shake. "Uh oh." Daring whipped her head around, looking for any traps that may try to ensnare them or otherwise kill them. She had her fill of traps, and wanted to find a nice temple with no traps.
Nice wishing there Daring.
Both explorers took flight when the floor opened up in front of them, sand, twigs and other debris falling down into the hole. Daring and Swift watched as the earthquake kept on for another few minutes, the ground shifting and trees shaking, birds took flight to escape the shaking and other critters ran for the hills. Daring just watched, and waited until the shaking ceased. When it did, she looked up at Swift, who nodded uncertainly as she descended down and into the gaping hole below.
Once inside, Daring reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out a somewhat large purple crystal, with a smack on the tip, it came to life, glowing with a soft yet intense purple glow that lit up the area around her. She saw vines creeping in through above, hanging down and dangling like massive green ropes. Swift landed beside her, pulling out his own crystal and adding to the light.
"This is amazing." He whispered, his voice sending a few shivers down Daring's spine. "It's a gold mine of relics!"
She nodded her head, smiling at his enthusiasm. "It is, isn't it?" She asked, looking over at him and into his eyes. He returned the look with a smile, that smile. She could look at it all day, his sleek body and clean coat, the way his muscles moved when he walked, flexed or did any sort of work made Daring feel strange... in a way she hasn't felt in a long time. Reluctantly she turned away from him, and looked down one of the many passageways. "Come on, let's get moving and find the Staff of Saries." She told him, flicking her tail as she passed him. She could practically hear him fumbling with his sketchpad as she chased after her, no doubt sporting a blush on his face.
Daring ran down the passageway, lungs burning slightly as the air grew colder and colder with each step. She loved the chill, she didn't know where it was coming from, but she loved it. Swift followed closely behind her, his hoofsteps echoing off of the walls behind her, she smiled. Up ahead, Daring could see the tunnel splitting off into several different paths, so she slowed up, Swift coming to a stop next to her.