Daring Do Adventures: Daring Do and The Sapphire Stone

Chapter 4: “The Sapphire Stone.”

In a few minutes, Daring emerged from the second room. “Aw… I got arrows in my hat.” Daring said annoyed. As she removed the arrows, she eyed her surroundings. Daring walked carefully forward. “Where am I anyway?” Daring wondered aloud, surveying each side of the room, as she made her way forward. A beam of light shone from the ceiling and shifted position until finally it caught a brilliant blue object on the far side of the room. Daring’s eyes lit up. “Ooh,that’s where I am.” She said proudly. Daring Do stood at the entrance to the central temple chamber. At last she was face to face with the legendary Sapphire Statue. And within it…The Sapphire Stone. Daring's eyes twinkled as she gazed at the treasure. “There it is,right out in the open.” Daring said proudly. Then she looked back and then around. “But you wouldn’t make it that easy would you?” Daring asked herself.

Daring Do knew that some cultures believed in guarding their artifacts with deathtraps. It was believed that only a person who could avoid the traps,was worthy of claiming the prize. Daring looked around. She spotted peculiar holes in the walls,and then she tossed a rock in front of her. The rock hit a tripwire,sending darts shooting from the holes. “Great. More darts.” Daring said annoyed.

She turned her attention to the floor in front of her. It was a grid of panels,and each was marked with a picture of an animal. Daring studied the floor. “Hmm. Must be a pattern here. What do all these animals have in common?” Daring asked herself. She took note of all the animals pictured on the panels. Lions,Tigers,Wolves,Snakes,Leopards,Cheetahs,Panthers and…Sheep? Then daring got it. “Aha! These animals are all predators! Except…Sheep!” Carefully she stepped on the first Sheep panel. “So far,so good.” Daring said cautiously. She scanned the floor for the path of sheep panels to the other side,then carefully made her way across. “Two paces left. Forward One Pace. Right five.” Daring maneuvered herself to each sheep panel almost perfectly. Finally reaching the end,daring stepped on the last sheep panel and onto solid ground. Daring looked back at the floor and smiled. “Well that wasn’t too bad.” She said relieved. She approached the statue now mere inches away. Her hooves twitched with anticipation of holding it. “Hmm..Lets hold off for a second.” Daring said,not fully convinced shed made it past all the dangers in the room.  She examined the area and then returned to the statue.

“Dang it. Most of these are faded.” Daring said trying in vain to read the scriptures carved into the lower part of the pedestal that held her prize. Daring examined the carvings carefully,then she saw one part at the very bottom was still legible. (at least if you could read ancient scriptures.)

“Here's one that’s still readable: Sahn Tha-sa rae-Ma” Daring said reading the strange phrase aloud. “That sounds important.” Daring said with a smile as she scribbled the words down on a page from her journal, then tearing it out. She checked to make sure the word was the same as on the pedestal, then pocketed the page. “But I wont try it yet. Not unless I have to.” Daring stated, not wanting to spoil anything for herself. Daring turned her attention to the sparkling blue statue that was mere inches from her on the pedestal. Light shined down on it from above,making it glow a faint blue aura that shone in the dank dark room. “Well time to take you home. Lets see if we trigger any deadly traps.” Daring said, anticipating more dangers. She snatched the statue and tucked it away for safe keeping.

But as she turned away, there was a curious noise. Daring looked back to see the pedestal sink into the floor, and then the entire room began to collapse. Daring ran for the exit,but the floor ahead of her collapsed revealing a pool of lava. The room was suddenly sweltering with blazing heat as the red glow of the lava filled the room,turning the room a light crimson. “You didn’t have to make it that deadly!” Daring exclaimed, annoyed and shocked at her own luck. She retreated to the other side,as lava slowly filled the room. Great pillars from either side toppled over and crashed down into the rising lake of lava. There was no way out.

And then she saw it: The skylight. “Aha!” Daring cried out,just as the floor beneath her began to buckle. Daring jumped onto one of the overturned pillars,then onto another. The heat in the room was unbelievable. Daring could practically feel the stone beneath her melt away from the lava. Daring leapt towards the opening, catching the edge of the skylight with outstretched hooves,and barely pulled herself through the opening. Hot air from the lava suddenly blasted her out of the temple. Daring sailed through the air then hit soft ground with a loud thud,she rolled for a few feet,before coming to a stop on her stomach. She opened her eyes to see she had landed in the dirt outside. She was battered,but still alive.