Firestopper and the Temple of Recluse
The Beginning of an Adventure
Author's Note
Alright, this story is going to be super short. I’ve been working on this for a while, but I rarely get the time to write. I hope you enjoy.
The Beginning of an Adventure
The room was dark, and the air smelled of moss and stagnant water. Firestopper called out for help but only heard his echo. He started speaking lowly to himself, “Alright, what happened? I went to Ponyville in search of the underground temple of Recluse the Alicorn. I followed each sign to the entrance of the chamber, located at the foot of the oldest tree in the Everfree forest. I stepped down and searched my surroundings for a light source.” He felt a sharp pain on the left side of his flank. He continued, “I must’ve stepped onto a pressure plate, causing a dart to shoot out from somewhere. There could have been a poison in the dart that rendered me unconscious.” He tried to escape from the cuffs that held him to the wall but couldn’t. He let out an irritated chuckle and started speaking again, “It’s times like these where I wish I was a Unicorn... I could use magic to unlock or even break these cuffs.” He sighed and spoke once more, “Alright, I’ve had enough rest.” He bucked the wall behind him and propelled himself forward. The brick that held the anchor cracked a little. He tried again, and there was more movement from the anchor, as if either the brick or anchor were knocked loose. With one last powerful buck, he flew forward into the middle of the dungeon. The chain rattled and drug behind him. He released a sigh of relief. A steady beat of hoofsteps started to approach him, and he knew that he had to act quickly.
Two brown stallions came down the steps and opened the heavy metal door. One went to the area where he was held while the other stayed at the door. Firestopper held the chains in his hooves and quietly moved closer to the stallion that was keeping watch. When he was close enough, he used the chain like piano wire, wrapping it around the other stallion’s neck to choke him unconscious. When the stallion went limp, Firestopper laid him down silently. The other stallion turned around and seen the adventurer standing over the limp guard and charged towards them. Firestopper jumped out of the way and the stallion ran past him, colliding with the wall. The stallion fell to the ground unconscious, giving the adventurer the ability to leave the dungeon without any further problems. He shut the metal door behind him, locking the two stallions inside. Firestopper climbed the stone spiral staircase that was dimly lit by torches hanging on the walls. He pulled the chain over his head so that he wasn’t making any extra sound. The chain laid heavily on his neck, and he was becoming more exhausted with each step. The platform at the top of the steps was guarded by a Unicorn with a makeshift axe floating beside her. When the guard saw Firestopper, she froze.
The adventurer started to speak, “Now, I won’t hit a mare. Maybe we can come to an agreement: You can let me pass and I’ll-“ the mare cut him off with a swing of the axe.
The mare spoke, her voice was exotic, almost middle eastern, “If you don’t hit mares, then I won’t have a problem cutting you down a notch!” She swung the axe again, this time making contact with something, but it wasn’t the red stallion; she had made contact with the chains that were cuffed to him. Sparks went flying and she recoiled. She swung once, only to make contact with the chain again, causing the chain to break.
Firestopper felt the weight become equal on both sides. The chain was broken and he got an idea. He chuckled and spoke in a cocky tone, “You’re quick but sloppy, have you ever done this before?” The mare seemed furious and started wildly swinging the axe. Firestopper flicked his hoof, and the chain snapped outward like some old 80s adventurer’s whip. The axe met another section of the chain, causing it to fly off and this the mare’s front legs. She lost her balance and fell to the ground. Firestopper walked over and looked down at her before starting to speak again, “How about this, you cut the rest of this chain and let me go, or I’ll do it myself.” His demanding tone frightened the mare and she cut the rest of the chain from the cuffs. The adventurer investigated the door to the exit; it was locked. He turned back to the mare and spoke, “Unlock this door and give me the key.” The defeated mare obeyed his command.
Before Firestopper left, the mare started to speak, “Be careful, naive one, for what lies ahead is a challenge to be reckoned with. Though the distance is short, the puzzles will keep you locked inside forever if not completed carefully and correctly. If you’re to fail, may the old gods have mercy on your soul.” Her ominous speech sent shivers down the red stallion’s spine. He nodded and shut the door behind him, locking the three ponies inside.
Firestopper and the Temple of Recluse
Firestopper half-heartedly hoped to be outside, but when he looked around at his surroundings, he realized that he was still in the main cavern. The entrance to the Temple was in front of him. He admired the architecture, stone with the old gods chiseled into them with precision. There were two golden pillars that sat on the platform in front of the door. Vines hung from the ceiling of the cavern and moss covered any cracks in the wall. Across the clearing, were two stallions talking to each other. They were bulkier than the first two that the red stallion had first encountered. The door behind them was still open, and Firestopper could see inside that the second puzzle had been completed. He clung to the shadows, staying out of view while nearing the entrance. He got close enough that if the guards were to leave their positions, he could bolt through the door and lock himself in. They looked to be more brawn than brains, so he had the feeling that they wouldn’t solve the puzzle to reopen the door. He remembered that he had tucked the keys under the cuff that wrapped around his right hoof. The adventurer pulled the keys out, examined them for a moment, and then lobbed them into the middle of the clearing. The Keys’s clattered to the ground, interrupting the stallions’ conversation. They both went to investigate the keys that seemingly fell from the ceiling.
The first stallion spoke, “Where did these come from?” He studied the keys and looked around, finding nothing. He picked them up and looked at the door in front of them. “These look like the keys to the dungeon.”
The second stallion nodded and replied, “We should try, it’s too suspicious that they’re out here. I could’ve sworn that Night Stalker had given Santeria those keys.” They heard the door shut behind them. He shouted, “The prisoner escaped! Damn it!”
Firestopper sighed in relief after he closed the door. He thought to himself “That couldn’t have gone any better” and chuckled. The room around him was so dimly lit that he couldn’t make out the designs on the ceiling. From what he could see, the room was a cube shape, the walls were at least fifteen feet tall. The floor was made of stone that had not aged well. There were a few marble pillars holding the ceiling up. “Recluse, you rich bastard,” he was amazed once more, but remembered that he wasn’t on a field trip to a museum. He pushed on to the next room closing the door behind him.
The next room was dicey, one wrong move and a pendulum would come swinging down. The floor had pressure plates scattered about, but only either a gymnast or Pegasus could get past with ease. He remembered that one of the stallions in the cavern had said something about Night Stalker, an earth pony that collected relics to use them for fame and glory. He was by no means a good pony. He used force to get what he wants. Firestopper could tell a few stories about his interactions with Night Stalker. Firestopper leapt from once space to another, landing awfully close to a pressure plate. Beads of sweat were finally starting to appear on his face, but he continued jumping to each open spot on the floor until he reached the end of the room. There was a button beside the door, he pressed it and the door opened.
As the door closed behind him, he realized that the mare’s warning rung true, “... the puzzles will keep you locked inside forever if not completed carefully and correctly...” Firestopper shuddered, realizing that it was starting to become a life or death situation. The room he was in had a small plaque with an old language etched into it. It roughly translated to “Heavens will guide you, but any others will stop you.” The adventurer repeated the clue in his head as he searched the room. He noticed that there were holes in the walls and realized that arrows could possibly come from them. There was a different symbol on each tile. He studied each tile until he found one that had a design that looked like a halo on it. He pressed on the tile, pushing it down into the wall and the door opened to the point where he could see into the next room but couldn’t climb through. He kept searching until he found another tile with an angel chiseled into it. After pressing the tile down, the door completely opened.
As the door closed, Firestopper realized that this puzzle was not going to be difficult. There were chains that could be pulled down that lined the entire room with a fire beside it . The plaque beside him said “The wrong levers bring horrible death, the right lever ensures progress. Let the fire eliminate any imposters.” He looked for any shadows or darkness in the room. The light covered all but one lever. He pulled the lever and the door opened.
The next room greeted Firestopper with a glass floor that was covering a deep hole. Night Stalker and his partner, Cold Sting were working on the last puzzle. Their eyes were fixed on him. Night Stalker approached Firestopper.
Night Stalker spoke quietly with a sinister tone, “If it isn’t the thorn in my flank Firestopper. You managed to get past my guards, but you won’t get past us.” He charged but Firestopper dodged. Cold Sting approached, initiating hoof to hoof combat. They traded blows, but Cold Sting wasn’t strong enough to fight Firestopper. Cold Sting had been knocked out in a few hits. Night Stalker snuck up behind Firestopper and locked him in a chokehold. Firestopper started to go limp and Night Stalker let go. The adventurer fell to the ground, gasping and coughing. Night Stalker stepped over to him and kicked him in the stomach. Blood was filling Firestopper’s mouth. He let it get to the point where it was overflowing and he spit it into a medium sized puddle on the floor. Night Stalker was walking towards him again, walking on his back legs. His tone was malicious and sharp as he spoke, “Now, die like the worthless shit you are!” He raised one leg to deliver the finishing stomp, but fell when Firestopper used some of the last energy he had to push the dark purple stallion’s leg outward. When he fell, the glass floor beneath them cracked. Night Stalker’s leg was broken and he couldn’t stand up. Firestopper struggled to get up, but he managed it. He stood over Night Stalker.
Firestopper spoke in an emotionless tone, “No, now you die.” He turned around and stomped the glass beside Night Stalker. It shattered and he fell to the bottom of the pit.
Firestopper and the Temple of Recluse
Firestopper limped around the hole in the floor and read the plaque. It translated to say “No way back, one way forward. In this purgatory, let death lead you home.” The irony was uncanny. He searched the room for anything that could remotely resemble death, and then he seen it. There was a full skeleton chiseled into the wall. The skeleton had a hoof pointing outward toward a button. Firestopper pressed the button and limped out of the door.
The final door shut behind him and he studied the structure in front of him. The Temple stretched all the way to the ceiling of the cavern. The front end of the building had been constructed of gold and marble. It was beautiful, aged so well that there was barely any moss or cracks on the walls. He approached the entrance to the temple, feeling at ease. Firestopper entered the temple and immediately found that the rumors and speculations were false. This wasn’t a temple full of talismans and and jewelry, instead it contained a throne made of solid gold. The symbol of Recluse was finely chiseled into the throne. The only moveable item was a gold necklace with many colored gems encrusted into it. Firestopper picked up the necklace and examined it closely. The clasp had stayed intact over the millennia and centuries before. He put the necklace on and searched for the exit. There was a plaque on the back of the throne. The plaque translated to “Look to the heavens and search for the golden halo of Prallus the angel. Down below is the pitchfork of her brother Serillonius the demon. To the east is a demon’s bane, find the angels’ strength below to grant your exit.” Firestopper searched the dim room, his eyes still adjusting to the dark. He found the golden halo, a marble tile with a golden ring encrusted into it. His eyes followed downward and rested on a chiseled pitchfork. He looked to the right and found a symmetrical cross, and below it was a chalice on a pedestal. Firestopper limped over and picked up the chalice, causing the pedestal to sink into the ground. A hidden door behind him opened, revealing another staircase.
After ascending the staircase, Firestopper came to a heavy locked door, there was a space that the chalice could fit into beside it. When he inserted the chalice, the door slowly opened and he felt a cool breeze. Once the door was completely open, Firestopper took the chalice and left, leaving the temple behind, locked forever.
