Inscription

The figurine stops at the skull, causing the map to be removed and the cards to come back.

"You were ambushed while crossing some rough terrain" The figure says as celestia is handed her cards.

"You may now see what my future moves will be" He says as he places one of his cards, one depicting a wolf cub, down on the table.

Celestia combed through her given cards, looking for a pony.

'Lets begin.." She thought to herself.

...

...

After a few moves, the figure played a bat, who attacked celestia directly, over her stout card.

Two golden teeth were added to the scale on celestia's side.

'What would happen if I lose?.. did, did the other princesses lose?' Celestia thought to herself.

"Ha! Look at that, my bat flew right over your stout!" The figure said triumphantly as the game continued.

Celestia would try her best to not lose.

...

...

This match, ended with a victory for celestia.

"You prevailed... And trecked onwards past the now bloodied terrain" The figure said as the map returned, and the figurine moved forward.

Two cards were placed on the table.

Celestia already knew what that meant.

...

After picking the wolf cub, the figurine moved forward again, on to the next symbol.

This time, a few stones with marks were placed on the table.

"You stumbled into some strange stones in the mist"

"You were compelled to choose a worthy sacrifice, one that will be lost forever..."

Celestia's cat and wolf cub card were presented.

...

"D- do I have to?" Celestia asked.

The figure didn't answer.

...

Even though she just got it, she chose the wolf cub.

"Alright, now choose a card to receive the benefits of this sacrifice"

Celestia's stout card was chosen.

The card of the wolf cub disappeared, with the stout gaining a symbol.

"A ghastly spectacle, but the soul of the wolf cub now lives in the stout" The figure said as the map returned.

The next symbol was another battle.

This time however, a wooden carving was placed in the figures side of the table.

With a small wooden carving of a wolf head being screwed on.

"Behold, my totem" The figure says as said totem started glowing red.

"Pretty cool, huh? It inscribes my canine cards with the airborne sigil"

"So, it's an advantage for you?" Celestia asked.

"Yes"

...

...

Even though celestia tried her best, she couldn't win this battle.

Her scale was tipped all the way, Wich caused the figures totem to be unscrewed, and every other item to be removed.

"Well, you've lost" The figure said, as celestia began racking her head for ways to somehow fight back.

"Using this as a learning opportunity may be the only way to mitigate my disappointment"

"Get up"

...

"What?" Celestia asked.

"Get up from the table"

Celestia, still trying to stay in the figures good side, stood up, a little fatigued from sitting down for so long.

"Go get the candlestick from atop the barrel beside the door"

...

"You're just going to let me roam?" Celestia asked.

"Yeah, I'll let you move around the cabin, but not now, just get the candlestick"

...

Celestia made her way to the door.

The thought of escaping did cross her mind, but she decided against it.

She still doesn't know the whereabouts of the prospector after all.

She grabbed the candlestick with her magic.

"Bring it"

Celestia made her way back to the table.

Even though her magic emanated some light, she still couldn't see what the figure looked like.

She hovered the candlestick over to the figure, who grabbed it with his hand.

"Now sit back down"

Celestia went back to her side of the table.

"Lemme explain something to ya" The figure said as he snuffed out one of the candles.

"See that? That was one of the two mistakes you can make here"

"If you make another, well, only one way to find out right?" The figure said in a taunting manner.

"Now, where were we..." The figure said as the map returned.

'Dammit... I can't lose again' Celestia thought to herself as the figurine moved forward again.

After picking a wolf from another card symbol, the figurine moved forward, this time to a symbol of a campfire.

The map was removed, replaced with small wooden stakes, and five wooden figurines of creatures Celestia had never seen before.

There was also a spot for a card in the middle.

"You came across a small group of survivors"

"Faces shrunken from starvation, they huddled around a campfire"

"They looked upon your group of creatures and beckoned"

"Come, warm one of your creatures by the fire... One said"

"Warm it by the fire. That will enhance its power. Said another"

"You notice one of the survivors wiping drool from their mouth" The figure finished as celestia's entire deck was presented.

...

She chose the stout again.

"The fire warmed the poor stout, enhancing its power"

"One of the survivors reached towards it"

"Another, gnashed their teeth"

"Without a word, you pulled the stout away from the fire and left" The figure said as the map returned, and the figurine moved forward to another skull.

This time around, Celestia won.

The figurine moved forward, to another card symbol.

Another card depicting a river snapper turtle joined celestia's deck.

Celestia was actually kind of enjoying this game, it was, very immersive. If only it wasn't being played with a villain, and her loves ones weren't missing.

The figurine moved forward again, to another symbol of a fire place.

"You stumbled upon a group of survivors standing around a dying campfire"

"T- there is room for a creature around the fire... One said"

"The warmth will enhance its health, said another "

"One of them, didn't say anything, but couldn't stop licking their lips"

...

Celestia chose the card she wanted to enhance.

"The health of the wolf was enhanced by the warmth"

"As one of the survivors began pulling a knife from their pocket, you withdrew" The figure said as the map returned.

Celestia noticed that there was only one symbol on the map left.

The figurine moved forward.

Instantly, the environment changed, with trees seemingly appearing out of nowhere, inside a cabin no less.

A skull of an animal Celestia hasn't seen also fell onto the table, with candles sticking out of the skulls eye sockets.

And on top of it all, celestia could hear the sound of a pickaxe being struck on rock.

"The trees seemed to close in around you as a chill mist descended"

"In the distance, you could hear the clinking of metal on stone"

"A hobbled figure stood in your path" The figure said as his hand came into view again.

Celestia saw that it was holding.. a mask?

The mask was of an unfamiliar creature, wearing a Stetson hat, much like Applejack's.

The mask also had crooked teeth, and an unkempt beard.

the figure placed the mask upon his face.

"Heeeeeee-Haaw!!! 'Twas the Prospector!!