Daring Do at Forty Fathoms Deep

Daring Do was led down a large hallway by the pony agents. Leading her was the main pegasus. His mane and coat were both a deep purple and the corner of his suit had lifted to reveal a single flame as his cutie mark. Behind Daring were the two unicorns, their crossbows lowered. To the sides were the other two pegasi.

The hallway itself was a testament to Bitalian architecture. Massive columns supported a vaulted ceiling that was adorned with one large fresco. Daring couldn’t quite make out was was being depicted from the occasional glances she gave to it. The fresco was a twisting mass of scaled purples, silvers and golds, like a great serpent whose ends could not be found.

Daring Do looked at the stained glass windows. Themes became apparent as she gazed at each in turn. Several panes depicted a horde of diamond dogs dressed in armor and armed with swords and bows. Halfway through the hall the windows depicted the sun and moon, the curled form of Princess Celestia and Luna depicted in each. The frames then showed Gryphons and ponies facing the diamond dogs, draped in the trappings of war.

The Triumvirate War, but where are the dragons? Daring thought as her hooves continued to strike the marble floor, creating echoes throughout the massive hall. Father wouldn’t have wanted to be here, it’s much too recent in construction. He always wanted to learn about where ponies first came from. The mare was pulled from her thoughts when the massive head of a full-grown dragon occupied a pane in the windows. Glass panels depicted curls of fire leaping from it’s mouth.

Daring realized that the dragon’s head attached to the ceiling fresco, and that it alone had stretched the full length of the ceiling. The gold and silver dragon's depiction had ended on the opposite wall with both dragons tearing at each other’s throats.

Daring was led down a side hall and into an office. In it was a lone oak desk with a large cushioned chair in front of it. The wall opposite the door was made completely out of crystal. To the left of room was a fish tank, and on the left a large pedigree chart.

“Have a seat Miss Do,” the pegasus leader instructed. “Our employer will see you shortly.”

With no further bidding Daring sat on the chair and faced the crystal wall. She recognized the two pillars on the side as a scrying crystal. Great expense must have gone into excavating a crystal so large as to hold the projected images of well over a dozen ponies. Daring looked over at the pedigree and started reading the names. Several great pegasus lines were traced on it, with several lines denoting inter-marriages among them. Far down along the parchment Daring saw names that she recognized as belonging to the Do family.

“I always look up on prospects before revealing myself to them, Miss Do,” emanated a voice from the still blank crystal wall. “I hope you don’t mind my digging through your past?” The voice was feminine, yet deep from sheer mass, like a mother with eons of tending to her children weighing down on her.

“My only problem is that this pedigree is an original,” Daring answered as the wall began flickering to life. “The owner of this must be heartbroken that a piece of themselves has been stolen.”

“Regal Flame was more than happy to contribute this little bit of his past to my collection,” the voice replied. The purple pegasus stepped forward as a fuzzy image appeared on the wall.

As the view came into focus the pegasus bowed to the ground and closed his eyes. “Matriarch,” he recited as Daring Do looked at the wall.

In front of her was the projected image of a massive purple dragon’s head. Dozens of tendrils covered her muzzle as she blinked slowly. Her eyes were golden and her pupils were narrow vertical slits.

“Matriarch of the dragons,” Daring Do nodded her head at the Great Wyrm. “I should have guessed you would have the resources to pull me out of there so quickly.”

“Millennia of existence has taught me to plan far in advance, Miss Do--”

“Please, just Daring will do,” the mare interrupted with a raised hoof.

“As I was saying, Daring, I plan in advance, and when I set my eyes to a goal I have the luxury of time. Now I have chosen to act, and you shall be my champion for this.”

Daring rolled her eyes as The Matriarch brought up a massive fist full of gems and gold. “Twenty years ago a diamond dog by the name of Bearatooli made the mistake of stealing from my hoard. Needless to say he never saw the next Hearth’s Warming Eve, but I was too late. That fop had already managed to lose what he had stolen.”

The massive dragoness heaved a mighty sigh that would have shook the room had she actually been present. “A mistake of underlings unprepared, but I am nothing if not patient. My servants have been able to locate the cruise ship, The Santa Mare. Sunk and lost in the Equus Sea.” The dragon yawned, a few pieces of spittle dribbled over her teeth.

Daring Do idly glanced at a hoof that she brought up to her face. She breathed on the hoof as though to polish it and then lowered it. “Twenty years might be a short period of time for you, but it's a long wait for me.”

“Finding a Sea Pony who was willing to reveal the location of a ship they claimed was part of the ocean proved... impossible. I have found a different way though, and now you will be the one to retrieve my treasure.” The Matriarch reached over to an unseen pile of treasure and pulled out a painting. On it was a lone pink diamond surrounded by a platinum sculpture of a dragon. “The Dragon Jewel of Kal’phet. Find it, and I shall pay handsomely.”

Daring’s eyes brightened slightly at the promise of adventure, but then leaned back. “I’ve told your contacts before,” Daring said as she pointed a hoof at Regal Flame, “I’m not in it for money, I do it for the thrill of finding something new. The thrill of examining a lost artifact, not to simply let it rust in some cave in the far north.”

“Do not presume to know the location of The Matriarch!” Regal Flame yelled as he stood up.

“Hush Regal Flame,” the dragon cooed. “Rest assured Daring would never hurt me.” The massive eyes focused on Daring Do before she continued. “I knew saving his great grandfather all those years ago would benefit me. Just as I know giving you this opportunity shall benefit me at the end of all things.” The Matriarch reached off-screen once more to draw out a black and bronze bracer. “A piece of your people’s history for a piece of mine, Daring.”

“Commander Hurricane’s bracer!” Daring exclaimed, looking back to her satchel where its partner lay.

“Indeed.” The dragon nodded.

“But why not have one of your own followers do this?” Daring questioned. Her eyes narrowed as she looked back at The Matriarch.

“Because,” the dragon answered, “I have come to know the great thrill of hoarding not lumps of gold, but the indenture of you mortal races.” The purple head inclined to Regal Flame and the others. “Though your dear Princesses have the love of their ponies in excess, I no less love the thrill of getting what I want through a bargain. It's like hunting prey through the forest, or tearing apart a rival’s trove.”

“And if I refuse to do this?” Daring asked.

“Then I shall perform such acts against your house,” The Matriarch answered without missing a beat. “So the choice is this: find my gem and receive this bracer or learn the danger of drawing my ire.”

“Second time today I’ve been given the illusion of choice,” Daring commented with a wry grin on her face. “Very well, I’ll do it. I hear the Equus Sea is beautiful this time of year.”

The Matriarch smiled, revealing row after row of razor-sharp teeth. “Excellent.”