The Chalice of Rhinyorgrun

by Coyotek4

On the Train

Wow, I never knew these trains even had private compartments.

Rainbow Dash inspects the confined area that she and Daring Do share. She was by no means claustrophobic, but she was always much more comfortable in the open air than locked away in a cramped area. But there she was, sitting across a table from Daring, isolated from the other ponies on the train … save one.

At least this room has a window view, she thinks to herself as her gaze turns to the outside … right before her companion lowers the blinds. Dash sighs silently before addressing her companion.

“OK, I was able to get Fluttershy to take Scootaloo to the concert in my place. Now can you please tell me what this is all about?”

The resentment in Dash’s tone does little to phase Daring Do, who reaches into her saddlebag and pulls out a thick tome, placing it on the table between them. She carefully flips through the yellowed pages as she addresses the blue pegasus’s question. “Yes, I do owe you some explanations. Where do you want to begin?”

“Well for starters … Why is Quibble Pants sitting right next to me???”

“It’s good to see you again too,” Quibble deadpans, sporting a similar outfit as during the convention he met Rainbow, but without the gray highlights in his all-black mane and tail and no fan-made wings.

Paying no heed to her bench companion, Dash continues to address Daring. “I mean, you didn’t spend a whole day with the pony! He’s so arrogant and full of himself! And he’s such a know-it-all! And I told you what he thought of your last trilogy, right?”

“Many times,” Daring sighs as her eyes roll.

“I mean seriously, can you think of anypony as annoying as that?”

Quibble turns to Rainbow. “First, I’m sitting right here you know! And second, I can think of somepony right now who’s—”

“That’s enough, both of you!” Daring irately announces as she reaches a particular image in the tome. “And this is ‘what this is all about’.”

Dash pulls the book closer to her side of the table and bends over to better inspect the image, with Quibble peering over her forehoof. “It’s a cup,” she finally deadpans. “I mean, it looks nice and all, but-”

“This ‘cup’ that you refer to is the enchanted Chalice of Rhinyorgrun,” Daring Do explains. “It is one of the single-most important artifacts in Dragon mythos.”

Dash looks up, then back to the image. “I’ve never even heard of this ‘Chalice of Rinny … whatever-you-call-it. How come you know about this?”

“Because I was paid a visit two days ago …”

---

Forget Caballeron … the publishing companies are the real bad guys in the world!

A K Yearling pores through her notes related to her adventures in the Temple of Chicomoztoc with the Seven-Sided Chest. The deadline for the first full draft of her new novel was now only two weeks away, and even Page One hadn’t been typed up yet. If only they knew what I really had to go through for—

A knocking at the front door breaks Yearling’s concentration. Now who the hay could that be? It better not be Rainbow Dash; I told her that I needed time to finish hammering out the details to—

She arrives at and opens the front door … and observes who she assumes must be the smallest dragon she’s ever seen. Aquamarine, with dark blue spikes protruding from atop her head, the dragon barely stands taller than the homeowner. Her claws grip what appears to A K to be an ancient tome of some sort.

“A K Yearling?”

“Yes,” she replies slowly.

“What about ‘Daring Do’?”

“Sorry, you must have me confused with a character from my work, and—“

“I don’t have time for this charade!” The dragon pushes past the elder-looking pony and walks in. “Close the door. We need to talk, and I need your help.”

Realizing that her disguise is of little use, Daring Do shakes off her wig and scarf. “So how do you know the truth about me?”

“I’m sure you can fool all the fanponies in Equestria, but your reputation as an archaeologist and adventurer precedes you, at least in my realm.” The dragon turns to Daring. “You know who I am?”

“You have me at a loss, miss …”

“My name is Ember, and I am the Dragonlord.” The declaration causes Daring to raise an eyebrow in disbelief. “ ‘But you’re so tiny?’ Is that what you’re thinking? Believe me, I’m still getting those reactions … it’s getting tiring, to be honest, but I’m managing.”

“My apologies,” Daring quickly replies as she bows in reverence. Ember shakes her head.

“No need for any of that; that’s not the kind of leader I want to be. In any case, I need your help … and time is of the essence.”

Daring notes the tone of urgency in the young dragon’s voice. “You sound troubled. What’s wrong?”

“There are rumblings of a coup within my kind. Some dragons wish to overthrow me and claim my title of leadership. And if they succeed, their first act will be to declare war on Equestria.”

The premonition shocks Daring. “I don’t get it. You say you’re the Dragonlord; from what I know of dragon society, that means all dragons are bound to follow your lead.”

“I became Dragonlord by claiming the Bloodstone Scepter during the Gauntlet of Fire … but as only a select few know, I was not the first to actually touch the scepter. That honor fell to a waif of a dragon, even smaller than myself; one known as Spike. But he did not wish to be Dragonlord, and he passed the scepter on to me. Only one other dragon actually witnessed Spike touch the scepter first … an arrogant red beast of a dragon known as Garble. Later, once he learned that I was the Dragonlord instead of Spike, he beseeched my father for a retrial of the gauntlet. He cried foul, claiming that I did not truly earn the title. My father refused, declaring that—”

“I beg your pardon, Dragonlord Ember, but please: your father is? …”

“Torch … and until recently, he was the Dragonlord. I succeeded him through the results of the Gauntlet of Fire … against his wishes, I might add.”

Daring muses for a moment. “So I assume that this ‘Garble’ is now claiming nepotism.”

“He did,” Ember continues, “but eventually he came to accept the results of the competition … in public. However, my sources say that Garble has assembled a group of like-minded dragons that wish to have him as Dragonlord instead. For now, this remains a pocket group of dissenters … but if they succeed in reclaiming the Chalice of Rhinyorgrun …”

Daring gives Ember a quizzical look. “The Chalice of … Rhinyorgrun? I’ve spent my whole life searching for rare artifacts, but I’ve never heard of this chalice you speak of.”

Ember places the tome in her claws on a table and flips through several pages, coming to a stop at a full-page image. Daring inspects the image as Ember explains.

“I admit that my own stature is slight when compared to other dragons … but today’s dragons are just as slight when compared to the elder dragons of centuries gone by. My father is one of the last of his kind, towering above all living creatures as a physical god among mortals. Before he became Dragonlord, he was no larger than a typical teenage dragon today … but the ritual he went through, as all dragonlords had done before him … caused his transformation to larger-than-life stature. And a key component of that ritual involved the Chalice of Rhinyorgrun.”

Daring looks up from the image. “Remarkable. How does it work?”

“No one can say … or at least, no one from this era. My father had told me stories about the process he underwent, but after more than a millennia, many details have been lost. All I’ve gathered is that the ritual involved some form of baptism, with this chalice being a key component. The chalice itself, it’s been said, was created by three powerful dragon mages, forged in the bowels of a great volcano. My father remembers the shimmering brilliance of the chalice; it continually reflects an everchanging spectrum of colors.”

Daring looks back at the tome. “I don’t understand. According to this, the Chalice of Rhinyorgrun is just a legend. A story passed from generation to generation.”

“That’s because the Chalice may as well be ‘just a legend’ in the eyes of all but a select few,” Ember states. “My father was the last to undergo the ritual. Shortly thereafter, our realm was invaded by an elite strike force … led by the unicorn known as Sombra.”

---

“Sombra!!?”

After blurting out the unicorn’s name and interrupting Daring Do’s tale, Rainbow Dash thinks back to her first visit to the Crystal Empire, and her first and last encounter with the dreaded former tyrannical ruler of the crystal ponies.

“I’m sorry,” Quibble interrupts, “but could somepony tell me who this ‘Sombra’ is?”

“It’s a long story; I’ll tell you more about him later,” Dash promises Quibble before turning back to Daring. “But what does that psycho unicorn have to do with this chalice?”

“Perhaps it was simply because he was a unicorn, but in his prime, Sombra was naturally drawn to magical artifacts,” Daring relates. “Once he learned of the chalice and its powers, he led a small group of warriors to the dragons’ realm. He alone returned, in possession of the sacred relic … and it is said in dragon mythos that he had it hidden away somewhere in the Crystal Empire itself. This all happened shortly before he and the empire faded into oblivion, sealing the chalice away with it.”

“So, now that the Empire has returned, Ember thinks this Chalice returned with it?” Daring nods at Quibble’s hypothesis.

Dash ponders Daring’s tale. “OK, I suppose that all makes sense, but now what? Even if all that was true, where would we start looking?”

“The library,” Daring tersely responses. Dash guffaws at the answer.

“You sound just like Princess Egghead.” Daring scowls at Dash, who quickly silences her laughter and backpedals. “Uh, no offense meant, of course. But since when did you become so bookish?”

Daring Do replies with an underlying tone of annoyance. “Rainbow Dash, I make most of my living writing books! And as cool as you think all my adventures are, know that ninety percent of my time regarding those adventures is spent in libraries and universities, doing research into the cultures of all who both came before us and now coexist with us. Sure, nopony wants to read about all that time spent … but without that legwork, there would be nothing to discover or even write about at all!”

Rainbow Dash sinks her head, embarrassed by her previous comments. “I … I never really considered how you learned of all those artifacts you sought out.”

Daring Do reaches across the table and pats Dash’s hoof. “Hey, don’t sweat it,” she assures her trusted companion with a smile. “I shouldn’t come off sounding so harsh; the fact is that I do the research, but it certainly doesn’t compare to being out there, actually putting all that knowledge to use and discovering these treasures of antiquity.”

Dash reciprocates the smile. “Thanks. Sorry again. Buuuut … did you really bring me and Quibble here today just to do research in a library?”

“Oh you misunderstand me … the Chalice of Rhinyorgrun is in the library! And tonight, we’re going to claim it!”

---

Daring Do takes in Ember’s claim. “The Crystal Empire Library?”

“Our scholars of the day kept track of much of what Sombra did, especially after the theft of our Chalice. And he had little use for books, apart from those that dealt with dark magic and the occult. When he rose to power, he converted the library into his own house of worship … for the denizen crystal ponies to swear their undying loyalty to him and him alone. Upon claiming the Chalice, one of Sombra’s last acts was to construct a network of passageways beneath his converted church … the Spectrum Catacombs. It is said among the scholars of my subjects that the Chalice lays in a solitary room within those catacombs.”

“But how were your scholars able to gain all this information? Surely, dragons infiltrating the Crystal Empire would be quickly discovered.”

“A fair question, Daring. But tell me this: was Sombra’s more recent return welcomed by all of ponykind?” Daring Do’s silence sufficed for a response. “There were many within the Crystal Empire who resisted Sombra’s ambitions … including the very architect of the catacombs themselves. He had to abide by Sombra’s command, but he was able to smuggle this out.”

Flipping towards the later portions of the tomb, Ember comes across a parchment wedged between pages. She pulls out the parchment and unfolds it. “This is the key to solving the puzzles within the catacombs.”

Daring studies the icons on the parchment. “I don’t understand,” she eventually admits. “This isn’t a map. Just colored boxes, arrows, and checkmarks ... and a cryptic sentence at the bottom. What does it all mean?”

“Unfortunately, I can only speculate as to the true significance of the sentence and symbols … and likely, one will not comprehend the full meaning of all this until one is deep within the catacombs themselves. But if any individual can figure this out, it’s you.”

Ember turns towards the door. “I was only given one hint as to the location of the entrance to the Spectrum Catacombs: ‘A million in two.’ I do not know how to interpret that phrase; I leave that to you as well. The tome and the parchment are yours to keep. I hope they will be useful to you in your quest.”

“I’ll do my best,” Daring assures the Dragonlord. “I’ll contact Princess Cadence first thing tomorrow morning, and—”

“NO!” Ember quickly turns back to face Daring, urgency in her tone of voice. “No one else can know about this! It’s dangerous enough that I’ve contacted anypony at all!”

“But why? Surely, Cadence and Shining Armor can assist us … or at least, make certain that the Chalice doesn’t fall into the wrong claws.”

“Tell me, Daring Do … how many among all the ponies in Equestria do you trust with your most dear secrets.” Once again, Daring’s silence deafens the area. “No matter how trustworthy you deem others, there’s always the possibility that information falls into the wrong claws … or hooves. And even if no one with sinister motives found out, the last thing the Crystal Empire needs is a bunch of wannabe-adventurers tearing apart the Library, and possibly risking life and limb in an effort to acquire that which they should know nothing about.”

Daring pauses. “I understand,” she finally replies, “but there’s only so much I can do alone.”

“Then tell as few ponies as possible … and you better trust them with your life!”

“Trust me, Dragonlord Ember, I have the perfect ponies in mind. But there’s still one thing I don’t understand. Why this sense of urgency? Time is on our side, is it not?”

“Quite the contrary, Daring. Garble and his minions have already done what I have done just now; they have already reached out to another pony.” Ember’s comment leaves Daring Do stunned.

“What??? That’s impossible! What pony would sell out his own kind just for …”

Daring Do pauses for a moment. “… never mind. I know exactly who you’re referring to …”

---

“Wait a minute,” Rainbow Dash again interrupts. “You’re telling me that Garble enlisted—”

“None other than Caballeron himself. And he knows almost as much about the Chalice as we do … but he cares little about the political ramifications of handing the Chalice over to Garble; all he wants is the bits and recognition. And while he may not have the resources we currently have, he’s resourceful enough to acquire this information given enough time. Simply put, we have to get to the Chalice before he does; if he succeeds in delivering this artifact to Garble and his cronies, the consequences could be devastating.”

A groan emanates from Daring’s stomach. “I haven’t eaten anything all day. I’ll grab some grub for all of us; we’ll want to head straight to the Library once we hit the Crystal Empire. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” Daring stretches her wings and flies out of the compartment, the door closing behind her.

Noticing a piece of parchment jutting from the edge of the pages of the tome, Rainbow Dash pulls out the legend Daring had alluded to in her story. She and Quibble spread the parchment out and inspect its contents.

Rainbow’s eyes eventually come to the cryptic message at the bottom. “ ‘When you can’t go forward, go back.’ What do you think that mean?”

“I don’t know … but it looks like there’re more symbols on the back.” Quibble flips over the parchment, and the two inspect the new set of characters.

Rainbow Dash scans the symbols and reads the message at the bottom. “ ‘When you get out what you put in, you get out.’ Seriously, what does any of this mean?”

“I can’t be certain,” Quibble replies as his gaze remains fixed on the parchment, “but honestly? This vaguely reminds me of that ‘Pony or the Tiger’ book I read when I was young.”

Dash thinks back to her last encounter with Quibble. “Oh yeah, I remember you bringing that title up. What kind of book was that? Another adventure novel?”

“There was an over-arching plot, yes, but the book was mainly a series of logic puzzles that the reader would solve along with the protagonist.” Quibble looks up from the parchment. “You know, that book really inspired me. I’ve been a fan of puzzles and riddles ever since.”

“The way you solved the Griffin Lock sure convinced me. Not to mention you figuring out which door to choose to get to the 7-sided chest.”

“PAH!” Quibble dismisses. “Foal’s play, both of those. Now the puzzles in the earlier books by A K Yearling, those required some brainpower.”

“Yeah yeah,” Dash grumbles. “You do know ‘A K Yearling’ is a synonym, right?”

Quibble raises an eyebrow. “You mean ‘pseudonym’?”

“Whatever. Seriously, how can you be so dismissive about all this? We’re gonna be part of another great adventure, you and me!”

Quibble notes Dash’s suddenly enthusiastic tone. “I’m not here for an ‘adventure’ Dash,” he flatly states, causing the latter’s jaw to drop. “I’m here for two reasons, and neither one involves getting swept up in yet another thrill-romp like last time. That’s your wheelhouse, not mine.”

Surprise gives way to confusion and then anger. “Then why the hay are you here, then!” she snaps.

“First and foremost,” he starts as he turns back to the parchment, “I’m here for the intrigue. That ‘7 doors’ puzzle was nothing, but this … I won’t lie, I’m curious as to what all of this means.”

“Yeah? Then what’s the second reason?”

“The truth is …” Quibble again turns to face Rainbow, his tone softening. “The truth is, I owe Daring Do. I owe both of you, for saving my life during that adventure. So when ‘A K Yearling’ showed up at my doorstep last night, asking me for my assistance, well … I have a chance now to repay the both of you.”

“Quibble …” Rainbow quietly starts, just as the door to the compartment reopens and Daring Do flies back in holding a trio of sandwiches.

“It ain’t much, but it’ll sustain us. We’ll be pulling in to the station in a few minutes. Thank you again, both of you, for accompanying me on this trek. I appreciate all your help.”

“You can count on me!” Rainbow emphatically states … while Quibble merely shrugs his forehooves and deadpans, “Yeah, go team.”

Comments

[obake]

I'm liking this so far

Here are some bits of critique and praise (minor spoilers)

The writing could use some general cleanup, such as using "said" in place of more descriptive terms (descriptive terms are okay when not overused, otherwise dialogue tends to get slowed down.) I also don't know how necessary the second cut to Daring and Ember is, but it's not much of a problem.

I love the character interactions, especially Dash and Quibble's bickering. I also like when Quibble reveals humility. The fact he's helping Daring and Rainbow because he feels he owes them is sweet.

I also dig the visuals of the parchment puzzle, and enjoy the story's overall tone. There is a sense of adventure being built up, and I as a reader can't wait to learn what happens.

My favorite line is:
Forget Caballeron … the publishing companies are the real bad guys in the world!

I'm looking forward to reading more. Keep up the great work!

[son_of_heaven176]

The story is interesting so far. However, the watermarks do get in the way of seeing the pictures clearly.