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.