//------------------------------// // chapter 4 X marks the spot // Story: daring do and the griffons goblet // by daring do biggest fan //------------------------------// Daring do was suddenly awoken by a loud whistle. She was on the train ride to go to Cloudsdale and fell asleep on the way there. "THIS STOP CLOUDSDALE!" the conductor yelled. Daring do stumbled to get her wagon and herself up and off the train. "Just fly up and you'll be there." the conductor said to the pony's who got off. Daring do carried her wagon up to the city and borrowed a cloud rider there to hold all her stuff. She had barely begun to search when she got another note, she assumed it was from Raven hoof. Oh good! you're in cloud city. My third agent reported some ground that has been covered. Don't worry you won't have to go rush somewhere else to find the goblet like i had you do at the San Palomino desert. The next set of places that have been searched are as followed: Appleloosa Baltimare Vanhoover Yak Yakistan San Palomino Desert and the Smoky Mountains. I sent three agents (including yourself) to find the goblet and no pony has so far. After you are done with Cloudsdale (if you have no luck there) you will go to Griffon stone. I will send you a message there if there is anything to report. When you are done there send me a letter telling me what you found. Happy hunting! Raven hoof Daring do closed the scroll and put it in one of her saddle bags along with the other scroll he sent. "EXTRA EXTRA READ ALLLLLLL ABOUT IT!" a filly said holding up a newspaper. Daring do handed the filly 2 bits and took the newspaper. "Thank you miss! the name's Featherton!" The filly said "Nice to meet you" Daring do said giving him a warm smile. She started reading the lost and found section to see if anyone happened to find a silver goblet. No luck. "Uh hey Featherton......" Daring do said looking at the filly "...... do you know where the closest place is to get a drink?" "The dragon inn miss" Featherton said pointing west. "Thanks again!" Daring do said flying westward. About a quarter mile west she found the dragon inn. It was packed! There were ponies playing cards, talking to one another, and ordering food. Daring do trotted over to the nearest table and a spunky pony approached her. "are you ready to order?" the waitress asked. She had a white coat and an orange mane, She was obviously fumbling with everyone demanding things. "Uh i just have a question" Daring do said looking at the menu "Sure! what is it?" the waitress asked as she looked over at daring's menu. "What does the sparkling apple come in?" She thought to ask what they came in before she ordered and waste more bits and time then she needed to. "The sparkling apple cider comes in a cocktail glass. Is that it?" she asked "Yes um....... did you happen to have a goblet?" Daring do asked fake laughing "A goblet?" The waitress asked "Thats...... unusual....and strangely specific" "Well its just that i'm looking for a silver goblet with a red lightning bolt....... have you seen it? I uh....... misplaced it!" daring do said fumbling with making her 'backstory' The waitress looked at daring do seriously. "Well..... yesterday some pony came asking for the same thing you just described." the waitress said leaning in closer and talking in a whisper "What did this pony look like?" Daring do asked suspiciously "Honestly i couldn't even tell if it was a pony!" the waitress said wide eyed. "He or she came in here wearing a black cloak covering their face mane and basically their entire body, I couldn't even see their coat color!" Daring do was getting suspicious. Who was this cloaked creature looking for the exact same artifact as herself. All she knew was it couldn't be a coincidence. "I'll just have some apple cider please." Daring do said to the waitress. "Coming right up!" She said cheerfully, then she wrote down apple cider on her notepad and trotted away to go help the next angry customer. 🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎 It was early morning and daring do decided to try the next place in Cloudsdale. before she went to bed last night she tried 2 other places but no luck. She went to her source. "Hey Featherton! what's the next place?" Daring do asked meeting the little pegasus again. "Did you try cloud kingdom?" Featherton said. "Ya i did that one yesterday along with dragon inn and the cafe on mane street. Whats next?" Daring said enthusiastically. "Thats all of them." Featherton said giving a newspaper to a yellow pegasus. "What do you mean that's all of them?" Daring do asked "Those are all the cafe's in Cloudsdale. Or at least, A place where you can get a drink." he said Daring do let out a sigh. no more places in Cloudsdale. That afternoon she took her wagon down to the train station to go to Baltimare. From there she would cross the horse shoe bay to go to Griffonstone. She boarded the train and thought about the mysterious creature who went to the dragon inn for the goblet and wrote down her thoughts on who it was on her notepad. 1) Maybe Ahuizotl, last time he wanted a relic but luckily Ahuizotl didn't get it because daring do did. 2) One of Ahuizotl's henchpony's? he never does like to do things himself. Daring do racked her brain the entire train ride there. she passed Hollow streets, Filly delphia, and so many more towns and city's until she finally got to Baltimare. Raven hoof said some pony else he had put on this mission already searched baltimare so there was no reason for daring to search there and spend more time then she already had looking for it in a billion other places. She trotted over to a stream that came from horse shoe bay and followed it east to get there. As soon as she was there she noticed a brown stallion with a red and white striped shirt near a sailboat. "Excuse me!" Daring do yelled to the pony at the dock. "Can i board this?" "Ya you can but the question is can you pay?" the stallion asked. "Well how much?" She asked. "25 bits." The stallion said "What?! thats crazy!" Daring do protested "Well then i guess you're not boarding!" the stallion said. Normally Daring do would refuse and just fly over the Celestia sea instead but her wing was still hurt from falling in the jungle on her way to the forbidden jungle to get to Ahuizotl and the statue. Daring do reluctantly payed the sail pony and got on the boat. It took about an hour but Daring was finally at Griffon stone! As soon as she was in town a mail griffon gave her a scroll from Raven hoof I don't know what to do if the goblet isn't in Griffonstone. my agents reported that they just got 3 places each. here they are: Special agent sweetie drops got Neighagra falls, Filly delphia, and Dodge city. You will meet sweetie drops in griffon stone at fifteen o' clock scarlet got the Arimaspi territory, and she searched the badlands and forbidden jungle moons ago, just recently she searched Griffish isles. Since that is so close to Griffonstone, she will also meet you with special agent sweetie drops. If Griffon stone fails i will join the three of you to go to the dragons lair. Oh Celestia, i hope it's at Griffon stone because the Dragon lair is a very dangerous place! Yours truly Raven hoof.