The duo flew down the stone stairs, Rainbow Dash leading the charge with a flashlight in her mouth. They touched down once they saw the other door leading inside. Arrow peeked around before moving forward as Rainbow Dash followed.
The pair walked past the doorway and gazed upon a heavily decorated entrance compared to the featureless building up top. Lanterns hung from two rows of columns going parallel across the room. The walls were covered in glyphs and pictures of ponies doing various activities. A blood trail could be seen in the sand as it led toward the opposite end of the room.
"Savant, we're inside. Do you copy?" Arrow said quietly.
"Hear you loud and clear. Got anything?"
"Nothing yet, contact us when you get any info on the creature."
"We stick together, got it?" Arrow said to Rainbow Dash. She nodded as Arrow pulled out a small map. Rainbow got next to him and saw the map.
From what she can tell, there was large entrance chamber that leads to two hallways that extend into several identical rooms. The series of rooms ends as the two hallways connect again at a stairwell that leads to the "Statue" room.
"This is the layout of the ruin. We right here..." Arrow said as he pointed to the stair symbol near the left border of the map. "We are going to down the left side first and come out the right side. Sound good?" Arrow said as guided his hoof along the suggested path.
"Sounds perfect." Dash said as Arrow folded up his map. Arrow started to look around the room as they trudged through the sand. Rainbow looked up at the ceiling and saw nothing but darkness. She fished out her light again and clicked it on. The light partially illuminated the blank ceiling before two fire orange eyes appeared on one of the columns. Rainbow shined her light on the eyes as she got a good look at the monster that has caused so much pain. It looked huge, almost fifteen feet long and it seemed to be covered in some sort of black armor that shined under the light. It let loose a mighty roar reverberated through the room, causing Rainbow Dash to jump and start flying.
"So that's what you look like! By Celestia, you look ugly." Arrow yelled back as he took to the air. The creature leapt from the column and headed toward Arrow. He pulled out his knife with his hoof as it came closer. Dash watched as it pounced up in the air toward Arrow with unnatural speed. Arrow dodged to the side as the claws came within inches of hitting his wings. The creature landed and spun around in the sand, baring its teeth as if it enjoyed the opportunity to take down the pegasi.
"Whoa, that was close. Rainbow Dash, fall back to the rooms. I'll keep it off your back."
"What? I'm not leaving alone with this thing here."
"I'm not asking. Fall back!" Arrow yelled as he started to circle around the creature. Dash watched as it pounced again, Arrow dodge to the side and he swung the knife as it sailed past him. The snake head from the tail snapped at Arrow, missing his head with centimeters to spare.
"GO! I'll be right behind you." Arrow yelled. Dash stared at him before flying to the opening at the end of the pillars. She landed as she saw Arrow flying toward her with the monster just a few feet behind him. Dash ran in as Arrow aimed for the opening.
The creature jumped forward and smashed into the doorway as Arrow made it inside. Rainbow Dash leaped into the left hallway as an explosion of rocks and sand filled connecting room.
Rainbow Dash shook the sand out of her mane before turning her head to doorway. She held her breath and flared her wings, half expecting the creature to leap out of the rocks and start chasing her. The dust settled and nothing popped out from the rocks.
"Arrow, can you hear me?" No reply came back.
"Rainbow Dash, what happened?" Savant's words fell on deaf ears.
"Come on, say something!"
A minute of silence passed before coughing could be heard over the radio.
"Stop shouting, I'm fine damn it." Arrow said.
"Oh thank you..."Dash said as she collapsed to her back.
"Will someone please tell me what the buck just happened!?" Savant yelled.
"Sorry. We met the bastard and got separated. I got pushed into the right hallway and Rainbow Dash jumped into the left one."
"What about the monster?"
"Kinda hoped a rock smashed its skull in but I can hear it trying to claw its way through the rocks. Any news yet?"
"Reinforcements are coming by airship and will be here in 4 hours. No info yet on the creature."
"Thanks. Oh bullocks, I think my wings got hit. Rainbow Dash, anything happen to you?"
Rainbow looked herself over, noticing a few cuts and bruises on her legs. "I got some scrapes and bruises by the rocks but nothing bad. So much for the plan, huh?"
"Yeah yeah... Search the rooms for survivors. We'll meet up by stairs to the statue room and come up with a new one. If you find anything interesting, say something."
"Yes sir." Dash looked the pile of rubble that blocked the way back to the surface. "Once we find Twilight, I'm sure she'll have a plan that will save our skins." Dash thought as she walked down the short corridor to the first room.
She cleared the doorway and started to look around the room. Only four columns stood in the room, with the positive absent of an ancient evil on them. The walls continued to be covered in glyphs and pictograms of ponies. Upturned tables, open books, lit lanterns and various scattered archeological tools littered the floor. Rainbow Dash started to search around the cluttered room for any clues. She sighed in frustration before picking up a book leaning against the wall, hoping it will help make sense of the room. The name Altmane was embroidered on the cover, indicating a journal as she turned to the last few entries. "Altmane is one of the ponies unaccounted for; I wonder if he's around here." Dash thought before she began reading.
"The statue starting talking to me today. My hoof touched it and he said hello. I thought my mind was playing tricks on me but I brushed against him on the way out. He said "Free me."
Dash eyes widened as she turned to the next page. "Why does the only good lead turn out to be Celestia damn crazy?" Dash thought as she read the next entry.
"I started to talk more to the Kalros. He says he was imprisoned for more than two millennia and is sorry for what he's done. I mean ponies forgave Princess Luna after her banishment, I'm sure they'll understand if I free him. But I haven't said anything about my plans ever since that new mare tried to bury Kalros. All he wants is redemption and that bitch says we need to kill him. I kept her out by having her do the translations in the front chamber. I'm going to try releasing him tomorrow but I'll going to need a sacrifice. That mare won't come with me but I am sure one of the young archeologists will."
Dash closed the journal and facehoofed at this stallion's stupidity. "Is it bad to hope this guy got eaten already?" Dash thought as she grabbed her radio
"Arrow, I think I found something."
"Good, all I'm finding is flipped tables and old history books."
"I found a journal by the Altmane guy we haven't found yet. Turns out Altmane is the reason the creature got loose. He said the statue started talking to him and it convinced him to release him. I think Altmane used Looking Glass as a sacrifice to release Kalros."
"Great, no mission is complete without a sick psychotic. Savant, have the ponies in the Canterlot archives check for Kalros the Death Bringer."
"Okay, I'll relay the information. Also, the ponies there just found the species of the creature that matched Toombs description. It's called a chimera; it seems the growth that Rainbow Dash mentioned is supposed to be a goat's head."
Dash groaned."That's disgusting."
"Any weaknesses?" Arrow said.
"Well, cutting the tail off will hinder its balance, lose a weapon and probably piss it off. Other than that, kill it in any way you can."
"Plus the bastard has armor, no sense it would get easy at this point. I'm gonna try and find some duct tape and a sturdy pole to make a spear. Rainbow Dash, I suggest you do the same."
"Okay, I'll look around and then move on to the next room."
"Savant, we have suspicion that Looking Glass and Altmane are dead. We'll try and confirm that as we continue searching."
Savant sighed "What are the chances that Twilight Sparkle is alive? She's probably dead along with everypony else and we'll be next."
"You don't know that." Rainbow said.
"Look I'm very sorry for your friend but I would rather not get eaten today."
"Twilight's alive; I know some stupid chimera wouldn't be able to get her."
"Both of you quiet down!" Arrow yelled.
"Look Savant I know you're scared but the Princess asked you to do this. I doubt she'll be generous if she finds out you left us to die with your tail tucked in between your legs. I promise we're going to find her Rainbow Dash."
"I know we are. I'll contact you once I check the next room." Rainbow ignored the reply back as she started space out.
"What if we can't find her? What if Kalros took away my chance at love?" More thoughts of "What if?" crossed through her head before she stepped on a scroll. The crunch of the heavy paper broke her train of thought as she picked it up. "This writing looks familiar... This is Twilight's horn writing." Dash's eyes widened from the sudden realization as she started to read it.
"I got inside the ruins after Kalros chased after the ponies that ran away from the camp. I hope some of them got away and the radio transmission I sent got through. I'm going to try hiding out in the rooms up ahead." Dash dropped the note started to gallop to the next room.
She skidded into a stop as she looked ahead. The door to the next room looked partially blocked by some big rocks. Dash walked up to the rocks and prodded them with her hoof. Feeling the stone give a little, Dash rammed her shoulder against it. It pushed back a few inches each time she hit the rock. The rock fell away and Dash fell into the room. She jumped back to her hooves and noticed a few things.
The room looked significantly darker than the last one and she could vaguely see piles of rubble around the room.
"Twilight, you in here?" Rainbow Dash yelled into the quiet room. Suddenly, the awful sound of horseshoe on chalkboard filled the room followed by maniacal laughter.
"Hahahahaha. No one here by that name." the voice yelled.
Rainbow groaned in anger. "Out of all the ponies lost their lives today, how in tartarus are you still alive?"
"I gave their lives as tribute to Kalros; he built quite the hunger while he's been imprisoned. Tell me, has that ignorant bitch you call Twilight died yet?" The voice replied in another part of the room.
"No she hasn't. Now show your face, my horseshoes want to meet it." "Hahahaha. Oh good, Miss Twilight deserves a formal meeting with the one she tried to callously murder. I'm sure Kalros would love another sacrifice till I set that up." The voice said in a different part of the room.
"Over your dead body." The voice gave no reply as Dash slowly pulled out her knife. She stood on her back legs and tried to pick up any movement or sound in the silence. The fur on the back of her neck started to stand up in fear.
"I see yooouuuu..."