//------------------------------//
// Chapter 17 
// Story: The Dark City 
// by awf 
//------------------------------//

Chapter 17

It wasn't long before the group was gathered once more in a dark tunnel. Gustaf lowered Rusty Bones to the floor, but she clung to him a little longer than strictly necessary.

"Are you okay, Miss Bones?" Ember's voice brought her out of her fugue state.

"Just- Rusty, remember?" she told him. "You too, Winter."

Finally the griffin had pried her off so he could sit down for a while and concentrate on his breathing. Droplets of sweat began to collect on the ground around him.

"Gustaf?" Rusty asked gently.

He looked up, but didn't answer.

"Thanks. That was- thanks. Just- thanks."

The other two ponies hurried to add their appreciation as well. Ember Clover dug out a clean towel from his pack and stood over the sitting griffin so he could carefully dab the sweat around his face.

"Thanks," Gustaf managed.

Ember stayed nearby even after he'd done all he could with the towel and the griffin brushed a stray lock of mane from his eyes. They grinned at each other.

Unfortunately for them, Rusty Bones had managed to get herself under control and stood up. "Okay. We're going, right now. We're not hanging around until that thing catches up with us!"

The other two were only too happy to obey, but Gustaf raised a weary claw. "First- give me a minute. Second, just what was it you all saw? I just carried you from the plaza to here, I didn't see anything out of the ordinary."

"Did you see any dead ponies?"

"Yeah."

Her breath caught and Rusty stared in surprise at the griffin, but he continued: "They were more or less where I remembered them. I mean, maybe a bone has moved a bit since we went down, but I didn't really pay attention then so I can't tell. If I had to guess, I'd say it was all where we left it."

"Okay, but the last time we were at the fountain there was a dead guard pony in it! With a broken spear. It was gone!"

Gustaf leaned his head to one side. "It was there, Rusty."

"What?!"

"Didn't you see? You were standing on some bones in the fountain when I found you."

The mare put her head in her hooves and squeezed her eyes shut. The other ponies looked at one another and Ember was about to reach a hoof to comfort her, but she shot up before he could touch her. "Let's get the buck out of here..."

"I'll take the Professor," Ember volunteered, having seen how much all that running had taken out of the griffin. For an instant it looked like Gustaf would argue, but then he hung his head and nodded.

They loaded up Curio and Gustaf was about to take his spot next to Ember to help balance the old unicorn, but Rusty wouldn't have it. "No. Winter, you go with Ember. Use your magic to keep the Professor steady. Gustaf, you take it easy. I hope to Celestia we won't have to fight anymore, but I want you rested."

There was wisdom in her words and Gustaf inclined his head. He fell in step with her at the front, but he kept checking that the other two were following just behind. The piece of luck was that they weren't that far from the armory, and the tunnels had gotten sparser. It would be easier to find their way. Rusty still checked the map and conversed briefly with Gustaf to make sure some vision wasn't leading her astray, then they set off. The pace was slower than the previous day. They were all exhausted and bewildered, and the recent events seemed to weigh heavily on everypony. They could apparently no longer trust their senses. Perhaps the worst part was that they didn't know if their hallucinations were dangerous. If they ignored the dead ponies, and let them approach, would they get hurt? Were they just visions in their minds, or were the dangers they saw real? What if another wall of fog blocked the tunnel? Rusty supposed they could use the same trick to pass it, but that meant her entire plan for getting out relied on Gustaf, and that was not a good situation. Too much depended on the griffin already.

However tough he was, Rusty was worried he would break.

Bucking Tartarus, she was nearly ready to buckle under the pressure herself! The only reason the youngsters were keeping it together was the show of strength and confidence from the older adventurers. If either of them showed serious weakness it could drive them all into a panic and then...

They might run off into the tunnels and get lost, never to be found again. Rusty was slightly surprised and immensely grateful that it hadn't happened already.

"You okay?" Gustaf asked, having seen her expression.

"Fine. Just bewildered. I can't wait to be out of this Tartarus-pit."

He chuckled. "You can say that again. It's not far now."

His words sounded just as confident as ever and Rusty wondered if it was all an act. She decided to change the topic, perhaps to something more positive. "How's your wing? You think you'll be able to fly soon?"

Gustaf flexed his shoulders and strained against the bandage for a moment. "Ugh, maybe another day. Tonight, if I really have to, but it won't be pleasant."

"Only if our lives depend on it," Rusty Bones agreed. She looked back and swung the lantern that way to check up on the others. Ember was plodding along, not much interested in the way or in any discussion. Winter Shine was alert, but she also looked jittery, darting glances back the way they came and often shuffling her hooves nervously when she thought she heard something.

Curio was looking forward over Ember's shoulder and his gaze met Rusty's. He looked afraid. It was an encouraging sign and she gave him a reassuring smile. If he broke free from the influence then it really was bound by distance. That meant they should be seeing fewer and fewer strange things as they made their way out of the ruin. Despite that she wasn't about to ungag him. If the evil presence surged it might try to take over Winter Shine. The mare had held up well, but Rusty had no illusions as to her self-control and mental resilience. It'd just be too dangerous to have two possessed unicorns among them. She could apologize to Curio when they were safe.

"It's this way," Gustaf suddenly proclaimed and shone his light at the arrow which had been scratched into the floor. "We're back to where we still remembered to mark the way."

That symbol on the stone floor was perhaps the most welcome sight Rusty had seen in her life. It felt like it had happened to some other ponies, in another lifetime, but she remembered Curio's look of concentration as he gouged the marks into the rock with his magic. Back then they had still been interested in the ruin. They wanted to go down and penetrate its deepest mysteries. If only they'd known how bad it would be; what a sorry and bedraggled party would be limping along the same tunnel only days in their future.

Had it only been a few days? If felt longer.

Rusty pointed the carving out to the others. "Okay, if anypony loses their way, look for these arrows and they'll lead you out. That said, please stay together and yell if you have to stop."

There was a chorus of agreements and the group moved on.





They stopped a few times to drink and shuffle Curio Trinket around, but despite their slow pace the party made good time. Gustaf said he recognized the tunnels and they were near the dining hall next to the barracks. Ember agreed and thought they would come upon the kitchen very soon. The long, monotonous tunnels had long since began to blur together for Rusty Bones, but she trusted the two born navigators of the group. True, pegasi and griffins usually had to find their way from the air, but she guessed some of the skill was transferable. So far they had escaped any more strange happenings, which reassured Rusty and made her think that they had surely passed beyond the range of the evil in the temple. She had kept watch on Curio and not even once had she seen his eyes turn black. The other problem was that he didn't spend a whole lot of time awake. They'd given him water, but Curio drifted in and out of consciousness. During the times he was alert, he seemed confused and bewildered.

During their latest stop she had Gustaf remove the Professor's gag, despite the griffin's protestation. As expected, Curio didn't remember anything that had happened since that night he had gone sleepwalking. He struggled and demanded to be untied, but even before they could make a decision he fainted. Despite that, Rusty began to hope they were past the worst. Once they were out of the ruin she would have the Professor untied, but she'd keep the chain on his horn. They'd have to watch him, in case he tried to remove it. With luck he might even be recovered enough to walk on his own. She was willing to trust him a little, but she wouldn't allow him the full use of his magic until they were back in civilization and some competent unicorn doctors had had a chance to examine him in detail. Gustaf would just have to wait to get his chain back.

All their spirits were lifted by their proximity to the surface and even the darkness itself felt a little bit less black around them. Winter Shine smiled sometimes and Ember was slowly becoming his old, flirty self around Gustaf. Rusty Bones knew they weren't out of the woods just yet, but she also began to relax a bit. She allowed them to drink most of their water during their last stop, after Ember and, more importantly, Gustaf had assured her that they would reach the surface in less than six hours. Their food supplies were still plentiful, but dry oatmeal without water would be quite unpalatable.

Winter Shine was whistling a happy little tune when they came to the dining hall.

It felt so familiar...

They had slept in that room, full of excitement after they had decided to go deep into the ruin. Rusty Bones sought out the exact table they had stood by when that decision was made. It was there, right opposite the kitchen.

She looked at the door and saw a flash of white, which vanished from her vision. "No! Gustaf! The kitchen!"

The others jumped at her shout and the griffin, his reflexes as sharp as ever, hurried to it. He placed himself in the doorway and shone his light inside. "What did you see?" he asked, not taking his gaze off the pile of bones.

"Bone. I think- I think it was a dead pony." Ember Clover and Winter Shine drew closer to her and their ears folded back. Rusty wanted to copy their posture, but she forced herself to listen intently. There was no sound in the kitchen, other than the gentle rustling of Gustaf's feathers as he moved. "I think we shouldn't rest here. We should keep moving. I'll take the Professor for a bit."

Ember agreed only too gladly, happy to be rid of the burden. "Come on, I know the way," he said and waited only long enough for Gustaf to join him. Rusty followed, with Winter walking beside her to keep the Professor steady on her back. She kept looking back at the kitchen, but she saw nothing else. To her relief, Gustaf was also keeping an eye on the doorway.

"Just the barracks and then the armory," she said what they all knew. "Lots of bones there, so keep your eyes open. If you see anything moving, ask Gustaf first, but stay away from it." Rusty quickened her pace and made herself take deep, even breaths. The air smelled less musty up there and she felt she could manage a slightly faster walk. She caught up to Gustaf and Ember Clover, and the two subconsciously sped up to stay ahead.

The sooner they got out the better. They could rest up on the ice.





No new visions of walking ponies appeared from the darkness as they ascended the last few stairs. Everypony was pushing themselves beyond their limit now that the exit was so near. Rusty thought she could smell the fresh air and feel the weight of the stone above her lessen. The others walked with a slight bounce in their hoofsteps and a new perkiness around their ears. Only one more hurdle remained.

"Okay, that's the grand hall up ahead. Remember the pit in the tunnel above it, before we come to that small guard room. Make sure you don't fall in, not when we're this close."

They all nodded. She, as the only earth pony among them, had opted to carry Curio the rest of the way out. They could perhaps fashion up some kind of a sled or something to drag him to the town. Maybe they could cannibalize one of their tents or something. She wrenched her mind from those plans and focused on the there and then. They weren't outside yet.

"Light the torches. We have plenty left, we might as well use them and then throw them away. Let's not risk stumbling around in the dark," Gustaf suggested.

"Good idea. Do it," Rusty agreed.

The griffin had his own lit with a match pretty soon and Winter Shine helped Ember with her magic. The little flames brought both light and warmth, and eased their hearts.

Rusty Bones checked quickly on Curio, but he was still out cold. With luck he would remain quiet at least until they were out of the ruin. "Okay, let's go."

She headed out into the relatively open room among the columns. Once again the grandeur and majesty stunned her into quiet awe. She could hardly imagine that earth ponies, without the use of wings or magic, could have built all that. As before, she gazed up, but even with the combination of torches and their magical lanterns she could not see the ceiling. It truly was a grand hall. She remembered the corpse of the guard they had found. The first one of many. She looked for it and soon came across it. At the sight they all stopped and Winter Shine nervously flicked her ears this way and that. It wasn't moving, so Rusty took the lead and walked around the remains. She gave them a wide berth and kept looking, but the bones never moved. The pony had died running from something behind, his snout pointed toward the distant surface he would never reach.

No, no, that was wrong, Rusty thought. He had been facing the other way when they had gone down. She opened her mouth to ask the others what they saw, but thought better of it. No reason to worry them again, not when they were nearly out. The dead pony hadn't moved since they were watching, so perhaps it wouldn't come alive like the others. Rusty waited for the rest of the group to file past her, then she followed behind. She kept looking back, but there was nothing in those empty eye sockets staring after them. Had she remembered wrong? She recalled a conversation with Gustaf about which way the pony had been facing when they died, but perhaps it was about some other pile of bones? Perhaps one in the barracks?

There had been so many...

Eventually the sad little skeleton was lost in the darkness, but that didn't help. Rusty kept staring at the blackness behind them, expecting at any moment to see that white gleaming skull look back at her.

She bumped into Ember Clover who was walking in front of her and he looked back. "Is everything okay, Miss- um, Rusty?"

"Yeah. Yeah. Fine. Let's go," she answered a bit impatiently.

Even after they were back in the tunnel she didn't relax. The skin on her neck and back crawled and it had nothing to do with the weight of Curio Trinket. She kept turning her head and shining the lantern back there, but the passage was empty. She nearly walked into Ember again when the pegasus suddenly stopped. She was about to ask what had happened, but Gustaf spoke up: "Pit. How are we going to deal with Curio?"

Ember came up with the first suggestion: "Can you levitate him across, Winter?"

The mare gave it some thought, then hung her head. "Sorry- I- I can't concentrate well enough. I'm tired..."

"It's okay, I can jump it," the pegasus said.

"Like Tartarus," Gustaf snorted. "Give him here. You've been carrying him for a while, I'm rested enough to take him the rest of the way."

It was probably the best solution, Rusty was forced to admit. He was the strongest and the most dexterous with his forelegs to hold the unconscious stallion. She turned her side to the griffin in silent acceptance.

Gustaf lifted the Professor and held him to his chest. The sudden motion made Curio open his eyes. "Wha-? Whe- Where am I? What's happening?"

Rusty was the nearest and reassured him: "Hush. It's okay. We're almost out of this place. We'll get you some help soon."

That seemed to do it and Curio quietened down.

"Good. Winter, go across first. Be ready to steady Gustaf when he jumps so he doesn't drop Curio. Ember, you go after him. I'll go last."

They all nodded to her plan and Winter easily leapt over the pit, even if she squeaked in fright mid-air and stumbled when she landed. Her legs were shaking, but she forced herself upright and smiled back. "I'm okay!" she reassured them.

Gustaf was next. He crouched a little at the edge of the pit and the muscles along his hind legs bunched up. He half-extended one wing to better keep his balance and pushed.

"LOOK OUT!" Curio yelled suddenly and twisted in Gustaf's grip. The exclamation was so unexpected that they all flinched and Rusty nearly threw herself on the ground out of sheer reflex.

His shout startled the griffin, who fumbled his jump and squawked in alarm. His clawed paw slid and he desperately flapped his wing to gain back the momentum he had lost. He made it to the other side, but just barely, and he balanced precariously on the edge of the precipice.

Rusty Bones saw with mounting horror how Gustaf started to tilt backward with the Professor still firmly grasped in his forearms.

"WINTER!" Rusty shouted.

Unfortunately the unicorn mare had been too startled by Curio's shout and she had turned her head away. She wouldn't react in time. Gustaf beat his good wing desperately and managed to halt his tumble. They all watched in absolute silence as he regained a flimsy balance on the edge of the pit. Before he could move Curio began to scream. His horn began to crackle and sputter with magic as he forced more and more of his power into it. The pain from the loop of chain made his eyes turn back in his head, but he kept channeling and he kept screaming. Droplets of bright, molten metal flew from his forehead and splattered against Gustaf's fur. The griffin roared in pain and pushed the Professor away to scratch at the burning silver on his skin. Curio's sputtering horn went out when the stallion hit the ground, but he kept screaming in agony. Unfortunately it was too late and Gustaf couldn't recover his balance.

He caught Rusty's gaze for that one, dreadful moment before he plummeted. Her heart felt like it would burst out of her chest and she opened her mouth to shout something, anything.

Even faster than she could react Ember flew past her. The pegasus pushed his wings against the air with such force that the wind nearly toppled her. One of his feathers smacked her in the muzzle and she reeled back from the blow.

Then the only sound was Gustaf yelling, growing fainter.

"No!" She hurried to the pit and looked in, already fearing what she'd see. A long way down was the magical lantern Gustaf had been carrying around his neck, tumbling end over end as it fell.

It highlighted shadows above it, two feathery bodies. Her breath caught when Rusty realized they weren't falling. Ember Clover was flapping urgently and she heard the scape of his feathers against the walls of the pit, but he held steady. The light went out and she couldn't see anything else down there. Only then did she remember her own light and scrambled to fetch it. Ember would need to see! She tried to angle it, but it kept casting deep shadows over the pegasus and the griffin. She couldn't hold it far enough.

"Winter! Pull it together! You need to hold the light for them!"

The other mare was mid-wail, but at the sound of Rusty's voice she looked up. "They- they're not-?"

"Ember caught him, but he needs light! Here, hold this above the hole!"

Her magic flickered fitfully and the lantern slipped from her grasp a few times, but then Winter managed to grip it strongly and levitated it to the center of the hole. She was using more power than necessary out of fear of dropping it, and the excess was feeding into the light and made it shine brighter. Rusty put her head over the pit again and breathed a sigh of relief. The two were closer.

"Keep the light steady!" Ember shouted, already panting with effort. "There's not- not enough room-"

"Save your breath! We know!"

He fell silent and all she could hear was the rapid whoosh-whoosh of his wings and the gasping of his breath. She winced at the sound. Ember was at the end of his strength.

Gustaf recognized it too. "Let me go, kid! I'm not taking you down with me. You can save yourself! I said-"

"Shut! Up!" was all the reply Ember was capable of making. They were really close now and Rusty strained, reaching her hoof into the hole to try and grab one of them should they falter. In a few more moments Ember emerged from the pit and Winter Shine quickly pulled the lantern out of the way. As soon as he was out, the pegasus could spread his wings more. He gave a few more urgent flaps and both he and Gustaf tumbled to the ground on the other side of the pit.

They both lay on the floor, panting.

Rusty didn't wait. She leapt easily across the hole and hurried to the griffin. "Are you okay?! The chain-"

"Bastard melted it right off!" Gustaf growled and started to rise, but Rusty Bones pushed him down.

"Stay still. Let me check. Where did it hit you?" She looked up at the unicorn mare, who had collapsed and was weeping softly into her hooves.

"Winter! Check on the Professor! Make sure he's out cold and tell me!"

The authoritative tone helped and Winter pulled herself together.

In the meantime Rusty hurried over to the lamp and brought it back. She examined Gustaf's forelegs. There were a few patches where the fur had been burned off and angry red flesh was visible underneath. "We'll put ice on it as soon as we're out. It doesn't look too serious, but it's gonna leave some scars."

Gustaf slumped back in relief. "Scars I don't mind." He raised his head a moment later. "Gag the bastard again! He played us all for fools!"

Rusty saw where Winter Shine was feeling around the Professor's horn, expression full of concern.

"I don't think that'll be necessary. Winter?"

The mare looked up and shook her head. "I don't k-know. He's unconscious, but alive."

"Let's hope he stays that way. How about the chain? We have to do something about his magic!"

The unicorn looked horrified. "Miss- Rusty, it melted!"

"What?"

"The chain! It melted right into the grooves of his horn! I don't think he'll be able to use magic, not until they get it off him."

"That's a small blessing then. Bucking Tartarus full of bovine crap!"

They glanced at each other and then Gustaf started to laugh. "Jeez, Rusty, you sound like my old drill sergeant!"

"I don't care. Buck this place! Five minutes rest, then we get out of here!"

Ember was already tending to Gustaf's wounds and Winter Shine was looking at the Professor again. That gave Rusty Bones a precious few moments to do nothing at all, to center herself and collect her thoughts. She went off a short distance and peered down the dark hole. Then she sat on her haunches and tried some of the old, half-remembered meditation techniques she'd learned years ago. After she had gauged that five minutes had passed, she went back to the others. The moment to collect their wits had done them good, except for Winter Shine who was curled up against the wall, with her legs folded beneath, her tail wrapped tightly around herself, and her face tucked into her side. Only one ear poked out and even that was folded flat. Her eyes were squeezed firmly shut.

Rusty walked over to her and put a careful hoof on the mare, who flinched at the contact. "It's okay, Winter. It's almost over. We're nearly out of this place. Come on," she said in what felt too much like pleading. "We're so close! Just a little further"

She tried to pry the mare's muzzle away, but Winter Shine refused to budge. She was shaking a little as she suppressed her sobbing. Rusty was at a loss. This situation wasn't something she'd ever had to deal with. All her adventures had either been solo, or the ponies with her had been seasoned explorers like herself. Winter Shine breaking down like that, while not unexpected, was nevertheless something Rusty hadn't personally seen before.

"Sweetheart?"

There was finally a response. One eye opened. "Just leave me!" Winter Shine whimpered. "Give it up. We're going to die anyway!"

"No, we're not!"

"It's just playing with us!" the mare continued as if she hadn't heard Rusty at all. "It feeds on despair. It'll let us get almost all the way out then bring us back! We can't escape!"

That sounded entirely too specific and Rusty scrunched up her muzzle in worry. "Winter, who told you that?"

All the mare did was shrug her shoulders and refused to say any more. She turned her head away and stared fixedly at the wall.

"Winter, tell me! Where did you hear that?!" Her harsh words made Winter Shine flinch and Rusty slumped in defeat. "Look, sweetheart, I'm just trying to help. Can you tell me? Did Curio say that? Or was it... something else?"

That finally got a response: "I d-don't know," Winter wailed. "I just know it's useless. We can't escape!" She turned around to peer at Rusty through tear-filled eyes.

"Well, whoever said that, they were lying. Look, if that thing could get us it would have. Just now- what happened with Curio? That was the last gasp. We're too far away and it would rather kill some of us than let us escape."

Winter Shine untangled herself a bit so she could peer at Ember and Gustaf, who were talking quietly, and at Curio Trinket who was still unconscious. She was thinking it over and she looked pleadingly at Rusty, silently begging to be convinced.

"Besides, it failed. It wanted to kill Gustaf because it can't account for him. He's immune to its tricks and the visions, so whatever that thing is, it's afraid of him. Well, now it can't control Curio any more. It can't stop us."

"Y-You think so?"

Rusty smiled and nodded, despite the nagging sliver of doubt in her own mind. "Yeah. Look over there," she pointed, "it's the place we slept the first night. You know it's only a few hoofsteps to the door and then we're out. The ice will be easy after this!"

Perhaps it was relief, or maybe Winter Shine had completely surrendered to whatever fate lay in store for her. She unwrapped and clutched at Rusty, who was only too happy to oblige with a hug. The unicorn buried her muzzle in Rusty's fluff and began weeping.

She couldn't tell whether it was relief or despair, but a cry would certainly do her some good. Rusty awkwardly patted Winter Shine on her back. "There, there, it's gonna be fine. I'll get you home, I promise."

"I hate this! I hate this place. It's dark and smelly and scary. I want to go!" Winter bawled, very much like a young foal.

Rusty couldn't really blame her. The strange events and the things they had seen in the past few days had taken a toll on all of them. "I know, I know sweetheart. It's almost over. Here, let's get you up on your hooves."

At first it was useless as Winter simply collapsed right back into Rusty's hooves each time she was lifted, but gradually her weeping tapered off and she managed to stay upright, albeit on shaking legs.

"Here, you need the energy," Rusty told her as she grabbed her last treasure from the bottom of her pack.

It was a honey and grain bar, a little misshapen and squished, but still pristine in its wrapper. It was like an emergency ration, but for the soul more than for the body.

Winter Shine didn't question. She unwrapped it with her magic and crammed it in her mouth. It was gone in about two faint crunches and a swallow, then she let out her breath. "T-Thanks," she murmured with a faint blush in her muzzle. She didn't meet Rusty's eye.

"You're very welcome. Come, let's see if Gustaf is okay to walk, then we're out."

They turned to the two males sitting across the corridor. Gustaf was leaning against the far wall and there were more bandages wrapping around his chest and around both forelegs.

"I'm fine! Ember, I'm okay! They're just tiny burns, I'm-"

The stallion put a hoof over Gustaf's beak to shut him up. "Hush. I saw and they're not tiny. No, don't scratch! Leave those bandages alone until we get to the town and find a medic!"

Gustaf made a face, but he couldn't keep a small grin from his beak. "Yes, mom."

In response Ember just stuck his tongue out at him and they both chuckled.

That was when Rusty broke into the conversation: "All set? Thanks for looking after him, Ember."

The stallion just inclined his head and said: "It was nothing." He instantly realized how that sounded and twirled to Gustaf. "I mean- I mean, not that it was nothing, of course saving your life is- is- something. What I mean, ugh.." He closed his eyes and took a breath as Gustaf worked hard to suppress his laughter. Finally Ember could continue: "What I meant to say is: You're welcom- eep!"

The end of the word was cut off as Gustaf yanked the pony off his hooves into a powerful hug, even if he winced slightly when he pressed against the burns on his chest. "You saved my life. There wasn't enough room down there for me to open my wings even if they weren't cut up."

That made Ember wince and he brought one wingtip up to inspect it. They could all see that the primary was shaved off at the end. "Yeah, there wasn't even room for myself either. Well, almost. It's really hard to fly with half-closed wings!"

"I guess that's what the designers intended. Good job on beating it, Ember."

"Y-Yeah. Good job," Winter Shine repeated.

It didn't seem the two males were listening anymore. Gustaf had pressed his beak carefully against Ember's muzzle. They both closed their eyes and the stallion seemed to purr softly. Just before they parted Gustaf murmured something right in Ember's ear, which made the pegasus 'eep' quietly and blush. Then the griffin stood up, stretched, and said: "Okay, let's get going. I've had just about enough of this dark ruin!"

"Hear hear!" Rusty exclaimed, eager to get going.

Gustaf picked up Curio once more and waved away Ember's concerns. "We'll move faster if I carry him. I'll be fine until we're out and then we'll rig up some kind of sled like Rusty said." It was a reasonable suggestion and it seemed as if his brush with death had given the griffin new energy, because he moved quite quickly even with the unconscious Professor and on two legs. The rest hurried after him, first Winter Shine, on Rusty's insistence, and then herself and Ember Clover.

She sidled up to the stallion and whispered her question. "What did Gustaf say to you, just now?"

It made Ember's blush deepen. "It's private!"

"Please?"

Not only was she curious, but Rusty felt she needed something nice and positive after that ordeal. Her pleading look worked and Ember sighed. "He said: That's how griffins kiss."

It made Rusty Bones smile widely and she nudged the stallion with her rump. "Congratulations."

His ears splayed as he looked ahead and a goofy smile came on his muzzle. "You think I've got a shot?"

"I knew you had a shot before, but plucking Gustaf out of that pit the way you did? Yeah, my boy, I think you'll get yourself a date. Or ten."

He was obviously pleased with her answer, but Ember still changed the topic: "We should hurry up. We're falling behind."

"Right. Let's move."