//------------------------------// // Secret of the Sunken Church Part Four: The Sacred Order of the Golden Sphinx // Story: Daring Do: Shadows Over Equestria // by PonyJosiah13 //------------------------------// “There it is,” Phillip said as he pulled his bike to the side of the road, nodding at the building across the street. Daring Do landed to catch her breath, studying the great marble building with a slight head shake. “Give the Sacred Order this,” she commented, gesturing at the pale gold edifice. “They know how to make a statement.” The lodge was a five-story-tall ashlar edifice built like a temple, the stones the color of desert sand. A set of stairs led up to a set of four two-story-high columns that supported an architrave with Sacred Order of the Golden Sphinx written across it in lapis lazuli. Two statues of a sphinx flanked the staircase, and another was perched on each corner of the roof, looming over the city beneath with imperious scowls. The stairs led to a glass doorway decorated with the Order’s seal: a pyramid topped with an eye, flanked on either side by a sphinx with their wings outspread. The scroll beneath the seal declared the Order’s motto: Scientia Sit Potentia. Knowledge is power. Phillip swapped his helmet for his trilby. “Let’s go,” he said, crossing the street. As they ascended the stairs together, Daring turned to examine the sphinx statues on either side. Each as tall as a pony was long, they stood facing the stairs so that they stared down at any who passed in and out of the building. Whereas the statue of Faust outside the Golden Oaks library was intended to be welcoming, with a warm smile and kind eyes, the far-too-realistic eyes of the sphinxes were narrowed in disdain, their mouths drawn into harsh lines, as though they were judging those who passed by them. Her gaze went down to the beasts’ paws; each had their claws extended and one paw raised as though in preparation to strike. “Welcoming,” she mused as they proceeded to the door and proceeded inside. The lobby was, thankfully, a little more welcoming than the exterior. The center of the room was occupied by a six-foot black obelisk, water running down all four of its sides to the pool that it stood in, providing comforting background noise. Comfortable chairs surrounded tables scattered about the room, many of the tables bearing pamphlets about the Order, explaining their history and mission and how to become a member. Well-tended potted plants stood guard in every corner. At the head of the room was a long, low desk of gold-trimmed oak, behind which a light green unicorn receptionist sat. On the wall behind him, carved into the stone wall, was a mantra, repeated in multiple languages: We dedicate ourselves to the pursuit of Knowledge. From Knowledge comes Understanding. From Understanding comes Freedom. From Freedom comes Action. From Action comes Power. From Power comes Betterment. From Betterment comes Enlightenment. The Sphinx is our Apotheosis. Through it shall All Truths Be Revealed. The duo’s hoofsteps echoed off the black-and-white checkerboard floor as they approached the receptionist’s desk. “Detective Finder,” the unicorn behind the desk said, standing up as they approached. “We have been expecting you. And…” he turned to face Daring. “Professor Daring Do,” Daring introduced herself. The receptionist nodded. “Ah, yes. One moment.” He grabbed a telephone from behind the desk and held it up to his ear with his magic while dialing a number. The line clicked after a moment. “Madame?” the receptionist said. “Le détective est ici, et il a amené le Professeur Daring Do avec lui.” A muffled mare’s voice replied over the line. The unicorn’s eyebrows raised in surprise, then he nodded. “Bien sûr, je vais les envoyer tout de suite.” He hung up and pressed a buzzer on the desktop. “Wait here for a moment, please.” A few moments later, a light gold hippogriff mare with her mane done up in a bun wearing a blouse appeared through the door behind the desk. The sphinx pin on her lapel glimmered beneath the lobby lights. “Please bring our guests up to the Revelation Chamber,” the receptionist said. “The Lodge Mistress wishes to receive them.” “I see,” the hippogriff nodded. “Please follow me.” She guided the two guests back through the doors into the interior of the Lodge. The doors opened to a long hallway with a carpeted floor. Windows formed a wall on either side: to their left was a sizeable library that a few creatures were perusing through, while to the right was a small museum that appeared to be dedicated to the history of the Order, showcasing photographs of the lodge under construction and portraits of severe-looking creatures in hooded cloaks. A security guard in a white uniform with a walkie-talkie on his shoulder stood post at the end of the hall, his head turning to track the visitors with a steely gaze. At the end of the hallway was a set of stairs and an elevator. Daring glanced over a directory next to the elevator. First Floor Public Library Museum Second Floor Alchemical Laboratories Meditation Chamber Public Forum Third Floor (BY INVITATION ONLY) Revelation Chamber Fourth Floor (MEMBERS ONLY) Members Lounge Meeting Room Fifth Floor (THIRD TIER MEMBERS ONLY) Offices Chapel Lodge Master’s Chambers “Our first and second floors are open to those who have need of them,” the hippogriff guiding them explained. “We hold classes on meditation, alchemy, and magic, as well as public debates and scholarly lectures. The Lodge Mistress will be waiting for you in the Revelation Chambers. I must caution you, the fourth and fifth floors are strictly prohibited to non-members and you will be asked to leave if you are found trespassing upon them.” “Then we won’t be found trespassing in them,” Daring replied. Their guide started to reach for the elevator button. “Stairs,” Phillip grunted, starting to climb up the steps. The hippogriff faltered for a moment but shrugged. “As you wish.” Daring looked up the long carpeted stairway that stretched to the floor above them and considered walking up every flight. “Nah, screw that,” she declared and grabbed Phillip beneath the shoulders. “Wha-HEEEEYYY!” Phillip cried as he was carried up the stairs, winding around the landings on each floor in a greyscale rainbow. They halted on the third floor and Daring dropped her passenger off, smirking in response to his piercing scowl. “What? I got us up here fast, didn’t I?” Phillip grumbled and adjusted his trilby, taking in the scene around them. The third-floor landing opened to a short hallway that led to a simple oak door. No decoration adorned the plain white walls, no windows opened to the outside. The hippogriff flapped up after them, scowling as she landed. “Yes. The Lodge Mistress is waiting for you there. I suggest you not keep her waiting.” She gestured at the door. “Thank you,” Phillip said, striding forward. He opened the door and ushered Daring and himself inside, closing the door behind them. The room inside was simply furnished: a low coffee table with a set of winged chairs surrounding it, a red box with a four-digit padlock sitting atop the table’s surface. On each of the four walls was a painting, each of which was a different subject: a ship in a lightning storm, a forest with several birds perched on the branches, a tractor in a field of wheat, and an observatory atop a hill beneath a night sky. The room was lit by four lamps in the corner, each shade a different color: blue, green, red, and yellow. The sole decoration was a statue of a sphinx against the right wall. It sat on a four-sided pedestal that was decorated with a crescent moon on the front and stars around the perimeter. Nopony was inside the room. “Wait, what the hell–?” Daring started to ask, but the door had closed behind her. Phillip stared around the room. “This room is too small,” he mused. “Room should be several times larger than this. What is the point of this?” Daring looked above the door and spotted a sign over the threshold. “‘Revelation Through Trial,’” she read aloud. “I wonder…” She looked over at the table and picked up the box. A faint rattling sounded from within. The top of the box had four paintings on it: a bluebird, an apple, a butterfly, and a lightning bolt. “Hmm…” she mused, looking up at the paintings. “There are butterflies in this one,” she said, looking at the painting of the wheat field. “And some of the trees in this one are apple trees,” she added, turning to study the observatory painting. “It’s a puzzle,” Phillip grumbled. “Bloody waste of time.” “If we want answers, guess we’ll have to play along,” Daring commented. “Okay, there are two lightning bolts in the ship painting…two, four, six, seven bluebirds in the bird painting…three apple trees…and six, seven, eight, nine butterflies.” She turned the combination to seven-three-nine-two and pulled. The lock opened and she pulled the box open to reveal what appeared to be a curved lens of multicolored crystal and a note. “‘Blue is before green. The first and last are opposite colors. Yellow is not third,’” she read out loud. She picked up the crystal and tilted it, observing how the color shifted. “Blue, green, yellow. Lampshades,” Phillip stated. Daring held the lens up to the yellow lampshade and looked through it. Words appeared on the lampshade, visible through the filtering of the lens. “‘Lift sinister paw,’” she read. “What the heck does…?” She turned to the statue of the sphinx, which was smirking back at her from the side of the room, perched atop its pedestal. Out of curiosity, she strode forward and gently pulled on the sphinx’s right paw. The foreleg moved upwards on a hinge, securing into place with a click. “Ah, I see,” she declared, resetting the arm. Phillip looked over the note, then at the lamps, murmuring to himself as he puzzled out the order. “Red, yellow, blue, green,” he stated. Daring took up the lens again and read the instructions in order. “‘Turn head to east, ‘Lift sinister paw,’ ‘Salute Luna,’ ‘With lucky wing.’” The duo examined the sphinx statue, looking up and down the pedestal. “So which way is east?” Daring asked. Phillip studied the constellations on the right side of the pedestal. “Cassiopeia on this side, pointing towards the front of the pedestal,” he reported. “If the front is north, then left side is east.” Daring turned the sphinx’s head to the left with a click. “Okay, sinister paw…” She frowned at the two paws. “But they’re both the same. Which one is sinister?” Phillip thought for a moment, then nodded. “Left.” Daring considered briefly, then slapped herself on the forehead. “Right. ‘Sinister’ comes from ‘sin,’ Old Ponish for ‘left.’” She lifted the sphinx’s left paw until it clicked. “Now ‘Salute Luna with lucky wing.’ That one’s obvious.” She slid the sphinx’s right wing towards the front of the pedestal so that it was pointing at the crescent moon. There was a great clicking and grinding of gears, then a shifting of stone as a doorway in the wall opened up, revealing a huge library and sitting room that occupied the entire floor. Shelves bore thick tomes and grimoires secured behind heavy glass. Cabinets displayed strange curios: small idols, mannequins bearing ancient robes and tribal clothing, intricately carved masks, and trinkets made of glass beads. Luxurious chairs in mushroom leather surrounded small reading tables. The room was lit by a chandelier overhead and a crackling fire in a huge hearth at the far end of the room, the flames casting dancing shadows over the walls and the floor. A doorway next to the hearth revealed a set of stairs leading up and down. The sound of clapping filled the room. Sitting in one larger chair next to the fireplace was a light pink unicorn mare with a long crimson mane adorned with raven highlights. She wore a light gold robe with black trim around the sleeves and the collar; a gold-leaf cigarette in a cigarette holder rested in an ashtray set on the table next to her. “Bravo, bravo,” the mare said in a voice tinged with a Prench accent, her light brown eyes sparkling as she ceased her applause. She lit her horn with a scarlet aura and held up a stopwatch. “Two minutes and thirty-seven seconds. You beat the previous record by almost four whole minutes.” The mare stood up and bowed slightly. “Bienvenue, Professor Do, Monsieur Finder. I am Scarlet Letter, the Lodge Mistress of the Ponyville chapter of the Sacred Order of the Golden Sphinx.” A bell rang in the back of Daring’s head. “Hold on, Scarlet Letter? As in the romance author?” The mare’s eyes sparkled. “Ah, a fan?” “No,” Daring replied bluntly. Scarlet laughed lightly. “Ah, well. Different creatures have different tastes.” “So what was the point of the escape room?” Daring scowled. “Forgive us for the game,” Scarlet smiled, gesturing to two opposite chairs. “It is something we test all of our special guests with. The Order has little interest in creatures who lack craftiness or drive.” “We know Family Tree was working with you,” Phillip said, refusing to sit. “We know she was looking for the Sunken Church. Thought she could find the Prism of Darkness.” Scarlet’s eyes shone in pleasure. “Excellent. You’ve found out a lot.” “Enough. Not here to fuck spiders, Scarlet,” Phillip grunted. “You what?” Daring asked, barely able to hold back surprised laughter. Scarlet’s eyebrows rose into her mane, an amused smile creasing her face. “Such a colorful vocabulary you Aushaylians have, Monsieur Finder,” she tittered. Phillip leaned forward, his scowl increasing. “You’re leading us around. It ends. You need to tell us what you told her.” Scarlet studied Phillip and Daring for a few moments, then nodded. “But of course.” She straightened out her robes before continuing. “When Family Tree came to us with her theories a mere three months ago, she said that she needed research that we had: records that we had acquired decades ago when the temple was remade into the church it is today.” “Why do you have those?” Daring asked. “We acquired them through a group of…historians that we support. Professor Tree was able to track those records from them to us,” Scarlet explained. “Anyway, we tested her the same as you were tested. She passed, of course, and we allowed her access to this room, where we kept the documents in question.” “What is this place anyway?” Daring asked. Scarlet gestured around her. “This room is where we keep some of our most…sensitive information and research. While any who have need of them can access the library, laboratories, and the forum on the floor below, this room is only accessible to members of the Order and outsiders who have proven themselves smart and ambitious enough to truly appreciate them. Tell me, Professor, does anything strike your fancy?” Daring gazed about her, drinking up every sight, every exhibit. “Are those fertility idols from pre-Equestria?” she asked, pointing to some small statuettes depicting long-legged quadrupeds with branch-like antlers. “Recovered from a section of the Everfree Forest that was cleared for a reservoir expansion,” Scarlet replied. “But this one here is particularly fascinating.” She gestured to a huge horned ponyquin wearing a heavy coat of cotton, thick as a quilt, dyed various warm colors. “What do you make of it?” “That’s quilted armor worn by a buffalo tribe,” Daring said, approaching and circling it. “Looks new, but buffalo and zebras use enchantments on their clothes to keep them from wearing out. Hmm…someone sewed large portions of the back together.” “That was us,” Scarlet answered. “That was discovered in the Galloping Gorge many years ago; the surveyor who found it was about to throw it out when we bought it from him. It was badly torn, but we spent a long time putting it back together.” “That was all that he found?” Daring asked. “Migratory buffalo tribes did use to travel around the gorge ages ago…this might have been worn by a young warrior on his rite of passage through the gorge. Guess he didn’t make it.” “Oui, that’s our theory,” Scarlet nodded. “The study of the enchantments in the armor has been most enlightening, but we’ve–” Phil cleared his throat sharply. “The Temple.” “All work and no play makes Monsieur Finder a dull pony,” Scarlet tutted, but nonetheless stood up and made her way over to the bookshelf, extracting a set of keys from her belt in a light crimson aura. She unlocked the glass case and pulled the cover back. “Où est-ce que je l'ai mis... ?” she mused, running a hoof over the spines. “Ah, ici!” She pulled a thick portfolio folder labeled Temple of Precious Enlightenment out of the shelf and carried them over to a reading desk close to the fireplace, beckoning her guests closer. As they passed, Daring was unable to resist casting her eyes over the books on the shelves once more. The books ranged from tattered incunabula with titles in Old Ponish to more modern texts on the history and culture of Ponyville and the surrounding area, with an entire section devoted to the Everfree Forest. But towards the back of the room was a small display case. Inside, resting on a velvet sheet, was a single book, a massive tome with a worn cover that displayed a series of swirling comets streaking over an arid landscape. The book was secured by a padlocked chain wrapped stoutly around its body. Daring paused as she recognized the cover. “Is that…?” “The Unásecgendee Tācnu,” Scarlet confirmed. “The Unspeakable Signs, written in 1057 by Comet Watcher, the Mad Prophet himself. This is an abridged translated version, I’m afraid; the only known complete, original version is kept in the Royal Archives in Canterlot.” “You know that they say that anycreature who reads it either dies or goes nuts?” Daring asked, unable to tear her eyes from the book. “They do say that, don’t they?” Scarlet said with an enigmatic smile as she placed the binder on the reading table. “Now, this portfolio contains documents and photographs from the Temple. Some were recovered from the fire, and other researchers added other documents over time.” Daring raised an eyebrow. “You seem pretty interested in the temple.” “We have an interest in the Temple’s history,” Scarlet replied. “Just as we are interested in anything involving secrets and esoteric knowledge. After all, scientia sit potentia.” “Right. Which is why you keep it all locked up behind a puzzle room,” Daring said with a frown. “Not locked up; certainly not from deserving ponies such as yourself, Professor Do,” Scarlet said in a placating manner, raising a hoof. “We see it as keeping them safe from those who would misuse them for their own ends…or are too foolish to wield that power wisely. A little knowledge can be a dangerous thing, after all,” she added, giving Daring a smirk. A chill ran up and down Daring’s spine, but she returned Scarlet’s gaze evenly. “Anyway, our interest in the Temple of Precious Enlightenment was more of an idle curiosity initially; it was only when Family Tree showed us her theories that we finally put the pieces together,” Scarlet continued. “Why was she interested in it?” Phillip asked. “She was confident that she could find the Prism of Darkness,” Scarlet explained. “I…believe that she hoped that it would allow her to connect with her deceased husband.” Scarlet shook her head. “In retrospect, perhaps we should not have been so eager to trust her thus.” “When did you last see her?” Phillip pressed. “On Monday morning,” Scarlet answered. “She came in to do additional research before her classes started. When I came in, she declared joyously, ‘I have found it! I have found it!’ and ran off before I could ask her what she meant. Annoyingly, she took something with her: a photograph of Eastern Cartographer, the preacher of the Temple, performing a service.” “Hmm,” Phillip mused, flipping through the portfolio. Checking over his shoulder, Daring observed that the documents and photographs within were contained in plastic sleeves. They were sorted into different sections, separated by tags: Finances, Letters, Sermons, Photographs, and so on. One section towards the end was marked “Catacombs.” A lot of the documents were damaged, scorched by the fire that had destroyed the original Temple and carefully restored. “Was there anything she was particularly interested in?” Daring asked. “Family Tree reviewed every document in that portfolio a dozen times,” Scarlet replied. “As have we.” Daring Do sighed. “Come on, Family. What did you see here?” she whispered to herself. Phillip looked through the photographs, pausing at a curled photograph depicting Eastern Cartographer standing at a pulpit, clearly in the middle of delivering a sermon. Aside from the circlet with the upside-down ankh, he was wearing a dark green hooded robe and a white stole around his neck. Down the left side were cuneiform icons, sharp lines and interconnected dots not unlike constellation maps. Down the right was a series of hieroglyphs, stitched in gold. “She took a photo like this?” Phillip asked. “Oui, another depicting the preacher at work,” Scarlet said. “Let me see this,” Daring said, taking the portfolio. She flipped to the back, to the section on the Catacombs, and began to flip through it. In contrast to the rest of the collection, many of the items in this section were hoofwritten notes detailing searches of the basement and experiments to try to find and open the catacomb doors, as well as typewritten transcripts of interviews. “Who did these interviews?” Daring asked, pausing at a page towards the end. This one was fresh and recent, judging by the bright color of the sheet, and was headed by a photograph of a light yellow earth pony stallion with a graying blue mane, standing in front of a mantelpiece and frowning at the camera with his long, tufted ears pulled back slightly. The document was titled Measuring Tape, Twenty-second of the Moon of Leaves, 1953. “Some we did ourselves, but many were done by Family herself,” Scarlet said. “We attempted to find former members of the Temple ourselves, but few of the ones we could find were willing to talk. Family, however…” She smiled fondly. “We should have come to her first. She had a genius for finding these creatures and getting them to open up.” “Part of being an expert in Ponyville’s history,” Daring said with a faint smile. “She could find the fifth-generation descendant of an immigrant that came over on a train…” She trailed off slightly. Her hoof had lowered down to a section of the transcript that was underlined in pen. Q: So how did you become a higher-tier member? MT: There was a riddle that you had to solve. If Cartographer thought that they had…promise, he’d give them a parchment with the riddle on it. Q: Did you ever get one? MT: No, but one of my friends in the congregation did get one. Obviously, he wasn’t supposed to show anyone who wasn’t initiated, but I did catch a part of it once when he set it down. I don’t remember the details, but I do remember there was something about knocking. Q: What else about the riddle? Mt: I think that if you solved the riddle, that would allow access to the catacombs. I think Cartographer mentioned once that you had to find the stone inside it and you were in. Q: Did your friend get in? (Long silence) MT: That day I saw part of the riddle…that was the last time I saw him. I left the church soon after. Should have done it sooner. “Knocking…” Daring mused. She began to flip back through the documents, her eyes sweeping over the contents with a practiced gaze. She went back through the notes on the catacombs, through lists of members, and finally found what she sought in a collection of collated sermons. The parchment was burnt and curled, colored a rusty brown, but the words printed upon it were still just legible. I am the key to the underworld. Knock once, knock thrice, knock twice, and again, then five raps at the door to wisdom. The doors shall open and once you descend, the skulls will unlock the truth. Do this, and you shall see as I do at last. A cry of triumph started to rush up Daring’s throat, but she forced it down, glancing at Scarlet. The Lodge Mistress was hovering nearby, looking curiously over at them; the look in her eyes reminded Daring of a mountain lioness lounging in a tree, watching a nearby flock of deer, body relaxed but gaze intense and unblinking. Trust your gut, Daring Do, her uncle’s voice whispered in her ear. Daring memorized the page’s contents in a heartbeat and turned it without lingering. She continued flipping through the portfolio, shaking her head. “Did you find anything?” Scarlet asked. Her voice was even, but she was unable to completely keep the eagerness out of the edges. “I’m not sure,” Daring shook her head, her heart trembling in her chest. “Can we take one of these photos of Cartographer?” “There is a copier over there,” Scarlet said, gesturing at a large machine set up in the corner, utterly incongruous in the sumptuous room. “Thanks,” Daring said, plucking out a picture of Cartographer at the pulpit. She placed the picture down on the glass screen and started the machine, which whirred and groaned for a few moments, then spat out a paper copy of the picture. Daring scanned it, nodding in satisfaction as she found that the images on the stole were still detailed. She glanced over at Phillip, who nodded. “Well, thanks for the help,” Daring said, replacing the original photograph in the portfolio. “I do hope that you can find what happened to Family Tree,” Scarlet said with a fittingly solemn nod. “She was, after all, a very valuable friend.” Daring frowned and followed Phillip out the door. As they exited, she turned and looked over her shoulder. Scarlet was watching them leave, waving goodbye, backlit by the fire in the hearth. Her smile looked about as sincere as a crocodile’s, and her eyes were just as hungry. And then the door shut behind them and the sight was gone. Daring breathed a sigh in relief, a weight that she hadn’t noticed finally lifting from her shoulders. “Let’s get out of here,” she urged her partner, heading for the stairs. They trotted down the steps down to the ground floor and exited the front doors, back into the bustle and fall-scented air of the city. “You have an idea,” Phillip said as they descended the steps to the sidewalk. “It’s the best clue I’ve got,” Daring said, patting her pocket to make sure that the copy of the photograph was still safe inside. “Only one way to see if it works.” She glanced back at the lodge, her eyes going up to the statues of the sphinxes up at the top. Was it her imagination, or had some of them turned to stare after her…? She shook the feeling off as they crossed the street. “We should make a plan,” she commented as Phillip swapped out his hat for his helmet once more. “Far away from here.” “Agreed,” Phillip said, straddling the bike. He kicked it to life and pulled it away from the curb. “So,” Daring said with a small smirk. “You’re not here to…fuck. Spiders.” “Oy. Equestrian slang sounds weird to me,” Phillip groused. “Yeah, but who says that?” Daring said as they started back up the street. “Ponies who grew up in a land like Aushaylia,” Phillip answered. “Where there really are spiders big enough to stick willie–” “Aaaaand we’re changing the subject,” Daring cut him off.