Daring Do walked through the hot jungle, where she was, she didn’t know. Searching for the temple seemed like a lost cause, she had searched for fifty four days now. The gentle night breeze felt eerie and evil, Daring felt like there was someone there. She paused.
“Who’s there?” she called quietly.
No answer.
“Show yourself!” she yelled. A shadow shifted to her right.
“Daring Do.” A silky voice said to her left, “So nice to finally meet you.”
“Who are you?”
“Oh I think you would recognize my voice,” The voice said without losing its calm. “After all the stories you heard.”
“How do you know who I am?” Daring asked firmly.
“Oh I have my sources.” The deep voice chuckled echoing all around her. A shiver went down Daring’s spine. Daring opened her mouth to speak, but only a gasp came from her. A dark shadow stepped into the moon light. His blue skin rippled as he moved and he had a sharp grin on his face, the hand on his tail bobbed back and forth. There he stood, undeniably real, Ahuizotl himself. All the drawing and descriptions never measured up to his magnificence. Daring’s gaze hardened.
“Ahuizotl.” Daring spat in anger.
“Oh good. You recognize me.”
“Your reputation precedes you.” Daring said with her teeth clenched.
“Look,” Ahuizotl said touching the tip of Daring’s muzzle, he took a step closer, “I don’t want you to think you can take the artifact from me, it’s mine. If you try to take it, there will be a price on your little horsey head.” Daring Do stared up in defiance. It was hard not to shrink down into a little puddle, Ahuizotl was by far the scariest thing she had seen in her adventures. “Bon voyage, Daring Do.” Ahuizotl turned around with his tail hand waving good bye.
Daring stared after him as he walked away. There was no way she was giving the artifact up now, she had searched too long for that. Why didn’t he kill me? Daring thought. No pony had met Ahuizotl and lived to tell the tale. Daring Do shivered even though it wasn’t cold, The artifact is mine Ahuizotl, if I have to kill you for it… She started into a trot, then a full gallop. Then so be it.