The second step.
Saphira and Ruby ran all the way back to the entrance from the two story tall mechanical metal wolf. Only to be stopped by the traditional way this plays out. 'The door closed behind us.' Now I have to find a back door to beat this thing. I could try to fight it, but I run the risk of losing, and though's odd's are high. The wolf stood ready to attach slowly circling around me. I was still half way into the room, and the most destructive. The thing know's who is the bigger threat, and is keeping an eye on me, while it gets closer to the weaker members of the group. 'But why a wolf of all things? A mechanical dragon would be much better.'
I kept my gaze fixated on the beast, trying to figure out how to beat it without the need of violence. That's how it works. It's a puzzle, a test to see if you are worthy to enter this place. Violence would just cause harm to both the temple and the raider. 'But what would it be?' I know my wolfs, they are a loyal, humble and proud race of creatures. Able too work together in trust and honesty. The wolf hunts by finding the weakest link in the group, separating it from said group, and to take it out. 'Wait... Oh, very cleaver. I just have to show; Loyalty to the group, Pride to my choice, and humility to the hunter.'
I walked slowly back to the door where Saphira and Ruby were trying to burn it down. The wolf followed beside me, snarling away, warning me to keep away from his kill. It took only one minute of walking before I got in between the girls and the wolf. The girls realized that it was no use and hid behind me, begging for me to save them. 'Step one complete.' I brought both of them close to my back and held them with my wings, giving the wolf a snarl of my own. This made the wolf to stop its advance. The lifeless beast eyes locked with mine. The girls trembled holding to my waist as tight as they could muster. 'Step two complete.' I broke from our eye battle and lowered our heads asking forgiveness for trespassing in its den. The beast gave a deep loud growl, then started to walk away. I felt the beasts vibrant metallic rhythm slowed down till it vanished all together. I looked back up with Saphira and Ruby to see the wolf go back into its slumber. The door behind it opened, and the entrance re-opened. 'Step three complete. Star rating;Five gold!' I let go of the girls and continued deeper into the temple, But I was stopped half way through the room.
"NO SAPHIRA! YOU ALMOST GOT US KILLED!" Ruby shouted.
"Oh come on! We didn't. Now let's keep going." Saphira said.
"WITH HIM! HELL NO! I'm going home! You can keep adventuring all you want! But if you get killed. I won't come back to find you!" Exclaimed Ruby as she took off for the exit.
"FINE THEN! BE THAT WAY! BUT IF I FIND LOOT, I'M NOT SHARING!"
"Honestly what a chicken." Saphira mumbled. Rolling my eyes, I continued past the newly frozen wolf statue with Saphira following just behind. 'I could care less.'
Walking down the empty stone hall with a very annoying dragoness, was more exhausting then I thought it would. Having someone claim they did all the work while said I just stood there and did nothing, made me want to turn around and slap her silly, but I am not like that. I spent most of the time tuning her out, so that I can figure out how that wolf was possible. Sure it was magic cause, but what made the machinery? From my files from the vault of glass, they had everything about Equestria! But nothing like that! This entire temple is so way out of left field, it go's right. I know I have seen this style of architecture somewhere, but the memory is so vague, that not even the eye of dreams could clear it out. 'Maybe Saphira knows?'
"bla bla bla bla, I am the best. bla bla bla" chattered Saphira walking beside me.
"Hey?" I asked causing her to stop rambling.
"Yeah?"
"Why is this place, cursed.?"
"Were you living under a rock? Everyone know's It was built by humans! Ya know? The unkillable dragon slayers." 'That, doesn't surprise me.'
"Oh...Meh." I replied.
"Does anything scare you?"
"Nope."
The little, but very helpful information she gave, told me something strange. 'Humans? In full form? Here?' It was hard to believe, even for me, but humans as a tale to scare dragons? How long ago were we here? If we are mere legends too dragons, that would mean we had such an impact long ago, before civilization was even made, and nobody knows about it. The thought, like all things that push me to find the truth, made me wonder why a temple was here. Then I remembered. Tartarus, the Greek afterlife, is here in Equestria, but it is not legend. Everybody knows about it, even where the location of the gate is! 'If such a place exists here, than... Did long ago...Did humans help build the thing? Or was it before even that!' Now I must figure this out before it kills me. 'Stupid curios brain.' The more I think about it, the more evidence I find hidden from both of our worlds.
"How much longer could this hallway be?!" Saphira groaned. "Hey blacky, how much longer?"
"My name is not 'blacky', its Winter, and I don't know." I sighed.
We have been walking for six straight hours going one direction. In that time, I could have walked for thirty-two miles, a feet for a hardcore marathoner, but this hall was also starting to get on my nerves. If we have been walking for such a length of time, we should have gotten somewhere. Using my enhanced vision, I saw the end of the hall just a short ways away, but we weren't moving close enough, like with each step we take, we stay standing...'Another test, figures.'
"Saphira, stop for a moment."
"Why?" she said stopping.
"Because we are in another trap."
"Pffftt... No we're not." She pointed to the end of the hall. "See! We just have a few more minutes."
"Ok then, you keep going while I get us out of this mess." I retorted.
She went walking down the hall so I could investigate what's going on. Saphira manged to walk a few meters in front of me, only to pop behind me. She walked up to me confused, but kept going. Only to pop back behind. 'Ok. We are in a time loop or mirror field. If we are in a time loop, then we are stuck here permanently. If we are in a mirror field, then all we need to do is walk backwards.' I chose the later because having a time loop this strong would require more magical energy than five alicorns. I turned myself facing away from the location I was trying to get to, and began walking backwards. Saphira saw me do this and mimicked what I was doing. I walked this way for five minutes and just as I thought, we finally exited the hall!
We both broke from our endless hallway to a humongous city of stone within the volcano crater. From where we were standing, I could make out every detail for the districts of the city, but that’s not what caught my eye. It was the huge spire jutting out from the center beyond the mountains rim. The structure I saw flying to the volcano. The entrance from which we came, lead to a stair case down to the first district, not wanting to waste anymore time. I walked down the stairs, Saphira followed behind.
I paid no attention to Saphira, she was just along for the ride. Walking into the first district was a stupid idea for her. I told her that flying in a place like this was a death trap. Because from the height we were at, I could see a bunch of rotting corpses on a couple of buildings with long black spears jutting out from their chests. Saphira liked to argue, ‘a lot.’ So like a good man I was, I toned her out while she blabbed on about how much smarter she is.
The first district we were able to enter was probably the poorest. There wasn’t strong wolf carved buildings, or stylish wooden housing, but shacks half-assed put together made from whatever the residents could find. Sheets of metal for roofing, basic old wood pieced together with rope for walls, and whatever else was down here. The streets weren’t in much good shaped either. Charred cobble stone lined with steam spitting vents to remove any fluid to finds its way there. The stench of the place was making my follower gag. Not that I blame her, I was almost there too.
“Oh sweet Celestia that’s rancid!” Sahpira complained covering her snout. “How much longer till we get out of here?”
“Don’t know, at the rate we are going...” I said leaping over a black puddle. “…Five hours till we reach the middle class district and out of the smell.”
“How would you know? For all I know, you could be leading us to another trap where I have to get us out from.” She sassed. ‘I swear I’m gonna beat her.’
“I know, because I am not the one complaining about the smell.” I replied.
“Suuure. While you go the long way. I am going to fly.”
“Wait!” I shouted, but it was too late.
Saphira extended her wings and took to the sky, I flew after her. She got just above the buildings and made her way to the spire. Out of the corner of my eye, I spot a glow followed by a loud snapping sound. I caught up to Saphira just in time to block a black spear from hitting her. I tackled her to the ground, dodging a dew more spears along the way. I dragged her down back to ground level, which wasn’t an easy feat. She kicked, punched and flapped her wings trying to get back to the air, but I was stronger. Once she settled down pissed to the moon of the way I treated her, I smacked her upside the head and pointed to one of the spears embedded in a house beside us.
“Do you want to be killed?!” I shouted.
“NO!” she claimed.
“Then when I say no flying. NO FLYING! YOU GOT THAT?!”
“Fine…You don’t have to be so mean about it! And who made you the boss, huh?!”
“I’m the boss, because you decided to follow me! So it is my responsibility to make sure you are safe.” I explained. “I am being mean because you have been driving me up the walls claiming have been doing everything, when you clearly haven’t done squat!”
Saphira retreated from her attitude and pointed to something behind me. I turned around pissed, which is very rare for me, to see another mechanical thing. It was not like the wolf before, this was an upright armored anthro wolf with a black halberd dawning crescent shaped blades. He was another nasty metal mother fucker that I couldn’t care for right now, if there was a secret way to beat him. Drawing Nix from her sheath as the beast slammed down a forward strike, both of our blades collided with enough force to crush whatever was between the blades.
The beast recovered from the failed hit and jumped back prepping for a proper duel. Thrusting after the beast, using my wings for an added boost of speed. The beast blocked the hit following through with an upward sweep causing me to retreat to a safe distance. I stretched my neck not caring about Saphira at the moment. Charging again for another attach, the beast had the same idea. He lunged, spear head aimed for my chest. I side stepped from his initial motions bringing Nix up along his side, splitting his cut wide open. This made the thing mad. Spinning around the halberd along his body in elegant, fluid, motion, enchanting the one man audience with a display of expertise, ending with the stick pointed at me under one arm, the other did the, ‘come at me bro,’ hand flick. ‘Ok. He has a long weapon ment for raged attach’s, and the first little bout was a test of skill. Time to try out that one spell I have been dying to use.’
I sheathed Nix while putting on my Ornstein helmet, focusing my magic and gathering the materials held within my ship. Once I had enough the thing I wanted to make, I casted the spell. I held out one hand and with the white dragon scales, steel, black leather, and dragon bones held within my ship, I made a weapon I am most familiar with. A scythe.
The scythe was made before the eyes of the mechanical beast and Saphira. The dragon bone staff wrapped with the black leather and white dragon scales. It was six feet long, the base of the staff had a crescent moon hilt pointed away from the staff was made from the scales and a blade within was a two foot by six inch white blade with a black flame inlay coming from the hilt to the tip of the blade. The other end of the staff was were all the magic happened. The main curved blade was four feet long and one foot from the base thinning out to a point at the tip. From the base of the blade to the tip was the same black fire inlay within the white dragon scale blade. The main blade was attached to a hollowed out moon the size of the base of the blade with a snow flake filling it in. At the opposite end of the blade, was a two foot by one foot mini version of the main blade, same style, but slightly thicker for added weight.
I did the same motion as did the wolf man getting a feel for my new addition to my arsenal. It was light, smooth too slash, and oh so epic. I ended my dance, placing the main blade to my feet main blade facing forward, the staff followed up my arm and the hilt blade over my left side of my head. I gave a wolfish smile to the beast and charged for round two.
The beast did the same bringing his halberd scraping his old metal against the cold volcanic stone in a hard upward sweep. I side stepped to the right dodging the sweep. I brought Lupus over my head blocking the hammer fall from the beast. Pushing away the force the thing was bringing down on me. I slashed his other side wide open bringing the entire blade along his gut. The beast lunged his weapon at me causing me to retreat again. The beast reached down with his empty hand to check the damage. The beast had to look down as he didn’t feel anything. With this new opening, I jumped into the air as high as I could go with Lupus in both hands. The beast looked up after he was done his check to see a pinwheel spinning dragon bring his scythe down in a hard forward slash through his body. Cutting it in half. I landed behind the beast with Lupus along my back, I tapped the beast with the hilt, causing it to split in two.
I rested Lupus on my shoulder and walked to the frozen Saphira. She looked up at me amazed at the display I showed against the thing. I gave her a curt smile telling her everything was alright now. She shook her head, snapping back to reality and followed me deeper into the city.
Night took over and our need for rest set in. We managed to get half way through the middle class district on foot and without having another encounter with the local wild life. I started a fire and took off my armor, setting it aside with my new scythe Lupus by my bed roll I made out of the materials I found looting some of the stone houses.
We set up camp within one of the more, ‘Intact,’ houses. Sitting by the fire I made, I stretched from how sore I got from the fight. Saphira sat a ways away from me, against the wall from the fire. I wouldn’t blame her. After the little bout with a, ‘Rnira,’ as they are called from a journal I found, she stayed quiet and out of the way. Though, I think it was because I yelled at her. I beckoned her to get away from the place she was sitting to get warm. She glared at me in defiance. I raised a brow in defence. Giving an exasperated sigh, she got up and sat closer crossing her arms over, laying against the wall by my stuff. I sat closer to her, which caused her to shimmy slightly away.
“What’s wrong?” I asked annoyed.
“Nothing.” She spat.
“Stop pouting and tell me.” I said trying to meet her eyes.
“No.” she sassed turning her head away.
“If you don’t, I will send you home.” She shuffled in place unsure if the next words she says are the right ones.
“Well?” I pushed.
“I’m mad at you.”
“Really. Aren’t I the one supposed to be that way? You did argue with me about things you didn’t do. Remember?” I said grabbing a couple gems that I looted from one of the houses, and started to munch down on a ruby, that tasted like strawberries.
“Yeah but!”
“But what?” I cut her off. “You have no reason to be mad. I saved your ass twice already, and the thanks I get is you fucking trying to make yourself the hero.” I pointed to her for emphasis. She retreated curling into a ball resting her head on her knees. ‘Good job W. Good job.’ I moved my spot to right beside her. She tried to shimmy away, but I wrapped my tail around her before she could.
“Saphira? I cannot let come any further if I can’t trust you. So tell me what’s wrong, and don’t give me bullshit.” She glared at me, and I met her with a soft tired eyes. Her glare couldn’t hold, thus she broke down and started a starring contest with her feet.
“I…think… you’re…Mumble, mumble.”
“What? Speak up.”
“I…Think you’re…c…Mumble, mumble.”
“I didn’t catch that?”
“I THINK YOU’RE CUTE! There I said it, happy?!” She blurted. “I think you are the coolest, most amazing dragon ever. You just waltzed right into this cursed place like it was nothing! You took my breath away when you beat thought’s things like they were ants! You are smart, you are the cutest guy dragon I have ever seen, and you are scared of nothing…while I’m terrified.” She curled deeper into her ball awaiting rejection. “I argued with you because I was scared. You were calm and quiet. I just wanted to hear your voice for some sense of comfort. I don’t want to die here….” She whimpered. “I want to go home.”
Giving a long sigh, I came to a quick decision of how to approach my new found situation. I have a sexy dragoness confessing her feelings to me in a place she is petrified to be in. My lower brain was trying its best to convince me to take action, but I am not that kind of man to just brush off a confession like that. I do have my standards, but in a place like this. I won’t find out anytime soon. Thinking it over, I chose to be her special someone. I’m single and probably going to be that way for many more years thanks to my griffin half. ‘So time to do what I do best.’ I got as close as I could get wrapping my right wing and arm around Saphira. She looked up shocked as to what I was doing, but quickly settled down and warmed up to me. ‘All girls do.’
“I’m sorry for yelling earlier, but if you are scared. Just say it. Ok?”
“Ok…” She sniffled.
“Tell you what. When we are done exploring this place. Let’s go out.” I smiled. She broke from my hugged and starred. Her pure white scales turned a bright red.
“Re…re...really?” she stuttered.
“Really.” I replied handing her a ruby with my free hand. She curled back into me under my wing, nibbling on her gem in sheepish delight, while I prayed I didn’t make a horrible mistake.
‘Go with the flow and things just happened. My life rocks!’