Daring Do and the Griffon's Goblet

by Nom De Pony

Chapter 1

Daring Do and the Griffon’s Goblet
Chapter 1

The ground trembled as the volcano came alive all around her. It shook so forcefully she was almost knocked from her hooves. Bracing, she managed to keep some semblance of balance. Every fibre in her body screamed for her to run away from this place, but she just couldn’t. There, ahead of her, sat upon a tall pedestal, was a large ruby, placed inside a setting of gold and onyx, that glimmered brightly even in the low light of her torch at a distance. The Ruby of Rumination. The only thing that stood between her and the artefact that she had been chasing, for what felt like most of her life, was a narrow, cracking walk way that seemed to be weakening further with each tremor of the volcano.

She wished she could save herself the trouble and just fly to the ruby but her wing was still recovering from her incident during her adventure to find the Sapphire Stone. With a deep breath she eased one hoof on to the unstable walk way, testing its strength before committing herself fully to the task ahead. Cautiously, she crossed the walk way one carefully placed hoofstep at a time. Smoke belched from cracks in the floor of the pit several meters below her, announcing the nearby presence of the magma beyond the thin layer of stone. She regretted looking over the side.

She swallowed down the fear that was threatening to consume her and urging her to run. Steeling her resolve to her task, she once again placed one hoof in front of the other when another solid tremor rocked the volcano causing the pathway to crack and give way beneath her. Panicked, she sprinted forward only to have the path in front of her collapse.

As the tremor subsided she found herself stranded on an island, which had once been a support column for the now collapsed pathway, in a sea of rising magma. She struggled to find a way out before noticing that the columns formed a chain of islands that would lead to either safety or the relic; the jumps were each well within her ability. Crouching low she prepared to jump to safety when it occurred to her that she was almost there. Looking over her shoulder the Ruby of Rumination glowed brilliantly in the light cast by steadily rising magma. A few more jumps and it would be hers.

Cursing her foolish choice as she made it, the pagasus turned, braced and leapt. She easily made distance and landed in the center of the pillar but, her hooves scraped along the uneven surface as they refused to find any traction causing her hind legs came out from under her and slide off the edge of the column. At the last second she caught herself with her forehooves and beat her good wing as she pulled herself back onto the pillar with some effort. Before she could begin doubting the sanity of her choice she crouched and leapt to the next platform.

She had made it! One more solid jump and she would be there. This jump was the furthest but not beyond her skills. She steeled her courage one more time then leapt for the final platform that held her desired object. As soon as her hind hooves left the pillar she knew she was going to be short. A scream escaped her throat as she beat her good wing frantically trying to get any kind of lift from it. It was all in vain as the magma rushed towards her; the heat began to scorch her coat before she even reached the pool.

Daring Do awoke with a start in her bed. It took her a moment to realise she was safe in her bed. With a sigh of relief she sat up and held her face in her hooves. That ruby again, She thought, it’s been in my dreams for months. She allowed herself to ponder what the dream could mean for a moment then shook away the thoughts. After slipping from the bed, she stretched tall; spreading her wings wide but gave a sharp gasp as her right wing cried out in sharp pain. At least that part of my dream was real. I would have preferred the ruby.

It had been weeks since she had returned with the Sapphire Stone but her wing was still on the mend. The doctors told her it would take time and to just be patient. Be patient, they may as well have asked her to never fly again. If there was one thing that could compete for her love of archeology and treasure hunting it was flying. It was something the earth pony doctor would never understand. She had begged the unicorn nurse to cast a spell and make it better, but the nurse had only looked offended at the proposition. Thinking back, it might have been the way Daring didn’t so much as ask as demanded.

A quick glance out the window told her she had over slept. She was due to meet the Canterlot museum curator around the time she was just now crawling out of bed. He had sent her a letter yesterday with the vague message that he had an important job for her and she was glad for it. She had been becoming increasingly more restless while remaining stagnant during her recovery, hurt wing or no hurt wing she needed to get back on the road again. Adventure called to her and she was only too keen to answer. After checking herself in the mirror, and deciding she was presentable enough for whatever the curator had to tell her, she stepped out into the bright Canterlot afternoon.

She was lucky enough to have a home all to herself just a few blocks from the museum so the walk was quick and only interrupted as she stopped to buy an apple from one of her favorite vendors. Flanking either side of the main staircase that led to the large, marbled building were statues of Celestia and her sister Luna that had, according to legend, been banished to the moon after an attempted coup. The statues, that were supposedly from the ancient castle that the sister alicorns occupied before Celestia moved her seat of power to Canterlot sometime after the banishment of her sister, were easily four times the size of the largest pony. The two statues never ceased to move her; both were beautifully crafted and didn’t show a day of the thousand plus years of their age. It made her wonder if there was unicorn magic used in the crafting. It wouldn’t have been the first or last time it happened, well perhaps the first.

The low light of the museum’s interior made it hard to see for a moment as she left the bright daylight. As Daring walked slowly through the museum to let her eyes adjust she passed by countless artefacts of unknown age from all over Equestria and beyond. Several of the more prominently displayed items were things she had retrieved, or helped retrieve. Each one held a memory for her, an adventure that helped shape her in to the mare she was today. Normally she would spend a few moments with some of her favorite items, but she was running late and didn’t have time for self indulgence.

A simple barrier sequestered a temporarily restricted area of the museum where an older, grey maned earth pony with a deep brown coat was supervising the instalment of a new display. His cutie mark was a cracked tablet with inscriptions that Daring had spent hours observing trying to decipher. Every time she was caught staring she was told to leave it be, that the markings were just gibberish, but something told her there was something hidden there in her friend’s flank.

“Later than usual, Daring Do.” The stallion called without looking away from his work.

“I’m sorry old colt. Slept in a bit today, I had a restless night.”

He shot Daring a dirty look, she grinned in reply, “How many times have I told you not to call me ‘old colt’?”

Daring couldn’t hold back the laugh, “Too many times it seems, and it still hasn’t worked. If you would just accept it Dusty it would make both of our lives much easier.”

The stallion simply snorted in response, he knew that arguing with Daring on the subject would get him nowhere. Instead he changed the subject, “I suppose you’re wondering why I called you here so urgently.”

“The thought had crossed my mind.”

He nodded towards a note laid out on a nearby table, “Have a look at that.”

Daring gave her friend a curious look then approached the note to give it a quick read. Immediately, she read it again more carefully, then once more just to make sure she had indeed read it correctly. She gave Dusty a curious look, “The griffons?”

He nodded, grinning at the perplexed look on her face, “The griffons. They have requested you specifically to help them find a legendary, long lost artefact that they have been unable to find on their own.”

“Why me? I thought they wanted nothing to do with me after the incident with the Wind Stones.”

Dusty shrugged, “Who knows, maybe they’re getting desperate. Word has it that the Griffon Lord wants a big showing for the fiftieth anniversary of his coronation, and whatever it is they’re after is to be the centrepiece.”

Daring gave the letter another quick read, “They don’t specify what exactly they’re after though.”

“No, they’ve remained extraordinarily tight lipped, or tight beaked in this case, about what they seek. But, rumour has reached me that it’s nothing short of the legendary Goblet of Twelve.”

Daring was shocked but gave her friend a skeptical look, “The Goblet of Twelve? The Goblet of Twelve?! The same goblet that the first Griffon Lord passed around at the ceremony that united the twelve griffon clans into what is Griffonholm today.”

Dusty nodded, “The very same, or so the rumours suggest.”

“I though they lost that after the Discord event when their first settlement slid into the sea.”

Dusty shook his head, “That’s a common misconception. There was a nearby port city that was destroyed that shared a similar name, but not the capitol itself. But there’s always the distinct possibility that the goblet was stolen or smuggled away for safe keeping with the fall of the empire. Either way, the griffons are taking all of these rumours very seriously but have hit nothing but dead ends. That’s where you come in.”

“When’s the anniversary celebration?”

“In less than a month.”

She gave Dusty a shocked look, “Let me see if I understand this. They’ve been looking for this long lost artefact for Celestia knows how long and they think that I may be able to find it in less than a month?”

“Your reputation for finding hard to find artefacts does precede you apparently.”

She grinned at the older stallion, “I had a good mentor, what can I say? What happens if I don’t find the Goblet in time?”

Dusty shrugged, “Probably shame and humiliation for years to come, on top of the hate you’ve already incurred anyways.” He laughed at the shocked look on Daring’s face, “I kid. I, however, would be more concerned with what happens if you do find it in time.”

“And that would be?”

“Restoration in the eyes of the griffons, for one. But, I know you and the thrill of holding an artefact that has not been touched for millennia is its own reward to you.”

Daring let out a sigh of resignation, “You know me too well old colt. I’ll book passage on the train later today.”

Dusty gave his friend a sly look, “It’s already done; you leave in the morning.”

Daring shook her in resignation, “You knew that there was no chance I would say ‘no’ didn’t you?”

“There was never a doubt in my mind that you would go. Now, go home, get your things ready and rest up.”

“You know I need little more than my hat, my bags, and my natural talent.”

Dusty laughed at his former protégé, “Not to mention your modesty. Now get going, perhaps when you get back from your trip this display will be set up and ready to be unveiled.”

Daring looked around the room for the first time since she entered, “What’s being set up in here anyhow?”

“Why, the Sapphire Stone of course. We’re building a whole display around it.”

Daring chuckled, “I really look forward to seeing it then.”

Daring turned to leave when Dusty’s voice called out from behind her, “Oh, and Daring?”

She looked over her shoulder at her old mentor, “Yes?”

“I know how hard it’s for you, but promise me to stay off that wing, the doctors have told me that they’ve seen you cheating with your healing process and that it will only prolong the time it takes to heal properly.”

Daring let out a deep sigh, “Just for you old colt, just for you.”