Daring Do and the Throne of Ouroboros

by Tolerance

2: Top of the Food Chain

Daring Do hovered through the hall, since the clatter of her hooves along the immaculate floor would only serve to give her position away. After the entrance hallway, she found herself in which had dozens of statues lining its walls. Oddly enough, every one of the figures resembled a diamond dog, all of them standing guard over the room's centerpieces. The first of which held a massive amber gemstone, the size of which was unlike anything the mare had ever seen in all of her adventuring. Even with the astounding mineral present, the other pedestal held something even more interesting.

While her initial theories resolved around some sort of religion that involved the worship of Diamond Dogs, for some reason, the larger statue told a very different tale. There were four figures carved from a single piece of ivory-colored marble. Daring couldn't make out what the affixed plaque was saying, she didn't recognize the inscription, but looking at the statues, she didn't think she needed to. Three of the figures were Diamond Dogs, and each seemed to be performing some action for the bipedal creature in the center. Of the dogs, the tallest, a male, looked to be pushing aside a boulder, the smallest, another male looked as though he were rushing around the biped. The third, the sole female, was ascribing something to a tablet.

Daring was amazed at the level of detail present in the figures. They practically came alive to such a degree that Daring believed she could actually make out the forlorn look in the eyes of the female. The connection between the three dogs was still somewhat of a mystery, but it was obvious that the central figure was on highly esteemed by whoever built this place. Even so, her new theory was bordering on absurd.

To think that Diamond Dogs were capable of the organisation to build such a place, let alone design the door mechanisms, or even pick up the aptitude for art that filled the room, was insane. Then there was the mystery figure, which Daring assumed was male. It didn't look like any mythical, or non-mythical creature she knew of, but for some reason, it did looked vaguely familiar, even if she couldn't quite place where she'd seen one before. If the whole thing was revered as much as it seemed it was, then it was just one more piece to the increasingly bizarre dungeon she'd wandered into.

The Pegasus was so caught up in her thoughts, that she almost didn't notice the shadows creep up behind her. Moving on reflex, honed by many years of trusting her instincts, was the only thing that saved her from the weapon that suddenly tore threw the space she had just been occupying. A quick twist of her torso brought Daring rotating around the weapon as she faced her attacker. Her secondary, reflexive kick was thwarted by the guard swinging the other end of his staff into the way of Daring's hooves, pushing the two away from each other momentarily.

"Hey! What was that for?" Daring yelled, as she got a look at the canine for the first time. He was taller and thinner than most Diamond Dogs she was used to, and his armor and weapon seemed to be made of some sort of stone. The fact that he wielded his weapon with no small amount of skill was not lost on the mare, and once she saw the piercing gaze on the other side of his face-plate, she suddenly knew why. Of all the types of dog she could have ran into, this was probably the worst one. Her attacker was an alpha, and a skilled one at that.

The dog gestured to Daring with the end of his staff. "Phegaci, aremkernu tess ikahstolliil Kahni." he said.

"Oh, well then, "Daring feigned understanding, "terribly sorry about that. So, um, yeah, I'll just be on my way then." She said as she tried to inch around the dog.

Shaking his head, he barred her path with his weapon. "Phegaci aremhass nuaey."

"Crap." Daring said sheepishly before darting into the air, she was at a disadvantage being weaponless, but as long as she maintained her maneuverability, she could still chance an escape.

Attempts to dart around the dog from above were met with far more difficulty that Daring expected. The canine was surprisingly agile, jumping into her path and forcing her back with his staff. The back-and forth went on for a few attempts before Daring switched methods. She dove behind one of the statues, and attempted to circle around the guard using the statues as cover. The dog, however, had other ideas.

The guard simply ran up the wall, sinking his claws into the stone and braced himself into a position that completely cut off her approach. Instead of barreling into the dog, Daring instead forced her momentum into the nearest statue near it's head, forcing the carving to teeter precariously. Flapping her wings in long, forced, gusts, Daring intended to finish the job, only to be interrupted as the guards staff flew by, nearly grazing her head.

'That made him angry,' she thought as she changed tactics once more. Without his staff, she could make a bee-line for the exit.

Zooming out of the room before the guard could return to the ground, she heard him shout, "Illoo teneruem un Phegaci, kim nua meyemeyem arlinnukernu!"

"Yeah, you know I don't understand you, right?" She shouted back before turning focusing on her escape, only to stop mid-air as she found more dogs blocking her path. "Oooh, something about reinforceme-" Daring started before turning back around to find another exit, only to stop once more as voluminous amounts of dust started to flood the hallway from every possible surface. 'That one's new!' was all she could think before the dust itself slowed her motion, essentially freezing her in place. Before she could yell out in alarm, the dog with the bow staff returned, walking through the dust unimpeded.

"Arnoltooem, Phegaci." the guard calmly stated before rendering the mare unconscious.

~~~~~

"Uuuuuuugh..." was all Daring Do could vocalize as she started to regain her senses. Her skull throbbed with pain from the knockout blow she was dealt earlier, and the bright light source located somewhere up above wasn't helping any. She attempted to bring a fore hoof up to block the light, but quickly realized that she couldn't move either of them. 'Oh, right. A damned dog got me.' she thought as she brought a wing up to shade her eyes instead.

Daring still felt as though she covered in fine dirt, which, after her little run-in with whatever that Diamond dog trap was, probably meant that she was still covered in dust. Another grumble erupted from the pegasus. Didn't the dogs know how long it took to preen a set of wings? She was going to be trailing dust for weeks before she got rid of it all.

Scrunching her face up, Daring attempted to open up an eye. Even with the wing in place, she winced at the initial sliver of light that seemingly wanted to scorch her retina. After a few moments of steeling herself against the pain, daring was finally able to see a bit of her surroundings. Her fore hooves were bound to the table with the same metallic rock substance that the guard dog staff had been made of. She couldn't find any physical locks holding the solid bindings in place, or any movable piece for that matter. As far as she could tell the table and her restraints were one one in the same. Daring wasn't sure how they managed that trick, but she doubted the dog standing just along the edge of the light was going to let her fiddle away at a lock anyhow.

Daring glared at the dog, who just silently stared back at her. "What, not even a gloating 'Oh, I see that our guest is awake now.' shtick?" Daring taunted to no avail. She was about to try another jeer, but stopped once she caught a glint of light on the guard's eyes. It wasn't the same as the dog who attacked her, but from the look in his eyes, he was an alpha too. Either her earlier experiences with Diamond Dogs was seriously misguided, or she'd hit her head harder than she thought. No pack would have alpha-level members guarding a single prisoner.

"So, how long are we going to pretend that this isn't awkward for both of us?" Daring asked jokingly.

The guard didn't budge. If Daring didn't know any better, she could have sworn he was another statue.

Another dog stepped into the light at the other end of the stone table, a female. This one was also alpha-level, but of seemingly higher standing than the guard if clothing was any indication. Her robes reminded Daring of some sort of priestess, adding another level of mystery to the whole situation. From the canine's demeanor, and the setup of the room she was in, it was obvious that Daring was in for some questioning of some sort.

"So how's an interrogation supposed to work if none of you speak Equus?"

"Not all have forgotten the old tongue." the priestess dog answered. Her inflection was somewhat archaic, but understandable, at least to somepony of Daring's profession.

"So who are you supposed to be? And what is exactly is up with this place anyway. Nothing here makes sense."

"You trespass on our home and then ask questions of us? It appears as though pegasi truly are as boorish as the stories claim."

"What do you mean? What stories?"

"There you go again, trying to take without giving." The dog said in rebuke, pausing for a moment before continuing. "But since it is obvious that some information must flow, I will tell you. It is known by all who inhabit the Deep Ward, that this was not our original home. Long ago we were chased from our den by a group of pegasi who meant to destroy our pack. In the end, they could not surpass our Lord Master. We escaped to this place where we have thrived ever since."

"But I've never heard of anything like that!"

"And why would you? These events occurred over a millennia ago. Until your intrusion here, we remained hidden from the outside world."

"About that. I didn't know you guys were here, or whatever. I thought I was just going to find some ruins or something, certainly not anything alive. So can I leave if I promise to keep my mouth shut? "

"That is not for me to decide. This situation must be dealt with very carefully. We must know how you came across our home, for starters. Do any other pegasi know of us?"

"No, that I know of. But I don't think you guys are as hidden as you think you are."

"How so?"

"Well besides the whole 'push to enter' thing behind the waterfall, someone sent me a message telling me to search this exact area."

"What message?"

"I don't know. All it was was a set of coordinates that pointed me here."

"I don't believe you."

"It doesn't matter if you believe me or not." Daring started before looking around in obvious distress. "Just take a look for yourself. I left the note in my saddlebags, wherever you put them."

"If you insist." the dog said as she turned from the light. She returned moments later, with the letter in hand. "Is this it?"

"Yeah, there you go, that's it. So can I go now?"

"And how are we supposed to believe this paper supports your story? A cunning forgery, perhaps? For both the answers to that, as well as your fate, we are forced to wait, however."

"But why? I've told you everything."

"That may very well be, but as I said before, I am not the one with whom your fate lies. And it takes time to summon the Master..." the priestess revealed before disappearing back into the shadows.

~~~~~

"This is one fine mess you've gotten yourself into, Daring Do." the mare said to herself, no longer caring what the guard could understand. The wasn't the first time she'd been captured, of course, but she'd always had a way out, or a backup plan, or a backup plan that involved being captured in the first place. But now? The unknowns and mysteries were piling up high enough to need a zoning permit.

For starters, she was still essentially welded to the table somehow. Then there was the light, which seemed to consist solely of sunlight funneled in from the surface. If that was true, then she'd been unconscious for at least a night, but it also kept her from being able to accurately judge the room’s dimensions. And since the dogs took all of her stuff, she didn't even have her beloved pith helmet with which to throw at the guard.

And then a new problem arose when soft rumbling noise tore through the silence-filled room, only for Daring to realize that it was her own stomach that was violating the quiet atmosphere. It even caused the guard to move a little bit, as he left her sight for a moment, though the mare wasn't looking forward to whatever that meant. He returned to his position in no time flat and immediately resumed his glare.

Daring still wasn't sure where the door was.

A few moments later though a knock came from behind the guard, who moved aside as a new dog came into view. A male, possessing a slight tinge of grey fur and sporting a pair of glasses that didn't seem to contain any glass. "Ah, you must be the pony that everyone's talking about!"

"Are you the Master that that other dog was going on about?"

"Oh, my. Who would go and stick a grandiose title like that on the likes of me? Perish the thought. Why I'm just a humble garden tender," he said as he pulled his cart out from behind him and into the light. "and I've brought your lunch."

The pegasus eyed the dog questioningly. "You have, and tend, a garden?"

"A relic from older times, I'm afraid, but a decent sampling of the surface if I have anything to say about it. Anyway, we assumed that you wouldn't be able to eat our normal rations, so I figured I'd drop by. You are hungry aren't you?"

Daring stomach answered for her.

"Well then, I suppose that answers that question has, now doesn't it?" The dog motioned for the guard. "You can go now, I don't think the lady here is going anywhere whilst still strapped to the table as such."

"Iloo kunem, Meicitah. Kimeiey kahss kom kernu linnuem kimoo." The guard replied in a hushed tone.

"Oh please, look at the poor thing. What's she going to do hold me hostage with a piece of spinach?" the gardener proclaimed as the guard focused on him and then at Daring, and finally back to the gardener before finally acquiescing.

"Now that it's just the two of us, let's get a good look at you."

"Um, I don't-" Daring said pulling away from the dog as he approached.

Seeing her discomfort, the gardener drew his claw across her bonds, causing them to open up along their hidden seams. "There we go, is that better?"

Daring answered with a pensive, "Yeah, a little." At least he wasn't interrogating her.

"They really did a number on you by the looks of it." He said looking a little closer than daring would have liked. "Are you injured?"

"Not unless you count the headache. Other than that I’m just a little dirty, I guess."

"I'll say, let's take care of-" He said as he reached a claw out to her snout.

Daring instinctively jumped back. "Whoa! What are you doing?"

"Oh, sorry. It's just that you were subdued with some geomancer spell weren't you? I was just going to do the same thing to remove all of the dirt. If you don't mind, that is."

"You can do that?"

"Well, to a degree. I'm afraid you'll have to be still if I'm going to get it all. You might also want to splay your wings out a bit."

"...okay." Daring said as she performed as instructed. She was no stranger to magic, but she'd been around enough of it to know that stuff was finicky at best. But she didn't quite feel like pissing off the one dog who didn't seem to be mad at her. "Like this?"

"That should be fine." he answered as he stepped to her side. Touching the index claw to her nose, he closed his eyes in concentration before he dragged the digit up along her snout, and over her head. Daring suddenly felt her nose itch and she suppressed a sneeze before the tickling sensation drifted further back, following the trail that the gardener had made. Ever so gently, he continued pulling the back of his claw down the side of her neck, under her wing and back towards her flank, every move guiding the wave of sensation along her coat. As he pulled his claw off of her cutie mark, the last push of magic flowed off of her skin, pulling with it the trail of particulate that had permeated her fur to an icky degree.

With the spell finished, the gardener made his way back to the cart as Daring involuntarily shivered the last bits of magic out of her feathers. "Wow, that was... that was something else. Geomancy was it?"

"Oh, it's nothing special. So did you want to talk all about that stuff or did you want to eat?"

"Food first, please." Daring said as she made her way back to the table.

The gardener placed a tray in front of her. "I'm not sure what you'd prefer, but I suppose some carrots would do for now."

"Why are they purple?" Daring asked as she poked at the suspect vegetable.

"They're supposed to be, aren't they? What color do you think they should be?"

"I've only ever seen orange ones."

"Now that's just silly. Who ever heard of an orange carrot? If these were good enough for the ‘old master’, then they're good enough for you, aren't they?"

"I guess so..." Daring surmised as she took an exploratory bite. Tasting it for a moment, her chewing slowed down dramatically. 'By Celestia! She'd never eaten such a delicious carrot. So what if they were purple!' Bite after sweet delicious bite, she downed the produce until nothing was left, she briefly feared that the sudden hole in her palate would never be sated with regular carrots ever again.

"My, my you were quite famished weren't you? Well then, I best be off. Now would you be so kind as to place your hooves back into the restraints before the guard returns. There'll be no hearing the end of it if he sees you like that while I'm here."

Daring hesitated for a moment. This might be her one chance at freedom. 'Ugh, why did he have to be so nice?' She thought to herself as she started throwing together escape plans.

"If you play nice, I'll be sure to prepare something even better for dinner." The gardener replied in earnest.

'Oh, come on, that's not even fair!' She exclaimed mentally. After the ravishing her taste-buds had received from the scrumptious, albeit raw, root vegetable, to think that there might be more, neigh, better foodstuffs? All thoughts of escape evaporated on the spot. For now, anyway. "Fine, you win." She said resigning herself to her position at the table.

After placing her hooves into the grooves, the gardener reapplied whatever magics that sealed the restraints. After that he grabbed his cart and headed for where she finally suspected the door might be located.

"Hey, before you go, what's your name?" Daring asked tentatively.

The dog simply smiled teasingly as he turned to knock on the door. He pulled his claw to his muzzle in a 'shushing' gesture before winking and mouthing the word 'later.

Daring had to strain to keep herself from rolling her eyes.

~~~~~

The lighting overhead had waned for a bit, indicating that it was, indeed, funneling sunlight into the room, before it was changed to the artificial green that she had seen earlier. Besides that event and the exchange between the guards as their shifts changed, Daring could only sit there, strapped to the table.

"Some vacation there, Daring Do..." she mumbled before letting out a yawn.

Shortly thereafter, the priestess returned.

"So, what's the word? Free to go? Slave? What?"

The dog shifted uncomfortably for a bit before answering. "Your presence has been requested by the Master. He wishes to speak with you personally."

"Alright, show him in then. In case you haven't noticed, you’ve strapped me to a table!"

"That is what I have come to address. You are to accompany me to his quarters for the evening meal. Orders have been given to remove the restraints on your legs."

"Why do I get the feeling that there's a 'but' coming on?"

"Because, in lieu of the leg restraints, we require that a band be placed upon your wings as a precaution. This is not a request, but I am obligated to tell you, that, should you indeed attempt, or even manage to escape somehow, the restraints cannot be removed without our geomancy. You would essentially lose your ability to fly, Pegasus."

Daring thought about that for a moment. She was sure that the princesses could help her remove whatever it was they placed on her, one of Elements of Harmony was supposed to be a genius of the magical variety. But with as much of the Diamond Dog's magic as she had seen in her short time here, it could be years before the bonds could be safely removed. Who knows how that kind of impairment could affect her career.

"Geez, you guys play hardball. I promise won't try to escape during this meeting with this 'master' of yours."

The priestess motioned for the guard to approach with band made of, you guessed it, the same material as they made everything else out of. Daring was really starting to dislike the ivory-metallic stone. The guard affixed the band around her midsection and magically sized it to fit a little too snugly, not enough to cut off circulation, but enough to keep the thing from slipping off.

While Daring was being fitted with her new restraint, the priestess began to inform the mare about the next course of events. "That's another thing, You must be on your best behavior in front of the Master. While there would be no small amount of entertainment to be gained from your demise, I wish both, to not have to clean up the mess, nor sour the Master's mood."

"Sounds like he's a pretty powerful guy then, huh?"

"Comments such as that would be considered an insult, Pegasus! The Lord Master is far more than just 'pretty powerful' he is the most powerful being in existence!"

"Even more powerful than combined magic of the Alicorn Princesses?" Daring asked in jest.

I do not know of these alicorn you speak of, but the Lord Master cannot even be compared to them, of that, I am sure." The priestess said as she motioned for the guard to undo the leg restraints. "So, follow closely, Pegasus, and remember to show nothing but respect for the Master, or I may be forced to suppress you before he decides to simply remove you from existence."

"Okay, got it." Daring said as she was led through the door. "By the way, I do have a name you know. It's Daring Do, and I'd probably entertain the idea of being cordial with your local deity if you referred to me by it."

"If you insist, Daring Do. I am called Sahni, keeper of the Master's Will. Now hurry along, we must not be late."

~~~~~

Daring Do was escorted through corridor after corridor of similar looking passageways, all sharing the same style as the entryway she had used to get herself into this mess. Polished stone floors, gold-tinted moldings, and the blue-green crystal lighting that steadily replaced the failing, funneled sunlight.

Other than the guards, both ahead and behind her, and the one called Sahni, Daring noticed that the other pack members were being kept away from her current route. Not surprising, if they were the staunch isolationists that they claimed to be. But if Daring's experience with such types were correct, she'd have already been tied to a pole set into pile of dry brush with a lit torch, ready to turn her into a sacrifice by immolation. With the exception of the weird devotion to this Lord Master of theirs, the dogs didn't seem too zealot-y, so hopefully the trial by fire wasn't on the menu. On the other hoof, however, these dogs seemed, well, competent, and with her wings literally pinned to her back, she really hoped that things didn't turn out any worse than they already were.

Eventually, the passageway opened up into a much larger room, larger than even the memorial she'd broken into. The cavern here was a seemingly well-kept garden that, while it didn't seem to contain anything exotic, the curation of flora was enough to make any royal groundskeeper week in the knees. If Daring didn't know any better, she'd guess that the dog's garden was at least as old as the Canterlot Gardens.

The rear guard stayed at the entrance as the group pushed on along the winding path into the garden's interior. Daring Do briefly wondered what was worth guarding in that direction before her train of thought was interrupted by her arriving at their destination.

A long, carved stone table sat in a clearing near the path. Sahni directed Daring to a position on the side of the table near one of the ends, when it became evident that there were no cushions, or chairs, to mark where one should sit. Both the pegasus and her escort, sans the guards, sat on the grass on either edge of the table.

"So... what now?" Daring asked of her charge.

Sahni silenced the pegasus with an upheld claw, as other canines brought out a few serving containers. Three loaves of bread were placed on plates, one each for the two already sitting at the table and one other placed at the end of the table. Between the three positions was placed two bowls and small bottle. Finally, three quartz glasses were filled with water before the caterers left the pair alone.

Daring looked at the spread eagerly, and wondered what the gardener had prepared. One of the bowls contained a spinach salad with shavings of those purple carrots and the bottle contained what the mare's nostrils assumed was a raspberry-based dressing of some sort. The other bowl held some sort of creamy red soup that smelled strongly of tomatoes and some mysterious earthy tones. There were also a few trays filled with garnishes and seasonings to fit personal tastes, but there didn't appear to be any bowls. It took Daring a minute before she realized that the bread loaves were fashioned to be hollow, the void intended to be filled with the soup instead.

Daring thought that the gardener was actually going to follow through on his promise of treating her to something special for dinner, but something was still nagging at the back of her mind. "I thought Diamond Dogs only ate gems?"

"Just because they provide our main source of sustenance, does not mean that there is nothing to be gained from a meal such as this. You should feel honored, Daring Do, not many get to share a table with the Lord Master himself." Sahni declared before rising to her feet, indicating that Daring do the same. "Quickly, he has arrived." She finished.

The Master's arrival was met with a salute by the guards as he made his way between them on the path entrance. Or, at least Daring thought that the figure was male, since much of his form was shrouded in a thick, black cloak that masked most of his features. Silently, the third party sat at the end of the table before Sahni and Daring could resume their seats.

Gesturing to the food spread out before them with an upturned claw, the master indicated that the three enjoy their meal before he pushed his bread aside and prepared himself a small salad. Only after he had began eating did Daring and Sahni make for their own plates. While Sahni went straight for the soup, Daring decided that she'd get a bit of the carrot-adorned salad, for reference, before diving into the heavy-looking soup.

From there, the meal continued in utter silence, save for the simple ambient noise generated by the three enjoying their food. Daring had to admit, the food was pretty good, far more than she'd expected from the dogs, anyway. She wondered where they learned to cook before she realized that some of the ingredients required to bake bread did not, in fact, grow from any sort of plant. The pegasus wasn't a cook by any means, but even she knew that you needed eggs and milk.

The Master gave a signal and Sahni leaned closer, enough so that whatever he said, only she could here. The lead dog must have noticed Daring's confusion at how so many mystery ingredients could taste so good.

"Is the food to your liking, Ms Do?"

"Oh, yes. It's pretty good. Compliments to the chef and all of that, but..."

"Yes?"

"But why? Why are you guys doing all of this?" Daring asked as she gestured to the whole setup, raising her voice as she went. "I mean, I get why you would want to go into hiding, I think we can all agree that's reasonable given the circumstances." Sahni began to stand when a silent command from the master stopped her. "And I get that you didn't like it when I found your hiding spot. Again, totally understandable. But what I don't get, is why you seem to be going out of your way to make me both comfortable, and uncomfortable at the same time!" Daring exclaimed while emphasizing the ring around her torso. "The things you do and the things you say don't match up at all!" She continued as she angrily stared at where she assumed the Master's shadowy face was hidden. "I can either be your prisoner or your guest, but I can't be both, so just pick one already and get it over with already!"

Daring got close enough to finally see the Master's eyes, and what she saw caused her bravado to drop considerably. His eyes were smiling. With that, the Master stood, towering over the ground-bound pegasus and threw back his hood. The Gardener from earlier, the one who cleaned her up and had fed her, was again standing before her, but the difference in how he was carrying himself between the two points in time was staggering. No longer was he the persona of the frail, aging groundskeeper, here, there was no doubt who was in charge.

"Y-y-you!" was all Daring managed before dropping to her knees in a sense of self preservation. Was everything she'd experienced earlier an act. If this Master was as powerful as Sahni made him to be, what would have happened to her had she actually gone through with an 'acquire a hostage' plan back in the room? If that was a test, then why the change here?

"There, there, little Pegasus. You'll be happy to know that you are in no danger here. Why does everyone do that? Come on, get up. Now, Pegasus, I do have some questions for you to answer. Are you up to it?"

Sahni made her way around the table and helped Daring up. "Master Aaron has asked you a question, Daring Do. You must answer." She said whispering the last part into the mare's ear.

Coming to terms with the whole situation, Daring finally let her lungs resume operation as she regained her composure. Clearing her throat, she looked back at the one called Aaron, "Yes, I- I suppose I can."

"Good, then let’s start. Sahni said your name was Daring Do, yes?"

Daring nodded in agreement.

"And you are an adventurer by trade?"

Rubbing her right hoof behind her head, Daring asked sheepishly, "I don't suppose you'd believe I was a best-selling author, would you?

Sahni elbowed the pegasus in the ribs.

"I mean, yes." Daring corrected.

From his sleeve, Aaron pulled the letter that started this whole mess. "Then I have to ask what sort of motivation would compel a pony such as yourself to follow such a shallow, fraction of a clue, such as this. I understand that you don't even know who sent this."

"That's correct. To be honest, I only came because, well, none of my adversaries seemed to be up to anything at the moment, so I was technically free. And for someone like me, that means boredom, usually. I didn't really care whether the letter was bogus or not, the worst thing that could happen was I didn't find anything," Daring left off the 'or I run into a pack of weirdly advanced Diamond Dogs...', "which was still sort of a vacation, I guess."

"If it is of no consequence, then I shall leave it at that."

"Wait, you know who sent it don't you?" Daring accused.

"Oh, most certainly."

"Then who was it?"

Aaron mulled it over for a moment. "Since you have not figured it out, I'll leave it a mystery for the time being. Despite his constant attempts to throw a wrench into my designs, I will not stoop to a prank such as this."

"I'm sorry, did you say prank?"

"I fear I've said too much..."

Comments

[111segasonic]

"I'm sorry, did you say prank?"

"I fear I've said too much..."

[Shadowshame]

OK Aaron is such a sly deceitful bugger

And if this is a spoiler to anyone that reads this go and read the story before this one and you will find this isn't actually a spoiler