Chapter 58
The small stream glittered in the sunlight filtering down from the leaves far above, splashing happily and clearly among the trees. I scanned the forest around us, my ears constantly turning as I listened for any sign of movement as I sniffed the air.
Dee slowly bent down to sniff at the stream before she nodded and stood up to glance back at me, “It smells clean and fresh,” she said, “Get something to drink and I’ll keep watch.”
“You drink, I’m already watching,” I said and scanned the forest, trying to look in all directions at once.
“I’m not drinking first when there is a thirsty stallion with me,” Dee said and stepped back from the water, “Drink.”
I shifted my wings and glanced at her, “That’s a bit old fashioned of you.”
“It’s how I was raised, so sue me,” Dee said, “Don’t get me wrong, I’m not one of ‘those’ kinds of mares, but I do have some manners.”
Whatever, not like we actually had time to argue about it so I moved up and slowly leaned in to sniff at the water.
She was right, it did smell clean so I chanced a small mouthful. The taste of clean and cool water reminded me of exactly how thirsty I really was.
I quickly drank my fill before I shifted slightly to dip my horn into it for a moment. The cold felt nice for about two seconds but then the burning pain returned and I pulled back. Not like I couldn’t risk more than a moment anyway so I quickly stepped back and looked around, “Your turn.”
Dee nodded and moved to lean in and drink as I stood guard.
She finally stood back up and stretched her wings for a moment as she lifted her head, “We should see if we can find something to eat,” she said and turned to me.
I nodded, “I saw some fruit back there, but they were up in a tree.”
Dee nodded and then unbuttoned her shirt, quickly wiggling out of it before she turned it around and with a pair of knots she turned it into a satchel and tossed it over her neck to carry before she smiled at me, “You throw them down, I gather them. Drop them off by the temple and then gather some dry firewood?”
“Sounds like a plan.”
XXXXXXXXX
I moved slowly towards the base of the temple, my wings around a bunch of fairly dry wood holding them on my body at each side. Dee was carrying the same and had also hung the ‘satchel’ around my neck and along my side when she loaded both of us.
Why waste half a trip after all.
I paused at the bottom of the stairs, looking up towards the temple, frowning slightly up at the structure.
“What’s wrong?” Dee asked as she moved up next to me.
“I’m not sure,” I admitted, “It’s… I don’t know. This place is so ancient. Do we have the right to climb it like this? What if we damage it?”
“It’s been here for longer than Princess Celestia, I think it’ll survive us too,” Dee said and then frowned in thought, “...Well, me at least. You’re an alicorn after all.”
I sniffed the air and flicked my ears, “...It still feels strange.”
“Strange as in dangerous?” she asked, “Do you feel something? Because the alternative is risking setting up camp in the open and I really don’t want to without a reason.”
She had a good point there.
“No,” I admitted, “Just a bit hesitant against possibly harming something this ancient I think.”
“Normally I would be right there with you,” Dee admitted and flicked her ears, “But this is a kind of special situation.”
I nodded and put my hoof on the first step of the temple and started up them, careful to test each step to make sure it was solid, I didn’t want to trip while carrying all of this stuff.
Dee followed me up the stairs. When we finally reached the top and the dark doorway into what seemed to be a monolithically constructed building taking up most of the top of the temple.
I paused and peered into the darkness, Wishing that I could risk lighting my horn.
Dee moved up next to me and then moved to drop her collected wood to the side, “I’ll give it a look.”
“I’m the one with good night vision,” I told her and dropped my wood as well, shrugging the ‘satchel’ off and put it down, “I’ll check it out.”
Dee shifted her wings before she sighed and nodded, “...Okay. But be careful, there might be traps.”
“You said there wouldn’t be.”
“I might be wrong! I’m not willing to risk losing a leg on a ‘I’m pretty sure’!”
...Good point there, I really rather be safe rather than sorry and get a spear thucked at me by some ancient mechanism.
I closed my eyes for a long moment, letting them adjust a bit to the darkness before I opened them and stepped in through the doorway, carefully listening and testing each step for moving stone pressure plates.
The inside of the structure wasn’t very big. Maybe four meters in each direction, the middle made up by a large stone table.
No, not a table, a stone altar. A stone altar with small channels cut into the surface. I followed them with my eyes and stepped to the side, the channels also being on the floor and heading towards the door.
So if you poured something on the table, it would drip into the channels and then run outside down the stairs.
I glanced at the altar again. That design was for one thing and one thing only.
Ponies had died here. Possibly a lot of ponies.
I took a slow breath and moved forward to look behind the altar. It was just empty, just more floor and wall.
“Looks clear, I think we’re good,” I said, glancing back towards Dee as I sat down and rubbed my head just next to my horn, “Do we have enough wood?”
She nodded, “We should, but we should gather some more just in case. We won’t need a big fire, just something outside the opening for some warmth and to keep the predators at bay.”
“Let’s err a bit on the side of caution there,” I agreed.
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well pony Aztecs
Wait, wouldn't bat ponies, the old kind, with their desire for blood possibly ascribe that to the divine as well?
*pours new cup*
Aztec, if I remember correctly, believed that they needed to feed the gods with blood and flesh to keep them strong enough to hold back the end of the world and to appease things that the gods couldn't stop.
I wonder if it is similar here? Perhaps somewhat real in this case... Maybe a ritual to keep their bloodlust under control or to satiate some form of monster... Perhaps the manifested bloodlust or something? All of that thirst for blood removed and locked away or sealed in some poor pony, satiated by sacrifices to keep it from breaking out and wreaking havoc.
*Takes long deep sit*
I hope that was all wild speculation without a trace of truth to it.
A sacrificial altar? In what is I presume to be an ancient pony temple? What were they worshipping that they built such an altar? The temple was before Celestia. And maybe before Alicorns in general....
Hmmm delete this and this and you got this
So it might not be a curse, just an old religion that died out?
Oh, I know!
On the table, close to the channel should be a sharp spike.
You grasp with hand or hoof, some blood flows then to the door, then opens it
*Daring Do wacks Page in the head*
Page: OWW! What was that for?!
Daring Do: For your confirmation bias. Those channels MIGHT be meant for a liquid to travel on but you automatically assumed blood due to the focus of our mission to this jungle. We haven't done any grid-pattern documentation of the area nor tested your hypothesis in a controlled setting. By assuming everything we find will support ancient batpony stereotypes, there's a strong chance we'll miss critical information. That is how false rumors start, Lord Page!
Page: ......I'm sorry Dee Dee Oneesama...
Daring Do: *sigh* You're still learning Lord Page and admittedly our situation makes it impossible to study this building properl---wait what did you call me??
(EDIT: Really? This many people downvoted this? Out of pure curiosity, can any of you explain why please? I'm not mad or anything if you don't like it but Im just confused)
10438314
All the bloodlust concentrated into one ancient and immortal pony—named “Barnabas, of the Collinshoof family”, perhaps?
vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/darkshadows/images/6/65/Barnabas1795portrait.jpg/revision/latest/top-crop/width/220/height/220?cb=20080515054350
So, Pegasi sacrificing captured pony’s were cursed to drink blood by one or more of their victims?
Given that blood is in some “worlds” a spell focus…
I'm calling it, it's a sacrifice of part of the fruit harvest. A tithe to the gods.
10438272
Well, then I am sorry for having done so.
10438426
Maybe. After all, one does not necessarily exclude the other...
10438425
But since water and food are on short supply THAT KIND of time and energy consuming activity should'nt be taken... just yet♡
Thirsty indeed
Snu-Snu helps with stress
10438314
Nice! Sounds quite plausibel plus in a world of magic possibel even effective?
10438498
Neat! Blood orgys, here we come~♡ :3
-----
Nice chapter. I wonder if the altar was for antic fertility rituals? Mares 'milking there stallions' to increase a fertile harvest ~♡
Let there seed seep into the earth to bloom life!
And tomorrow he seed our fertile mares flower gardens for a new generation of harvest continuation for generations to come ♡
Wait, they are travelling through abandoned ruins during the day.
What if it only looks abandoned and thestrals are nocturnal like they are alluded to be in this series.
10438841
That... Is a very good observation.
If that is the case, then let's hope Lord Page's shared biology will prove useful in not getting speared on first contact.
One other thing that stood out to me:
Sounds more like DD is using Page as the food/water taster!
10439430
Yep... My first idea why as well... But i guess since gender ratio is few male many mares ,it sounds plausibel.
10440195
Although... there are more female humans than male.
10446528
That's because of the wars in the last 100 years combined, taking a heavy toll on male population. Before it, the world gender ratio was a bit more equal.
10493676
Actually, I think we're mostly back to equilibrium - Wikipedia says that, according to a 2021 estimation, it's 101 M / 100 F (so a 1.01 ratio).
10438450
I would personally assume due to 3 different reasons. (No guarantee)
1) You‘re alienating the characters to much. They sound off, and no longer like Page or Dee Dee/Daring Doo.
2) Wrong timing for the joke. The situation is a bit to tense right now, and getting layed in the middle of hostile territory is a stupid idea, no matter how you look at it.
3) Unpopular ship. You noticed how almost nobody ships them at the moment, and the current lack of chemistry is not helped by you throwing random ingredients into the pot.
Can’t say for sure trough, this is just a theory… (A GAME THEORY! …ok, I stop)
I doubt anything besides rock build traps can last millenia. Anything that isn't rock will rot away.
10446528
Where? I see more males than females everywhere.
11657316
The distribution is 51-52% females and 49-48% males everywhere except for China that is around 60% male.
You only seeing men around you can have 2 reasons: You only frequent places that men like to go but women does not or, the most likely, you don't remember the women because they are not seen as a threat while you remember seeing the men becaise you are more aware of their prescense, which is normal.
Stop and watch people when you go out, make an effort to look at everyone and you will notice that the general population is mostly women, especially in areas of commerce.