Tread Lightly
A blade cut through the overgrowth. A few more hacks from the brown pegasus wielding the machete allowed for a large enough window for her to trot through. She lifted up the pith helmet briefly and wiped the sweat from her brow with her free hoof. While she was used to the humid climates of jungles from all over, it didn’t make it easier on her body. Just because one is known as a globe-trotting adventuring archaeologist doesn’t mean they weren’t still a mortal pony.
She turned to look behind her, calling out to her assistant.
“Maud, please keep up.”
Behind her, a grey earth pony slowly trotted up behind her. On her back was a bag filled with various supplies needed for their adventure: food, water, scientific equipment, and so on. On her face, however, there was absolutely no emotion save for the blank expression that she had always been known for.
“Apologizes, Miss Do,” Maud spoke in an almost bored fashion, “I got caught up examining some rocks a while back.”
“Please, don’t call me that,” Daring Do insisted, “Daring Do is fine, even just Daring.”
“Okay, Miss Do.”
Daring Do let out a sigh as she dropped the subject, “It’s just up ahead. Less than a klick, if the map is correct.” Daring continued forward through the jungle growth.
Maud didn’t reply as she followed the pegasus pony through her pre-sliced path.
Just a week before, back in the civilized world, Daring Do was planning this expedition like any other. And, like countless expeditions prior, it would have been a solo endeavor into the ruins and the wild. However, word spilled over to Daring Do’s self-proclaimed number one fan, Rainbow Dash, that she would be venturing to the jungles to study the temple. While working almost exclusively alone, Daring Do took Rainbow Dash’s advice to have her friend’s sister tag alone for her expertise in rocks and minerals. The archaeologist was expecting somepony with both talent and a drive for adventure. What Daring Do wasn’t expecting was Maud Pie.
Questing through the sea of trees paid off for the two ponies, as they arrived in a clearing. Before them was a stone temple that climbed high above the canopies.
“There it is, Maud,” Daring Do stated as she with pride as she exhaled, “the Temple of Beng.”
As Maud entered the clearing, she slowly blinked as she gazed at the temple, “It’s big.”
Daring Do wanted to make a comment about how she was expecting more of a reaction from Maud, but she held her tongue. Instead, she guided Maud to the base of the towering stone temple. There, the two ponies set up a small makeshift camp where they had a meager midday meal, slated their thirst, and rested before the second part of their journey.
“Okay, so let us look over our objectives,” Daring Do stated as she rolled out a piece of parchment. “We are here to study the ruins themselves. The Temple of Beng is said to be a former place of worship, and quite possibly even house artifacts. However, due to the numerous legends surrounding this temple, it was said that any unauthorized entry to the temple is met with swift punishment.”
Maud was silent as she chewed on her granola.
“Apparently, you don’t care if I try to build up a spooky atmosphere, huh?” Daring Do smirked. She turned her attention back down to the parchment, which had a very rough drawing of a sort of layout. “From what I gathered from previous temples in the nearby regions, the layout should be fairly straight-forward. However, since the Temple of Beng is considered the most holy site, we will have to tread carefully. It’s said that the ground itself is cursed to all trespassers.”
The earth pony still expressed no reaction.
“Really? Nothing?”
“Sorry, I’m more captivated by the architecture of the temple,” Maud apologized as she continued to gaze at the temple.
The stone temple rested in the center of the clearing, towering over the treetops around it. The building materials were clearly aged and weathered over the years. The forest even seemed to try to claim the temple ruins, sprouting grass and even trees in every available space it would allow. However, it seemed that the bricks refused to allow anything to grow between them. At the top, a weathered but beautiful carved statue rested, seemingly both welcoming and warning visitors.
“It is an impressive structure. Reminds me of why I got into archeology in the first place,” Daring Do mused as she also looked at the ruins. A soft sigh escaped from her lips. She shook her head and brought herself back to the task at hoof, “We are to go in and examine the structure, inch by inch. Understood?”
Maud nodded quietly.
“Good. Bring only what you need.”
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The two ponies started to climb the steps of the towering temple. Both ponies took time and care in each step, as not to disturb too much of the ruins. Their eyes were also focused on the stone itself as they climbed, studying it and taking mental notes. Upon reaching the top, Daring Do and Maud were able to get a better view of the statue. The creature looked otherworldly, a mixture between an earth pony, a dragon, and a cyclops, and neither part seemed happy to have visitors.
“Friendly, isn’t he?” Daring Do joked.
“Limestone.”
“Huh?”
“The statue is made from limestone. Giving the appearance of weathering and age, I would estimate around 1500 years old. The temple itself, however, is about 200 years older than that, meaning the statue is a new addition,” Maud explained as she gazed upon the stone fixtures around her.
Daring Do gave an impressed smirk to the earth pony, “Looks like you certainly know your stuff.”
Maud added an additional comment, “Also, the statue reminds me of my sister, Limestone. Both look grouchy.”
“Wait, did you just crack a joke?” Daring Do raised an eyebrow. They had been traveling for almost a week and not once did she hear anything of that sort from Maud. Knowing she wouldn’t get an answer from Maud, the pegasus turned her attention to the entrance of the temple in front of them. She pulled out her machete and slammed the side of it against one of the walls of the entryway. “This should wake any bats that might be hiding inside,” she narrated for Maud. The sound of the metal against stone echoed throughout the temple path.
As she finished hitting the machete, a sound from within the temple slowly grew. Finally, visible by the daylight, a swarm of bats erupted out from the temple and into the jungle sky. A prideful smile appeared on Daring Do’s face as she watched the swarm flutter by and away.
“Please be gentle to the ruins,” Maud requested, “it could have been chipped.”
Daring Do looked at Maud in surprise. Again, she held her tongue as she put the machete away, “Have the flashlight ready, we might need it.” She sighed as she looked into the hallway, “Another day, another dungeon.”
Cautiously, the two ventured into the Temple of Beng. The light from the various skylights above was enough to not warrant the use of the flashlight, but the air was both humid and musky. The path that guided them was aged and well-worn, as were the walls that lined it. Approximately four ponies would walk down the path without bumping into each other, but Daring Do still led the way, with Maud trailing behind. Upon the walls, there was fainting writing.
“Some script on the walls,” Daring Do said as she paused to read the inscription aloud. “Within the Temple of Beng….resides the Skull of Beng….disturbing the our sacred treasure will be met with a terrifying fate….” Daring Do moved her hoof lightly along the wall as she read.
“What else does it say?” Maud asked even though she was far more interested in the stone the wall itself was made of.
Daring Do skimmed the rest of the script, “It says that those who move the skull will cause the moon itself to fall from the sky.”
“Then we shouldn’t move the treasure….” Maud snarked.
“You know, I can never tell when you make jokes or not.”
They continued along the path, venturing deeper into the temple. Thanks to the bats that escaped just prior, the spider webs that once created obstacles were now destroyed with the spiders hiding from the interlopers. The explorers paused every so often to examine the ruins. Despite their age and the attempts of the forest to reclaim the stone structure, the interior of the temple seemed to be in excellent condition.
“Hold on,” the pegasus stopped, holding a hoof up to stop Maud behind her. She bent down, which is where she saw a thin, almost invisible wire running across the hallway. Daring Do then pushed Maud back a few steps, drawing out her machete. With a swift swing, she struck the wire. As she retreated her limb as fast as she could, four large wooden spikes fell downward from the ceiling. A moment slower and Daring might have had her hoof impaled.
Daring Do’s heart was racing, but it was just what she liked about her career, “Booby traps, as expected. Whoever built the Temple of Beng certainly doesn’t want us to keep going, don’t they?”
Maud didn’t answer. Instead, it seemed as if she was waiting for the explorer to continue leading the way.
Coming to the conclusion that she wasn’t going to get any more reaction out of the stoic pony, Daring turned her attention back to the fallen spikes. It seemed the best option was for both ponies to squeeze in between the small spaces between the spikes. Slipping between the wooden spikes, the two continued venturing inward.
The silence was starting to get under Daring Do’s skin. Normally, she’s completely happy working alone on any adventure. It would give her the peace of mind not having to worry about distractions. But there was something different about having a companion traveling with her that didn’t say a word. It did allow for peace and quiet for studying, which was exactly what she likes. Yet, there is something else about silence when you know somepony is watching.
“The script goes on,” Daring Do said as they continued to carefully trot, breaking the silence for her own benefit, “The walls state that the temple was constructed by the locals due to their fear of the skull itself. It’s said that an ancient evil power resides within the skull, and they built the temple as a way to protect themselves and others from the power within.” Daring Do continued to read as she trotted, “My guess is that these ruins are to house a number of different artifacts of the-”
“Stop.”
Daring Do froze in mid-trot at Maud’s words and slowly turned around, seeing the earth pony a few paces behind her. The earth pony insisted that she retreat toward her. Daring Do did just that. Without a word, Maud pointed ahead at the path before them. Out of her pocket, she pulled out a small pebble.
“Why do you have that rock with you?” Daring Do raised an eyebrow.
“Boulder,” Maud corrected, “His name is Boulder.”
Making calculations in her head, Maud rolled Boulder against the limestone floors. The movement and weight of the pebble caused a few of the limestone floors to sink slightly. Suddenly, darts shot out of a few holes in the walls at enough force to stick within the wall on the opposite side.
“Sweet Celestia, good eye,” Daring Do commented as she saw the darts stick in the wall. “A classic trap. How did you know?”
Maud calmly trotted forward, avoiding certain stepping stones, “Several of those tiles are chalk-based, not limestone. Watch your step.”
In a surprise, Daring Do followed behind, matching each step.
Upon making it pass the set of stepping stone traps, Maud picked up the small pebble she had rolled through the hallway. Daring Do arrived next to her, watching her.
“So….his name is Boulder, huh?” the pegasus asked, still fairly confused.
Maud simply nodded
Daring Do gave a nervous laugh, particularly because she couldn’t believe she was addressing a rock, “It’s, uh….nice to meet you, Boulder. Thanks for helping us get through that trap.”
The earth pony looked at Boulder and then back at Daring Do, “Boulder says it was not a problem, Miss Do.” Maud placed Boulder back in her pocket and waited for Daring Do to lead the way.
“Even when a rock calls me that, I still hate it….” Daring Do quietly said to herself as she led the way through the hallway.
The temple was getting darker. Light from the entrance and the sporadic skylights were failing. Even the air of the temple itself was getting far colder. Above them the ceiling had turned from that of limestone to one that seemed to be composed of the local trees. The walls and floors continued to be limestone, cool to the touch.
“Flashlight,” Daring Do reached behind her towards Maud. Without a word, Maud supplied the flashlight to her. She turned it on and shined the light on the floors, on the path ahead, and then onto the walls. “This can’t be right….the walls are saying that there are even more skulls than just the Skull of Beng….maybe I’m reading it wrong….” Daring Do said as she continued trotting along, reading the walls.
Maud followed behind.
Daring Do stopped at a section of wall, her light fixated on it. She stared at it intensely as if her puzzled glare would solve it. “This can’t be right….there are five skulls?”
Maud’s ears perked up. “Miss Do,” she tapped her body to get her attention.
“Stop it, Maud,” Daring insisted as she kept her attention on the wall.
“It’s about the floor, Miss Do.”
“The floor is not important right now!” Daring Do raised her voice.
The moment she finished speaking, a loud cracking echoed through the hallway. Daring Do shined the flashlight down to where she thought the cracking was coming from. However, it was not from the logs above. She quickly moved the light to the floor below, which showed a large crack beneath their hooves. As Daring Do’s mind quickly raced to find a solution, the ground below them gave way, causing them to fall.
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Moments later, Daring Do awoke. She rubbed her head and softly swore at herself for being careless. Looking around, she could only see darkness. With her hooves, she tried to feel around for the flashlight, however, she could only feel sand.
‘Sand?’ she thought to herself, ‘Why in Celestia’s name is there sand in here?’
While she wanted to figure out the answer, she wanted more to get out. She stretched her wings to fly out of wherever she was. That’s when a sharp pain stung. With a grunt, she quickly stopped her attempt at flight. She must have landed on her wing, and hard too.
“Guess flying is out of the question….again,” she spoke to herself.
“Miss Do?” a familiar voice called out from the darkness.
“Maud? Maud, where are you?” Daring Do called out.
A light turned on and shined it toward the pegasus. She hid her eyes from the brightness of the light. Maud lowered the light as she shifted her way through the sand.
“Thank Celestia you’re okay,” Daring Do breathed a sigh of relief.
“I am so pleased that you are not dead,” Maud spoke with her usual lack of inflection to her voice. She offered the flashlight to the explorer.
Daring Do couldn’t help but smirk at Maud’s words as she took the flashlight. “What exactly happened?”
“We were standing upon a false floor, made of talc.”
“Talc?” Daring shined the light upwards, showing the hole of where they had fallen in. The hallway from where they had fallen in was about two meters above them.
“That’s correct. Talc is very brittle and can easily be scratched, so having two fully grown ponies on a thin layer can easily cause it to break,” Maud explained.
Daring Do was very impressed with Maud’s knowledge of the stone. “This is very embarrassing. I’ve never fallen in a pitfall trap before. And yet, first time on an expedition with you and you get to see me at the bottom of one.”
“Actually, this sand pit is most likely used to catch and collect rainwater as part of it’s drainage system, as excess water within the temple would damage the stone,” Maud plainly said. “Catching us in it is just a bonus.”
Daring Do didn’t really know how to respond to Maud’s statement. She was both fascinated with how much that Maud seemed to know about the temple’s built in architecture, but also with her still calm and unmoved demeanor about the ordeal of falling in the trap.
“What’s the plan?”
“Well, I just fell on my wing pretty hard, so having me fly us out of here is out of the question. Guess that’s divine justice for being careless, huh?” Daring Do answered. “Maybe there’s some way out?” The pegasus shined the light around the pit. The pit itself was about three meters long and had about the same width as the hallway above them. Unfortunately, there was no exit offered. Instead, the walls climbed high above the sand. The light also revealed something she wished she hadn’t seen. A skeleton of a pony was also amongst the sand. The bones rested up against one of the walls, half-buried in the sand. Housed amongst the bones appeared to be a family of rodents. “Oh geez….why did it have to be rats?”
Daring Do’s mind started to panic as they started to search for some possible way to get out. “Maybe….Maybe we can use the sand to build upwards and….and climb out that way?” Before waiting for an answer, Daring Do started to pull herself up and move. However, she quickly lost her balance in the sand and fell and began to slowly sink in the sand.
“Quick movement is not advisable. We are on top of a fine sand, similar to what you would find in ergs. Due to it’s very fine nature, the quicker you try to move through it, you’ll sink through it like a dry quicksand,” Maud explained in a collected manner.
“Where is all this coming from? I thought you knew rocks!” Daring Do angrily said.
“Sand is composed of rocks.”
“Alright, alright, calm down,” Daring Do said to herself, doing her best to subside her panic and her anger, “We can figure out a way to get out. We can do this.” The light was shining upwards, hoping it would inspire the two ponies to find a way out, and also to help Daring Do to forget about the rodents nearby.
Maud pulled out a Boulder from her pocket. She looked at the pebble for a moment before she geared up to throw it.
“What are you doing?”
“Celestiaspeed, Boulder,” was all Maud said before she flung Boulder up through the hole above them. He flew through and disappeared. “Boulder is going to get help for us.”
Daring Do’s expression dropped, “We are so dead.”
However, a few loud noises were heard above. There was a mixture of crashing, crunching, rolling, and smashing for about twenty second until out of nowhere, a large log fell into the opposite end of the sand pit, crashing through the rest of the fake floor above. It sank slightly before stopping. The top of the log passed the ledge of the pit, allowing for a passage out.
The pegasus was dumbfounded, “....I stand corrected.”
Maud had a small smile on her face, “I never doubted him.”
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The two climbed out of the sand pit. As luck would have it, the location of the where the log fell allowed for them to continue to venture into the rest of the temple. With Daring Do holding the flashlight, the two ventured ahead to the light at the end of the hall.
The hallway opened up into a large domed shaped shrine. Light poured in from the overgrown skylights. Branches, roots, and vines grew everywhere they were able. To the left and right of the entrance, there seemed to be a wide and very long hallway in each direction. Throughout the room, there was writing and murals across the walls detailing a history and legend that one could only begin to read. In front of them, in the center of the room and upon a pedestal rested the fruits of their labor: the Skull of Beng.
“Astounding,” Daring Do commented, “No matter how many times I venture into ruins, I never get tired of this feeling.” The pegasus took a careful step down onto the limestone floor. She trotted to about halfway between the entrance and the pedestal and looked at the murals and walls. “It seems to be a detailed story of the building of the Temple of Beng….wait a moment, it says there are other skulls like this one?”
As Daring Do looked at the walls, Maud slowly trotted up to the pedestal that held the artifact. She took a closer look at the item. True enough, it was a pony skull, or at least something that was in the shape of a pony skull. The item was about the same shape as an adult pony skull, but had a number of strange features, such as appearing to have a turquoise-ish green color to it and a slight crystal-clear appearance to it. The eye-sockets of the skull did, in fact, go within as if it at one time housed the proper organs and tissues used by living creatures.
“....there also exists the Skull of Heng, the Skull of Pi, the Skull of Zuan, and the Skull of Pao….and I might be mispronouncing some of these names….is it possible that there are other temples that might hold these artifacts?” Daring was muttering to herself as she looked intently at the mural above. “Maud, can you take a look at these murals for a sec-, hey, don’t touch that!”
Daring Do bolted over next to Maud.
“I wasn’t. I’m looking closely at it,” Maud explained as she didn’t break her eye contact from it.
The pegasus also took a look at the skull, “It is pretty captivating, looking all crystal-like. Come here, I need you to look at these murals for a moment.”
From the top to the bottom of the walls and all over the ceilings, a colorful yet aged mural with script told a story that was hard to entirely decipher. Amongst it, five different buildings, temples most likely, were surrounded by different creatures. Each temple looked drastically different from one another, just as the creatures surrounding each. At the top of each one, an item rested and was revered by those around it: a skull.
“Now, I’m mostly skimming, but if I’m reading this correctly, it says that there are other temples like this one here, but they are nowhere near the Temple of Beng….” Daring Do spoke.
“The mural appears to be around the same age as the temple, maybe a little newer,” Maud analyzed. “The buildings in the temple are very different in architecture. If I were to guess, none save the one representing the Temple of Beng would be found in this area.”
“So….that would mean these other temples are….somewhere else in the world?”
“It seems that way.”
Daring Do said the name of the other temples to herself, “Heng, Pi, Zuan, and Pao….”
Maud turned around and looked back at the skull. She didn’t touch it, rather she seemed more fascinated in it since it seemed to hold qualities of both a gemstone while looking like a real pony skull. Daring Do joined her, looking at the skull, examining it in every possible way. Her mind raced as she thought about how to move it.
“Well, time for the moment of truth….” Daring Do said softly as she slowly moved her hooves toward the skull. Carefully, she hovered her hooves over the skull, lowering them and gently making contact with it. Very delicately, Daring Do lifted the skull off of the pedestal. Beads of sweat were forming from both the pressure and the humidity. Finally, with the artifact off the pedestal, Daring Do brought the skull in close and secured her hold on the item. “Got it, haha!”
Maud, who had emotionlessly watched the entire ordeal plainly spoke, “You shouldn’t have done that.”
“What?”
Before Daring Do could get an answer from Maud, the entire temple around them started to shake. It was as if a violent earthquake was rocking the entire temple. However, nothing was falling over, but it was more of a rumble of something in motion.
“Another trap?” the pegasus looked around.
“It was a weight rigged trap,” Maud stated calmly as the room started to shake.
“Why didn’t you say anything?!” Daring Do shouted as she placed the skull in her saddlebag.
“You didn’t ask,” the earth pony answered, “Does this sort of thing happen to you alot?”
“More often than I’d like, now follow me!”
Daring Do started galloping down the long hallway to the right of the entrance they came in. Maud followed close behind. As they hurried down the darkened path, the source of the rumbling became visible. Behind them, about four large wooden logs were barrelling at them down the sloped hallway.
“Logs? Are you kidding me?” Daring Do looked behind at the danger rolling toward them.
Maud added her own commentary as she kept pace, “Seems fitting for the local scenery.”
The two kept themselves ahead at a comfortable distance ahead of the rolling hazard. Despite the darkness, their goal was visible ahead, with sunlight pouring in. However, where the sunlight started is where the path below them abruptly stopped. Both Maud and Daring Do looked around them for anything that could save them.
“Ah, buck me….” Daring Do said, trying to keep herself from losing her balance as she looked down the side of the temple. Below them, the ground waited, but the drop alone would kill them if the logs rushing towards them didn’t.
Maud looked toward the logs that were rolling toward them and then back to Daring Do, “How’s your wing?”
“Not great. Won’t be able to fly myself, much less both of us out of here.”
Silently, Maud nodded and looked at the darkened hallway with the logs. The sound was growing louder as the rumbling echoed out. The earth pony then galloped back into the darkened hallway. Daring Do was about to call out to Maud, pleading with her to not be reckless, however, the sound of the rolling logs stopped. What followed could only be described as an explosive crunch of wood from a steam-press. The sound repeated a few times, and then there was silence. Moments later, Maud slowly trotted back to Daring Do, her mane and clothing coated in what looked like woodchips and sawdust.
Daring Do was speechless as she looked at the earth pony, “Did….Did you just destroy those logs?”
“Yes.”
“H-How?! Where did that come from?!”
“I was raised on a rock farm. I picked up a thing or two.”
“Guess I should have believed in your strengths more.”
“Perhaps.”
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“So, this is the fabled Skull of Beng….” Daring Do commented as she examined the relic.
The skull sat before her on one of the rocks outside of the temple. The late afternoon sunshine caused the skull to cast a clear turquoise-green shadow below it. Maud was also examining the skull in silence. The mineral quality of the skull fascinated the earth pony.
“If what the writing on the walls of the temple is correct, other skulls exist, each one also having its own danger and power. But what kind of power are these skulls supposedly holding within? And can it be harnessed? There has to be some sort of practical use of these for these, right? Or are they simply just relics they worshiped back in their day? That would make far more sense, but I still don’t understand all the fuss to protect it with such traps if that is the case….” Daring Do was mumbling to herself. It was something she often did when she solo ventured. “Nor does it explain why it would refer to the other skulls elsewhere….”
“Perhaps all of the skulls are interlinked with one another?” Maud interrupted Daring Do’s thinking.
Daring Do nodded as she kept her gaze fixed at the , “That’s what I was thinking, but….how? And why?”
Maud surprised the pegasus by replying, “It seems that is our next task.”
Daring Do broke off eye contact with the skull and looked at the earth pony for a moment and then thought aloud. “You are absolutely right. This warrants more study, both of this artifact and others that are claimed to be linked to it. If the items are related, maybe they react to one another? Looks like there’s another expedition on the horizon once I convince the Board.” The pegasus had a sly smile on her face for a brief moment before turning her attention back to Maud, “I truly appreciate you joining this expedition. I’m not expecting you to join me, but there are four more skulls out there, hidden in temples such as thi-”
“I’m in.”
The sudden response caught Daring Do off guard, “What? Are you sure? This job comes with risks. Traps, rival explorers, curses, forgotten and vengeful deities, grading papers at the university that you technically still work at.”
“I’ve been meaning to ask about that. Isn’t archeology more about researching and mostly done in libraries?”
“Technically yes….but somepony has to do the dirty work in the field. It’s kind of a passion of mine, even if I get all sorts of weapons pointed right at my nose.” The tone that Daring Do had to her voice made it so that anypony listening couldn’t tell if she was joking about the last part of her statement.
“I still accept,” a soft smile appeared on Maud’s face, which the pegasus took for extreme joy, “It would be a new experience for me. Besides, this artifact appears to be made of some mineral that I am not familiar with.”
A smile also appeared on Daring Do’s face as she joked, “Fair warning: more often than not, I make it up as I go along.”
“Sounds like my sister.”
Daring Do broke out a laugh, “You know, you are actually quite funny, Maud. I like you.”
“The feeling’s mutual,” Maud replied with a smile.
Reaching into her nearby saddlebag, Daring Do pulled out a rolled piece of parchment. She unravelled the paper and laid it next to the Skull of Beng, revealing an aged map. The ink seemed faded, but the map still showed where the two ponies were heading to next.
“So, ready for an adventure?”
TO BE CONTINUED?