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ask-de-writer · 5 years ago

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DARING DO and the ADVENTURE of the X'IBIAN VASE! : MLP Fan Fiction : Part 17 of 21

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Daring Do

and the Adventure of the X'ibian Vase!

De Writer (Glen Ten-Eyck)

And

Carmen Pondiego

Cover Art by

Doctor Dimension

52630 words

Writing begun 08/26/15

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Users of Tumblr.com are specifically granted the following rights. They may reblog the story. They may use the characters or original characters in my settings for fan fiction, fan art works, cosplay, or fan musical compositions, provided that such things are done without charge. I will allow those who do commission art works to charge for their images.

All sorts of fan art, cosplay, music or fictions is actively encouraged.

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Robber and Overthrow were scanning the two passes that the maps showed as the only approaches to ancient Hong Wa. Their binoculars showed only narrow, stony notches with no vegetation at all.

“Any luck, Robber?”

“No. It is hard to be sure of details with all the heat shimmering but nothing the size of a dromedary has showed up at all. I wonder if something has happened to them?”

Tyranny was crouched behind one of the MT81 quick fire cannon, pretending to aim and fire up the gorges.

Overthrow shook his head sadly. “He was a sharp and prudent lawyer before he got this obsession with the Heart of Discord and world domination. Look at him. He threw away the firm’s entire capital on this one throw of the dice.

“He does not even seem to understand that we need to capture them all ALIVE, if we can! Daring Do, especially. I overheard him last night. He was muttering to himself about torturing her to death. That is bad enough. He was not even thinking about the fact that only she has any actual chance of FINDING the Heart of Discord.”

Robber agreed glumly as he sweated under the merciless X'ibian sun. “I would have given up. I can’t. If this does not work, we are bankrupt. I don’t want to start over from nothing.”

Overthrow sat on a stone and asked, “Taken up mind reading, Robber? Those are my thoughts, exactly.”

Tyranny was laughing in a twisted fantasy. “Just wait until they show their heads! These guns will tear them to shreds!”

Robber stepped up behind Tyranny and pulled him away from the weapon. “Fine! Blow them to pieces! THEN HOW ARE WE GOING TO FIND THE TOMB?”

Tyranny blinked several times. In a puzzled voice he pointed out, “That nearest necropolis is the oldest of them. We just go down there and look for the marker. Im Farst was an emperor, so the marker on the grave must be huge.”

In the gentle voice reserved for trying to reason with a child, Robber suggested, “Think it through, Tyranny. If it was that simple, one of the many previous expeditions would have found it. Besides, IT IS NOT A GRAVE. It is a BIG tomb. Somehow, it was hidden so well that over the ages, MILLIONS have been spent trying to find it. NOPONY ever has.

“Daring Do must not be harmed. SHE is very sure that she has solved the problem. She is not the only one. BOTH Celestia and Luna are backing her expedition. THEY are sure that she is right.”

From the low stone ridge off to the left of them, a rifle boomed, echoes bouncing back from the ancient wall of Hong Wa. Dirt flew up about two feet from one of the ammunition boxes. A second shot blasted from a different part of the ridge. The bullet made a screaming whine as it ricocheted from a stone near the tripod of one of the guns.

Before either of the partners could stop him, Tyranny leaped to one of the MT81s and began to blast away along the ridge, swinging the weapon on its mount like a fire hose! The noise was a deafening, rolling thunder!

The bits and chunks of rock flying from the ridge told of bad aim. He was not even hitting near the crest where his opponents had to be.

Robber simply clubbed him down and hurled him away from the gun. Taking the handles, he waited until the next rifle shot’s noise and smoke revealed where to shoot. He sent an economical three round burst at the spot. It shattered stone and threw up dirt right on target. He waited quietly for the next shot to reveal the location of a shooter.

That shot came quickly, and Robber’s return fire splintered stone there too. Not hearing their other MT81, he spared a glance. Overthrow was bleeding from a leg but worse, the gun’s ammo box was a shattered ruin. Single shells were thrown about like nine-pins when a strike is rolled. Overthrow was attempting to clear the wreckage and feed the weapon single bullets.

There was another shot from the ridge! Robber aimed and fired. His gun blasted once and clicked. His ammunition box was empty. He raised his hooves and stood well back from the useless MT81.

He saw that Overthrow was following his example. Tyranny was frozen with terror. Dromedaries were coming across the ridge. Robber recognized the advance method and shook his head. Somepony had trained these fighters.

Seven dromedaries under arms, accompanied by two ponies with rifles and one horse with a wicked looking sword came up and seized the three.

A large dromedary bared a sword and held it in a threatening position. Robber had read enough to know that was a bad sign with X'ibians. The dromedary mare spoke mildly enough. “I am Sang He. This could have been an interesting fight if that idiot,” she pointed to Tyranny, “had not wasted your ammunition. You used what you had very well.”

Robber shrugged, “Not a lot that I could do to stop him, in time. He was ‘playing’ gunner when the first shot was fired. I knocked him off the gun as swiftly as I could.

“This whole expedition has been his idea. He thought that we could just go to the necropolis and dig up relics of Im Farst.

“The whole expedition was not too bad, financially. He bankrupted us, buying old manuscripts of the earliest X'ibian Empire. He thought that those relics would be fabulously valuable and allow us to recover our huge expenses. There is only one problem. We made a foray into the nearby necropolis. It is the wrong age entirely.

“Then he thought that maybe we could force Daring Do to reveal the location of Im Farst’s tomb. That was another piece of stupidity on his part.

“Here at the last, Overthrow and I were following him because we had no other choice. I mentioned that we are bankrupt? If it helps any, I was shooting only in defense.”

Sang He regarded Robber with mild disdain. “You told us only some of the truth. You are after a single relic. The legendary Heart of Discord. Daring Do was dispatched, not to prevent you from it, but to study and preserve the rest of the tomb.”

“She wasn’t to prevent us from getting the Heart of Discord?”

Daring Do, a bit of wind whipping her mane impressively, inquired, “Do you have any idea at all how old the Princesses Luna and Celestia are? They KNEW Im Farst and the Dragon Queen. They do not want the tomb of a friend despoiled for a single relic.”

Tyranny leaped on what Daring Do had said. “So! They gave you a map to the tomb! If you don’t hand it over right now, I will …” He hit the ground with a thump and a cloud of dust flaring out in all directions! Overthrow, leg wound still bleeding a bit, knocked him down and was sitting on him.

From his perch on Tyranny, he offered, “Excuse this, please. Our senior partner is more than a tiny bit unhinged. It did not show until we were committed to this business.”

Jeremy giggled. “It sure showed when he was shooting! Are you SURE that he is on YOUR side?”

Daring Do glanced skeptically at the three. “I had in mind allowing you to help us to excavate the tomb entrance as soon as we find it. You must realize that any three thousand year old guide or map will not be too accurate today. Even some hills move in that span of time. We will have our work cut out for us, just to locate the tomb and determine the correct method of entry.”

Tyranny, from his place flat on the ground, demanded, “What is so complex about it? Once we find the tomb, we just dig in and get what we need!”

Daring Do looked down incredulously. With all seven dromedaries doubled up with laughter and Soree giggling, she pointed out, “In my career, I have opened thirty eight significant ancient tombs. Every one has had at least two lethal traps that still functioned.

“Now I am certain that it will be YOU digging in, when we find the entrance!”

Robber chuckled sourly, “Tyranny, are you even beginning to grasp how stupid you are sounding?”

Daring Do shrugged. “Let him up. I have had to deal with grave robbing idiots before. “Mister Tyranny, you will not be allowed to enter the tomb at all. When we locate the artifact or any complication connected with it, you will be informed. If you try to enter without our specific permission, Sang He and her Dromedaries will shoot to kill without warning, is that clear?”

Tyranny regained his feet, snarling, “How can we possibly trust YOU?”

That caused Daring Do to double up laughing. When she regained her composure, she replied, “Not only are you still alive when we could have easily killed you, we are allowing you to stay with us. Consider, you are bankrupt. You cannot buy enough of fuel or supplies to get home but we are taking you in.

“It is we who have no cause to trust you!”

Soree went to Kanya Ama and asked, “May I get out the stove and fuel? We are now past our noon meal, due the presence of certain venomous insects.”

Kanya Ama knelt and allowed Soree to open her big pack panniers. Soree got out the stove, charcoal, and rice with dried vegetables already chopped and mixed in, needing only cooking to make them a meal.

Jeremy and Sehang Shu joined her in preparing the meal. Sehang Shu quietly offered, “Jeremy, you were very courageous in this event. Without your lead, we could have been killed.

“My given name is Shu. I wish that you would use it from now on.”

Lifting his eyes from the task of measuring the noon rice, Jeremy questioned, “I have made many mistakes of understanding so far, due to both prejudice and not grasping what I have been presented to study. From my reading, that offer has more meaning than simply letting me call you by your given name. Is that correct?”

Shehang Shu nodded, her face serious. “That is true, Jeremy. It is an offer of more than simply friendship.”

Jeremy returned to her the bow of one of low station to one of high. “I would be most honored, Shu. If I may say so, I have rarely ever met one that I respect more.” He hesitated before giving her a gentle hug.

Her return hug lifted him a good half meter off the ground!

She let him down and suggested with a giggle, “We can follow this up later. Just now, your lunch needs to be fixed!”

Soree grinned ear to ear as she commented, “We had better give you seconds, Jeremy! You are going to need your strength!”

Tyranny wandered close and demanded, “Never mind messing with the servants! When will my noon meal be ready?”

Tyranny promptly discovered two things about dromedaries. The first was that they can deliver a full power kick from any angle, using any leg. The other was that full power for a dromedary is very powerful indeed!

He picked himself up, cautiously, checking for broken bones. He had landed two meters away from where Shehang Shu’s hoof caught him. He snarled, “That is it! You are fired! Get out of here!”

That was met by a sudden clacking sound as all seven of the large bore dromedary rifles that Daring Do gave the herd were brought to bear and cocked, safeties off. He was surrounded by a herd of grim faced dromedaries staring down the sights of their weapons.

Sang He said in such a gentle voice that it took a moment for the meaning to penetrate, “You will abase yourself. Grovel before Shehang Shu and beg her for your life. If you do not, we will destroy you.”

Tyranny turned to Daring Do, who was staring in consternation at a sheaf of papers, and demanded, “Do something! Your servants are in revolt!”

Daring Do gave him a pained look. She patiently explained, “There is nothing for me to do. They are being very forbearing in allowing this conversation before firing.”

She pointed sweepingly to the desert horizon about them. “If you examine your surroundings with the utmost care, you might notice a tiny detail. You are not in Equestria. Equestrian law does not run here. What Sang He’s herd is about to do is TOTALLY LEGAL HERE.”

Tyranny’s brows drew down in puzzled shock. “All of this over firing a servant?”

Daring Do pointed out, “In the first place, NOT YOUR SERVANT! In the second place, not my servant, either. Sang He’s herd was engaged for their known and proven expertise in all aspects of the documentation, conservation and proper handling of antiquities.

“They have worked with me before. They are partners splitting a twenty percent share of the value of the total find as assessed by consultation between my Royal backers and the X'ibian Provincial Department of Antiquities. If the expedition fails, they will receive an already agreed to per diem.”

He gestured at the herd, with unwavering guns aimed at him. “These crude beasts, expert at anything? Ridiculous.”

There was another clacking of a rifle being cocked and brought to bear. Jeremy had joined the herd in steady, utterly calm aim at Tyranny. Soree was off to one side, out of the line of fire, sketching the scene into her notebook!

Daring Do observed, “Your mouth is digging you a grave that you will not get. By custom, your body will be put into an exposed location for desert scavengers to eat.”

It slowly percolated through Tyranny’s consciousness that what he was hearing was perfectly serious. He got down to his belly, head extended toward Shehang Shu. “Please spare my life! I did not understand what I was doing.” He frowned in concentration and added, “I am not sure that I do now. I will do my best to understand and behave.

“I am a scholar of the ancient form of your language. Perhaps I can assist the work coming by that means.”

Shehang Shu gave a millimetric nod from the Bow of one of highest station and slung her rifle. She pulled her sword and held it in a low guard position, edge toward Tyranny.

In a voice so cold that it should have frozen him, she stated, “We are on the same road. We ask no thing of you and you, none from us. The path is all that is shared.”

She sheathed her sword and turned her back on him. The others all released the cock and slung their rifles too. Even Jeremy turned his back on the shivering Tyranny.

Soree and Jeremy returned to fixing their delayed noon meal.

Daring Do stirred the still shuddering Tyranny with her hoof. “We need to talk about this translation. I told you, back in your office in Canterlot, that your X'ibian translation was near hopeless. It does not seem to have improved.”

That got Tyranny’s attention. “Nonsense. I have even used your lexicon of X'ibian Ideograms! I got every one exactly right!”

Daring Do nodded briskly. “You did. You also totally missed the meaning! All references to Dromedary are superlatives. They are the epitome of beauty, grace, elegance and deep thought. They are NEVER negatives or symbols of clumsiness, stupidity or ugliness.”

Incredulous, Tyranny gestured at the herd and exclaimed, “Impossible! Just look at them!”

Jeremy had quietly joined them and said, “Yes, just look at them through THEIR EYES. Didn’t you know that the whole X'ibian first Empire was founded and carried on by dromedaries? Im Farst, whose tomb we are seeking, was a dromedary.

“His wife, the legendary Dragon Queen, named Wisdom, was actually a dragon, as the X'ibians understood such creatures. We hope to find out more about Wisdom herself, in the exploration of this tomb, assuming that we can find it.”

Tyranny, ears stinging from the multiple rebukes, snapped, “What about HER MAP? How could you fail to find it unless you are really stupid?” He pointed dramatically at Daring Do, who yawned.

Sehang Shu loftily informed him, “If you were a student, you would be removed from the class. I believe the term I want here is flunked.

“You were informed already that landmarks can change a great deal in three thousand years. You have failed to consider the information given you.”

Jeremy quietly added, “Besides, Doctor Do does not have a map. That was a conclusion that you jumped on and have accepted without question since. That is faulty reasoning that not even the military of any nation will accept. I am amazed that you, as a lawyer, would be guilty of such a basic failure of logic.”

Daring Do agreed, “I do not have a map. I do know how to find the tomb. It will not be easy. We must begin inside the Hong Wa.”

Overthrow cautiously inquired, “If the tomb is outside the city, why do we need to begin inside it?”

Robber acidly pointed out, “If Daring Do has no map, she has a chain of clues that begin inside the city somewhere, obviously.”

Sang He politely herded Daring Do away from the lawyers. “Doctor Do, your delayed noon meal is now ready. Why you would wish to associate with such low creatures as they is beyond me.”

Daring Do chided gently, “My friend, do not discriminate with them because they are ponies.”

“I did not. I have placed them in the station that they have earned by their behavior. We honor you and those you have brought, because you and they have earned our respect. Those back there have gone so far the other way that I am glad that we did not shoot.

“Scavengers are a needful part of the ecology of the desert. I would not wish to poison them with that creature’s carcass.”

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#DARING DO AND THE ADVENTURE OF THE X'IBIAN VASE #part 17 of 21 #MLP Fan Fiction #Written by De Writer and Carmen Pondiego

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ask-de-writer · 5 years ago

Text

DARING DO and the ADVENTURE of the X'IBIAN VASE! : MLP Fan Fiction : Part 20 of 21

Return to the Master Story Index

Return to MLP Fan Fiction

Daring Do

and the Adventure of the X'ibian Vase!

De Writer (Glen Ten-Eyck)

And

Carmen Pondiego

Cover Art by

Doctor Dimension

52630 words

Writing begun 08/26/15

//////////////

All sorts of fan art, cosplay, music or fictions is actively encouraged.

///////////////////////

The party began to descend the causeway, Daring Do in the lead. She carefully sifted chalk powder on trap trigger stones in both causeway and the wall. Tyranny, seeing that Robber had out a large knife, did not even try to touch any of them.

They reached the stone platform at the bottom of the causeway without further incident. If you do not count the three small trickles of blood on Tyranny’s coat where Robber poked him with the knife as incidents, that is.

Unappologetic, Robber just said, “I thought that he was starting to put a hoof where he should not.

“It looks like an easy walk to the place where we can begin uncovering the tomb door. That makes me suspect that it is not safe at all.”

Sang He nodded agreement. “You alone of your compatriots, Mister Robber, appear to have learned some wisdom. You are correct. That easy appearing patch of sand between here and the tomb of Im Farst is quite dangerous.

“Doctor Do is preparing to take to the air to scout whether the sand lions that we know are here can be coped with.”

As Daring Do was stripping away her pack, saddle bags and anything else that might slow or interfere with her flight, Tyranny snorted, “Sand lions! Those are a myth! They have never been documented by any reputable scientific authority.”

Sang He and the rest of her herd ignored him, while efficiently readying their rifles. They began to aim them out over the seemingly empty sand. Daring Do lifted off to the flutter of strong wings.

Moderately high up, she circled, scrutinizing the sand below. She stooped into a dive, like a striking hawk! She hit the sand, bunched and leaped high, wings driving for all that they were worth!

Only a few meters from her striking point, the sand erupted in a fury of raking claws, snapping fangs and a leaping blotched tan and white monster. Daring Do was up, out of its reach ~ barely!

As Daring Do swept up and about, the now revealed sand lion kept pace beneath her. Robber commented sarcastically, “That looks like a real myth to me! At least as real as the Heart of Discord.”

Gaining on the pursuing beast, Daring Do dived again! Her thump as she hit this time drew, not one, but three of the hidden monsters! Soon she was leading a ravening pack away from the causeway and the expedition.

Tyranny tried to self-importantly bustle out onto the now “safe” sands.

Bullets blasted past him! The sand lion that did not follow Daring Do was ripped by flying lead! It emitted an unearthly roaring scream as it collapsed in a pool of its own gore. The thirsty sand soaked up its gore as the beast died, half out of the sand that hid it from sight.

Jeremy, a smoking rifle of his own in hoof, was hugging a dromedary. “That was wonderful shooting, Shu! You took out its spine right through its open mouth!”

Shu was returning the hug, delighting in his praise.

Tyranny saw the hug and curled a lip. “Can’t you stop disgusting us by your perversion?”

Soree and the entire herd all froze. As one, they turned their backs on him. Shocked, Tyranny saw that Robber had joined them and Ovethrow was refusing to meet his eye.

Shu, still holding Jeremy, observed, “I must offer my apologies to the dung beetles. That unworthy creature has not earned their august company.”

Sang He, turned to Tyranny, rifle lowered to aim directly at him. All of the others followed suit. Jeremy, standing beside Sehang Shu, had his rifle aimed too. Soree pulled her talwar and even Robber had his knife aimed at him.

Sang He demanded, “Precede us across the sands or die here and now.”

Quaking with fear, Tyranny asked, “What if there is another one like that?”

Sang He half lidded her eyes and replied, “Then we will kill it. If it kills you first or not is of no importance at all. GO!”

The rest followed Tyranny at a small distance as they made their way across the sands. The passage was made without any further problem beyond maintaining footing in the slippery sands.

They were climbing onto the outcrops of sandstone that shielded the ruins of the ancient complex. Jeremy’s rifle barked once. The sand lion that was up in the rocks a bit above them tumbled down to flop in a blotched heap of tan and whitish fur at their hooves.

There was a flurry of wings as Daring Do landed among the party. She paused to examine the kill at close range. She shifted the massive head and examined the structure of the jaws and fangs. “Soree, dear. I need good sketches of this. See how these fangs are set in the jaws? See how these ears work to keep the sand out while it is below the surface? We need this documented very carefully.”

Soree began to make many sketches of the dead beast.

Daring Do turned her attention to the stones ahead of them and smiled. Taking Jeremy by the hoof, she pointed. “See that, Jeremy? It was made to look natural but it is not at all! We are at the outskirts of the tomb complex!”

The others fell back and let their acknowledged expert check out the way ahead. Daring Do led the way, her wings slightly raised. A short ways into a defile, they were faced with fallen rubble partly covering an ancient lintel over what appeared to be a door.

Standing in the small defile, Daring Do took out a paper and compared the time worn characters carved on the lintel piece to what she had. Nodding in deep thought, she began to back out with the greatest care.

Tyranny demanded, “What is the hold up? All that we have to do is pry and dig out those fallen rocks and force the door!”

Kanya Ama put a hoof over her eyes in frustration as she suggested, “Eater of dung beetle leavings, please go and jump about on the sand. We would like to see if those mythical sand lions have returned.”

Sehang Shu condescendingly offered, “If Doctor Do is getting away from there, one may presume an excellent reason. This could be trapped, a false entrance, or both. Please tell us where your brain was buried when it died. We need a latrine.”

Robber joined in the general chuckle. Tyranny fumed.

Daring Do, out of the slot, commented, “Note this place well, Soree. I want your best sketches. We will return here later. This is where the tomb’s workforce was interred. The stones here are not trapped. They were merely meant to be sure that any who survived the drug could not escape.”

Sang He and the rest of the herd bowed their heads in respect.

After the moment of silence, Sang He suggested, “So, shall we search around on this bluff to find the true Auspicious South where the entrance most likely is?”

Daring Do nodded. “Yes, my friend. That is what we must do.”

As the party worked their way through a maze of broken and fallen stone, it was the sharp eyes of Kanya Ama who spotted it. “Look! Up there! They must have had some sort of bridge that was removed after the doors were sealed.”

She was pointing up. There was a ledge with barely visible stone works to its back. Daring Do spread her wings and flew up near to it, verifying that it was indeed the place that they were searching for.

She landed in a jubilant mood. “That is it! We have the true entrance to the tomb! Thanks, Kanya Ama!” Daring Do hugged the big dromedary.

Using Jeremy’s grapnels and ropes, it did not take long to rig a rope ladder up to the ledge. Tyranny watched, mouth agape, as the clumsy seeming dromedaries swarmed up the ladder without effort. Jeremy and Soree followed, showing an agility that he had never imagined. Robber and Overthrow worked their way up without undue problems, though they were clearly not comfortable with the task.

Tyranny began his climb. He struggled to find his footing on the loose, dangling ropes of the ladder. Several times he missed with a hoof and had to feel about to get secure. Looking down, he froze.

His terrified screams caused the others to put their heads over the ledge to watch. Sang He observed, “It is obstructing our ladder! Perhaps if we shake the ladder, the bug will come loose so that we can use it.”

Sehang Shu pointed out, “The splatter of its fluids could contaminate the site. Since we are being paid a share of the value estimate, that could lower our income!”

There was a flurry of other, similar commentary, punctuated by laughter. It was the laughter that reached Tyranny. Gritting his teeth against his fear, he struggled and fought his way to the top.

Now he could see what the others already had. The tomb entrance was carved with a female Draconequis as one pillar of the doorway and a dromedary was the other. The Dromedary’s bearing was so noble that even Tyranny could feel it. Together, they upheld what could only be a representation of the sky itself.

Soree, ignoring all of the byplay, was working on careful sketches both of the whole and detail copies of various portions.

Seeing the unguarded doors of the tomb proper, Tyranny began to stride confidently forward to push them open. The realization that ALL of the others were silently taking cover stopped him!

As he turned to say, “What are you afraid of?” a missile shot past him, just barely scratching the skin of his neck! The missile did not clatter on the stone below. It silently vanished when it failed of its target. That, more than the trap itself caused Tyranny to stop in wide eyed shock.

Sehang Shu called derisively, “I told you, OUR MAGIC WORKS! Please go toward the doors again! We have a betting pool on how many traps you will trigger before you are killed!”

Shaken, he backed away from the deadly doors.

The others emerged from their cover. Sehang Shu set up the portable stove and began to fix rice and dried vegetables for Jeremy, Soree and Daring Do. She called quietly, “Mister Robber, would you care for a portion too? You have earned my respect and may share our camp if you wish.”

Robber paused, bowed deeply and asked, “What of the rest of your herd? What do they say?”

Sang He spoke for the rest, giving him a bow of equals, “The affront was to Sehang Shu. If she has forgiven you so far as to share with you, then so shall we.”

Robber then returned her bow, replying, “It would be my honor to share food with you. I have little to offer in return, only a single ration of cheese that dried out and has crumbled to small lumps. The dried bread crusts that we had, Tyranny abandoned somewhere along the way.”

Sehang Shu invited, “Share what you may. The cheese will rehydrate along with the rice and vegetables. It will add an excellent flavor for my dear and his friends.”

Without further comment, Robber handed over the small packet of crumbled cheese.

Robber was surprised when Daring Do and Jeremy moved aside to make room for him.

Jeremy, studying the doors, asked Daring Do, “How many traps have you spotted so far? I count six.”

Robber stared at the innocent seeming doors and shook his head. “I am glad that your group is here. Tyranny would have got us all killed before we ever got this far. I can’t even see the one that shot the missile at Tyranny and I know that it is there.”

Sehang Shu nodded, “They are difficult to detect. Doctor Do’s class, Temple and Tomb Guardians 406, is a great help. We took it by Magic Net after assisting her with the Darkling’s Tomb and the area survey. Our ancestors were very ingenious.”

Daring Do nodded acknowledgment. “They were indeed, Sehang Shu. Jeremy, there are in fact six. You spotted them all. There is one for each of the cardinal points of the ancient X'ibian compass.

“At least these are not as dangerous as the ancient Rune Work of Baratted the Goat during the Nightmare Wars. Those are deadly.”

Jeremy shuddered. “I know. Circle Lake and Crescent Lake in central Equestria were his work. They are each just over thirty kilometers across.”

Sehang Shu interrupted. Smiling, she announced, “The meal is ready! Mister Robber, your cheese addition smells good! Thank you!” She began to serve out four bowls, one for each of the ponies and the horse before her. Smiling happily, she served Jeremy his bowl first.

Daring Do smiled as she watched Jeremy get his bowl from Sehang Shu. She and Soree were next. Robber waited to last and took his bowl with a bow of thanks.

As Robber sat to eat, Tyranny stomped over and demanded, “You have to share that with …” His demand was silenced by a meaty thud! Sehang Shu pulled her leg back calmly from the hard strike that took Tyranny off his hooves and sent him tumbling to a wall. Robber, eyes wide, bowed to her, “I thank you, Sehang Shu. He was carrying our dried crusts and other rations. He left them somewhere on the way. He has no right to any of your food. I have no right either but that of your invitation.”

Sehang Shu nodded. “That is so, Mister Robber. We have a saying that goes, he who casts away what he has, has no right to what others may have.”

Daring Do was looking at the whole problem of the door traps. Suddenly she smiled. Taking out a piece of paper, she sketched a few things and made quick notes. Jeremy realized that her quick notes were in ancient X'ibian!

She showed her notes to Sang He. The dromedary’s eyes flew open in surprise. “Of course! There are six cardinal points to the ancient compass. They all meet at the center!”

As swiftly as their luncheon was done, Kanya Ama began to creep forward on her belly. It was amazing how close to the ground so large a being as she could get.

Sang He and Daring Do were coaching her, “A bit to the left! Not quite so much! There! Perfect! Now raise the target!”

Kanya Ama hesitated before raising a cut out on a stick. Robber giggled. The cut out was a quite good likeness of Tyranny’s silhouette. It was suddenly shredded as a stabbing blade trap, a missile trap, a falling stone, a swinging weight, a slashing blade and a pit opening all triggered at once!

Kanya Ama was laying in the only spot not struck, slashed, smashed or dropped! All of the ancient traps slammed into each other and fell into the pit. Seconds later, the pit closed.

With a groan like the weight of millennia was holding them back, the tomb doors yawned wide. There, exposed to the light of day for the first time in three thousand years, was a long corridor leading downward into the depths of the burial complex.

Tyranny started for the opening. The multiple clacks of rifles behind him being cocked and safeties released stopped him.

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#DARING DO AND THE ADVENTURE OF THE X'IBIAN VASE #Part 20 of 21 #MLP Fan Fiction #Written by De Writer and Carmen Pondiego

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DARING DO and the ADVENTURE of the X'IBIAN VASE! : MLP Fan Fiction : Part 8 of 21

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DARING DO and the

ADVENTURE of the X'IBIAN VASE!

De Writer (Glen Ten-Eyck) @ask-de-writer

And

Carmen Pondiego @askcarmenpondiego

Cover Art by

Doctor Dimension

52630 words

Writing begun 08/26/15

//////////////

All sorts of fan art, cosplay, music or fictions is actively encouraged.

///////////////////////

Jeremy was fuming when he was let out of the hold. He stomped to the rail and pointed to modest sized twin turret iron clad ship, clearly made for river work. It was fairly broad and shallow of draft. It was flying the Imperial flag and had a blue pennon below it.

“Look there! The Imperial Navy is about to take down this cheap collection junks that you call the Pirate Queen!”

Soree tapped his shoulder and pointed to the blue pennon. “That is the pennon of Qushi Han Le. It is one of her River Monitors. It has been assigned to escort us to Cantrot.”

Jeremy stopped cold, like he had run headfirst into a solid brick wall. “How could that happen? That is the Imperial Naval ensign.”

Soree chuckled. “Qushi Han Le OWNS the entire Imperial Navy. How could you have missed reading about it in our expedition information on cultures, customs and lands that we will need to deal with along the route?”

“What! That is insane! How could some pirate own the navy?”

Soree gave Jeremy a deeply troubled gaze. “It is in the material that you were given for the expedition. You did not read it or you could not ask that.

“I must let Doctor Do know at once. You have nearly got us killed at least twice since we arrived. In the Empire, NEVER assume that because somepony is polite or seems harmless that you can insult them or push them around verbally. That can get you killed on the spot. They put a very high premium on courtesy.”

“What? Was she carrying a gun or something?”

“No, Jeremy. She had seven snipers with modern rifles aimed at us. She only needed to signal and we would have been shot down.”

Jeremy shook his head. “Makes no sense. We are from EQUESTRIA. They HAVE to treat us with respect. Even you, in spite of being from an inferior …”

He was talking to empty air. The sound of her hooves clattering on the companionway steps was all that was left. He realized that he was not totally alone. Daring Do was sitting on a line tub next to the Sea Sage’s main mast, watching.

Soree emerged carrying two talwars, swords ornately made and curved, though not as much as most scimitars. The tips were widened out to nearly twice the width of the rest of the blade and came to a wicked point. These weapons were, in spite of the rich ornamentation, businesslike blades made for both slashing and point work.

Soree held them out, hilts first. “Choose the weapon. I am challenging you to a duel. I have had enough of your superiority and insults.

“These swords are practice spelled. They will not cut or bruise living flesh nor break any bone. They WILL hurt severely if edge or point touches living flesh.

“Choose!”

Jeremy sneered, “I don’t have to …”

Daring Do cut across his words with, “Yes, Jeremy. You do. When you insult members of the expedition you put the whole enterprise at risk. I will not allow it. That is in the expedition profile that you were given.

“Fight Soree now or spend the rest of the time until we return waiting for us in one of Qushi Han Le’s prison cells.”

Jeremy tried to divert the demand by snorting, “I hear that bribes go a long way around here! You bribed that ignorant pirate with a cheap imitation tea set!”

Daring Do’s face froze. “Jeremy. Retract that at once.

“Qushi Han Le holds TWO advanced degrees from the Royal University of Equestria. One is in Antiquities which she studied under me. She was a better student than you!

“Her other degree is in naval architecture, weapons and strategy.

“Both were granted Summa Cum Laude. She speaks and writes six languages fluently.

“The tea set is genuine and part of the things recovered during the Darkling Expedition. It was a promised gift in return for her freely given assistance on that expedition.”

“So what? A bribe is a bribe!”

Daring Do’s backhoofed slap across his face nearly took him from his feet. “Soree is not the only one you will fight! I challenge you too! You have just called me a liar. I gave my FRIEND AND FORMER STUDENT a gift from PRINCESS LUNA and myself for ASSISTANCE ALREADY GIVEN!”

Turning to Soree, Daring Do offered, “The many insults to you and your culture have precedence. Your duel shall be first.”

Soree grimly held out the swords again, hilt first. “If you refuse to choose, I have the choice. If you refuse to fight, you go to the jail cell, as Doctor Do has ordered.”

Jeremy reached and made a fast grab and swing, striking at Soree without warning. Her block was so fast that his weapon did not even get close.

Her words cut to the bone. “I expected that sort of cowardice from one so low as yourself. I was not disappointed.”

Instead of striking back, she stepped back, weapon at guard.

Jeremy slowly realized that she was waiting for him to strike again. He paused and then made an actual pass of arms, striking high to allow the rebound from her block to add speed and power to a low line cut. It was stopped cold. She had let her weapon drive back some, taking the energy from his attack.

Her riposte slithered up along his blade toward his chest.

A blinding pain dropped him to his knees, sword falling to the deck.

He got up slowly, panting as the pain receded. Daring Do had recovered the sword. Soree hoofed over hers.

In a few moments the pain was only a memory. It was intended to teach, not disable. He faced a grim Daring Do, holding out the weapons hilt first.

He was far more cautious this time. Taking the sword, he backed off. Daring Do nodded to herself as she hefted the blade that she had. She swept it through several practice cuts and made a trial lunge.

Jeremy made a sweeping cut attack while Daring Do was extended from her lunge. Her block deflected his sword, letting it swing on past her. Her own stroke paralleled his now out of control cut. The blinding pain in his shoulder forced him to drop his sword again!

Daring Do picked it up and suggested, “Go below and READ. Read the expedition materials that you were given. Read the the Daring Do and the Adventure of the Darkling’s Tomb.

“It is a popularization, true. It is also totally accurate. Everything in it happened just as told. Much of the customs that we will be running into, and the consequences of breaking them are explained in it.”

He stared at her incredulously. “Those things really did happen like that?”

“Yes, Jeremy, they did.”

It was a chastened Jeremy who went below. As he was descending the companionway, he heard, “These are lovely weapons, Soree! I never used a talwar before! Can we work out together?”

That was followed almost immediately by the swift clashing of steel on steel!

It was completely dark outside of his stateroom when he heard Soree and Daring Do saunter past. “That was a wonderful workout, Doctor Do! I have not had a real challenge in simply ages! You scored on me three times already! That is amazing for learning the Talwar!”

“It was great, Soree! I love that safety spell on the blades! It is far superior to the one I use at the Adventurer’s Guild! It really pushes me to learn about how that extra tip weight works! I would have said blade heavy before I found out how to use it!”

A closing stateroom door cut off the conversation.

It was not long before there was a knock at his door. Expecting Soree or Daring Do, Jeremy opened it.

Dressed in black from head to hooves was the golden mare, Qushi Han Le. Trembling, he backed up a step. She entered so silently that she might as well have been a ghost.

She signed for silence and suggested softly, “Sit. We need to talk privately. For her own reasons, Doctor Do values you or you would not be here. It is out of respect to her that I wish you to live. That is what this conversation is about.”

Jeremy realized that his door, which always creaked, had shut silently. He sat.

So did Qushi Han Le. “We must talk of two things or you will die in this land. The first is of bribes. The second is of courtesy.

“So, first. Bribes. I know that you have a low opinion of bribes where you come from. I have lived years in Equestria, studying at your Great Universities.

“Therefore I must ask you, what is a bribe for and what purpose does it serve?”

Jeremy was deeply puzzled by the question. He shook his head, “As far as I know, a bribe is to make the one who demands it richer for doing something that he or she was supposed to do in the first place.”

Sadly, Qushi Han Le replied, “That way of thought will get you killed here. In your land, you are totally correct. Here you could not be more wrong if you tried. Let me give you an example.

“Here, beggars are licensed. The license fee is small and in exigency may be paid later, after the beggar has earned enough copper cash to pay it. Along with the fee he may pay the tribunal a bribe of some few coppers and receive for his bribe greater consideration from the Justice than a wealthy merchant seeking a license for trade and paying a whole string of silver cash. Do you know why?”

Jeremy shook his head. “I don’t understand that at all. Why would the beggar get more for so much less?”

Qushi Han Le smiled at him. “The admission of ignorance is the first step on the path of wisdom.”

She paused while footfalls passed in the corridor outside. “The bribe is a recognition of the importance of the person bribed. It has no thing to do with the amount at all. Thus, the wealthy merchant may be offering a trivial amount with his large bribe while the beggar may be offering all that he has.

“Our fees and taxes are low and are always paid to the purpose intended by our Magistrates, Justices and others. They will NEVER demand a bribe nor set the amount. It is our custom to make them the offer which shows them proper respect. That bribe is for them and them alone.

“Do you grasp this principle?”

Jeremy thought deeply before nodding. “I believe so. This sort of sets my world on edge, if you follow. I will need to study the idea for a while before I am comfortable with it.”

“You have taken the second step on the path of wisdom.

“Now we must discuss courtesy. You lack it greatly. That lack can be fatal here. First, the bow and second, restraint of speech.

“I know that you have seen our people bowing to each other. I know that you have made fun of it or dismissed it. Your Soree put her hoof squarely on it. We place a very high premium upon courtesy. The bow is the first and very important part of that courtesy.

“There are three grades of bow. Those who are of higher station may bow by a mere inclination of the head. Equals bow some from the waist. Those of low station bow deeply from the waist.

“Your first bow to a stranger whose station you do not know or are unsure of should be the bow of equals. Their return bow will set their station. Thereafter you will bow to them accordingly. Few will falsely bow a higher station than they properly have. They die quickly. Do you understand?”

Jeremy thought carefully and Qushi Han Le let him.

“Um, I think so. Do you need to keep bowing every time that you have something to say?”

“Once precedence is established, you may, if you are equals use the bob of high station between you FOR THAT CONVERSATION. Use a slightly deeper one than a head bob if the one you speak to is higher.

“These rules make our society run more smoothly.”

Jeremy sat among his papers and the open book, staring at it with new eyes.

“Now, Jeremy, we come to restraint of your tongue. I have heard some of what you called me. I had to restrain my sharpshooters three times from killing you on the deck of this ship. They were deeply offended by your words about me and my culture.”

Jeremy paused and then tried a deep bow, saying, “I thank you for giving this unworthy one the chance to live and learn. I will likely find this the hardest of the lessons of this land.”

Thinking very deeply, Jeremy offered, “If you will deign to accept it, I have something for you.”

He rummaged in his luggage and removed a small, carefully wrapped object. He handed it over to the Pirate Queen. Delicately she unwrapped it. Her breath drew in admiringly.

Examining it minutely, she finally said, “How did you get so perfect a copy of this figurine from the Darkling Collection? Ordinary museum and study copies are never this well done.”

Jeremy nodded. “I know. This is my talent. I can take almost any ancient thing and make a copy of it so good that if I do not mark it, it can be taken for an original. I can often, but not always, fill in missing parts. This is one of five that Doctor Do had me reproduce back at the Royal University.

“She wanted them for surface studies and then returned them to me.”

Bowing to Jeremy the bow of an equal, Qushi Han Le wrapped the figurine and left as silently as she came.

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#DARING DO AND THE ADVENTURE OF THE X'IBIAN VASE #Part 8 #MLP Fan Fiction #Written by De Writer and Carmen Pondiego

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ask-de-writer · 5 years ago

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DARING DO and the ADVENTURE of the X'IBIAN VASE! : MLP Fan Fiction : Part 15 of 21

Return to the Master Story Index

Return to MLP Fan Fiction

Daring Do

and the Adventure of the X'ibian Vase!

De Writer (Glen Ten-Eyck)

And

Carmen Pondiego

Cover Art by

Doctor Dimension

52630 words

Writing begun 08/26/15

//////////////

All sorts of fan art, cosplay, music or fictions is actively encouraged.

///////////////////////

Jeremy had Sehang Shu down and was expertly probing her wound. The big dromedary had craned her neck about and was watching him with interest. The others were crouched at a respectful distance, even Daring Do and Soree were staying back. It needed no expertise to see that he knew exactly what he was doing.

Sehang Shu offered, “Really, Jeremy, we could just leave it there. The musket ball stopped in muscle.”

Jeremy looked up and nodded. “We could do that. It is a very bad idea, but we could do that.”

Trying to hold still for him, Sehang asked, “Why is it a bad idea?”

Still working to get the ball out of his friend, Jeremy replied, “This ball is almost pure lead. Your kind are very long lived. For years, no harm would show, but it would be building. The lead of the ball will work into your system and very slowly poison you.

“It will lead to early senility first. If you have good care, the poisoning will progress to muscle weakness, loss of control, convulsions and death. That is why it is important to get this out now.”

“I see. Thank you, Jeremy. I did not know that.

“May I say that, though you had me stay back during the firefight, you handled that very professionally. I thought that you did not like military things.”

Jeremy gave a sort of sad, sideways grin as he replied, “I don’t. That does not mean that I am not good at them. Part of the reason that my family was so disappointed in me was that I turned down a fully paid Hurricane Fellowship to the Equestrian Military College to study Antiquities.”

Daring Do sucked in a surprised breath. “A Hurricane Fellowship? That means that if you graduated at all, you would have been a major, at least. I can understand their disappointment, if not their sabotage of your chosen studies.”

Jeremy, in the meanwhile, got forceps on the ball and pulled the bloody thing out of Sehang Shu’s shoulder. He mopped blood from the wound, examined it closely, and went in with a small needle and gut held in different forceps.

Finally, satisfied, with his work on the deeper part of the wound, he asked, “Sehang, do you want a scar that will show on your skin?”

“No, Jeremy, I do not. Why would you ask?”

“I am not familiar with the ways of your kind in regard to scars. A Diamond Dog would absolutely want a Scar of Honor. Some ponies in the Equestrian Military Services do and some don’t. I thought it polite to ask.”

He pulled the last of his stitches tight, bound up the wound and stepped back. He advised, “Hard as it is to keep up, I will walk for the next few days. You must allow the others to each take a share of your load for now. It is necessary after a deep penetrating wound like that one.”

Sehang Shu gave Jeremy the bow of lower station to higher. “It shall be so, Jeremy. Since you will walk with me, may we continue our Colloquium? If so, I would like to arrange one with you, as well.

“I saw how you managed that small battle. It was far superior to how we would have done it. I would like to cover the tactics and strategy of small engagements. When we have any problems, here in the desert, they are mostly small ones, like that one.”

Jeremy gave her a precise bow of equals and replied, “It would be my honor. I am glad of the opportunity to return knowledge of value for the knowledge that I am getting from you.”

The group settled down. Daring Do, Soree and Jeremy finished their interrupted dinner and everyone found comfortable spots for the night.

The first light of the next day showed Jeremy sleeping beside Sehang Shu.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

The three partners felt the impacts of multiple stones striking their truck. A wash of mud roaring down the slope caused the vehicle to sway and shift, though not far.

Robber was the first one out of their vehicle, even though the rain was still slashing down. Running back to where the other two trucks were now shoved far out of place. One had rolled over at least once. The other, seemed to be in fair shape.

Mixed with the still shifting mud, much of the expedition’s equipage was scattered from the wrecked vehicle. Ignoring the expedition’s damaged gear, Robber pried open a door of the wreck. He reached in and felt the desperate grasp of the Chineighese driver.

Over the din of wind driven rain, he called, “Can you free yourself?”

That was followed by the sound of things being shifted. He plainly heard the ripping of fabric, the creak of damaged seat parts being pressed and driven out of the way. At last, the driver, clearly severely bruised, at least, got his head out the door. Robber, without hesitation, began to work him free.

Overthrow joined him and they soon had the driver out. He was limping, but nothing seemed broken. Working together, they found heavy ropes among the scattered supplies.

They hitched the ropes to the remaining vehicle, trapped in mud, but not apparently harmed, and fastened them to the buffalo damaged truck that still worked. With Overthrow at the wheel, they managed to free the other slide trapped truck from the grasp of the mud.

Robber, Overthrow and the Chineighese drivers began to gather as much as they could find of the ruined truck’s load. It was a challenge, fitting it all into the remaining trucks. The wind whipping the canvas and lines about as they secured the loads did not help at all.

Neither did Tyranny. As they reentered the relative security of the cab of their damaged truck, he sulked, “Watch it! You are all wet! Muddy too!” He pulled back in distaste.

The other two looked at Tyranny in a distaste of their own. “We wouldn’t want to inconvenience so great a scholar as yourself.”

Overthrow said, “Imagine, Robber, doing a translation from X'ibian and not knowing that they consider the dromedary to be the embodiment of elegance and grace.”

Robber nodded, “I have been looking over some of the basic work that we have based this expedition on. Daring Do was right, back in our office. Tyranny was using pony based thinking to translate work that uses dromedary as an image or metaphor. And old X'ibian uses a lot of them.

“I have straightened out at least some of the worst errors. It still appears that Tyranny’s basic notion about using the Heart of Discord ought to work.”

Tyranny, to change the subject away from his many shortcomings, pointed out, “There was no real hurry about the damaged supplies. I bought us a full coverage insurance policy for the entire expedition. It is through Allstable Insurance, an Equestrian firm doing business in the Empire. They have an office in Cantrot. We should be able to reach there tomorrow.”

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Jeremy ignored Soree’s grin as she put away her sketchbook. He turned to Sehang Shu and asked, “How is your shoulder this morning? I am sure that it aches. Is there acute pain anywhere in the wound?”

She replied, “You are correct, Jeremy. It aches. Other than that, no. There is no sharp pain. I thank you for going to such trouble to get the ball out and fix the wound.”

Jeremy replied, “It was no trouble, Sehang. Now that it has had overnight to begin healing, you must begin to move it gently. Nothing faster than a slow walk at first. This will allow it to finish healing without scars binding muscles together. If that happens, it will always be painful to move. I do not want that for you.”

With a grin, Sehang Shu replied, “Neither do I, Jeremy. Please, though, call me Shu. That is my given name.”

She got up and walked slowly with Jeremy to where breakfast was being prepared. The rest of Sang He’s herd watched in amusement.

Jeremy was in time to make the tea. Soree already had the rice mixed with some dried vegetables on.

Breakfast past, whole group set out at a gentle walk for a dromedary. Jeremy only had to canter to keep up.

The whole herd was listening quietly as Jeremy began to explain, “For small engagements, there are four basic types of advance in force …”

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

The remains of ROT’s expedition pulled up in front of an unimpressive brick building with a paned glass front window. The Allstable Insurance Group emblem was posted on a placard inside the dusty glass.

To the surprise of the partners, there was a pony standing outside waiting for them. He had a small skull cap and wore a orange and blue silken robe. He bowed to them the bow of equals as they dismounted from the bufallo damaged truck.

Speaking heavily accented but clear Equestrian, “Good day. Which of you is Mister Tyranny? He alone signed your policy, of which I do have a copy, should yours be lost or misplaced in the various accidents that I have heard of.”

Robber bowed in return and said, “He is Mister Tyranny. If it is permitted, I have a better grasp of custom and would speak for us all.”

“I see. It is often so with foreign parties. If he assents, it shall be so.”

Overthrow had to nudge the arrogant Tyranny to bow and say, “He does seem to get along better with you ponies.”

Nodding and bowing back, the Agent said, “I shall take that as assent.” Turning to Robber he continued, “I have only the official reports for a few events and it is clear that far more damage has occurred than is in them. May I first assess the present vehicles and ask what has happened to the other one?”

Robber bowed deeply and said, “It was a storm last night. We were parked in the hills to the south and east of here, on the Dunn See river road. A slide of mud and stone wrecked one truck completely and entrapped one. We were able to free the entrapped truck but the other was rolled over and its underworks broken by the stones to where it could not proceed.

“No pony was injured beyond a few bruises.” His bow was accompanied by the presentation of five golden cash.

The watching Tryanny nudged Overthrow and commented loudly, “We should get a good settlement now that the wheels are greased!” Overthrow just put his hoof over his eyes and groaned.

The Agent’s face froze. Bowing as one of high station to a lower, he said, “I see why you speak for that fool. I am sorry for you that you must put up with him.”

Turning to the lead truck, he pointed at the front end and side door. “Please tell me of these damages which are also not in the reports.”

Robber bowed deeply again and said, “Thank you for your sympathy. It is welcome.”

Tyranny ground his teeth in outrage but held his tongue now that the damage was already done.

Robber went on, “We were somewhat short of the hills where we were forced to stop for the night. There was a water buffalo on the road. We stopped as advised in the manual of driving. The water buffalo did not.”

The Agent smiled at the jest and replied with a bow of equals, “That is an all too common tale. It charged you twice?”

Robber, following the lead of the Agent bowed as an equal and agreed, “It did.”

Before Overthrow could shut him up, Tyranny grumped out loud, “All that I did was try to shoo the creature out of our way!”

The Agent overheard and turned to Robber with a severe glance. “Did that unworthy person indeed provoke the water buffalo?”

Glumly, Robber agreed, “He did. Both times. The owner came up with a long light switch or wand. He tapped the beast and started to direct it away. Mister Tyranny flapped a hoof at it and shouted to shoo it away. It charged at once, damaging our night driving lamps. The owner got its attention and was driving it off when our unwise leader foolishly did the same. Except that it hit the door, the result was identical.

“The beast was then driven off by light taps of the wand and a few flaps of the owner’s hat.”

“I see. You must all come inside. There we will consult the actual policy in both Equestrian and Chineighese. Your settlement will be determined by what is written in it. I do see that it is a custom policy drawn for this expedition.

“It is signed by Mister Tyranny and Senior Partner and Agent, Marehem.”

Overthrow’s jaw dropped. Barely remembering to bow, he exclaimed, “Marehem? Is that the same blue and orange maned pony in the Allstable advertising?”

The Agent bowed to Overthrow and replied, “He is indeed. Since his colors are thought by the superstitious to be a sign of bad fortune, and his parts in advertising connect him to disasters, it has a most favorable effect. Our Insurance is widely sought.”

Overthrow, under better control, pointed out, “As Senior Partner of Allstable, he owns more than half of the company. I wonder who owns the rest?”

The Agent, not even pausing in his search of the files for their policy, replied, “An Equestrian firm. Its initials are V.I.L.E.

“Here is the policy, in both languages. We shall be generous in allowing the Equestrian version to rule.”

As they were parking the trucks in a repair garage’s lot, Overthrow growled at Tyranny, “How could you possibly have signed that!? Didn’t you recognize those whole sections that might as well have been lifted directly from our expedition funding offer for Daring Do?”

Robber counting the cash on the string, snickered sadly, “Eighteen copper cash! I am amazed that we got this much!”

Shortly, the pony in the garage office presented his estimate. Robber read it to the other two. “Sadly, the details are right. So is the three hundred gold cash estimate. It may run a little more than that.”

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

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#DARING DO AND THE ADVENTURE OF THE X'IBIAN VASE #Part 15 of 21 #MLP Fan Fiction #Written by De Writer and Carmen Pondiego

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ask-de-writer · 5 years ago

Text

DARING DO and the ADVENTURE of the X'IBIAN VASE! : MLP Fan Fiction : Part 13 of 21

Return to the Master Story Index

Return to MLP Fan Fiction

Daring Do

and the Adventure of the X'ibian Vase!

De Writer (Glen Ten-Eyck)

And

Carmen Pondiego

Cover Art by

Doctor Dimension

52630 words

Writing begun 08/26/15

//////////////

All sorts of fan art, cosplay, music or fictions is actively encouraged.

///////////////////////

Relaxing on a chaise lounge beside the delightful pool that used to be the bath of an Emperor, Carmen adjusted her dark glasses against the glare of the sun on the letter. She was wearing only a skimpy bikini of bright red and her trademark hat.

The floating island of VILE’s headquarters was presently in the tropics and that suited her perfectly.

She skimmed through the Chineighese characters with utter familiarity. Her brother in law, Marehem, was having the time of his life, bedeviling the ROT expedition. She was chucking at the recent double disaster with the railroad cars and flipping ROT’s truck. (He insisted on using the character of poison toadstool for them).

Done with the letter, she handed it to Blendin, who was visiting. He was chuckling himself as his mother hit the pool. Her hat and glasses sat on the lounge. She was a red and khaki torpedo swimming underwater to the other end of the pool.

She shot back, underwater again, the whole length of the pool and surfaced like a one horned porpoise. “What do you think, Blendin?”

“I think that Adora would be furious if she knew but she really has no grounds to be. She did ask Eris to see what she could do to mess up ROT’s expedition. It was Eris’ idea to send Uncle M!

“After all, he has had so much fun with the Empire over the ages. Simply amazing how much chaos VILE’S temporal transport device can cause in the right hooves and his are as wrong as they can get!” They both shared a giggle.

Baron Von Nighthoof leaned down and took Carmen’s arm, lifting her effortlessly from the pool. He was smiling warmly at her. He hugged her closely and stepped back a single pace.

He offered her a flat case of the darkest wood, inlaid with his cutie mark. Carmen took the case and opened it. Her gasp of sheer pleasure was almost more reward than the Baron expected.

He nodded, “The copy of Pharow Underrock’s Golden necklace. It is ready to grace the only neck on this whole world that can outshine its beauty.” He reached forward and lifted the golden wonder out of its case and set it around Carmen’s neck, pulling her close as he fastened it.

She snuggled up to him and whispered, “You are not only evil, you are wicked! And I love it!”

~~ ~~ ~~

Jeremy was riding in the carry saddle of Sehang Shu while they discussed his knowledge of Ethnological Geography. After several hours, she said thoughtfully, “You actually do know more than your prior testing revealed, Jeremy. I do wonder why you did so poorly when it came to the tests.”

Glumly, Jeremy stared out at the bleak landscape about them and replied, “It sounds like an excuse. Blame my family. They are old Equestrian Military Service and proud of it. When I tried to study around them, they always interrupted it. Celestia forbid that I complain about it, either.”

“Did they not finance your education at the Royal University?”

“No, Sehang, they did not. I was entirely dependent on grants and scholarships. I have earned my way through my schooling.”

“I see, Jeremy. I have earned my way also. It is sad that such a family could not see fit to support so worthy a goal as education.

“Surely, though, with you at the University and they in Service or on the Family Estates, they had little opportunity to disrupt your studies?”

Jeremy snorted bitterly. “I wish it was true, Sehang. They had a nice townhouse in Canterlot, too. They made such a career of “visiting” the U to noisily interrupt my studies that, at the end, Princess Luna, as the Chancellor of the U had to forbid them entry to the property of the University at all.

“My uncle, Colonel Broadhoof, spoke out against her interference in a family matter. The Princess pointed out that it went beyond family, when they upset the other students’ studies.

“He called her a pustulent creature of nightmare, to her face.”

Sehang Shu commented, “That sounds as unwise as telling the Emperor to shove one up his ass!”

Jeremy smiled a little at the humor and went on, “The suddenly Sargent Broadhoof found that out! He was broken, forbidden any Canterlot Mustering and given a month of nightmares as punishment.”

“Bad dreams for a month is a severe punishment?”

Jeremy sucked his lips as he thought of a way to explain. “Let me put it this way. Somewhat over two thousand years ago, the Nightmare Wars got named that BECAUSE of Princess Luna’s use of nightmares as a weapon. Almost 20% of the unicorns attacking the Fortress of Nightmare committed suicide within five days of coming to the battle front.”

Very softly, Sehang Shu said, “I see. And she has had over two thousand years since to perfect that craft. Did he survive?”

Soberly, Jeremy replied, “Yes. Sort of. They released him from the Asylum about six months ago. He is still under treatment. The family blames me. They say that it would not have happened, if I had not chosen the University over a military career.”

Sehang Shu nodded sadly. “Some other herds view us in a similar manner. I am sorry, Jeremy.

“I have a question though. With a military background, how did you miss Qushi Han Le’s sharpshooters at the dock in Singapone?”

Grimly, Jeremy replied, “That was my fault. I was thinking of everything wrongly, and so did not even look for them. I have only realized today from talking to you, that I had any problem. Equestrian Superiority was an unquestioned value in my family. I did not even realize that it had soaked into me since my foalhood. I may still lapse but ask your forgiveness now. I will do my best to sort this mess out.”

Sehang Shu nodded thoughtfully. “The most important part of education, Jeremy, is not the learning of facts, as important as that is. It is the admission of ignorance and error accompanied by the effort to remedy them.

“That is what Ethnological Geography is all about. Our ignorance and erroneous knowledge of past civilization and the effort to remedy it is the whole foundation of the discipline.”

They revised their discussion of the subjects to be tackled in the colloquium. Jeremy found the conversation fascinating.

He actually regretted it when it was time to dismount for making dinner. After stretching out the kinks in his legs from the saddle, Jeremy wandered over to the cook stove.

He was mildly surprised when Soree made room for him. “How can I help, Soree?

“Measure the water into that pot to the third line, please.”

Measuring in the water, Jeremy commented, “It seems unfair for us to eat and none of the herd to have any.”

Sang He’s voice replied, “In the desert, we need only drink once in seven days. That will be a large drink, but it will do. We need only eat once in ten days, though we can eat or drink any time that the opportunity presents itself.

“Our ancestors were made for mountain and desert lands.”

“It still seems unfair! I presume that you do know what you are doing, after all, this is your home!”

He was surprised by the chuckle from the herd.

Dinner preparations were interrupted by the bellow of a musket and a cry from Sehang Shu!

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Tyranny was fuming. “They had no business seizing our truck! Wasn’t it bad enough that their recklessness had already cost us one truck and most of the load?”

Overthrow, speaking from behind the wheel of the truck that they were in snapped, “That was your fault, Tyranny! So was getting into that train wreck! You disobeyed clearly posted signs about staying off the slope while the crossing was in use.”

Robber, sitting in the back of the cab put in, “How come, in the name of Discord, did you not read the traffic law pamphlets that I gave you? It was the Lock Keeper finding that out that you got your permit without taking their knowledge test that cost us the truck! Their rules are very clear and blunt. They seize vehicles that are used in deliberate violation of their driving rules.”

Tyranny glared out the window of the truck at the passing rice paddies and neatly laid out farms. His teeth ground. The worst of it was that they were both right.

All that he could do was growl under his breath about injustice, so he did. He sourly commented, “At least we have now got past the last two canals and what? Four railroad crossings without any further problems.”

Robber consulted their map. “See those bluffs up ahead? We will be going through an area of mountains. When we clear them, it will only be about twenty kilometers to Cantrot. We will have two rail crossings and one canal between us and the city.”

Ignoring Robber’s comments, Tyranny snarled, “That so-called Antiquarian, Daring Do, set us up! I have found out that she did not even take a single truck on her expedition! The expedition proposal that she gave us, before she quit on us, is why we came this way!”

Overthrow said dryly, “So, you finally figured that out? It took you long enough. I knew that she took us to the cleaners on the proposal as soon as I saw them go on upriver, without even transshipping.”

He suddenly applied the brakes hard, jolting them all. They were stopped only a few meters from a water buffalo on the road.

The two trucks behind them, driven by experienced Chineighese drivers, stopped without incident. Tyranny was reaching for the horn button when Overthrow knocked his hoof away.

“Stop trying to interfere! Tyranny, sounding the horn at domestic livestock is illegal. All that we can do is wait for it to move or try to ease around it. The law pamphlet suggests waiting in the case of water buffalo.”

He snarled, “Why should we wait? We can drive around it!”

Outside, over a tonne and a half of highly irritated domestic water buffalo was pawing the roadway and lowering its head to charging position. A peasant in plain cotton robes and flat conical hat was toiling up the road embankment toward the beast that was easily three times taller than he was. He had a long wooden switch to herd the loose animal away.

He barked some command at the buffalo. It turned its head and regarded its master briefly. Tyranny chose that moment to lean out the side window and make shooing gestures at it. The distraction caused the enormous brute to snap its head about and focus entirely on the truck! It charged.

The impact shoved the truck back and sideways almost a meter! It was accompanied by the shattering of glass night driving lamps and the crunch of metal. The buffalo backed off, shaking its head.

The peasant’s switch got its attention and it started to walk sedately away, guided by taps of the long wand. Tyranny, seeing it waking away, yelled, “Shoo! Get out of our way!”

The transition from walking away to charging was almost instantaneous! The huge heavy horns and thick skull of the enormous animal slammed into the right hand door of the truck. It was almost perfectly centered, smashing and folding the door inward hard enough to bounce the dazed Tyranny almost entirely off his seat!

The very upset peasant used his switch and fanning motions of his hat to steer the water buffalo away, successfully, this time! Robber shuddered as he saw the peasant’s orange mane and blue fur for the first time.

The steering still worked properly. Overthrow got the truck back on course and they were cautiously back underway.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

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#DARING DO AND THE ADVENTURE OF THE X'IBIAN VASE #Part 13 of 21 #MLP Fan Fiction #Written by De Writer and Carmen Pondiego

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DARING DO and the ADVENTURE of the X'IBIAN VASE! : MLP Fan Fiction : Part 11 of 21

Return to the Master Story Index

Return to MLP Fan Fiction

Daring Do

and the Adventure of the X'ibian Vase!

De Writer (Glen Ten-Eyck)

And

Carmen Pondiego

Cover Art by

Doctor Dimension

52630 words

Writing begun 08/26/15

//////////////

All sorts of fan art, cosplay, music or fictions is actively encouraged.

///////////////////////

Jeremy bowed to them all the bow of an inferior seeking a favor of one of importance. “I do not wish to delay the expedition for Doctor Do’s sake. Is there no way to remedy my errors?”

Sang He thought that over and conferred with her herd. “We will carry you, but only if you study what Daring Do assigns. At each stop, you will be questioned by her about your progress. For each question that you answer wrongly you must walk for an hour. We know that Doctor Do would not have you along if you were stupid. We hope that this will assist your learning.”

One of the dromedaries knelt for Jeremy. Before she would get up, she demanded with distaste, “Doctor Do, I do not carry this insect willingly. Please assign him his lesson to study.”

Daring Do nodded and showed Jeremy pages of The Darkling’s Tomb and several pages of expedition materials as well. “Master these, Jeremy, or walk. They are perfectly serious.”

The expedition set out at the kilometer devouring pace that only a dromedary can maintain in the desert. The Dunn See and its fertile valley fell behind. Ridges of bare stone and small, scrubby brush rose ahead. They were entering the highlands of X'ibia. Soree was having a wonderful time sketching and writing.

Jeremy stole occasional glances at the rugged land that these sure footed dromedaries were passing so swiftly. He shuddered at the thought of trying to keep up with them and returned to his studies with renewed vigor.

Shortly after noon, the whole herd swung away from the line that they had been following. Coming to an overhanging cliff edge, the herd settled down, kneeling and easing down to the ground.

Daring Do and Soree dismounted, first stretching cramped legs and then setting up a small charcoal fired stove. They quickly had water heating for tea and rice.

The dromedary mare that was carrying Jeremy said, with the slightest bob of her head, “Please dismount, Insect. I do not carry you because it is my wish. The less that we are together the better.”

With ill grace, Jeremy dismounted. He saw that Sang He was cheerfully familiarizing herself with her new rifle. Daring Do was conferring with her over the ammunition. “We included the molds for the bullets. Henea San should have no difficulty in preparing the charges. The explosive is simply melted and poured into the bullets. It hardens to a safe waterproof form quickly.

“As soon as it does, it is ready to shoot.”

“These are excellent for us, Daring Do, my friend. Our artisans will have no trouble at all making more of these, if you will give us permission.”

Daring Do frowned, “There should be an assignment of rights document with them. Let me see.” She dug through the manuals and found a paper. “Yes. Here it is. We only need to sign it together and get an official chop on it for it to be done.”

Soree cheerfully announced, “Noon Rice and tea!”

Saying, “Eat when you can! Who knows when you will see food again!” Sang He gently pushed Daring Do to the stove. Jeremy was about to reach for a rice ball when he was stopped.

“Your studies, Jeremy. Tell me of the X'ibian weapons display.”

Jeremy began to mumble.

“Speak clearly or be counted wrong.”

Jeremy explained the various things that a visitor could say to a host by what was done with the weapon after a non threatening, “I come in peace,” display.

Daring Do nodded. “You will be checked on this again. This is life and death information. You may have a rice ball and tea.”

He sullenly took his rice ball and commented sourly, “Why can’t we have decent civilized bread?”

Soree looked up from nibbling on hers to say, “For the same reason that we don’t have bread on journeys in Saddle Arabia. It either spoils or goes stale hard in only a day or so. The rice, being a grain, will keep indefinitely. It is easily fixed when wanted to provide both nourishment and hydration. I would think that you already figured that out.”

“I do know it! It was a rhetorical question!”

Daring Do nodded, “It was also an insult. Including the words decent and civilized was utterly uncalled for. It was saying that these friends of mine are somehow uncivilized simply because they are nomads.”

Jeremy glared down at the ground at his hooves as if the clay and stones were somehow at fault. He finished his rice ball in sullen silence.

~~ ~~ ~~

Robber was feeling aggravated. The other two were doing nothing to help. They were sitting in comfort in the cabs of the trucks. HE was stuck with trying to negotiate their passage around yet ANOTHER canal.

While their trucks were being pulled from the river at the last one, it had dawned slowly on him that trucks were not suitable for long distance travel in the Empire. Careful talk with some of the salvage crew leaders, imitating their customs of bowing and the like, had proved it.

“No, indeed, Sir. There are no through roads to X'ibia. This road that you are following will take you as far up the Dunn See as Can Chow. It is at the X'ibian Frontier.

“I believe that you will have eight more canals and nine railroad lines to cross before you get there.”

He was as politely as possible waiting his turn to speak to this lock supervisor. While he was waiting, he was taking the advice of the beggar to watch and think deeply about bribes.

He bowed deeply to the Lock Keeper and said, “Sir, this honorable but unworthy one seeks your assistance. We are an authorized party in search of Antiquities. We were led astray as to the best transportation means and that has caused us and the good Shun Yu much trouble.

“Seeking to avoid any more such problems, I put the whole of our trust in your knowledge and skills to get us past this canal.”

He discreetly offered twelve golden cash.

The Lock Keeper took his money and returned the bow of one highly placed as he replied, “I have heard already of these matters. That you do admit fault is to your credit.

“Wishing to prevent any further disaster, we shall move your trucks by the barge as soon as we may. The grain transport Gula Nu is being unloaded and that work must go first. As soon as it is done, my crew will see to the safe passage of your trucks.”

Robber, remembering to bow again, said, “I shall await your workers at the barge road junction. I hope that it will not be too much longer.”

He was told, “An hour, perhaps an hour and a half. Please wait as you have said.” The Lock Keeper turned to the next pony and resumed his business.

Tyranny and Overthrow did not greet his news well. Tyranny demanded, “Why did you not seek immediate passage?”

Robber said dryly, “Because I could see out the window into the canal lock.”

“So?”

They have two more grain barges sitting in the lock waiting their turn to be unloaded. We could have been put last, especially after Overthrow’s bungle at the last lock.

“As it stands, the Lock Keeper wants us gone as swiftly as possible. For them, this is it.”

Overthrow, disliking the reminder that the river disaster was his fault, snapped, “We can take the trucks down to the loading area, at least!”

Imperturbably, Robber said, “Only if you want to have them order us back here. We are wanted HERE to be visible from the office windows. The Lock Keeper does not trust us.”

They all settled back and began to play cards to pass the time. A knock at the cab door got their attention. An elderly pony led them down to the loading area and saw to the loading of their first truck onto the barge.

Overthrow kept his mouth shut. It took time, but all five trucks passed the end of the canal safely. The barge was removed back to the downstream dock.

The truck engines were just beginning to roar to life again when there was the scream of a steam whistle. Up at the top of the embankment a huge 4-8-4 locomotive was pulling a string of rail cars slowly across the exit road. It stopped with three cars blocking the road. There was the loud clatter of the huge couplings being freed from the engine.

The dark blue engineer with his orange mane waived cheerfully at them as he proceeded up the siding, switched to the mainline and backed his engine up to pull more cars up from the warehouse.

Tyranny cursed and drove his truck right up to the rail crossing. Robber put a hoof across Overthrow and said, “DON’T follow him. That puts us all onto a steep slope. After being in the river like they were, I don’t trust the brakes to hold.”

The big locomotive pulled the new cars up past the siding switch. The switch threw and the cars were backed to the siding to latch onto the cars already parked there.

Robber and Overthrow watched in horror as the coupling failed to catch and the cars buckled outward, off the track! One derailed car broke loose of the wreck entirely and burst down on top of Tyranny’s vehicle! The smashed and tangled wreckage tumbled down almost to the river.

Robber and Overthrow raced to the wreckage and found that the truck’s cab was only slightly damaged. They had to smash out an amazingly still intact windshield to get to Tryanny. At first he was dazed but quickly regained his senses. He was able to release his safety harness and, with help, crawl out of the mangled remains of the truck.

They were attempting to see if any of the truck’s load could be saved when, with a groan of tortured metal, the whole mass, truck and rail car together, slid, caught on something for a moment and splashed into the river. Only part of the rail car showed above water.

Robber simply pointed to the submerged truck and observed, “If we had followed you, that would be all of us drowning right now.”

It was only moments before the ponies of the lock work crew were on the scene. Almost immediately after, the Lock Keeper himself showed up to inspect the disaster in person.

To Robber’s surprise, he was obviously enraged but was being seriously courteous to them. He bowed to Robber as an equal and asked, “We most urgently wish to know all that you can tell us of this happening. I must say that in this, you are not at fault and my report shall say so clearly.”

Robber, too shaken to remember his bowing, told the Lock Keeper all that he could remember.

“You are forgiven your lapse of bowing, Mister Robber. Did you see this engine driver? We want most urgently to lay hooves on him. He appears to have vanished.”

Bowing, now that he was reminded, Robber said, “The distance was too great for any clear view but he had a dark blue coat and orange mane that I did see.”

The Lock Keeper glanced up sharply and inquired, “The same as the barge tender that you reported to Shun Yu?”

“Now that you mention it, yes. Is it a common pattern here?”

“No, it is not. It is not only rare, we count it as connected to all manner of bad luck.” The Lock Keeper gestured up at the train wreck and out to the barely visible wreckage in river. “Can you guess why?”

~~ ~~ ~~

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#DARING DO AND THE ADVENTURE OF THE X'IBIAN VASE #Part 11 of 21 #MLP Fan Fiction #Written by De Writer and Carmen Pondiego

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ask-de-writer · 5 years ago

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DARING DO and the ADVENTURE of the X'IBIAN VASE! : MLP Fan Fiction : Part 19 of 21

Return to the Master Story Index

Return to MLP Fan Fiction

Daring Do

and the Adventure of the X'ibian Vase!

De Writer (Glen Ten-Eyck)

And

Carmen Pondiego

Cover Art by

Doctor Dimension

52630 words

Writing begun 08/26/15

//////////////

All sorts of fan art, cosplay, music or fictions is actively encouraged.

///////////////////////

Sharp bronze blades shot out from the wall! One sliced lightly across the skin of Tyranny’s neck and cut the top of his extended foreleg, causing him to squall in pain!

“I can’t get away from this! Somepony help me!”

A little further down the causeway, Daring Do was struggling! A blade driven through, high up, lifting her from the pave!

~~ ~~ ~~

In the deeply hidden control room of VILE’s floating island headquarters, Carmen was shaking Marehem like he was a rag doll! Dropping him, she pointed to the Mirror of Distant Sight where Daring Do could be seen struggling, supported by the antique bronze blade.

“I told you to KEEP HER SAFE! Do you call that SAFE?”

Marehem picked himself up and studied the image showing in the Mirror. Nodding in his cheerfully annoying way, he snarked back, “Yes!”

Carmen stopped like she’d hit a brick wall. “How?”

Pointing carefully, Marehem suggested, “Take a CLOSE look.”

Carmen examined the scene carefully and nodded slowly. The scene in the mirror shifted to the darkened interior of a vault. “Let’s see, the Ruby Rose of the West is guarded by …”

The notes for her next heist, er, exploit, grew.

~~ ~~ ~~

While the others were still staring in shock at the apparent disaster that Tyranny had triggered, Jeremy called out, “Stay still, Doctor Do! I am on my way!”

Daring Do ceased her struggles, hanging limply from the extended blade of the trap. Jeremy took a grapnel from his saddle pack and twirled the multi pronged hook, letting it fly expertly to the top of the wall that concealed the deadly mechanism. After assuring himself that it was securely hooked, Jeremy pulled himself up and traversed the blades by carefully stepping on them. At the end of the trap, he let himself down to the pave. He gave the grapnel rope a flip that freed the hook.

Coiling the rope, he asked Daring Do, “Do you know how to reset this trap? If the blade can simply pull back into the wall, that will be the safest way to get it out of your pack.”

Daring Do pointed to a tall stone. “I think that hides the reset for the blade mechanism.”

Nodding, Jeremy checked the stone over with care. There was a quiet click and it pulled open like a cabinet, revealing a long lever. He cautiously pulled it back. As he did, the blades slid silently back into the wall, hidden as before. The blade carrying Daring Do retreated into the ancient stone, sliding out of her pack, as it went into the wall to await its next victim.

She leaned against the wall and asked in a shaken voice, “How did it go off? I thought that I marked all the triggers with the chalk dust. Did I miss one?”

Grimly Sang He pointed to Tyranny, who was trying to stanch the blood from his cut foreleg. “That one. He deliberately hit one of the triggers. The only reason that he lives is that the one called Robber tried to stop his idiocy by pulling him back.”

`Robber literally sat on Tyranny and said gently but with absolute conviction, “You asked how likely it was that such ancient traps could work. You have your answer. If you do one more thing that you are not supposed to do, I will push you off this causeway myself. I want to stay alive. That is even more important than any ritual, no matter what reward it may give.”

He got up and left Tyranny to limp to his feet. “At least bandage up my cuts!”

Overthrow responded, “No. The pain and occasional bleeding will remind you that you are in a very dangerous place and MUST do exactly as told.

”Sehang Shu suggested with a grin, “That unworthy dung beetle has showed us his talent! Let him go ahead of us down the causeway. He is sure to set off EVERY trap, greatly simplifying our task of getting to the bottom safely! Of course, after the next one that he springs, we will have to roll his corpse the rest of the way down.”

Sang He, joining in, suggested, “Perhaps we should not do that. If something hit his head a valuable antique could be seriously damaged!”

Daring Do was inventorying her damaged pack. She sadly examined her shredded notes and drawings. Jeremy leaned over her shoulder to see. “I believe that I can fix those, Doctor Do. Will you let me try?”

She looked up at him. “Jeremy, I thought that your talent lay in restoring antiquities.”

Glancing over at Robber, Overthrow and Tyranny, Jeremy nodded, “That is primarily what it is good for, Doctor Do. It can also restore that which is damaged, if it has to do with antiques. That is what all of your notes here are about.”

To be sure that no breeze stole any precious fragment, Daring Do gave Jeremy her whole pack. To the displeasure of Tyranny, Jeremy sat where he could shield the contents of the pack and set to work, sorting torn and sliced parts. As fast as he found any two that fit together, he ran a skilled hoof across the fitted edges. Each page that he did it to was restored as if it had never had an ancient bronze blade driven forcefully through it.

Without a word, he handed the entire batch of repaired notes and drawings back to Daring Do, both the precious papers and her pack were perfectly restored.

Daring Do shouldered her pack with a smile of thanks to Jeremy. She worked her way slowly down the the causeway, her loosely woven bag of fine chalk dust leaving many marked stones on both the road and the cliff wall!

They came to one place where she stopped cold. Very carefully, watching each foot placement, she slowly backed away.

She was almost back to the others when there was the tiniest of clicking sounds. Sang He lunged forward, hitting the pave with her body spreadeagled. Kanya Ama and Sehang Shu leaped forward and grabbed their herd leader’s hind legs as Sang He wrapped Daring Do in a solid grip. The paving under both of them fell away!

With Daring Do held securely in her grip, Sang He lay bent down at the waist, kept from falling by her two herdmates. The rest of the herd moved almost as one to lower ropes and secure them about their friends. The sheer power and strength of the dromedaries was easily apparent as they heaved, lifting the two to the relative safety of the causeway with its known traps!

Soree, knowing exactly what was expected of her, also leaped forward and stared down into the trap. She began to sketch rapidly, concentrating on her work. Soon, done with her drawing, she made swift notes in her native Saddle Arabian.

Jeremy asked the still shaking Daring Do, “Is it safe to use the grapnel in that iron loop up there on the wall about half way across?”

It was Sehang Shu who answered, “No, Jeremy. That is, as you suspected, just another way land on those spikes, one hundred meters down there at the bottom.”

He nodded, “It has been used enough that I noticed that there are movement marks under it. I was not sure, though. This is my first expedition into the field.”

Soree held out her sketchbook and pointed. “These four of the eighteen skeletons down there tried to swing across. They all landed in that one place, indicating that they were all released at the exact same point in their swing.”

Robber joined them quietly and respectfully asked, “How do you know that those four tried to swing across? For that matter, how do you know that there are eighteen of them down there? I only see a big tangled mass of bones.”

Jeremy, still examining Soree’s excellent sketch, replied, “Those four, all landing in the same place, are a simple trajectory solution.

“For the total, if you look at the drawing, she counted the skulls. Those are big enough to see and unique to each single individual.”

“I see. Thank you.” Robber returned to the others, watching his steps with care.

Jeremy swung his grapnel and released it with precision. The hook sailed up over the top of the old stonework and clattered on the opposite side. He gave several experimental tugs on the line.

Turning to Sehang Shu, he gave her a hug. “I will see you on the other side, Shu.”

With some humor, she replied, “Of the trap, Jeremy. Not the other Other Side!”

Jeremy wrapped the line securely about his hoof and swung out, over the yawning abyss.

He had to lift his hooves some to clear the stones on the other edge of the ancient trap. Expertly, he set his hooves and caught himself. Searching about a little, he found a loose stone that had dropped to the causeway surface sometime in the last three thousand years.

Knotting the stone into a secure cage of rope, Jeremy swung it back across the abyss. Daring Do caught the pendulum of rope and stone. She gave a tug to be sure that it was still secure and, with the confidence of long experience, she leaped out over the yawning pit of death.

Her landing was assisted by Jeremy. Soree came next, calling, “Whee!” as if the rope swing was a fair thrill ride!

Sang He caught the swinging stone and called across the gap, “Jeremy, will this be safe for us of herd?”

He called back, “Yes! It has working load of three tonnes. That is with a safety factor of two.”

The big dromedary simply nodded, secured her grip and leaped. The rest of the herd followed, one by one. Finally, all that were left was Robber, Overthrow and Tyranny.

Tyranny petulantly demanded, “I want a safety line in case this one breaks!”

Sang He called back derisively, “What? You weigh over three tonnes? The way that you eat, I could almost believe that!”

Sehang Shu grinned as she pointed out, “Even if your whole brain was igneous stone, and I am not sure that it is not, you would not weigh that much. Perhaps it is your fear that you cannot grip the rope properly? It will not be a loss to us if you do fall!”

Robber had been watching how the other ponies and the dromedaries had wrapped the rope about their forelegs. He grabbed Tyranny by the foreleg and cast two quick overlapping loops about it. Tyranny was about to shake off the rope when Robber and Overthrow shoved him forcefully off the safety of stone.

Screaming, Tyranny swung out over the spikes at the pit’s bottom!

The whole herd stood back aloof and offered no assistance. Daring Do and Jeremy caught his flailing hind legs and pulled Tyranny to safety.

Robber showed Overthrow how the loops were properly done. With some trepidation, he swung across to safety, assisted in his landing by Daring Do and Jeremy.

As Robber made his swing, Sehang Shu led Kanya Ama in helping to catch him. As she set him safely onto solid stone, Sehang Shu said, “You keep poor company but have earned our respect. YOU have welcome in our camp.”

Robber bowed the bow of an inferior to a person of importance and replied, “This one is most grateful for your respect. I shall try to uphold your good opinion.”

Tyranny, looking back saw the impossible. The causeway was fully intact again. He pointed and exclaimed, “We had no need of that deadly risk! All we had to do was wait!”

Daring Do actually rolled on the stone, laughing. When she got herself under control, she said, “It would have stayed down as long as we were there! It is a trap operated by magic!”

Tyranny scoffed, “True magic dies with the pony that cast it! This is thousands of years old!”

Wearing the most condescending expression possible, Sehang Shu crouched to his level to look Tyranny in the eye. Patting him on the top of he head, she said, “Dung Beetle, trivial pony cast magic, it is true, dies with the pony. This was cast by OUR ancestors. It appears to have slipped your notice that WE ARE NOT PONIES. Our magic WORKS.”

Chuckling, she turned her back on the fuming Tyranny.

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#DARING DO AND THE ADVENTURE OF THE X'IBIAN VASE #Part 19 of 21 #MLP Fan Fiction #Written by De Writer and Carmen Pondiego

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ask-de-writer · 5 years ago

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DARING DO and the ADVENTURE of the X'IBIAN VASE! : MLP Fan Fiction : Part 16 of 21

Return to the Master Story Index

Return to MLP Fan Fiction

Daring Do

and the Adventure of the X'ibian Vase!

De Writer (Glen Ten-Eyck)

And

Carmen Pondiego

Cover Art by

Doctor Dimension

52630 words

Writing begun 08/26/15

//////////////

All sorts of fan art, cosplay, music or fictions is actively encouraged.

///////////////////////

The dromedaries of Sang He’s herd were amazed at Jeremy’s ability to keep up by maintaining a steady canter to their walking. They shifted the walking order to put the double colloquium at the center, where they could all hear. Most of what Sehang Shu was telling and responding to was material that was interesting but pretty well known to them.

What Jeremy was explaining about small unit military operations was both new and fascinating. Sehang Shu spoke for them all as she offered, “So that is how to advance against a superior force? I would not have expected that we would have any option but retreat.”

Nodding, Jeremy cantered alongside his friend and pointed out, “Retreat makes perfect sense sometimes. When you must, do not simply flee. A well done retreat in force makes it too costly for the enemy to follow. Another option often overlooked in active situations is harassment. That goes far beyond simply being irritating if properly done.”

The whole group nodded understanding.

The questions came thick and fast as they continued on toward Hong Wa. It was time for noon rice all too soon, as Jeremy counted it.

While they gathered about the stove, fixing the meal, Soree said softly, “You are an excellent teacher, Jeremy. The horses of Saddle Arabia could use your knowledge and skills.”

Daring Do acknowledged, “It is easy to see how you could be deserving of a Hurricane Fellowship, Jeremy. I have to say, though, that I am glad that you chose Antiquities instead.”

Sehang Shu nodded, “In only a few hours, I have learned more of these matters than in my whole life before this. I have lived in these deserts and faced these situations many times.” She shuddered a little, emotion getting the better of her as she went on, “I have lost too many friends to the ignorance of what you spoke of so clearly this morning.

“Jeremy, why are you crying?”

He looked up from his rice, vegetables and tea. “I am not used to this, Shu. My family never treated me with much respect at all. My older brother and sister both went to the Equestrian Military Academy. The family was proud of them, even if they did not qualify for the College.

“When I did, they tried to drive me unmercifully to be the best. No respect, though. Always called me dummy or stupid if I made any mistake at all. Never said anything of praise when I was right because if I was going to E.M. College, being right was expected. I hated it.”

To his surprise, Sehang Shu gave him a hug. “These are not bad tears, Jeremy. Let them out. Let the old venom flow out with them. We here, not only respect you, we are in your debit. You have saved lives yesterday and likely more this morning. Ignorance is the deadliest of enemies.”

Daring Do watched in thoughtful silence and then offered, “Jeremy, continue your colloquium of Ethnological Geography. I have been auditing your progress. If you continue to learn as well as what I have been hearing, I will correct your grade when we return to the Royal University.”

The party continued to work their way through the vast X'ibian Highlands toward the ancient and long abandoned Imperial Capital city of Hong Wa.

Cresting a low pass in a sharp sided defile of stone, they got their first view of their goal. Jeremy took one look and dived for cover. Without waiting to ask why, the whole party went for shelter.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Some days previous, in Cantrot, the partners examined what their 385 gold cash had bought in the way of repairs.

Robber philosophically observed, “At least both trucks are now fully operational and all systems required by law are working correctly.”

Tyranny snarled, “Why didn’t they fix that door?”

Overthrow retorted, “You know why! Besides insulting the Shop Master, you got it hit by a water buffalo! They had no parts that would fit! At least it is secure and weather tight!”

“Drat it, Overthrow, all that I did was bribe the Shop Master to put our trucks ahead of those other vehicles! Mere farm working things!”

Robber shook his head sadly, “That is not how bribes here work, Tyranny. I have explained that to you before. They are to the person as a recognition of his importance to you. They are NEVER to get your work or things put ahead of other work. We had already taken care of the problem and had only to wait our turn until you breached all social etiquette here by trying to get him to rearrange his shop schedules for us.”

Overthrow, trying to get a developing argument derailed, inquired with real interest, “How are the ancient X'ibian translations going, Tyranny?”

Frustrated, he snapped, “I can find NOTHING about the Heart of Discord, no matter how old the manuscript! I have found some that date to the reign of Im Farst and the Dragon Queen, but NOTHING about the Heart of Discord!

“We have OLDER references to it in Old Middle Equestrian from shortly after the Nightmare Wars than any from here!”

While mulling that over, they got into the trucks. Overthrow grunted sourly, “I wish that our drivers had not abandoned us. At least the desert should not offer much difficulty to our travel!”

Robber, mounting the driver’s seat of his truck, replied, “All that we need is to take the cross river barge and we will be headed to Hong Wa.”

He shoved Tyranny into the back of the cab. “Just stay there and let us deal with the barge. The last thing that we need is you sticking a hoof up the rump of our passage!”

Sullen, Tyranny settled back and busied himself pretending to study old manuscripts.

Cantrot was covered by the dust raised by the trucks heading out into the desert. Tyranny watched from the passenger seat of the lead truck as they came to the end of the road that they had been following.

“I thought that you said that this was the way to Hong Wa, Robber! This is the end of the road. Where is Hong Wa?”

Robber shrugged, his frustration with Tyranny utterly expressive of total contempt. “Sometimes I wonder if you listen to anything but your own voice, Tyranny.

“I said that this road will take us closest to Hong Wa! From here on, we will be driving across the desert. I do have good maps.”

Robber got out and began to scout the best way for the trucks to leave the road’s end.

Overthrow joined him. “Tyranny has gone completely mad, Overthrow. He seems to think that there is a regular road going to a city abandoned a thousand years ago. After I got it into his head that there was no road, he spouted garbage about just driving across the desert at night, steering by the stars! He seems to think that the desert is FLAT!”

Overthrow nodded glumly. “Last meal break he told me to be watching out for the dust of Daring Do’s expedition. I tried to tell him that they are taking an ancient dromedary route, completely different from ours.

“I tried to cash a credit letter in Cantrot before we left. It was refused. The firm’s capital is gone. If this plan does not work, we do not have enough money to get home.”

Robber stopped, stunned. “Broke? What has happened to it?”

Overthrow aimed a hoof at the truck with Tyranny in it. “He did. Those new manuscripts that he has been studying? Over two million golden bits by themselves. Add in our expedition costs, which are simply enormous, and there is not enough capital left to even pay the staff at home.”

Robber accepted the news glumly. “Look, a vulture circling up there! Not an omen, I hope!”

Both chuckled at the feeble jest. After locating the best way to get the trucks off the road, they returned to the vehicles and backed down the road to the chosen spot. They bumped and bounced across the margin and set out, following landmarks shown on Robber’s map.

Tyranny was fretting, “We are going too slow! We need to be swift! We must get there first!”

Robber, as they hit a big bump, slamming Tyranny’s head to the ceiling, replied offhandedly, “Why? If Daring Do gets there first, we let her find the tomb and do the heavy digging for us.

“If we get there first, we can still use HER and her cohorts to do the digging for us. That tomb is not in any of the fourteen necropoli shown in the site map. Only she knows where it is, so we will let her find it for us.”

He waited, grinning that Tyranny had not fastened his safety harness, and deliberately hit another series of bumps, jouncing Tyranny about like a dried pea in a can. “Are you sure that we need to go faster? We are already making over four times the best walking pace of a dromedary. We are nearly certain to be there first, ready and waiting for Daring Do’s expedition to show itself.”

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Jeremy signaled for them all to keep their heads down and retreat back into the pass. When they were all safely back, he recovered his hooves and led them further back yet. Satisfied, he told them all, “Wait here until I get back.”

He rummaged a pair of binoculars out of his saddle bag and sneaked back, going from cover to cover. Watching him go, Soree made a few swift sketches and many notes.

She observed, “I think that Jeremy believes that somepony is there before us.”

Daring Do nodded and offered, “Any bets about WHO it might be?” Silence greeted her offer. “I thought not.”

Jeremy returned silently. “ROT got here first, with two trucks. There seem to only be three of them, all Equestrians by the look of them. Our problem is simple.

“They have a pair of obsolete MT81 quick fire guns and what appears to be two ammo cases for them.

“Those guns nearly caused the overthrow the Empress of the Gryphon Empire back during their Civil War, years ago. Luckily for us, Doctor Do gave you those new semi automatic rifles. The 81s still have the range on us and may have either solid or explosive rounds.

“Doctor Do, how accurate is your map of this area?”

“Perhaps main features could be off by as much as two meters. Nothing worse. Is it good enough?”

Jeremy nodded and gestured them close to study the map, remarking, “A good map is more deadly than a cannon.

“See this tongue of rock going down into the valley of Hong Wa? If we can get behind it, they will not see our advance if we are careful. From here on, we will be in rifle range of the guns. Do not worry about the ponies. We need to stop those guns. Out in the open like that, their ammo cases are a weakness.”

Corba Jai suggested, “I have been from this pass to the blind canyon the leads to that ridge of stone. I scouted it for Doctor Do during the search for cave burials.”

Jeremy nodded acceptance at once. “That is good, Corba Jai. Would you please guide us all through to it?”

Nodding silently, Corba Jai led them further back up the defile. She pointed to a steep but climbable slope. “We need to go up here. Bear to the right of that rock needle. Getting down into the canyon will not be easy either but we can do it.”

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

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#DARING DO AND THE ADVENTURE OF THE X'IBIAN VASE #Part 16 of 21 #MLP Fan Fiction #Written by De Writer and Carmen Pondiego

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ask-de-writer · 5 years ago

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DARING DO and the ADVENTURE of the X'IBIAN VASE! : MLP Fan Fiction : Part 1 of 21

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DARING DO and the

ADVENTURE of the X'IBIAN VASE!

De Writer (Glen Ten-Eyck) @ask-de-writer

And

Carmen Pondiego @askcarmenpondiego

Cover Art by

Doctor Dimension

52630 words

Writing begun 08/26/15

//////////////

All sorts of fan art, cosplay, music or fictions is actively encouraged.

///////////////////////

Daring Do was sitting at the bar of the Adventurer’s Guild, sipping her coconut milk and pineapple juice. She was still steaming about the Royal Museum’s Acquisition Committee trying to put her last find, the Golden Necklace of Pharow Underrock, through “the routine process.”

The routine process gave them the possession of the neckalce for over a year before she could see any return on the difficult, expensive, and dangerous expedition to obtain the priceless artifact.

Her recovery of it from Count Umber had involved a physical altercation. The memory made her sweet drink taste sour.

Glancing into the back bar mirror, she casually placed a hoof on her pith helmet. A business suited pony approached her, proffering a card. Instead of taking the card, Daring Do swiftly lifted her pith helmet. A knife, aimed at the suited pony stood quivering in her hat, sunk deep into the cork.

She pulled the knife out and flipped it casually back. The thump of it striking hilt first was followed by the collapse of the silken robed pony who had thrown it.

She turned toward the shaken business suited pony who had just paled three shades of yellow green lighter. Brightly, she said, “Well, that was a few moments of rollicking fun! What do you have for me?”

With a shaking hoof, he proffered a card. “Please call us at your earliest convenience. If you wish, I can take you to the appointment."

Daring Do raised an eyebrow. “Appointment? You would make an appointment without asking me? A bit arrogant, aren’t you? I have some personal business to take care of first. I will call later, after it is done.” She turned her back and pointedly resumed her drink.

It tasted better, for some reason.

She sat at the bar until she was sure that he was gone, sipping her drink, the case with the Golden Necklace of Pharow Underrock safely in her saddlebag. Daring Do hated what she had to do next.

She and her mother, Carmen Pondiego, master thief and head of V.I.L.E., did not see eye to eye on ANYTHING. However, her mom’s advice was the best that she was going to find. Daring Do steeled herself and pulled out her magic net mirror. She tapped the code that she could not forget and hated.

The glass shimmered before a dark, redheaded figure with a gleaming grin answered the call. “City Morgue, you kill ‘em, we chill ‘em. Oooh! Look who is finally dropping a line.”

Answering in a gritty voice, Daring Do spoke low. “Uncle M, I’m trying to get a hold of-” “Yeah yeah, I know. Don’t go ruffling your feathers. Hey Red! Yer kid is on the line!”

Daring rolled her eyes as the view shakily changed to the beaming visage of a khaki colored unicorn mare dressed in red, her pale green eyes throwing a piercing glance at Daring Do. “Adora!! I am so glad you called! How was your trip? I hope you haven’t come across too much trouble. You know I will send some agents to help you if you ever need it.”

Daring Do rubbed her brow, “Mother, you know I hate that name, and no I don’t need your lawless agents. I… I just need some advice.”

A soft chuckle arose, “Of course, Daring dear. Now what seems to be the trouble?” Carmen lifted her brows as she calmly smiled, and the young pegasus held back a scoff. The thief seemed too friendly and eager to help, but why?

“Listen, its not trouble, I just want your -honest- opinion.”

Carmen pouted playfully, “My dear, you wound me, I have always been truthful to you.”

Sourly, Daring Do replied, “I do know that, Mother. That is the only reason that I am calling you now.

“The expedition went well. I even got the legendary Golden Necklace of Pharow Underrock. The assorted traps didn’t even cause much damage to the Pyramid of Keychops.

“The Royal University would not and will not underwrite the expedition but they want me to DONATE the necklace. They even threatened my tenure in the Chair of Antiquities to get it for free. The Royal Museum was almost worse.”

The face of Carmen in the mirror nearly lost it with hilarity. “The Royal Museum!? It takes over a year to sell them a glass bead! Then they will try to push you into letting it go for less than half of your price!”

Resisting a twitch in her eye, Daring Do cleared her throat, “Listen, Ma, what… Would you LEGALLY do if you didn’t get paid for a job that you did over a year ago?”

The thief took a moment to think. “Do you really want to go through the whole legal mess of suing said offender? Of course it would make it easier if you actually had a written contract.

“Heavens knows you don’t use the office here that I gave you and you bounce around from location to location so often without a home base so I don’t have any idea where you would keep such a document anyway…”

Daring’s grip on the mirror tightened. “Mother… I DO have an office. It is in the Royal University! I am the Chair of Antiquities!”

“Right. Well, I would collect whatever you agreed on selling and take it elsewhere.. Are you needing my help with that?”

Daring Do’s grip on the mirror tightened even more. “Mother … Mother. I have already taken it back! I also know that V.I.L.E. makes a ton of money on the, um, resale of assorted goods.”

Dryly, Carmen pointed out, “In spite of our REPUTATION, we have NEVER been caught doing or been convicted of ANY CRIME.” Her face twisted to a cheerfully sideways smile as she added, “Give me a few moments to check our inventory of PERFECTLY LEGAL buyers.”

Instead of “hold music” the recorded image of her uncle Marehem's blue furred, orange maned visage appeared giving the commercial message, “Allstable Insurance, You are in good hooves with Allstable! Please feel free to inquire about our customized policies and truly reasonable rates!”

Daring Do’s teeth grinding together would have been sweet music to any dentist!

Carmen’s cheerful face came back to the mirror in time to save it from being tossed across the room!

One eyebrow raised in amusement, she poked, “Adora, my sweet. I COULD move the necklace for you. V.I.L.E. does have to be paid for their efforts, of course. How does 20 percent sound? I am only offering such a good rate because you are family, no matter that SOMEPONY managed totally destroy all records of her connection to her MOTHER.”

Carmen grinned as Daring Do’s teeth ground together again. Regaining her control, she asked her mother, “Oh, another thing. Do you know anything about the ROT law offices? They offered a card, I think they want me to find something for them.”

Silence came over the mirror.

“Mom?”

Carmen sighed, “Daring, if being an outlaw taught me anything, its presentation. If you are shady, you pick a shady name for intimidation, for greater intimidation one would use a completely harmless and cheerful name, though that is rare.

“I don’t know much of them but if their name means anything, I would use extreme caution if dealing with them. It could be a bluff or it could simply be an acronym, it could mean that they are rotten to the bone. Are you sure you don’t want me to send someone…?”

“I AM FINE BY MYSELF, MOTHER. Thank you.”

“Alright, Adora, dear. If you are in the area, we’re having lasagna at 7:00,” Carmen shrugged, blowing a motherly kiss.

“I’ll be sure to miss it..” Daring Do groaned, turning off the mirror. She rubbed her forehead, fingers running through her monotone mane.

Daring Do was just getting ready to leave when the unconscious pony in the silken robes started to stir. He fumbled for and recovered his knife.

Setting eyes on her he got up, made a formal Far Eastern bow and said, “Miss Do, if I may be permitted to say so, that was most ill done. That pony and a few others with him are treacherous liars and wish to steal a priceless thing to which they have no right.”

Daring Do returned quietly, “It was very bad form of you to try murdering him here, in this club. The alley or even the street outside would have been better.

“As for his character, I already know that much of him and his associates. What more can you tell me?”

Haughtily he dodged her question. “You knew of his evil ways and still chose to listen to him? Perhaps I have misjudged you.”

She made a formal Far Eastern bow to him and replied in perfect X'ibian with an ancient proverb. “The failure to listen is the greatest cause of Ignorance.”

The pony’s eyes flew wide and his face fell. “I have erred greatly by my precipitous action. Be sure to listen with wisdom.”

He took his leave, robes making a slight swishing sound against the carpet of the Club floor.

Daring Do followed him out but he was nowhere to be seen. Consulting the card, she trotted up the street.

The building itself was not even hard to locate. It had a flagpole hanging over the street with a flag of pale off green with gray letters outlined in brownish red. “The Legal Team of ROT, for all of your legal needs!” was flapping in the breeze.

She entered, thinking ironically of the old joke, “pony walked down the street and turned into a drug store. After five sales, he bought what he wanted and changed back into a pony!”

She walked up to the receptionist and proffered the card. The receptionist looked down her nose at Daring Do and pronounced, “You are late for your appointment. You will have to wait for at least an hour.”

Daring Do gave her a return snooty stare and retorted, “No, I do not. THEY made the appointment without consulting me. I informed them that they would have to wait until my business was done.

“I am only marginally interested in whatever they want me for. You may inform them that they can call me at their earliest convenience to set a mutually agreeable appointment.” She tipped her pith helmet and turned to leave.

Frantically, the receptionist called after her, “Miss Do! Please take the elevator with the bronze doors! The Partners will see you immediately!”

“That is better, Horstense!” Daring Do entered the elevator, which had an earth pony operator. She serenely pulled a large, double edged knife and began to carefully trim her left hoof. Conversationally, she mentioned, “If this car gets stuck between floors, you get stuck too. Not seriously, of course. You will become qualified for a higher paid job, though. Castrato in the Fallen Pony Choir.” He paled at the thought. The elevator ride was uneventful.

She stepped out into a foyer with big glass doors at the far end. They had black and gilt letters proclaiming, ROT, the firm for all Legal Work.” Beyond the doors was an office with three desks placed in a U shape with a single hard chair at the focus of the U. The desks were not occupied, so Daring Do checked to see if the doors were unlocked.

They were. With a grin, Daring Do entered and quickly leaped across the desk at the center. She first lifted the comfortable, padded swivel chair out and replaced it with the hard chair. Checking the desk itself, she found a large flagon of expensive pomegranate juice and a snifter. There was only one door that they could enter from. She took their waste baskets and put them where the door swinging in would just miss them. Checking the other desks yielded an assortment of documents, a number of them were maps with X'ibian characters instead of Equestrian words.

She settled herself comfortably, far back, near the doors, away from the focus of the desks. She leaned back, smiling, and poured a healthy shot. While studying the maps, she started sipping.

Looking closely at two of the documents caused her to pull out her Magic Net mirror and make several urgent calls.

NEXT ==>

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#DARING DO AND THE ADVENTURE OF THE X'IBIAN VASE #part 1 of 21 #MLP Fan Fiction #Written by De Writer and Carmen Pondiego

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