- Read this story and all of its chapters in paragraph format with better editing, here:
- http://www.fimfiction.net/story/129684/the-trials
- This version of the story is heavily unedited.
- ----------
- >"Echo, are you alright?" a voice called.
- >Slowly, the world came back to Echo.
- >Darkness receded until her eyes opened gradually, a dim light brightening.
- >"Quick, give her a swig of this," another voice said.
- >Mosina.
- >Before she could react, she felt the cold surface of glass press against her lips.
- >Hooves gently tilted her head backwards, and a trickle of thick, tangy liquid made its way into her mouth.
- >Echo's eyes shot open, and the flask quickly receded from her lips.
- "Haah!" she gasped, suddenly feeling the need to breathe deeply.
- >She scanned her immediate vicinity, seeing the vague form of a bat pony with turquoise hair in front of her.
- >Whoever they were, they were really shiny.
- "Mosina?"
- >A giggle.
- >"Nope! It's me, Speck!" a cheery voice responded.
- >Quickly, her eyes focused and she met with amber slitted eyes, similar to her own.
- >Complimenting the face was long, unkempt turquoise hair and a fanged smile.
- >"Glad you came to. Fairly quickly, I might add," another voice said to her right.
- >She turned her head to meet the smiling, spectacled face of Mosina.
- "Phew... how long was I out for?" Echo asked, shaking her head.
- >She moved to stand up, only for Speck to hold out a hoof to keep her down.
- >She wore armour that covered her entire body from the top of her neck to the soles of her hooves.
- >Its silvery plates and golden embroideries shone brightly against the light of Echo's light crystal.
- >"A few minutes. Not too long," Mosina said. "You're unscathed, thankfully. You were just exhausted."
- "Mmm," Echo hummed.
- >Speck removed her hoof from Echo's shoulder.
- >"Geeze, I'm glad I sprinted to you guys when I heard all the commotion going on," Speck said.
- "No kidding. I thought we were done for."
- ---
- >Speck shuffled in her spot and fidgeted with two shiny, golden hoof-blades attached to her front hooves.
- >Echo stared at them with wide eyes as Speck removed them off of her hooves.
- >"I found these in a chest," Speck said, chuckling afterwards. "Though, I'm not very good with them."
- >"Can't be worse than me," Mosina giggled.
- >"I was second worst in our unit," Speck mumbled.
- >"Yeah, well, I was worst."
- >Echo rolled her eyes before turning her head to scan the rest of the room.
- >Nearby, Night Watch was sitting silently with her head down and eyes closed.
- "Night Watch!" Echo gasped, standing up.
- >"She's okay," Mosina said. "She's just exhausted, too. The shadow pony wounded her good, but a health potion helped with that."
- "Gah..."
- >Echo glanced down to her light crystal.
- "I-I should have used this. We were nearly killed."
- >"Yeah, well..." Mosina trailed off.
- >"...But then, I came to save the day!" Speck said, gleefully.
- >Mosina and Echo smiled.
- "How are we doing with supplies?" Echo asked.
- >"Well, we used half a flask on you for the spider bite and another half for Night Watch just now, so..."
- >Mosina trailed off, checking her saddlebags.
- >"We're down to three and a half health flasks left. Also, my spear broke, so I don't have a weapon."
- >"I have a healing flask, too! And two of those light crystals," Speck piped up.
- >"I guess that puts us back at four-and a half potions. And nine crystals."
- >They went silent for several moments, taking that time to breathe, until Speck shoved the golden hoof-blades towards Mosina.
- >"Here, take them. I have this," she said.
- >Speck opened her right saddlebag and pulled out a shiny, circular plate.
- "Is... is that a shield?" Echo asked.
- >Speck fastened it to her left-front leg, the silver, circular plate facing outwards.
- >A golden embroidery of a vine trimmed the circumference of the shield.
- >"Yep. I couldn't put it on with the hoof-blades, so I just carried it in my saddlebag," she answered.
- ---
- >"B-but I'm not good with these," Mosina said, gesturing to the claws.
- >Speck chuckled.
- >"You said you didn't have a weapon. And I have the fancy armour, so I get to be the tank!" she said, cheerfully.
- >"Well, alright. But I'll just hang back and keep things off of Night and Echo, then," Mosina said.
- "Sounds like a plan," Echo agreed.
- >"But, wait, you guys didn't loot the room, yet," Speck said.
- >Giving a confused grimace, Echo looked around the room to find nothing but a rocky floor and walls.
- >And the statue that was leaning against a wall.
- >It was a stone pony with a walking cane and a wide-brimmed hat.
- "...You mean the statue?" she asked.
- >"Yeah! The old stallion statues always have cool stuff," Speck said, approaching it.
- >Echo and Mosina gave each other a confused glance before following.
- >"Can't say we've ever come across this type, yet," Mosina said.
- >Speck walked up to the side of the statue and began to push with her two hooves.
- >After some grunting and slipping, the statue budged until it toppled over.
- >It hit the ground hard and shattered into multiple pieces of stone.
- >Embedded into the ground where the statue had been was a metal surface.
- >"LooK! See? There's stuff underneath," Speck said excitedly, moving to lift the metal lid.
- >Echo walked up and helped her with it, grunting as they heaved it up and slided it to the side.
- "Got to hoof it to you, Speck. I don't know where we'd be without you," Echo said.
- >"Heh... you can stop complimenting me now..." Speck said, blushing.
- >"Ooh, look at this!"
- >She bent down and pulled out a leather scabbard housing a sword.
- >Tossing it to the side, she dove back into the chest, Echo walking up to her.
- ---
- >Echo sorted through its contents and brought up several of the items.
- "Another two light crystal boxes, another healing flask and... what's that?"
- >Speck looked up with a wooden cylinder in her mouth.
- >"Looks like the third key," Mosina said, walking up beside Echo.
- >Speck spit the object out to say something, only for it to land in front of Night Watch.
- >"A gift? For me?" she purred, grinning.
- >"Night Watch! Are you feeling alright?" Speck said, walking up to her.
- >Night Watch picked up the cylinder and eyed it.
- >"Yeah, I'm alright. I'd like another few minutes to rest, though."
- >"We shall. Besides, I need to ask Speck to detail me on where she came from," Mosina said, pulling out the map from her saddlebags.
- "We shouldn't take too long, though," Echo said, taking the cylinder from Night Watch.
- "It's a bit of a trek back to that door."
- ---
- INVENTORY
- Weapons:
- -Gold Hoof-Blades
- -Silver Spear
- -Silver Sword
- -Iron Sword
- -Iron Dagger (x3)
- Armour/Gear:
- -Silver Heavy Armour
- -Silver Round Shield
- -Black Leather Armour (mod: iron plates)
- -Black Leather Armour
- -Leather Armour
- Misc:
- -Health Potion (x5.5)
- -Light Crystal (x11)
- -Map
- -Charcoal
- -Wooden Ring Pendant
- -Pouch of Purple Powder
- -Wood Cylinder Key