Only the Daring - Act II

 

        Daring looked up towards her arms to see if she could do something, but the lack of light barely let her see past her nose. She yanked on the rope and tried to twist out of it. She desperately searched for any advantage to get her out of this situation, but nothing would help her out of the compromising position. Daring gripped onto the rope and tried to pull herself to a standing position, but a warm hand slid between her shoulder and her neck. Against her best efforts, she was forced back down into a kneeling position. She was surprised by how easily she was forced back down; either she was incredibly weak, or whoever was holding her had immense strength.

 

        Daring breathing quickened as the feeling of helplessness overtook her. She looked behind her to see who her captor was, but the darkness didn't allow it.

 

        Daring had to take a deep breath to keep herself from yelling. "Who are you? What do you want?"

 

        No answer came. A finger traced it's way across her bare shoulders, pulling her hair up and then letting it fall across her bare back once the hand moved away. The feeling sent chills across her body as her hair settled against her.

 

        Daring bit her lip and closed her eyes tightly. That familiar lump started to form in her throat and her heart pounded in her chest. She thought back to the cave. She remembered seeing Whooves leave for firewood, then falling asleep, but everything after that was just a blank.

 

        She felt herself get restless at the prospect of being at the mercy of this stranger. What if Gilda had found her and was circling her right now?

 

        Daring thrashed against her bonds again. "Let me go!"

 

        The rope showed no signs of giving in, so Daring fell limp against them, panting from the exertion. She hung her head, ready to get whatever they wanted to do to her over with.

 

        A single finger pressed to the underside of her chin, then coerced her head forward. The finger slid up the side of her cheek until the hand was holding her face by her chin. She was pulled in either direction, as if her captor was looking her over. Daring gazed into the darkness ahead of her, but no face materialized. Daring grit her teeth and gave the dark an indignant expression.

 

        "What are you doing here?" A voice asked. She couldn't make out the gender from the dull, distant whisper. It sounded like it was from across the room, but right inside her ear at the same time.

 

        "Why should I tell you? Do you work for Gilda?" Daring glared into the dark to find eyes to stare into, to try to pressure it into an answer. She could never find any.

 

        Another hand found it's way between her legs, brushing up against her folds then down her thigh. Daring's breath caught in her throat as she jumped away from the contact. She was no stranger to her enemies trying to get a piece of her, but never in a position where she hardly had a chance.

 

        The hand holding her face pulled her closer. "Why are you here?" Fear started to grip at her as the whisper became more intense. She could feel an occasional cool wind that might have been warm breath to a normal human.

 

        "I-I'm here to protect Equestria."

 

        There was a pause, then the hand left her chin. "Your heart betrays you."

 

        Daring mouthed the questioningly words 'my heart' with a confused expression. Before she could ask, a pair of hands pulled her by her hips backwards, making her let out a tiny yelp. A cock pressed up against her slit, making her heart pound even louder in her ears. The dick primed itself at her entrance, but didn't go any further.

 

        This was leagues different than any other man she had been with. The cock waiting to enter her pulsated and moved with some kind of warm energy, but didn't feel like it had any mass behind it; almost as if it was just a pocket of air that wouldn't yield to her flesh.

 

        Daring tried to pull away, but the hands on her hips held her securely in place. Daring tried to look back to see her captor, but a hand pulled her face forward again. Now she knew she was outnumbered. She closed her eyes and attempted to ease her breathing.

 

        "Why do you risk your life to come here? Why not let your people deal with their own problems?" The voice whispered to her.

 

        "B-Because I... they... I don't want something to happen that I can prevent." Daring was finding it harder to concentrate with the dick ready to thrust inside of her.

 

        "No." Daring's eyes darted around the darkness incredulously. [i]What do you mean no?![/i] she wanted to shout. "Look inside your heart. Why is it that you've come here? Why must you constantly put yourself in danger?"

 

        "What? I do it because I n--Ah!" Before she could get another word out, whoever was behind her pushed his hips forward, filling her with his cock. He pushed it in slowly until he reached her cervix.

 

        Daring let out a slow, even whine as she was penetrated. She could hardly think straight as a dark blush crossed her face and her expression softened at the feeling. The cock pulsated and flowed with some strange power, vibrating against her insides. She couldn't help but let out a soft moan as he pulled out and slowly started pumping into her.

 

        Daring could feel herself grow wet to help her captor along. The gentle heat of the dick and the steady pace turned her mind blank with pleasure. She tried to resist, pull against the bonds or pull out of the hands on her hips, but the more his cock thrusted into her, the more she felt like butter in his hands.

 

        The hand pulled her head up by her chin again. "Answer us," the whisper demanded.

 

        She bounced with every stroke, and couldn't think enough for a proper answer. "Ah... What do you want to--mmm--hear?" Daring tried to let out between moans. She didn't know what to say to get them to stop. Now she didn't know if she wanted them to.

 

        "The truth."

 

        Daring bit her lip and tried to stifle her moans. She tried everything she could to bring up an answer, but her mind was clouded with pleasure. Only the most basic thoughts crossed her mind, along with the growing instinct to push her hips backwards. She struggled to blurt out an answer, but all that escaped her lips was a strained moan.

 

        The hands on her hips moved up to explore her. She felt a forearm wrap around her and bring her closer to her captor. The other hand traced it's way around her chest, casually caressing her along any sensitive areas it could find. The heat between her legs made her squirm under the touch. She could feel her own fluids start to drip down her thighs.

 

        Daring felt herself come closer to the edge with every thrust. She no longer had any control over the pleasured moans coming out of her mouth. Right before she could climax, the body behind her disappeared without even a whisper.

 

        Daring slumped against the rope. She panted and grimaced at the storm of feelings moving through her body. She could feel sweat clinging to her hair and rolling down her bare skin. Frustration built up inside of her at the feeling of being deprived, but she took a few deep breaths to quell the feeling; she had more important things to do.

 

        "Do you have an answer?"

 

        The respite allowed her to think clearly again once her own body calmed down. She shut her eyes tightly, trying to think of what they might want her to say. Nothing came to her. It looked like she was going to tough it out and find something to capitalize on.

 

        "I'm here to make sure everyone is safe from people like you," she said indignantly. She expected some angered response or some kind of abuse. What she received was the harsh feeling of loneliness inside an empty room.

 

        A long moment passed of nothing but a cool breeze brushing across Daring's bare skin. The feeling on her heated body made her uncomfortable and sent a wave of chills down her spine again. The silence gnawed at her. She almost wanted something to happen, just to break the uncomfortable stillness around her.

 

        The rope above her head pulled upwards, slowly coaxing her into a standing position. It stopped only when her toes could barely make contact with the floor.

 

         The voice whispered in her mind again. "Tell us. What do you get from being here?"

 

        Daring frowned and tried to pull away from the heat in front of her. Whatever answer she could give them wasn't going to be something they wanted to hear. She resigned to silence.

 

        A pair of hands grabbed her by her hips once again. This time they pulled her backwards until she couldn't touch the ground. The same cock slid it's way across her slit, soaking up her excitement for another ride. He easily slipped back inside of her, making her gasp at the feeling. He started off slowly, making her feel every inch as it pushed it's way inside of her. Every bump or pulse of the dick inside of her sent a shock of pleasure through her hips, causing her to close her eyes and open her mouth for the beginning of a moan.

 

        As she opened her mouth, something else made it's way inside. Another cock of the same pulsating warmth slipped by her lips and placed itself in her mouth. Daring opened her eyes to try to see what was happening in front of her, but even at this close distance, nothing materialized. She started to think that this wasn't as much about seeing them as it was about the feelings they were forcing on her.

 

        A hand traced it's way across her cheek and placed itself on the back of Daring's head. The cock in her mouth drove forward and gently poked at the back of her throat before pulling back to do it again. There was no taste as the cock thrusted into her mouth, but the warmth and texture of skin were still apparent.

        

        The hands on her hips drifted along her sides in different directions. One hand placed itself between her legs, idly rubbing her clit as he continued to drive into her. The other moved to grope her; it kneaded her breast and played with her nipple and piled on the pleasure she was feeling.

 

        Daring's eyes rolled back. She moaned and hummed her pleasure around the dick in her mouth, filling the room with her muffled noises.

 

        She writhed as she felt herself close to cumming again. She swung back and forth with every thrust of the dick inside her, pushing her deeper onto the one in her mouth. Daring pulled her legs back to try to get a hold on legs behind her, but they only swatted at thin air.

 

        The cock pumping into her picked up it's pace and the hand between her legs followed. The cock in her mouth pulled out, letting her sing her pleasure into the darkness. Every quick thrust inside of her pushed out all of her thoughts; nothing but pleasure crossed through her mind. The pressure inside of her built up until it threatened to burst. Finally, Daring let out a strained moan and curled her toes as her inner walls convulsed around the cock inside her. She strained against her bonds as her muscles tightened and waves of her orgasm washed across her body.

 

        Something warm washed through her inner walls and multiplied the pleasure exponentially, almost to the point of being unbearable.

 

        Unlike most orgasms, this one didn't stop. Her body didn't relax and flow into any afterglow; the pleasure assaulted her until her excited moans turned pained. No matter how she squirmed or lashed out, her folds sent out shockwaves of pleasure to her entire body, paralyzing her from doing anything but endure.

 

        She fought against the rope and whimpered as if she was being shocked. Only the most primal urges came to mind; the base of all her desires were pulled front and center.

 

        "Why?" the voice whispered to her.

 

        "Ahh! The thrill!" she yelled without thinking.

 

        At once, the cock pulled out of her and the hands fell away. The rope holding her up went slack and she fell back to her hands and knees as her binds draped across her back and fell to the floor. She panted and felt sweat fall freely from her body. Her muscles ached terribly, but she was relieved to finally be free.

 

        "I... I do it for the adrenaline fix... Because being in danger is the only way I feel alive..."

 

        Only silence met her admission. "The fear... It's what drives me..."

 

        A few still moments passed before she heard anything. "That's all we wanted to hear," the voice said to her.

 

        The fatigue in her body finally caught up to her. Daring slumped to the floor and lost consciousness.

 

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        Daring's vision returned to her through an unfocused haze. A headache pulsated in her brain, and she struggled to regain her senses. She groaned and tried to sit up, but a weight on top of her kept her in place.

 

        The feeling of unsanded wood underneath her bare body was the first thing that her senses filled in. Once her sight cleared, the picture of a marked woman tracing her hands across her body came into view.

 

        Daring looked down to her torso. Without the strength to react, she could only watch as the woman drew strange symbols across her body. A dull gray painted lines across her entire body from her fingertips to her navel where the woman was drawing them with her fingers now. The slow, deliberate designs painted on her were contrasted by the sharp, jagged ones etched into the dark-skinned woman sitting atop her.

 

        A strange, green glow emanated from her eyes and hands as they moved across her body. Finally her fingertips connected below Daring's sternum, sending a shock of strange energy throughout her body. Daring jolted upright, feeling all of her senses and strength completely returning to her. She crawled out from under the woman until her back hit a wall.

 

        She was ready to take a defensive stance, but the woman merely stayed in place on her knees where Daring once lied. "Wh-what the hell are you doing?"

 

        She didn't say anything. The green light faded from her eyes, and she could see her looking her form over. Daring looked down and turned her hands over to look at the markings she had put on her. All the way down her thighs they connected; but as soon as she took them all in, the markings started to fade until nothing but her tanned skin remained.

 

        "What did you see?" She let out in an indigenous accent.

 

        Daring looked her over incredulously. She could barely see her face from under her hood, but it was serious nonetheless.

 

        "What are you talking about?"

 

        The woman stood up, and Daring got a better look at her face. She started to remember what happened in the cave before she had woken up. "While you slept. Surely there is some memory that you kept?"

 

        Daring looked up at her, confused. She couldn't pin down any dream, but feelings started to rush back to her. Loneliness, fear, confusion, pleasure, frustration, and finally realization all passed over her in waves, but she couldn't pin down any events in her mind to pair them with. She knew something had happened, but she had no recollection of what.

 

        "I... uh..." Daring searched her mind; the event was at the tip of her tongue, but every attempt to materialize the events turned into nothing but the feelings again.

 

        "Do not worry if you cannot yet make these ties. They have spoken to you, I can see it in your eyes."

 

        [i]How did she know?[/i] Daring pondered. Before the question could linger any longer, the woman took a step towards her. Daring jumped up into a defensive stance, ready for a fight. The woman simply looked over her nude figure and laughed. She turned around and started to dig in an open chest.

 

        Daring didn't drop her guard, but felt a bit embarrassed at any rate. She could feel a tiny blush cross her face as she spared a quick glance down at herself. That certainly would have been the first time she'd ever have to fight naked.

 

        The woman turned around and threw Daring her clothes and boots. She snatched her shirt and shorts out of the air and let her boots land with a thud on the floorboards in front of her. She gave the woman another incredulous look.

 

        "What were you doing to me?" Daring asked as she stepped into her pants. Even as she looked across her skin again, every trace of the paint that once covered her was gone.

 

        "I'm not here to make you my prey. I'm only here to send you on your way."

 

        "What is that supposed to--Why are you rhyming?" The confusion only grew on Daring's face. The woman in front of her seemed almost cheery as she chuckled at Daring's question. Whatever horrible things Daring imagined her doing to her unconscious body didn't seem to be much of a threat with her as her captor. Daring moved to start buttoning up her shirt, but never took her eyes off the strange woman.

 

        "Please, one question at a time, if you may. My name is Zecora, by the way."

 

        Daring shook her head. "Alright, what were you doing with me?"

 

        Zecora took a deep breath. "I saw you come into the forest near me, bringing quite a hostile following you see. I followed you, wary of what your arrival might mean. I apologize if our introduction was unforeseen."

 

        Daring leaned down to lace up her boots, but kept a watchful eye trained on Zecora as she spoke.

 

        "But you must understand, not much good comes from visitors from outside this land. I had to bring you in asleep, so that I might search your soul without so much as a peep." Daring found her voice very engaging for some reason, enough to keep paying attention for more than her own protection. "What I found amazed me so. Tell me, do you know what it means when these marks glow?" Zecora asked, tracing a finger across her own bare abdomen where white streaks were, and motioning to Daring as well.

 

        Daring pulled the strings on her boots tight, completing her outfit, so she stood up to come to eye level with her. "No, I'm not very familiar with the culture around here."

 

        "It means you've been touched by the ancients long passed. Many of my people mark themselves in hopes of being part of this caste. The spirits have seen something in you they've deemed worth their appearance. Personally, I don't believe this is just happenstance."

 

        Daring didn't believe in spirits or prophecies, but all this about 'her people' made her sure that Zecora was the one that could help. She put on an interested facade and went along with it. "What do you mean? What do they want from me?"

 

        "That, I do not know. That is something the ancients themselves must show. I am only the messenger here, the one to show you where you must peer."

 

        "So where is it that I have to go to ask these spirits what they want?" Now she was getting somewhere. This was turning out to be much easier than she had thought.

 

        "Follow the river as far as you can north. There, if you are truly worthy, my people will come forth."

 

        Daring nodded and glanced towards the door. Zecora took notice and walked towards the door and opened it for her. "I will not hinder you on your path. You have more important things to worry about than my wrath. Just know that many travelers have been down this same road. Death is all that awaits you if all you desire is gold."

 

        "I can assure you my desires aren't so selfish," Daring said, moving towards the door. She kept her distance from Zecora, just in case.

 

        "If you say so. I do have one last bit of advice before you go."

 

        Daring raised an eyebrow. "And that is?"

 

        "To please those who appear, you must show them what you truly hold dear."

 

        "Got it. Thank you for your help, Zecora," Daring said as she stepped out of her doorway out into the humid jungle once again. Zecora spoke up one last time.

 

        "Do not thank me yet. Your worst enemy, you haven't even met." With that, Zecora shut the door to her hut behind Daring, leaving her to wonder what she meant.

 

        Daring looked back to Zecora's hut with a puzzled expression. The oddly decorated, hollowed-out tree was strange enough, but trying to put together what she really wanted with her is what was strange.

        

        Daring stopped to try to make sense of what she'd just heard. She rolled her eyes and shrugged it off. [i]Ancients? Spirits? Next thing you know they're going to make me their god... Or sacrifice me.[/i] Daring laughed to herself and walked into jungle, eager to get Whooves and go on their way.

 

        She just had to find out where she was first.

 

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        After a couple of hours, Daring finally found the stream that led to the waterfall they'd found yesterday. Daring followed it downstream until it dropped off into the waterfall. The length that Zecora dragged her through the woods was impressive. She didn't seem to be all that strong, but Daring knew looks could be deceiving.

 

        The sound of rushing water and the distant caws of various birds was almost relaxing. If it wasn't for the near-unbearable humidity of the jungle, Daring might actually enjoy the long hikes to her destinations. Now more than ever it gave her time to think. Despite all that Zecora said, Daring was hung up the most on the feeling of realization from her dream, or whatever Zecora put her into. The message was at the tip of her tongue, but Daring couldn't understand what it meant. She knew it was important; the feeling made her feel ashamed of herself, like she was more selfish than she wanted to believe. Daring resigned to push the feeling out of her mind.

 

        Daring knelt down and jumped off the mossy stone of the small cliff next to the waterfall. She landed with a soft thud in the brush below, and quickly brushed herself off. She took a deep breath and hoped for the best; even though everything seemed peaceful, she had been gone all night. There was no telling what might have happened to Whooves in her absence, especially if Gilda didn't give up.

 

        She passed under the stone path into the waterfall, drenching her hair and making it stick to her face and shirt. Daring brushed the wet hair out of her eyes and looked around the dark cave. Nothing. Even in the small light flowing through the waterfall, the cave was completely empty. Daring sighed and took a step to turn around.

 

        A forearm wrapped around her neck and yanked her backwards. Before Daring could retaliate a knife positioned itself next to her throat. Her knife. Daring looked at it quizzically. [i]Who would have— [/i]

 

        Daring noticed the hand didn't have a good grasp on it before she finished the thought. Whoever was holding it just ran into the wrong girl.

 

        "Don't move a mu--Woah!" Daring darted her hands forward and snapped the knife out of the man's hand. With the knife no longer a factor, she reached behind her and grabbed her assailants arm and threw him over her back. The man landed onto the ground with a pathetic wheeze, clutching his back and groaning in pain. Once Daring got a look at his face, she let go of his arm and laughed.

 

        "You never were much of a fighter, Turner," Daring said with a chuckle.

 

        Whooves turned over and let out a feeble groan. Daring could tell she'd knocked the air out of him. "Did you really have to throw me so hard?"

 

        "In my defense, you did look like you were about to kill me."

 

        Daring looked over to the corner of the cave and found what Zecora didn't drag with her: her pith helmet, backpack, and lighter. She slipped her pack back on and positioned the rest of her gear into her belt and onto her head. She felt much less naked once her hat was in its proper place.

 

        Whooves pulled himself up to his knees and let out a few coughs as he tried to catch his breath.

 

        "You alright?" Daring said. She put a hand out to help him up. He took it and promptly leaned against the rock wall to keep himself upright.

 

        "Ugh... Where were you all night, Daring?"

 

        Daring shrugged. "Oh, you know. Got kidnapped by the local witch-doctor and did some fingerpainting. The usual stuff."

 

        Whooves gave her a frustrated glare. "What? Your night not as exciting?" Daring asked.

 

        "With the panic attack I had when I came back to find you gone? Having to stay up all night listening to soldiers shouting and walking by? Worrying that I might die at any second?! Oh no, it was plenty exciting," Whooves said, anger building up in his tone.

 

        "Easy, killer. I found the lady the girl in the bar was talking about. I know where to find our next stop." Daring gave Whooves a reassuring smile and a pat on the shoulder. "You're still alive, right?"

 

        Whooves sighed and put one hand on his face and the other on his hip. "This is just a bit more stress than I'm used to. Getting killed isn't usually something I have to deal with."

 

        "Look at it this way: We've only got one ancient temple to find and we're pretty much done. Then we can have you back in Canterlot sipping expensive tea," Daring said, making a mocking gesture of drinking from a teacup.

 

        Whooves rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "Let's just get this over with. If only to be through with your childish teasing."

 

        Daring smiled. She turned towards the waterfall and waved for him to follow. "Try and keep up."

 

        Daring noticed Whooves' lethargic movements quickly. She had to slow down just to keep a steady pace with him. She didn't mind the slower speed much; they weren't in any immediate danger, so taking their time was probably for the best.

 

        Sunlight peaked through open sections in the tall canopy over the river, illuminating their path. The riverbank was a nice break from the dense brush of the jungle. Daring could only hope the rest of the journey was this easy.

 

        Daring looked over at Whooves and gave him a light push. "Hey, you gonna make it?" He was slumped over and didn't seem very interested in the path in front of him.

 

        "Some coffee would be nice." Whooves sighed. "But I'm sure getting shot at will have the same effect."

 

        Daring gave him a chuckle and looked back towards the path. "I think I'd rather deal with you being grumpy." Daring cast a glance around the quiet jungle; this was almost too easy. "So, where did Gilda head off to last night? Did you hear which direction?"

 

        "As far as I could tell, they headed upriver. Though they passed by the waterfall at least three times."

 

        Daring lost her playful demeanor at the thought of running into Gilda again. Instead of thinking of escape routes, her mind began to conjure up all the ways she might be able to take her down. Just the thought made her heart-rate jump. "Hopefully she's given up by now."

 

        "Hopefully," Whooves said, "So what did that woman tell you anyway? I find it hard to believe she kidnapped you just to help you on your way."

 

        "Me too. She said something about ancient spirits wanting to talk to me."

 

        Whooves let out a laugh. "What, are you going to be their next queen and rule the land under their mystical army?"

 

        "You never know. They may just offer me up as a sacrifice." Whooves gave her a smirk, but quickly focused his attention back onto the bank. Silence hung in the air for a moment before Whooves broke it.

 

        "Do you really think these spirits are more than just their deities?"

 

        "I..." Daring thought back to the markings on her body, and the green glow in Zecora's eyes. It could have just been a byproduct of whatever she'd blown in her face, but the feelings that gripped her once she'd woken up seemed like much more than a dream. "...I don't know."

 

        Whooves didn't respond. The feelings started to eat at Daring again once she had time to dwell on them. Realization was again the worst of them; it nipped at her confidence and made her feel like she wasn't the noble hero that her books made her out to be. As much as it bothered her, she had no idea why. No explanation she could think of made any sense, but that didn't stop her from feeling insecure about the ordeal.

 

        "Whooves, am I... selfish for doing this?"

 

        Whooves looked over at her with a raised eyebrow. "We're risking our lives on the chance that Equestria might be in danger and the only ones getting any credit are the characters in your book. I'm not sure selfish fits in there anywhere."

 

        "Y-yeah, you're right."

        

        "Are you okay, Daring?"

 

        Daring let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. She shook her head and tried to forget about all of her self-questioning. It wasn't going to help her anyway. "I'm fine." Daring adjusted her backpack and picked up

 

        Whooves groaned "Is taking it easy for once too much to ask?"

 

        "Yes!" Daring yelled back, already a couple yards ahead of him.

 

        Whooves grumbled a few aggravated comments, but sped up to meet Daring anyway.

 

        The pair spent the next few hours sticking close to the bank. The sun made it's way across the sky, dimming their path as the evening progressed. Whooves became even more aggravated once the mosquitoes started coming out. A couple of complaints and a rant about the uselessness of the species later, Daring wasn't feeling very energetic either.

 

        As the night threatened to overtake them, Daring began to look around for a place to make shelter for the night across the darkening jungle, but stopped when a noise emanated through the leaves. Daring held a hand out in front of Whooves. He stopped when he bumped into her elbow and looked at her quizzically.

 

        "What are yo--"

 

        Daring held a finger to her lips to silence him. She looked into the woods with intense focus. Whooves followed her eyes and listened in. At first there was nothing but the distant calls of a few birds and the wind brushing along the treetops. After a few moments, the distant sounds of voices yelling back and forth to each other came closer, as well as the sound of brush being cut and moved.

 

        "Shit..." Daring stared into the woods towards them, perplexed. She twisted her head around the riverbank frantically, looking for anything that might help them escape or hide.

 

        The leaves on either side of the river weren't dense enough to cover them for very long. Daring grabbed Whooves by the wrist and jerked him towards the river. "Come on! We gotta get outa here!"

 

        Whooves looked back nervously a couple of times before they both were chest deep in water. Daring pushed through the torrent as fast as she could. The voices behind her ran her heartrate up exponentially. She knew Gilda was with them, and she knew that she was going to be pissed.

 

        They waded through to the other side of the river and ran as fast as they could into the jungle ahead of them. Daring knew they'd probably heard them from all that, but they were so close they had no other choice. Daring ducked and dodged around branches and brush, looking back to make sure Whooves was always close. She desperately searched around the trees for something they could do; hide in a hole, climb up a tree, anything. The trees were much too tall to climb, and the roots didn't let any of the soil around them cave.

 

        Daring thought they'd simply have to keep running all night; she doubted another cave would come along to save the day. Just out of the corner of her eye she spotted a tree that opened up near the ground, giving a small space before the roots entered the dirt. She took a sharp turn to the left, making sure to drag Whooves by the arm with her. She slid into the trunk with her remaining momentum, letting go of Whooves for a moment so he could get in without hurting himself.

 

        Whooves stumbled in after her, mumbling obscenities as he moved branches out of the way and tried to squeeze in the hole. Whooves pushed up against Daring to try to get as much of him out of the open as possible.

 

        "Did we really have to sprint in here?" Whooves whispered.

 

        Daring brought a finger up to her mouth and shushed him. She gave him a stern look then averted her eyes back out into the jungle. She pushed the pain of a few fresh scrapes on her legs and the claustrophobic feeling of being forced into an awkward position out of her mind to focus completely on watching the woods.

 

        Sure enough, a wave of a dozen or so soldiers jogged through the brush, occasionally raising their guns to scan across the foliage before moving on. Gilda followed close behind, her gun out and ready. Daring could see her grit her teeth and give every inch of the forest a furious glare.

 

        "Keep looking! It had to be her. No one else would ever come out this far."

 

        Whooves looked over to Daring and leaned in closer. "What does she mean?" he asked quietly.

 

        Daring turned her head to him and gave him an exasperated look. "Whooves!" she whispered harshly.

 

        "Right, sorry."

 

        Daring kept her eyes trained on Gilda. She moved much slower than the soldiers around her, and surveyed as much as she could. Daring's heart skipped a beat when she saw Gilda's eyes pass over her, but with the evening approaching, they must've been far enough in the dark to not be noticeable from that distance.

 

        Daring's heart raced and she had to force herself to keep her breathing rate down as she watched Gilda. Half her face was covered with blood from the bar she hadn't bothered to wipe off, and the crazed look in her eye promised the most wicked torture imaginable if she got her hands on Daring again.

 

        Daring could feel herself tremble with anticipation. Gilda must've looked her way at least three times. Each step she took brought her closer to her and Whooves.

 

        "...Daring?" Whooves whispered again. Daring almost slapped a hand over his mouth to get him to stop, but when she looked over at him, his eyes were affixed to the treetops above the soldiers.

 

        She followed his eyes into the massive limbs that held up the jungle canopy. All of the frustration towards Whooves drained out of her when she saw a streak of red move through the leaves, then another, then even more until she could count almost a dozen of whatever it was moving around up there. They were completely silent; not even letting a leave fall as they skirted around. One by one, they started coming to a stop. They almost looked like cloth as it all fell into place. Daring focused as much as the evening would allow. She could barely make out the shape of a girl wrapped up in the red fabric.

 

        Daring squinted and leaned in closer. "What the..."

 

        Before Daring could get a good look, one of them shot a line of the red fabric down to the forest. The string moved in the blink of an eye, grabbing one of the soldiers by the neck and jerking them upwards. He let a couple of shots out of his rifle as he ascended, desperately grabbing at his neck with one hand and flailing around his rifle with the other. The other soldiers spun around to see what was going on, and just barely caught a glimpse of their friend before he disappeared into the trees.

 

        The soldiers all stood in place with their rifles ready, swiveling around and searching for the threat. Their barrels swept across the canopy, but nothing but the occasional falling leaf moved. Gilda herself kept her eyes glued to the treetops, but steadily backed towards where Daring and Whooves were hiding.

 

        Another flash of red shot down from the trees, grabbing another soldier by the neck and pulling him quickly into the trees. His scream was followed by a cacophony of gunshots as the other soldiers started firing into the trees. The forest lit up with dozens of orange flashes as they tore holes into the canopy.

 

        "Stay together! Keep firing!" Gilda shouted to them as she ran forward, firing her pistol into the treetops as well.

 

        From the shadows one of the girls snatched another soldier in a flash of red fabric. Causing the others to turn and divert some of their fire into the trunks of the trees around them. One by one, the strange women would pounce on the soldiers, but didn't seem to take any losses. A quick flash of red and there was one less gun firing each time.

 

        Daring snapped out of her astounded stupor. "They're distracted, let's go!"

 

        Daring shot out of the roots and ran back into the brush, leaving Whooves in the dust. "Is it too much to ask for a little more warning?" She could hear him grumble as he struggled to stand out of the awkward position.

 

        Daring slowed down, but kept her head low and her eyes trained on the firefight in the other direction. "Just come on!" Daring whispered harshly. She was running out of patience with Gilda being so close.

 

        Whooves finally got to his feet and kept close to her as he could. Daring shot back out into the woods, occasionally looking back to make sure she didn't lose Whooves. They both ran until they reached the bank of the river again, then kept running down the bank until Whooves decided to speak up.

 

        "Daring... I think we're... far enough..." Whooves let out a heavy sigh, then leaned over onto his knees. Daring turned around to chastise him, but realized her body was begging for breath as well. She didn't know how long they ended up running, but the night was starting to creep up on them. Seeing down the stream was much more difficult than when Gilda was on their heels.

 

        Daring took a couple of deep breaths and tried to calm herself. Her heartbeat was pounding in her chest from more than just the run.

 

        "Yeah, you're right... I think we're okay now." Daring swallowed, then tried looked around the darkening jungle. "We're going to need to find some shelter soon, though."

 

        "You don't think we're getting close?" Whooves asked.

 

        "I have no idea. All I know is I don't want to get caught out here again." Unless Daring wanted to climb a tree for the night, she was running out of options.

 

        "Well whatever was attacking those soldiers must've had something to do with the legends, right? If we're that far into the forest we have to be getting close to some kind of settlement."

 

        Daring turned to face upstream, away from Whooves. "You may be right, but I don't think we're going to be an exception to their 'attack outsiders' policy. Barging right into their ancient temple isn't going to be the best idea."

 

        Whooves leaned up, finally able to catch his breath. "So what's the plan then?"

 

        Daring sighed and propped herself up on a nearby tree. Her wet clothes and the dirt clinging to her side was starting to irritate her. She closed her eyes and tried to think of the best course of action. Part of her urged her to get all this over with as fast as possible. "I don't kn--"

 

        A hand shot out of the vines and jerked Daring's hand around to her back. She was spun around, then forced to her knees with a harsh thud. The only thing that stopped her from falling over was the familiar edge of a knife at her throat. Daring grimaced. There was only one person in this jungle fast enough to bring her down like that.

 

        "Gah! How do you keep doing that?!" Daring said through gritted teeth.

 

        The gunfire had stopped quite a while ago. Daring thought for sure Gilda wasn't winning that one, but here she was.

 

        Gilda tightened her grip on Daring, making the knife cut into her neck. Daring tried to stifle a whimper, but she was sure it was audible. Daring closed her eyes tightly and hoped Whooves had some way out of this, because with that knife at her throat, she wasn't going anywhere.

 

        "Shut it, bitch," Gilda said in her usual gravelly voice. "I lost a lot of men trying to get to you, and now you get to pay for it."

 

        Whooves looked between Daring and Gilda, ready for action, but having no idea what to do. Daring knew he wasn't carrying any weapons. There weren't any bottles to save her this time.

 

        "Here's how it's going to happen: You're going to run as far as you can away from here. If you're lucky, I might just let you live," Gilda said, pointing her free hand towards Whooves. She kept the blade tight against Daring's neck to make sure she didn't move.

 

        "And I'm going to have fun with you, Daring Do." Daring looked desperately up to Whooves, but she knew there was nothing she could do this time. "Well? What are you waiting for? Get out of here!" Whooves jumped at her yell, but didn't yield. In a different situation, Daring would have been proud of him.

 

        "Don't think I won't just slit her throat and tear yours out next."

 

        A feeling of defeat washed over Daring, if one of them had to die, she didn't want it to be Whooves. "Turner... just go."

 

        Daring could see the disbelief in his eyes as he saw the resignation in hers. "No... Daring..."

 

        Gilda was losing her patience. Daring could feel her fury grow with every passing second Whooves just stood there. The knife started to cut it's way across her throat, deep enough to kill her.

 

        Her body shook with terror and her life flashed before her eyes. With one final desperate cry, Daring yelled. "AAAHH! GO!"

 

        Whooves turned tail and ran as fast as he could. He tripped from the sudden speed but got up as fast as his legs would allow. Daring could only listen as his footsteps grew further and further away.

 

        Thankfully, Gilda took her knife off of Daring's throat. Being that close to death had shaken her to her core. Her breathing was erratic, and every part of her trembled in fear. Daring closed her eyes and just wished it would end already. Gilda shoved her face-first into the dirt with a heavy thud, and started to tie Daring's hands together.

 

        She was too weak to protest. Her body had all but given up after coming that close to the end. Daring could feel a steady stream of blood flow out of her neck, but not enough to make her pass out.

 

        In the distance she could hear the unmistakable sound of a body hitting the dirt, but paid it no mind. Gilda had finished tying the knot, and her low, evil laugh resonated through the quiet jungle. Gilda started to tug on her arm and bring her to a standing position.

 

        "Get up. We're--" The creak of a branch was followed by the air rushing out of Gilda's lungs on impact. The pressure of her hand left her arm, and she fell back into the dirt. She looked to her right and saw Gilda's motionless form slump against a nearby tree.

 

        Before she could move or question the situation, a soft hand grabbed her by the shoulder and spun her onto her back.

 

        In front of her was one of the girls in the trees from earlier, pulling a red cloth back to her wrist with some unseen magic. Even in the dark, Daring was stunned by how beautiful she was. Her long, flowing hair shined what little moonlight there was, and her gentle eyes encapsulated Daring. Transparent red cloth was wrapped around her, showing off more than it covered up.

 

        She unclasped the red veil over her mouth and leaned closer to Daring. Before she could say anything, the girl met lips with her. Daring melted into the kiss almost immediately. The feeling of her soft lips against hers made all her pain melt away into that heavenly feeling. Daring could feel herself slowly slipping away into her embrace as the girl wrapped her arms around her.

 

        After another moment in the kiss, Daring fell asleep entirely.

 

 

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        The soft flicker of candlelight brushed against Daring's face, making her stir from her sleep. She mumbled something incoherent and tried to roll over into the soft, fur blanket underneath her. She felt someone else stirring somewhere on the blanket, but she was too comfortable to care. She groaned as all her aches and pains came back to her: scrapes down her right leg, aching feet, generally worn out muscles, and the ache of a fresh cut on her...

 

        Daring shot up and looked around frantically after she realized what she'd just gone through. She brought one hand to her neck and gripped the fur tightly with the other. The sticky feeling of fresh blood was surprisingly absent when she traced her hand across her skin. The cut was sealed with a smooth layer of something. When she brought her hand away to look at it, it was completely clean. The next thing she noticed was how amazingly soft the blanket in her hand was.

 

        Before she could think about it, two arms wrapped around Daring's neck and hugged her tightly. Daring tensed at the contact.

 

        "Oh, I'm so glad you're okay, Daring," Whooves said as he settled into the embrace. Daring relaxed once she heard his voice. She wrapped a hand around his forearm and smiled at the feeling. She felt... safe. The moment quickly wore off once she felt the warmth of his bare skin rubbing up against her near-naked body.

 

        "Uh, Whooves, where are our clothes?" Whooves let her go and she looked down at herself. She was down to just her bra and panties, and a quick glance at him showed he was in his underwear as well. She raised a questioning eyebrow at him.

 

        Whooves put his hands up in defense. "Hey, don't look at me like that. I just woke up here."

 

        Daring took her eyes off of him and looked to the room around them. "And where exactly is here?" The room was completely stone except for the floor, which was filled by a some sort of plush red fur which felt like it had some padding underneath. Bands of decorative carvings filled all the way up to the wall, interrupted by candles in holders on each wall.  The ceiling had a painting of a crude night sky, but was soothing all the same.

 

        The wall in front of her opened up to what looked like a large cave outside of it, but the flickering of firelight drew her to see what waited outside. Daring got to her feet and walked over to the doorway. Whooves followed her close behind.

 

        "Daring, do you really think we shou-- Woah..."

 

        Whooves stood motionless behind Daring as they took in the sight before them.  A massive cave held hundreds of decorated stone buildings and temples, each with a unique, intricate design etched onto them and alluring blue lights hovering above them. In the center was a massive stone pyramid that fell under soft skylight of a hole in the ceiling, with vines hanging down from it. It was an entire underground city. Men and women clothed in that familiar red cloth walked the stone streets, bringing life to this strange civilization.

 

        "Woah is right," Daring said.

 

        Whooves looked down to the long series of stairs that led down to the street below. "What should we do?"

 

        Daring opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off by one of the denizens landing at the doorway. Daring reeled back and put an arm in front of Whooves, keeping him behind her. The girl in front of them stood up from her hunched-over landing position and took the red veil over her mouth off. Daring didn't recognize her as the girl from last night, but she looked just as beautiful. She opened her mouth and spoke, but Daring didn't understand a word of it.

 

        Daring eased out of her fighting stance and nudged Whooves. "Well, this is what I brought you for." She looked over at him and couldn't help but giggle at the blush across his face as his eyes were transfixed on the girl. "Get after it, Romeo."

 

        "My, th-that dialect is ancient."

 

        "Well?" Daring asked expectantly.

 

        "I think she said she's not here to fight." Whooves cleared his throat and spoke back to her in the same strange tongue. They exchanged a few words before he looked back to Daring.

 

        "She wants us to come with her." Whooves looked back to Daring with an unsure look.

 

        "It looks like we don't have much of a choice. Let's go." Daring stepped forward, and the girl turned and started down the steps. The three of them made their way down to the street below. Whooves and Daring both gawked at the awe-inspiring architecture around them. The city showed no signs of wear, even though they both knew it was thousands of years old.

 

        Daring opened her mouth first, but kept her eyes glued to the world around here. "Looks like we found our long, lost temple."

 

        "I certainly wasn't expecting this..."

 

        "You can say that again."

 

        Daring moved her eyes down to the street level. The people gave them passing glances, but didn't seem too concerned with their presence. People all around them were talking and going about their day just as any society would. Some of them were also getting quite intimate with each other. Daring blushed as she saw the naked body of a girl grinding on a man on a nearby bench. His cock was visibly deep inside of her, and her soft hums of pleasure were out there for the world to hear. Daring looked over to Whooves, who had the same perplexed look. His eyes were glued onto a girl sucking the dick of a man leaning up against a rail.

 

        "Uh..." Daring struggled to say something as similar scenes showed up all over the street. There were just as many people having sex as simply conversing.

 

        "They're quite... shameless," Whooves let out.

 

        Daring gulped and tried to shake her embarrassment off. "A-ask her where we're going."

 

        "S-sure." Whooves walked closer to the girl leading them and said a few strange words to her. She raised an eyebrow, then he stammered and tried to correct himself. She shrugged him off and gave him a quick answer.

 

        "I believe she said we'll be there soon."

 

        That didn't console her much. Daring sighed and resigned to try to mentally prepare for whatever was lying around the next corner, even if the scenery was quite distracting.

 

        They finally reached the massive temple in the center of the cave, and made their way up the long staircase to the first platform. When Daring grew tired of the stone steps under her feet--and Whooves clearly out of breath from the climb--she noticed the girl leading her had barely changed her pace. Her smooth body must've had quite the endurance, Daring thought.

 

        With one last step, they walked onto the main platform on the side of the pyramid. A large door carved deep into the structure loomed before them. The temple itself still had a couple hundred feet before its apex, where sunlight poured into the cave.

 

        The girl leading them continued her path and stopped to complete the half-circle of other warriors between Daring and the door. They all looked Daring over expectantly; all the eyes on her body almost made her uncomfortable.

 

        Daring swallowed and looked over to Whooves, who was gawking, wide-eyed at the fine group of girls ahead of them.  Daring would have laughed if she wasn't so nervous all of the sudden.

 

        She jabbed an elbow into his side. "Well? Ask them what we're supposed to do."

 

        Whooves jumped when her contact broke him out of his stupor. "Oh! Uh..." He cleared his throat and stammered out more of their language. If Daring could tell one thing by the girls glances towards each other and raised eyebrows, it wasn't very successful. One of them stepped forward and replied anyway.

 

        Whooves watched her mouth intently, trying to understand every syllable. "She says you are to pass through the doors and face the, um, trials. Then they will decide if you're worthy."

 

        "And if I refuse?" Daring asked Whooves without taking her eyes off of the girls in front of her.

 

        Whooves asked, then received a short answer. "She said you won't."

 

        Daring was surprised at that. It wasn't the usual "we'll kill you", but they definitely knew what she was here for. "I guess she's right. No point in putting it off, then."

 

        She stepped forward, eyes on the temple door, but one of the girls held a hand out to stop her. She looked across her body and said something, then motioned to her bra and panties. Daring looked back to Whooves with a raised eyebrow.

 

        "She said you cannot enter the temple with anything from the outside world..." Whooves stammered when he realized what she meant, a blush crossing his face. "I-I won't look."

 

        Daring took a deep breath. "Of course..." Out of her comfort-zone wasn't doing this feeling justice. She stepped out of her panties and unclasped her bra and left them both on the stone floor. She cast one last glance back at Whooves, whose eyes were most definitely glued to her now-naked body. She shot him a glare and he instantly looked away.

 

        Daring sighed. This wasn't any time for embarrassment. She started past the warriors and towards the door. The massive stone gateway groaned and pushed open on it's own with a light green glow, letting Daring into a long corridor lit by flickering torches on either wall.

 

        She faintly heard Whooves stammering something nervously to the girls before the thunderous groan of the stone doors returned, shutting her into the temple alone. The only thing to do now was find out what waited for her at the end of the hall.

 

        The bustling sound of the city streets and the sound of distant voices was now gone. The only thing that filled the empty corridor was the occasional crack of the torches on the wall. Daring started down the hallway, careful not to let her guard down. The hall was short enough to see it dive down into a stairwell, but long enough to keep Daring on edge. The walls were banded with unique hieroglyphics, each telling a unique story. Daring didn't know how to read them, but they were enough to make her inner archaeologist intensely fascinated for a second. She caught herself stop, then shook her head and went back on her path.

 

        Once she reached the stairs, Daring heard faint ringing coming from the bottom. The light shining at the bottom of the stairwell was a soft green, and it was moving. Daring tensed, preparing herself for anything.

 

        The roof leveled out ahead of her, letting Daring see the room she was stepping into. Before her was another large door with carved designs, but this one looked to be made of gold. The entire thing was enveloped in the same soft green light. A dark-skinned woman with jagged white etchings all over her body stood in front, holding her glowing hands out. She also wore nothing, letting her markings shine over her naked form.

 

        Daring thought she recognized her. "Zecora?"

 

        Zecora turned her head to look back. Once she caught sight of her, she let her hands down and turned to face her. The green glow soon faded from her hands and eyes when she smiled to meet Daring. "Ah, my adventurous friend. The journey for what you seek is nearly at its end."

 

        Daring walked up to meet her, but felt a twinge of embarrassment; this was the first time she'd had a casual conversation naked. Daring coughed and met eyes with Zecora. "That's good to hear. What are you doing down here?" Daring's eye twitched when she realized she was rhyming too.

 

        Zecora laughed. "It's good to see I'm rubbing off on you. Friends I make from the outside are very few."

 

        Daring let out a strained chuckle and rubbed the back of her neck. Zecora continued, "I am down here to ready your way. This door will only yield to a mage's sway."

 

        Daring let her eyes wander up to the door. The green magic swirled around the intricate designs. She could hear faint clicks coming from inside of it when some of the light would disappear.

 

        "Beyond this door lies your final test. I hope you have prepared better than the rest." Zecora looked back towards the door and raised an arm towards it. The green glow returned to her hand, and the door swung open to nothing but darkness. "Remember, to please those who appear, you must first show them what you hold dear."

 

        The pitch-black ahead of her sent a chill down her nude form. Her stomach tightened at the sight of the abyss. "G-Got it."

 

        "I will remain here to relay your fate. I hope you return in the same state."

 

        Daring began to walk towards the doorway. Every step made the uncertainty inside of her grow. "Me too."

 

        "Good luck, Daring Do. If anyone is capable, it's you," Zecora said from behind her. Daring was already a few steps inside the darkness. Before she had the chance to look back, Zecora shut the door.

 

        The small comfort of being in Zecora's presence immediately vanished. No sound or light came to Daring's senses for a few minutes, leaving her to wander the room. She inched along slowly, careful not to trip over anything. She could barely see an inch in front of her face; that coupled with loneliness made the feeling eerily familiar to her. She couldn't shake the feeling that someone in there was watching her. Whatever was toying with her let the fear and apprehension grow until she wanted to scream.

 

        Her foot brushed against something that wasn't stone. She looked down, hoping it wasn't what it felt like.

 

        Fire bloomed behind her and spread across a line all the way around the room above the door. Daring looked up to see the orange flickering roll around the dome-shaped space above her and meet on the other side near another gold door. The walls were much brightly colored than outside, with much more detailed carvings spread across the circular walls.

 

        Daring brought her eyes to the floor to confirm her suspicion.

 

        Bones. Lots of bones.

 

        There had to be at least fifty different skeletons scattered around the room. Daring gulped. [i]This can't be good...[/i]

 

        A soft wind blew through the room from behind her. It ran all across Daring's body, making her shiver. The wind carried black dust up from the floor. The dust started to form and swirl in the wind in front of her, making up what looked like a human form. Daring blinked a few times, but her eyes didn't deceive her. The dust was made to look like two men, more than seven feet tall, and all facing her.

 

        The transparent figures stood still except for the constant swirling of the dust that made them. Daring looked for some indication for what to do, but nothing came. Daring hoped this didn't end in a fight, because she didn't know if she could win that one.

 

        Two hands pressed against her shoulders and forced her to her knees. She immediately recognized the feeling: A warm energy that might come from human contact, but with no texture to it, as if it was a wall of air pressing against her.

 

        With that contact, the entirety of a memory returned to her. Being tied up in a dark room and a whisper in her head. The questioning and feeling of their pulsating cocks inside of her. The realization of her true motives.

 

        A pit grew in her stomach as she remembered the last moments.  [i]I-Is that all I'm out here for? A cheap thrill? [/i]The scene in front of her flowed into the background as she dwelled on her own motivations. She tried to deny it to hold onto her self-respect, but part of her knew it was the truth.

 

        "Desires aren't meant to be shamed," A voice said inside her mind. This time it was a deep, commanding tone that demanded her attention. She looked up to the figure who she assumed the voice was coming from. There was no debate, these had to be the same figures from that dream. That meant that Zecora wasn't lying to her.

 

        "What you seek is power. Unless you are true to yourself, our blessing is worthless to you." The figure's mouth moved along with the words. Daring blinked a couple of times to make sure she wasn't just hallucinating.

 

        "Who... Who are you?"

 

        "We are the guardians, the spirits of our people. We protect the power to control the mind and body. Our task is to make sure only the worthy may hold such a power."

 

        [i]I guess I found what I was looking for.[/i] Daring shot a glance to the piles of bones around her. She definitely wasn't the first one to make it this far. She hoped she had the strength to not end up with the rest of the bones.

 

        "They could not find themselves, so they paid the price for greed." Daring looked back to the spirits. What ever their test was, she had to be the first one to pass it. If not, she took solace in the fact that Gilda might not either.

 

        "If you have your doubts, it is not too late to go back," the spirit in front of her said, motioning to the door.        

 

        Daring took a deep breath and closed her eyes, remembering when Whooves gave her the same out. She looked up and faced the three of them with a new resolve. "No. I'm ready to take your test."

 

        "If you insist." The spirit talking to her knelt down in front of her. He was close enough to make out the features in his face from the swirling dust.

 

        He put his hands on Daring's shoulders again and gently leaned her back. He set her down face up on the stone floor. Even though there wasn't much force behind his push, Daring could feel the immense power in his form. Her legs spread apart and settled on either side of his hips.

 

        She stared up at the ceiling as he caressed her sides and felt across her thighs. Her heartbeat and breathing rate started racing when she realized what he was going to do. She squirmed under his touch, feeling restless at the thought of going through that again. She was sure they noticed her nervousness, but none of them showed it. Luckily only one of them was sizing her up, but she doubted that would last long.

 

        The guardian leaned forward and placed his hands on her wrists, pinning her to the stone floor. She was helpless to do anything but persevere. She could feel his pulsating dick being placed on her groin. She looked up into his stoic face with a nervous blush. She remembered the orgasm they'd given her before, and how painful it ended up being. She could still see the bones out of the corner of her vision, and put two and two together.

 

        Daring tensed her arms and readied herself. This was going to be a test of her willpower. It wasn't a dream now; this test could actually kill her.

 

        The spirit moved his hips and Daring's breath caught in her throat. His length slid down her folds, giving her an idea of how big he actually was. She didn't think he was going to be able to fit, but he started forward anyway. He pushed past her entrance without much effort. Daring questioned how--she wasn't even wet yet--but her thoughts were soon pushed back by the feeling.

 

        She let out a long sigh as he drove most of his length into her. It filled her more than she'd ever felt in her life, radiating the same warm energy through her hips and around the rest of her body. He pulled himself out of her before pumping his hips. Daring couldn’t help but let out a stream of quiet coos each time his cock filled her again.

 

        He gazed into her eyes with the same stoic impression, even as her blush deepened and her resolve started to fade. He stared sharply, right into Daring's soul. She cringed at the barrage of feelings and tried to squirm to a more comfortable position, but his hands locked her wrists down like iron cuffs. Any way she could move only pushed her deeper onto his dick, and making her pleasure grow.

 

        Daring could feel herself grow wet at the continuing assault. With every thrust she could feel her mind slipping away, but she held strong. She grit her teeth and looked into the eyes of the spirit, showing him she wouldn't be beaten so easily. She didn't know how long she could keep this up, though; the longer it went on, the louder her moans became and her control over her body began to falter.

 

        Out of the corner of her eye she could see the other two make their way around to her. They didn't join in yet, but waited on either side of her to do so. Daring could feel her excitement start to spread around her thighs, making them slick and helping the cock inside of her along. The spirit inside of her took a moment to look down; his pace slowed and each stroke wasn't as deep as it had been.

 

        Daring smiled when she realized she was winning. Her endurance had held out so far, and his was starting to wane. She knew they weren't going to make it this easy, but the small victory gave her a cocky grin through her blush.

 

        The spirit released his grip on her wrists and moved his hands to her hips. He leaned back and pulled her up with him, putting Daring on top of him with her legs on either side of his hips again. Daring took the lead and started grinding her hips into his, pushing his cock deep inside of her so he wouldn't get another break. She bucked her hips and struggled to maintain her mindset through her own pleasure. She could hear her own moans start to echo throughout the room, but she grit her teeth between each one to try to keep her resolve.

 

        Before she could feel like she was finally gaining the upper hand, a set of hands laid down on either side of her hips, locking her in place. She could feel the warm presence of another cock brush against her ass. She gasped and bit her lip, waiting for the pain of taking something so big this fast, but her body yielded to him just the same as the first. He pushed inside of her slowly, making sure she felt every inch he had. She let her head droop and let out a long moan. The guardian underneath her began to thrust inside of her as well. The one behind her finally pushed his entire length inside of her, making Daring's eyes open wide at the feeling.

 

        She panted and let out a series of strained moans when they both pumped into her at the same time. Each time they bottomed out inside of her, all Daring could do was whimper and try to fight her imminent orgasm. Her entire lower body succumbed to the warm pleasure they were giving her. She could hardly move her legs; Daring felt herself growing weak and slowly descending into the chest of the guardian under her.

 

        Before her arms gave up on her, another hand brushed through her hair and past her cheek, then lifting her head up from under her chin. She looked up to see the last spirit in front of her, his cock posed at her lips. She could do nothing to protest as he placed a hand on the back of her head and slid his dick past her tongue. All three of them thrusted into her, and the spirit under her placed his hands on her breasts, gently massaging them.

 

        Her muffled moans started to grow distant and her vision began to fade. Her entire world became nothing but pleasure and the feeling of their cocks brushing along her insides. If they weren't holding her up, Daring would have slumped to the floor and become a shivering, moaning mess. She could feel herself coming closer and closer to the edge, her world turning to darkness. Part of her wanted nothing more than to let them fuck her to climax. All her worldly plights were forgotten to the steady pump of the cocks inside of her. She closed her eyes and left her thoughts until she finally went over the edge.

 

        Daring clenched her fists and her eyes shot open. [i]No! Not here![/i] she thought. She could hardly move with all the bodies around her, but she could lift her arms. The only way she could think to beat this challenge was to make them cum before she did. For how far she let herself fall into the mindlessness of pleasure, she didn't have long before her body overpowered her will.

 

        She put a hand underneath her chin to massage the balls of the spirit in her mouth. She pushed deeper until his head bumped against the back of her throat and pulled back to start again. She accentuated every motion with another hand wrapped around his shaft. She felt tears form at the edge of her vision every time she gagged, but pushed on to wear him down. Daring gazed up at him; the normally stoic visage they all shared faltered the longer she went. She let out a few quiet moans around his cock as the two behind her kept their pace.

 

        Finally, the dick in her mouth was pulled out by its owner. Daring didn't let him have a break, though; she ran her hand across his entire length as fast as she could. Both hands worked tirelessly to wear him down. The wet feeling of her saliva across his length helped her to finally bring him to climax. Daring felt him convulse lightly in her hands, and a dark liquid shot out across her face. She closed her eyes and let it drip across her cheeks, but the warm feeling of his essence soon evaporated into a fine smoke before disappearing entirely.

 

        She opened her eyes to see the guardian in front of her fall to nothing but ashes and smoke on the stone floors. [i]One down...[/i]

 

        The spirit between her legs disappeared. Daring could only assume he was catching his breath, since she could still feel his presence in the room. With much more freedom to move around now, the one in her ass pounded into her with much more power. Every stroke pushed it's way deeper inside of her, making her feel weak from the pleasure.

 

        Her arms gave out and she slumped to the floor, feeling her vision blur again. He pulled her hips into him each time, putting more power than she could handle on each thrust. She reached a hand between her legs to caress his balls in a desperate attempt to get the upper hand. She pushed her hips back to help him along, but it only made things worse on her.

 

        The longer it went on, the more he wore Daring down. She couldn't contain her moans any longer; she closed her eyes and moaned freely into the room. He gave no indication of slowing; each thrust was just as powerful as the last. If the other spirit decided to join in now, she'd be done for.

 

        By some stroke of luck, the guardian stopped his pumping. Daring could feel his dick twitch inside of her, and the same hot energy that was spilled on her face was poured into her. Her eyes rolled back and she let out a long moan at the feeling as it burned away inside of her.

 

        She dropped to the cold, stone floor and squirmed. She let soft hums of pleasure at the afterglow of being fucked so hard. Her body desperately wanted to be satisfied, signified by the excess of wetness around her groin and things. Part of her missed the thrill of the pleasure with the promise of death, but she caught her breath and remembered what she was fighting for.

 

        Daring opened her eyes and turned herself over. The last guardian stood waiting to take the final turn ahead of her. She laughed and gave a "come and get me" grin. He obliged her by leaning down and grabbing both of her legs. He spread them apart and dragged her across the floor towards them. She inhaled sharply at being manhandled so easily. The spirit easily lifted her hips of the ground with one hand, leaving her shoulders and head on the floor.

 

        He didn't waste any time. He pushed his massive cock into her as far as it would go and rubbed her clit with his other hand. Daring let out a sharp cry at the sudden pleasure. She tossed her head back and grit her teeth. He wasn't messing around this time. Every subtle movement made Daring edge closer to orgasm. With the position he had her in, there was nothing she could do to force him to cum faster. She could only rely on her waning willpower to overcome the last spirit.

 

        She clenched her fists as he drove into her faster, making her tits bounce. Her eyes rolled back and she let her moans echo through the chamber again. Daring felt her climax come closer and closer with each thrust; she didn't know how much longer she could hold out.

 

        Every wet smack of his hips against hers was torture. It was all she could do to keep from falling back into that pleasure-filled trance. As much as she tried, she couldn't keep her orgasm away for any longer.

 

        Daring opened one eye to look down her body. The beginning of her orgasm was seconds away. Her heart skipped a beat when the spirit pulled out of her and slid his shaft across her folds, letting his essence fly out onto her navel.

 

        Daring arched her back and had the most intense orgasm of her life as the spirit faded. She put both hands over her shuddering slit and closed her legs tightly as she fell back to the floor and convulsed. Her strained moans still had the cry of fear behind them as she shut her eyes tightly. The orgasm went on as the same explosion of electric pleasure for a few seconds, but soon dissipated just as the spirits did.

 

        When Daring finally realized she wasn't dying, she went limp onto the floor and panted, her eyes hazy and senses fading. Sweat poured down across her skin, matting her hair to her face and shoulders. She closed her eyes and smiled. She made it.

 

        "You have proven yourself worthy, traveler," the commanding voice stated, "We grant you the power of an entire civilization. Use it wisely."

 

        Daring lethargically turned herself over. The golden doors ahead of her began to open up to the main chamber.

 

        Daring pushed herself off of the ground up to her knees. The grinding of the gold on the stone floor resounded through the room, and a wave of dust fell through the opening doors. A light shined down through the center of the dust, illuminating a decorative staircase leading to the middle of the main chamber.

 

        Daring brought herself to her feet and was entranced by the powerful golden glow at the top of the staircase; it overpowered even the sun that poured its light from the top of the temple.

 

        She made her way to the staircase, slowly ascending, taking the marvelous sight of the room and it's centerpiece in. Water poured in from statues on the wall, and a large pillar held up the source of power. The stone was gilded with beautiful patterns and the sunshine bolded all of its features.

 

        As Daring made her way up, she had to hold a hand in front of her face at the brightness of the glow. Whatever their source of legendary power was, Daring could feel the untold might through that golden glow. Daring made it to the top and the light subsided. She let her hand fall to finally bask in the sight of the nabinazzi's greatest weapon.

 

        "A dildo?" Daring said in disbelief.

 

        In front of her sat a bright, golden phallus, laid on a slab to show off its full length. Along its smooth length was the occasional bump of a jewel, and at the base were masterfully cut diamonds that served as a hilt.

 

        "Really?" Daring wondered if this was just some big cosmic joke. "I almost get killed four times for some glorified sex toy?!"

 

        Daring blinked a few times to make sure she wasn't making this up. Every time the image of the golden dick stayed the same. Daring sighed, defeated. She didn't come all this way to throw a hissy fit over an ancient cultures choice in power embodiment. She grabbed the jeweled cock and turned to leave.

 

        Before she could make it down the first step, she was frozen in place. It was almost like a shock spreading up from her hand. A golden glow traveled up the markings Zecora had made and left a warm, energized feeling in its wake. She could feel the power coursing through her veins and glowing out of every inch of her body that zecora had marked. Her muscles twitched and her eyes widened. She felt alive. She felt invincible.

 

        The power finished overtaking her body, but the golden glow of her markings remained. Daring looked down to her hand in amazement.

 

        "Woah..." She could feel the forces pumping out of the dildo and into her. It felt alive in her hand. She shook herself out of her stupor and headed back for the door.

 

        She pushed open the door back to the hallway out, where Zecora was meditating in the center. Zecora opened her eyes and smiled.

 

        "Ah, at last you have returned." Zecora's eyes drifted towards Daring's hand. "And what else have you earned?"

 

        "It feels... amazing."

 

        Zecora rose to her feet. "I'm surprised you still stand. Not many can handle such power in their hand."

 

        Daring didn't take her eyes off of her prize. "Why is it...?"

 

        "A phallus? Surely you aren't so callous." Zecora laughed and came closer to Daring. "My people live to fulfill their baser desires. I'm sure you've noticed our traditions, and lack of attire."

 

        Daring thought back to the casual sex in the streets. Now it made more sense. "A society built on sex... Well, it could be worse." [i]At least I'm not being sacrificed... again.[/i]

 

        "Indeed. To my people, sex is an everyday need." Zecora put her hands on her hips. "But I'm sure you don't wish to just sit and talk. I have your things outside; let's take a walk."

 

        Zecora motioned towards the stairs, then the pair made their way back down the hallway to the main platform.

 

        Daring pushed open the entrance and scanned the area for Whooves or any would-be attackers. What she saw made her stop in place. She shook her head and laughed to herself.

 

        A dazed Whooves leaned up against one of the pillars at each corner, a girl at each side. His underwear were very hastily put back on, and Daring could definitely see a few... wet spots on each one of them.

 

        Zecora laughed to herself as one of the warriors handed her a cloak. She said something in their tongue and one of the girls leapt off the stairs.

 

        "Having fun, Turner?" Daring asked, a knowing smile on her face.

 

        "I've changed my mind. We can most definitely stay here," he said with a content look.

 

        "As much fun as that sounds, we need to get out of here as soon as possible." The girl Zecora sent off returned with two bags, and set both of them by Daring. They were the ones they had taken in with them, and were packed with their clothes. Daring quickly grabbed her underwear and attire, not wanting to be exposed for any longer.

 

        Whooves looked down to see Daring getting dressed, then reluctantly rose from between the girls. "Oh, you're never any fun." Whooves looked through his own bag to get his pants out as well.

 

        Daring buttoned her last button, laced up her bootstraps, and put her knife back in her boot. She picked her hat out of the pile and placed it, finishing her look. She let out a breath of relief, without her things, she felt and was quite literally naked.

 

        Whooves began to button up his own shirt with the sharp glow of Daring's marks caught his eye. "It sure looks like you found..." his eyes wandered down her arm until he saw the dildo in her hand. "...something. Is that...?"

 

        "Yes. It's a dildo," Daring stated plainly. "Their ultimate secret weapon is a sex toy."

 

        Whooves looked back to the city, then over to one of the girls that was at his side. She gave him a wink and made her way down the stairs. "Well, it certainly makes sense when you think about it. A lot of the buildings are certainly... phallic, in nature." Whooves' eyes settled on a pair of mushroom-like towers.

 

        "Heh." Daring flicked the dildo across Whooves' arm to catch his attention. "At least it's not--"

 

        Whooves eyes grew wide and both his hands instantly to his groin as he hissed in pain. He leaned over and Daring put her empty hand on his shoulder. "Are you alright?!"

 

        "Agh..." Whooves looked up at her through a cringe. "Maybe after a cold shower," he strained to say.

 

        "What are you talking about?"

 

        Whooves slowly stood up, presenting himself at full-mast. Daring blushed. "Oh."

 

        "You've certainly found something powerful, alright," Whooves said, keeping a constant wince. He didn't look like he was in pain, just severely uncomfortable with his intense arousement. Daring would have chuckled if she could fully wrap her head around the situation.

 

        Daring cleared her throat and turned towards Zecora, leaving Whooves to his new problem. "Zecora. Thank you for your help so far. I wouldn't have been able to do this without you."

 

        Zecora waved her off. "Say no more, Daring Do. To help the guardians find the worthy is what I do."

 

        Daring opened her mouth to respond, but another thought interrupted her. "How do you know my name." Daring never remembered telling her, or many other people around her for that matter.

 

        Zecora laughed and gave her a warm smile. "Oh, I'm sure you've never said, but many of your books I've definitely read. I'm not so secluded as the rest of my race. Your fame is something most of the educated world can embrace."

 

        Daring shrugged. She was bound to run into someone who knew eventually. "Well anyway, we need a way out. I don't think either of us were paying much attention on the way in, so we could use some help."

 

        Zecora nodded. She raised her hand to the road at the end of the staircase. "At the end of this street, you will find the place where the--"

 

        A thunderous explosion sent debris and dust all across the end of the road Zecora was pointing to. The large, stone gate at the end was blown to pieces and sitting in chunks on the street. From out of the dust poured dozens of soldiers in black uniforms. They raised their rifles up every few steps and shot at anything that moved.

 

        The dust began to settle, and Daring spotted her favorite white-haired devil. Gilda walked into the ancient city and looked straight at the temple, and right at Daring.

 

        Daring grit her teeth once she caught sight of her. She could almost see the bloodlust in her eyes from there. She took a step towards Whooves and grabbed him by the collar, pulling him towards her.

 

        "Next time, let me kill her." She pushed Whooves away and started down the steps, the artifact gripped tight in her hand.

 

        "Wha-- Daring! What are you doing?" Whooves started down the stairs after her.

 

        "Saving an empire!" Daring said as she jumped off the stairs and onto a nearby flat, stone roof.

 

        Whooves grunted in frustration and ran down the stairs after her. He stuck to the ground level while Daring began jumping across the rooftops.

 

        Gunfire and shouting echoed throughout the large cavern. The corner where the gate had once been was set alight with the constant flicker of muzzle flashes. Daring could make out several flashes of red ribbon from what she could see of the street. The warriors were fighting back and even taking down some of the soldiers, but were taking loses left and right. They were outmatched for open combat, and the blood spilling out into the street was showing it.

 

        Daring swallowed a pang of guilt as she jumped from rooftop to rooftop. Every shot meant another life might be gone in search of her. She jumped and ran across the stone roofs as fast as she could. Her body surged with energy and a bright golden glow across her marks, keeping the fatigue out of her muscles. She didn't know how to fight with her newfound power, but if it was strong enough to create a legend around, she would soon find out.

 

        Daring skidded to a stop on the top of a house near the gate. She knelt down against the ledge and looked out into the road. Gilda had lost sight of her soon after she left the staircase, and was now pushing her way down the street. The soldiers were making steady forward progress, but the warriors were fast. They leapt out from the shadows and struck at their prey if they got too close to the alleyways, and the ones out in the open were fast enough to leap out of the aim just long enough to take a shot.

 

        Bodies still piled up on both sides. Soldiers stepped over the bloody warriors and trained their rifles on new targets. Gilda shouted orders from the center of the rush of troops, occasionally taking shots with her pistol. Her aim was dead accurate, and fast enough to keep any attacker yards away before she dropped them.

 

        Daring scanned the streets and wracked her brain for the best course of attack. A ladder leaned up on the wall behind her started to shake. She turned around and held the dildo out, ready for a fight.

 

        Whooves crawled over the ledge and onto the roof. He gasped for breath as he rolled over onto the stone. He tried to say something, but ended up just waving instead.

 

        Daring shook her head and looked back to street. Any way she could come at them would be a death-wish, even if she did know how to utilize the power in her hand. If she was going to have any hope in bringing Gilda down, she was going to have to get them off the streets. She looked to the other gate on the opposite side of the cavern. A plan formed inside her head. She crawled over to Whooves and looked down at his panting figure.

 

        "Turner, get to the gate on the other side of town. I'll take care of them, you just get out of here."

 

        "D... Daring," Whooves tried to say through his panting.

 

        "No arguing. Just go. I'll meet you outside when they're taken care of." Daring didn't give him time to respond. She jumped onto the next roof to catch up with Gilda.

 

        The soldiers were starting to group together and firing into the darkness. They weren't taking as many losses, but they were moving slower to scan every side. The warriors had retreated to the shadows to wait for an opening, but each burst of gunfire kept them pinned.

 

        Daring stood to her full height overlooking Gilda. She stuck two fingers in her mouth and whistled as loud as she could.

 

        "Hey featherbrain! Looking for this?" She waved the golden dildo in the air with her best "come and get me" grin. Her heart was racing being this close to her again, but the thrill of the chase called out to her.

 

        Gilda snapped her sight towards Daring and seethed with rage. Dried blood and the start of some fierce bruises only made her look more menacing, Gilda tensed and brought her pistol up and let a shot off. Daring ducked down just fast enough to hear it pass over her head. She took off down the row of roofs yet again. Daring let out her best condescending laugh. "You're gonna have to catch me first!"

 

        "After her!" Gilda yelled. "Aim for the legs! I want her alive!"

 

        Daring could hear them start to scramble up the side of the buildings. She looked back to make sure she had a couple more seconds. She got a headstart of almost fifty yards before the first soldier stood up and took aim at her. Before he could get a shot off, Daring jumped through the gaps in the buildings and landed with a roll onto the stone alleyways below.

 

        She ran to her left and cut back through the next alley. A sharp crack of a body hitting the ground and the rolling up of fabric resounded between some of the buildings ahead of her. Gilda's reckless bloodlust was putting her troops at a disadvantage.

        

        The power glowed through her markings as two soldiers rounded a corner in front of her. They raised their weapons towards her and she raised her hand in front of her out of instinct. With no other place to go, Daring closed her eyes and hoped they missed.

 

        Agonized groans emanated from the road ahead of her. Daring opened her eyes to see the two soldiers on the ground moaning in pain and the dildo in her hand glowing brightly. Daring straightened up her posture and smiled at her hand. She tossed it in the air a couple of times, thinking over her new power.

 

        "Don't let her get away!" Gilda yelled from behind her. Daring snapped back to attention and jumped into a gap between the buildings to get out of the volley they'd just fired into the walls around her. Out in front of her was another main street, but it was the only other way to go. She ran as fast as she could towards it, the frantic sound of her boots on the stone the only thing that interrupted the gunfire and shouts coming from between the buildings behind her. From the sound of it, the gunfire was dwindling down to a few men, and the slams and whips of fabric were becoming more apparent.

 

        She shot out from in between the buildings and skidded to a stop to take cover behind the walls next to the alleyway. The footsteps grew closer by the second as she tensed her hand around her weapon, waiting to strike. She counted out at least a dozen sets of boots stomping across the stone floors.

 

        The first few soldiers rounded the corner and fanned out to see where she'd gone. One of them caught her gaze for just long enough to see her raise her arm. A golden flash illuminated the street and all the soldiers in front of Daring dropped their weapons and crumbled to the ground. Daring thought back to when she'd touched Whooves with it, and how all of the soldiers were desperately clutching at their crotches. She'd have laughed if her life wasn't in danger.

 

        Gilda rounded the corner last. She looked around her fallen comrades perplexed. She spun around to face Daring long enough to get a glimpse of the golden glow herself. Daring tensed and let the flash overtake her. She let a smug smirk cross her face as her vision started to return. It quickly fell off once she saw what she'd done.

 

        Nothing. Gilda was still standing in front of her, completely unharmed. Daring's eyes widened when she realized it didn't work. Gilda brought her pistol up and Daring ducked down. A shot whizzed over her head as she put her off-hand on her boot, and slung the knife out of it as quickly as her reflexes allowed.

 

        Gilda brought her gun down for another shot. Daring's knife caught her across her shoulder. Gilda let out a yelp of pain and the recoil from her gun jolted it out of her hand and out of reach as her shoulder dropped. The bullet cut through Daring's arm, making her fall to the ground and drop the dildo in front of her.

 

        Both the girls grabbed at their wounds. They looked to each other then down at the artifact sliding to a stop between them. They looked back to each other again before they both jumped for it, arms outstretched.

 

        Daring had no idea what happened next. The same golden flash of light illuminated her entire vision, but this time she felt herself being pushed away instead of the power rushing into her. The explosion of ancient power enveloped all of her senses for a few seconds. She was thrown back in an instant, and rolled to a stop several yards away onto her back.

 

        Daring groaned and tried to blink the haze out of her eyes. She leaned up on her elbow and looked over herself. Her entire body ached, but every inch of her marked skin was set ablaze with a golden glow. A shimmer caught her eye, so she gazed out into the street ahead of her.

 

        Gilda's skin was lit up brightly with the same golden lines.

 

        "W-What the..." Daring snapped back to reality when she realized what bounced to a stop between them. As soon as Gilda could look up, her eyes shot to the same thing. Daring used all of her remaining strength to jolt forward and scramble for the artifact. Out of the corner of her vision, she could see Gilda do the same.

 

        A fist caught Daring right in the cheek, throwing her backwards onto the road once again. Gilda didn't seem interested in a struggle over the golden dildo. She stood up to her full height and looked down at Daring with that familiar sadistic grin.

 

        Daring could feel blood pour into her mouth from the blow. Her vision was hazed over as her senses tried to return to her. She could vaguely hear Gilda's soft laughter, and see her reach behind her back. Gilda yanked out a combat knife from its sheath, then took a hard step towards Daring.

 

        Daring barely had time to bring her hands up once Gilda brought the knife down on her. It bounced off of her collarbone before she could push back against it, leaving a deep, bleeding gash. Daring put both hands on Gilda's wrist and pushed with all she could muster. Even with her best attempt, Gilda was still making a steady downward progress towards her. With all of her weight behind her, Gilda was much stronger than she was.

 

        "Just give up. This can be as quick as you want it to be," Gilda said with a happy, condescending tone.

        

        Daring grunted and tried to throw her off in response, but to no avail. It only served to wear her out quicker. She could feel her muscles start to give out. The point grazed against her ribs before it slipped between them. Daring let out a scream and a sudden burst of adrenaline helped her to slow the knife's descent, but the wound it carved only got deeper by the second.

 

        Daring looked up into Gilda's bright golden eyes, looking for some sign of mercy. A light green aura surrounded her for a moment. Her eyes faded from yellow to green, then her expression softened as she slumped onto Daring. The sudden shift of weight forced the knife to the side, tearing a bigger gash as it shifted out of her. Daring grit her teeth and shoved Gilda off of her. She grabbed at her chest, trying to stop the flow of blood, but the gash was too deep. Blood stained all across her chest and flowed through her shirt as the wound bled.

 

        She shut her eyes tightly to try to deal with the pain. She didn't think her lung had been punctured, but couldn't completely tell in her present state.

 

        A set of footsteps rushed past her, then back over to her. She opened one eye to see Zecora, hunched over her, looking across her body with a worried expression.

 

        "Daring, we must hurry. Through this place soldiers still scurry."

 

        Daring only let out a pained grunt in response. She tried to put as much pressure on her wound as possible, but blood still pulsed through her fingers. Daring didn't know how far she'd get like this.

 

        Zecora took matters into her own hands and grabbed Daring's arm. She pulled her up to her feet and put Daring's right arm over her shoulder and walked towards the exit. Daring yelped when she jerked her up, then grit her teeth to try to bring herself back to her senses.

 

        Daring spared a glance behind her, where Gilda still laid limp. "Where's the--"

 

        "It is with me. Let us find safety and you will see."

 

        Every step was a sore limp for Daring. Getting thrown around and nearly stabbed to death had taken the energy out of her. Her joints ached with every step and she fought to stay awake. In the distance she could still hear gunshots and shouting. The number increased suddenly. Daring could only guess Gilda had back-up waiting to come through.

 

        Zecora, nearly dragging her, finally reached the gate. Two of the Nabinazzi warriors held the giant stone doors open for them, then quickly shut it behind them once they came through.

 

        The cave was dark ahead of them. Only the faint glimmer of water flowing around the walls caught Daring's vision. She felt Zecora's support leave her for a moment. She blinked a few times and held her hand tightly to her chest. The stabbing pain that covered her shirt in blood still demanded most of her attention, but she felt she could stand.

 

        The strike of a torch coming to life sounded behind her, and the cave lit up with it's orange glow.

 

        She saw Whooves' face light up at the sight of her. He took a step towards her, but stopped when he saw the grimace on Daring's face.

 

        "Daring, are you a--" he stopped when his eyes trailed down the bloodstains marking her shirt. He quickly leaned down in front of her to look her over. "W-what happened?"

 

        Daring opened her eyes and looked at him, then into the cave behind him. "I'll be fine. We need to hurry," she said with pained gasps.

 

        Daring looked back to Zecora. She got the message and responded with a quick nod. She said something in her tongue to the warriors behind her, then the three of them started forward.

 

        Trying to mask her pain, Daring took a couple of steps into the cavern as well. Whooves' face was plastered with concern. He put a hand on her shoulder to stop her. "Daring, you aren't going to make it like this. We need to--"

 

        Daring jerked out of his grasp, but in the process brought herself down to one knee. "There's no..." Daring sighed and unsteadily brought herself back up to her feet. "There's no time. We need to get out of here."

 

        Whooves shook his head. Zecora and the other girls had stopped a few steps ahead of them and looked back on the scene. By their expressions, they agreed with Whooves; but he knew Daring wouldn't cave so easily.

 

        Whooves forced himself under Daring's arm and supported her. Daring let out a quiet grunt of pain, but didn't put up any resistance. "Fine, but at least let me help you."

 

        With Whooves' help, they all moved deeper into the cave, a lone torch lighting the high ceilings on their way.

 

        "You can be so frustrating sometimes, you know that?" Whooves said.

 

        Daring let out a smile in response, but didn't say anything. She wanted to go on about how important this was, and how they couldn't afford to stop now, but she didn't feel like trying to talk anymore. She resigned to focus solely on walking, and get everything else taken care of once they were out of this cave, or at least a good distance away from Gilda.

 

        It didn't seem to matter how hard she held her hand against the wound; more blood seemed to flow around her fingers by the minute. [i]It was my fault for getting so cocky. I should've just ran,[/i] she thought.

 

        The sound of falling water and the howl of wind through the caved entered Daring's ears as they stepped into a bigger chamber of the cave. A hole fifty feet above them let light into the cavern, and made Daring snap back to attention.

 

        She didn't have time to be taking anymore chances. She had to plan ahead now. "Zecora," she called out weakly.

 

        Zecora stopped and looked back. "Yes?"

 

        "The artifact... give it to him..." Daring said, motioning her head towards Whooves.

 

        Whooves jerked back, surprised. "What? Daring, I--"

 

        Zecora interrupted. "You should respect the decisions of your friend. The dangers following us are not pretend."

 

        Whooves stammered. "But I can't--"

 

        "As long as you're not in direct contact, you will be fine. In your hands, it will be much harder to find."

 

        Whooves looked down at Daring. She looked back up towards him, giving him a stern nod. Whooves knew better than to refuse. Daring had made up her mind, and this is what she thought was best. Whooves pulled Daring up on his shoulder, then let Zecora place the dildo in his bag. Once she had zipped it back up, she continued on the path out of the cave.

 

        "Come, we are not far from the exit," Zecora said.

 

        Whooves kept giving Daring worried glances on the way, but didn't say anything. She wanted to make a joke and try to lighten the mood, but every time she tried to speak, her vision would fade. Daring didn't know if she was going to make it all the way back to town, but she had made it this far, and was determined to at least see her spoils out of this country.

 

        Finally, sunlight poured through a hole ahead of them, and Daring took a couple of deep breaths to try to come back into focus. They all walked out into the sparse sunlight of the jungle, then stopped. She could feel Whooves turn around, then looked up to see Zecora and the warriors standing in front of the cave, facing them.

 

        "We shall remain here to cover your escape. You should hurry, Daring looks to be in quite poor shape," Zecora said.

 

        "I'll hurry back to town as quickly as I can. With all of them down there, we should be able to get out of here without too much trouble. Thank you, Zecora, for all your help," Whooves said, turning back towards the south. Daring wanted to thank Zecora herself, but they were already too far away. She felt a twinge of guilt when she thought of how much trouble she had put Zecora and her people through, but it was quickly pushed down by the lingering pain.

 

        Daring was sure she had passed out once or twice. Each time, Whooves had shaken her when he had realized it. Daring felt she was fading fast, and now seriously questioned how far she was actually going to get.

 

        Whooves must've realized it too. He let Daring down to her knees and held her up. "Now, I'm going to try and wrap that up. Stay awake, and no complaining."

 

        Daring tried to say something, but it just came out as a low moan. She took a deep breath and tried again. "Just go..."

 

        Whooves ignored her and unbuttoned her shirt. He gently moved her hand and pulled her shirt off of her, then took his canteen out to pour water over the wound. Daring yelped and shut her eyes tightly at the feeling. "Shhh. You're alright," Whooves whispered to her. He took his backpack off and pulled out some bandages. He placed gauze on the wound and wrapped them around her chest a few times. Once he was done, he put his canteen to her lips and made her drink the rest of it.

 

        "There. We'll see you home yet," he said.

 

        Daring could still feel herself drifting away, but now the pain wasn't as bad. She took another deep breath and struggled to look up at Whooves. "More important..."

 

        Whooves rolled his eyes. "Oh, hush. Now let's get you up."

 

        Whooves started to put his arm around Daring again. A gunshot rang out through the forest and Whooves jerked away from her. Daring fell forward and held herself up with a hand on her knee. The shot woke her up enough to look up to Whooves and see if he had been hurt. Instead, he looked towards Daring with a terrified expression.

 

        "No..." he said quietly, looking at Daring's abdomen. Something warm flowed across her pants and around her hand. She looked down to see a gaping red wound right next to her bellybutton.

 

        Daring looked Whooves right in the eye. Everything she could have said to convince him fell into one word: "Run."

 

        Whooves hesitated, but another gunshot whizzed past him. He jerked down, then reluctantly turned and sprinted off into the woods.

 

        Everything felt heavy to Daring. She could hardly hold her self up anymore. The whole world hazed over, until she felt a boot on her chest forcing her into the ground onto her back.

 

        "What, no witty comment? No climactic escape?" Daring's vision focused in enough to see that familiar white hair, and that malicious smile. "I'm going to have fun with you," Gilda said.

 

        Gilda lifted her boot off of Daring's chest, then buried the sole right into her temple, turning Daring's world to darkness.