Hope's Refraction

Zakiyya frowns momentarily at Scales and Rough before writing out two questions. Are we even in the same place anymore? Can anyone read what is inscribed on the statue?

"Might not matter anyway. This place looks like a dump," Scales muttered. Looking around, all she could see were flowers growing in the cracks of the stones and the golden statue-

She suddenly stopped, cocking her head. Her feathers ruffled a little.
She took a trot towards the statue, peering over it.

It was too large to carry, but it was a little odd that no one had even tried. The rest of the room was thoroughly looted, and even she had been debating whether or not to break off a golden limb or two as a keepsake. She lifted a hoof, and tapped a short beat on the statues surface, her ears primed.

There wasn't much of an echo, so it wasn't hollow. Maybe it was gold leaf- but no. Scales could see signs of ageing here and there, enough to confirm it wasn't some lesser metal coated in gold. A solid gold statue? This well preserved? And something niggled on the edge of her mind, a taste, a buzz in the air that was strangely familiar...

She gasped sharply. "Dragons hoard," she whispered. No wonder it took her so long to realise; the feeling was almost as familiar to her as breathing. It had taken a while to get used to the absence of the magic when in Canterlot, but here...

It permeated everything. Not just the statue- the broken flagstones, the inscriptions on the wall. That magic that dragons had to keep their hoard shiny and valuable, even if they were sleeping on it. It soaked into everything in the room, preserving it...
With that spell, this room shouldn't have been such a mess as it was. Unless it was supposed to look like it had been tossed.

"Uh...okay, I think we should get moving now, Scales said more loudly, trying to make her voice sound as calm- well, okay, as boisterous- as usual. She took a step, looking around the room, and...

...
Did those flowers move? She suddenly had an unpleasant, uncomfortable feeling that they were watching her...

Spoiler:

"Hmm? That bad, huh...?" Shadow looked at Scales, trying to follow her gaze unsuccessfully before looking for a way out. Maybe they could cut through some of the vines and make a hole? She didn't know what, precisely, the pegasus had noticed, but if it was bad enough that she changed tactics from 'loot everything' to 'we need to run,' it had to be pretty nasty.

The Cowpone just follows everyone else's lead and looks for an exit asap to get out of here fast!

go fast!:

The only visible exit that's big enough for you to use is a large open doorway in front the statue, however the entire thing is covered in flowered vines that hang down, though it should be easy enough to move them out of the way.

As the 'cowpony' starts to move towards said exit, the flowers on the vines seem to swivel around so that they are facing her, The vines themselves starting to slowly move to a silent wind.

"Ok... Hey, you plants... My gut's telling me you goin' to try and attack us if we try to move you. All we'd like is just to leave... Please?" Diamond asked of the plants as she walked closer and closer and touched them, getting ready try and hogtie these plants if they seem to be hostile to the team's goal of leaving this place.

Shadow moved briefly to follow Rough, but paused, watching the vines. "Did those things just move? Because if so, I don't think leaving's as easy as pushing things aside. Hey, spider! Don't suppose you can see through them to the other side?" She asked, considering their options. If they were moving to obscure the team's view...Perhaps Storm could push them aside, or...Hmm. Maybe she was overthinking it and they were just reacting to nearby movement. Possibly predatory, but nothing they couldn't handle. She highly doubted this team was put together on a simple whim, after all. Well, one way to test this theory...She attempted to levitate up a bit of broken flagstone to prod at one of the vines, having enough common sense to avoid touching it directly while she was attempting to tell what it was up to.

The flower nods happily at you, letting out a sort of...purr like sound as you touch it before moving aside and letting you pass.

Outside the building is what appears to be a large forest, trees in every direction.

"Thank you kindly catvines..." The Spiderling that was masked itself as an earth pony said giving it a kind patting to the plant as she exited. "Just don't attack the plant and they're a non-issue. This way seems to lead outside! There's a huge forest out here... Wow... Trees everywhere... I was half-expecting to see a wasteland."

"Weird...Alright, whatever..." Shadow stepped out, quickly moving away from Rough and glancing about. "I was kind of hoping there'd be a village or something nearby...We need to get a feel for what we're getting outselves into." She sighed softly, thinking quickly. Maybe one of the fliers could pop up for a look around?

"Wonder if there's any Pheonix eggs nearby," Scales muttered, licking her lips. She was starting to regret not snatching some gems from the buffet table.

As Shadow, diamond and Storm exit the temple into the woods there behinds are overcome by a tingling sensation. While for storm the reason is clear, there is a ‘cutie mark’ etching its way onto his scales.

While not outwardly obvious the same is happening to the shadow and diamonds ‘true’ forms.

"Oh, c'mon Storm! I'm not saying we should smash them for fun or anything, I'm just getting hungry is all!"

The dragon-pony frowned, snorting a little. She wasn't bad for wanting something to eat, was she?

"Yeah... And if the eggs were like abounded or something... I equally don't get what the problem is. Seems like basic Predator/Prey interactions to me." The Spiderling comments unsure what it was she was feeling. "Which is what you two dragons, are... To phoenixes... Right?"

"You're not the only one getting hungry, I-...Hmm? What...?" Shadow's eyes narrowed for a moment, and she turned to look behind her...When the tingling didn't immediately abate, she whirled again, repeating until the odd feeling passed. "Did I brush up against something...? That was...Strange. Very strange." She supposed maybe it was just her imagination playing tricks on her...

"But... Basically a smart Predator hunts to attack the ill & the weak of prey because those are easier to get... Which at times, is a needed advantage for a smart Predator." Diamond retorts enjoying this civil chat with the Dragon so far. "By the way, anyone else felt some odd type of branding tingle?"

"Like I said, it's not like I'm going to just smash them for fun or anything. If I had gems, I'd munch on those instead- eggs kind of taste funny." She'd always assumed that part was because of her pony body, at least until she got to Canterlot. True, most ponies are -ew- grass, but she'd heard about rearing chickens, and why would they do that if they didn't eat the eggs?

She felt inordinately happy at realising her slight distaste for eggs was entirely a personal thing, rather than a pony thing.

"Besides Storm, she added, puffing out her chest a little, "it's not like much has got a chance against a full grown dragon anyway. We're awesome like that."[/color][/color]

Zakiyya gentally prods Milky Way before following the others out of the ruin and into the forest.

"Regardless, we'll see how long that hunter's pride lasts if we don't get moving. Can one of you with wings fly up and take a look around, see if you see any clearings, the forest's edge, signs of civilization, something? I'd do it myself, but I can't fly like this, and I'd rather not cause trouble less than an hour into being here." Shadow trotted a short distance away, observing their surroundings a little more carefully and wracking her brain for anything that might possibly be useful...This world...At least seemed to have the same basic principles behind its operation...Right?

Knowledge: Nature checks:

Scales grunted, almost as if reluctant to agree... but the bug pony had a point. She glanced at Storm- he was probably the better flier of the pair, but- she was proud to say- she was the better hunter... in her mind if nothing else.

She stretched her wings, took a running start, and jumped- awkwardly- into the air, swerving to avoid the trees and branches. She beat her wings, pushing herself as high as she could to look around.

Spoiler:

Milky Way silently follows the others out of the temple, catching a glimpse of Storm's flank and doing a double-take. "Uh.... since when did dragons have Cutie Marks?"

((It is noticeable, right?))