Gaith stood inside the entrance of the sunken stone hall, her hooves firm on the cool masonry. It was a warm and pleasant day behind her, and she had finally mustered the courage to attempt a dungeon dive. Soft green mosses crept between the cobble and up the damp walls. The air wafting out of the dark smelled of must, heavy and stagnant with age. There was an ammoniacal scent that stung her nose as she breathed in. Gaith paused for several moments, second guessing the choices that lead her to this dank hole in the earth, and ultimately decided to take another step further. Today was about proving to herself that she was ready for anything that lay ahead, and she couldn’t quit this early, even if it really did remind her of the manure pile at high noon on a humid summer day.

Gaith pushed forward, the shadows enveloping her muscled body as the world outside vanished in her mind. The corridor was narrow, the stone walls rough and wet, and she scraped her sides as she gently stepped past. The ends of her curly, unkempt tail caught on a bit of rotting wood and she swished it away. Most of the entrance she squeezed through earlier had been collapsed by centuries of erosion, and getting to this “walkable” inner path was not an easy feat. She moved carefully, her head low, sharp eyes scanning every corner. Her ears pricked forward and strained to listen - there were strange sounds echoing from deeper within. 

She shivered and twitched her mane as the air suddenly grew much colder. She was approaching the end of the corridor, which opened up to a lofty chamber. The smell was so much worse here, it felt as if the air was violently stabbing at her sinuses. Gaith’s eyes watered as she gagged and coughed. A cacophonous rustling came from above suddenly, and she froze mid-step. Peering up, her gaze caught the dark shapes that clung to the high ceilings. And there they were. Bats. Hundreds of them. Disturbed by her, honestly quite rude, intrusion on their sleep. Gaith’s muscles tensed, her eyes still stinging, but her mind remained calm. She needed to stay composed, as the last thing she wanted was a good thrashing from a thousands-strong bat colony.

The little beasts continued to stir as she took another step forward, and accidentally sent a small stone skittering in front of her. Gaith tried not to flinch. The bats shifted, many tiny sets of eyes blinking open. They were becoming restless and a few dropped from their roosts to find a quieter spot. One bat dove low, flapping close to her ears, but Gaith simply flicked her head to the side to avoid it, changing her focus to the far side of the room. She kept her head low and her movements deliberate, each long stride bringing her closer to the end of the cavern.

Finally, she reached the end and exited into another passage. Gaith exhaled, immensely relieved, but a bit queasy from the horrific odor. She’d never forget that smell for the rest of her years. With a final glance at the bat cave, Gaith beamed inside, proud of her composure, and decided she’d be ready for whatever else lay ahead.