SkyPhazer wrote:The Everfree Forest:
A strange and mysterious forest outside of Ponyville, this place is notorious for its strange and supernatural creatures.
Not much is known about The Everfree Forest, except for one thing. Many Ponies go in. Few return.
MagusZeal wrote:Deep in the mountainous reaches of the Everfree Forest a messenger bag suddenly pops into existence before falling to the ground. Striking the ground hard the bag begins to shift and shuffle as several dozen creatures inside it begin to struggle against it's stitching. For nearly a minute the creatures struggle against the bags clasp before it gives sending several dozen colorful parasprites soaring into the skies over the forest region.
For nearly six minutes nothing else happens as a cool breeze blows across the region. Than a black translucent box appears, the box lasts only a moment before shattering into a thousand pieces. Free once again several thousand parasprites take to the air traveling in every direction while the shards of the box itself dissolve away to nothing save one. Falling to the ground it lands atop the forgotten bag, before it too dissolves into nothingness. Of the bag that once rested beneath it there is no sign.
DistractedPony wrote:"Haha, we've made it to the forest boys. Ain't no one going to track us down now." The buffalo said to his comrades, two griffons. They cheered back, then stopped at a howl in the distance.
"Uh, boss, ya know, this place is actually kinda creepy when you stop and look at it." said the first griffon.
"It's... alright, we'll be fine." He replied.
Deserters to the Draconic Alliance, they had fled after massively screwing up a mission.
"I'm so hungry, I could eat a pony!" chuckled the first griffon.
Out of the grass next to the griffon slithered a snake. Its patterns seemed to shift as it slithered along.
"Oh hey, lunch."
"No don't!" yelled the second griffon. "I've heard of those snakes, their venom is like fire that races through your veins. Within moments of being bitten, you'll be a screaming wreck writhing on the ground!"
"Eep!" The first griffon froze, as the snake continued on, moving into the bushes.
"Well at least we don't have to worry about the dragon's reaching us here." Said the Buffalo.
"Don’t be so sure." A voice came from on top of a large rocky outcrop.
All three turned in fear, to find a sickly looking griffon sitting there. Her feathers were a mess, ruffled and stained, her fur was matted and had a sickly tint to it and her body was riddled in small sores and scars.
"Haha, push off ya mangy mutt!" the buffalo bellowed. "You must be some sorta chicken, cause you look fowl."
The two minions joined their boss in laughter.
The sickly griffon chuckled. "Nice one, very clever."
"Yeah, now go away, I don't have time for some stupid fool."
"If you don't come quietly, you're going to end up looking worse than I do. You should surrender." She replied. Sighing at his determined look, she lifted her right foreleg, a bottle strapped to it. Pulling out it's cork she started chugging down.
"Oh push off before I break you girl." The buffalo shook his hoof at her.
The first of the two griffons gasped. "B... boss, that claw of her's is metal." He pointed to her claw, visible next to the bottle she was chugging on.
"So?"
"I've heard of her, the sickly griffon with the metal talons, Kre. She's one of the dragon's head hunters, and supposedly dangerous. She's failed only once and has brought in a lot of big names."
"Wha-what!" the boss said.
She lowered the bottle, and let out a contented sigh. Corking it, she then leapt down to land in front of them.
"Now you better put these shackles on or...", suddenly she hunched over and started puking in the bushes.
The three looked at one another in surprise.
Righting herself, she wiped her mouth with an arm, then swayed slightly. "Oh wow, I'm soo drunk."
The three looked at one another again, then the boss nodded.
Suddenly the first griffon dived at her, roaring. She blinked at him. He collided with her sending them both tumbling to land in front of the large rock outcrop. Ending on top, he grinned down at her then started punching.
The other two laughed.
Suddenly her arm shot up, the metal claw sinking into his chest. He gasped, then staggered back. She rose slowly, blood trickling down her face from a deep gash.
"Geez, that hurt. You should be nice to a lady." She smirked at him, as a small piece of her beak fell off, leaving her grin chipped.
The first griffon collapsed from his injury.
Letting out a mighty battle roar the buffalo charged, slamming into her and then into the large rock behind. A dull thudding crack sounded out, as, around where she'd been smashed into it, the rock outcrop now had a ring of cracks. She slid slowly down to the ground.
The boss snorted.
She stood up swaying strongly. "Anyone get the number of that train?"
Her vision now blurred, she coughed up blood. She staggered next to the buffalo, and peered up at him out a half closed eye.
He gritted his teeth in anger and raised his hoof. She made a small jab to his chest, talons raking into his body. He gasped as his lung was punctured, raised hoof falling to cradle his chest. Taking the moment, she punched him in the throat. He collapsed, out cold.
She hiccupped, then turned to the last griffon, blood streaming down her face. "Do I have to subdue you too?"
He raised his arms and waved them emphatically. "No-no. I cede!"
She stumbled towards him, then heard a hiss as a startled snake struck out of the bushes biting her. It slithered off, pattern shifting.
"HA! Now you’re dead!" yelled the second griffon. "Any second now and you'll collapse in pain."
She stared down at the bite, a fiery pain shooting up her leg.
He grinned at her, then clicked his talons. "Aaand colapse!"
She stared at him.
"Er...", he clicked his talons again. "And collapse?"
She shook her head. "Seems I'm not destined to die today." She grabbed the shackles from her belt and threw them at his feet. "Put these on the other two and then shackle yourself. I need to go pee."
She walked off into the bushes, tilting to the side. Disappearing, she then popped back out again. "Oh, and don't make me have to chase you down, I really don't want to be bothered."
He stared at her as she vanished, then turned and looked at the shackles. Slowly he reached down and picked them up, then looked over at his comrades. He sighed.
OOC: And off to Dragons Keep
odarien wrote:Xiania trots through the tangled woods humming to herself a cheerful tune. {Such a nice day for a walk, picking herbs and other ingredients.} She looks left then right diving off the path her robe whipping in the wind as a large swarm of parasprites shoot past. {Parasprites? well that's no good at all they'll hog all the good herbs!} she huffs slightly but smiles. {have to work faster then!} she dives back into the path and trots down it looking for what she desired. She stops noticing a cluster of purple berries just to the side. Trotting closer she examines them and nibbles on one of the leafs. "Ah yes Xiania thinks this is the right plant for my potion hmm?" she giggles and begins to pull leaves off the bush storing them in her many pockets. "Now all Xiania needs is some good fortune and perhaps she will find what she seeks." she muses to herself looking around the forest. "After all Xiania's client was very specific about that strength potion..." She giggles and takes off deeper into the woods. {Though I do have to wonder if there will be any luck finding timberwolf fangs, after all they only like to show up around a specific time of year} she shrugs and continues to wander around. {But the cards say Fortune smiles on Xiania today so perhaps she'll catch one unaware.}
einsUNDcolt wrote:Blitz landed in the Everfree. He wasn't very far in and the tree cover was already thick. He looked at his map and looked around. Yep, he was lost.
"Ist...nein. Nicht gut." He mumbled to himself.
odarien wrote:Xiania looks around the forest. "Xiania cannot help but feel a little lost." she muses to herself. She shakes her head and chuckles "Lost she may be but that means for chance for finding something surprising." She begins to wander around some more. She hears the rustling of brush nearby. Her ears perk up and she head's in the direction of the sound.
Poking her striped head out from a bush she spots a pegasus checking a map. Smiling to herself she fully emerges from the bush. "Xiania gives her greetings and she is curious as to why a pegasus is lost in these woods." she doesn't wait for a response and trots up the him starting to circle around examining the stallion closely. "Xiania see's that you are quite lost perhaps Xiania can help after all she is very nice stranger or no."
einsUNDcolt wrote:Blitz watched the zebra circle him.
"I vould like to ask ze if ze knows vere I am?" Blitz asked the zebra mare. "I have za map vith me, but I don't know vere Ich bin?" He held out the map for the zebra to see.
odarien wrote:Looks at the map for a few seconds before looking back at blitz. "Oh ah well, Xiania thinks." she blinks "Xiania can't read A map without landmarks around here." she shrugs. "So we are both lost then!" she smiles widely at the stallion. "You know Xiania finds it hard to understand you through that thick accent, though she doesn't mind if you keep using it." she looks around the area. "Xiania is curious as to if you have seen any timberwolves or their fangs."
einsUNDcolt wrote:"I cannot change za vay I talk." Blitz looked around. "I do believe I haven't seen any of zez uh, Timbervolves nor zer teeth. Do ze at least know how to get zus out of here?"
Blitz didn't like the sound of the Timberwolves. He was a little scared of the them even thought he has yet to see one. The way the zebra refered to herself in the third person had him questioning her sanity.
odarien wrote:Xiania tips her head to the side. "Xiania did say she was lost too. But that is of no concern to her." she smiles again at the pegasus as she starts to root through her robe. "Xiania has juuuuust the thing to help us find our way." after a few minutes she pulls out a small brown sack. "Behold! our means of finding direction!" she shakes the bag and it makes a rattling sound and she does a quick chant under her breath before dumping the contents onto the forest floor. A small pile of tiny bones fall to the ground and she starts to examine the way the fell closely. "Hmmm Xiania finds this result interesting."
einsUNDcolt wrote:Blitz was very confused. He had heard of using bones as a sort of guide, but he had never seen it before. The way the zebra acted as she looked at the bones concerned Blitz. He took a peek at the bones but found nothing to tell what they ment.
"Vas ist das?" He asked in his native tongue.
OOC: It means 'What is that?"
odarien wrote:Waves her hoof dismissively. "Oh it's nothing really the bones tell Xiania some things but not the way out, they can be very picky." she shrugs and scoops them quickly back into the bag. "So then Xiania thinks that we should try to find our own way out...Xiania is also curious as to why a pegasus is lost inside the everfree, she finds it odd why you didn't just fly over."
einsUNDcolt wrote:"I hast a job to do here. I could fly up und have a look around. But I need to find ver I need to investigate. I could grab hold of sie und fly sie up and let sie look around. See if sie notice any landmarks."
Blitz didn't really like carrying ponies, or zebras, anywhere, it hurts his arms. He'd be willing to do it if he could get to where he need to be.
odarien wrote:Blinks a few times and tips her head mouthing out what was just said. "Xiania would love to fly are you sure you willing to carry Xiania so? It would be rough on your wings." she suddenly smiles. "Xiania knew something like this might happen!" trots right next to the stallion. "Xiania is ready whenever you are."
einsUNDcolt wrote:Blitz hovered off the ground and grabbed the zebra under her arms, not caring how she knew that something like this would happen. He held on to her tightly as he ascended. She was right, the extra weight did put strane on his wings, but nothing he couldn't manage. The two of them rose above the tree tops, giving them a magnificent view.
"Do ze see anything?" He called down to Xiania.
odarien wrote:Xiania gasps as she is lifted into the air and she proceeds to look around. "Xiania see's a rock formation over there that was on the map...and she spots a clearing over there..." she looks up at the pegasus. "Xiania thinks she can navigate with the map now, if you let her see it."
einsUNDcolt wrote:Blitz nodded then lowered them back down to the forest floor. He took the map out of his saddle bag and handed it to Xiania.
"I hope ze knows ver to go." Blitz chuckled. "I am lost like a puppy, und I cannot return a failure."
odarien wrote:Xiania nods a few times and looks at the map. "Xiania is sure she can find where you need to go, but where do you need to go Xiania is curious about." she looks up from the map her eyes filled with curiosity. "Xiania is extremely curious as to what your destination is. She would love to know." She pulls out a small vial and drinks from it carefully. "Xiania will understand if you do not wish to speak to her about it."
einsUNDcolt wrote:Blitz scratched his head, unsure if he even understood his orders.
"I need to find ver a squad of soldiers may have been ambushed, some ver near za rock clearing on ze map. Zen I need to go to za clearing and find out if zer ist any presance of DA in za area."
He wasn't sure if he should be telling anyone this. He didn't know this zebra or to whom she swore her allegiances to.
odarien wrote:Xiania's ear twitches and she turns to the pegasus. "Hunting for DA you say? well that is good, Xiania hopes that the squad is fine." she blinks and looks at the map. "Xiania is a peacekeeper herself, If moreso then before Xiania is willing to lend her aid." She smiles and rolls up the map. "It is that way." she points off in a seemingly random direction. "Xiania will lead the way, try to keep up with her." She immediately bounds off to exit the clearing her rope fluttering behind her.
einsUNDcolt wrote:To say that the zebra confused and interested Blitz would be an understatement. The way she was always talking in the third person was a little disconcerning. He shrugged and followed the zebra, tring hard not to look at her flank, but failing many times.
Dummkopf. He thought to himself everytime his gaze wandered. He ended up smiling to himself more often than not.
odarien wrote:Xiania works her way through the forest completely focused on forging the path. "Xiania thinks we are close, a few more minutes and we will reach the clearing." she stops and looks behind her with a smile. "Xiania won't let you or your companions down." she blinks a few times noticing where the stallion was looking. "Xiania see's the pegasus is not completely focused on the path perhaps he should lead the rest of the way." she motions for the colt to move ahead. Whether she was offended or or amused was not obvious.
einsUNDcolt wrote:"Fine vith me." Blitz said blushing a bit. "Do I just keep valking ze path?"
Her lack of reaction to her finding out that Blitz was looking at her flank actally startled him. The zebra confused him more and more every minute he spent with her.
odarien wrote:Xiania nods then giggles a little as the pegasus starts to blush and they set off again into the forest. "Xiania know's it shouldn't be too much further then this, if she read the map right of course, we could be heading in the entirely wrong direction." She giggles again and continues to look ahead. "Do not worry Xiania should have read the map correctly."
einsUNDcolt wrote:Blitz wasn't worried about the zebra's ability to read a map, he trusted her. He just kept following the path. His mind wandered to things like; what are timberwolves, why would anypony want their teeth, and is she looking at my flank? He smiled at that and thought better of it, she didn't seem like a pervert.
Soon he stumbled into a clearing with a rock outcropping on one end. He could tell that there was blood at several places because it was in stark contarast to the greens of the forest.
"I zink ve are here." Blaze commented.
odarien wrote:Xiania chuckles and steps into the clearing. "Good Xiania did not read the map wrong." she blinks a few times noticing the blood in the area. "Xiania see's conflict...that is no good, worse no sign of either camps." she looks around and begins to peer at the blood splashes. "This does not bode well..." She pulls out a strange looking cylinder and shakes it a few times listening to the sound it makes before shaking her head and placing it back in her robes. She gives a weak smile to the pegasus. "Well it seems at least one of them survived, Good news Xiania thinks." she shakes her head. "As the what happened, Xiania cannot divine."
einsUNDcolt wrote:Blitz watched the zebra, more out of curiosity than anything else. He honestly had no idea what she was doing.
"Eins, ze say?" Blitz scratched his chin. "I hope es ist zis Tack I am looking for. Be sad if he died. Does zat thing tell ze anything else?"
odarien wrote:Xiania looks over at the pegasus and shakes her head. "Xiania wishes it would say more but it's only good for once answer, Xiania ask if anypony lived and the answer was at least one." she shrugs and looks at the pegasus. "Xiania hopes that it is the pony you are looking for, she also mourns the loss of anypone who lost their lives here." she blinks and shakes her head. "Anything else here Xiania asks?"
einsUNDcolt wrote:"I need to look around und see vat I find." Blaze looked arond. "I can at least say zat I looked and found out zat one pony lived."
Blaze poked around a bit but he didn't anything of use. Just blood and weapons, no bodies. "Zey are certainly pony veapons, but no bodies. Zat ist zehr strange."
odarien wrote:"Xiania agrees that could mean many things but I fear the worst." she looks over at the pegasus. "Xiania thinks that due to this tack not reporting in...and the lack of bodies, could mean they lost the engagement and were all captured." she looks across the clearing again. "This does not bode well at all, captured means taken to the keep, Xiania wishes she could help but a weeks passing means many things have happened."