//------------------------------//
// The Everfree Lord II 
// Story: The Everfree Lord 
// by Organic Construct 
//------------------------------//

		Adrian scrutinised the miniature zebra. The top of its head, not counting its styled mane, only came up to his upper thigh. Its enormous, expressive eyes gave away many more of its emotions than a human's smaller eyes. Golden jewelry wrapped around its right foreleg and neck, while two hoops dangled from its ears. The only other adornment to be found on its small frame was a small, brown satchel hanging around its neck. He could tell that it was similar to a zebra, but the colour scheme was strange. There was no true black in its coat. It had a bit of white in its mane and tail, but otherwise, its coat had large sections of grey with smaller sections of darker grey. This darker grey also served to break up the white sections of its mane and tail. It also had a strange, mirrored, spiral marking on its hindquarters that seemed to be a natural part of its coat.

The zebra looked from the manticore to him and back again a few times. Its face flashed through a few emotions in rapid succession: confusion, concern, slight fear, wonder. Once again, Adrian briefly marveled over how expressive those eyes were. Finally, its eyes settled on him. Adrian pondered how to proceed without scaring it, but his thoughts were cut short by something that, in hindsight, should not have surprised him as much as it did.

"A monster lies dead on the forest floor. Was it you who killed this manticore?"

Subconsciously, he had kind of been expecting her, he assumed it to be a her based on the sound of her voice, to have some degree of sentience, but he still felt surprise as she spoke. Adrian's mind locked on something he should have realised at the river: the sentient beings of this strange place were speaking English... Adrian immediately suppressed the maddening line of thought. Acquire, assimilate, adapt.

As he broke his mind's focus on the fact that she was speaking in English, it picked up on another little quirk. "Was that a rhyme?"

Adrian caught the slightest grin form on her features as she said, "Your powers of observation are surely sublime. Yes, I do indeed speak in rhyme. Now, will you answer my question past? I would like to have an answer at last."

Adrian shook his head to clear it. "Ummmm, yes. Yes, I did."

She seemed to consider his answer for a few moments. Adrian wondered what she was thinking. Did this impress her? Was she scared of him because of this? Was she merely thinking up her next rhyme? She never broke eye contact with him during the few silent seconds that stretched between them.

"Will you reveal to me your name, and is there truth behind your claim?"

Adrian looked at the manticore briefly before responding, "I am Lord, Adrian Lord, and yes, I broke its neck as it tried to sting me with its tail."

She looked over the manticore again, this time taking note of the awkward angle of its neck. "Most would have turned and fled, yet by your work it now lies dead. Why would you face a beast so feral, and risk yourself to mortal peril?"

Adrian shrugged. "It charged me. It was a quadruped and would have easily ran me down." Adrian idly cracked his fingers one by one as he continued, "My only options were run and die or fight and maybe live. I liked the "maybe live" option more than the one where I wound up dead."

Zecora smiled and a brief chuckle escaped her. "You are an interesting one, Lord. You seem the type to choose the sword."

At her use of his last name, Adrian realised something. "You have my name but have yet to give me yours."

"Zecora is my chosen name. Hiding it was not my aim."

Adrian allowed his gaze to wander back to the path a few steps away. "Well then, Zecora. How much further would I have to follow this path to reach civilisation?"

Zecora glanced to the path before returning her gaze to meet his own. "You would arrive by morning in Ponyville. But, do you truly want to travel still?"

Ponyville... Really? To each their own. "Why would I stop?"

"Fearsome things stalk this place by night. Things to make a manticore seem a mite."

Adrian's face twisted up a bit. "If such dangerous things are lurking about, then why are you out here?"

She used her left foreleg to open the satchel. He was close enough to see the faintly glowing flowers contained within. "For these lunar blossoms, I have come. To dangerous denizens, I shall not succumb."

Adrian raised an eyebrow. "Seems a bit dangerous for nothing more than a pretty flower."

Zecora laughed lightly. "Powerful potions, these flowers do make. They are certainly worth the risk I take."

Adrian's mind wandered back to the fact that magic exists. "These... Potions. Do they have real, tangible effects?"

Zecora looked at him strangely. "These flowers do more than they seem. In the right potion, they help others dream. Some potions cause others to shrink or grow, and others cause one to move very slow."

Adrian just smiled. Magic and functional potions. This world was getting better and better by the moment.

"Potions aside, I need to continue because I have no supplies, and I'd rather not remain in one place if nightmares really are stalking about." Adrian dipped his head as he continued, "You've been very helpful, but I think it's time I start moving again. Thank you for the information about the town and farewell."

Adrian turned to return to the path.

"You do not have to roam, for I invite you to my home."

Adrian immediately stopped and turned to face her. With a hint of incredulity in his voice, he spoke, "What? You would open your home to me? I just snapped a mythical predator's neck," he gestured towards the corpse for emphasis, "And you're just going to welcome me into your home, just like that. Is self-preservation a foreign concept to you?" Admittedly, he hadn't really expected to break its neck. He had expected it to come slightly off balance so he could wrestle it to the ground for a potential choke-out.

This fact seemed to matter little to her, for her smile now held some trace of confidence and playfulness. "You claimed to act in self defence, so attacking me would make little sense. Small in stature I may be, but I do live in the Everfree."

Well, if she was certain. Adrian only had to consider the matter for a moment. He really didn't want to travel by night. Zecora clearly had to have a special set of skills to survive in this place. She'd probably be able to keep him away from danger for the time being. At least until daytime. She was offering him shelter. He'd be able to get a good night's rest and continue onwards in the morning. Her offer was laden with nothing but wins. The choice was simple and the answer quickly given.

"I'd love to."

Zecora's smile brightened. "I am glad you chose to stay. Now, follow me and do not stray."

With those words spoken, she started walking away from the path. Adrian immediately started following close behind. He was somewhat surprised that she didn't follow the trail, but she was the resident here. Who was he to question her methods? He had to occasionally dip his head to avoid a low hanging branch, but otherwise, her choice of path was not proving too difficult for him. Adrian made certain to keep his wits sharp and his senses sharper still. The thought of being stalked kept him on edge in spite of his new-found guide.

They had been traveling for around ten minutes when Adrian decided to break the silence. "So, how far from here is your home?" The words were quietly spoken. There was little sense to be had in being unnecessarily noisy.

"My home is closer than you know. I suppose you might not see it though. Take a closer look around, and by your eyes it shall be found."

Adrian's eyes narrowed the slightest bit in a reflex of suspicion. He hadn't spotted anything remotely like a home. He focused his attention on where Zecora was leading him and immediately understood how he'd missed it. Standing before him was a tree adorned with what could only be described as tribal decorations. Coloured glass bottles hung from various branches. Adrian could only assume they contained special ingredients or potent concoctions. From there, his eyes wandered to the large mask leaning against one of the tree's exposed roots. It was oversized even by his own standards, let alone a creature Zecora's size. A smaller mask hung right above the entrance.

Adrian snorted in amusement. "How on earth can you live in the small space provided by a hollowed tree?"

With a voice heavy with amusement she replied, "My home may seem small from the outside, but you should step within before you decide. Though it may not seem it, based on sight, even you will be able to stand upright."

Her words held a knowing edge that Adrian did not fail to pick up on. It was for that reason that he did not call her statement into doubt. After all, she lived there. She was bound to know its dimensions better than he. Even with all this reasoning, Adrian still couldn't suppress the inkling of disbelief that welled from his core. Well, they were within a few meters of her home already, so he supposed he'd find out soon enough.

Zecora extended a foreleg and pushed the door open. She turned her head around to look at him before nodding her head toward the open doorway. She stepped through the ingress, and Adrian ducked through without hesitation. As per promise, he found himself able to stand upon entering her home. A brief sense of confusion went through him. The space was indeed larger within than it had seemed from outside. Adrian had ignored it as a matter of perspective at the castle, but now it seemed a more pressing concern. Evidently, the dimensions of structures in this place were not consistent within and without. Adrian tacked this up as another idiosyncrasy of a world of magic and English-speaking creatures.

Adrian stood in the doorway, uncertain of what to do, as Zecora removed her satchel and placed it on a nearby surface. The space was rather nice and homey. The center of the room being dedicated to a cauldron which Adrian assumed was used for her potion crafting. Containers of varying size, shape, and colour hung from the ceiling and rested on nearby shelves. More tribal masks hung from various points on the walls. Candles, located at intermittent points along the wall and on shelves, provided all the light that the room needed. The final thing of note was a bed located in a hollow opposite the entrance. He guessed that the small hollow served as her bedroom.

Adrian took a single step forward as he said, "Nice place. You weren't kidding about it being larger than expected." He stretched his arms upwards and placed his palms against the roof before letting his arms drop to his sides.

Zecora turned her attention to him. "At first glance, my home unnerves you not? To me, that reaction means quite a lot." A smile formed on her features and she gestured around the space. "Welcome to my humble home. Feel free to explore and roam. Though, I must ask for your care as you do, for I would hate to have anything broken by you."

"Ah, never fear. You have my word that I won't damage a thing throughout my stay." He made certain to flash a reassuring smile to show his sincerity.

Zecora returned his smile before turning her attention back to the satchel and extracting the gently glowing flowers. Their light was less apparent in the candlelit room than it had been in the moonlight outside. She set them down near the satchel, presumably to dry, as she said, "Would you care for some tea? Your acceptance would mean much to me."

Adrian was somewhat suspicious of the potentially dubious tea preferences of an equine, but decided he would at least try it. She clearly held some desire for him to accept. He doubted she would force the matter, but he didn't want to offend such a benevolent host. "Certainly."

She smiled at his response and went about gathering various containers from around her home. After acquiring everything she needed, she began mixing various amounts of clear and coloured fluids into a single, larger container. Adrian watched in fascination. Customarily, he'd only ever seen people boil leaves in water or use a prepared powder. This was a strange, new style to him. Finally, she added a small, fabric pouch to the solution she had mixed. Adrian briefly pondered how she would go about boiling the tea. He watched as she retrieved a small stone from under the cauldron and dropped it into the container with a few whispered words. After that, she simply placed the container aside.

Adrian had ignored quite a bit of sanity devouring occurrences today, but this small matter finally stirred him into action. "You're not going to boil the tea?"

Zecora turned her attention from the container to him. "That stone contains shamanic magic from my land. It can be slightly warm or hot as a brand."

Adrian's eyes widened as he turned his eyes to the container. He had learned that magic was real in this world, but this was the first time he had actually seen evidence of its existence. One of the adjectives she had used to describe the magic caught his attention.

"Shamanic magic?"

Zecora seemed to think for a moment. "Shamanic magic draws from the world around. Within the unicorns themselves their magic is found."

Adrian felt slightly pleased. At least the magic of this world seemed to follow the general patterns described in the fables of his world. Shamanic magic involved the natural world around the user. From what he'd learned of them, unicorns seemed comparable to wizards. Adrian felt a slight bit of curiosity. What of the other types of magic? Necromancy? Sorcery? Demonology? Healing? The tantalising prospects of this world drew a grin onto his features.

His thoughts were broken as he noticed a slight glow emanating from an object in his peripheral vision. He sharply turned his head towards the source. He didn't even raise an eyebrow as his eyes took in the faintly glowing tea container. That certainly had not taken long.

Zecora acquired a bowl and uncapped the tea container. A faint steam rose from the neck as she did so. She quickly poured the gently steaming tea into the bowl. Adrian was confused as to how she could lift the hot container before the obvious reason dawned on him: hooves. She placed the bowl aside and upended the container over the pit beneath the cauldron. The glowing heat-stone fell through the container's neck and into the fire pit below.

Adrian was impressed. She had managed to do all of this within four seconds. He watched as she returned the tea container to a shelf and picked up two cups located on the same shelf. Again, he was impressed that she was able to balance the two cups on one hoof and simultaneously walk smoothly on only three limbs. It was only when she placed the cups down next to the bowl that Adrian suddenly had to resist the urge to slap himself on the forehead. He should have offered to help her. He was a horrible guest.

If Zecora was displeased that he hadn't offered, she didn't betray it in any way, shape or form. She simply scooped the contents of the bowl into each cup and pushed one cup towards him. She gestured for him to sit and he complied. Adrian looked at the concoction with as neutral an expression as was possible. It was maroon of colour and quite opaque. He lifted the cup to inhale the vapours rising from the liquid's surface. It certainly smelled nice enough. The scent was reminiscent of Southern sweet-tea with a strange hint of something similar to mint. Adrian looked up to see Zecora sipping at her own already. Well, no sense in being a coward. With that thought, Adrian took a tentative sip of the tea.

It was delightful. It was sweet with the barest hint of a bitter undertone. He could think of no beverage that he had ever tasted that would serve as an analogue to the flavour currently coating his tongue. He raised his eyes from the cup to find Zecora staring at him.

Adrian smiled. "Very good." He took another sip to emphasize his point.

Zecora smiled. "I am glad that you approve of my tea." At this point her smile shifted into one betraying a degree of playfulness. "Though, I wonder if you are indulging me."

Adrian easily registered the playfulness in her expression. It still amazed him that her face was so good at expressing emotions in such an anthropomorphic nature. There were a few slight differences, of course, but the similarities were still uncanny. Almost unsettling.

Adrian allowed the left side of his mouth to curl up. "To be honest, I was worried that our obvious physiological differences might lead to a... Difference in tastes."

At this, Zecora laughed. Adrian had to admit that he liked her laughter.

After a few more sips, Zecora broke the silence with an inquiry. "From what place have you traveled afar? I can not help but wonder what you are. I have seen many things, but none like you. For what reason are you traveling through?"

Adrian took another sip of the tea before beginning. "I really don't think the names of any locations from my home would mean anything to you. I kinda suspect I'm no longer anywhere near it. My only reliable memory ends on a night spent celebrating with friends," he paused to take another sip. "Next thing I know, I've awakened in a hidden chamber beneath the throne room of a decrepit castle within a place called the Everfree Forest. Now, I'm just trying to get out of this forest and into civilisation. From there, I'm hoping to figure out how the hell I got here and if there's any way for me to return home."

He left out the very fuzzy memory of blinding light and pure agony. He wasn't even certain the memory was real. So much of this was frustrating and confusing, but it was his reality now. He fully intended to suck it up while simultaneously figuring it all out.

Zecora seemed confused for a moment as she regarded him. "Why would you awaken in a hidden place that has been abandoned by every race?"

Adrian shrugged. "Hey, if you know the answer to that, you're better off than I." He chuckled with a hint of forced mirth.

A silence grew between them as they continued sipping at the beverage. Soon enough, Adrian found himself tilting the cup back to drain the last of its contents.

He gestured towards the bowl and asked, "May I?"

Zecora dipped her head in affirmation, and Adrian refilled his cup.

The silence was not awkward, so Adrian felt no desire to break it. However, he was quite curious about his host. "You mentioned that civilisation is quite close, so why do you choose to live in such a dangerous place?"

Zecora refilled her own cup as she responded. "Many ingredients of my craft are found in this place, and the forest holds a certain calming grace. I do not feel at home amongst others of my kind. They only serve to clutter my mind. The presence of guests, I do enjoy, so long as they do not annoy."

Adrian could certainly understand her reasoning. Not every being from a social species desired or needed the presence of others of its kind. "I can understand that. My younger brother's always kinda been similar. Never interacted with others much and never really sought anyone out. He always seemed satisfied with reading books and the like. That isn't to say he couldn't interact with others; he was actually quite good at it. He just simply preferred his own company. Much like you."

As a comfortable silence stretched between them, Adrian allowed his eyes to wander over the room. As his eyes passed over each container, he pondered what its contents could do. If Zecora was to be believed, each of her potions had actual effects. Effects outside of standard biological and physiological response to a substance. His eyes wandered over the single bed again before a realisation struck him. There was only one bed. Well, he could certainly make himself comfortable on the floor. All he'd need is some kind of covering.

Adrian gave Zecora a sincere smile. "Thank you for opening your home to me, and I certainly don't mean to sound ungrateful, but I only see a single bed. I'll gladly sleep on the ground, but I would love to have a spare blanket, should you have one," Adrian said as he drank what remained of his tea.

Zecora regarded him with some small degree of amusement and confusion. "A problem I do not see. You shall share the bed with me."

Adrian choked as the surprise caused him to inhale rather than swallow. Zecora moved to help him, but he lifted a hand. She stopped. He was surprised that she did so. He hadn't figured that a cultural gesture like that would have meant much to a being without hands. Still, an expression of worry was plastered on her face as he struggled to recover from inhaling tea.

"Are you certain you need no assistance? I fear harm may come from insistence."

Adrian nodded briefly. The coughs were already subsiding.

With the cause for concern fading, Zecora narrowed her eyes the slightest bit. "What caused you to choke on your drink. It was something that I said, I must think."

Adrian took a few deep breaths as the urge to cough faded. He silently scolded himself. Of course there were cultural differences between them. He'd become so comfortable with all of their similarities that this one difference had caught him completely off-guard. "Sorry. The offer took me by surprise. Bit of a cultural difference is all."

At this, Zecora's expression became one betraying curiosity. "What does the offer mean to you, that it would cause a reaction so undue?"

Yeaaaaaaah, no. Adrian was most certainly not about to go explaining human mating customs to a miniature zebra-thing. Not if he could help it. "Don't worry. It wasn't an insult. Again, let's just call it a cultural difference and leave it at that."

Zecora's curious expression remained and she even cocked her head to one side. After holding the gesture for a few moments, she shrugged. She shrugged. The mini zebra shrugged. Well, at least she wasn't planning on pursuing the matter further. Adrian was definitely going to figure out why these alien beings shared so many cultural gestures with humans. For the first time, he briefly doubted himself. Perhaps he really was insane and simply trapped in his own mind. It would explain the language and cultural mirroring going on. But then that would imply his subconscious wanted to bed a horse... Hell no. He was definitely not in his own head. Fuck that. No.

"You never really confirmed my suggestion, and your reaction calls you into question."

Damn. She was sharp. He hadn't actually thought about the matter. The bed looked kind of small... The floor would probably be more comfortable. Yeah. Floor. Definitely floor. He had trouble sharing a bed with his own kind, let alone some alien sentient. Well, at least he could respond with logic and reasoning.

"Your offer, while kind, isn't really for the best. The bed is rather small and I am relatively big. I honestly think the floor would be better. Plus, you've already opened your home to me. I wouldn't feel right if I caused you any discomfort in your own home." He immediately realised that he should not have said that last sentence. If she so desired, she could use it against him with a claim of―

"A guest sleeping upon the floor? The thought discomforts to the core."

Adrian used all of his willpower to suppress the desire to kick himself with the foot not stuck in his mouth. Though, all things considered, he really had stepped right into that one. As he actually considered the matter, three choices sprang to mind: backpedal like an idiot, simply refuse, or accept it. The first option would sting at his pride. The second was incredibly rude... Adrian briefly considered the third path. Would it really hurt? His legs would dangle off the end, but he had slept through worse before... Blast it all! They were all disagreeable, but the third seemed the least so.

As he withdrew from his own mind, he realised that Zecora had been staring at him throughout the three seconds he had spent thinking. "Fine. But, should my presence cause any discomfort, do not hesitate to say so."

Zecora smiled cheerily. "Your concern for my comfort does impress. I knew a kind heart you did possess."

Adrian couldn't help the small, humble grin that formed on his lips. "I try."

Adrian yawned. It was only after the gesture was finished that he realised that he was actually tired. How strange. He had only woken up a few hours ago. There was no way he could already be sleepy again. Whatever. He could only hope that these short times of wakefulness would not become a trend.

Zecora gave her own adorable yawn in response to his own. Evidently, he wasn't the only one who was weary. "We both seem to need to rest. Perhaps now the time is best."

Adrian watched as Zecora stood and moved towards her bedroom. He didn't follow immediately. In spite of his acceptance, he still didn't truly want to go through with it. Zecora stopped as she seemed to notice that he wasn't following. She turned and looked at his seated form with a raised eyebrow.

"Do you plan to sit there throughout the night? Some might consider that a slight."

Her words held no malice, but the insinuation of insult was there. Adrian quickly rose to his feet and walked towards her at a calm pace. Bah. Screw culture. Most human cultural trends were shit anyway. The only considerable exceptions being some forms of intelligent entertainment and a few culinary styles. He may have been overlooking a few, but, at the moment, his brain couldn't be bothered to create a compendium of cultural traits he considered noble.

Zecora smiled as he followed her. She hopped up onto one side of the bed and he hesitantly sat on the other. It was softer than he had expected it to be. A pleasant surprise. He slowly laid down while making a point to keep his back to Zecora. He could feel her shifting about as she got comfortable. He had made certain to leave at least three quarters of the bed to her. She may have insisted on this, but he was not going to punish her for it. Plus, it was kind of nice.

"I wish you pleasant dreams to come. To sleep," at this point the sound of a yawn emanated from behind him before she continued, "I shall soon succumb."

"Good night, Zecora."

Adrian's mind wandered as it is wont to do before surrendering to sleep. This actually wasn't so bad after all. He'd had a German Shepherd as a kid. He'd fall asleep curled up next to her every night that he could. It had taken him a long time to get over the insomnia that sleeping alone caused him. The small, warm form at his back was immensely comforting. He actually had to resist the desire to press into her. It was only now that he realised how much he had missed this sensation. In that moment, he came to a decision. When he got back to his own world, he needed to adopt a dog. It was with that thought that his mind released its hold on the waking world.