For Friendship and Adventure

by Jamis


5. Besides, I Tried Being Dead

The pair of zebra and man had reached Zecora's hut, she had began to walk into the building and put away her various herbs when she heard the giant sit down outside. After a few minutes the mare joined Vulkan outside with some fresh tea. Though he had to be gentle with his strength lest he break the cup. Silence was present for a few precious minutes before the two began to exchange stories, Zecora didn't feel comfortable talking about her past and thus her family. However, she was more than happy to talk about her friends their adventures and the lovely visits she had gotten from them. "Well, they do sound quite nice, I will be sure to say hello if I run into them in my travels. I do intend to see this land since I am here, I believe that tomorrow at the earliest. You have been most helpful with your answers to my questions. I just hope, THAT I WON'T SCARES THEMS TOO BAD!"

The zebra was a bit surprised by the sudden shout but she figured that was a joke given what he said. "I would motion you to be patient. If the tale of my friends and I's meeting has been latent. I ask you to be careful my friend, lest you find your self at a sharpened end(weapon). The ponies of Equestria are welcoming, but they fear, what ever is strange when it comes near."

"I am no stranger to being feared, even if I didn't desire it most of the time. I am sure I can figure it out." The man smiled broadly and it was returned by the stripped mare. Vulkan exchanged some stories of his own, a lot of shenanigans can happen over a life that was as long as his. Though it was rather hit and miss, Zecora had little stomach for the idea of him fighting another sapient race, even if they were eldar, and he had really good reasons, really, really good reasons. The subject fell to friends and family, he sighed and decided to make it short, "Family is complicated, and I out live most of my friends."

She nodded, "If half of what you have told me of your home is true for those around you then I would assume life can be short. And I myself admit that family is also not my forte(Yes, it is pronounced this way, everyone is just wrong, it really is pronounced like fort, and if you make the 'a lot of people say it this way' argument then Imma have words with you).

The afternoon past in a rather pleasant fashion, Vulkan had the idea to ask about the types of games Equestria had. This jumped into a conversation about the various similar traditional childerns' games their kinds shared. Tag, Hide and seek, Marco polo, though neither of them knew who that was. Seemingly omnipresent and ancient traveler aside, it was good to know all you could. Children's games included.

At this point the manticore had slunk off to find some food, though Vulkan did not pay enough attention to know when exactly, he did know she was no longer there. 'I shall have to come up with a name for my fluffy friend.' It was at that moment Vulkan quietly chuckled to himself, 'Lion El'Jonson, she is a lion, but my brother's name is too masculine.' After a few more moments he brainstormed out some possible names, '...El'Jona, hmm not quite, El'Johncena, no I can't see that as her name(get it?). El'la, Ella Jona? I suppose that could work, not that I have a better Idea.

Evening was approaching now, the light faded ever so slightly, "I hope you do not mind," Zecora held up some herbs and roots, "but I wish to grind. To make a compound, with what I have found. My potions are essential for life here, I must plan ahead as I am not sear. See the future I can not, but I can plan for it and what ever it has fraught."

Vulkan smiled and motioned her to her hut, she thanked the man for the company but said she would likely be inside for the rest of the evening. Once the zebra had entered her hut Vulkan stood slowly, while wasn't about to leave the forest he could chart his path. His sight was still excellent at night, he would be able to find the edge of the forest and do so again even better when he did leave. Vulkan's steps were noticeable but not thunderous as his size would imply, as such once he reached the treeline he stood rather unnoticed by anything.

 He could see the village Zecora's friends resided in, just in view, less than half a kilometer away. Odd that a town so close to a forest with creatures such as these seemed to have no walls to speak of. He did not see any such fortifications in the newly risen moonlight. Rogal would have had the villagers each slapped for their insolence. Then destroyed each of their homes..... before he took the pieces he had from deconstructing them and rebuild the houses better than before. His brother really liked to build, improve, and many other things of a bland but nice nature. He remembered that once or twice Rogal had told him that he was read textbooks on architecture by his guardians as a child.

The villages lights were visible from here, most houses were still awake as night had only just fallen. Something caught the eye of the Primarch, another hut, though this one was not a tree. It's small frame stood between the forest and the town as the closest building. Perhaps Zecora knows whoever is so daring to live there. One last glance around the plains around the town and he moved back into the darkness of the trees, his green armor blended quite well with his surroundings, even if he didn't blend quite so well.

Once the trek through the forest was compete. A odd but welcome sight met the behemoth’s eyes, there close to Zecora’s hut in a bush was the manticore. She had yet to notice Vulkan, she was far too busy. All of her attention was on her kill, the monster ate at a slow pace. She was content to enjoy the food slowly. It was a fresh corpse of a quadruped, of non-Equine nature it would seem, from the structure of the carcass. Once he was close enough to for the dinning beast to notice him she quickly sprang to her paws. Vulkan spoke in a reassuring tone, “Hello, don’t worry, I don't want your kill if that is what you are worried about.” The soft accent seemed to add to his honest and gentle words as he spoke, “I do have a question for you though, would you like a name?”

At the sound of the large man’s voice the manticore tensed slightly before her body seemed to calm. Strangely the cat hybrid only wanted to eat, or it appeared that way once she returned to her food. She gave the question no mind, not that Vulkan’s word’s didn't hold more than intent and emotion for the beast. “Well, I for one think you should have one, how does Ella Jona sound?” The ears perked for a moment before a low short growl came from the chewing mouth of the new dubbed Ella. Vulkan moved, and sat next to Ella for a moment. After said moment he started to pet the top of her head. A louder growl escaped her maw and she turned her fangs sharply toward the giant’s offending limb.

“Boop.” the obvious response was to poke her nose with a finger. The manticore snout condensed and she huffed, the hand swiftly returned to pet her head. Low growls of defeat came from Ella before she began to naw on her kill yet again. A sort of kinship had began to form at there first meeting, and here it was solidified. A unique relation between two beings to say the least.