Ponyfinder: Potions and Swords

by David Silver

4 - Birds of a Feather

"Aeorean." The pegasus bowed, one wing extending out to the side as part of the motion with his dip of his front half. "Druid." He pointed down into the crevice the beasts had come from. "I came here to fix that."

John and Zecora shared a look of surprise. Zecora was the first to speak, "You mean to heal this jagged line? What will you sew it with? I hope not twine."

Aeorean laughed at the idea. "Oh, Sun Queen forbid." He shook his head as he lifted into the air several inches. "There's a rift down there, belching out monsters, like the ones you just fought. The rail line hired me to get rid of it." He pointed at the two of them. "To be honest, I thought maybe you were competing with me."

John put up his hands at chest level. "Not us. We had no idea."

"That was also a possibility." Aeorean bobbed his head. "Figured I'd play it safe and lend a hoof. Glad I did. The hole isn't the problem, just what's coming out of it. It's makin' the rail folk kinda nervous."

"That is easy to imagine." Zecora nodded, considering the source of pony ice demons. "More than enough to spur some action."

"Say!" Their new friend flapped over them, flying in a circle. "You two seem adventuring ready. Wanna help? I like having someone watching my back. I'll split the reward!"

Far from being shunned or attacked, the ponies were... already inviting him to adventure. John decided quickly that he liked these ponies. It seemed ponies were generally alright creatures. "One thing." He dug out his remaining ration supply. At the rate they had tore into it, he had... a day or two if they were careful about it. "Running short on food. We were hoping to get to a town."

"Oh wow." He flew in closer to look at the ration. "That's all you have left? Why'd you come out here with just that?!" He threw his hooves wide with wonder. "You wait here, right here." He pointed down at the ground. "Be right back!" And off he flew like a loosed arrow towards the forest.

Zecora sat on her haunches, peering at John. "What?" he asked, unsure what had bothered her.

"You just volunteered us for trouble. You barely understand your own place, but you promised double." She pointed at herself. "By what right did you offer my hoof? Am I safe to assume that was a goof?"

He shrank back half a step. "I wasn't trying to..." And yet, he had. "Sorry. I just got caught up in finding a friendly face."

"And an adventure to chase," chastised Zecora, finishing his rhyme for a change. "At the least, the ponies do not fear you. One problem averted, after all we've been through."

Things fell to a silence for a few moments as he tapped a foot into the snow. "He's our best bet of getting somewhere safe."

Zecora let out a little sigh. "In this you are correct. I just wish my consent you checked." She sank to her belly on the chilly ground, her borrowed cape flopping around her, creating a little cocoon of heat. "If we are to work together, Trust is required altogether."

"At least we're having an improvement in weather." Zecora raised a brow at him. "What, you're infectious."

Zecora smiled gently at him. "I choose to accept that as a kind word. Now where did our new friend go, flying as a bird?"

"They're..." John had a hand held up, squinting. "Circling some bushes? No, they landed... Coming back."

Zecora inclined her head. Pony sight was not quite as sharp as a human's, and she could not see the pegasus working. Her companion had many interesting tricks. When the pegasus came close enough to easily pick out, Zecora waved a hoof at them.

"Hey!" He came in for a landing, one wing folding almost immediately to flip open his saddlebags on his right side. "Got a treat for you."

John snapped his fingers even as his hands crashed together in a clap. "You're going to cast goodberry, aren't you?"

Aeorean inclined his head. "Way to take the fun out of it, but yeah." He angled to present the open bag. "Go ahead, take about 'em out. I knew you looked like an adventurer! You've worked with a druid before?"

John reached in there, feeling a lot of things, but he focused on fetching six big bright red berries. "I... I heard of the spell." Someone had cast the spell back in his group, when he was playing the character, instead of being the character. "Shouldn't we wait on this until--"

"You chewed on a ration, right?" Aeorean pointed at John's ration-laden pocket. "You'll get hungry again. Now, these... A little primal magic, pow. You'll be set for a whole day. Hold that steady." He reared up and raised his hooves, speaking odd words as he seemed to almost dance in place, his wings joining the motions with power glimmering in the air with vibrant green of life, seeping into the berries that seemed to become somehow more perfectly berry. "Eat up!"

Zecora reached up, swatting a berry out of John's hand for her other hoof to catch and bring to her face with a light sniffing. "I had my suspicions, I had my doubts. I feel it certain that is Everglow hereabouts." She popped the berry into her mouth, chomping down on the berry that proved to be the very definition of berry goodness. "Mmm...."

John popped one of the remainders into his own face. "Thanks." He folded his fingers over the remainder. "How long do these stay good for? Oh! I'm John, no h. This is Zecora." He gestured to her. "By the way, if you know how to get somewhere safe, she'd really appreciate it. I can only volunteer myself."

"Jon!" Aeorean clopped his hooves once firmly. "What does that mean? Silly humans, you always make such funny names. What's it mean?"

"Uh..." Like most humans, the real meaning of his name was not a thing he thought about too often. "Just a name."

"Phah." Aeorean waved it away. "Its meaning still has an affect on you. You just don't know what it is. Silly human." Despite making fun of him, the pegasus still had a bright smile and seemed to be happy to be there. "I can't throw stones, I guess. For a pony, my name's super wierd!" His eyes darted to Zecora. "What language is your name from?! Does it mean something? It's gotta!"

Zecora's guarded expression softened a little. "Its meaning is quite plain. Just a zebra and no further to explain." She gestured at herself. "You seem excited and kind, but my question, if you mind?"

"Oh!" Aeorean's ears pricked. "Sorry. Yeah, this is Everglow." He tapped the ground beneath him. "Wait..." He squinted at both of them before erupting in renewed laughter. "You wouldn't ask that unless you're not from Everglow." He pointed at Jon. "Are you from the human lands, with her?" The hoof swiveled to Zecora. "Wow you came a long way! No wonder you're running out of food!"

Jon raised a lone finger. "Is Everglow the name of the country, or the continent, or the entire world?"

"Kinda yes to all of the above." Aeorean bobbed his head. "We got the name 'cause of those rifts." He pointed down into the grand hole. "They happen everywhere, but most common here, in Everglow, which also has us ponies and a ton of other fae, who are colorful, so, you know, it fits!" He seemed pleased with things. "Wow, still, welcome! You're both nice, right? You seem nice."

Zecora let out a slow sigh. "I don't suppose you remember another pony who looked like me." She pointed to herself. "Not striped, but otherwise similar to see?"

Aeorean leaned in towards Zecora, looking her over. "You're all... round. It's neat!" He nodded as he stood up, circling around her cartoonish lines. He was, well, a pony, a horse. Sure, a horse that had wings, but a horse. Zecora was more of a child's impression of what a zebra might be. "That's so... Oh. Oh! Wow." He crashed to his haunches. "You're not from this plane at all, are you?"

Zecora grew a bit of a smile. "I am more impressed that you looked for where we are the same. To appear as different as I, all the reason to blame. I expected you to show more fear, but instead you have demonstrated nothing but great cheer." She offered a hoof towards him. "A pleasure to meet you."

"I love the rhyming thing." He clopped a hoof against hers. "Does everyone from your plane do that? I gotta visit!" His vision shifted towards Jon, the eye closer to him focusing, the other not bothering to turn. "You're not built like her. You're just a human, but you're friends... That's nice! But it still kinda confuses me."

"He caught me in the middle of a brew," Zecora noted, completing her rhyme.

"It was an accident," assured Jon quickly. "We both didn't mean to end up here, but here we are anyway. So... can we get her somewhere safe?"

"I saw her fight." Aeorean clopped his hooves. "You're an alchemist, that's exciting. I never saw an alchemist work before. Would you like to come along? It'll help keep the rail safe."

Zecora considered the flighty pegasus. "Are you not worried that I am more of the same. Not from this world, is that not to blame?"

"Pfft!" Aeorean rolled his eyes. "If there was a rift with a bunch of ponies like you coming out of it, I'd just leave it open. You're not trying to freeze people or punch them for no reason, now are you? We're having a nice conversation."

Jon smiled at the exchange. "He's not wrong there." Though he could imagine some other humans would move to violent reaction should such a portal come to be in someone's backyard. "Do you want to come along?"

"Since you ask, and I am given a choice, I feel better, granted a proper voice." She nodded at Aeorean. "If this is a thing that must be done, Let us do what we can for victory to be won."

"She just keeps doing it," marveled Aeorean, turning his entire body towards Jon. "That's kinda cool. To, uh... turn her away would make me a fool!" He looked so very proud of his rhyme.

Jon laughed, swatting him on the shoulder, which the pegasus didn't seem to mind. "I told you, Zecora. You're infectious. Soon we'll all be rhyming with each other."

"One thing." He pointed down over the edge. "I can fly down. Pegasus privileges. You two don't have wings." He turned the same hoof to the north. "In the forest it gets to be a gentle enough slope to get you two down there. Either that or we set up camp and we air walk down tomorrow."

Zecora's eyes widen. "What new magic do you speak of? To allow a pony to descend from so far above?"

"Ooo, that was a tricky one." Aeorean nodded, impressed at the zebra's ability to spin rhymes. "I'm a druid. We have spells. Great spells! One of them lets you walk on air." He walked in place as if to demonstrated. "Then you can just walk down the hole." He pointed anew at the target. "Nice and direct, but I don't have it prepared today. I didn't think I'd need it. It's not really a pegasus spell." He flapped his wings for emphasis.

Zecora took a few steps away from the edge. "To be perfectly honest, a rest sounds nice. Let us make a bed in the snow and ice."

"I got that covered!" Aeorean dug into his saddlebag nose first, pulling out a stick of elm with a bright sapphire tip. "Watch!" He waved it excitedly, magic swirling around him, not of the same natural sort he had used not long before. A hut appeared from nowhere, rising from the snow. "Ta da!"

Jon opened the door and peeked inside, where it seemed a sizeable abode was hidden. "Wow. Now this is cool." Well, not cool. He could see a fireplace waiting to be used. "Everyone in."

Author's Note:

Nothing like a tiny hut to hide in, lemme tell ya!

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Comments

[Booster Spice]

Better be careful Zecora, Pathfinder Alchemist have some seriously funky affectations possible as they climb the ranks.

That, and Level 20 get free every month what most game systems have entire campaigns to achieve, and fail.

[Earthpatriot117]

I am liking this Aeorean!
I wonder what his favorite animal is to turn into. I guess that would be the one he uses most often. Xd
I'm curious, being a pegasus druid, when he transforms does his animal form keep the wings?

[Earthpatriot117]

I suppose when the time comes zecora will get armor and a weapon? My guess light armor since she relies on speed, skill, and agility. Main weopon a staff? Perhaps with a bladed tip? No then it would be just a spear, a hidden blade in the staff that pops out at the push of a button? So many interesting choices! Xp

[badninja]

10801415

I don’t think Zecora will get that high. I think most Equestrians only get to a max of level 7. Then again it has been a while since I have looked at their character sheets at the end.

[terrycloth]

10801415
I guess right now she just has Brew Potion with a ridiculous spellcraft skill to make up for not having the spells? Or does she already have the alchemist class? She was throwing instant bombs, I guess.

[Booster Spice]

10801577

Im sure it was me messing upwith the combinations, but Im sure I had one zebra alchemist with skill 20 plus at level 1, totally abusing PCGen of course.

[terrycloth]

10801607
I can see +15 (+4 from ranks, +5 stat, +1 trait, +3 feat, +2 relatively cheap equipment) just off the top of my head.

[Crescent Glaive]

"They happen everywhere, but most common here, in Everglow, which also has us ponies and a ton of other fae, who are coloful, so, you know, it fits!"

Arming anti-typo torpedo. Permission to lauch, captain Silver?

[David Silver]

10801806
Direct hit.

[Chrome Masquerade]

"Jon!" Aeorean clopped his hooves once firmly. "What does that mean? Silly humans, you always make such funny names. What's it mean ?"

Actually, Jonathan -and Jon, by extension- translates to "Jehova has been gracious/shown favour.

Side note: It should be noted that John (Or in Hebrew, Yohanon) means 'graced'.

#themoreyouknow
#thankGoogle

[Chrome Masquerade]

"I got that covered!" Aeorean dug into his saddlebag nose first, pulling out a stick of elm with a bright sapphire tip. "Watch!" He waved it excitedly, magic swirling around him, not of the same natural sort he had used not long before. A hut appeared from nowhere, rising from the snow. "Ta da!"

Aeorean uses item: Cottage.

[David Silver]

11030299
One of my standing points it that humans have pony names, they just forgot them.

I am, for instance, Beloved, but what's perfect/second place?

Which translates pretty well into my pony name of Rough Draft, I say.