Main Quest - Everfree's Witcher

Through out the evening, Twilight and Ciri talked aswell as ran a few tests. Twilight had insisted Ciri stayed for dinner and for the night. Ciri accepted and slept soundly later that night. The next morning as she yawned out in the borrowed room, she looked out the window overlooking the raising sun. Smiling at the sight as she stretches and put on her boots as she listen to the bird song. Strapping her sword onto her back she steps out and walked towards the dinning hall recalling the tour Starlight gave her yesterday. "Good morning" she greets her hosts as she enters the room.

Twilight look up from her tea. "Good morning Ciri, how did you sleep?" .

"Pretty well, thank you in lending me a room. But I should look for more work." Ciri sat down as Spike pushes the tray filled with pancakes. She got a plate and mug of coffee, which she find bitter but a good pick me up.

"Actually, I have a proposition for you. I know you want to travel and see Equestria. But first, I got one job for you. Help my friend Zecora secure herbs in the Everfree forest, and I'll give you 30 bits and this train pass so you can travel between cities for free for a month." she puts a pass on the table.

"What's a train? And does it really allow travel between cities quickly?" Ciri tilts her head in curiosity getting a grin from Twilight in response.

"I'll show you after breakfast. Take your time though." she takes a bite and a sip. "I'll show you the way to Zecora's she's a herbalist . She can handle herself, but I'll feel more at ease if you help her. Just drive away the beasts, you don't need to kill them if they retreated." she told the Witcher.

"If the beasts didn't bother me, I won't bother them." she replied back as she eats, eager to see this 'train' and to see this infamous Everfree Twilight warned her about. It can't be as bad as the woods back in the continent. They continue to talk as they eat.

Sometime later, Twilight trotted towards Zecora's home at the boundary. Ciri not far behind with her hand near her sword at ready. She can already sense danger lurking around the woods. "We're almost there. Just be careful, there are Manticores, Cockatrices, and Timberwolves here. And the occasional Leshens." the princess warned.

"You have Leshens here too?" Ciri asked surprised, getting a nod in reply. "Great, i hope this forest contain mistletoes." seeing Twilight's inquiring look she elaborated "I need some mistletoe and dog tallow to brew an oil that can affect relicts like the Leshen." she elaborated. "Could even deal more damage to Timberwolves, though still not sure if they're relicts or elementia" she shrugged. "Is that it?" she noticed another tree house, decorated with shaman like objects.

"Oh, yes. This is Zecora's she's an shaman. She can brew potions and cures too." she walked over to the door, knocking on it to see if she's home. "Oh Zecora's a Zebra" Twilight told Ciri as the door opens.

Indeed a zebra wearing rings on her neck pop her head out. She smiles "Ah young Sparkle I see. What brings you to me?"

"Hello Zecora, I'm here with a friend. This is Cirilia, or Ciri. I know you're going into the forest later today to gather herbs. And I'm wondering if she can accompany and help you?" she explains.

Once the Zebra look over to spot the young woman, her eyes widen slightly. "Ah yes, I'll be grateful. Come in young huntress, Sit as i prepare for the path we'll thread " The two enters and watch the zebra as she takes a few vials into her sack. She reaches to clasp her cloak around her. "Here young warrior, for your silver blade" she holds a vial of oil towards her.

She takes it, sniffing the contents and her eyes widen. "This is Elementia Oil! H-how?!"

"I know a thing or two young lass. Come, where's your sass?" the Zebra chuckled as she takes her bo staff as she steps to leave. "Good day my friend, I know i won't meet my end." she smiled. Twilight smiled back and gave a curt nod."Come young huntress, what i seek is near the old castle, so let us not dawdle" she slipped on her cloak, staff and her saddle bag.

"I'll wait for you both to come back here" Twilight said as she sat on a cushion "Stay safe Zecora, Ciri" she waved them off as they leave the hut and start down the path deeper into the forest. Ciri takes the time to survey her surroundings, making sure to be on her guard.

Following the path deeper into the forest. "So tell me, what should i expect?" Ciri asks "Besides timberwolves. Applebloom told me they normally reside in this forest."

"Yes, there are other hunters out and about. Manticore is what we should watch out" Zecora replies. "Beasts with a bite of a lion, and the deadly sting of a scorpion. So thread lightly or we'll both meet our end." She warned as she continue ownard, pushing some foliage away with her stick. "For the flora is as dangerous as the fauna."

Ciri uses a knife to slice the vines and other shrubbery on the way "Noted." she said as she steps carefully as she follow her entourage. She stops as she hears something. Rustling of the leaves, she reach for her sword ready to pull it out. Looking around more carefully now. Zecora had sense the disturbance as well as she back slowly towards Ciri with her staff ready. Ear perking as she kept her eyes around as Ciri cover their blind spots. The bushes parted as a rabbit hopped out, before they could relax it scampered off as a roar close by is heard. "I'm guessing that's the manticore."

"Yes, we must flee and hide" the zebra quickly moved deeper into the woods, Ciri following behind and looking back at the source of the cry to see if she can spot it. She can hear it in the brush , cracks of wood and stone. Ciri pick up a small rock, using her special ability she dashed forward. Grabbing Zecora she throws the stone hard at a tree in another direction to make an audible crunch as she uses her powers to teleport them to the other direction. Hidden behind a large tree she peeked out to witness the Manticore lunging towards the source of the crunching sound. Roaring and searching for its pray.

Ciri and Zecora stayed still and quiet . They carefully move onwards after they hear it's retreating deeper the other direction. The zebra placed her staff aside "Many thanks young huntress. But i fear we will yet meet further danger. For we will enter Leshen land " she trotted onwards.

"Great." she followed, her sword still in her hand. She uses it to slice shrubbery around her to clear the way. Following the Zebra until she stops and harvesting some mushrooms growing by the tree roots. She stops and kept her eyes and ears peeled for any danger. "How many ingredients do you need to harvest?"

"Not too many, I only need a flower that grows near the river ahead. Do not be afraid of the sea serpent that lives in the river. He's a friend." She explains as she jarred the last mushroom and trotting forward, only to stop and getting staff "Ready your blade. Timberwolves"

Ciri faced Zecora and indeed glowing eyes of the wolves are seen. They growl as they moved into the clearing, she prepare her sword "6 this time, do you wish to take 3?" she smirked as she tense as one of them gets closer. She reacted and teleported to intercept a wolf mid lunge, slicing with her blade. Zecora spun her staff and swung it hard onto the side of another Wolf. Ciri slashed upwards slicing the jaw of a timberwolf to howl in pain, she slashed down ending the beast. She twirls around slashing cutting another one down. The zebra dodges swipes from her own opponents, she threw a potion at the predator's face. The vial shattered and coating the wolf, blinding it with. Growling in pain and confusion the wolf couldn't defend against being slammed to a tree by her staff. The zebra ducked without even looking as Ciri vaulted over her and thrust her sword down impaling the wolf in the head causing it to crumble. "Stay down you blighters!" she yanked her blade out. Without taking any risk of another Alpha, she grab ahold of Zecora and teleported ahead and start running with her.

In a burst of energy, she displaces to another spot. Stopping for breath as she lean against a tree and look around her. Sword still ready. "Please tell me we're almost there." the young woman asked "Or at the very least I hadn't gotten us lost." the young huntress looked about. Noticing something off to the distance hidden by trees but she could just spot a river.

"Yes, we're near" Zecora said "Sheath your sword, the river contains a friend and not foe." the Zebra explained "He's not a beast to be fought."

"What are you talking about?" Ciri asked, curious she got close to the river only to step back when a large serpent rose from the waters. "Oh" she sheath her blade, taking Zecora's word as she looked up seeing the creature smile his well groomed mustache twitched as he grinned happily at the sight of Zecora.

"Zecora! Hello, are you and your friend wished to cross? Do be careful, there is something nasty going on over there. The poor critters are scared stiff i tell you" the creature said as he leans to let them cross his scales

"Many thanks my friend, and thank you for your warning." the Zebra nodded "Come young one , coat your blade and let us head onto the glade" She cross without a word.

Taking this as a warning she cross, pulling her sword out and coating it with the Elementia oil she received from the Zebra Shamaness earlier. Making sure she getting nice and coated, stopping in her tracks as she felt something in her pocket, reaching in she pulled out Vesimer's medallion. It's humming. "Zecora, prepare for a fight" she got onto her guard as the Zebra jumped back with her staff ready. it didn't take long to see the source of the warning. As a tree crashed and toppled over, a large creature came stomping into , a large bipedal thing covered in hard rock. It slams its mighty limbs onto the down tree shattering it apart, letting out an inhumane roar as magic pulses through the cracks of its exterior.

"A Golem." Ciri glared hard at their opponent. It lifts it's limb up preparing to strike, and Ciri took the opening to charge towards it.

Author's Note

Who here finds writing for Zecora hard?