[Unyasi] Daring Do and the Fate of El Coltrado (Sign-up in OOC Thread)

[RarityDash]

"Well... We sorta were partners on an... expedition tagether....But that's a story fer another time."

The pauses told Serendipity there was a lot more to the story. How curious. Well, it was looking like she'd be with this Presteza for a longer haul now, so she was sure she'd hear it all eventually. In all likelihood, Serendipity was right though, and this Pathfinder was no pony to trust. Either way, the painter pony was right. It wasn't the time for discussing things by any stretch of imagination.

​

"Good idea, Mate. Time fer us ta dissapear. Put that on if ya would, We gotta use a bit o' cunnin' if we're gonna get outta here without those bandits findin' us."

"Heh. You're sure quick on your hooves, Pres," Seren said as she slipped in the dirty old cloak retrieved for her. It was remarkable how quick she was to react to all this. It really was like she did this kinda stuff all the time. It was intriguing for a pony she knew to be just an artist from a wealthy and no doubt sheltered background. By comparison, Serendipity was probably something of an amateur in regards to dicey situations--unless one counted situations involving actual dice, that is... She had her own tricks though, she supposed. Whatever the case, for now she was more than content to just follow Pressy's lead.

​

"Two adults fer the night... and one pet."

Ooh... didn't this sound fun? Serendipity giggled as Presteza checked them into a nearby hotel. Sharing a room with a pretty mare was definitely always a nice thing, even when they were trying to lie low from a bunch of shady pursuers. If things went ideally, there'd be a lot more pets than just one though. She grinned to herself and sighed. No, this probably wasn't the time for such thoughts, but she couldn't really help it entirely?

"Thanks a lot!" she said as she took the key from the griffon at the front desk. "And no disturbances now. These festivals have a way of bringing out all sorts of emotions... and let's just say the two of are going to want to be alone for a while..." she said, adding a wink. Mostly it was just to tease Pressy, but it also served to make the suddenness and forcefulness Pressy demanded the room somewhat less suspicious. A good cover story was always useful. If their pursuers came looking, perhaps the hotel staff wouldn't associate the two cloaked lovers fresh from enjoying the festival for the ponies being sought.

​

"That. was. AWESOME! I swear that was just like a scene from Darin' Do! where she got into that fight with a bunch o' dangerous griffins in a bar that was on fire... but minus the fire... and there were some zebras there. Anyway! I can't believe it! This thing is actually gonna take us to -that- city! Only thing is we don' have any leads as ta where the place is or how this thing is related..."

Once they were in the room, Pressy started to let out some of all the things on her mind that she hadn't been able to relate before in the heat of it all. Seren nodded along and listened to it all. She had a lot of questions really. Who were those guys? What place? What is that thing? What really just happened? How did Pres get involved in it all? There were so many questions that the whole of them started to become less interesting. As Seren saw it, when one knew nothing, it was sometimes better to just stay ignorant and figure it our for yourself. It could be more fun that way. Still, she had to at least ask something...

"What's Darin' Do?" she asked, finding herself more bothered by the fact that she didn't understand Pressy's simile than by the fact that she didn't have a very good idea what any of this was all about. If it had scenes, a play perhaps? Well, with only a few exceptions, unless it had played Las Pegasus, she wasn't familiar with a lot of plays....

​

"Maybe Chief Zeti'll know somethin' about it..."

Another question. Chief Zeti, huh? Probably a zebra chief Presteza knew. Who else really had chiefs but zebra? Well, buffalo, but they'd hardly expect to run into them down here. Sounded like a good place to start whatever the case.

"If you have a lead, I say we follow it," she said, nodding. "Though we should probably lie low at least a little longer. It's likely they expect us to skip town," Serendipity said, mostly because it sounded kind of cool and she was tired. She didn't honestly have any way of knowing what this enemy she knew nothing about would expect of them. "I say we get your full money's worth out of this room before we go anywhere..."

​

[Bellosh]

Three angry griffons kept right on the trail of Daring Do, who weaved through the city’s skyscrapers to shake them. The pursuers maneuvered around the tall buildings with ease, staying on target no matter the cost. Undeterred, Daring next fled right into one of the skyscrapers, designed specifically with winged creatures in mind. She managed to blast her way through a bustling office, while a less skilled griffon crashed into a desk, sending business papers flying everywhere. Darting to and fro through narrow hallways, the adventurer found the center of the building, a vast space linking all levels of the Clawifax tower. Daring dived straight down, knowing that if she didn’t pull up in time, she’d crash right into the floor, ending her adventuring days right then. Pulling up too soon, and the pegasus would smash through the wall resulting in a similarly nasty effect.

Daring Do’s trick required precise timing and concentration. Her two pursuers did not take these calculations in mind; so focused on their prey to the exclusion of all other concerns. Our heroine waited... and waited… AND NOW! At the last possible moment, with a fountain in full view, Daring leveled out and shot right out of the main entrance at breakneck speed. The last two griffons didn’t see the ground until it was too late, impacting the water fountain with thunderous splashes... they’d be stuck with broken bones for a good long while.

“Drinks are on me, boys,” Miss Do quipped behind her to farewell her two former adversaries, sweating trickling down from her brow. Panting, she set down to catch a needed breather. Quick Brush must have gotten away from the square, still possessing the Gem of El Coltrado. But would she keep the jewel for much longer, especially with the suspicious Lady Luck in tow? Daring Do sighed, realizing that she’d have to track down the two ponies all over again.

Looks like she’d be camping outside Clawifax for a day or two.

[Pretzelparty]

"What's Darin' Do?"

​

The painter's jaw dropped upon hearing Serendipity's question. A pegasus that had never heard of possibly -the- most famous 'fictional' pegasus of all time? Presteza thought that pretty much everypony knew about the Daring Do series! With all the conventions and book signings and stuff that happened involving the famous fictional explorer's exploits, she figured it was more or less impossible for a pony to not have at least heard the name. Seren's lack of knowledge of Pressy's favorite character in the literature simply had to a be rectified,"Well, Seren... how do I begin..." The mare took an almost comically deep before she began to speak in a passionate and overly enthused tone,"Daring do is a super cool adventurer, treasure hunter, and explorer created by one of Equestria's greatest literary minds; A.K. Yearling." As the painter spoke her more folksy method of speaking seemed to dissolve into a more well spoken and refined pattern.

Almost immediately, the painter's horn began to faintly glow a bright blue hue. Several pencils in her bags floated up along with a small sketchpad that levitated to the painter's side. With many quick and precise movements on the pencils a picture of a familiar looking pegasus was produced. The pony wore a spiffy looking pith helmet and a matching jacket, her mane looking slightly messy and with a greyscale rainbow pattern on it. "She's had hundreds of books written about her adventures! The Pony you saw at the fair I -think- was a bigger fan than me who likes dressin' up as Daring Do and goin' on crazy adventures; I went with her one time on another journey where we discovered a floating city that wasn't made of clouds but that's another story."

"If you have a lead, I say we follow it, Though we should probably lie low at least a little longer. It's likely they expect us to skip town, I say we get your full money's worth out of this room before we go anywhere..."

​

"Well... Really Chief Zeti is our best bet if we wanna learn anythin' about El coltrado and how this thing relates to it."The mare said with her hoof to her chin in thought. Going over to her bags she took out her map once again and spread it over a table nearby. Pointing her hoof to one path on the map she began to look over the landmarks and illustrations with a look of concentration and intense excitement,"Let's see... Vukizo is pretty far away. It's gonna be quite the trip even if we took the main road. We should probably take the route through the mountains...ya don' mind walkin' do ya?" she asked her friend with a chuckle.

-----The shrouded lake-----

That was one long trip! It took a full week to cross the mountain range and make it to Mount Vukizo. Presteza and Seren's decision to stay off the typical routes to the Zeti's village was a pretty smart choice as neither would have seen anyone tailing them. The long trip was something that Presteza was fully used to, although she wasn't too sure about Serendipity. She could only hope her friend was fairing well with the chosen path as she really didn't look the type who was accustomed to hoofing it all the way to a destination on her own.

Once the two mare's arrived at their destination, they were greeted by the sight of large pillars of smoke billowing from the lake they approached. behind the shrouded lake was a massive maountain that loomed almost menacingly over the region. "This is the place, alright!" neighed the freckled unicorn as she happily took in the scenery, "The Shrouded lake, on the other side o' that big mountain is where we're headed. There's a village there that'll help us out, I know the chief there!"

[RarityDash]

"Well, Seren... how do I begin... Daring do is a super cool adventurer, treasure hunter, and explorer created by one of Equestria's greatest literary minds; A.K. Yearling. She's had hundreds of books written about her adventures! The Pony you saw at the fair I -think- was a bigger fan than me who likes dressin' up as Daring Do and goin' on crazy adventures; I went with her one time on another journey where we discovered a floating city that wasn't made of clouds but that's another story."

"Huh..." Seren started blankly. Pres sure seemed enthused about this pony, whoever she was. "So she's like a character in adventure books..."

The Las Pegasus mare really hadn't heard the name before. She didn't honestly have much exposure to mainstream collective culture. She read sometimes, when there was absolutely nothing better to do, but usually it was more highbrow stuff she went for. She really only became familiar with big cultural milestones when something like a show or play based on them opened at one of the casinos in Las Pegasus.

"Really, in my experience, the real world is far too big and far too interesting to get lost in works of fiction," Seren said conclusively. "Whoever Daring Do is, I'm sure that the real story is the one that follows the real ponies, like you and your costumed friend."

​

"Well... Really Chief Zeti is our best bet if we wanna learn anythin' about El coltrado and how this thing relates to it. Let's see... Vukizo is pretty far away. It's gonna be quite the trip even if we took the main road. We should probably take the route through the mountains...ya don' mind walkin' do ya?"

Serendipity laughed. "Look at you deciding everything on your own," she said, smiling.

Presteza apparently wasn't very interest in paying mind to her suggestion to wait and lie low, and instead was quick making plans to walk through the mountains, plans that Serendipity could somehow tell she wouldn't be able to shake her from even if she protested. Of course, it wasn't like Serendipity had any real complaints for that. She was cool with anything really.

"Lucky for you, I'm not somepony who minds getting tugged around, least of all if it's by a pretty mare," she said, smiling. "As for walking, I'm no workhorse, but I'm not a featherweight either. You don't have to worry about me getting all prissy about there being dirt on my tired hooves or anything like that. It's no big deal."

​

"This is the place, alright! The Shrouded lake, on the other side o' that big mountain is where we're headed. There's a village there that'll help us out, I know the chief there!"

Despite what Serendipity had said, a week later, she really couldn't deny that the trek through the mountains had kind of pretty much sucked. Pressy was still there at least, so that made it kind of fun, but Seren missed beds pretty badly. Still, she didn't audibly complain much. It was arduous and felt downright never ending, but eh, the scenery was okay, and at least it was something different from her norm. It wasn't something she'd be eager to repeat, but a protracted trek through the mountains of Unyasi was at least an experience.

"That Zeti, you've mentioned before?" Seren started when Pressy spoke to her. "I've been meaning to ask you about that. How do you know this zebra chief anyway?'

​

[Bellosh]

A week passed since Daring Do’s first encounter with the two travellers Quick Brush and Lady Luck. Two days after a fruitless stakeout of the Clawifax city gates, our adventurer realized that the owners of the coveted Gem weren’t coming out the front door. Indeed, Daring did not give them the credit they deserved, for further exploration of the natural landscape outside the city revealed telltale signs that two wanderers trekking through the wilderness no less than a day ago. Daring Do was already behind her quarry by a day!

Further complicating the hunt, Quick Brush and Lady Luck seemed to be surprisingly good at throwing potential pursuers off their scent. Even for a skilled tracker like Daring Do, she found it tough figuring out their winding course through the Unyasan highlands. And so for five agonizing days, Daring braved jagged rocks and bone-chilling skies, tirelessly remaining on the Gem’s trail.

It was only in the veils of the Shrouded Lake where Daring Do finally caught up with the two trotters. Steam from the volcanic lake covered the lands, giving the heroic pegasus the cover she needed to silently creep from the rear, eavesdropping from the rear:

“.....On the other side o’ big Mount Vukizo is where we’re headed,” came a voice sounding like that of the painter unicorn; “I know the chief of the village there.”

“Chief Tize?” replied Quick’s mysterious counterpart; “How do you know her anyway?” Yes, that was a very good question. One that the hidden Daring Do wouldn’t mind hearing the answer for.

[Pretzelparty]

"That Zeti, you've mentioned before?" Seren started when Pressy spoke to her. "I've been meaning to ask you about that. How do you know this zebra chief anyway?'[/bg]

Presteza was once again enraptured by the beautiful scenery of this area, memorizing all the shading and colors in the landscape with the hopes of painting it sometime later on. She was luckily jarred from her inspiration induced trance by the sound of her friend's voice.

"Oh I actually met Chief Zeti on my first trip to Unyasi. I'd been traveling through the mountain range fer a while back then and eventually I managed ta make it ta this area and I met Chief Zeti and her tribe. They gave me a nice meal and I even got ta bathe in the lake ta get rid of the ... sweaty smell I'd kinda gotten from the non stop trek to this place. This places healing properties weren't exaggerated... maybe we should ask the local later if we could use a bath later" she asked her pale blue friend with a playful smile. Luckily for Presteza and her friend, they didn't smell too bad. Presteza always came prepared when it came to her adventures and brought some towels and things to keep themselves at least bearably clean.

After a swift yet subtle change in the wind, the painter's snout began to twitch a moment as she caught a whiff of a smell comparable to the one she had when she had traveled non-stop to this area with no hygienic supplies... although this one was obviously not coming from her or Serendipity. It was actually coming from some where behind them if the wind was taken into account. After one or two sniff the mare nonchalantly levitated a pebble up in front of her, out of view of where the perceived intruder's perspective then turned to Seren,"Wanna see how far I can skip this pebble?" before seren could reply, Presteza whipped herself around and launched the pebble at the source of the scent she'd picked up.

[RarityDash]

Serendipity listened to Pressy's story and nodded. She stretched her wings and then her forelegs and laughed. "Sounds like a pretty sweet deal," she said. "I know I'd ccertainly be up for a solid meal and a nice bath."

The mare gave an affected chuckle and smiled at her companion. "Actually, you know that sounds pretty much awesome." Her eyes went toward the lake and she raised her steam clouded shades to examine it more closely. It had a real unique, mysterious look to it, this aptly named Shrouded Lake. It reminded her of a great hot springs she had once visited on a trip to Corralwood Corral.

"I bet the water feels amazing..." she said through a sigh.

At Pressy's comment about skipping a pebble, Seren was at first confused. Pressy wasn't looking the right way to skip a stone on the lake surface. She was looking instead toward something behind them. She then threw the small stone before Serendipity could reply to the question. What followed was the sound of it connecting with something, but sooner than it should have hit the ground. Serendipity's eyes widened as she started to understand.

"We were followed?" she started, looking at the young painter. Herself not waiting for a response this time, she stepped out in front of Pressy.

"Whoever's there, you better show yourself now!" she demanded.

​

[Bellosh]

.............

Out of the peasoup mist came a flying rock, speeding so fast at Daring Do that she had no time to react. The projectile hit the pegasus square in her right eye, causing the mare to give a cry of pain. How could Daring Do be so careless? What if that had been a dart instead? This adventure could have come to an untimely end right there and then!

Whether Quick Brush threw that pebble on accident or on purpose, Daring Do wouldn’t be having any of it. The adventurer emerged out of the fog, her black eye plain to see for Quick Brush and Lady Luck. And Daring didn’t look too happy either, although she tried hiding it. “Not bad... for an amateur,” she grumbled half-heatedly to the painter.

[Pretzelparty]

"We were followed?" she started, looking at the young painter. Herself not waiting for a response this time, she stepped out in front of Pressy.

"Whoever's there, you better show yourself now!" she demanded.

​

From the almost immediate cry of pain that came from the mists, Presteza had determined that the stone hit it's mark. She almost felt sorry for the owner of the voice but she really shouldn't have been skulking about in the mists and stalking them ... and if she didn't wanna get sniffed out she should have kept down wind of them at all times. Presteza, in hindsight had to admit that she probably could have picked a smaller stone to spare their stalker a bit of pain.

While Serendipity looked rather weathered from their long trek here, she still seemed to have enough strength and courage left in her to take the helm and demand that their pursuer show themselves! She was a lot more spirited than Pressy thought. She wasn't really sure why her friend decided to take the front seeing as Pressy seemed to be the most physically inclined between the both of them. Back at the festival she'd managed to do a number on a few of their assailants but in the end the had to retreat with Seren flying Pressy to relative safety with a bit of difficulty until they'd found a way to sneak into an inn.

“Not bad... for an amateur,” she grumbled half-heatedly to the painter.

Once the pony following them stepped out of the mists she couldn't help but wince at the sight of the shiner she'd given the Daring Do impersonator. Poking her head out from behind her friend she laughed just as half heartedly as the pony confronting her and her companion, "Sorry about that, Pathy. Ya really shouldn't make a habit outta sneakin' up on ponies as on edge as we've 'ad ta be." Taking a second to adjust her hat, perhaps in some attempt to seem a tad intimidating she stepped out from behind Seren and approached the black eyed adventurer. Presteza thrust out her hoof in an accusatory manner in the direction of the pony in the pith helmet, "... Besides, wot was with that scam ya tried ta pull back at the festival. If ya wanted in on an adventure ya should've known ya could've talked ta me about it. I mean I thought I'd proven I can handle myself in the field already! ... or did Mbili'pembe not matter to you? OH, and wot's with yer new demeanor or wotever? ya takin' yer Darin' Do worship to another level or somethin'?" Needless to say Presteza was pretty sore at the pony she presumed to be her friend, If there was one thing this mare didn't like it was being swindled... and for a friend of hers to try and snatch a lead on an adventure away from her was just ... Rude!

[RarityDash]

(ooc: sorry for the huge delays!))

Serendipity stared ahead as the pony who had been tailing them emerged. It was, as perhaps could be expected, the same pegasus mare who they had encountered back in the city. Presteza had said this was a one time ally of hers called Pathfinder, but even if that was the case it didn't really explain her behavior back in the city. Perhaps it was just her instinct as a casino mare, but it was hard for Seren not to be wary of someone who had knowingly tried to swindle something of value away from Pressy. It was her experience that cheaters never truly learned.

"So, this is the friend I've heard so much about?" she started as she slunk up to the mare. "Some friend. You have a lot to answer for, Miss Pathfinder. Or haven't you learned that it's not a cool thing to do, trying to trick your hooves onto something that doesn't belong to you."

The lavender pegasus clicked her tongue and sighed. "That kind of shady stuff gets ponies ejected from the premises where I come from. A sweet mare like Pressy here certainly doesn't deserve it."

​

[RainbowFoxxy]

It seemed as if the intrepid Daring Do had met her match with these two mares. She managed to tail them for a week through the harsh territory Unaysian without a problem but she had also blown her cover to bits! She may have helped Quick Brush in the past but it didn't look like any amount of sweet talk was going to help her now. Lady Luck had taken a protective stance over her any way, leaving little room for Daring Do to charm the gem back from Quick Brush's hooves. It seemed trickery was not going to work any more.

A.K. Yearling sat back in her chair, her pen held loosely in her muzzle. Was now the right time in a novel for Daring DO to reveal herself? Would the characters she was writing be ones that would believe her even if she told them the truth? In most of her books thus far it had just been assumed by the characters that Daring Do was exactly who she said she was. But that was not the case here. Would the readers find it entertaining to see how the characters related to the true identity of "Pathfinder"? She decided she would find out later when the book was publish.

"Well, here goes nothing!" A.K. leaned back over her paper and continued to write...

and wot's with yer new demeanor or wotever? ya takin' yer Darin' Do worship to another level or somethin'?

That kind of shady stuff gets ponies ejected from the premises where I come from

Do sucked in a breath and walked up to the two mares. She eyed them both for a moment before allowing a smile to spread over her muzzle.

"I'd rather you not eject me from the premises miss." She looked up at the mountain for a moment. They should be near the village. "And miss Quick Brush, you have certainly proven you can handle a situation. Look, it's true that I want another look at that gem you have. It's not that I want to steal it, I just think it's worth more than you know."

She stopped talking for a moment and trotted over to the lake. Taking a cloth from the inside pocket of her fatigues she soaked it in water and placed it on her blackened eye. After this she came back over and winked with her good eye at them. "You want to know a secret?"

The explorer hoped the question would change the train of their thoughts from her being a stalker and somepony trying to steal from them, to finding out something interesting. She had to get these two on her good side again somehow.

[Pretzelparty]

 

 

 

 

"I'd rather you not eject me from the premises miss." She looked up at the mountain for a moment. They should be near the village. "And miss Quick Brush, you have certainly proven you can handle a situation. Look, it's true that I want another look at that gem you have. It's not that I want to steal it, I just think it's worth more than you know."

She stopped talking for a moment and trotted over to the lake. Taking a cloth from the inside pocket of her fatigues she soaked it in water and placed it on her blackened eye. After this she came back over and winked with her good eye at them. "You want to know a secret?"

 

 

 

Needless to say, "Pathfinder's" recent actions had put Presteza's guard up. There was this faint confused feeling that was popping in the back of the young artist's mind; Pathfinder was a lot of things, crazy, adventurous, a fanfilly of anything to bear the Daring Do name... but as far as this pony knew, she wasn't a liar. Was this pony really her friend from the adventure of Mbili'pembe that the two had gone on before? She did seem a bit different. That serious tone that she'd spoken to her at the festival back in town when her cover was blown didn't seem like the usual mannerisms of the pegasus she knew... There was a sudden change in mood from her that made the heiress's brow arch curiously, "Well... I -was- taught how to fight by both my Dad and my brother... they're both in the R.E.A." The mare sighed and looked at the bag at her side, the weight within belonging to the very gem she'd been carrying. 

 

As soon the mist began to shift ever so slightly with the change of the wing the mare reflexively covered her nose with her hoof and coughed, "Maybe we should get ya a bath or somethin'. Tailin' us through the mountain range has not been any good to yer hygiene..." The painter looked toward the village, with another sniff from her she realized that she smelled food! Oh, that's wonderful! It'd been a while since the last proper meal. "And besides that maybe we can get a bite ta eat and tell us yer secret there!" Once the unicorn began to trot towards the village she looked back to the two mares, "You two comin'? This adventure ain't gonna wait on us forever, Y'know."

 

(Ooc: Should I set the scene for the village?)

[RarityDash]

"I'm listening," said Serendipity blankly in response to this Pathfinder's question. "Though you know, you haven't really given us much reason for us to do so yet."

 

Pres spoke then. She alerted them to the presence of a zebra village just ahead. Serendipity wasn't sure that they shouldn't settle this there and now, though she also couldn't deny that it would be great to be able to relax in a village after the long trek through the mountains. Pres didn't seem to be giving them much of an option either way.

 

"Yeah, I guess it can wait until were there..." she said, sighing and shaking her head.

 

She got closer to Pathfinder then and stated at a whisper. "But you had better make this worth our while. Whatever history you and Pres might have together, I still don't trust you for a second."

 

The pegasus said nothing more as she ran to meet Pressy, following her into the village.

​

[RainbowFoxxy]

 

"But you had better make this worth our while. Whatever history you and Pres might have together, I still don't trust you for a second."

 

"Whew! Better watch my step around that one!" Daring Do muttered under her breath as Lady Luck cantered away to catch up with Quick Brush. She certainly was a touchy one. Do had always considered herself happy go lucky and carefree. Sure Quick Brush was pretty but why all this show of protection and territory? It certainly wasn't necessary. She wasn't after the cream colored unicorn but what she had stowed away in her bag! If she could just get her hooves on that stone...that was the only thing that mattered to the intrepid explorer. She had lifted many a prize from monsters ten times the size of Quick Brush but so far the two mares had outsmarted her.

 

Soon the zebra village drew into view. It was situated at the base of the mountain and looked quite humble and unassuming with such a magnificent background. If Lady Luck had said one thing Do could agree with it was that she needed to clean up! Perhaps the zebras would invite them to dinner! One never knew with these tribal communities. Some were very friendly, others not so much. The explorer's eye had begun to ache but for now she tried to ignore it. There were more important things to think about.

 

The chief of the tribe would most likely come out to meet them at the entrance to the village. Already a few zebras had seen them approaching and had trotted off to let the tribe know there were visitors coming their way. Daring Do cantered for a bit to catch up to the other two mares. She was done with slinking around and hiding, it was time to get things moving in her direction!

[Bellosh]

 

For an aging mare with such a heavily worn-down body, Chief Zeti had the surprising ability to quickly respond to new occurrences in her village. Word quickly reached her ears of three visitors; pony visitors. As per local custom, the chief always personally greeted travelers, and so the other zebras cleared a path for Zeti as soon as they saw their beloved elder coming.

 

Chief Zeti recognized one pony, the sole unicorn, as a prior visitor to the village. That one was quite a delightful world-travelling artist. One pegasus was completely unfamiliar to Zeti, but the last pony, the pegasus dressed in explorer garb... it seemed to the aged zebra that this one looked just like the Daring Do character from some of those imported adventure stories from Equestria that found their way to the zebra village.

 

It took a while for Zeti to reach the travelers due to her slow stick-assisted trot, but she eventually got close enough to greet the trio with her weak voice. “Welcome visitors... new and past,” the chief smiled at Presteza; “To our humble... village. Please... follow us.” The chieftain beckoned the ponies to follow her, while the other zebras in the vicinity got to work on preparing a customary welcome banquet.

[Pretzelparty]

 

It took a while for Zeti to reach the travelers due to her slow stick-assisted trot, but she eventually got close enough to greet the trio with her weak voice. “Welcome visitors... new and past,” the chief smiled at Presteza; “To our humble... village. Please... follow us.” The chieftain beckoned the ponies to follow her, while the other zebras in the vicinity got to work on preparing a customary welcome banquet.

 

 

Once the members of the tribe present had parted to let their tribe's leader on to the scene, the painter smiled and trotted happily up to the tribe's elder. Minding the old zebra, she gave her a gentle hug. Normally with other ponies she'd give them a hug that could snatch the wind from their lungs, but with her old friend Chief Zeti, Pressy knew she had to be more mindful with this frail equine. Eventually the young unicorn let go and beamed at the elder mare, "It's great ta see ya again, Elder! It's been way too long! How's life been fer the village since I left?" 

 

Soon the pleasant aroma of food met the mare's nostrils. The cream colored unicorn inhaled deeply, a dreamy look spreading over her face as she remember the last incredible mea she had here. "Me and my friends could use a bath. Speakin' o' which..." Presteza gestured to her fellow equestrian visitors, starting with the pegasus in the pith helmet. "This daring lookin' pony is Pathfinder, Professionally Daring Do cosplayer and slightly nutty adventurer." She then turned to her pale blue friend and smiled, "And this classy mare is Serendipity, My most recent adventurin' buddy... and uh... do ya think we could bother ya fer some information on stuff?" The silver maned unicorn gestured to her bag, her horn lighting up a moment to lift up the flap of the bag to show the elder what she had in her posession.

[RainbowFoxxy]

 

This daring lookin' pony is Pathfinder, Professionally Daring Do cosplayer and slightly nutty adventurer.

 

Do nodded her head swiftly as Quick Brush introduced her to the chief. How convenient that she and the chief of the tribe knew each other. They seemed like a friendly enough bunch anyway but it always helped to have the backing of previous engagement when they had come looking for information. Then the unicorn went for her bag. The adventurer cringed inwardly as she made to show off the gem to the ancient zebra. Nopony knew who else could be watching right now. Quick Brush just didn't know what it was that she had in that bag!

 

However, this Zeti might be able to put together a location for them to travel towards. That would make it worth their while to show the gem, but just to the chief. Do trotted up next to Quick Brush, hoping to get herself in between the bag and the zebra.

 

"Yep! The name's Pathfinder mame. It's a pretty cool thing to get to meet a chief of a clan like this one! Pretty awesome village you run!" She looked around as the wafting of food smells entered her nostrils. "Yum! That smells really good. Maybe we could get some food and then talk about what Quick Brush here has brought with us?"

 

Do had no problem trying to steer a conversation, she just hoped it might go the way she wanted. She had to keep the unicorn from showing too many ponies that gem! It was far too valuable! She sniffed the air again, her stomach rumbling.

 

"Wow! Smells so good! I could use some food for sure!" She trotted forward into the village. Usually the chief had a special hut of their own. If they could get Zeti alone, that would be the best way to talk about the gem. As it was, curious tribe members were beginning to encircle them.

[RarityDash]

"Charmed to meet you Ms. Elder," Serendipity said as Pressy introduced her to the aged zebra.

 

She looked about like you'd expect the elder of a zebra village would look and seemed to move and speak slowly. She didn't seem an especially interesting sort to Seren, but she supposed elders like that always had hidden depths. It was at the least nice to see that this was someone who Pressy seemed more eager to trust, and who seemed to trust the unicorn in return.

 

"A bath, food and information all do sound like nice things to get to," she said as the conversations continued. Ultimately, however, her eyes settled on Pathfinder. "I'm especially eager to see a certain somepony come clean with us. I think it's pretty clear we all have a lot here to discuss."

​

[Bellosh]

 

Chief Zeti fought the temptation to immediately start asking questions about the travels of the three ponies, for they first obviously needed some recuperation. After officially extending hospitality to her guests, the elderly zebra let them take soothing baths to cleanse themselves after their long journey. As the water used to bathe the ponies came all the way from the hot springs of the Shrouded Lake, the ponies from far away would find themselves especially rejuvenated once they’ve dried themselves off.

 

Rather conveniently, this also gave the villagers time to set up a welcome meal for Presteza, Serendipity, and… Pathfinder, the adventurer. By the time all three finished cleaning themselves off, the dinner was ready to be served. For this special occasion, the zebras prepared ugali, dishes of maize flour cooked with water to form a porridge, which was served alongside a cabbage-like plant known to the locals as Sukuma Wiki. The zebra hosts also provided fresh cow’s milk for their guests to drink. All the residents worked hard to ensure the ponies enjoyed their feast, and their efforts would have definitely shown.

 

The only downside to this warm welcome was that the ponies ate along with every other zebra in village, meaning that no private matters could have been discussed with Chief Zeti at the time. In fact, it wasn’t until sundown before the ponies finally had an opportunity to request a private audience with Zeti, which of course she granted. As the welcome banquet died down, the old mare slowly led the group towards her tent, but not without finishing up an anecdote about a humorous experience out on the savanna years ago; “...and that’s why… you never, never, EVER, mock an elephant.”

[Pretzelparty]

 

The only downside to this warm welcome was that the ponies ate along with every other zebra in village, meaning that no private matters could have been discussed with Chief Zeti at the time. In fact, it wasn’t until sundown before the ponies finally had an opportunity to request a private audience with Zeti, which of course she granted. As the welcome banquet died down, the old mare slowly led the group towards her tent, but not without finishing up an anecdote about a humorous experience out on the savanna years ago; “...and that’s why… you never, never, EVER, mock an elephant.”

 

Dinner was incredibly delicious, the bath was incredibly soothing, and the locals were more than hospitable. The chief had told many amusing stories that would occupy the young painter's memories for quite a while. The chief's latest story got quite a few laughs from the cream colored unicorn as her and her friends finally made it to the tent. Once the group was all inside, Presteza magically closed up the front and took a deep breath, "Chief, Thanks for all yer hospitality and great stories but... we've got some really important business ta discuss." The painter sat down and took a deep breath, "Do you know anything about the lost city of El coltrado, or if getting to it requires a... gem of somekind?"

[RainbowFoxxy]

 

It had been a pleasant time in the zebra encampment, or it would have been if Do could just get herself to calm down. All she could do was think about the gem and try to devise a way to get it back from Quick Brush. it just seemed that Serendipity was there at every turn! Every time she had tried to get near the bag that had the gem, the pegasus was there! Clearly this was not the way to get what she wanted...the Gem. The key to the lost city...the lost artifacts... the lost TREASURE!

 

"Keep it cool..." Do muttered to herself under her breath as the zebra matriarch finished another tale. If she had really been listening, Do probably would have laughed. The stories were really good, really funny. But, there were more pressing things on her mind.

 

 "Do you know anything about the lost city of El coltrado, or if getting to it requires a... gem of somekind?"

 

"Great!" She muttered again. Just what she needed, more ponies in on the gem and its location. She glanced a Quick Brush. At least she hadn't revealed the gem...yet.

 

She had been about to reveal her identity to those two, and now here they were, about to bring Zeti in on this. Maybe they would have the presence of mind not to mention they actually had the Gem? She had to get the chief out of the tent. There was no reason to reveal too much to more than she had to. Clearly she would have to bring Serendipity in on this though it would have been sooooo much easier just to deal with Quick Brush.

 

Do sat back, adjusting the pith helmet between her ears. Better find out what the chief knew before revealing anything to these ponies...

[RarityDash]

Clean, fed and just generall refreshed, Serendipity found herself in a better mood than before. She enjoyed the company of the zebras and listening to their stories, though she focused more on how they were told than on the tales themselves. She had never been amongst a tribe of zebras before, so it really was a treat to see how they lived and spoke. The food was the only part she wasn't so sure about. Porridge, some kind of cabbage and milk was hardly her idea of a feast. She began to wonder where all the secret tribal wines and liqueurs were, though she kept such thoughts to herself.

 

Though she did her best to absorb the tribal culture, thinking to herself the sorts of things she'd write in her notebook that night, Serendipity all the while kept her suspicions and her guard up when it came to Pathfinder. There was just something unsavory about her character. Something just kind of off. Perhaps it was nothing, but Serendipity had pretty strong intuition, so she kind of doubted it. There was something strange afoot here, and Serendiptiy wasn't going to let her pretty little friend get the wool pulled over her eyes as a result of it.

 

Pressy, meanwhile, seemed so lightning focused on finding out where to go next, what the truth of the gem she held was. This was understandable too, but Serendipity wasn't sure it was quite for the best. It was when you just focused on a single task at hoof that you were most prone to being swindled. She would have to keep an eye on the situation for sure.

 

"Lost city, huh?" Seren said, reacting to Pressy's question. "You mentioned something about a city before, but this is the first I'm hearing about this all."

 

"Certainly sounds like an adventure," she muttered, curious to see how the aged zebra would respond... and perhaps even more curious to see the same from the other pegasus mare.

​

[Bellosh]

 

Sometimes, Equestrian ponies struck Chief Zeti as rather odd. Such as right now, with Presteza feeling the need to privately ask for information about the mythical city that ponies called “El Coltrado”. Zeti knew her fair share of the story about the place, but in the grand scheme of things, El Coltrado was just a legend. A story told to zebras primarily because of its timeless moral more than anything else. Zeti certainly wouldn’t know how to find the place; locating a lost jungle civilization was far beyond the expertise of a humble tribal chieftain who lived on the opposite end of Unyasi.

 

“Oh ho ho ho ho...“ the old zebra mare chuckled as she slowly paced back and forth; “I know the legend... about the Fall of the Great Jungle City... but that’s about it. Say, young ones... you are familiar with the tale... are you not?” Chief Zeti suspected that in the process of making its way across the Sparking Sea, key details about the story of El Coltrado got lost in translation or outright fabricated, meaning she’d have to provide the travelling group with a little... enlightenment.