Fear Upon The Horizon: Rebirthby Lunarus Solaris NexusChaptersChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4Chapter 5Chapter 6Chapter 7Chapter 8PrologueChapter 1This was strange, Lorthalis had never known true nothingness until now. He wasn't sure what had actually happened. The last thing he recalled was Mother summoning him to the palace's main chamber, Nacht was there with them then nothing. Lorthalis began wondering what he could’ve done but a sudden feeling of an actual feeling beneath his… middle thing, whatever ponies called it. It was a foreign feeling. Soft but also very itchy. The world opened up in front of him in a blur of green and brown. Lorthalis heard what sounded like birds as the wooded clearing became clearer. She realized that they were laying down when a blade of grass poked her right eye. They stood up unsteady. “A mortal body?” Lorthalis asked himself. “Far too long since I have inhabited a body.” He looked down at his body and found the red fur and egg white hoofs showing at the ends of his legs. A lock of white hair fell in front of his eye when he looked up and he was surprised. He had never appeared with such an obvious physical trait. Not that it mattered at the moment, he was not going to remain in it much longer.. Lorthalis tried to focus his magic to reform into his ethereal form but failed to even feel the tingle of magic. He tried several times but nothing worked, no matter how he tried to summon her magic, it just would not come. “Blast it all!” Lorthalis said to herself. “This must be the doing of my foolish brother." He heard a rather strange sound come from his left. He spun around and was greeted by a small creature covered in brown fur. Its long bushy tail twitched behind it and it held something in its hands. It stared up at him as if waiting for something. "What are you looking at you little vermin!? Dose thou not know who I am!? You will kneel!" The creature remained and only hid the object it was holding. "You will kneel before us or we shall be forced to end thee!" He shouted in his Godly Voice, at least that still worked. The little creature still stood defiant. "Very well." Lorthalis said standing tall. "You will learn respect in the next life!" He held his hoofs high waiting for something but it nothing happened. "I said, YOU WILL LEARN RESPECT IN THE NEXT LIFE!" Still nothing. "Now I know there is something wrong. There is suppose to be a detonation of considerable force that would obliterate you!" The little creature angrily threw its object at him, hitting him on the… front face thing. "Blast it all Brother." he muttered turning his back. "Whatever he has done now will surly upset Mother. I must speak to her…. Now how is it that the mortals speak to Mother?" He asked turned back to the creature. It only offered a hostile screech of sorts before running off into the forest. "Fine! I shall find someone who shall. I pray." Finding someone to tell him something useful was harder than it sounded. Several winged creatures refused to tell him and he intern failed to destroy them. He was not normally on to act violently towards other creatures but his temper was short today and growing shorter by the minute. He also found several large furry creatures that roared at him when he came near and chased him up a tree. He had never actually been in a mortal body very long. There was a growing feeling in his… middle thing that felt rather empty. That and his eyes were constantly trying to shut and his mind was very sluggish. It was somewhere near midday when he had woken up and the sun was quickly starting to go down. If this world was as hostile towards mortals during the day Lorthalis was worried how much worse it could get. He did however get lucky as the sun was near the horizon and see an orange glow from the east. He made his way towards it as fast as his strangely weaker legs could carry him. He did arrive at a small town as the sun fully vanished under the tree top horizon. The building walls of almost all buildings were either stone bricks or cobblestone with wooden roofs. The torch lights on the streets cast their glow across darkness as mortals bustled about. He couldn't understand why his mind wasn't as sharp as it should be so Lorthalis didn't notice exactly what all the buildings were exactly as he trudged through the streets. He could see a large marble building on a hill lit up by massive hearths. Lorthalis stumbled and nearly fell. He caught himself and sat down for a moment. Not a long moment but long enough for what he considered a gift from Mother to come to him. "Excuse me," a mare asked to his right. "Are you well?" Lorthalis looked up and vaguely saw a pony, his vision was starting to blur. "I am fine, peasant. Show me to the place of worship now. My patience is wearing thin this day." "I may not be the village's medicine mare but you certainly need some time to rest before speaking to the Gods. I am-" She placed a hoof on his shoulder to help him up. "I do not care!" He said pathetically shoving her off. "I…. What was it that I wanted? Why are you yellow?" "Come stranger. Come and rest. Cave Diver, prepare a room!" she said taking him by the shoulders. Lorthalis was far too weak to fight back this time. She struggled holding him up as he was practically dragged to what was quickly becoming a blurry amalgamation of shadows and lights. In the tallest lights a shadow appeared before rushing back into the lights. Then it all went black. Author's Note Nexus: OH MY GOD A STORY THAT ISN'T ABOUT ME! Are you feeling alright? Me: -_- I'ma fuck you up if you don't stop with your sass. Nexus: I'm you so how does that work? Me: The same as you sleeping on my couch that one time. Nexus: You said you wouldn't talk about that man! Me: I lied. Chapter 2Sweet. Whatever she could smell it was sweet. She wasn't sure how she knew what sweet was but she wanted it. Curse this mortal body, unable to sustain itself long enough for her to even so much as get directions. Why had she been so weak? This wasn't something that she had dealt with the last time she was in a mortal body. She did feel the heavy feeling she had once but she returned to the Spirit Realm when it happened. Something was draining her then! She was under attack! No… No she felt better now. Still heavy but not as weak or useless. Now the question remained, where was she exactly? Lorthalis opened her eyes and felt the stinging pain of the sun's rays hit her dead on. She groaned and rolled over, taking most of the… fabric stuff that was on top of her in the same direction. No she knew what this was, bedding. Last she'd seen bedding, ponies were still using hay. Moving more carefully she found that it was still indeed hay just covered by cloth and in a wooden casing. Lorthalis sat up, keeping away from the light and tried to let the world come into focus. Simple wooden room, nothing more nothing less. The bed was near an open window to the day light and near the centered door was… big box with doors and a mirror on a table. All that gave any sense of size in the room was the low table near the bed. She sniffed the air again, trying to get more of that sweet smell into her nose. That smell alone was making her feel better. Looking down at herself, she had no marks of a fight or being injured, so definitely not attacked by anything. She was still in her red and white form, to her dismay. She took a step off the bedding and felt a rush of something to her head. A gray curtain started closing in on all sides from inside of her own head and nearly taking her entire range of vision. She took deep breaths, trying to summon magic to get her out of there, but the light headed feeling and gray curtain vanished just as quickly as it had arrived. Shaking the feeling, she steadied herself and made her way to the door. It opened just as she reached for the handle. On the other side the yellow mare she had encountered… previously. "Good to see your awake Darling." she said with a smile. Lorthalis was about to berate her for calling her "Darling" but was suddenly hit by that sweet smell again. It made her middle section growl. "Seems your hungry. Good thing I was on my way up." The mare stepped past Lorthalis, and she caught the strongest sniff of the sweet thing she'd had. Looking over to her, she noticed the sliver offering tray balanced on her back, her wings keeping it perfectly level, with a pot of something steaming and a stack of some bread covered in a thin white layer of something on top. Lorthalis' midsection rumbled hard and something in her mind begged her to take it as soon as possible. She wasn't sure exactly what she'd do with it but she knew it would make the rumbling stop. "The baker didn't have in the way of variety but this should sate your appetite for now." Lorthalis walked up to the table as she set everything down with her hoofs. "We have glazed scones and tea." "Bounty is something I convent normally. But considering resent events we will be glad to accept your offering." Lorthalis said not taking her eyes off the plate. "Well…. I am grateful you are pleased. May I have your name?" "Lorthalis." She looked surprised. "Lorthalis? As in the Patron God of this town?" "I do not know exactly what towns I have given my blessing to but if it makes sense then the same." The mare suddenly burst into laughter. "You? HA! You're Lord Lorthalis!?" "Puny mortal, you dare question me!?" Lorthalis said slamming her hoof on the table. "If you are Lorthalis, I am Lady Faust!" she continued her bout of laughter for a moment longer, Lorthalis growing more and more annoyed with her. "And what is so amusing mortal?" "You seem so serious about it! *snort* You truly look like you meant it." "I do. I am Lord Lorthalis!" "Well then, Lorthalis, welcome to Crows. Now eat up. My brother will be showing you to the temple before lunch." "Temple?" "You requested to know where we talk to the Gods last night. And Cave Diver needs to see the new paintings anyways." "Very well. Leave us so we may… Eat." Lorthalis just looked at the plate of… scones and the pot of… what was it? Tea? "Does their Worshipfulness not know what eating is?" "Of course I know what eating is! Now leave us Plebian!" "Very well Dear. And if you are going to address me, address me as Miss Check." Check said getting up. "You pour the tea into the cup next to the pot." She said condescendingly. "Away with you!" Lorthalis said unable to summon her Godly Voice. Check shut the door behind her and left Lorthalis alone with the food. What was it she said? Pour the tea into a cup? There was an abysmally small challis sitting next to the pot. She lifted the lid and sniffed the steaming brown liquid. It was nowhere near as pleasant as the scones. It smelled…. bitter? She wasn't sure what the word meant but it smelled bitter. Lorthalis set the top back on it and put her hoofs on either side. The rumbling continued getting worse just from her proximity to the pastries. There was a tube going from the pot and just hanging in the air. She assumed that was where it came out judging from the hole on the end. She tilted the pot towards the challis. The brown liquid began to rapidly flow out and into the challis, quickly filling it over the brim. Lorthalis yelped and stopped as soon as she could. By then the tray was retaining more tea than the challis. She set the pot down and attempted to handle the challis in the same way, a hoof on each side. As she raised the challis to her face, the challis slipped up her hoof and tipped over enough to spill over more. Lorthalis shouted in pain as the searing hot liquid burned her flesh. Nothing major but it certainly hurt. She blew on her right hoof to cool the burn and decided to leave the tea alone for now. She sifted her focus to the scones and wasn't quite sure what to do. She'd been to a feast once before but didn't "eat". She just fed what was on her plate to the Lioness that was sitting next to her. The tea pooled under the plate the scones sat on wafting the bitter smell through the sweet scent of the glazed balls of bread. Whatever glazed meant. She picked one up in her hoof, the white layer sticking to her hoof but also feeling very solid. She began to think back to that banquet, the mortals were putting stuff like this in their mouths and doing…. something, she was still shaky on exactly what it was they were doing. She'd come this far, she leant down and took a bite out of it. Her eyes grew wide at the magnificent sensation. Whatever glazed was, she loved it! She chewed, wondering how she knew what it was, and swallowed. The empty feeling in her midsection grew lesser but the grumbling grew stronger. She began mercilessly biting into the scone with renewed vigor. If she'd had even a single thought of savoring the sweet taste it was long gone. Once the first was gone she moved to another and knocked a couple off the plate and onto the tea covered tray. After finishing the plate, she moved to the ones that fell in the tea just for neatness' sake. When she took a bite of it she let out an involuntary moan of satisfaction. If the scones tasted good before, they tasted much better with the tea as opposed to without. The contrast in flavors blew Lorthalis' mind! She couldn't quite explain why. The deluge of feelings washing over her taste buds was overriding any other thought that could've possibly distracted her. She spent Lord knows how long eating and dunking the scones with the greed of a dragon. Once she'd finished she finally took notice of what she'd been doing. The table was a mess with crumbs and spilt tea. At the thought, she took the challis and drank from it. The tea on its own was bitter as she'd thought just a good kind of bitter. Lorthalis wasn't completely sure what the bad version was but it might've been advantageous to stay a while longer in this body, if only to have more scones. But it was time to move on. She sat and drank tea for a time before getting up and making her way to the door. She hadn't noticed until now, but the empty feeling was gone… What was it Check called it, Hungry? Needless to say Lorthalis was glad to be rid of it. Chapter 3Check, who Lorthalis heard being called Fact Checker, was busy in the common area. Unlike the room, the floors were made of smooth stone slabs. Several round tables were scattered in what could've been a uniform pattern but it didn't matter to him. There was a long table set into the floor rather than placed on it with large barrels hanging from the wall. Spouts like the one on the tea pot came from the bottom but they didn't spill anything out. Fact Checker was behind it cleaning a wooden mug and the only living pony that was there at the moment was a light orange pegasus. His black and yellow mane was much less formally set as Check's. Her mane was tied up traditionally and cut short while his was strangely long. It reached to his back with a piece of twine holding it together near the top. The stallion's mane wasn't kept from the looks of it, and that included the fur. Though as thin as anypony else's it was matted from dirt and mud. He saw Lorthalis come down and looked up to him with his deep brown eyes and smiled. "Mornin'." He hesitated before ending the sentence, as though there was something else he wanted to say. "Glad to see you're up and walkin'." "Your concern is well noted." Lorthalis replied. "Your name really Lorthalis?" "Don't push it Spel." Check said setting the mug down. "This is my younger brother, Cave Diver." "Everypony calls me Spel though." Lorthalis noticed something odd between the two. He sported a very thick accent while hers, if any, was much more subtle. "A pleasure. Though may I ask why?" "Why what?" "Why you have two names?" "Oh! It’s a nickname. It's short for Spelunk." Lorthalis looked at him more confused. "It's what I do." "Sp- I'm sorry what?" "Spelunk means cave diver." Check said growing impatient "Wait…" Lorthalis said pondering a thought. "You were named Cave Diver?" "Yes." Spel responded. "And you became a cave diver?" "What are you getting at?" "Were you named Cave Diver first or were you without a name until you decided to?" "I was named it and I ended up liking it." "Is this new to you Dear?" Check asked putting down the mug annoyed. "As a matter of fact it is." Lorthalis said sneering at her. "Pardon me if you mortals confuse me to no end." "Stop calling us that you twit. You're not a God." "Who said I was? I am a Spirit madam and I would appreciate it if you'd treat me as such." "When I see it Dear, I'll believe it." "When Mother returns my power I shall!" "Spel… Get him out of here before I do something I'll regret." "Yes Ma'am." He said with urgency. "Come on Mate 'fore she makes good on that." he said trotting over to him quickly. "I will not be-" "Shut up and run!" Spel said using his head to shove Lorthalis towards the door. Though most of his strength had returned he was far outclassed by Spel in terms of physical strength. They burst out into the warm climate of the, what seemed to be, midday. The stone structures of the buildings was much clearer to him now than it had been the night before. Most of the buildings seemed to be as simple as he had thought. Stone walls with straw and mud roofs. Most of the buildings seemed to be living quarters, judging from the lines of clothing going across the dirt road. Now getting a much clearer view at Crow, it was much larger than he had noticed. There was a larger hill than he had seen the night prior. He saw the columned building before but not the surrounding structures. They were smaller and had brownish red roofs as opposed to the yellowish brown of the current street he was on. He couldn't see much below the hill due to a towering wall around the inner city. He could see the top of a large roof but it wasn't very clear from his perspective. "Hope you got the tax, 'cause I don't know if I can spot ya." Spel said starting towards the wall. "Tax?" "You gotta pay to enter Crows." "But we're in Crows aren't we?" "You're really not from 'round here are ya?" "If I was would the question have been asked? Now answer me before my I…" "Before you…?" "Before I…I will let you know when we have return to Canterlot." "Riiiiight. Well Crow is where we are now. Crows is on the inside the wall. It's the upper class section of the city. Mostly rich ponies and their help live there. The King Especially." "And this temple… is it there as well?" "Obviously! The priests live in Crows too. Well, they live with the King." "As in in his palace?" "Yes. He's closest to the Gods after all." "That I doubt highly." "You know you shouldn't talk like that in Crows. They might up and throw you in the dungeon. Or worse." "I fear not what you mortals have in store for me. If anything were to happen to me, Mother would be furious." "Look Mate, just try and act normal please? I'd be carted off with ya so I'd like to come home tonight." "Very well. What is normal down here?" "Well for one we don't talk like we're talkin' to a king all day. Try to be less formal and natural." "This is not informal?" "No. In what world is that informal?" "I believe it is this one." "Well it isn't. Try sayin' somethin' like I do." "I would rather not partake." "You said you'd give it a chance. God's don't go back on their word." "I did not promise anything." "Well unless you're up to being arrested then promise you'll try." Lorthalis sighed in frustration. "Very well. Proceed." "Alright! Repeat after me. 'I'd like passage to Crows Sir (Sah)." "I wo-" "I'd." "What?" "It's I and Would put together. Makes it quicker to say thin's. Go on then, try it." "I'd like passage to Crows." "Now that's formal here. Well when you're talking to guards or priest. If we have to see the king just talk normal." "I do not like it." "Don't." "How many words do you put together you lazy ponies!?" "A lot actually. And uh… What's your real name? Just between us." Lorthalis rolled his eyes. "My name is Lorthalis. You know that." "I know but you can't be. It's against their will to be named after them." "So? I decree parts of that will." "Well… I know that, honestly. But you can't just say that without something to back it up to the priests. They'll have you arrested." Spel said nervously. Lorthalis didn't pick up on it. "Thank Mother you believe me. Hm, I do understand the point. What would you suggest for me then?" "Suggest for what?" "A name. Something to fool them into allowing me in." "Oh… Uh…" Spel looked to Lorthalis' flank and he got slightly insulted. "What?" "Well you don't have a cutie mark." "A what?" "A cutie mark? The mark that represents your talent?" "My talent is keeping order in the world. What does that have to do with my… whatever that part is." he said pointing to his flank. "Flank. But all ponies that discover their talent get a mark on their flank. See?" Spel stopped and pointed to his flank. On it was an image of a hook thing over a torch. "Fascinating." "They do oddly have a lot to do with our names… But I'm not sure what yours would even be…" "Alpha." "No." Spel said as he started walking again. "It needs to at least sound like a pony name." "No'loc." following him. "What?" "Combining words. Not and Local." "Again, has to sound at least kind of like a name." "Then I do not know." "Don't. Hm… What about Lolk?" "Lolk?" Lorthalis said in disgust. "It hardly fi-" "You're a pony right now and other ponies have to believe that. It's very different and is kind of a short of your name. Lolk." Lorthalis groaned, despite not fully liking the name he'd have to suffer through it until he could get to the temple. "Lolk it is then." "Yay! Now back to language!" "Fun…." Chapter 4It was torture learning a dialect. He had enough trouble just figuring out what a lot of prayers were saying! Now he had to talk like them. Hopefully it won't last too long. Sadly the outer city was much larger than he had anticipated, leaving a long period of walking to learn how to talk like a mortal. He was admittedly enjoying much of what he was learning but more of it was just what he said to keep Spel off his back. He did admire his attitude however. He was confident and bold yet strangely open about himself. Apparently he and his sister use to be treasure hunters. She stopped when it wasn't turning a profit but Spel continues his quests. Every time he hears of a legend he packs up and goes headlong into the possible danger. And every time he's found what he was looking for. Or so he says. Like Lolk he had little to prove what he'd found. His most recent journeys lead him to a place called Unicornia and the ruins beneath the city looking for some lost knight's treasure. When he found it a group of young dragons came and took it. He showed him the scar they'd left under his mane on the back of his neck as proof. Lolk had a hard time believing it. As well as being referred to as Lolk. He preferred being called by his actual name but he needed to ensure he wouldn't be taken away before getting to the temple. When they reached the gates to Crows, Lolk copied what Spel was doing. He bowed to the two guards in front of the massive wooden doors and asked to be let in. They asked for the tax and Spel provided the two gold coins for them. Lolk promised a bounty of more upon his return home to make up for both the fee and the dragons taking his prize a few months ago. Once inside the proper city, Lolk was astonished by the sudden change in buildings. The rounded and rough stones that made up the buildings in Crow were replaced with smooth stones, sometimes with elegant carvings in them. The roofs he found were made of a hardened mud they called Clay and it was suppose to be the way it was. As they walked, Lolk took notice very quickly to the bakeries in the city. The ones in the town wafted smells of sweet pastries but these were full of so much variety! All the smells were sweet but some were… something else. Fruity? The sweet and fruity smell coming from them made feel that hungry thing again! The ponies were also much different. The ones in Crow, if anything, wore just regular cloth and smocks depending on what they were doing. In Crows they all wore something. They wore much smoother looking fabrics in loose fitting dresses for the woman and what Spel called togas and robes for the men. The rich ponies just wore togas and shirts while, as Spel pointed out, priests and politicians wore the robes, decorated depending on how close to the gods they were. Why couldn't a pony from here have found him!? Though listening to how they talked to him he figured it was for his own benefit. The disrespectful lot of them. Spel made a sudden left as the approached a lawn of grass and Lolk stopped in confusion. "Where are you going? You said the Temple was this way." "Yes but common ponies can't cross the Palace's lawn unless they work for the King or of his blood. Now come on." "What does it matter if you're a- you're not royal. You should be allowed to walk wherever you please." "Lolk stop. Come on." Spel said as he started to notice attention being drawn from other nobles. Lolk was about to protest and continue walking towards the temple when Spel grabbed him by the hoof and started dragging him away. Lolk reconsidered his action and realized it was on a fine line. He had to avoid drawling attention to himself and made a mental note to thank him later. As they walked around the palace the road began sloping up the hill in the center of Crows. At its top, a pillared structure stood made of gleaming marble. Marble columns holding wooden frames full of lush flowers lead up to the main building. The steps leading up to the all marble building were smooth and well kept by the priests. At a distance he couldn't make out anything of the detail. He had to stop with Spel a few times to bow to a priest with their black hooded robes because of "respect" before entering the grounds. Though before that they had to be blessed. Lolk was growing tired of the formalities. He would've remembered if he had decreed such measures to be taken just to walk to his temple, or indeed if Mother had made them. Then again his knowledge of mortal practices was intensely limited so it was possible they thought it put them in some good favor. Having to go through it right now he was ready to decree it unnecessary and make them stop. At the foot of the temple, under the hanging garden of flowers, a set of colossal black bird statues stood watch with its distinct red eyes. "What are those?" Lolk asked. "Crows." Spel replied. "I'm sorry?" "They're crows, animals of Lorthalis. Our first King founded this town when he saw a crow with glowing red eyes on a branch at the top of the hill. It was a sign from Lord Lorthalis that this was sacred grounds and, if the legend is true, the tree in the temple is the tree of Lorthalis." "Why wouldn't it be true?" "Because Kings have lied before. One claimed he was the son of Lorthalis and Faust but couldn’t prove his ‘godly’ powers. Can you believe that?" "I recall something like that. He was left at the bottom of a pit of fire in the earth for such claims." "Uh… Yeah. He was burned in Crow publicly for heresy… Guess now you know why you need to keep low?" "I suppose. If I had not been placed in this form then perhaps things would be much easier." As he said that, and passing the crows and climbing the steps, he saw murals painted into the walls. The art was very well colored. He recognized mother's white coat and long red hair instantly, her mane practically jumping off the wall. Her image was over the entrance with Discord on her right. Having gotten more knowledge about mortals, he noticed she also had no cutie mark. The pair passed through the opening, greeted with sculptures and paintings on the walls of both Lord Discord and Mother, a few of him and his brother as well. Nacht's golden mane and curved horn were hard to miss. Lolk's form was much nicer. White coat, like Mother's and a black mane that flowed freely. Columns marked the path they were suppose to take along with a very soft black carpet going to another doorway. Priests walked by with their hoods down, showing their faces as well as their long black manes tied back in several knots, held by golden ties, supposedly because it was to represent their ties to nature. Spel said that the longer the mane, the longer they'd been priests. They milled through the foyer, lighting candles and moving offering plates, either empty or full to certain statues, less being closer to the end of the atrium. The statues were only of Discord and Mother. At the entrance way, a priest with a long mane stepped out from around the other side. "Welcome Children of The Mother of Creation. What may she do for you today?" she asked. "I require an audience with M- The Goddess." Lolk said correcting himself. "May I ask why?" "You may not." "Very well. Please come with me." She said stepping aside. Lolk started to through the door but stopped when he noticed Spel not following. "You have to see her alone. He's never been to a temple Madam." Spel said. "I see. Come with me." Satisfied with the answer, Lolk followed the priest through an open air hallway. On either side was a beautiful garden filled with bright, luscious flowers and the chirping of birds. The stone walkway they were on was covered by roof, held by the decorated columns that flanked them. The shade was sparse due to the position of the sun. At the end of the walkway, another opening with what looked to be a large tree within. "This is your first time in a Temple of the Gods?" she asked Lolk as they walked. "Yes… I'm not from around here." "I should say so. Have you prayed to the Goddess before?" "I have… not." Lolk said stopping himself short of explaining that he talked to her longer than she's been alive. "It is very simple. At the foot of the tree, kneel before her and say this. Great Mother who has brought such life, please hear me." "That's it?" "That is all you must say for her to hear you. Then you can speak to her freely. Though chose your words wisely." "I have." Lolk said re rehearsing his grievances with Nacht in his head. "Good, then you know all you need to know. May the Gods bless you." she bowed and Lolk bowed back just out of reflex before going the rest of the way on his own. He entered into a beautifully decorated room of white marble. Paintings on the walls of the creation of the Earth and all upon it by Mother and Discord. In the center, the tree Spel and the priest had been talking about, rooted in a large, round mound of dirt. The leaves were a lush green that seemed to glow in the sunlight. The branches swayed lightly in a wind that Lolk couldn't feel as he approached the dirt mound the tree was in. "Mother?" He asked out loud, hoping she'd just let him skip the formalities. After a few moments he groaned and knelt down. "Great Mother who has brought such life, please hear me." The tree limbs clattered and the leaves rustled as another unknown wind blew, this time much stronger and was actually felt by Lolk. He stood up and looked around, unable to believe it may have actually worked. "Mother?" he asked hesitantly. "My Son." his mother's soothing voice called from seemingly nowhere. "Oh thank goodness! Do you see what has been done to me?" "I do." "Nacht has gone too far this time. He took my magic and locked me in this infernal body! Please just bring me home so I may give him a piece of my mind." "Your brother had nothing to do with your form." "Then who did?" "Lord Discord and I." "You!? W-wait, what!? Why!?" "The wars caused by you and your brother have gone on long enough. The suffering you caused is unimaginable." "Suffering? I have done no such thing!" "Have you not?" "No! You created me to keep order from the elements of Chaos that Lord Discord couldn’t control and that included Nacht! Now please let me return home! I cannot stand being here! I feel so vulnerable in this mortal body." She let out a sigh. "You will. In time." "No! I haven't done anything! This is all Nacht's fault!" "He has been punished the same as you Lorthalis." "But I do not deserve to be punished! What have I done!?" "I cannot say exactly why. But I will tell you this. Your treatment of mortals, both walking among them and as a Spirit, is not what we have taught you. Until you learn the value of mortal life, my Son, you will remain in their world as one of them." "That is not fair! Mother please get me out of here! I am begging you!" Lolk shouted falling to his knees as the wind stopped. The aspect of losing his power forever more terrifying than the monsters that chased him into this town. What scared him more was getting hungry again. That feeling was dreadful. "This is final Lorthalis. I will be watching over you my Son." The wind faded. "No! Please, I will do anything else! Please just let me come back! Mother! Rosetta!" He got no response. He heard hoof steps behind him running up quickly. They skidded to a halt as he fell back on his haunches. "What's the matter?" the Priestess asked surprised. Lolk was too stunned to answer. The fair and forgiving mother of creation just condemned him to a life of mortality. She wanted him to do something but he didn't know what! How was he going to redeem himself if he didn't know what he had to do!? Not wanting to cause any more commotion, Lolk stood up and took a breath. "Nothing. Rosetta decreed what I must do. Please, take me out of this place." Lolk said flatly. The mare nodded and began leading him out. He followed sluggishly as he tried to figure out exactly what she meant by suffering. This was the city he said should be founded, apparently anyways. He wasn't quite sure if he had in the first place with all he’d been dealing with. If he was truly causing suffering wouldn't he have seen it at some point? Ponies in pitiful squalor or something along those lines? He wasn't the cause of anything negative like suffering of mortals was he? His brother certainly but him? Mother was the one that told him to fight his brother and now she was saying that he was wrong for doing so? They came to the foyer where Spel was admiring the murals, new from what Lolk assumed. He turned and noticed his distress. His gaze turned from happy to sympathetic in a moment and he was at his side. "What happened? Did the Goddess not let you go home?" he asked putting a wing over his shoulder. "Return me to your domicile." Lolk said not caring about language anymore. "But-" "Just take me There... Please." "Alright mate, let’s go." Spel kept his wing over him as they went. Lolk would’ve never admitted it to anyone, especially Spel, but he appreciated it. Author's Note Lolk: Aw, you gave me a little friend. I didn't even know you cared Vince. Me: So long as you keep getting on Nex's nerves I could care less. Nexus: I'm going to kill both of you. Chapter 5When they returned Lolk was no better than when she had left the temple. Spel did everything he could to try and talk to Lolk but she just shut him down with every attempt. Spel was nice enough to spare her interacting with Fact Checker. He grabbed her under her front legs and flew her into her room. Even after being set down he refused to leave. Eventually Lolk got him to leave and he promised to return with something to eat nearer sunset. It didn't matter to Lolk. She lay there on the bed and let the dread wash over her. Strangely the dread was accompanied by the same feeling she had when she'd first arrived. She sighed and felt her eyes start to close, she didn't bother to fight it this time. It felt like only moments, the fatigue was gone in that time but it was only moments to her. A knock came at the door and she shot up. Outside the window she'd come in, the sun was nearly gone and the orange light of the late afternoon make the room seem like it was about to catch fire. She could smell something, spicy. She wasn't sure what that meant but the hungry thing had returned and it was making her mouth water. The knock came again. "Enter." she said sitting up. The door opened and Spel's orange head poked in. "Somepony seems well rested." "I suppose." Lolk said not quite sure what he meant, but it sounded like a compliment. "Hope you're hungry, 'cause I know I can't eat all of this myself." Spel entered fully now and the sound of something sizzling was instantly apparent. On Spel's back, she could see two plates stacked high with something roundish with a white-ish brown handle on the back. The whole thing glistened and steamed as he strode over to the table next to the the bed. With the same precision as his sister that morning, or afternoon, set the tray on the table. Lolk got out of the bed and sat on the side of the table closest to the bed. What made her uncomfortable now was that he was setting up not only for her but for himself. "I wish to be alone Cave Diver." Lolk said feeling her mouth water at the sight of the food in front of her. "Well Sis' got the fort held down so I thought you could use the company, even if you don't know you do." Spel said pouring a red liquid into two challises. "Hope you like it, 'cause it's all we got." "What is it?" "Wine." "Oh I like that!" "Uh huh. So what happened in the temple? Did the Mother not talk to you?" "No… She did…" Lolk out of some instinct, picked up the brown thing in a hoof. "She told me she wouldn't let me come home." "Oh… I'm sorry Lorthalis." "Y-You can call me Lolk if it's better for you." "Okay, Lolk. Well… Since you're not goin' home, why don't you stay here?" "What would I do? All I have ever known was well…. " Lolk sighed and took a bite out of the brown thing and she lost all track of her thoughts. "You could work here. Sis might not like you much but I bet she'd appreciate the extra hoofs around here. Especially a unicorn." Lolk had to drag himself away from the extraordinary feeling of her tongue tingling and the…Staly taste of the thing she was eating to figure out what he meant. She was sadly far too distracted by the taste to really so she had to ask. "What do you mean by that?" "Well… There aren't a lot of unicorns 'round here mate. Magic would certainly make things 'round here easier on us." Lolk knit her brow, she knew what a unicorn was but wasn't sure wh- She looked to the polished platter and saw the red horn sticking out from her tall waves of hair. She realized her hair was FAR more ostentatious than she had first thought. There was a dark red lock hanging freely from the rest of the white mane and a few more red stripes in it; two small ones next to one another sticking up in the back and one more that ran behind one of the locks hanging on the front of his face. It fell behind it and curved under it. She turned her head to make sure she actually had a mane behind the untamable beast in front and found it to be simple and short. She was annoyed now. But being a unicorn… "Uh… My magic does no- doesn't work properly." "What'd ya mean?" Spel asked taking a bite of his brown thing. "Well… I tried using it before I got here and it just would not work. I do not quite know why I just can't use it." "Well we're closed on weekends so maybe you could find something in the library?" "I suppose…. What is this?" Lolk asked holding up her brown thing. "Crocodile leg. Good eh?" "Indeed." Lolk took a bite and smiled at flavor again. "That's good." "What is?" She asked with her mouth full. "You smiling. You 've a cu- nice smile." he said with a smile of his own. "Thank you. Yours as well." What was that feeling? She shifted in place as she took a sip of wine. It was strange, she felt like pit formed in her midsection for a split when she said that. It made her feel incredibly uncomfortable. But that faded as they kept eating. "So tell me more about this place please." "Yeah! Sure." Spel said seeming elated for the change of subject. Chapter 6It had been, from what his understanding of time had become, two weeks since he began living as a mortal. Lolk was beginning to grow accustomed to a routine for a day. Get up, eat morning meal, make sure bar area is tidy before checking rooms and cleaning them. After general cleaning of the tavern was completed, taking some time for afternoon meals before waiting on ponies in the bar area. When night fell, serve dinner and have his own before cleaning up the bar and going to bed. Intermediately he'd have to retreat to the "outhouse" outside the building where he would relieve himself. Another thing he had to grow accustomed to. Outside of just living he'd found a few scrolls showing him how to use magic as a mortal. Normally he'd just think about what he wanted to do and it'd happen. Now even the most basic thing required a spell. Levitation was first and it took him days to even lift a spoon. Another odd part was the physical exertion needed for the spells. He had to have some strength to be able to cast them. He easily filled out the mental strength that spells required but the physical part of magic threw him off. Thankfully all he really needed was levitation for the time being. If he ever wanted to try and return to what he did before as a mortal, he'd need to become stronger. For now, levitating dishes and using magic to make beds was what he was using it for and it's all he really needed. Late in the evening, near closing, Lolk was picking up mugs from a massive party that came through. It was much larger than the usual celebration and Lolk didn't pay attention to what the blacksmith had been telling him about so for all he knew it was holiday. but in the aftermath of them running out of mead and wine, a small group of stallions stayed around to finish their food. The rest had left to find more alcohol. They were all armed for some reason. Of the six of them, two had pike staffs and the others had only swords. Spel tried a few times to get their weapons so he could make sure no drunken disputes went down but failed, even Check couldn't stare them down enough to get them away from their weapons. Lolk tried once but to no avail either. He was about to do it by force but Spel said they couldn't afford to have anything broken, even with the good business they'd had during the night. Check said that she and Spel would handle kicking them out so Lolk was free to go and clean the unoccupied rooms. He had a very distinct feeling that he should stay downstairs. He didn't really want to. Though to avoid getting into another fight with Check over respect so he just started up the stairs. He levitated his duster from the linen closet and knocked on the first door on the right. He didn't wait for any response and just walked in. One of the particularly frisky men from the bar was in there with a mare and everything everything hanging out. "The fuck?! Get out ya gibbon!" the stallion shouted. "Oh! Sorry!" Lolk said getting out. Lolk slammed the door and moved to the next, this time he waited and got no answer. He opened the door and nothing it was empty, thankfully. He had just finished making the bed when he heard muffled shouting. He wasn't quite sure if it was from downstairs or next door. What was from downstairs was the sound of breaking plates and clanging platters. To Tartarus with respect for doing as he was told, he dropped the feathered pillow and broke into a full sprint. Before he even got down the stairs and the first thing he saw was Spel with his back on the table the stallions were at with three of them holding him down and one landing several blows to his ribcage. Check was fighting with another one over a pike as the last one was on the ground holding his head near a dented serving platter. Lolk's heart hammered away in his chest as he leapt down six stairs at a time. When he hit the stone floor, he started in full stride to the one attacking Spel. He wasn't quite sure what he'd do yet but he figured now wasn't the time to make a full chess strategy. He despised chess anyways. When he was close enough to do anything, Lolk instantly went for Spel. He dropped his right shoulder and ran into the stallion landing hit after hit on his friend's ribcage. The stallion let out a grunt and stumbled away. Lolk quickly used his magic to grab the pony's sword, again he wasn’t sure what he'd do with it quite yet. The one holding down Spel's right foreleg let go and tried to draw his blade as well. Lolk didn't actually think, he swung the sword haphazardly in the pony's vague direction. The tip of the blade slashed into his right foreleg and made him drop his sword. Lolk reared up on his forelegs for some reason and kicked with both legs. They connected to the pony he shoved before and knocked him into the one who was on the ground. He looked behind him and saw Check holding the staff and landing a solid hit on the one she was fighting with the not sharp end. The last stallion let go of Spel and tackled him before he could think of something to do. The sword almost moved with a mind of its own, It found its way in between them with the flat of the blade against the last ponies stomach. Lolk's magic was stronger somehow, it wasn't much but strong enough to lit the pony off of him and toss him into the table that Spel had been on. Spel was now on the ground clutching his stomach so at least he was out of the way. Lolk stood up and put the sword he had to the stallion's nose. Spel took that pony's sword from him and got next to his sister as the tension rose as the action simmered. "Listen mate, we ju-" "I don't care!" Lolk shouted, interrupting the obviously intoxicated pony. The stallion's friends were slowly backing up with Spel and Check holding the sharp objects at them. "Just leave and we'll never speak of this again. And neither will you. Understand?" The stallion nodded lightly and Lolk withdrew the sword. "And that goes for the rest of you. Do not return here or you will meet the same opposition." "And what about our weapons?" the one Check hit on the head said still wobbley on his hoofs from that. "Come back when you are not intoxicated and you may take your weapons. Other than that you may not return. Is that understood?" They nodded as the one Lolk had a blade point joined them and the siblings started lowering their weapons. "Good, BE GONE!" The ponies quickly stumbled out and Spel dropped the sword holding his sides. Lolk and Check were quick to drop theirs and go to his side. "Shall I go retrieve a medicine pony?" Lolk suggested. "Yes, go!" Check said waving him off. Lolk didn't need any more provocation to sprint out of the tavern and into the streets. It wasn't long before he returned with a doctor, one of the few unicorns he'd met since he arrived here. Doctor Bone Saw came in and started checking Spel over. He did give him a general clean bill of health aside from some deep bruising on his sides and stomach. He prescribed a herbal potion that would help ease the pain and let him heal faster, hopefully. Lolk cursed himself that the Doctor couldn't use magic to fix him properly. But apparently that was beyond his abilities. Lolk may not have been able to heal him but he visited him every chance he was free for about two or three days. Today he'd brought him lunch, a loaf of bread and tea with his potion. It wasn't much but it was all Lolk could afford for him. He did however sneak some raspberry jam from the kitchen while Check wasn't looking. Spel had been acting strange the past few days. He'd been much more… nervous than usual. "Ya know Lolk, I… I forgot to say thank you for what you did." "You don't need to. I j-" "No I do. They could've killed us." "I'm sure they would not have gone that far." "Regardless you deserve more than a jammy piece of bread." "Well?" "Well what?" "Thank me then." Spel chuckled, he found it amusing when Lolk took everything so literally for some reason. "Thank you. For everything. Especially the food." He and Lolk shared a small laugh. "I'm impressed though. I'm amazed they even listened to you." "I, as well was impressed. It has been some time since I've had to do such a thing." "What'd ya mean?" "You know what. When I was still immortal I was the Spirit of Order. Making ponies listen and Bring Law was what I did." "Right right. Almost forgot about that. You did a fine job mate." He said reaching out to his left knee. Lolk caught a shutter going up his back along with that pit in his lower chest. It was a feeling he still wasn't quite use to. He wasn't really sure what the feeling was but he felt it around Spel quite often. "Thank you. I do hope nothing like this happens to you again." "Well with you as our guardian I think we'll be fine." He chuckled before continuing. "Let those that cross us know the wrath of Lord Lorthalis!" "If that is what you'd allow me to do." "You kidding? I bet if you asked Check she'd give you a dagger in a heartbeat." A sudden feeling of pride washed over Lolk. It had been a long time since he'd felt that. The days with Mother and Nacht, at least the more recent hundred years, was full of stress and constant conflict between both of them. He'd forgotten how it felt to be appreciated for doing what he was suppose to do. Keep the piece. Spel's gaze went down in confusion and a big smile grew on his face a moment later. "Well well well My Lord, looks like you're officially a mortal." Spel said sitting up a bit. "Pardon?" "Take a look." he said pointing to his flank. Lolk bent round around and noticed something very obvious that wasn't there before. In the center of his upper thigh, the image of an upside down sword with the top of a scale balanced perfectly on the end of the hilt had appeared. Nothing rest in the baskets. "Guess it'll be easier to pass yourself off as mortal now ey?" Spel said. "I suppose so. Do you think anypony will notice?" "Definitely. I bet anypony that saw you before would've noticed that you didn't have one." "And now that I do?" "They'll probably just wonder to themselves in silence." "Why?" "To avoid offending you I suppose." "Then why did nobody ask about it when it didn't have it?" "Same reason. Maybe out of pity but more than likely to avoid getting you upset." Another word Lolk hated, especially towards him. "Did you pity me?" "No… Okay yes but you're my friend. Like I could care if you have a cutie mark." "Could you?" "Maybe, Not bad to look at either way." "Pardon?" Lolk asked not sure if that was a compliment. A sudden red tint came to Spel's face. "Uh… so how's the magic thing been working out?" "Um… Fine but I don't believe I heard you correctly." "It's nothing. You gonna learn any like… combat spells?" "I suppose I should." Lolk paused and looked to his piece of bread. "Can yo-" "I said it was nothin' Lolk so just drop it alright!?" Lolk paused, taken aback. "I was going to ask if you were done with the jam." If his face wasn't red before it turned much redder now. He quickly passed the glass jar. The rest of the meal was eaten in silence. Chapter 7Spel had been somewhat right about Check. When Lolk presented the idea to Check she was skeptical, even having seen his cutie mark. However from her performance that day she gave her the money to get a dagger of her own. Not enough for anything garish, as much as she liked the look of the gold inlays on one she saw, she stuck with a simple bronze dagger. She wasn't fond of the leather string holding it to her right thigh. Too tight and it would dig into her skin and give her a rash, too lose and it'd fall right to the floor. She could never find a good middle ground no matter how hard she tried. Lolk had contemplated getting it on a belt but found that the dagger would just fall out of the sheath when it hung on its side. Today she was trying another kind of knot in a different kind of tie pattern. Still tight but not ridding up on her yet. It had been a fairly busy time the past week, ponies were checking in and it meant two things, nothing to do in the mornings and FAR too much to do in the afternoon. But that meant she could see Spel getting out of bed today! His recovery was impressive to both Spel and the Doctor. Considering he was still somewhat hurting, Check just had him helping Lolk clean the rooms later in the afternoon and the dishes at night. It did her heart good to see her friend up and about again. It was approaching lunch as Lolk was starting to crave some kind of meat. Spel went and informed his sister they were taking off for their break and they were off. "How is your chest?" Lolk asked Spel hearing him breathing a bit heavily lately. "Better. Ma' ribs 're holdin' up good 'nuff. Dagger 'angin' fine?" "Still tight and certainly not comfortable. I will be more than glad if I can find a way to have it not give me a rash." "Good to hear. So anythin' you've been cravin'?" "You know my answer. But I would settle with a loaf of bread and some butter. Maybe jam." "Agreed." They started towards their usual bakery. "So I have been wondering something." "Well don't keep me waitin' in suspense." "How often do you go on your little hunts of fortune?" "I wouldn't call them little Lolk but Whenever they present themselves. My main benefactor's is always lookin' around his personal collection for something for me to do. I should get him a letter tellin' 'im I'm up and about." "Why not go speak to him directly?" She asked a bit curious. "He lives in Crow. We can't go see him and eat today." "Very well, I can wait until tonight to eat." "Lolk really y-" "I won't hear another word of it Spel, we're going to your benefactor." "W-" "Now Spel." Lolk said asserting some power over her friend. As much as Cave Diver liked to think Lolk wouldn't push her weight around with him, he was sorely mistaken. She smiled and started making her way to the central city. She smiled and hummed most of the way while Spel kept his head low. She took her toll from a pouch. Once Spel had paid he lead her to a section of the city nearer the Royal Palace. "I thought commoners weren't allowed in this section." Lolk asked wondering as they were ever encroaching on the King's land. "It only applies to Royal Ground. As it stands we can't loiter 'round here too long." He clarified. "The King's Generals and most well known war heroes live here." "Oh. Of what party is your benefactor involved?" "He's an old General. Fought in the first siege of Emerald City." "Ah yes where the windego reside. Such disgusting creatures." "Yeah… anyways, just call 'im General and please let me do the talkin'." He started down a short walkway across a lawn. The stone house was simple and square broken up with columns across the front. The lawn was dotted with elegant statues of ponies, most in armor in various positions of either combat or pointing in some direction. The statues were painted to match the ponies presumably but they were far too perfect looking to be normal, though all attractive. Lolk had to keep his eye away from the statues as Spel knocked on the General's door. It was answered by a mare who could've been taken from the statue garden. Her black mane was pulled back into a complex braid. It went well with her black toga and blue eyes. "Oh Spel, it's nice to see you." She said to him with a smile. "General Cage has been expecting you." She stepped aside. "Who is your friend?" "Hello, I am Lolk." she answered holding out a hoof. The mare shook it with a smile. "It's nice to meet you Lolk. Please come in." "Thank you." "General Cage is in his Study, I trust you know the way?" "I do, thank you." Spel started up the stairs and Lolk followed as the mare went elsewhere. "Who was she?" Lolk asked. "Sunny. I don't know her last name. She's the General's servant." "She seems nice." "She has to be if she doesn't want to be punished." "Punished?" "Ya know… wiped, flogged or beaten." "WHAT!?" "Shhh!" Spel said keeping his voice down. "I don't like it any more than you do but he bought her legally. If she were his wife then yes, I'd object to him openly but there's nothing we can do." "That isn't just servitude Spel, it's slavery!" Lolk said now just as hushed. "Even if she is his servant, that doesn't mean he should abuse her!" "I understand Lolk but we can't do anything 'bout it. Just… please be quiet 'bout it." "I…." Lolk scrunched her muzzle in frustration. "Fine, but you owe me something in return." "Fine fine, whatever you want, just please keep your mouth shut 'bout it." She snorted at Spel as he sighed. He lead her to a large set of wooden doors and knocked on them as well. "It's open." A weathered old stallion's voice called. Spel pushed the door open and entered, Lolk not far behind. The large room had dark red marble with tall shelves filled to the brim with scrolls practically spilling out of the square slots. Some were very weathered and yellowed with decades of age. Where there weren't shelves. relief statues of mares on their hind legs, frozen in a tantalizing dance, were seen. As with the statues in the yard, they were painted to look more realistic. They were beautifully made but with Lolk's new view on this man, she found them disgusting. The ceiling wasn't much better. It was painted with what looked like a dome showing up to a portal with ponies looking over the edge. It looked kind of crude and not as realistic as the paintings but the perspective was impressive. At the other end of the room, a intricate wooden desk sat with a blind arcade of arched windows behind it. The desk itself was just as disheveled to the shelves, scrolls half open and hanging off of the side of the desk. Behind it all, a white stallion with gray hair sat. His face was wrinkled with age and scared from battle. He sat hunched looking over the scrolls from every angle he could without getting up. He looked up and saw Spel and Lolk at the door way. His left eye was milky white and his left ear was missing a chunk near the tip. "Cave Diver my little explorer!" the old warrior said happy. "I heard what happened and I had the King flog the soldiers responsible. How are you feeling?" "Better now, Sir. This is my good friend Lolk." Spel said introducing her. "A pleasure I'm sure. Sh-h-she seems displeased." Cage said looking at her. "Oh, they had a bad sweet roll earlier today." "Ah, well I'll give you money for lunch here in Crow. Come come my dear boy, you must see what I have found!" the General said happily motioning them over. Spel went over to the other side of the desk while Lolk stood on the opposite side, she didn't want to get any closer to the man then she had to. "I know you said the treasure from the unicorns was taken but it seems I misread the maps and riddles." "B-but I saw it with my own eyes Sir. There was no end to the gold and jewels in that cave!" "I know! That's the amazing part!" He said as giddy as a little filly. "The end of the city is nigh, the pillars of fire and smoke rise high. Her majesty calls for our retreat, we take the track well beat. Following our track to our old homes, to save our wealth 'neath the ebony domes." "Yeah we went over this a few months ago. It pointed north to the old city of Onix and its mines." "Exactly! But we've been taking it too literally." He tossed a couple of scrolls off to the side. "Look here." Lolk looked over the desk as well as Spel. "This is Quarts City, where the Princess of Unicornia ordered retreat and she took the cities vast wealth with her. The only way she could go was north and yes, she did drop some of her wealth in the Onix mines." "Some?" Spel said starting to light up. "Yes! You see," he takes the poem out again. "The Ebony Dome doesn't just mean the Black Onix mines." "Then what does it mean?" Lolk asked. "I'm very glad you asked. There are several black MARBLE mines further to the north. Basically into the Frozen North before the Crystal City." "That's a dangerous move. I mean, they're not exactly trustin' of pegasi out there. It was risky just getting to Onix." "I understand. I bought your passage to the north before but I don't know how far my gold will get you then." "Why would you have to?" "The Pegasus Nation's relations with the ponies down here on the ground has been rather strained for the past few years." Spel told him. "Unicorns aren't rather miffed at us for our limited distribution of the rain water." "Has your friend been under a rock?" "No just…. out of touch with society for quite some times." "I see well you're right Cave Diver. I don't know how far money will get you this time. You wouldn't be able to take the roads and the unicorns would take you down and ask questions as soon as they get a look at you in the air." The two sat for a moment before Lolk chimed in with a suggestion to try and get gears turning. "What of nomads?" "Nomads?" The stallions asked in unison. "Surely there are nomads that make their way around the land without being seen or questioned." "He's right." Spel said. "There has to be dozens of nomads passing through Crows right now. Maybe some gold could persuade them to take us to the north." "Perhaps… It wouldn't take much to persuade them to take you along with them. I would hope at least." "We can only ask. I'll need some gold for that." "You'll have it my friend." He said putting hoofs on his shoulders. "And I'll make good on my promise of lunch. Dine," He said giving him a small sack of coins. "I will buy the provisions you will need to explore the caves and send you additional coins to pay off the nomads." Spel put a hoof on the General's shoulder. "I won't let you down this time." "I know you won't." He nodded at him before letting him go. "And… Lolk was it?" "Yes." Lolk said simply fearing what she might say other than that. "Will you be accompanying him?" "Uh… I don't know if L-" "I would love to if you wouldn't mind." "It would be no trouble at all! Any friend of my favorite explorer is a friend of mine!" "Uh-y-yes Sir." "Go! Enjoy your lunch and return home. Give your regards to your sister for me Cave Diver." "Y-yes Sir." He said getting out from behind the desk. Lolk had a smug smile on her face as Spel lead them out of the house. Spel looked rather annoyed with himself as they left the property and found the nicest café they could. Lolk had just ordered the biggest steak they had while Spel decided on a ham. "It was nice of the General t-" "Why do you wanna go?" Spel interrupted. "Hm? Oh yes, after what happened last time you'll need my help." "I can handle myself Lolk." "Can you? Say you run into more dragons or something that can't be bribed by boundless gems and gold." "Then I'll handle it." "Like the soldiers that were in the bar?" "I-" "He's already paying for both so regardless I'll be coming with you." Spel slumped back against the chair he was in with a groan. Lolk giggled as the server came by again. "We have just opened a barrel of mead, would you two like any?" "Two." Spel answered quickly. "I would like to try some for a change." "Make it three then." Author's Note I'M NOT DEAD! Yes I'm going to try and start making content again. Hopefully. And what of the two fics I have on hold? ..... Well we'll have to see. Chapter 8The rest of the day was far more mundane than Lolk would've liked. He did deeply enjoy the food and the mead. Spel seemed to like it as well as he was chuckling to himself the whole way for no disenable reason. By sunrise Lolk was up doing what he did on a regular basis until he heard Check called for them. Spel didn't actually show up but he knew if he had he would've smiled as wide as the street seeing everything being walked in. He spied climbing picks, what could've been miles of rope and enough food to feed three armies. Spel did finally come down as Lolk and Check were taking inventory on it all. "Wow… He really wants this treasure." Spel said after letting out a low whistle. "You don't know the half of it." Check said showing him the list. "He's given you enough food to last two ponies for almost three months." "And enough gold to buy a sweets shop." Lolk chimed in. "Yeah, and that's not all. Here's the map he's got for you." She handed off the map. "How many caves!?" He shouted. "The old man's gone mad! I mean twelve caves?" "Oh come on you're incredible. I'm sure it's no problem for someone like you." "No problem!? You realize how fast we'd have to move? If we don't get everywhere we need to go before we run out of food we're basically fucked!" "I don't understand what the problem is. We can get more food if we run low can we not?" Lolk asked his friend. "I told you the unicorns don't like pegasi. In fact I'm lucky earth ponies tolerate us." "Well then I'll go when we need to get supplies." "Oh please you're hopeless socially." "Hey! I resent that!" "Like I'm wrong?" Under his anger, Lolk felt a pang of emotional betrayal. Spel was his friend… wasn't he? "Cave Diver shut your damn mouth before I back hoof it shut for you. You need somepony with a horn growing out of their skull and he's it." "I-" "No Spel. He's going with you and he's going to help you if you like it or not. Lolk go get packed you'll be leaving after lunch." "Very well." They made good on that deadline. Just after lunch they'd left for the edge of town to find some traveling ponies. There were plenty of carts, plenty of ponies selling their wares from their carts. Granted, some were rather odd. One stallion in particular had a zebra mare and stallion in chains at the front of his cart as he showed off two more on wooden boxes. He shouted about how strong they were in an accent Lolk hadn't heard before. "Tell me that is not common." Lolk asked Spel holding back the urge to pull his dagger on the man selling them. "Sadly yes. I don't agree with it but there really isn't much to do about the earthponies in the south." "First the servants in that man's house and now them. It sickens me how those with more treat those with nothing at all." "The servants in Crow are all paid. I knew a zebra that escaped from there and he said it was much worse than what." "You said she could be whipped and flogged!" "Yeah but my friend was starved and branded." "What!? That's it I am having a word with that man." He was in the process of turning around before Spel stopped him and put a foreleg around his shoulder, dragging him along the road. "How 'bout we actually find somepony that'll take us to Unicornia, ay?" "Bu-" "Shut up. You have the gold?" "Yes." He said pulling the purse from his hammer space. "See anyone?" "Not one unicorn in the bunch so far but the day's still young." "We don't need a unicorn to get us there." "That's kind 'a wrong." "How so?" "Why not? Everywhere needs merchants so they should be accepted anywhere. Look there, there's a pegasus with great business!" The stallion behind it had a gray coat and a golden nose ring in the center of his nose. His golden yellow eyes matched the tips of his emerald red mane. "Oh that's Sham. Yeah don't buy from him." "Oh you know him?" "Yeah but he's-" "Well let's talk to him." Lolk instantly broke away faster than Spel could get to him. He went over to the plain wooden cart with a sign reading JEWELRY. The stallion quickly noticed them and waved off a couple of ponies. "Cave Fucking Diver!" He said excitedly ducking into the cart and coming out the back. "Been what, two years?" "Two too few…" Spel said under his breath. "Hello, I am Lolk." he said going up to him holding out a hoof. "Yeah that's nice." He said pushing past Lolk. "What can I do for you? Want something for your sister?" Spel opened his mouth to reply before Sham started talking again. "How is she by the way? She ever talk about me?" "No, none of ya bees wax and you wish." "Oh don't be like that. What's with the hostility?" "The wrist band you gave her put her in the bleedin' hospis!" "I am appalled you'd accuse me of causing that." "The edge cut her hoof and the crappy metal you put it gave her a nasty infection!" "Uh, Spel I th-" "This a friend of yours?" Sham asked cutting Lolk off again. "As a matter of fact I am." Lolk said getting annoyed with his demeanor. "I am Lolk. "Well a friend of Diver's is a friend of mine." He said going back to the back of his cart, soon popping out of his window. "And that means a discount!" "No, we'll be goin' now." Spel said about to grab Lolk's hoof and leaving. "Actually." Lolk said getting out of reach again. "How long are you in town?" He asked as a mare came up and started browsing. "Not much longer. You want me gone too?" "Yes, now we're leavin'." Spel said desperate to leave. "Are you going to be moving towards unicorn territory?" "Oh yeah, they love my wares up there. Why Elk?" "It's Lolk and w-" "We're not asking him." "Let the pony ask me what they want to ask me Cave Diver, he wants to know something." "We were hoping for someone to help get us passage. Spel has been given a job to find a treasure a-" "Say no more!" "Hang on Sham, I need to speak to my friend for a tick. Just wait here." He nodded and turned to sell something to the mare that had walked up. Spel dragged Lolk away a ways and pulled his head low. "The hell do you think you're doin'?" "Getting us a way to Unicornia." "Could you just find another pony? Anyone else at all?" "Why not Sham?" "He's a con artist Lolk! We have him take us out there he'll want a share. Hell, he'd probably kill us soon 's we get a look at it!" "Well you know him and that relationship could benefit us." "Yes but what about Cage? If he finds out I'm done for." "Then we don’t tell him that he took some as payment. Look, if it doesn't work out I'll… Well I'll do whatever you want for a month." He looked up at the cart as Sham finished selling jewelry to the mare, holding her whole coin purse. "Okay. But you'll pick up my slack for three months when we get back if you're right." "Excellent. Sham!" Lolk called as he slipped from Spel's grasp. "When will you be leaving?" "I was planning on leaving tomorrow morning but for you two, I'll go today. For a price." "Ten gold pieces?" Lolk offered. "Thirty." Sham said quickly after. "Fifteen or we'll find somepony else." Spel said standing up with Lolk. "Fine, fine. For you fifteen. Get what you need and we'll leave. Payment upfront by the way." "No." Sham says as he starts walking away. "Thank you very much." Lolk told him bowing. "We will return at sundown." "Great. And feel free to buy something when you come back!" He called as Lolk started jogging away to follow Spel. "You're gonna regret this Lolk." Spel said when he caught up. "Why? He seems nice enough. And we didn't even have to pay him too much. We still have more than enough gold to get more supplies when we need them." "I told you he's a co artist. He'll probably charge us extra fees as we go and by the time we make it to the first cave, we'll be out of money." "I doubt he'll do that." "He's done it before. Two years ago he took up to Unicornia and that's exactly what he did." "Perhaps he has changed in those two years." Lolk said optimistically. Spel just rolled his eyes and shook his head as they went back into Crows. Author's Note Two in one day? Yeah I've been doing work on this.... When's the next one you ask? Uh............ *Runs from the room* PrologueAccording to legend, hundreds of thousands of years ago, the spirits of power did not always walk upon the earth. The Great Mother of Creation, then known as The Goddess of Order, and The Lord of Chaos lived high over the Earth and held balance. The Goddess and Lord held a perfect balance. Despite her best efforts, some of the Lord's chaotic creations sometimes went out of control. The Goddess, intent on making sure her creation bellow would remain in balance, creates a spirit of Lawful Good to contain the unnecessary chaos energy. His name was Lord Lorthalis. For many decades, his efforts are a success and balance remains in the world. Lorthalis used his power to lock away the energy where it would not harm anypony and his hope was that it would disperse normally. But unfortunately, he was wrong. The energy he worked so hard to lock away and spread out congealed into a being of malicious darkness, a being of Chaotic Evil. When he came to life, he took the name Nacht. Being a creation of Lord Discord's Chaos Energy, Nacht is deemed to be a child of the Lord of Chaos. And Lorthalis being a child of Mistress Rosetta, was deemed to be Nacht's brother. With his eventual escape from where Lorthalis had trapped the energy that made him, he would create a conflict that would span a hundred years. Nacht took it upon himself to bring down the world below in a ball of fire. Though he followed in Lord Discord's footsteps for some time, he was planning something much worse: to trick a kingdom into declaring war on another. Lorthalis, outraged his brother would cause something so destructive, brought in a kingdom he was worshipped in into the conflict. The City of Crow was brought in against the Kingdom of Strum. For one hundred years, the two brothers, through their kingdoms, fought for supremacy over one another. Chaos and Order at war for that long took its toll on the world. It was then that their mother had had enough. And that is where our story begins.
Chapter 1This was strange, Lorthalis had never known true nothingness until now. He wasn't sure what had actually happened. The last thing he recalled was Mother summoning him to the palace's main chamber, Nacht was there with them then nothing. Lorthalis began wondering what he could’ve done but a sudden feeling of an actual feeling beneath his… middle thing, whatever ponies called it. It was a foreign feeling. Soft but also very itchy. The world opened up in front of him in a blur of green and brown. Lorthalis heard what sounded like birds as the wooded clearing became clearer. She realized that they were laying down when a blade of grass poked her right eye. They stood up unsteady. “A mortal body?” Lorthalis asked himself. “Far too long since I have inhabited a body.” He looked down at his body and found the red fur and egg white hoofs showing at the ends of his legs. A lock of white hair fell in front of his eye when he looked up and he was surprised. He had never appeared with such an obvious physical trait. Not that it mattered at the moment, he was not going to remain in it much longer.. Lorthalis tried to focus his magic to reform into his ethereal form but failed to even feel the tingle of magic. He tried several times but nothing worked, no matter how he tried to summon her magic, it just would not come. “Blast it all!” Lorthalis said to herself. “This must be the doing of my foolish brother." He heard a rather strange sound come from his left. He spun around and was greeted by a small creature covered in brown fur. Its long bushy tail twitched behind it and it held something in its hands. It stared up at him as if waiting for something. "What are you looking at you little vermin!? Dose thou not know who I am!? You will kneel!" The creature remained and only hid the object it was holding. "You will kneel before us or we shall be forced to end thee!" He shouted in his Godly Voice, at least that still worked. The little creature still stood defiant. "Very well." Lorthalis said standing tall. "You will learn respect in the next life!" He held his hoofs high waiting for something but it nothing happened. "I said, YOU WILL LEARN RESPECT IN THE NEXT LIFE!" Still nothing. "Now I know there is something wrong. There is suppose to be a detonation of considerable force that would obliterate you!" The little creature angrily threw its object at him, hitting him on the… front face thing. "Blast it all Brother." he muttered turning his back. "Whatever he has done now will surly upset Mother. I must speak to her…. Now how is it that the mortals speak to Mother?" He asked turned back to the creature. It only offered a hostile screech of sorts before running off into the forest. "Fine! I shall find someone who shall. I pray." Finding someone to tell him something useful was harder than it sounded. Several winged creatures refused to tell him and he intern failed to destroy them. He was not normally on to act violently towards other creatures but his temper was short today and growing shorter by the minute. He also found several large furry creatures that roared at him when he came near and chased him up a tree. He had never actually been in a mortal body very long. There was a growing feeling in his… middle thing that felt rather empty. That and his eyes were constantly trying to shut and his mind was very sluggish. It was somewhere near midday when he had woken up and the sun was quickly starting to go down. If this world was as hostile towards mortals during the day Lorthalis was worried how much worse it could get. He did however get lucky as the sun was near the horizon and see an orange glow from the east. He made his way towards it as fast as his strangely weaker legs could carry him. He did arrive at a small town as the sun fully vanished under the tree top horizon. The building walls of almost all buildings were either stone bricks or cobblestone with wooden roofs. The torch lights on the streets cast their glow across darkness as mortals bustled about. He couldn't understand why his mind wasn't as sharp as it should be so Lorthalis didn't notice exactly what all the buildings were exactly as he trudged through the streets. He could see a large marble building on a hill lit up by massive hearths. Lorthalis stumbled and nearly fell. He caught himself and sat down for a moment. Not a long moment but long enough for what he considered a gift from Mother to come to him. "Excuse me," a mare asked to his right. "Are you well?" Lorthalis looked up and vaguely saw a pony, his vision was starting to blur. "I am fine, peasant. Show me to the place of worship now. My patience is wearing thin this day." "I may not be the village's medicine mare but you certainly need some time to rest before speaking to the Gods. I am-" She placed a hoof on his shoulder to help him up. "I do not care!" He said pathetically shoving her off. "I…. What was it that I wanted? Why are you yellow?" "Come stranger. Come and rest. Cave Diver, prepare a room!" she said taking him by the shoulders. Lorthalis was far too weak to fight back this time. She struggled holding him up as he was practically dragged to what was quickly becoming a blurry amalgamation of shadows and lights. In the tallest lights a shadow appeared before rushing back into the lights. Then it all went black. Author's Note Nexus: OH MY GOD A STORY THAT ISN'T ABOUT ME! Are you feeling alright? Me: -_- I'ma fuck you up if you don't stop with your sass. Nexus: I'm you so how does that work? Me: The same as you sleeping on my couch that one time. Nexus: You said you wouldn't talk about that man! Me: I lied.
Chapter 2Sweet. Whatever she could smell it was sweet. She wasn't sure how she knew what sweet was but she wanted it. Curse this mortal body, unable to sustain itself long enough for her to even so much as get directions. Why had she been so weak? This wasn't something that she had dealt with the last time she was in a mortal body. She did feel the heavy feeling she had once but she returned to the Spirit Realm when it happened. Something was draining her then! She was under attack! No… No she felt better now. Still heavy but not as weak or useless. Now the question remained, where was she exactly? Lorthalis opened her eyes and felt the stinging pain of the sun's rays hit her dead on. She groaned and rolled over, taking most of the… fabric stuff that was on top of her in the same direction. No she knew what this was, bedding. Last she'd seen bedding, ponies were still using hay. Moving more carefully she found that it was still indeed hay just covered by cloth and in a wooden casing. Lorthalis sat up, keeping away from the light and tried to let the world come into focus. Simple wooden room, nothing more nothing less. The bed was near an open window to the day light and near the centered door was… big box with doors and a mirror on a table. All that gave any sense of size in the room was the low table near the bed. She sniffed the air again, trying to get more of that sweet smell into her nose. That smell alone was making her feel better. Looking down at herself, she had no marks of a fight or being injured, so definitely not attacked by anything. She was still in her red and white form, to her dismay. She took a step off the bedding and felt a rush of something to her head. A gray curtain started closing in on all sides from inside of her own head and nearly taking her entire range of vision. She took deep breaths, trying to summon magic to get her out of there, but the light headed feeling and gray curtain vanished just as quickly as it had arrived. Shaking the feeling, she steadied herself and made her way to the door. It opened just as she reached for the handle. On the other side the yellow mare she had encountered… previously. "Good to see your awake Darling." she said with a smile. Lorthalis was about to berate her for calling her "Darling" but was suddenly hit by that sweet smell again. It made her middle section growl. "Seems your hungry. Good thing I was on my way up." The mare stepped past Lorthalis, and she caught the strongest sniff of the sweet thing she'd had. Looking over to her, she noticed the sliver offering tray balanced on her back, her wings keeping it perfectly level, with a pot of something steaming and a stack of some bread covered in a thin white layer of something on top. Lorthalis' midsection rumbled hard and something in her mind begged her to take it as soon as possible. She wasn't sure exactly what she'd do with it but she knew it would make the rumbling stop. "The baker didn't have in the way of variety but this should sate your appetite for now." Lorthalis walked up to the table as she set everything down with her hoofs. "We have glazed scones and tea." "Bounty is something I convent normally. But considering resent events we will be glad to accept your offering." Lorthalis said not taking her eyes off the plate. "Well…. I am grateful you are pleased. May I have your name?" "Lorthalis." She looked surprised. "Lorthalis? As in the Patron God of this town?" "I do not know exactly what towns I have given my blessing to but if it makes sense then the same." The mare suddenly burst into laughter. "You? HA! You're Lord Lorthalis!?" "Puny mortal, you dare question me!?" Lorthalis said slamming her hoof on the table. "If you are Lorthalis, I am Lady Faust!" she continued her bout of laughter for a moment longer, Lorthalis growing more and more annoyed with her. "And what is so amusing mortal?" "You seem so serious about it! *snort* You truly look like you meant it." "I do. I am Lord Lorthalis!" "Well then, Lorthalis, welcome to Crows. Now eat up. My brother will be showing you to the temple before lunch." "Temple?" "You requested to know where we talk to the Gods last night. And Cave Diver needs to see the new paintings anyways." "Very well. Leave us so we may… Eat." Lorthalis just looked at the plate of… scones and the pot of… what was it? Tea? "Does their Worshipfulness not know what eating is?" "Of course I know what eating is! Now leave us Plebian!" "Very well Dear. And if you are going to address me, address me as Miss Check." Check said getting up. "You pour the tea into the cup next to the pot." She said condescendingly. "Away with you!" Lorthalis said unable to summon her Godly Voice. Check shut the door behind her and left Lorthalis alone with the food. What was it she said? Pour the tea into a cup? There was an abysmally small challis sitting next to the pot. She lifted the lid and sniffed the steaming brown liquid. It was nowhere near as pleasant as the scones. It smelled…. bitter? She wasn't sure what the word meant but it smelled bitter. Lorthalis set the top back on it and put her hoofs on either side. The rumbling continued getting worse just from her proximity to the pastries. There was a tube going from the pot and just hanging in the air. She assumed that was where it came out judging from the hole on the end. She tilted the pot towards the challis. The brown liquid began to rapidly flow out and into the challis, quickly filling it over the brim. Lorthalis yelped and stopped as soon as she could. By then the tray was retaining more tea than the challis. She set the pot down and attempted to handle the challis in the same way, a hoof on each side. As she raised the challis to her face, the challis slipped up her hoof and tipped over enough to spill over more. Lorthalis shouted in pain as the searing hot liquid burned her flesh. Nothing major but it certainly hurt. She blew on her right hoof to cool the burn and decided to leave the tea alone for now. She sifted her focus to the scones and wasn't quite sure what to do. She'd been to a feast once before but didn't "eat". She just fed what was on her plate to the Lioness that was sitting next to her. The tea pooled under the plate the scones sat on wafting the bitter smell through the sweet scent of the glazed balls of bread. Whatever glazed meant. She picked one up in her hoof, the white layer sticking to her hoof but also feeling very solid. She began to think back to that banquet, the mortals were putting stuff like this in their mouths and doing…. something, she was still shaky on exactly what it was they were doing. She'd come this far, she leant down and took a bite out of it. Her eyes grew wide at the magnificent sensation. Whatever glazed was, she loved it! She chewed, wondering how she knew what it was, and swallowed. The empty feeling in her midsection grew lesser but the grumbling grew stronger. She began mercilessly biting into the scone with renewed vigor. If she'd had even a single thought of savoring the sweet taste it was long gone. Once the first was gone she moved to another and knocked a couple off the plate and onto the tea covered tray. After finishing the plate, she moved to the ones that fell in the tea just for neatness' sake. When she took a bite of it she let out an involuntary moan of satisfaction. If the scones tasted good before, they tasted much better with the tea as opposed to without. The contrast in flavors blew Lorthalis' mind! She couldn't quite explain why. The deluge of feelings washing over her taste buds was overriding any other thought that could've possibly distracted her. She spent Lord knows how long eating and dunking the scones with the greed of a dragon. Once she'd finished she finally took notice of what she'd been doing. The table was a mess with crumbs and spilt tea. At the thought, she took the challis and drank from it. The tea on its own was bitter as she'd thought just a good kind of bitter. Lorthalis wasn't completely sure what the bad version was but it might've been advantageous to stay a while longer in this body, if only to have more scones. But it was time to move on. She sat and drank tea for a time before getting up and making her way to the door. She hadn't noticed until now, but the empty feeling was gone… What was it Check called it, Hungry? Needless to say Lorthalis was glad to be rid of it.
Chapter 3Check, who Lorthalis heard being called Fact Checker, was busy in the common area. Unlike the room, the floors were made of smooth stone slabs. Several round tables were scattered in what could've been a uniform pattern but it didn't matter to him. There was a long table set into the floor rather than placed on it with large barrels hanging from the wall. Spouts like the one on the tea pot came from the bottom but they didn't spill anything out. Fact Checker was behind it cleaning a wooden mug and the only living pony that was there at the moment was a light orange pegasus. His black and yellow mane was much less formally set as Check's. Her mane was tied up traditionally and cut short while his was strangely long. It reached to his back with a piece of twine holding it together near the top. The stallion's mane wasn't kept from the looks of it, and that included the fur. Though as thin as anypony else's it was matted from dirt and mud. He saw Lorthalis come down and looked up to him with his deep brown eyes and smiled. "Mornin'." He hesitated before ending the sentence, as though there was something else he wanted to say. "Glad to see you're up and walkin'." "Your concern is well noted." Lorthalis replied. "Your name really Lorthalis?" "Don't push it Spel." Check said setting the mug down. "This is my younger brother, Cave Diver." "Everypony calls me Spel though." Lorthalis noticed something odd between the two. He sported a very thick accent while hers, if any, was much more subtle. "A pleasure. Though may I ask why?" "Why what?" "Why you have two names?" "Oh! It’s a nickname. It's short for Spelunk." Lorthalis looked at him more confused. "It's what I do." "Sp- I'm sorry what?" "Spelunk means cave diver." Check said growing impatient "Wait…" Lorthalis said pondering a thought. "You were named Cave Diver?" "Yes." Spel responded. "And you became a cave diver?" "What are you getting at?" "Were you named Cave Diver first or were you without a name until you decided to?" "I was named it and I ended up liking it." "Is this new to you Dear?" Check asked putting down the mug annoyed. "As a matter of fact it is." Lorthalis said sneering at her. "Pardon me if you mortals confuse me to no end." "Stop calling us that you twit. You're not a God." "Who said I was? I am a Spirit madam and I would appreciate it if you'd treat me as such." "When I see it Dear, I'll believe it." "When Mother returns my power I shall!" "Spel… Get him out of here before I do something I'll regret." "Yes Ma'am." He said with urgency. "Come on Mate 'fore she makes good on that." he said trotting over to him quickly. "I will not be-" "Shut up and run!" Spel said using his head to shove Lorthalis towards the door. Though most of his strength had returned he was far outclassed by Spel in terms of physical strength. They burst out into the warm climate of the, what seemed to be, midday. The stone structures of the buildings was much clearer to him now than it had been the night before. Most of the buildings seemed to be as simple as he had thought. Stone walls with straw and mud roofs. Most of the buildings seemed to be living quarters, judging from the lines of clothing going across the dirt road. Now getting a much clearer view at Crow, it was much larger than he had noticed. There was a larger hill than he had seen the night prior. He saw the columned building before but not the surrounding structures. They were smaller and had brownish red roofs as opposed to the yellowish brown of the current street he was on. He couldn't see much below the hill due to a towering wall around the inner city. He could see the top of a large roof but it wasn't very clear from his perspective. "Hope you got the tax, 'cause I don't know if I can spot ya." Spel said starting towards the wall. "Tax?" "You gotta pay to enter Crows." "But we're in Crows aren't we?" "You're really not from 'round here are ya?" "If I was would the question have been asked? Now answer me before my I…" "Before you…?" "Before I…I will let you know when we have return to Canterlot." "Riiiiight. Well Crow is where we are now. Crows is on the inside the wall. It's the upper class section of the city. Mostly rich ponies and their help live there. The King Especially." "And this temple… is it there as well?" "Obviously! The priests live in Crows too. Well, they live with the King." "As in in his palace?" "Yes. He's closest to the Gods after all." "That I doubt highly." "You know you shouldn't talk like that in Crows. They might up and throw you in the dungeon. Or worse." "I fear not what you mortals have in store for me. If anything were to happen to me, Mother would be furious." "Look Mate, just try and act normal please? I'd be carted off with ya so I'd like to come home tonight." "Very well. What is normal down here?" "Well for one we don't talk like we're talkin' to a king all day. Try to be less formal and natural." "This is not informal?" "No. In what world is that informal?" "I believe it is this one." "Well it isn't. Try sayin' somethin' like I do." "I would rather not partake." "You said you'd give it a chance. God's don't go back on their word." "I did not promise anything." "Well unless you're up to being arrested then promise you'll try." Lorthalis sighed in frustration. "Very well. Proceed." "Alright! Repeat after me. 'I'd like passage to Crows Sir (Sah)." "I wo-" "I'd." "What?" "It's I and Would put together. Makes it quicker to say thin's. Go on then, try it." "I'd like passage to Crows." "Now that's formal here. Well when you're talking to guards or priest. If we have to see the king just talk normal." "I do not like it." "Don't." "How many words do you put together you lazy ponies!?" "A lot actually. And uh… What's your real name? Just between us." Lorthalis rolled his eyes. "My name is Lorthalis. You know that." "I know but you can't be. It's against their will to be named after them." "So? I decree parts of that will." "Well… I know that, honestly. But you can't just say that without something to back it up to the priests. They'll have you arrested." Spel said nervously. Lorthalis didn't pick up on it. "Thank Mother you believe me. Hm, I do understand the point. What would you suggest for me then?" "Suggest for what?" "A name. Something to fool them into allowing me in." "Oh… Uh…" Spel looked to Lorthalis' flank and he got slightly insulted. "What?" "Well you don't have a cutie mark." "A what?" "A cutie mark? The mark that represents your talent?" "My talent is keeping order in the world. What does that have to do with my… whatever that part is." he said pointing to his flank. "Flank. But all ponies that discover their talent get a mark on their flank. See?" Spel stopped and pointed to his flank. On it was an image of a hook thing over a torch. "Fascinating." "They do oddly have a lot to do with our names… But I'm not sure what yours would even be…" "Alpha." "No." Spel said as he started walking again. "It needs to at least sound like a pony name." "No'loc." following him. "What?" "Combining words. Not and Local." "Again, has to sound at least kind of like a name." "Then I do not know." "Don't. Hm… What about Lolk?" "Lolk?" Lorthalis said in disgust. "It hardly fi-" "You're a pony right now and other ponies have to believe that. It's very different and is kind of a short of your name. Lolk." Lorthalis groaned, despite not fully liking the name he'd have to suffer through it until he could get to the temple. "Lolk it is then." "Yay! Now back to language!" "Fun…."
Chapter 4It was torture learning a dialect. He had enough trouble just figuring out what a lot of prayers were saying! Now he had to talk like them. Hopefully it won't last too long. Sadly the outer city was much larger than he had anticipated, leaving a long period of walking to learn how to talk like a mortal. He was admittedly enjoying much of what he was learning but more of it was just what he said to keep Spel off his back. He did admire his attitude however. He was confident and bold yet strangely open about himself. Apparently he and his sister use to be treasure hunters. She stopped when it wasn't turning a profit but Spel continues his quests. Every time he hears of a legend he packs up and goes headlong into the possible danger. And every time he's found what he was looking for. Or so he says. Like Lolk he had little to prove what he'd found. His most recent journeys lead him to a place called Unicornia and the ruins beneath the city looking for some lost knight's treasure. When he found it a group of young dragons came and took it. He showed him the scar they'd left under his mane on the back of his neck as proof. Lolk had a hard time believing it. As well as being referred to as Lolk. He preferred being called by his actual name but he needed to ensure he wouldn't be taken away before getting to the temple. When they reached the gates to Crows, Lolk copied what Spel was doing. He bowed to the two guards in front of the massive wooden doors and asked to be let in. They asked for the tax and Spel provided the two gold coins for them. Lolk promised a bounty of more upon his return home to make up for both the fee and the dragons taking his prize a few months ago. Once inside the proper city, Lolk was astonished by the sudden change in buildings. The rounded and rough stones that made up the buildings in Crow were replaced with smooth stones, sometimes with elegant carvings in them. The roofs he found were made of a hardened mud they called Clay and it was suppose to be the way it was. As they walked, Lolk took notice very quickly to the bakeries in the city. The ones in the town wafted smells of sweet pastries but these were full of so much variety! All the smells were sweet but some were… something else. Fruity? The sweet and fruity smell coming from them made feel that hungry thing again! The ponies were also much different. The ones in Crow, if anything, wore just regular cloth and smocks depending on what they were doing. In Crows they all wore something. They wore much smoother looking fabrics in loose fitting dresses for the woman and what Spel called togas and robes for the men. The rich ponies just wore togas and shirts while, as Spel pointed out, priests and politicians wore the robes, decorated depending on how close to the gods they were. Why couldn't a pony from here have found him!? Though listening to how they talked to him he figured it was for his own benefit. The disrespectful lot of them. Spel made a sudden left as the approached a lawn of grass and Lolk stopped in confusion. "Where are you going? You said the Temple was this way." "Yes but common ponies can't cross the Palace's lawn unless they work for the King or of his blood. Now come on." "What does it matter if you're a- you're not royal. You should be allowed to walk wherever you please." "Lolk stop. Come on." Spel said as he started to notice attention being drawn from other nobles. Lolk was about to protest and continue walking towards the temple when Spel grabbed him by the hoof and started dragging him away. Lolk reconsidered his action and realized it was on a fine line. He had to avoid drawling attention to himself and made a mental note to thank him later. As they walked around the palace the road began sloping up the hill in the center of Crows. At its top, a pillared structure stood made of gleaming marble. Marble columns holding wooden frames full of lush flowers lead up to the main building. The steps leading up to the all marble building were smooth and well kept by the priests. At a distance he couldn't make out anything of the detail. He had to stop with Spel a few times to bow to a priest with their black hooded robes because of "respect" before entering the grounds. Though before that they had to be blessed. Lolk was growing tired of the formalities. He would've remembered if he had decreed such measures to be taken just to walk to his temple, or indeed if Mother had made them. Then again his knowledge of mortal practices was intensely limited so it was possible they thought it put them in some good favor. Having to go through it right now he was ready to decree it unnecessary and make them stop. At the foot of the temple, under the hanging garden of flowers, a set of colossal black bird statues stood watch with its distinct red eyes. "What are those?" Lolk asked. "Crows." Spel replied. "I'm sorry?" "They're crows, animals of Lorthalis. Our first King founded this town when he saw a crow with glowing red eyes on a branch at the top of the hill. It was a sign from Lord Lorthalis that this was sacred grounds and, if the legend is true, the tree in the temple is the tree of Lorthalis." "Why wouldn't it be true?" "Because Kings have lied before. One claimed he was the son of Lorthalis and Faust but couldn’t prove his ‘godly’ powers. Can you believe that?" "I recall something like that. He was left at the bottom of a pit of fire in the earth for such claims." "Uh… Yeah. He was burned in Crow publicly for heresy… Guess now you know why you need to keep low?" "I suppose. If I had not been placed in this form then perhaps things would be much easier." As he said that, and passing the crows and climbing the steps, he saw murals painted into the walls. The art was very well colored. He recognized mother's white coat and long red hair instantly, her mane practically jumping off the wall. Her image was over the entrance with Discord on her right. Having gotten more knowledge about mortals, he noticed she also had no cutie mark. The pair passed through the opening, greeted with sculptures and paintings on the walls of both Lord Discord and Mother, a few of him and his brother as well. Nacht's golden mane and curved horn were hard to miss. Lolk's form was much nicer. White coat, like Mother's and a black mane that flowed freely. Columns marked the path they were suppose to take along with a very soft black carpet going to another doorway. Priests walked by with their hoods down, showing their faces as well as their long black manes tied back in several knots, held by golden ties, supposedly because it was to represent their ties to nature. Spel said that the longer the mane, the longer they'd been priests. They milled through the foyer, lighting candles and moving offering plates, either empty or full to certain statues, less being closer to the end of the atrium. The statues were only of Discord and Mother. At the entrance way, a priest with a long mane stepped out from around the other side. "Welcome Children of The Mother of Creation. What may she do for you today?" she asked. "I require an audience with M- The Goddess." Lolk said correcting himself. "May I ask why?" "You may not." "Very well. Please come with me." She said stepping aside. Lolk started to through the door but stopped when he noticed Spel not following. "You have to see her alone. He's never been to a temple Madam." Spel said. "I see. Come with me." Satisfied with the answer, Lolk followed the priest through an open air hallway. On either side was a beautiful garden filled with bright, luscious flowers and the chirping of birds. The stone walkway they were on was covered by roof, held by the decorated columns that flanked them. The shade was sparse due to the position of the sun. At the end of the walkway, another opening with what looked to be a large tree within. "This is your first time in a Temple of the Gods?" she asked Lolk as they walked. "Yes… I'm not from around here." "I should say so. Have you prayed to the Goddess before?" "I have… not." Lolk said stopping himself short of explaining that he talked to her longer than she's been alive. "It is very simple. At the foot of the tree, kneel before her and say this. Great Mother who has brought such life, please hear me." "That's it?" "That is all you must say for her to hear you. Then you can speak to her freely. Though chose your words wisely." "I have." Lolk said re rehearsing his grievances with Nacht in his head. "Good, then you know all you need to know. May the Gods bless you." she bowed and Lolk bowed back just out of reflex before going the rest of the way on his own. He entered into a beautifully decorated room of white marble. Paintings on the walls of the creation of the Earth and all upon it by Mother and Discord. In the center, the tree Spel and the priest had been talking about, rooted in a large, round mound of dirt. The leaves were a lush green that seemed to glow in the sunlight. The branches swayed lightly in a wind that Lolk couldn't feel as he approached the dirt mound the tree was in. "Mother?" He asked out loud, hoping she'd just let him skip the formalities. After a few moments he groaned and knelt down. "Great Mother who has brought such life, please hear me." The tree limbs clattered and the leaves rustled as another unknown wind blew, this time much stronger and was actually felt by Lolk. He stood up and looked around, unable to believe it may have actually worked. "Mother?" he asked hesitantly. "My Son." his mother's soothing voice called from seemingly nowhere. "Oh thank goodness! Do you see what has been done to me?" "I do." "Nacht has gone too far this time. He took my magic and locked me in this infernal body! Please just bring me home so I may give him a piece of my mind." "Your brother had nothing to do with your form." "Then who did?" "Lord Discord and I." "You!? W-wait, what!? Why!?" "The wars caused by you and your brother have gone on long enough. The suffering you caused is unimaginable." "Suffering? I have done no such thing!" "Have you not?" "No! You created me to keep order from the elements of Chaos that Lord Discord couldn’t control and that included Nacht! Now please let me return home! I cannot stand being here! I feel so vulnerable in this mortal body." She let out a sigh. "You will. In time." "No! I haven't done anything! This is all Nacht's fault!" "He has been punished the same as you Lorthalis." "But I do not deserve to be punished! What have I done!?" "I cannot say exactly why. But I will tell you this. Your treatment of mortals, both walking among them and as a Spirit, is not what we have taught you. Until you learn the value of mortal life, my Son, you will remain in their world as one of them." "That is not fair! Mother please get me out of here! I am begging you!" Lolk shouted falling to his knees as the wind stopped. The aspect of losing his power forever more terrifying than the monsters that chased him into this town. What scared him more was getting hungry again. That feeling was dreadful. "This is final Lorthalis. I will be watching over you my Son." The wind faded. "No! Please, I will do anything else! Please just let me come back! Mother! Rosetta!" He got no response. He heard hoof steps behind him running up quickly. They skidded to a halt as he fell back on his haunches. "What's the matter?" the Priestess asked surprised. Lolk was too stunned to answer. The fair and forgiving mother of creation just condemned him to a life of mortality. She wanted him to do something but he didn't know what! How was he going to redeem himself if he didn't know what he had to do!? Not wanting to cause any more commotion, Lolk stood up and took a breath. "Nothing. Rosetta decreed what I must do. Please, take me out of this place." Lolk said flatly. The mare nodded and began leading him out. He followed sluggishly as he tried to figure out exactly what she meant by suffering. This was the city he said should be founded, apparently anyways. He wasn't quite sure if he had in the first place with all he’d been dealing with. If he was truly causing suffering wouldn't he have seen it at some point? Ponies in pitiful squalor or something along those lines? He wasn't the cause of anything negative like suffering of mortals was he? His brother certainly but him? Mother was the one that told him to fight his brother and now she was saying that he was wrong for doing so? They came to the foyer where Spel was admiring the murals, new from what Lolk assumed. He turned and noticed his distress. His gaze turned from happy to sympathetic in a moment and he was at his side. "What happened? Did the Goddess not let you go home?" he asked putting a wing over his shoulder. "Return me to your domicile." Lolk said not caring about language anymore. "But-" "Just take me There... Please." "Alright mate, let’s go." Spel kept his wing over him as they went. Lolk would’ve never admitted it to anyone, especially Spel, but he appreciated it. Author's Note Lolk: Aw, you gave me a little friend. I didn't even know you cared Vince. Me: So long as you keep getting on Nex's nerves I could care less. Nexus: I'm going to kill both of you.
Chapter 5When they returned Lolk was no better than when she had left the temple. Spel did everything he could to try and talk to Lolk but she just shut him down with every attempt. Spel was nice enough to spare her interacting with Fact Checker. He grabbed her under her front legs and flew her into her room. Even after being set down he refused to leave. Eventually Lolk got him to leave and he promised to return with something to eat nearer sunset. It didn't matter to Lolk. She lay there on the bed and let the dread wash over her. Strangely the dread was accompanied by the same feeling she had when she'd first arrived. She sighed and felt her eyes start to close, she didn't bother to fight it this time. It felt like only moments, the fatigue was gone in that time but it was only moments to her. A knock came at the door and she shot up. Outside the window she'd come in, the sun was nearly gone and the orange light of the late afternoon make the room seem like it was about to catch fire. She could smell something, spicy. She wasn't sure what that meant but the hungry thing had returned and it was making her mouth water. The knock came again. "Enter." she said sitting up. The door opened and Spel's orange head poked in. "Somepony seems well rested." "I suppose." Lolk said not quite sure what he meant, but it sounded like a compliment. "Hope you're hungry, 'cause I know I can't eat all of this myself." Spel entered fully now and the sound of something sizzling was instantly apparent. On Spel's back, she could see two plates stacked high with something roundish with a white-ish brown handle on the back. The whole thing glistened and steamed as he strode over to the table next to the the bed. With the same precision as his sister that morning, or afternoon, set the tray on the table. Lolk got out of the bed and sat on the side of the table closest to the bed. What made her uncomfortable now was that he was setting up not only for her but for himself. "I wish to be alone Cave Diver." Lolk said feeling her mouth water at the sight of the food in front of her. "Well Sis' got the fort held down so I thought you could use the company, even if you don't know you do." Spel said pouring a red liquid into two challises. "Hope you like it, 'cause it's all we got." "What is it?" "Wine." "Oh I like that!" "Uh huh. So what happened in the temple? Did the Mother not talk to you?" "No… She did…" Lolk out of some instinct, picked up the brown thing in a hoof. "She told me she wouldn't let me come home." "Oh… I'm sorry Lorthalis." "Y-You can call me Lolk if it's better for you." "Okay, Lolk. Well… Since you're not goin' home, why don't you stay here?" "What would I do? All I have ever known was well…. " Lolk sighed and took a bite out of the brown thing and she lost all track of her thoughts. "You could work here. Sis might not like you much but I bet she'd appreciate the extra hoofs around here. Especially a unicorn." Lolk had to drag himself away from the extraordinary feeling of her tongue tingling and the…Staly taste of the thing she was eating to figure out what he meant. She was sadly far too distracted by the taste to really so she had to ask. "What do you mean by that?" "Well… There aren't a lot of unicorns 'round here mate. Magic would certainly make things 'round here easier on us." Lolk knit her brow, she knew what a unicorn was but wasn't sure wh- She looked to the polished platter and saw the red horn sticking out from her tall waves of hair. She realized her hair was FAR more ostentatious than she had first thought. There was a dark red lock hanging freely from the rest of the white mane and a few more red stripes in it; two small ones next to one another sticking up in the back and one more that ran behind one of the locks hanging on the front of his face. It fell behind it and curved under it. She turned her head to make sure she actually had a mane behind the untamable beast in front and found it to be simple and short. She was annoyed now. But being a unicorn… "Uh… My magic does no- doesn't work properly." "What'd ya mean?" Spel asked taking a bite of his brown thing. "Well… I tried using it before I got here and it just would not work. I do not quite know why I just can't use it." "Well we're closed on weekends so maybe you could find something in the library?" "I suppose…. What is this?" Lolk asked holding up her brown thing. "Crocodile leg. Good eh?" "Indeed." Lolk took a bite and smiled at flavor again. "That's good." "What is?" She asked with her mouth full. "You smiling. You 've a cu- nice smile." he said with a smile of his own. "Thank you. Yours as well." What was that feeling? She shifted in place as she took a sip of wine. It was strange, she felt like pit formed in her midsection for a split when she said that. It made her feel incredibly uncomfortable. But that faded as they kept eating. "So tell me more about this place please." "Yeah! Sure." Spel said seeming elated for the change of subject.
Chapter 6It had been, from what his understanding of time had become, two weeks since he began living as a mortal. Lolk was beginning to grow accustomed to a routine for a day. Get up, eat morning meal, make sure bar area is tidy before checking rooms and cleaning them. After general cleaning of the tavern was completed, taking some time for afternoon meals before waiting on ponies in the bar area. When night fell, serve dinner and have his own before cleaning up the bar and going to bed. Intermediately he'd have to retreat to the "outhouse" outside the building where he would relieve himself. Another thing he had to grow accustomed to. Outside of just living he'd found a few scrolls showing him how to use magic as a mortal. Normally he'd just think about what he wanted to do and it'd happen. Now even the most basic thing required a spell. Levitation was first and it took him days to even lift a spoon. Another odd part was the physical exertion needed for the spells. He had to have some strength to be able to cast them. He easily filled out the mental strength that spells required but the physical part of magic threw him off. Thankfully all he really needed was levitation for the time being. If he ever wanted to try and return to what he did before as a mortal, he'd need to become stronger. For now, levitating dishes and using magic to make beds was what he was using it for and it's all he really needed. Late in the evening, near closing, Lolk was picking up mugs from a massive party that came through. It was much larger than the usual celebration and Lolk didn't pay attention to what the blacksmith had been telling him about so for all he knew it was holiday. but in the aftermath of them running out of mead and wine, a small group of stallions stayed around to finish their food. The rest had left to find more alcohol. They were all armed for some reason. Of the six of them, two had pike staffs and the others had only swords. Spel tried a few times to get their weapons so he could make sure no drunken disputes went down but failed, even Check couldn't stare them down enough to get them away from their weapons. Lolk tried once but to no avail either. He was about to do it by force but Spel said they couldn't afford to have anything broken, even with the good business they'd had during the night. Check said that she and Spel would handle kicking them out so Lolk was free to go and clean the unoccupied rooms. He had a very distinct feeling that he should stay downstairs. He didn't really want to. Though to avoid getting into another fight with Check over respect so he just started up the stairs. He levitated his duster from the linen closet and knocked on the first door on the right. He didn't wait for any response and just walked in. One of the particularly frisky men from the bar was in there with a mare and everything everything hanging out. "The fuck?! Get out ya gibbon!" the stallion shouted. "Oh! Sorry!" Lolk said getting out. Lolk slammed the door and moved to the next, this time he waited and got no answer. He opened the door and nothing it was empty, thankfully. He had just finished making the bed when he heard muffled shouting. He wasn't quite sure if it was from downstairs or next door. What was from downstairs was the sound of breaking plates and clanging platters. To Tartarus with respect for doing as he was told, he dropped the feathered pillow and broke into a full sprint. Before he even got down the stairs and the first thing he saw was Spel with his back on the table the stallions were at with three of them holding him down and one landing several blows to his ribcage. Check was fighting with another one over a pike as the last one was on the ground holding his head near a dented serving platter. Lolk's heart hammered away in his chest as he leapt down six stairs at a time. When he hit the stone floor, he started in full stride to the one attacking Spel. He wasn't quite sure what he'd do yet but he figured now wasn't the time to make a full chess strategy. He despised chess anyways. When he was close enough to do anything, Lolk instantly went for Spel. He dropped his right shoulder and ran into the stallion landing hit after hit on his friend's ribcage. The stallion let out a grunt and stumbled away. Lolk quickly used his magic to grab the pony's sword, again he wasn’t sure what he'd do with it quite yet. The one holding down Spel's right foreleg let go and tried to draw his blade as well. Lolk didn't actually think, he swung the sword haphazardly in the pony's vague direction. The tip of the blade slashed into his right foreleg and made him drop his sword. Lolk reared up on his forelegs for some reason and kicked with both legs. They connected to the pony he shoved before and knocked him into the one who was on the ground. He looked behind him and saw Check holding the staff and landing a solid hit on the one she was fighting with the not sharp end. The last stallion let go of Spel and tackled him before he could think of something to do. The sword almost moved with a mind of its own, It found its way in between them with the flat of the blade against the last ponies stomach. Lolk's magic was stronger somehow, it wasn't much but strong enough to lit the pony off of him and toss him into the table that Spel had been on. Spel was now on the ground clutching his stomach so at least he was out of the way. Lolk stood up and put the sword he had to the stallion's nose. Spel took that pony's sword from him and got next to his sister as the tension rose as the action simmered. "Listen mate, we ju-" "I don't care!" Lolk shouted, interrupting the obviously intoxicated pony. The stallion's friends were slowly backing up with Spel and Check holding the sharp objects at them. "Just leave and we'll never speak of this again. And neither will you. Understand?" The stallion nodded lightly and Lolk withdrew the sword. "And that goes for the rest of you. Do not return here or you will meet the same opposition." "And what about our weapons?" the one Check hit on the head said still wobbley on his hoofs from that. "Come back when you are not intoxicated and you may take your weapons. Other than that you may not return. Is that understood?" They nodded as the one Lolk had a blade point joined them and the siblings started lowering their weapons. "Good, BE GONE!" The ponies quickly stumbled out and Spel dropped the sword holding his sides. Lolk and Check were quick to drop theirs and go to his side. "Shall I go retrieve a medicine pony?" Lolk suggested. "Yes, go!" Check said waving him off. Lolk didn't need any more provocation to sprint out of the tavern and into the streets. It wasn't long before he returned with a doctor, one of the few unicorns he'd met since he arrived here. Doctor Bone Saw came in and started checking Spel over. He did give him a general clean bill of health aside from some deep bruising on his sides and stomach. He prescribed a herbal potion that would help ease the pain and let him heal faster, hopefully. Lolk cursed himself that the Doctor couldn't use magic to fix him properly. But apparently that was beyond his abilities. Lolk may not have been able to heal him but he visited him every chance he was free for about two or three days. Today he'd brought him lunch, a loaf of bread and tea with his potion. It wasn't much but it was all Lolk could afford for him. He did however sneak some raspberry jam from the kitchen while Check wasn't looking. Spel had been acting strange the past few days. He'd been much more… nervous than usual. "Ya know Lolk, I… I forgot to say thank you for what you did." "You don't need to. I j-" "No I do. They could've killed us." "I'm sure they would not have gone that far." "Regardless you deserve more than a jammy piece of bread." "Well?" "Well what?" "Thank me then." Spel chuckled, he found it amusing when Lolk took everything so literally for some reason. "Thank you. For everything. Especially the food." He and Lolk shared a small laugh. "I'm impressed though. I'm amazed they even listened to you." "I, as well was impressed. It has been some time since I've had to do such a thing." "What'd ya mean?" "You know what. When I was still immortal I was the Spirit of Order. Making ponies listen and Bring Law was what I did." "Right right. Almost forgot about that. You did a fine job mate." He said reaching out to his left knee. Lolk caught a shutter going up his back along with that pit in his lower chest. It was a feeling he still wasn't quite use to. He wasn't really sure what the feeling was but he felt it around Spel quite often. "Thank you. I do hope nothing like this happens to you again." "Well with you as our guardian I think we'll be fine." He chuckled before continuing. "Let those that cross us know the wrath of Lord Lorthalis!" "If that is what you'd allow me to do." "You kidding? I bet if you asked Check she'd give you a dagger in a heartbeat." A sudden feeling of pride washed over Lolk. It had been a long time since he'd felt that. The days with Mother and Nacht, at least the more recent hundred years, was full of stress and constant conflict between both of them. He'd forgotten how it felt to be appreciated for doing what he was suppose to do. Keep the piece. Spel's gaze went down in confusion and a big smile grew on his face a moment later. "Well well well My Lord, looks like you're officially a mortal." Spel said sitting up a bit. "Pardon?" "Take a look." he said pointing to his flank. Lolk bent round around and noticed something very obvious that wasn't there before. In the center of his upper thigh, the image of an upside down sword with the top of a scale balanced perfectly on the end of the hilt had appeared. Nothing rest in the baskets. "Guess it'll be easier to pass yourself off as mortal now ey?" Spel said. "I suppose so. Do you think anypony will notice?" "Definitely. I bet anypony that saw you before would've noticed that you didn't have one." "And now that I do?" "They'll probably just wonder to themselves in silence." "Why?" "To avoid offending you I suppose." "Then why did nobody ask about it when it didn't have it?" "Same reason. Maybe out of pity but more than likely to avoid getting you upset." Another word Lolk hated, especially towards him. "Did you pity me?" "No… Okay yes but you're my friend. Like I could care if you have a cutie mark." "Could you?" "Maybe, Not bad to look at either way." "Pardon?" Lolk asked not sure if that was a compliment. A sudden red tint came to Spel's face. "Uh… so how's the magic thing been working out?" "Um… Fine but I don't believe I heard you correctly." "It's nothing. You gonna learn any like… combat spells?" "I suppose I should." Lolk paused and looked to his piece of bread. "Can yo-" "I said it was nothin' Lolk so just drop it alright!?" Lolk paused, taken aback. "I was going to ask if you were done with the jam." If his face wasn't red before it turned much redder now. He quickly passed the glass jar. The rest of the meal was eaten in silence.
Chapter 7Spel had been somewhat right about Check. When Lolk presented the idea to Check she was skeptical, even having seen his cutie mark. However from her performance that day she gave her the money to get a dagger of her own. Not enough for anything garish, as much as she liked the look of the gold inlays on one she saw, she stuck with a simple bronze dagger. She wasn't fond of the leather string holding it to her right thigh. Too tight and it would dig into her skin and give her a rash, too lose and it'd fall right to the floor. She could never find a good middle ground no matter how hard she tried. Lolk had contemplated getting it on a belt but found that the dagger would just fall out of the sheath when it hung on its side. Today she was trying another kind of knot in a different kind of tie pattern. Still tight but not ridding up on her yet. It had been a fairly busy time the past week, ponies were checking in and it meant two things, nothing to do in the mornings and FAR too much to do in the afternoon. But that meant she could see Spel getting out of bed today! His recovery was impressive to both Spel and the Doctor. Considering he was still somewhat hurting, Check just had him helping Lolk clean the rooms later in the afternoon and the dishes at night. It did her heart good to see her friend up and about again. It was approaching lunch as Lolk was starting to crave some kind of meat. Spel went and informed his sister they were taking off for their break and they were off. "How is your chest?" Lolk asked Spel hearing him breathing a bit heavily lately. "Better. Ma' ribs 're holdin' up good 'nuff. Dagger 'angin' fine?" "Still tight and certainly not comfortable. I will be more than glad if I can find a way to have it not give me a rash." "Good to hear. So anythin' you've been cravin'?" "You know my answer. But I would settle with a loaf of bread and some butter. Maybe jam." "Agreed." They started towards their usual bakery. "So I have been wondering something." "Well don't keep me waitin' in suspense." "How often do you go on your little hunts of fortune?" "I wouldn't call them little Lolk but Whenever they present themselves. My main benefactor's is always lookin' around his personal collection for something for me to do. I should get him a letter tellin' 'im I'm up and about." "Why not go speak to him directly?" She asked a bit curious. "He lives in Crow. We can't go see him and eat today." "Very well, I can wait until tonight to eat." "Lolk really y-" "I won't hear another word of it Spel, we're going to your benefactor." "W-" "Now Spel." Lolk said asserting some power over her friend. As much as Cave Diver liked to think Lolk wouldn't push her weight around with him, he was sorely mistaken. She smiled and started making her way to the central city. She smiled and hummed most of the way while Spel kept his head low. She took her toll from a pouch. Once Spel had paid he lead her to a section of the city nearer the Royal Palace. "I thought commoners weren't allowed in this section." Lolk asked wondering as they were ever encroaching on the King's land. "It only applies to Royal Ground. As it stands we can't loiter 'round here too long." He clarified. "The King's Generals and most well known war heroes live here." "Oh. Of what party is your benefactor involved?" "He's an old General. Fought in the first siege of Emerald City." "Ah yes where the windego reside. Such disgusting creatures." "Yeah… anyways, just call 'im General and please let me do the talkin'." He started down a short walkway across a lawn. The stone house was simple and square broken up with columns across the front. The lawn was dotted with elegant statues of ponies, most in armor in various positions of either combat or pointing in some direction. The statues were painted to match the ponies presumably but they were far too perfect looking to be normal, though all attractive. Lolk had to keep his eye away from the statues as Spel knocked on the General's door. It was answered by a mare who could've been taken from the statue garden. Her black mane was pulled back into a complex braid. It went well with her black toga and blue eyes. "Oh Spel, it's nice to see you." She said to him with a smile. "General Cage has been expecting you." She stepped aside. "Who is your friend?" "Hello, I am Lolk." she answered holding out a hoof. The mare shook it with a smile. "It's nice to meet you Lolk. Please come in." "Thank you." "General Cage is in his Study, I trust you know the way?" "I do, thank you." Spel started up the stairs and Lolk followed as the mare went elsewhere. "Who was she?" Lolk asked. "Sunny. I don't know her last name. She's the General's servant." "She seems nice." "She has to be if she doesn't want to be punished." "Punished?" "Ya know… wiped, flogged or beaten." "WHAT!?" "Shhh!" Spel said keeping his voice down. "I don't like it any more than you do but he bought her legally. If she were his wife then yes, I'd object to him openly but there's nothing we can do." "That isn't just servitude Spel, it's slavery!" Lolk said now just as hushed. "Even if she is his servant, that doesn't mean he should abuse her!" "I understand Lolk but we can't do anything 'bout it. Just… please be quiet 'bout it." "I…." Lolk scrunched her muzzle in frustration. "Fine, but you owe me something in return." "Fine fine, whatever you want, just please keep your mouth shut 'bout it." She snorted at Spel as he sighed. He lead her to a large set of wooden doors and knocked on them as well. "It's open." A weathered old stallion's voice called. Spel pushed the door open and entered, Lolk not far behind. The large room had dark red marble with tall shelves filled to the brim with scrolls practically spilling out of the square slots. Some were very weathered and yellowed with decades of age. Where there weren't shelves. relief statues of mares on their hind legs, frozen in a tantalizing dance, were seen. As with the statues in the yard, they were painted to look more realistic. They were beautifully made but with Lolk's new view on this man, she found them disgusting. The ceiling wasn't much better. It was painted with what looked like a dome showing up to a portal with ponies looking over the edge. It looked kind of crude and not as realistic as the paintings but the perspective was impressive. At the other end of the room, a intricate wooden desk sat with a blind arcade of arched windows behind it. The desk itself was just as disheveled to the shelves, scrolls half open and hanging off of the side of the desk. Behind it all, a white stallion with gray hair sat. His face was wrinkled with age and scared from battle. He sat hunched looking over the scrolls from every angle he could without getting up. He looked up and saw Spel and Lolk at the door way. His left eye was milky white and his left ear was missing a chunk near the tip. "Cave Diver my little explorer!" the old warrior said happy. "I heard what happened and I had the King flog the soldiers responsible. How are you feeling?" "Better now, Sir. This is my good friend Lolk." Spel said introducing her. "A pleasure I'm sure. Sh-h-she seems displeased." Cage said looking at her. "Oh, they had a bad sweet roll earlier today." "Ah, well I'll give you money for lunch here in Crow. Come come my dear boy, you must see what I have found!" the General said happily motioning them over. Spel went over to the other side of the desk while Lolk stood on the opposite side, she didn't want to get any closer to the man then she had to. "I know you said the treasure from the unicorns was taken but it seems I misread the maps and riddles." "B-but I saw it with my own eyes Sir. There was no end to the gold and jewels in that cave!" "I know! That's the amazing part!" He said as giddy as a little filly. "The end of the city is nigh, the pillars of fire and smoke rise high. Her majesty calls for our retreat, we take the track well beat. Following our track to our old homes, to save our wealth 'neath the ebony domes." "Yeah we went over this a few months ago. It pointed north to the old city of Onix and its mines." "Exactly! But we've been taking it too literally." He tossed a couple of scrolls off to the side. "Look here." Lolk looked over the desk as well as Spel. "This is Quarts City, where the Princess of Unicornia ordered retreat and she took the cities vast wealth with her. The only way she could go was north and yes, she did drop some of her wealth in the Onix mines." "Some?" Spel said starting to light up. "Yes! You see," he takes the poem out again. "The Ebony Dome doesn't just mean the Black Onix mines." "Then what does it mean?" Lolk asked. "I'm very glad you asked. There are several black MARBLE mines further to the north. Basically into the Frozen North before the Crystal City." "That's a dangerous move. I mean, they're not exactly trustin' of pegasi out there. It was risky just getting to Onix." "I understand. I bought your passage to the north before but I don't know how far my gold will get you then." "Why would you have to?" "The Pegasus Nation's relations with the ponies down here on the ground has been rather strained for the past few years." Spel told him. "Unicorns aren't rather miffed at us for our limited distribution of the rain water." "Has your friend been under a rock?" "No just…. out of touch with society for quite some times." "I see well you're right Cave Diver. I don't know how far money will get you this time. You wouldn't be able to take the roads and the unicorns would take you down and ask questions as soon as they get a look at you in the air." The two sat for a moment before Lolk chimed in with a suggestion to try and get gears turning. "What of nomads?" "Nomads?" The stallions asked in unison. "Surely there are nomads that make their way around the land without being seen or questioned." "He's right." Spel said. "There has to be dozens of nomads passing through Crows right now. Maybe some gold could persuade them to take us to the north." "Perhaps… It wouldn't take much to persuade them to take you along with them. I would hope at least." "We can only ask. I'll need some gold for that." "You'll have it my friend." He said putting hoofs on his shoulders. "And I'll make good on my promise of lunch. Dine," He said giving him a small sack of coins. "I will buy the provisions you will need to explore the caves and send you additional coins to pay off the nomads." Spel put a hoof on the General's shoulder. "I won't let you down this time." "I know you won't." He nodded at him before letting him go. "And… Lolk was it?" "Yes." Lolk said simply fearing what she might say other than that. "Will you be accompanying him?" "Uh… I don't know if L-" "I would love to if you wouldn't mind." "It would be no trouble at all! Any friend of my favorite explorer is a friend of mine!" "Uh-y-yes Sir." "Go! Enjoy your lunch and return home. Give your regards to your sister for me Cave Diver." "Y-yes Sir." He said getting out from behind the desk. Lolk had a smug smile on her face as Spel lead them out of the house. Spel looked rather annoyed with himself as they left the property and found the nicest café they could. Lolk had just ordered the biggest steak they had while Spel decided on a ham. "It was nice of the General t-" "Why do you wanna go?" Spel interrupted. "Hm? Oh yes, after what happened last time you'll need my help." "I can handle myself Lolk." "Can you? Say you run into more dragons or something that can't be bribed by boundless gems and gold." "Then I'll handle it." "Like the soldiers that were in the bar?" "I-" "He's already paying for both so regardless I'll be coming with you." Spel slumped back against the chair he was in with a groan. Lolk giggled as the server came by again. "We have just opened a barrel of mead, would you two like any?" "Two." Spel answered quickly. "I would like to try some for a change." "Make it three then." Author's Note I'M NOT DEAD! Yes I'm going to try and start making content again. Hopefully. And what of the two fics I have on hold? ..... Well we'll have to see.
Chapter 8The rest of the day was far more mundane than Lolk would've liked. He did deeply enjoy the food and the mead. Spel seemed to like it as well as he was chuckling to himself the whole way for no disenable reason. By sunrise Lolk was up doing what he did on a regular basis until he heard Check called for them. Spel didn't actually show up but he knew if he had he would've smiled as wide as the street seeing everything being walked in. He spied climbing picks, what could've been miles of rope and enough food to feed three armies. Spel did finally come down as Lolk and Check were taking inventory on it all. "Wow… He really wants this treasure." Spel said after letting out a low whistle. "You don't know the half of it." Check said showing him the list. "He's given you enough food to last two ponies for almost three months." "And enough gold to buy a sweets shop." Lolk chimed in. "Yeah, and that's not all. Here's the map he's got for you." She handed off the map. "How many caves!?" He shouted. "The old man's gone mad! I mean twelve caves?" "Oh come on you're incredible. I'm sure it's no problem for someone like you." "No problem!? You realize how fast we'd have to move? If we don't get everywhere we need to go before we run out of food we're basically fucked!" "I don't understand what the problem is. We can get more food if we run low can we not?" Lolk asked his friend. "I told you the unicorns don't like pegasi. In fact I'm lucky earth ponies tolerate us." "Well then I'll go when we need to get supplies." "Oh please you're hopeless socially." "Hey! I resent that!" "Like I'm wrong?" Under his anger, Lolk felt a pang of emotional betrayal. Spel was his friend… wasn't he? "Cave Diver shut your damn mouth before I back hoof it shut for you. You need somepony with a horn growing out of their skull and he's it." "I-" "No Spel. He's going with you and he's going to help you if you like it or not. Lolk go get packed you'll be leaving after lunch." "Very well." They made good on that deadline. Just after lunch they'd left for the edge of town to find some traveling ponies. There were plenty of carts, plenty of ponies selling their wares from their carts. Granted, some were rather odd. One stallion in particular had a zebra mare and stallion in chains at the front of his cart as he showed off two more on wooden boxes. He shouted about how strong they were in an accent Lolk hadn't heard before. "Tell me that is not common." Lolk asked Spel holding back the urge to pull his dagger on the man selling them. "Sadly yes. I don't agree with it but there really isn't much to do about the earthponies in the south." "First the servants in that man's house and now them. It sickens me how those with more treat those with nothing at all." "The servants in Crow are all paid. I knew a zebra that escaped from there and he said it was much worse than what." "You said she could be whipped and flogged!" "Yeah but my friend was starved and branded." "What!? That's it I am having a word with that man." He was in the process of turning around before Spel stopped him and put a foreleg around his shoulder, dragging him along the road. "How 'bout we actually find somepony that'll take us to Unicornia, ay?" "Bu-" "Shut up. You have the gold?" "Yes." He said pulling the purse from his hammer space. "See anyone?" "Not one unicorn in the bunch so far but the day's still young." "We don't need a unicorn to get us there." "That's kind 'a wrong." "How so?" "Why not? Everywhere needs merchants so they should be accepted anywhere. Look there, there's a pegasus with great business!" The stallion behind it had a gray coat and a golden nose ring in the center of his nose. His golden yellow eyes matched the tips of his emerald red mane. "Oh that's Sham. Yeah don't buy from him." "Oh you know him?" "Yeah but he's-" "Well let's talk to him." Lolk instantly broke away faster than Spel could get to him. He went over to the plain wooden cart with a sign reading JEWELRY. The stallion quickly noticed them and waved off a couple of ponies. "Cave Fucking Diver!" He said excitedly ducking into the cart and coming out the back. "Been what, two years?" "Two too few…" Spel said under his breath. "Hello, I am Lolk." he said going up to him holding out a hoof. "Yeah that's nice." He said pushing past Lolk. "What can I do for you? Want something for your sister?" Spel opened his mouth to reply before Sham started talking again. "How is she by the way? She ever talk about me?" "No, none of ya bees wax and you wish." "Oh don't be like that. What's with the hostility?" "The wrist band you gave her put her in the bleedin' hospis!" "I am appalled you'd accuse me of causing that." "The edge cut her hoof and the crappy metal you put it gave her a nasty infection!" "Uh, Spel I th-" "This a friend of yours?" Sham asked cutting Lolk off again. "As a matter of fact I am." Lolk said getting annoyed with his demeanor. "I am Lolk. "Well a friend of Diver's is a friend of mine." He said going back to the back of his cart, soon popping out of his window. "And that means a discount!" "No, we'll be goin' now." Spel said about to grab Lolk's hoof and leaving. "Actually." Lolk said getting out of reach again. "How long are you in town?" He asked as a mare came up and started browsing. "Not much longer. You want me gone too?" "Yes, now we're leavin'." Spel said desperate to leave. "Are you going to be moving towards unicorn territory?" "Oh yeah, they love my wares up there. Why Elk?" "It's Lolk and w-" "We're not asking him." "Let the pony ask me what they want to ask me Cave Diver, he wants to know something." "We were hoping for someone to help get us passage. Spel has been given a job to find a treasure a-" "Say no more!" "Hang on Sham, I need to speak to my friend for a tick. Just wait here." He nodded and turned to sell something to the mare that had walked up. Spel dragged Lolk away a ways and pulled his head low. "The hell do you think you're doin'?" "Getting us a way to Unicornia." "Could you just find another pony? Anyone else at all?" "Why not Sham?" "He's a con artist Lolk! We have him take us out there he'll want a share. Hell, he'd probably kill us soon 's we get a look at it!" "Well you know him and that relationship could benefit us." "Yes but what about Cage? If he finds out I'm done for." "Then we don’t tell him that he took some as payment. Look, if it doesn't work out I'll… Well I'll do whatever you want for a month." He looked up at the cart as Sham finished selling jewelry to the mare, holding her whole coin purse. "Okay. But you'll pick up my slack for three months when we get back if you're right." "Excellent. Sham!" Lolk called as he slipped from Spel's grasp. "When will you be leaving?" "I was planning on leaving tomorrow morning but for you two, I'll go today. For a price." "Ten gold pieces?" Lolk offered. "Thirty." Sham said quickly after. "Fifteen or we'll find somepony else." Spel said standing up with Lolk. "Fine, fine. For you fifteen. Get what you need and we'll leave. Payment upfront by the way." "No." Sham says as he starts walking away. "Thank you very much." Lolk told him bowing. "We will return at sundown." "Great. And feel free to buy something when you come back!" He called as Lolk started jogging away to follow Spel. "You're gonna regret this Lolk." Spel said when he caught up. "Why? He seems nice enough. And we didn't even have to pay him too much. We still have more than enough gold to get more supplies when we need them." "I told you he's a co artist. He'll probably charge us extra fees as we go and by the time we make it to the first cave, we'll be out of money." "I doubt he'll do that." "He's done it before. Two years ago he took up to Unicornia and that's exactly what he did." "Perhaps he has changed in those two years." Lolk said optimistically. Spel just rolled his eyes and shook his head as they went back into Crows. Author's Note Two in one day? Yeah I've been doing work on this.... When's the next one you ask? Uh............ *Runs from the room*
PrologueAccording to legend, hundreds of thousands of years ago, the spirits of power did not always walk upon the earth. The Great Mother of Creation, then known as The Goddess of Order, and The Lord of Chaos lived high over the Earth and held balance. The Goddess and Lord held a perfect balance. Despite her best efforts, some of the Lord's chaotic creations sometimes went out of control. The Goddess, intent on making sure her creation bellow would remain in balance, creates a spirit of Lawful Good to contain the unnecessary chaos energy. His name was Lord Lorthalis. For many decades, his efforts are a success and balance remains in the world. Lorthalis used his power to lock away the energy where it would not harm anypony and his hope was that it would disperse normally. But unfortunately, he was wrong. The energy he worked so hard to lock away and spread out congealed into a being of malicious darkness, a being of Chaotic Evil. When he came to life, he took the name Nacht. Being a creation of Lord Discord's Chaos Energy, Nacht is deemed to be a child of the Lord of Chaos. And Lorthalis being a child of Mistress Rosetta, was deemed to be Nacht's brother. With his eventual escape from where Lorthalis had trapped the energy that made him, he would create a conflict that would span a hundred years. Nacht took it upon himself to bring down the world below in a ball of fire. Though he followed in Lord Discord's footsteps for some time, he was planning something much worse: to trick a kingdom into declaring war on another. Lorthalis, outraged his brother would cause something so destructive, brought in a kingdom he was worshipped in into the conflict. The City of Crow was brought in against the Kingdom of Strum. For one hundred years, the two brothers, through their kingdoms, fought for supremacy over one another. Chaos and Order at war for that long took its toll on the world. It was then that their mother had had enough. And that is where our story begins.
