Fear Upon The Horizon: Rebirth

Check, 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…."