Partheus

Clef listened to what Spit Polish had to say. That's not going to help Persnickety's confidence at all, he thought. Mabye if I interjected now and changed the subject, I could steer her thoughts away from anything negative and let them fade away in the back of her mind... He straightened his composure, a rarity for somebody as absent-minded as he was concerning appearances. "Say, umm... Miss Polish, is it?" He glanced over to Newsworthy to check if he had got her name right. The slightly eager look in his eyes told Clef he was correct. "Yes, I was wondering if you personally knew any famous film music composers. You know, like John Whinnyams, or Hay Zimmer? See, I'm a huge fan of them both, and I've read their autobiographies, and apparently, they often talk with the main actors of the film they are composing for, to try and really understand the drama behind certain scenes so they can score better music for it. Have any of them ever approached you or talked to you in any way?" This better work, he thought, forcing a weak smile on his face.

Vividim stood his men down with a gesture of his hand. "We've taken down our fair share of gods in our time. What we lack in magical ability, we make up for in sheer numbers. The Human League outnumbers the entire elven population three to one, and that's just with our current numbers. If we were to order martial law, our collective force would overshadow anything the Five Realms can throw at us. It's not like the citizens of Hominopolis would need years of emotional hardening to think and act like a soldier. They already possess the apathy and detachment required to kill on command. And considering the vast majority of Hominopolis is part of the manual labour force, not much physical training would be necessary either." A wicked smile crept across his face. "If you needed any more proof of the true potential of the human race, look no further than your own companion Partheus. I saw with my own eyes that he has effortlessly ascended our race's high standards, and I suspect that even then, he is concealing the majority of his power. If he can achieve that kind of raw power in under two months, imagine what he could achieve in a year? Or mabye a lifetime? Or, for an even scarier thought, imagine if we discovered exactly how he attained his power, and used this knowledge to better train our soldiers? We would be nigh unstoppable, and not even the Sisters of the Sky could stop us!" Vividim ceased his ramblings, and looked over at the other side of the room. "Of course, it's not like we need to be any more powerful at this moment in time. That's why we keep people like the Sadist around." Vividim gestured to someone out of Newsworthy's sight. "If you may..." Without a chance to turn around to see who was behind him, Newsworthy felt a painful sensation crawl down his spine, and his wings felt like they were about to catch fire. His legs twitched and spasmed, and he fell to the floor with a heavy thud. He opened his eyes slowly to see a pointed pair of black boots stand right in front of his face. He felt himself being lifted via a spell, before blacking out completely from the pain. * * * Dark. Dank. Disgusting. Just a few words beginning with 'D' that came to Twilight's mind as she wandered closely behind Partheus in the dimly lit sewers. The walls were too unsanitary to lean on, and the air was ripe with the foul stench of waste. "Ugh, how come human waste smells so bad?" Partheus coyly turned around with a pinched nose. "I'd ask the same of equine waste, but that would be rude of me." Twilight rolled her eyes defiantly as she clenched her nose tighter. "Hey, at least we don't kill animals for food! I saw that dreadful shop when we walked through the market!" Partheus turned around again, still maintaining his coy demeanour. "At least we don't use our own waste as fertiliser for our crops." Twilight mouthed back what Partheus said with a silly tone, gesturing her free hand as a mouth as she did. "It's efficient." Partheus sighed. "It's also disgusting. You ever considered asking your great sun god to make the weather more favourable for your crops instead of smothering the countryside with your...detritus?" Twilight gasped disgustedly, as if Partheus had just added to the waste pile in front of her. "Celestia is duty bound to keep the Sun revolving around the Earth in a specific orbit. If the alignment was disturbed, chaos would ensue in Equestria, and most likely the rest of the Five Realms as well." Partheus stopped walking. "Who is she performing her duties for? And, who or what will cause the chaos if Discord is imprisoned?" Twilight couldn't answer Partheus' query with a satisfactory response, so she remained quiet, Partheus resuming his walk. "I guess you don't know then, huh? That's unsurprising. It seems even Celestia's best student is kept in the dark about what's really out there." Twilight kept close to him, perturbed by the fact that she couldn't correct him for once. They made it to a fork in the sewer tunnels, with barely legible carvings in the sides of each. Partheus went over to one and, with great reluctance, wiped his hand on the sticky wall to make out the writing. It read: "Hac via ad paradisi." Twilight twisted her head to the side, as if it read in English if one viewed from another angle. "This... way... to... paradise? Eww, not in here it won't!" Partheus shook his head. "Not quite. 'paradise' and 'garden' are the same word in the Old Tongue. This sign is telling us to go this way if we want to end up in the Garden Sector of Hominopolis." He snapped his head backwards, as if someone had slapped him in the face to snap him out of a dreamlike stupor. "Wait a moment, how can you read the Old Tongue? I never taught you!" Twilight scratched her head. "Well, uh, it turns out that what you call 'the Old Tongue' is almost identical to an old language we have in Equestria we call Horse Latin. I did try to tell you on multiple occasions, but someone was too busy chatting with Newsworthy to pay any attention." Partheus was taken back by this. "But that's impossible. Equestria hadn't seen a single human for 2000 years until I arrived. How is it possible that both nations have the same language?" Twilight and Partheus stood there for a moment, transfixed by the riddle that lay before them both. Although both nations had not seen each other for over two millennia, they had the exact same language, which further evolved and changed over time in the exact same fashion. A foreign land where one is greeted by native speakers of his own mother tongue is not a common sight, to say the least. This is such a troubling notion, such a contradiction of reason, that it has plagued Partheus' thoughts since the very night he ventured into Equestria, and had gone unanswered through countless escapades and adventures since, including this one. Partheus eventually broke the silence, and looked down the tunnel leading to the Garden Sector. "Never mind. Let's just keep going." Partheus led the way forwards, Twilight sticking close to him lest she fall into one of the many puddles of filth that lay at their feet. Their boots were sodden with dirt, and their faces felt as though someone had placed thick layers of paste onto them, even though they both knew full well that it was anything but paste. To their delight, they could see the ladder leading upwards into the Garden Sector, small slivers of light escaping through the slits in the manhole cover and shining down on the slimy floor. Partheus and Twilight made their way to the ladder, both relieved to be soon out of the dreaded place. Partheus began the climb to freedom, pushing the manhole cover up slightly to peek at where they were. He couldn't quite make out much from his point of view, so he popped the manhole cover up all the way and stuck his head out to get a panoramic view of their surroundings. They were situated behind a large tree bearing fresh apples, and the grass covering most of the floor greeted Partheus' nostrils with a soothing freshness, as if he had been doused with sweet smelling water. He noticed the lack of any guards or people in general, and clambered out of the manhole, turning back and pulling Twilight up as she desperately tried to climb the ladder as fast as her legs could take her. Twilight took in a deep and satisfying breath of fresh air. "Ahh, smell that air! Gosh, I didn't realise how much I took clean air for granted back in Equestria!" Partheus placed the manhole cover back on the manhole, making it look as if it hadn't been disturbed, and joined Twilight in intaking breathable air. He went to take in a deep breath, but Twilight pushed him away and held her nose. "Hey, what was that for?" Twilight wagged her finger furiously at Partheus. "Smelling like that, you're not standing near me any time soon." They both laughed.

Vividim grinned. "Oh, does she now? That's rather brave of her, considering the history between our two nations." He shuffled off his throne, and began pacing down the steps with his hands behind his back, in precisely the same fashion as he did with Partheus not ten minutes before. "But, it's not my place to inform you of that. Wouldn't want to start any unwanted trouble over something negligible, would we?" He approached Newsworthy and began circling around him like a grounded vulture, taking note of his blue wings. "Strange, really. Not many people know about your home country. In fact, the only breed of horse they've ever encountered are grey ones without wings or horns, and mabye the occasional brown one. This extends, of course, to my guards, who are trained to keep any suspicious elements out of our borders." He stopped his pacing in front of Newsworthy, scrutinising him with his aged eyes. "So, how did a talking blue pegasus enter Hominopolis without so much as a murmur from the guards? I hope you are aware that concealing oneself is treated as espionage in this country, and by extension, treason against the state?" * * * "How did you... why are you... but you... and..." For once, Partheus was left without anything to say. His mind was addled at the sight of Twilight, fully anthropomorphic, talking to him on the streets of Hominopolis. Amidst the two clashing torrents of conflicting information, spots of clarity began to appear in Partheus' mind, as if a veil were being lifted from his eyes and he could see with more clarity the things he barely understood not a moment before. "Wait a moment, that means you were the one who I heard in the bushes on the way here..." Twilight nodded her head. "...and, you were the one who gave us that box..." Twilight nodded again. "...but I still don't understand something. Why did you follow us here? This is no place for someone like you!" Twilight put her hands on her hips defensively. "Oh, and what do you mean by that? Think that I can't handle myself in dangerous situations?" Partheus rolled his eyes irritably. "No, it's not that at all. It's just that you've never known what it's like being in such a hostile place, full of scum and villainy wherever you look. In here, people will use you and abuse you, and when they're done with you, they'll..." Twilight interjected with a raised hand. "Actually, Mr. Know-it-all, everybody I've met so far has seemed pleasant enough. The guards at the gate were very friendly to me, in fact. One even offered some jobs for me to do for him. See? I haven't even set hoof... foot in this place properly and people are already offering me work to do!" Before Partheus could correct Twilight on her naive misconception, he caught a glint of steel armour in the corner of his vision. He grabbed Twilight by the arm and began dragging her further down the market. "Come with me, quickly!" Twilight looked back at the market behind them, seeing the guards. "Are those guards after you?" Partheus pushed on through the crowds of absent-minded shoppers, whose brains seemingly could only process one thing at a time, thus their complete ignorance to anyone not directly in front of them. "It's a long story, just keep moving." Partheus escorted Twilight across the marketplace, passing fruit stalls and family owned carpenters obscured by great miserable clusters of humans. The air was thick with sweat and grime from the worn cobblestones that roughed up Partheus and Twilight's feet. The crowds became denser and denser as they trudged through, to the point where they could only tell what was ahead of them by detecting what subtle odour was beneath the heady gauze of sweat and grime. They made their way past a butcher's shop, with skinned animals proudly displayed in the front window covered in salt. Twilight had to turn her head violently to stop herself from vomiting at the mere sight of her fellow creatures torn asunder like that. A few moments later, they stumbled upon a horse drawn carriage positioned awkwardly in the middle of the street, the carriage driver seemingly unaware of the inconvenience he was causing everyone else as he conversed with a local about something he had seen on his travels. Twilight reached out with her hand to stroke the mane of the carriage horse, but was dragged away by Partheus to continue their evasive plan of action. The horse, almost as if it knew Twilight was not a human herself, turned its head so that its eye followed her as she made her way past the carriage. As soon as she was out of its sight, the horse turned its head back and continued to listen to its master's droll conversation. Eventually, almost inevitably, Partheus and Twilight came to the end of the market, with a door leading to the next sector of Hominopolis guarded by two men with pikes. Partheus clenched his fists together vehemently, almost crushing Twilight's arm in the process. "Darn! I was hoping we could escape to the gardens and hide out there, but I guess that's out of the question." Twilight looked over her shoulder, spying multiple armed guards heading their way. "You better think of something fast. They're coming towards us in their droves." Partheus thought long and hard about where else they could go. Suddenly, a childhood memory surfaced to him. He was about eight or nine years old, and once again, the local bullies had decided that day was "Beat Up Partheus Day". Unfortunately for Partheus, this was almost every day. He remembered running through the marketplace, trying to lose them as he darted under stalls and over piles of boxes in an attempt to get away from them. He came to a halt at the very same door he was standing at now, the bullies close on his tail. He dove into the back alley closest to him, and hid behind the chimney stack of the house to his left. He could remember hearing the bullies coming to a halt in the exact same spot, then quickly losing interest in him and walking away, loudly announcing profanities for all the market to hear. He also remembers using this spot often, eventually coming across... "...an entrance to the sewers!" Twilight raised an eyebrow. "The what now?" Partheus gripped Twilight's arm firmly and led her to the same alley he hid in as a child. He walked down the alley a little further than he did in his flashback, all the way to a grimy manhole cover. Twilight was not fond of where this was going. "If you think I'm going in there..." Partheus lifted the cover, a waft of sewage hitting the backs of their throats. He put the cover to one side and coughed trying to get the musk out of his mouth. "You're right, I don't think you're going in there. That's why I'm doing this..." He grabbed Twilight by the sides, constricting her arms, and with a held breath, jumped down into the sewers. After a splash and a cry of utter disgust from both of them, Partheus clambered up the ladder, picked up the manhole cover and placed it over the manhole so no one would pursue them in the sewers of Hominopolis.

Partheus leaned his head against the wall of the dark alley and looked up to the sky, planning a strategy for his current predicament. Alright, he thought, let's review the situation. Newsworthy should still be in the stables, and I would imagine by this point, one of the stable hands has taken him outside to be cleaned. With some luck, the thick layers of make-up should hold up. This means that he should be still in the stables. All I need to do is get to the stables undetected, collect Newsworthy, and get the heck out of here. But, Vividim has probably ordered a complete search of the city looking for me. He's not going to let me get away that easily, and in a few moments, this market will be crawling with armed guards. I'll need to find a disguise and slip by them unnoticed. If memory serves, there should be a clothes shop two blocks down the street. If I can get in there and get a cowl and a travelling cape, I'll be completely concealed. Right, time to... go... oh for the love of my mother... Partheus noticed a familiar blue streak zoom across the sky. Well, he thought, so much for discretion. Looks like the make-up washed off him and his cover was blown. But where is he... nonononono not there, not there, turn around, turn around! Partheus watched with horror as Newsworthy headed straight for the Regis Turris, disappearing over the inner walls and out of Partheus' field of vision. He slumped to the ground, an over-encumbering sense of defeat washing over him. That fool's going to get himself killed, he thought. Or worse; The Sadist will... He flinched at the thought of his friend in the custody of possibly the most despicable elf he knew. No, he thought, I have to break him out. I don't care who sees what, I'm going to get him out of there with everything I've got! Partheus stood up firmly, ready to rescue his friend from the clutches of Vividim and his forces. He strolled out of the alleyway and into the market, turning his head and looking elsewhere whenever he passed a guard so as to not attract any unwanted attention. As he was shuffling past a few marketgoers standing obtrusively by a pastry shop window, he was tapped on the shoulder by a strangely friendly looking woman. "Hey, did you see that blue thing fly into the Regis Turris?" Partheus crossed his arms defensively. "Yes I did. Why do you ask?" The woman twiddled her forefingers anxiously. "Well, I was wondering if you could go and see what it was for me. No one else noticed it!" Partheus scanned the crowds, and she was right. No one had even noticed Newsworthy fly above their heads, and were milling around as normal. "Well, I was heading to the Regis Turris anyway. I've got to go see the king about something urgent. I'll be sure to tell you all about him as soon as I come out." As Partheus began to walk towards the Regis Turris, the woman put her hand on his shoulder. "Actually, on second thoughts, could you take me with you? I'd like to see it for myself." Partheus wheeled around and placed both of his hands on the woman's shoulders. "Okay, listen. This is going to sound crazy, but I know what that blue thing is already." The woman raised an eyebrow in confusion. "You do? Is it something magical?" Partheus shrugged. "Sort of. Listen to me, and don't tell another soul about this, okay?" The woman nodded compliantly. "That thing was a pegasus, and I brought him here. Things have gone a little awry, and I need to go inside the Regis Turris and rescue him. Now, I need you to help me get inside. Understand?" The woman nodded. "Yes. I thought as much." Partheus furrowed his brow. "Huh? What do you mean?" The woman took Partheus' hands off her shoulders and placed her own hands on his shoulders. "Now I need you to listen, and you must promise not to scream. Okay?" Partheus nodded. The woman leaned in and put on a very familiar accent. "It's me, Twilight." Partheus felt like a heavy weight had been dropped in his stomach at that very moment.

Partheus stood frozen to the spot like a rabbit caught in headlights. He couldn't take on all these guards at once without resorting to magic, so he remained where he was as Vividim circled him interrogatively. "So, first things first. What spells do you know?" Partheus remained silent. Vividim tapped a nearby guard on his shoulder and whispered something into his ear. At this, the guard jabbed Partheus in the leg, drawing blood from under his brown baggy trousers. Partheus resisted the urge to scream out in pain, and instead grimaced and groaned quietly. The guard retracted his partisan and observed the tip, confused. Vividim grunted at the dazed guard. "What are you doing?" The guard shifted his eyes between the tip of his partisan and Partheus' afflicted leg, growing more concerned with each passing second. "He shouldn't be standing right now, Your Majesty. I struck him in his artery, he should be on the floor bleeding to death right now!" Vividim stroked his chin curiously. "Interesting. So, you did do some physical training while you were there, Partheus. I bet you could take us all out right now, and escape unscathed into the wilds of Taiga. But something is stopping you. I wonder what it is?" His cold eyes locked with Partheus', peering into the depths of his soul. "It's because you're scared we'd attack Equestria in retaliation, isn't it?" Partheus tried to look away, but this would give it away. He focused on the task at hand and calmly responded. "I choose not to because I am virtuous." Vividim, and subsequently the guards, laughed heartily at this remark. Vividim died down the laughter with the gesture of his hand. "Virtuous, you say? Tell me, how good is your grasp of Hominopolis' proud history?" Partheus folded his arms confidently. "Good enough. I know about the Siege of Krygyr Pass, all four Wars of the Elves, and even the dreaded Dragon Crusades." Vividim nodded his head. "Good good. Tell me, in any of the battles we've won in the 2000 years or so of historical record, do any of them note that it was won with kindness and honesty and generosity?" The guards erupted into a second wave of laughter, and Vividim eased them once more with a wave of his hand. "Of course they weren't! They were won with power and fear and strategy! You think that you are better than us because you have morals! You let your feelings for others cloud your judgement and make you weak! You have the power to kill us all, and yet you just sit there and let us hurt you! I'm ashamed to think that you're one of us. Your time spent in Equestria has made you into nothing more than a goody two-shoes who thinks he can do no wrong. Well, I'd hate to be the bearer of bad news, but as long as your emissary is within our borders, you have made a fatal mistake indeed!" Partheus grew increasingly less patient with Vividim, his fists slowly clenching instinctively as if in anticipation of some sudden burst of furious rage. "You are wasting your time, Vividim! Even if I did know magic, and even if I was stupid enough to bring an emissary into Hominopolis with me, do you really think I'd tell you? We've already seen that torturing me isn't going to work. Your guards can barely put a dent into me. You'd have better luck asking a random passer by on the street than with me!" Vividim gnashed his teeth together, frustrated that his efforts are being wasted. "I have my ways of worming information out of people, believe me. Guards, will you escort this fool down to the Human League dungeons? I'll notify The Sadist myself that he has a new assignment that requires his urgent attention." The guards began thrusting their partisans into Partheus' face, forcing him to move towards the gilded door. Without warning, Partheus ducked under the circle of partisan tips and kicked the guard in front of him in the kneecaps, crippling him. Partheus leapt up from a crouched position, planted his foot into the guard's back, and kicked hard, propelling himself away from the circle of guards and sending the crippled guard flying into the circle, knocking most of them down. Partheus rushed over to the gilded door, opened it as fast as he could, and shut it behind him as the guards were rushing towards him. He turned around, darted down the staircase, and near the base of the flight, jumped off, landing and rolling on the blue carpet. He dashed past the trinkets and ornaments, and pushed open the wooden double doors with some force, startling the two guards at their posts. Partheus began his desperate sprint towards the crossroads, the legions of armed guards posted outside becoming aware of the situation. Near the end of the crossroads, about twenty or so guards had formed a blockade around the exit. Partheus had to think fast; there's no way he could charge through them, and he still wanted to avoid using magic. Without pause for thought, Partheus put his strong foot forwards and pushed down hard on the ground, sending him about six feet into the air. The blockade was not expecting Partheus to do this, so their partisans could only follow his movement as he glided over them. He landed and rolled, continuing his sprint to the crossroads, taking a right turn to the Meat Market when he got there. The guards tried to pursue him, but by the time they had arrived at the crossroads, he had disappeared completely from their sight. Partheus darted through venison stalls and groceries, brushing past people hurriedly as he desperately tried to avoid being caught by the guards. He eventually came to a rest inside a dark alleyway, hiding behind a waste bin which reeked of rotting meat. He didn't have a choice in the matter, though. As far as he was concerned, he was an enemy of the state, and now he needed to find Newsworthy and get out of there as soon as possible.

Partheus retraced his steps back to the crossroads, gesturing past impatient marketgoers and dopey mothers fixated in a trance as their screaming offspring demanded they buy them some confectionery from the shady looking dealer on the street corner. After a few minutes of claustrophobic and disorienting misery, Partheus made it back to the crossroads, turning right into the Regis Turris. There were no crowds down the intimidating gauntlet leading to the entrance to the Regis Turris, only legions upon legions of armed guards eyeing Partheus carefully as he wandered along the cold grey floors. At the end of the gauntlet was a set of thick wooden double doors with the Human League insignia chiselled into each side, guarded by another two armed guards, only these guards wore more extravagant golden armour as opposed to the standard steel armour the other guards had been wearing. Partheus procured the letter from his satchel, still faintly smelling of envelope gum, and handed it to the guard on the right. He took notice of the seal, handed it back to Partheus, and swung open the door for him. With a heavy sigh, Partheus entered the Regis Turris at long last. Unlike the cold and uninviting exterior of the rest of Hominopolis, the Regis Turris was a highly luxurious and vibrant place. Candlelit chandeliers illuminated paintings of monarchs past, and a deep blue carpet lined the floor. There were columns and deer antlers and all sorts of little trinkets in cases propped up against the walls and on the shelves. Partheus made his way down the entrance hall, his inner child trying its best to resist the urge not to touch anything. At the end of the hallway, there was a grand staircase spiralling upwards, which Partheus traversed with reverence and caution. He hadn't seen the king's throne room for a while, and even then, he seldom gets the opportunity to go there. As he made it to the top of the staircase, he could see the gilded door to the throne room in the corner of his eye. He completed the last few steps with a slight sense of relief, approached the gilded door, and knocked politely. There came a response almost immediately. "Come in." Partheus opened the gilded door, gripping the smooth ornate handle as he did, entered the throne room, and shut the door behind him. The king's throne room was not too dissimilar to the one in Equestria, only it was missing the elaborate stained glass windows that gave the throne room in Equestria colour and energy. Without them, this throne room seemed devoid of any sort of life, even with the tapestries and marble flooring. As with the throne room in Equestria, there was a plinth leading off the path in the middle, and atop the plinth was an iron throne, moulded to look like it had been spat forth from the mouth of a volcano. It was a gift from Uulag the Hellbreather, king of the dragons, donated to Hominpolis some 500 years ago. Sat on the throne, dressed in full royal garb, was Vividim V, shuffling in his seat. "You must be Partheus. So good to finally see you back on your feet." Partheus went down on one knee and bowed his head. "Good to see you as well, Your Majesty." Partheus stood up from his kneeling position and pulled out his letter, nearly trembling with excitement as he handed it over to his king. Vividim took the letter from Partheus' hand, opened the seal, and read the letter to himself. "...26 casualties... some nonsense about working conditions being sub-par... need more socks due to temperatures plummeting... awaiting the King's orders to send more troops..." Vividim folded the letter up and placed it back into the envelope. "Yes, just the usual prattling on about nothing that important. Honestly, I was expecting something more substantial after all this waiting, but I guess this is what happens in real life, and not some fictional world, eh?" Partheus smiled politely, but felt disheartened. Well, he thought, I hoped it would be something more interesting than that. Just another boring status report. To think I lashed out at so many people in the past for trying to open something so trivial. Ah, I mustn't let it get to me. Now that I have nothing more to deliver, I can be on my wa- "So, how was Equestria?" Partheus looked up at his king, shocked that he knew where he had been. "How do you know where I was, Your Highness?" Vividim chuckled and held out a letter with the Royal Canterlot seal on the back. "Celestia has been keeping me posted about you and your progress. How you spent your down time learning about Equestria and its culture, how you helped defend it against some terrible monster, I heard everything. Sounds like you had quite the adventure." Partheus nodded sheepishly. "I guess you could, Your Majesty." Vividim rolled his eyes. "There's no one here, you know. You don't have to say 'Your Majesty' at the end of every sentence." Partheus bowed his head apologetically. "My apologies." Vividim stood from his throne and placed both hands behind his back, walking down the steps of the plinth. "It grows rather tiresome after a while, hearing the same two words over and over and over again. Besides, you serve two masters now. I assume you don't refer to Celestia as 'Your Highness' that often, correct?" Partheus thought back to his conversations with Celestia. While he tried to be respectful in her presence, he was fairly laid back and comfortable when talking to her, and he rarely called her 'Your Highness' as a result. "No I do not." Vividim laughed and nodded his head as he made it down the plinth and began pacing the length of the throne room, Partheus walking alongside him. "It is interesting to note that you aided in the defeat of a powerful monster, yet Equestrians are a magical race. I mean no disrespect to your abilities as a member of the Human League, but I find it highly unlikely you had much of an impact in that battle. What did you exactly do to help?" Partheus carefully chose his words, trying not to tell Vividim that he learned magic. "They taught me what they knew about fighting, obviously not teaching me any magic, and allowed me to train with their best soldiers. By the time the monster came, I was as fierce a warrior as one of their own, and we managed to take it down with sheer numbers." Vividim chortled, politely holding the back of his hand next to his mouth. Partheus' brow furrowed in confusion. "What's so funny?" Vividim waved his hand dismissively as he softly laughed to himself some more. "Answer me this; Equestria prides itself on its virtues, correct?" Partheus nodded. "And, one of these virtues is Honesty, correct?" Partheus nodded again. "Seeing as how you spent a long time learning Equestria's culture, you must have learned their virtues and practised them until they became habitual to you, yes?" Partheus nodded for a third time. Vividim wheeled around with a stern expression that reminded Partheus of Celestia. "Then why are you lying to me?" Vividim snapped his fingers, and a garrison of golden troops burst forth from the gilded door, circling Partheus with their partisans. "There is no possible way you couldn't have learned at least a few tricks while you were there, Partheus. You will tell us the secrets of magic, and you will tell us where the emissary is." Partheus' eyes widened with horror. Oh no, he thought. Newsworthy! * * * Augus honestly didn't know how to react to the eccentric woman trying to seduce him. He couldn't decide if she was drunk, lost or just stupid. "Excuse me miss, but unless you have business being here, we cannot let you past these..." He looked over to his partner on the other side of the gate, and his jaw dropped with bewilderment. His eyes were glazed over, he was struggling to stand up straight, and he had a large docile smile on his face. "Aww man, I don't care what business she has in there, she's got some 'jobs' to be getting on with out here! What's your price, baby?" Augus' face exploded into a deep shade of scarlet at his partner's foolishness. "Ugh, I think I'm gonna be sick. Just open the darn gates already!" The stone gate clanged open, letting the strange woman walk through. The gate closed behind her, and Augus turned to face his companion. "What you playing at, then? She's clearly not well in the he-" Augus' partner couldn't hear a word he was saying. He was too busy thinking of all the dirty things that girl could do to him. His pupils had changed into pink hearts, and he began to foam at the mouth in stupendous glee.

Partheus sighed. "Welcome to my world, Newsworthy. Why do you think I try to avoid this place when I can?" He heard the sounds of hooves moving on cobblestone coming from outside. "If it weren't for the danger, I'd let you walk around. Really, I'd love you to see this place properly, as drab and uninteresting as it is. But, people around here just don't like that sort of..." The sound of hooves on cobblestone turned to that of hooves on dried hay. Partheus made cooing noises at Newsworthy, stroking his mane with pretend affection. "That's it, Ungula, you stay here. There there, just stay where you are, that's a good girl..." Partheus wheeled around to see an elderly man shuffle past him with his work horse, giving him the same apathetic gaze as the traveller did earlier. Partheus gave Newsworthy one last encouraging wink before walking out of the stables, leaving Newsworthy with the mute horses. Partheus made his way back to the Human League barracks, able to walk much faster now that he wasn't dictating the movements of an irate pony. He arrived back at the barracks, where Phobos was still waiting for him at his post. "You took your sweet time. Give her a cheeky kiss in the stables?" Partheus grumbled and rolled his eyes. "Wow, that was almost as funny as the last fifty or so times you said that..." The guard posted opposite Phobos outstretched his hand, and Partheus shook it with both hands. "Demios, good to see you too!" Demios nodded his head in acknowledgement. "Likewise. There's been all sorts of rumours about you, you know." Partheus chuckled. "There always is. Go on, what's the latest?" Demios adjusted his helmet. "Well, according to pretty much every senior officer in the barracks, you've been bedridden for a month. Apparently, some bandits caught you off guard, and you had to make an emergency pit-stop in some village." Partheus gasped, but realised that they wouldn't put two and two together and figure out that the place he stayed to heal was, indeed, Equestria. "Ah yes, it's all true. Got me right in the gut..." He lifted his shirt and showed the scar on his stomach, a jagged red mark on his otherwise featureless torso. "Honestly, if they didn't find me when they did, I would have died then and there." Phobos took in every detail of the scar, amused by the curious gash like a moth to flame. "Lucky sod. They must have got you in as soon as they saw you coming. How did you not bleed to death?" Partheus lowered his shirt and folded his arms. "Luck of the draw, I guess. Either that, or I've got guts made of rubber." The three of them laughed among themselves. Partheus looked up at the sun. By his estimate, it was about two in the afternoon. "Right, I've got to go. Need to deliver something to Vividim." Phobos scoffed. "What, his wrinkle cream?" Phobos and Demios shared a scorning laugh. Partheus rolled his eyes once more. "No, it's a letter. Can't open it, so I've got no idea what it's about. Could be useless for all I know." Partheus began to walk back to the alleyway, and wheeled back to bid farewell to his comrades. "See you guys around!" Phobos shouted back to Partheus as he walked back. "Good luck not getting stabbed!" There came a distant and faded response. "Good luck being stupid!" Demios watched Partheus walk back to the alleyway he came from, disappearing completely from his sight. "Quite the oddball, don't you think?" Phobos diverted his attention from the alleyway to address Demios. "Yep, complete tosser if you ask me. Strolls around the place like he's a bloody hero or something, but for some stupid reason, he insists on keeping that rickety old mare of his. And everyone knows what he does with her when no one's looking. Why else would he want to spend all of his time alone in the countryside with it?"

*blank*

*blank*

Wonderful, Partheus thought, just what I need. More unwanted attention. "No ma'am, I'm not talking to my horse. Just checking for ticks." He walked by the elderly woman gingerly, growing increasingly frustrated at Newsworthy's defiance. Before he could reprimand him again, the two found themselves about a hundred yards from Hominopolis, getting a much clearer view of the place Partheus refused to call home. The entirety of Hominopolis was one gigantic walled city, the ramparts themselves at least two hundred feet high. It took the shape of a large cylinder, and in the centre of the cylinder was a spire that almost touched the heavens. Although impressive in terms of scale, it was barren and without decoration. It was one of the rare cases in the world where taking a closer look at it made it uglier and more unappealing. Guards armed with longbows patrolled the walls, and two guards with partisans were stationed at the large stone gate that lead into Hominopolis proper. Without another chance to try and convince Newsworthy, Partheus sheepishly walked up to the menacing stone keep, with its equally menacing guards. He walked up to the guard on the left, recognising him. "Ah, Augus! Long time no see!" The guard held out his free hand, fist closed, and Partheus extended his opposite hand, bumping Augus' fist with his. They then stood to attention and placed their right arm by their shoulder and recited "Torbolt guide you, brother." They both performed this baffling ritual with a notable lack of drive, as if they were expected to do it every time they came across one of their own, and didn't really feel like doing it with any enthusiasm that day. Augus straightened his composure and returned to his attentive stance. "So Partheus, where have you been?" Partheus tapped his nose and winked. "Royal duties, my friend. I'd love to tell you, but Vividim would have my head on a platter if I told anyone." Augus looked down on Newsworthy, frowning. "You should really get Ungula put down. The poor girl's on her last legs, and she wasn't right to begin with." Partheus locked eyes with Augus, slightly cross. "We've been through this a dozen times, Augus. Ungula is fine, she just has an eye condition. Okay? And she only looks a little tired today because we've had to take all sorts of detours and backtrack about three times. You ever tried walking from one end of the Five Realms and back?" Augus shook his head. "Look, I know you've been with her since you joined the crew, but you've got to move on, Partheus. Things change, people change, horses change..." Partheus glared back at Augus sternly. "But hope never dies, Augus. She's my girl, and I'll accompany her to the ends of the earth if I have to." Augus retracted his attentive stance slightly, slumping where he stood. "Whatever. Hey Aegir! Open the gate for the Horse Whisperer, will you?" A sudden clanging of metal resounded from all around them, and at once the stone gate rose upwards, giving Partheus and Newsworthy enough headroom to slip through. As soon as they were on the other side, the gate shut behind them as fast as it opened. Partheus and Newsworthy were greeted by a sight familiar to Partheus, but utterly alien to Newsworthy. The first alleyway one encounters when walking through Hominopolis is what's called 'the Beggar's Den' by those who live there. All the buskers and minstrels gather round the front gate to pester travellers, be they Human League or otherwise, and ask money from them. Partheus softly grasped the folds of skin on the back of Newsworthy's neck, and guided him carefully through the swarming crowd of mandarin players and street jugglers and sword swallowers. After making it a certain distance down the street, the swarms returned to their hives, waiting for the next unwary pilgrim to wander through. Partheus made it to the end of the street, where he was presented with a three way crossroads. The path ahead led to the Regis Turris, home to High King Vividim V and where Partheus needed to deliver his letter at long last. The path to his left led to the Meat Market, a place he did not want Newsworthy to see if he could at all help it. The path to the right, which he wanted to go to, led to the Human League barracks, and more importantly, the stables in which he could drop off Newsworthy. Still holding on to his neck folds, Partheus guided Newsworthy down the right path, keeping himself to himself as much as he could as he made his way past citizens of all depressing shapes and all depressing sizes. The right path was another narrow alleyway, with roads leading to cul de sacs every ten feet or so along the right side. On the left was the Regis Turris, armed guards patrolling the grounds with more scrutiny than the ones stationed on the barracks. After ten or so minutes of walking, Partheus and Newsworthy came across a slightly larger opening on the right side, about thirty or so feet wide. They peered through, only to see a large featureless stone wall with the Human League insignia displayed proudly on a high hanging shroud. At the base of the wall was a small iron door, with two armed guards stationed beside it. Partheus, recognising the two of them, approached them with Newsworthy and extended his free hand, fist closed like before. The guard on the left returned the gesture, and once again, they both performed the ritual 'Torbolt guide you, brother.' before both of them stood to attention. "So, Phobos, how are things in the Human League? I've been out of the loop for quite a while." Phobos scratched his head. "Well, apart from a couple of big missions in Eden, nothing much, really. I've only heard rumours from the other guys, and some of the things I've been hearing are insane!" Partheus' ears pricked upwards at this. "Oh? Do tell." Phobos scratched his chin, thinking of what outlandish tales he had overheard from his superiors. "Oh yes! Apparently, they've discovered this new settlement called Equestria somewhere in Taiga. Get this, right; it's chock full of talking horses!" Phobos slapped his knee with his free hand and erupted into hoarse fits of laughter. "Can you imagine that? Talking horses, lord, what next? I think it's a load of old hogwash myself. I overheard a couple of seniors mumbling about it amongst themselves. There's a reason why they're called 'seniors', they're bloody senile!" Partheus could see the rage slowly building up in Newsworthy's eyes, and decided now would be a good time to leave. "Hey guys, I'd love to chat, but can I put Ungula in the stables first? She's been through a lot today, and she's a little distressed. I'll be right back, okay?" Partheus guided Newsworthy back up to the alleyway and took another right turn, heading down more of the same dull passages as before. The only thing that added variety to the lifeless alleyway was the people in it, but even then, they all looked the same to Newsworthy, just recolours of the same three or four humans. They eventually came to another wide opening on the right side, revealing the stables. Partheus guided Newsworthy inside, opening and shutting the dutch door after themselves. The stables were dimly lit and the air was contaminated with the stench of manure. Partheus had grown used to the smell and the humidity, but it still left something of a bad taste in his mouth. He escorted Newsworthy to a reserved spot in the stables marked "Ungula". Some kids had vandalised the sign with graffiti, making it read "retard horse" underneath the name. Partheus ushered Newsworthy into the reserved spot and picked up a rope from the floor. He began tying it around Newsworthy's saddlebags, and quickly looked over his shoulder to make sure no one was watching them. When the coast was clear, he leaned in to whisper. "I'm really sorry about this, but it isn't the done thing to have horses wander freely through the streets. Don't worry, I won't tie you to this post, I'll let you wander around the stables freely. But, you must not, I repeat, MUST NOT leave this stable. Got it?"

Partheus saw the grey spire grow larger and larger on the horizon, and leaned down to Newsworthy with panicked vigour. "Listen, Newsworthy! If I arrive at the gates walking by my horse, that will raise a couple of eyebrows. People aren't taking notice now, but the guards will question me about it. As far as they're concerned, I'm a messenger who's come a long way to arrive here, so considering the distance I've supposedly travelled, don't you think it'd be strange of me to walk all the way here instead of mounting my perfectly capable horse?" He frowned disapprovingly at Newsworthy's reluctance. "Look, it'll only be for a few moments. I promise I'll make it up to you, just bear with... me... umm..." Partheus looked up, knowing he was being watched. A traveller walked past him, glaring at him with unamused apathy. Partheus' face went red, and after the traveller had passed, he leaned back into Newsworthy's ear. "We're already getting weird looks. Just do it already!"

Partheus looked over his shoulder suspiciously, making sure nobody was paying any attention to them, then leaned over to his ear and whispered. "They're sad because being sad is all they can be. Unlike me, they haven't got the choice to be happy." He saw another lone traveller coming up the road, and quickly whispered "Act natural!" in Newsworthy's ear before quickly bolting upwards and walking upright. He watched the lone traveller pass by, catching a glimpse of his miserable existence in the apples of his eyes. When he passed, Partheus slowly leaned back to Newsworthy and whispered again in his ear. "Okay, this is probably going to be the strangest request I ever make, but..." Partheus looked ahead at the road, and could just about make the tall singular grey spire of Hominopolis. "...I need to ride you to the gates of Hominopolis. Could you possibly do that for me?"

Partheus knelt down by the fire and picked up one of the bowls of feed. "Celestia moves in mysterious ways. Mabye she sent it, mabye she didn't. As far as I can tell, this feed hasn't been tampered with, and nobody would have any intention of poisoning us. Plus, this isn't the first time something like this has happened. I remember receiving a gift bag out of nowhere from some friendly elven children when I was camping out in the northern regions of Eden. You never know, Newsworthy, you could have a secret admirer in this forest, watching our every move to make sure our travels are safe." He took his first handful of feed and hastily stuffed it into his mouth. He chewed it as he normally would and swallowed it down without a second thought. "Well, seems safe to me. Here, have some." He pulled out the second bowl of feed and held it to Newsworthy, a trustworthy smile plastered onto his face.

Partheus shrugged his shoulders. "Eh, you might as well. It's highly unlikely we'll bump into anyone else around here, so you're safe." He peered back into the thicket he ventured through the previous night, and began exploring once more. However, before he could find another berry bush to strip clean of its fruits, he tripped over something and landed flat on his face. He picked himself up slowly and looked to his feet to see what he stumbled over. It was a small wooden box with no inscriptions on it, and a golden heart shaped handle on the front. Partheus picked up the wooden box and turned the handle, hearing a small clicking noise come from within. The box prised itself open, revealing two bowls of feed and a note. Partheus laid the box down, took the note out of the box, and read it to himself: "Breakfast is served. Eat up! Rasp Elk Light Wit" His eyes darted around his surroundings, trying to see where this mysterious package could have come from. It couldn't have been from a spy, he thought, and I'm not a wanted man, so it couldn't have been an assassin either. And what could those words mean? Perhaps they are clue words that relate to someone I might know? Who do I know that speaks with a rasp? Not many. Who has anything to do with an elk? Not many of those either. But Light Wit? Perhaps someone who likes playing mind games with me, or someone who constantly tests my knowledge? Twilight kinda does that, but it's not a complete fit, so it can't be her. Besides, there's no way in Tartarus she could be out here stalking us. She doesn't know the first thing about bushcraft! I should know, she pesters me enough about it, and even then, I only tell her the most basic of things. Well, I see no harm in taking this gift... Partheus stuffed the note into his pocket, and picked up the box with the lid open. He walked back to the camp and laid the box down by the fire. "Newsworthy! Look what I found!"

Partheus drifted off into a comfortable if a little anxious sleep, his mind thankfully lacking in activity that particular evening. A few visions of the previous day flashed before his eyes, but nothing of any importance. * * * As if the night had passed in the blink of his eye, Partheus awoke to the sound of jays and thrushes chanting their morning chorus in the surrounding trees. He stretched his arms and yawned, but as he did, he fell out of the hammock and into a messy pile on the grass. He picked himself up and dusted himself down, scanning the clearing for any signs of intruders. Apart from the occasional broken twig from some small and insignificant creature, the clearing had not been breached during the night, and all was seemingly well. He unhooked the leather piece and yanked the prongs from the trees with a sharp tug. He put the items back into his satchel and walked up to Newsworthy, who was still fast asleep in his hammock. Partheus placed his hand on Newsworthy's shoulder and shook him on the shoulder gently. "Hey, wake up. We need to set off early if we want to get there at a reasonable hour."

Partheus retreated into his hammock, resting his head against a groove in the leather where his head had laid many times before. "First rule of bushcraft; sleep with one eye open. If anything or anybody tries to get either of us, I'll know about two seconds in advance. Just one of those things I've developed over the years." He turned over in his hammock, closing his eyes. "You coming to bed? None of the woodland critters can talk, so it's going to be really lonely out here."

Partheus raised a confused eyebrow back at Newsworthy. "We don't normally eat the leaves or twigs, just the fruits. But hey, that's what I said about feed, so why not?" He took some sprigs of oak and placed them in his mouth, chewing it slowly. He couldn't tell whether it was because he had had a strictly vegetarian diet for the past month and a half, or because he never thought of trying it, but for some reason, he partially enjoyed the oak. The dull wooden flavour had a slightly sweet taste in his mouth, and combined with a couple of berries, it almost tasted like coarse feed. Feeling confident, Partheus placed the poplar branch into his mouth, chewing it a little faster than the oak sprig. After a few chews, an unpleasant expression washed over Partheus' face, and he spat it out into the fire, the little chunks of masticated poplar catching fire as they flew onto the pyre. Unlike the oak, it had a bitter aftertaste, like that of cranberries without the sweet spike at the end. Partheus wiped his tongue on his sleeve trying to get the taste off his mouth, then stuck a whole bunch of berries at once into his gaping maw, chewing them quickly and squeezing them with his cheeks to make sure as much juice as possible seeps into his mouth. After he swallowed the berries, he sat back and continued to watch the fire, its midnight dance having changed time signature into something a little more lively with the arrival of a more forceful breeze. "I don't know why, but I feel as though someone is watching us. It's not just the bushes or the fact that it's night time, but..." He pressed his index finger and middle finger on his temple and rubbed it. "... you ever get the feeling that you're being watched by someone, even though you know full well there's no one there?"

Before Partheus questioned why Newsworthy was against him hunting for food, he suddenly remembered that he was a herbivore. "Ah. You're right, I wasn't." He sheepishly put his knife back into his satchel, and turned back to face Newsworthy, wearing an embarrassed smile. "I'll, uh, go get some berries for us both. I know where to look for them. Be right back!" With that, Partheus ventured off into the woods, keeping his eyes peeled in the dark for specific bushes which he knew bore fruit. Oh man, he thought, I haven't had a good leg of venison for ages! Mabye I could stuff my face in Hominopolis when Newsworthy isn't looking? Ahh, I can just picture it now, the succulent pieces of deer and chicken and turkey covered in a rich sauce, practically begging me to stick my fork in it and carve a good slic- Another rustling noise sounded from near Partheus. He raised his fists and approached the bush cautiously. "Alright, I know you're following me. Show yourself!" He swatted the small branches of the bush away, to reveal a pygmy deer hiding in the midst of the leaves. Partheus scrutinised the surrounding area, not believing that it was mere coincidence that his senses were deceived twice in one evening. After a few moments of painstaking observation, Partheus was satisfied that nobody was there, just the deer, and went to walk away. However, he remembered that the bush happened to be one that had ripe purple berries on them, so he quickly ran back to it and collected as many as he could, stuffing the handfuls in his pockets. He made his way back to the camp, following the light from the campfire. He trudged through the waist-high bushes and emerged back into the clearing, brushing off loose leaves and twigs that had clung to his clothes. He sat down beside the fire and took out the berries from his pockets, laying them out on the flat grass in a large pile. "Here you go, there should be enough for the two of us." He took a handful and began popping individual berries in his mouth, watching the flames dance and sway in the night time breeze.

Partheus, noting the hour of night, nodded his head in agreement, and made his way to the clearing. It was partially covered with loose twigs and leaves, which Partheus cleared away to make an even sleeping surface. He opened his satchel and rummaged through it, looking for particular items he needed to set up a camp for the evening. He laid out two pairs of short metal prongs with hooks in them, two long pieces of worn leather, each measuring about two feet by six feet, and two pieces of flint. He set his satchel by the nearest tree, and began work on the camp. He found two trees that were a certain length apart, and planted a prong in each one with a firm push of his hands, making sure the two prongs were facing each other. Using the holes drilled into the leather strip, he hooked it onto the prongs, creating a makeshift hammock. He repeated the process with another pair of trees near the previous pair, planting the prongs into the trunks and hooking the leather onto the prongs as before. He gathered the twigs and leaves into a circle in the centre of the clearing, placing small pebbles around the edge of the circle to mark its boundaries. Then, when he had sufficient wood, he picked up the two pieces of flint and struck them together, creating sparks that landed on the pile of timber, setting it alight. In the space of about ten minutes, Partheus had constructed a sleeping area for the two of them, complete with two hammocks and a fireplace. Partheus moved his bag to his hammock, and pulled out the last item he needed for the evening; a knife. "Okay, we need to get food for the night. I'll go hunt for something in the woods, and you go gather some berries or something. Shouldn't take us too long."

Partheus wheeled around to Newsworthy. "No. The king will not allow it, and even if he did, I wouldn't allow it. Imagine how people, who are only aware of grey horses existing in the Five Realms, would react to see a sky blue horse with a goatee and wings strolling down the marketplace without a care in the world? And trading? Are you nuts? If you tried to walk into a fabric store and talk to the shopkeeper about purchasing his finest silks, you'd attract the attention of the authorities faster than you could blink, and be thrown into the Human League dungeons to be interrogated by..." He stopped himself from saying his name. The very thought of the man in charge of interrogation in the Human League sent shivers down his spine. "...an elf known only as The Sadist..." Partheus looked ready to vomit at the mention of his name. "Please, for the sake of my sanity, promise me you will not do anything rash. If he got his hands on you... no, it's too horrible to think about..." The moon had peered over the forests to greet them, bathing the two of them in a silvery glow. "Let's just continue on our way. Save your questions for later."

Partheus shook his head affirmatively. "Just as long as you don't talk, they'll be none the wiser. If it weren't for that distinct accent of yours, I'd be convinced you were Ungula." He gazed towards the sunset reminiscently. "I remember walking here down here plenty of times. Even back then, she was as accident prone as she is now. Whenever we set up camp for the night, she'd horse around and do something stupid, and I'd always have to save her. Most people would find that annoying after a while, but there was a certain endearing charm to her that kept me from getting a more sensible partner." He sighed as his fond memories slowly faded along with the sun, returning to present matters. "But yeah, when we get there, act like a normal horse. That means no talking, no wandering off by yourself, and no investigating. Understand? I don't want to return to my base of operations in Torbolt knows how long only to start a huge commotio-" Partheus could hear a rustling noise from behind him. He quickly spun around, fists raised, trying to peer through the shrubbery from which the noise came from. "Who's there?" No response came, only smaller rustling noises, followed by a blackbird popping out of the bush to greet them before taking off into the night. Partheus lowered his fists and resumed his walk, thinking nothing more of it. A frightened Twilight Sparkle was sat behind that very same bush, eyeing the two travellers carefully as they wandered down the long and winding road to Hominopolis. Right, she thought, that was too close. Let's just keep our distance for now, and wait until they cool down, then I'll resume spying duties. She tip-hooved carefully and quietly to the next small bush by the road, taking care not to disturb any of the surrounding flora.

Partheus' face lit up at the prospect of Hominopolis and Equestria becoming trading partners. "That'd be interesting. Who knows? Mabye by becoming trading partners with Hominopolis, we can make it a more pleasant place to live?" He walked over to the edge of the lake, pooled his hands together, and splashed it against his face a few times. Afterwards, he pooled his hands together again and drank handfuls of the clean water, wiping his mouth on his sleeve when he was done. He stood up and looked back at the way they had came. "Are you ready to continue the walk? Feel free to talk to me as we walk. It helps to take your mind off the burning in your legs."

Partheus ran a hand over his face, chuckling to himself. "It's not that far away, Newsworthy. You're making it sound like we're walking from one end of the Five Realms to the other!" He looked over his shoulder at the surrounding thickets, taking note of the positioning and spread of the oaks and birches. "I recognise this part of the forest. We're about 11 hours walking distance from Hominopolis. We'll walk until sunset, then make camp somewhere in the bushes. At dawn, we'll pack up our things and do the final stretch to Hominopolis. You'll know when we're there, trust me." He turned back to his sore friend, a hint of Celestia's sternness in his eyes. "Trust me, you'll make it. I wouldn't have let you come with me if I didn't think you could." He suddenly paused for thought, rubbing his smooth chin with his forefinger. "Actually, now that I think about it, I can't remember exactly why you wanted to come with me in the first place. I'd imagine it's something to do with writing an article about Hominopolis for your paper, right?"

The human, indifferent to the relatively short distance they'd travelled compared to his usual rounds, folded his arms and leaned back against a nearby tree. "Well, it's not like they only hate you Equestrians. They hate everyone else, too. If memory serves, they're still at war with Eden, home to the elves. Although they can be a little snobby at times, elves are quite a peaceful race on the whole. Heck, they're one of the last races to have a proper religion, with congregations and ceremonies and whatnot. But, Hominopolis still declares them an enemy because they have resources Hominopolis doesn't. Ugh, it's always about them and their precious resources. Call me crazy, but I miss the days where wars were waged much less frequently and for a just cause, not because the king wants more resources to squander on statues of himself on every street corner." He leaned his head back against the trunk, taking in the fresh noon air and bathing in the warm sunlight. If he was on duty, taking a break this early would be considered slacking off, but he didn't care. Letting things mellow had its charms, and he had grown quite used to living peacefully without having to rush everywhere. One month had elapsed since Sagittarius attacked Equestria, and apart from the occasional training session in Canterlot Castle, Partheus had enjoyed the quiet life, helping folk out when they needed it, as well as spending time with his friends. One friend Partheus had grown particularly attached to was one Twilight Sparkle, who, for a brief few days, he had been in a serious relationship with, but they both decided to keep it strictly Platonic to make life easier going for both of them, after an unfortunate incident involving his friend, who was currently taking large intakes of water from his canteen. He looked over to his parched and weary partner, smirking slightly. "So, how does it feel to be a boring old Hominopolis Horse? I bet you're dying to use your wings right about now."

Clef pricked his ears up at the mention of Spit Polish. Yes, he thought, if she's friends with Newsworthy, actual friends with him, she's bound to be more tolerable than Vainglorious was. "As would I. Frankly, I can't really think of anything else to talk about that wouldn't bore you both to death, so I'm up for it." Anything to get my creative juices flowing, he mused. If given the opportunity, I'd normally avoid meeting new faces. It only brings more misery and more things to remember about people, and I cannot hinder my thoughts with memories of what that random person at the flower store's name was, or what colour mane that fussy librarian has. But, if it means getting a new piece done in my head for when I return to Ponyville, I suppose my mind can take the strain. That, or the cider has given me false courage. Probably the latter. Oh well. Clef looked over his shoulder to try and spot anyone else in the droll procession of suited ponies that stood out. To the dismay of his imagination, there was no one else he could see that looked remotely like an individual, or the slightest bit interesting. He ran a light green hoof through his unkempt mane, checking to see if any birds hadn't nested in it, like that one embarrassing incident outside the symphony hall in Manehatten. It was hard to decide which was worse; the twigs and feathers lodged in his mane for months on end, or the infamy he gained among his colleagues for it.