Escutcheon pushed his way through the crowds. Many of the unicorns seemed oblivious to the pain and misery around them. Those that did notice either tried to focus on something else, or they'd make the slave's life even more miserable than it already was. Escutcheon found that he was starting to ignore the slaves around him to. It was began taking more and more conscious effort to see them. There were more than just bat ponies. Many of the slaves were actually earth ponies, it disturbed him that Nightingale had left out the fact that there were other ponies. The slaves whose existence that he acknowledged coward, until he passed by.
It was noon by the time he arrived at the work sight. The slaves were pulling large stones in from a quarry outside of the city. They seemed to be building another wall on the eastern side of the city. He was horrified at how many bat ponies were being used during the day. About fourth of every bat pony that he saw had a blind fold on. He was certain that their eyes no longer worked. He had to put an end to this.
He looked up and saw the overseers, where Pythagorean was standing in a watch tower, overlooking all of the slaves. Escutcheon hoped it was him, but he couldn't stand idly by until he knew for certain. He started for the overseer's tower. The sounds of whips cracking could be heard in every direction making the stinging cut in his side from earlier hurt more, and set his nerves on end with each crack of a bull whip. He hurried across a open path to the tower, hoping that Pythagorean really could help him put an end to this. He hurried up the steps of the tower. Only to have two spears blocking his path to the hornless unicorn, who was overseeing the slave's work.
He sighed at least the pony was in fact Pythagorean. His coat was a gentle brown color his mane was a slightly lighter brown than his coat. He cutie mark was a triangle within a triangle the points of the interior triangle intercepted the midpoints of the lines that formed the outer triangle.
"Pythagorean, I need to talk to you."
"What could a runt liked you have to say? Get out of here." One of the guards butted him with the butt of the spear. "Or would you like a gash on the other side to match the one on your left?"
"I need a place to live please. I was told to talk to you, Pythagorean." The unicorn didn't look away from the slave's and their work. Making sure that everything was going to be on time.
"You need a beating, and don't you worry colt, you're going to get it." He was enveloped in a sick green aura.
"My parents are Cholers, both of them, I don't have anywhere. I just got back from my first hunt." He was dropped with a thud. He walked past the two guards to the castrated unicorn. "My name's Escutcheon, I'll pay my rent, what ever you charge, sun, moon, or stars." Pythagorean looked over his shoulder at him.
"If you'll pay all of that, then going to fetch some water for me shouldn't be such a problem." Escutcheon nodded and ran out, back to the city. To the well that he had seen on his way to the work site. It took him ten minutes to get the water and bring it back, it was in a porcelain cup. The second part of the code that was needed, in order to verify that who he was. Pythagorean took the drink and ordered him to go to his estate.
Pythagorean's estate was a modest sized home of white washed stone. It was surrounded by a brass gate. Escutcheon found himself waiting in Pythagorean's library. He grabbed the books and started flipping through then, glad that Mother had insisted teaching him how to speed read before teaching him the magical short cut. Many of the books were about math. Many were written by his host. The was one that was about the history of the city. It was confusing, entire chapters seemed to be missing from it. He was reading it, when Pythagorean came in, as dusk approached.
"So you found the history book?" Pythagorean sat down at the table. "Tell me how far have you read?"
"I've read all of it." Escutcheon looked up from the book. "But somethings weird this history book doesn't make any since. It's like there are entire centuries that just seem to be erased only to be referenced again." Pythagorean nodded.
"That's how it is. The only thing that is constant is the Choler."
"What are the Choler. It says that their selected."
"Escutcheon have you noticed a heat in your heart? Something that makes you angry, furious, wrathful?" He nodded. "That feeling is a constant fom everypony here. No one is exempt. Your horn is magnifying it, but even now I feel it on the fringes. The ones that fall completely into that feeling become the Choler. They no longer fill anything but wrath. Many of the ponies here have lost their family to the Choler. Normally one parent will kill the other in a blinding rage." Pythagorean looked out the window. "It's getting dark, go get the bat pony that you brought with you here. If anyone stops you tell them I wanted her." He nodded and headed for the pins.