Fallout Equestria – Morals of the Wasteland

"This is the Wasteland. We will both die in it at some point. But I promise you, no matter how fast you learn, no matter how hard you try, you WILL die long before I will."

"Hell of a first experience in killing another Pony. And did I had any remourse?"

"RRRAAAAAAAAHHHR!!!! YOU LITTLE BASTARD!!!!!""

"If the life taken was one of Raiders? Absolutely bucking Not."

"You want to at the very least live longer? At least until you see your Mommy dearest? Don't ever threated me again."

"The tunnel still seemed to have been going for miles and miles. I almost couldn't believe that we literally had a mountain above our heads."

"A friendship with him, is a hell all on its own."

Chapter 5: Don't look Back

How am I not insane yet? Or better yet, how am I still alive?

I still have Ghoul blood and Raider blood all over my face, some of it even went into my mouth as well. Speaking off which, when the pistol didn't maimed my teeth like I expected, Deadtrott did it, when he striked me in the face with his dirty, rotten, Ghoul hoof.

The way he messed up my jaws, I could barely speak without feeling my mouth twitching or snapping. Every time I'll look into the mirror to see the scar he left on my cheeck, I'll always remmember that hit.

We were back to our traditional trotting through the unending layers of nothingness. Except this time we were indoors. Dark tunnel going and going as if it was leading to the center of earth. It goes to show that the Wasteland is equally dangerous indoors as it is outdoors.

So far, that's about 5 instances where I almost died, including when Deadtrot was pissed at my sarcastic response.

"Sure, it felt satysfying. It will be even more satysfying when it will be your turn."

But wait . . . . . . . . was I really sarcastic back then?

He's still treating me like a slave, even if he's leading me to what could have been called my new life as a free pony. While he carries all of our weapons, including the super awesome kick-ass laser rifle, I'm doing the work of a brahmin, and carrying trash to sell.

And at almost every instance, he was updating our relationship; He'll kill me if I won't listen to him, and I can't kill him. No moral obstacle, but combat skill obstacle. While all I can do is stab him in his throat in a matter of 10 seconds tops, all he has to do is throw a knife at me in the span of just one.

No, I certianly wasn't sarcastic with that response.

I do want to kill that Ghoul. I do want to finish his delayed death.

Only thing that stops me, is the fact that he still guides me to my Mother. Though another reason still strikes me every so often. I saw him fight, and who knows how long he has defied the laws of radiation by staying alive while his whole body slowly rots.

I wondered if he can be killed at all.

My PipBuck turned out to give us enough light after I set it to the highest setting. Good thing that those things never run out of batteries or something. I'm actually not good with science, so I don't know how that works.

But recently it was revieled that there is something I turned out to be good at. Killing Raiders with meele weapons. I still can't stop thinking about the half crushed head of that Raider back then.

And who knows? Maybe hanging out with one of the biggest killers I've ever met will make me better at killing too. And those that I will kill most of will be Out Town Raiders.

For now though, the tunnel was a bigger concern. Deadtrott was saying that there still might be like 2 or 3 hours of trotting ahead of us, and that if we met Raiders back then, it could mean that there are more ahead.

I walked right next to him and he was only a bit ahead of me. He carried all the weapons, including my pistol. I was carrying trash and sticked close so that my PipBuck can light our way.

I asked Deadtrott how much we had to go until we get to the exit of this tunnel, and he answered to me. That was the first instance of me talking to him since we left the place of our last battle. After our last nice conversation we had before, I was affraid to ask him anything at all.

The worst that could have happened is that he kills me. Least worst thing I could expect is that he answers me with his usual "here you go now shut the buck up" attitude. I decided that if he hits me again, than I will ask no more questions. I imagined that this is his last warning before he kills; he maims me first.

So I finally gathere a little back-bone and risked it.

"If we run into Raiders again, could I have my pistol back then."

The minute he looked at me with his red eye, I immedeatly tried to reassure him that I don't want to make him mad.

"I WILL, point it in the right direction, I promise."

The gas-mask STILL made it difficult to tell when he's angry. Fortunetly, he wasn't angry at my question, but the answer was still as I predicted.

"I'll give you a gun, only when I'll need you to have one. So far this prooved to be little help, even with that spell in your wrist."

I would love nothing more than another opportunity to try out the S.T.A.T.S spell again. I would love it even more with that laser rifle. Every time I noticed part of it showing out of Deadtrotts bag, I kept imagining dissolving somepony to ashes with that thing.

Honestly, the answer he gave me, ironically motivated me to speak better about myself, just for once.

I berated at him,

"You know, I can actually shoot and fight pretty well too. I can do it even better the less surprises you spring on me."

I was obviously reffering to the two instances he tought me to fight when least prepared; when he left me alone against a raging pack of his feral friends and the other instance when he threw at me a crazy, half-drunk, beefed-up, Raider with a hard-on for murder.

Deadtrott still kept his usual "smile" while responding to my frustration, and fortunetly he was still not hitting me.

"The'll be plenty of more surprises for the both of us."

Oh yes, Deadtrott's survival lessons 2.0; be ready for whatever crazy unexpected shit the Wasteland will throw at your face. I mean . . . . . if your bucking companion doesn't do it first.

Then I finally stopped thinking ahead before speaking my mind.

"Surprises like what?"

I aksed with a sarcastic attitude.

"Ones you'll wish won't happen."

I thought THAT will be his dissmisal from this conversation, but surprisingly he turned out to be a lot more chatty, granted he still wasn't much forthcoming.

"First of all, will you keep your bucking voice down!? And second, there's no telling what surprises exactly the Wasteland has prepared for us. That's what makes it so dangerous."

I took advantage of his sudden change of attitude while it lasted.

"You say that from personal experience I imagine. I mean, any pony can tell that you've killed youre fair share of things."

Why did I thought that a crazy killer Ghoul like him would take that as a complement?

"Like an annoying slave filly with a whipped back and a big mouth? Don't push me!"

That was my hint, to either stop talking or changing the subject. So, I remained silent for a few seconds and treid to think of something else to say before we run into more trouble.

I thought a bit about My Mother's message. I was still surprised every time I had this thought in my head, that I actually had a Mother. And I still cannot wrap my head around me meeting her. When that happens, what am I going to say? What's gonna happen to me?

There was at least one question in that regad that Deadtrott could answer me right now. So after realizing that he might still be calm enough for one more question, I aksed away.

"So this 'Vigilante Group' that my Mother mentioned on that message. Who are they exactly?"

He answered me, but still didn't looked at me as if I wasn't there.

"You're Mother already explained that to you in that message. They're a group of Ponies dedicated to the idea of helping those in need in the Wasteland. Those who for the good of the innocent simply fight back against the Raiders, and all the other crazy factions that don't help anypony. They call themselves 'The Lookouts', as they look out for any help they find."

"The Lookouts", huh? Nice name. One you'd expect from Ponies who childishly believe they can save the world from evil. I am yet to see if they really can.

"So this group is technically just going around the entire Wasteland helping just about anypony who needs help."

I almsot knew the answer before he gave it.

"Yes, pretty much."

His previous warning was apperently not enough, because then my big stupid mouth have spoke yet again before I thought ahead.

"My Mother also said that you are also a member of that group. If this is really their purpose than you haven't really acted like a true Lookout so far."

At this point he started to slow down, and then he stopped and looked at me. Still the same smile I recon, but this time, the consideration of my demise was absent.

"Do you think I'm paranoid? Well, at least I still live. There's no surviving the End of the World without changing in some way. Not after the shit I've seen."

At least he didn't hit me again. He didn't even threatened me.

I seemed to have hit him where he's soft, because just as he finished that sentence, he looked away for a second as if he was looking at a ghost or something.

All in all, he was making a pretty simple point very clear to me; that in this world, I must be ready for the worst, which can come in many forms.

Case in point.

We started hearing shots far into the tunnel ahead of us.

More Raiders? Fair guess, but who are they shooting at? Or "what"?

Deadtrott orders me to turn off the light on my PipBuck and then pulls me by my leather armor. We were approaching slowly and quetly in the direction from which we heard the shots. The tunnel was then splitting into two directions. There was a long dark way ahead of us, and another long road around the corner from where we stood.

Behind that corner we were hearing the shots and the screams, and I recognized the growling to be Feral Ghouls.

Deadtrott then pushed me the ground and shooshed me. He heard something I didn't. The dark tunnel ahead of us was suddenly swarming with more Ferals charging in the direction of the tunnel around the corner. They heard the dinner bell.

Head to where they were running or where they went from? To their prey, or their hive? The choice was not up to me.

Deadtrott argued that we should fight through the ongoing onslaught between the Ghouls and the Raiders, and not through the larger pack of them. So he reminded me to remain quiet and we slowly pushed on.

Right around the wall, we already saw the first defensive line for the Raider outpost up ahead. A fat layer of sandbags lightet by burning trashcans. A whole bunch of dead Ghouls were lying around it, along with a bunch of ammo clips and shotgun shells. Behind the sandbags, two dead Raiders, mauled to death with Feral Ghoul hands. They had bite-marks all over them and were clawed like hell.

Empty ammo clips were lying around this place, but no actual ammo though. They apperently fought to the last bullet. Who knew Raiders were so heroic in battle? Off course it could be that Raiders were just convinced they were indestructible. Drug addiction will do that to you.

Either way, there was nothing of value around either of the corpses, so we moved on. The shots were still fired.

Ahead of us we then saw a huge pile of rubble blocking the tunnel. Turns out that the fight sounds were coming from a door on the right of the tunnel. It lead to a room that was a staff passage between tunnels. These Raiders built their outpost in that room.

At this point, the shots and all the other noises were finally wearing off. The fighting was over. Now I was raising my hopes that the Ferals won. Rahter shoot at a pack of zombies than armed Raiders.

Even when Raiders did lost this battle, my hope was still too big. We looked past the corner into the room, and the number of Feral Ghouls, it was too big. There were dozens of them inside, but the uncomfortable sight was what they were doing.

They feasted on the corpses. Raider corpses and their own alike.

Deadtrott was right. The Wasteland does give many surprises. I thought I saw and experienced all the worst that can be in Out Town, but I wasn't prepared for this.

The sight of the Feral Ghouls, tearing and chewing on the ripped open bellies of the corpses, feasting on everything inside. Drinking blood, eating livers, hearts, while the blood covered the entire ground. Even Out Town wouldn't prepare me for that.

Now this time, I was more than ever scared.

Deadtrott pulled me back from peeking beyond the edge of the wall. I started shaking. I almost jumped up from fear the second I heard the next loud noise.

That next loud noise turned out to be either a faraway sniper shot, or one the Feral Ghoul heads exploding.

Suddenly we heard shots again. This time, they were coming from beyond this room. Like several walls away from us.This huge army of Feral Ghouls was suddenly running to where they heard the shots coming. The room was empty.

Deadtrott then quickly pushed me into the room.

"Keep qiuet. And if you feel like throwing up, do it now."

That wouldn't be a bad idea.

The minute we walked into the room, I immedeatly threw the heavy bags of my back and feel to my knees.

We were walking in a giant pool of blood, surrounded by corpses half-eaten. I did as Deadtrott told me and piuqed. He meanwhile was looking what was behind the next passage. It seemed that wherever those Ghouls went, it is very far from us.

Seemed like now we could rest for a few short seconds. But then . . . . . . . .

Ghouls have no functioning brains. So are they even capable of having the thought of sneaking up on their prey?

Just as I was finished re-painting the floor, something pushed me to the ground. A feral ghoul, just like that, sneaked up on me, and started pounding me with his hoofs. Afterall there was still behind us a long tunnel filled with them.

Before the Ghoul went from pounding me to the ground to eating me. Deadtrott in the last second blew his head off, with his rifle.

"PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER SQUIRT!!! WE HAVE COMPANY!!!"

Yeah, no shit. He yelled that at me as he was putting me back on my hooves and gave me my pistol back.

He then holstered his rifle on his back, threw his bag od weapons on the floor and quickly grabbed an assault rifle from it.

Two more feral ghouls then entered the room through the door which we came from. I immedeatly activated the S.T.A.T.S spell, just as Deadtrot started firing.

I quickly targeted the one at which Deadtrott didn't fired. This time, I had biggest chances of hitting the torso, so the torso I shot, and down he went. Deadtrott took care of the other one.

He than quickly ran towards the door to close it. And when I say "door" I don't mean a wooden one. This room had metal doors that would be closed and opened with a switch next to it. Unfortunetly he didn't reach it in time.

More Ghouls just jumped from the door and went right at him. There was barely any room here and at those close encouters those Ghouls had an advantage. Deadtrott barely had time to aim before one or two of them grabbed him by his coat forcing him to just throw away the rifle and use his bare hoofs.

"SHUT THE DOOR KID!! SHUT THE BUCKING DOOR!!!!!!"

It was up to me. He was too busy getting his close friends off him. I ran as quickly as I could towards the door, so fast I almost slipped on the pool of blood. I launched myself at the door switch pressing it as hard as I could.

The metal door closed, but once again timing wasn't on our side.

The door closed, but as soon as I looked at it closing, I noticed that another Feral Ghoul was standing passed it. He was looking at me. I almost could have sworn that he was smiling at me.

I immedeatly triggered the spell again. Two shots. It only had enough jiuce for that much. Not enough. Even if I triggered the head and hit it both times, the Ghouls seemed to have been immune to it.

He rushed at me, and suddenly I experienced once again the blow that Deadtrott gave me before. The Ghould striked me in the face so hard that I was launched from the ground to the near other end of the room.

While holding myself where he hit me I noticed that he apperently wasn't a regular Ghoul. He looked like one at first, but then he rose his hands to the air and growled extreamly loud, and then his veins suddenly were glowing in a radioactive yellow colour.

This was some kind of an unusual Ghoul. I triggered the spell again. The time before I putted all the focus on shooting, so much so that the spell needed time to charge. This time I activated it so I can read what the spell labels him as. It said "Legendary Feral Ghoul Roamer". A picture of a skull was right next to the name.

I was dealing with some kind of a king of Ferals this time.

Right before the spell stopped working I noticed that the laser rifle that I was eyeballing this whole time was still in Deadtrotts bag on the ground. He meanwhile was still too busy with the Feral Ghouls fighting them off with nothing but his hoofs.

So first thing I did, I jumped to the right side as quickly as possible just as this Legendary Ghoul was charging at me. I did at the right time. He smashed his head against the wall.

I used the opportunity and, as quickly as, I could I grabbed the laser rifle turned back facing the Ghoul, and just pulled the trigger repeatedly. This time it was a bigger weapon, so I had to do it with my hoofs.

I just fired and fired and fired without aiming. Suddenly smoke was everywhere. I managed to blow of one of his hoofs. Still not enough.

The S.T.A.T.S spell didn't name him "Legendary" for nothing. He continud to crawl towards me and still at a fast paste. Why the buck did I stopped firing? He then launched himself towards me from the ground. He was about to land on me. I quickly pointed the laser rifle at him, but he landed just as I was about to fire.

I closed my eyes, and suddenly the rifle felt a lot heavier. He landed with his head against the barrel of the rifle; it was stuck in his mouth. The laser rifle was now the only thing between me and the Legendary Feral Ghoul Roamer, literally. With the rifle stuck in his mouth, the Ghould tried to reach me with his hoofs.

Upon realizing it, I did the obvious. I fired upwards. Exactly what I expected happened. He started turning into ash. I got covered with it.

Deadtrott finally finished off the two Ghouls giving HIM a hard time. He was pulling himself together while I just lied on my back, paralized from the whole ordeal, and covered with ashes.

I snapped out of it the minute I heard more Feral Ghouls bangning on the door we just closed.

Deadtrott was all business, no time to rest, no nothing. So it was unsurprising that he immedeatly pulled me by my leather armor again and yelled at me to run.

"ON YOUR HOOFS SQUIRT!! YOU'LL HAVE TIME TO REST LATER!!!"

Along with banging on metal doors I also started hearing screws falling off walls. The Ghouls were about to brake open this door. Fear really does motivate ponies to act, because all I did next was running without looking back. And that was a mistake.

I didn't grab any of the bags.

Deadtrott quickly grabbed one, but I couldn't tell which one was it. The only thing I still carried, was the laser rifle.

As soon as we left the room and started running through a corridor, I heard the metal door smashing. I imagined that just like with that metal grate back then, the Ghouls might have hurt themselves doing it.

It was a long corridor, and we were passing by a few more corpses of Ghouls and Raiders. Meanwhile, we were hearing more hungry growling sounds behind us. There were plenty of corpses back in that room, but Ferals apperently love to hunt.

And did I already mentioned that we were headed where we heard those shots from? And we were still hearing them. I suppose we were just running from what we knew was trouble, and ran towards what we didn't knew yet if was trouble at all. Those could have been just more Raiders, but maybe those were just mercenaries? At this point, all I though was "anything but More Ghouls".

Deadtrott didn't seem to worry who we meet there.

We eventually passed tw more metal doors that Deadtrott immedeatly closed with the switches. They were buying us time.

Then we finally passed the last door at the end of this corridor. We were now in the end of another tunnel. I immedeatly hid behind one of the two buffer stops while Deatrott close the last door.

I didn't knew who we'd meet, but I hid just in case it would more Raiders.

It was worse.

They turned out to be more of Red Eye's Slavers. This time though, they were accompanied by something that everyone in Out Town even heard of. Whiplie used to scare me and all the other filly slaves about them. Saying how they would one day rule the Wasteland, be a huge powerhouse in it. Red Eye's secret weapons.

Alicorns.

We were now facing 4 Mercenaries accompanied by two Alicorns. Two Unicorns and two Earthponies, all armed to the teeth. They were showing it off. All of their weapons were pointed at us, and their leader turned out to be one of the Alicorns.

Deadtrott seemed only surprised, but his face later turned into anger. How was he still not affraid.

The Alicorn spoke.

"You two! Stay where you are!"

She was having it written all over herself that she is to be feared. Her eyes were glowing red. How many more things with red eyes I'll meet in my life before the Wasteland consumes me? Shouldn't be pretty long now.

"Don't any of you move an inch. Let's not let this end badly for either of us!"

Yeup. She was speaking like she's about to negotiate an unfair truth that would either leave us caps-less or one of us becoming a new audition to Dead Eyes slave army. Persumably me.

My assumptions weren't false. She did said "any of you", so I revieled myself from that behind that buffer.

But suddenly, the Alicorn looked at me with a very uncomfortable focus. She noticed both my collar and my PipBuck.

That would be probably surprising to most in the Wasteland to see a little colt slave wearing both of those. But then she suddenly turned to Deadtrott with a grin.

"Hey, NOW I rememmber you, you're Deadtrott, you're one of those that Red Eye sent after the kid."

Wait a minute, Red Eye sent that group, specifically for ME?

"Where's Dual and the others?"

She asked, but once again, I had a bunch of questions for Deadtrott myself. Did Red Eye really sent all those merchs back then JUST FOR ME? What the Buck is going on here?

Anyway, Deadtrott answered what was technically the truth.

"They didn't make it, I'm all that's left."

If they knew Deadtrott, than I hoped that they'd me more cooperative, but they continued pointing their guns at us, though a lot more at him. The Alicorn contined talking.

"Deadtrott, all of our men are dead, you are all that's left, and you show up with him wearing an actual authentic PipBuck. How do you suppose this looks like for you?"

One of the Unicorn Raiders than said with an angry tone.

"I warned the Boss not to trust this guy. He killed Dual and the others, I knew he would!"

Now I suddenly had this thought that maybe they'll just kill Deadtrott, and for whatever crazy reason Red Eye wants me, one thing mattered, they wanted me alive. Seemed like a win-win.

Until Deadtrott ruined it all.

Just as the Alicorn was telling her fellow mercenary to shut up and that she's in charge. Deadtrott reached for the inside of his duster and pulled out a Flash Bang Grenade. Raiders at Out Town rarely had those, but however HE got one of them, he used it.

The minute I saw the grenade flying, I looked away, and covered my ears.

All six mercenaries were then moaning over the sudden surprise, wiping their eyes and ears.
Some of them even made weird noises,

"Mawp . . . . . . mawp . . . . . . . mawp."

. . . . . . .

Deadtrott then pulled out his trusty rifle and dealt with the Alicorns first. Makes sense, getting rid of the biggest threat first.

He fired at their heads as fast as he could. Only one of them dropped dead, but the other one was yelling in agony as Deadtrott blinded her in the eyes. She was first temporarily blinded with the flash, but now was literally blinded.

Deadtrott's accuracy skills are truly remarkable. And that rifle of his apperentl packed more of a punch than most Sniper Rifles.

Just as the other 4 Merchs were finally recovering from the flash, I immedeadly lifter the laser rifle and S.T.A.T.S did most of the rest.

I clearly still had to practice with that spell.

I targeted only on of them and fired four times. The first three shots missed by inches, but the last one turned him into ashes.

Three Merchs left, without counting the Blind Alicorn, but what good she was? The other merchs finally didn't felt the effect of the flash anymore and returned fire.

We both hid behind the buffers. Deadtrott didn't waste a single second doing nothing. He was reloading his weapon, while was still holding the laser rifle without being certain how many mroe times I can fire it before I'm out. Didn't have any ammo to it.

The merchs continued to fire. Their minds must have still been dizzy from the grenade if they didn't payed attention at the amount of ammo thy were wasting.

When they all started reloading, Deadtrott used the opportunity and charged. He fired rifle precisely in one's stomach. Two left.

He then grabbed the other merch. Killing at close corners with bare hoofs really seemed to have been a talent for him. But all that left the other Raider for me.

I used S.T.A.T.S again. This time the target was closer, less chance of missing.

I fired twice. This time, the target didn't disintegrated, but at least was dead. I hit him in the stomach and than right through the neck. What a slow death, having two huge bruning wholes in your neck.

Deadtrott finished off the last Mercenary. I didn't even know how, but I didn't want to. Though by how loosely his haed was tilting while Deadtrott threw his corpse away, I'd assume he broke his neck. Who knew pony necks were as easy to break as wooden sticks?

Finally, it was over. The Feral Ghouls were still after us, but we didn't hear any banging at the near door, meaning that they haven't even broke through any of the doors we closed.

I would have smiled of relief, if I only remembered how to do it.

Now the corpses were all ours for the looting. But first Deadtrott was going to fully deal with the Alicorn. She was still bleeding from where her eyes used to be. Deadtrott was way ahead of me within the tunnel, I moved very slowly. All this killing and running for your life is very exhausting.

By now the Alicorn stopped screaming and was at Deadtrott's mercy on her knees. He slowly approached her and was about to kill her, right there, without a word.

However, the Alicorn had something to say. And wouldn't you know it? It were her last words.

"BUCK you, Deadtrott!"

Then I started hearing beeping sounds. She magically made something appear around her horn. I looked with focus.

Holy Motherbucking son of shit! It was a bucking Balefire bomb egg. Those were technically the little children of the same bombs that turned this world into a giant lifeless desert. And it was beeping, that meant only one thing. It was about to blow.

That's actually how insane the Alicorns apperently are. This one couldn't see anything anymore, so she blows herself up, along with everypony around her.

Once again, Deadtrott yelled at me what to do. This time didn't had to though. I was perfectly aware of the danger.

He sprinted deeper and deeper into the tunnel as fast as he could. I did the same. I followed him in the same direction as fast as I could. I went past the Alicorn and by that time, the Egg was beeping faster and faster.

Deadtrott was at a far enough distance. I weren't.

The Flash Bang was the closest thing to temporarily deaf me. The Balfire Bomb egg did instead, along with nearly killing me.

The loud bang, that's not a good enough name for it. The sound of the explosion is indescribable. All I can say is that when it happened, I felt the fire touching my back. I was launched straight into the tunnel like a ragdoll. And when I landed to the ground, it was like all those time I was punched in the face by Whiplie. Only this time, it was hard concrete.

I passed out.

Why is this next part so familiar?

I woke up again smelling smoke.

I felt this smell, but I didn't feel anything else. I was really a ragdool at the moment. I was laying straight on my back. I didn't feel my limbs, and every time I tried to stand up, I couldn't tell if my limbs were heavier or my head.

And when I opened my eyes. All I saw was Deadtrott looking down on me.

"Perhaps there is hope for you yet."

First thing he said to me after I woke up from my 5th near death experience, and it's to complement me on this.

And beside not feeling my whole body, and his annoying growly voice, I had another problem. I was hungry. Made me realize that perhaps more than an hour passed between me waking up and that Alicorn blowing herself up.

But I guess I wouldn't starve just yet.

Deadtrott told me to open my mouth, and he fed me some kind of meat. I was starving, so I just chewed it and swallowed it, with no concern about the taste. Regardless, I asked.

"What is this?"

"Don't ask what it is. Just eat it and don't starve."

Typical kind of answer from him.

He gave me another bite, and I chewed it. I was that much hungry that I just continued eating, no matter what. And really, the smell would have made it difficult in a normal circumstances.

It wasn't just the smell of smoke but also something else from which I would have fainted.

Deadtrott than moved and sat by the fire and worked on whatever he was cooking. He then gave me a long explanation about it.

"You might have noticed that we left a few bags behind. Well, I'd blame you, but I'm too tired to punch you again."

Before he could continue, I asked him about what happened to me.

"What the buck happened? Why can't I feel my hoofs?"

"That Alicorn did her hardest to kill us both, and she nearly succeeded. When that explosion made you collide with the concrete floor that hard . . . . . . . you broke a few bones. You crippled."

If that was true, than why wasn't I in pain? He explained it to me before I could ask him.

"Well, like I said, we left some of our equipment behind, and I couldn't get it back. That includes most of our medicine, but fortunetly, I still had enough Tetradoxyn. It will make you loose feeling in the rest of your body. Better not for you to feel the pain."

Although, that meant he would now need to carry me through the rest of the way. That would probably make him angry.

I was a bit concerned about all of our things. Only I did while laying flat on my back like something that might as well be a dead pony.

"So did we really lost everything?"

"Lost everything but a small bag of bandages, a bit of ammo, and some more smaller arms."

That WAS a lot. And unfortunetly it included that laser rifle to which I was getting so attached to.

But wait a minute.

If that was really all we had left, than that means we lost our bag of food as well. So what the hell was he feeding me?

That's exactly what I asked him. He answered me while still giving me another third bite of that meaty whatever-it-is.

"Look, we've lost all of our rations back then, and there are only two ways you can handle THIS. Either get used to it, or forget it. I don't care which one, just as long as you'll understand that we had no choice."

He then went back to cooking the rest of it over the fire. Then I saw it.

It really was meat that he cooked, and far beside the fireplace, severed limbs were laying. I recognized with the coat colours those belonged to the Merchs we dealt with.

All that Deadtrott had to say for it is that we had no choice.

Footnote: Level Up.
New Perk: Cannibal: With the Cannibal perk, you gain the option to eat a corpse to regain Health. But every time you feed, you lose Karma, and if the act is witnessed, it is considered a crime against nature.