Brian stared slack-jawed as the lioness charging them erupted in an aura of golden fire, roaring in pain. The flames petered out, and the lioness collapsed to its knees, smoldering and blank-faced in shock. Its eyes rolled into the back of its head and it keeled over, log-club rolling away.

Behind it, Amy gave a sigh and faceplanted into the ground.

"AMY!"

Brian ran over as fast as he could, checking her over. There were bloodstains through her dress, her breathing sounded strained but even and her skin was a healthy color. She was out cold. She's alright, she's alright, she has to be alright, she's tough...

"Brian!" Carl yelled from a bit further away. "Zach got it worse! We need to get them inside!"

On-cue, the sparse droplets that had been falling turned into a proper shower. Brian awkwardly hooked his arms under Amy, dragging her toward the roof exit. It wasn't easy, but Brian managed to lower the ladder, pull his sister across his shoulders, then laboriously carry her down the ladder and into the shelter of the stairway without banging her on the stonework in the dark.

"Hey, bro?" Carl called down "I can't lift Zach. Can you do that again?"

Brian sighed, hauling himself up the ladder again and motioning for Carl to help drape Zach's unconscious form across him. Straining and shaking under the effort of supporting the boy and his armor, Brian nearly collapsed as he reached the bottom, and finally did give out with a bolt of sharp pain when he tried to gently sit Zach against the wall. He didn't know if it was good or bad that Zach groaned and rolled onto his side, cradling his arm.

Carl joined them a moment later, holding a bundle of Zach's sword and unused armor pieces, as well as the weapons, armor and the belts of the lioness and panther.

Brian stared at him as he dropped it all. "Did you loot them?"

Carl looked guilty. Brian sighed and changed the subject. "We should go see if Daring Do survived her fall. You ever seen a dead body?"

Brian immediately felt guilty about that statement as Carl looked shocked. He hauled himself to his feet, apologizing. "Sorry, not funny. I'll go, I've seen a dead sheep before in the scouts. Might make it easier if it's... bad. Make sure they'll live, and especially Amy. If we can keep her stable for the night, we should be able to count on her heals."

He felt his way down the stairs, sliding his boots across the old stone in the darkness until he hit dirt and the light of the doorway could be seen. Once outside, it didn't take long to find the fallen pegasus and wildcat.

Brian covered his nose as a pungent smell hit him and he got a closer look. The wildcat was dead, dashed across a crumbled wall. Daring Do was luckier, sitting up with her head down and eyes closed.

"Hey. You alright?" Brian asked.

Daring looked up, peeking at him with a wince. "Oh, been much better. I think my hip is broken. Not much chance to make it out of this." She hissed in pain at some unseen aggravation. Brian didn't know much about medicine, but a broken hip sounded bad. He was pretty sure his great-grandmother had died of that.

"Ok, then. Can you last till morning?" Brian squinted at their surroundings.

"Do I have to? I could just heroically give you directions to the Monastery, ensure you survive... pass on peacefully..." Daring said with a lopsided grin.

Brian shook his head. "No, probably not. We'll get lost, probably die ourselves. Oh, and there's a chimera around. Do you think I can carry you? I've been carrying a lot of injured people tonight."

Daring sighed. "Yeah, yeah. Probably make it worse, but I'll just die of hypothermia out here. Also, I will probably scream. And he pooped himself on the way down. Oh, and watch the wing, he claw- oh, who am I kidding, the hip is gonna hurt worse when you pick me up."

Brian sized the pony up. She was small, but probably weighed nearly as much as Amy judging by size. He hope she was supernaturally light as he carefully hooked one arm under her barrel, and the other gently cradling her rear.

He was wrong, Daring was considerably heavier than Amy. His wheeze was lost to the sound of Daring screaming through gritted teeth as she was lifted. Staggering, Brian made if fully upright and started his slow, laborious steps to the Tower. It took a long time, and the effort made it feel like forever. Every shift prompted a growl from the pony, and his strained apologies were overruled with gritted commands to continue.

Carl met him at the front door, holding a twig that shined with a brilliant blue light. The two of them hurriedly worked together to carry Daring upstairs and set her down next to the other two in what Carl had turned into a improvised triage camp with Amy and Zach laid side-by-side under the wizard's cloak. Carl began a quick report as Brian slid down the wall, drained.

"Ok, bro, I managed to read Light word t' word out of my book and got Amy's cut bandaged, she has a broken rib. I don't think it hit her lung. Zach has broken everything, swelling on his hand, wrist, arm, shoulder, lost a few teeth, and worst he has to have a concussion even without internal bleeding... dude, I..." Carl hung his head. "I dunno if he's gonna make the night. It's a race between Amy's cooldown on her per-days, shock or brain damage. How long does that take, man? What's adventurer-horse have?"

Brian nodded glumly. "Broken... hip. We think."

Carl nodded glumly. "Treat for shock. I'm sorry, man, that's all I know. Here, move them together so they're warmer."

Brian helped ease Daring up against Zach, bulling the sleeve of the blanket inadequately over her side. Daring sighed. "Well. I guess we rest. Good job on the whole saving-ponies thing."

"Good job on the fight carry up there. We wouldn't have lasted a minute without you." Brian pointed out. "I'm not gonna sugar-coat it, it's our fault you're hurt."

"Oh, pishaw!" Daring Do snorted, but Brian shook his head.

"You can fly. Cats can't. You stuck around to bail our sorry asses out." Brian tried to ease himself into a better position, back spasming painfully. "So, what was this all about? What's the backstory?"

Daring lay her head down, eyes squeezed shut. "Artifact. Ruins of a second tower near here had a gem inscribed with instructions to make a terrible weapon. I was gonna bring it back to Canterlot-"

Brian held up a hand, and Daring somehow correctly interpreted the motion through closed eyes.

"-that's the capitol of Equestria, for Princess Celestia to decide what to do with. Lock it away, or put it in a museum, or lock it away in a museum. Dunno. As long as it's safe."

"Did you get it?" Carl piped up. He was tucked in a corner where he could see everyone, knees pulled to his chest and wide-eyed, clutching his glowing twig.

Daring chuckled. "Yep. Remember, kiddoes, always wear... a helmet... ooh, passing out."

Brian nodded slowly, pulling his own knees up closer. He wanted it to end. He'd already snapped once at Zach, and it didn't change anything, but he felt like he was about to do it again. Everything was impossible. But it was real and out to get him.

He clenched his teeth. C'mon, then, God ol' buddy. At least throw us a bone. Nobody dies? An intrusive image of the dead wildcat jumped into his mind. Or, ok, nobody I like? That includes adventu- Daring. I like her, she's kinda funny in a smartass way. Like Amy. Oh, please, God, don't take Amy. A terrible thought hit him as he looked at his sister, passed out peacefully next to his friend and the pegasus. She needs to wake up. What if they wake up?

Carl looked up as Brian stood suddenly. Brian tried desperately to keep his breathing under control.

"You ok, dude?"

"Yeah. Stay here. I gotta do something." Brian stiffly and deliberately climbed up the ladder.

The lioness was exactly where it had fallen first, golden fur singed with black and slicked by rain. The sudden trauma of the Sacred Flame had knocked it right out. Just past it, he saw the outline of his jagged black dagger, the one he had thrown, glinting wetly on the roof. Just next to him was the unconscious panther, mouth still stuck in a snarl with bloody gums.

Shaking, and steadily soaking in the rain, he walked to the knife.

He would not let anything else hurt his sister, no matter what.

***

Brian barely regestered that he could see again as dim sunlight filtered into the tower. His eyes felt bruised from staying open so long.

Carl hadn't moved, but at least was asleep. He hadn't said a word when Brian came back down, soaked in rain and unfocused. He had just stayed curled in the corner and stared at him. He had looked afraid.

Brian knew why. He didn't blame him.

Brian hadn't slept.

Amy was the first to stir, which at least sent a flutter of relief through him. He lifted his head off his knees, trying to call out but only got a hoarse croak. His throat was swollen.

Carl started, clutching his spellbook in front of himself protectively. He looked around wildly until he settled on Brian. Brian looked pointedly at Amy, who's eyes were slowly starting to squint and blink.

"A-Amy!" Carl flung aside his book, scrambling hands-and-knees to the three invalids. "Amy! Wake up, dude, we need you! Please!"

Amy groaned, rolling over and pulling the wizard cloak off of Zach and Daring. Carl snatched it up and threw it back on the other two, jostling her awake. Her eyes flew open and she clutched at her side.

"Owch! C-Carl?" Amy tried to sit up, wincing. "Ow... what...?"

Brian swallowed as best he could. "Heal. Need healing."

"Yeah!" Carl said. "Fix yourself a bit, but Zach is... shit."

Amy rolled to her knees, grunting as she guarded her side and Carl scooted arount to take Zach's pulse. He let out a sigh of relief. "He's still breathing. Amy, you gotta top him up, fast. He got hit in the head bad."

"Oh my God. Move!" Amy shooed him out of the way, holding her hands over Zach. "Cure Light Wounds! Cure Light Wounds! Cure Light Wounds! Oh... is that enough? Cure-"

"Daring..." Brian croaked. Carl waved Amy over to the pegasus.

"Broken something in her ass end. And easy on the spells, man, we could all use it and who knows what else this Candyland hellhole has for us."

Amy finished with Daring Do with a few quick castings, then turned to Brian. The spelled got rid of the pain and stiffness in his back, but not the soul-deadening exhaustion he felt. He waved her on, dropping his head back into his arms. Safe...

"Wakey wakey, compass-butt. You too, Zacharoonie." Carl shook the two of them. "The fun's not over, dudes and dudetts! Unless scary shark-man comes back to sell us a sword back to Atlanta, we have a whole 'nother fuckin' day ahead of us!"

"GET BACK!" Zach roared as he woke up, flailing wildly and making everyone jump. He stopped just as suddenly, blinking around in confusion. "W-what?"

Carl grinned. "Aay, not dead!"

"You..." Brian croaked, then swallowed hard to clear the sandy feeling out of his throat, "are feeling way to good this morning."

"Just feeling lucky, man." Carl looked at him, and Brian was struck by just how thin the smile really was.

"We won, though?" Zach asked, still confused. "There was a lion, and cat-men, but we won, right?"

Brian pulled himself up as Daring began to stir. "Barely. Half of us nearly died. All of us would have died if not for Amy pulling metamagic feats out of her ass."

Zach cocked his head. "Clerics can't use metamagic...?"

"And Sacred Flames don't pack that much of a punch until level eight." Brian pointed out. "Any commentary on that, Amy? Sorry, not accusing you, but it could be important."

Amy stayed silent, a very serious expression on her face. Brian knew she wanted to say something. It was just important enough that she couldn't afford say it wrong.

Daring Do's head came up with a sudden jerk, jostling her helmet. She looked around at the humans critically, then twisted around and inspected her hindquarters. "I take it Miss Healer is fully back in action."

Amy ran her fingers through her dark hair, combing it back. "Yeah, and down to my last two for the day unless I got more. Do you think we're leveling up, guys? Was that worth a level?"

"That's stupid, real life doesn't have levels." Brian said dismissively. Four stronger combatants routed, a few roleplaying encounters, some player-made Cinematic Moments... that's about a thousand-plus experience per person. Yeah, I would have given them a level.

Daring nodded and stretched, wincing at the pain in her wing. "Well, today should be easy. We trot to Charon Monastery and everyone gets water, food and a nice cotton mattress when they get there. Sound good?"

Brian didn't answer, he just got up and started slowly downstairs, leaving the others to catch up. He was moving pretty slow anyways. Zach scooted past him on the stairs, diving on their initial abandoned sleeping spot to try and bundle up his upper-body armor again. Brian left the tower and took a sharp turn along the outside wall where nobody could see him.

He dropped to his knees as his gut twisted and made him retch. The image of the lioness dead on the roof, blood diluting in the rain with his knife on the ground next to it burned into his mind. He wanted to vomit. He couldn't. There was nothing in him. He just sat there on his hands and knees and panted as the weight of two lives settled heavier and heavier on him.

"I don't want to guess."

Brian looked back over his shoulder to see Daring Do behind him. She wasn't much taller than him in this stance. He sat up and braced himself against the wall, sniffing and swallowing down the coppery taste of bile.

The pegasus watched him closely. "Are you gonna make me guess, or do you want to tell me? I can figure it out, since we weren't brutally murdered in our sleep last night."

Accusation. Brian wanted to lash out, yell. He was to drained. "I had to."

Daring nodded. "There are a lot of ways that could have gone."

Brian felt something else rise in him. Heat. Shame.

"I had to. Didn't I?"

"I'm not saying you didn't. You had a bunch of injured, weak friends and a dangerous threat. You could have waited and taken the consequences, or not and taken the consequences." Daring patted him with a wing. "I don't know exactly what you did, but now I'm guessing, and their was only one way with a guarantee. I might have done it differently and taken risks but I wasn't there. You were."

Brian resisted the urge to heave again as his mind forcefully took him back to the roof. What had happened.

"So thanks." Daring said. Brian looked up, surprise overriding nausea for a moment. Daring shrugged. "For saving my life. Twice. Tit for tat, right? We're even."

Brian gave a soulless chuckle. "How? You've got us at like, three to one."

Daring hit him with her good wing. "A life is a life. C'mon, before someone wonders where you are."

Zach was waiting for him at the door, a bundle of armor and cloak tied to his backpack. Carl had a similar bundle, and one of the cat's clubs stuck into his tunic belt. Amy caught him by the arm as he bent down to pick up her dirt-stained cape and bags.

"Bri, you alright?"

Brian shrugged. "I'll make it. I think."

Amy took her things. "If you're sure. You're... don't push yourself too hard, Bri. We have to watch out for each other, but that doesn't mean you have to watch out for all of us."

"I kinda do," Brian sighed as they set off after the rest. . If I hadn't...

"And if you hadn't last night, we'd all be dead," Amy said as though she could hear his thoughts, "Same as if Zach hadn't taken hits for me, or Carl pulling random mad skills out of his ass, or my very literal Deus Ex Machina."

Brian shrugged again. "I know. I wasn't much use."

"We're not dead, you kept us alive afterward." Amy pointed out, "Also, I don't think we have that far of a hike. Look!"

Brian looked out over the valley as they reached the top of the switchbacks, following Amy's hand. A trio of plumes of smoke rose out of the trees, barely a mile down the valley. Amy whistled ruefully.

"Maybe we should have just listened to adventure-pony and gone to the... monastery? You think ponies are religious? Knowing our luck the probably worship Hastur," Amy said. Brian stayed quiet and hoped Amy would too when they got to their destination. Religion is not really a safe topic to start off on. I'll ask Zach if he has any details later.

The hike was a silent one, and despite the short distance was less of a hike and more of a slow trudge. Zach's morning pep quickly petered out under the weight of his armor and sword, Carl went back to his usual silence, and even Daring seemed deadened as she flapped along slowly, avoiding the ground. The smell of smoke came first, followed by the single most wonderful sound any of them had ever smelled.

Baking bread.

"UWAAAARG~!"

Everyone looked at Brian. Brian looked at his belly.

"Look, guys, I'm hungry. No surprise." Brian tried to pass it off. He could be hungry. Just because he ate a lot normally didn't mean he could go longer without eating, right?

Carl snickered. "Good to know we can just sic our pack of feral velociraptors that you keep under your shirt on any bad guys."

"Hey!" Brian took a few jogging steps, intending to go over and slap the gamer, but quickly realized he was already out of breath. He settled for flipping Carl the bird. "Fuck... off..."

"Heh." Zach chuckled. "Feral... veloci- OH SHIT!"

Brian whirled around as sudden heavy hoof-beats sounded one either side of them and Zach yelled. Zach shook his improvised backpack off and pulled his sword out of it, a wild, worried look in his eyes as four towering creatures emerged through the trees.

Centaurs. Brian had never seen a centaur quite like this before. The torso was human, for certain, but the face was nearly simian, and all four had twisting horns from their heads. Most striking was their coloration: reds and oranges highlighted with blonde-whites. All of them had forged spears leveled at them, except one wielding a greatsword larger than Brian was tall, and all of them had smooth, jet-black leather armor on their torsos. Brian belatedly reached for his knives, only to find both sheaths empty. Carl still had one, and he had left the other on the top of the tower. Oh, here comes a world of hurt...

"Woah, woah, calm down, mustang!" Daring flew over to Zach, pushing his sword down. "And you too, Tivaru, c'mon. It's me."

The largest centaur raised his spear and stepped forward, warlike face easing to caution. He spoke with a powerfully deep voice, revealing pointed, carnivorous teeth. "My apologies, Doctor Do. We heard growling and took you for a hostage by feline paw. But closer inspection reveals otherwise."

"Holy shit." Amy swore, looking up with her walking stick still cocked back to swing at the massive being as he approached the group. Brian relaxed himself a bit, staring in awe of the powerful creatures. If they were friends with Daring Do, they were cool.

Zach slipped the blade of his sword away from Daring, wildly pointing it toward the closest centaur. "Stay back!"

"Geez, dude. Chill," Carl said. Carl had barely reacted at all, honestly.

"B-but they're... they look like Tirek!" Zach yelled, clearly panicked.

Brian thought the initial ambush had happened fast. He quickly redefined "fast."

Before he could blink, there was a clang of steel and Zach's sword had flown out of his hand, the butt of a spear whacked across his back, and a hoof was pinning him to the ground while Daring Do called wildly for peace.

"Woah, woah, woah! Everybody calm down! There are some serious context issues here, everybody calm!"

"HE SPEAKS THE NAME OF THE CURSED ONE!" The largest centaur, Tivaru, roared, stamping at the ground. "We shall not have such blasphemy on our soil!"

"Hooves off the boy before I light your ass on fire!" Amy yelled, leveling her stick at the centaur pinning Zach.

Daring landed, putting a hoof on Zach's arm. "Calm down, everyone, these are friends. Speaking of, you can step off, Sacarei. He just had a rough night."

"That's a he?" The centaur pinning him said in shock, with a surprisingly feminine voice herself. She stepped back, then leaned her torso down and offered Zach a hand. "Well I never. My sinciere apologies. We are trained to silence the traitor's name. For obvious reasons."

Zach wheezed in answer as he was unceremoniously drug upright and dusted off. Brian though now was a good time to be confused.

"Wait, what? Who? What obvious reasons? You're a girl? Who are you guys? Do you have any water?"

Tivaru laughed, a deep, Santa Claus laugh. "Ho ho! Ah, take them inside. Tales may be told when both parties can relax."

"Yes." Brian nodded. "Relax. I want to relax."

To be continued in Chapter 5: That's Racist

Author's Note

Things Mr. Welch Is No Longer Allowed To Do In An RPG #1753: No challenging sleeping people to a duel.

Not everyone on this little trip is right in the head. Some weren't right to begin with.

WOW THAT'S DARK.