They are lying under an overpass, breathless in the shade,one is green, the other a dark brown, earth ponies at a glance. And they’re skinny, I can see their ribs protruding from under their fur even at this distance. I wonder where they came from, they haven’t got any gear, weapons or saddlebags on them, just two, half dead ponies in the sand.

I keep approaching.

The sand has long blown over and covered much of the road, making it difficult to see, and the sand masks ones hoofsteps.

Probably why they haven’t noticed me yet.

I stop about two steps away from the green one, female I now see, red marks around her hooves from bindings, rope I would guess tell me all I need to know.

Runaway slaves.

I’m looking down at her for about a moment when she groggily opens her eyes and spots me, eyes widen as she makes a choking gasp as if she hasn’t used her voice or drunk water in days, and she begins to crawl backwards away from me. This draws the attention of the other one, male and he stumbles to his hooves, positioning himself in between the female and myself.

“Don’t come closer” he rasps. Head down, wide stance, shoulders braced.

I don’t say anything, I don’t move as I watch him through the goggles. Nothing happens except for the mare backing away into the retaining wall.

Moments pass, the wind kicks up slightly, sending sand past us and under the overpass.

Nothing happens.

“What do you want?” he asks after several moments. The stiffness in his stance easing slightly.

.....

“Nothing” I say finally, and I turn away, walking to the other side of the overpass.

I nearly reach the edge of the shade when the mare speaks again.

“Who are you?”

I pause, shift my shoulders and send one of my saddlebags to drop into the sand.

“Just a traveller” I say before stepping out into the sun.

“You dropped your bag” the male says, caution in his voice, his implication clear.

“Keep it” I respond as i continue to walk away from them.

I have a good view of the town from where I stand, the small hill of sand, barely even a dune sits about 50 meters away from the town and its crest is level with the walls, A sign over the gate reads ‘Vacancy’ the town being built around a small highway motel and fuel station, the body of a unicorn is nailed next to the gate, making it clear who owns the town. Raiders.

“You going to stand there all fucking day or are you going to move?” a voice says from behind me. Turning around I come face to face with a dark grey unicorn dressed in as many spikes as one could fit on his armour.

“I hadn’t thought about it”

“You clearly don’t do much thinking do ya?’ he sneers “Standing out this close is a good way to get shot or nabbed”

Glancing down I can see the barrel of a sawn off shotgun pointed at me. Behind him is a second raider, this one an earth pony, some sort of varmint rifle, semi automatic, no armour, a rope tied to his belt connects to the neck of a young looking earth pony.

“That’s going to end badly” I reply after a moment. My rifle is still on my back, unobtainable, hooves it seams.

“Don’t fuck with me” he says and he jabs the shotgun closer towards me threateningly with his magic, unicorns aren’t strong, and his stance narrow. Darting forward inside his guard, my shoulder collides with his, knocking him off balance, his grip on the shotgun fails sending the shotgun spinning into the sand, as the earth pony turns his gun towards us, I wrap my hoof around the unicorn’s neck and use his lack of balance to put him in between me and the earth pony, a meat shield.

The earth pony is slow to realise, and lets off 2 rushed shots, one striking the unicorn, one striking my shoulder, pain lances through my torso as I give the unicorn a shove towards the earth pony and dive towards the shotgun, the collision give me enough time to grab the shotgun and blast both of them, one barrel each.

Blood soaks the sand as the fall, and the mare tied to the raider begins to panic and has dropped to the sand.

A moment passes and I realise that I should also get behind the crest, as a bullet whizzes past me from the town.

Dropping behind the hill next to the mare, I peak over at the town, A single raider In a tower is taking potshots. His aim isn’t very good as a shot hits the sand just under a metre to my left.

“Oh goddesses” the mare murmurs, I ignore her.

Plenty of time.

Unslinging my rifle from my back and resting it upon the hills crest, I peer down the sights.

No sense in rushing.

The sand continues to kick up from impacts, he’s getting closer.

A single bullet leaves the barrel and strikes him in the torso, and he falls into the tower and out of sight, the mare has gotten a knife off the unicorn and is cutting the rope now.

Makes things easier for me.

I cycle the bolt as the gate opens and raiders start to exit weapons drawn. I guess this is what i’m doing today.

Down 23 bullets, gained a shotgun, 9 shells, a grenade, a new set of boots and 2 bullet wounds. As well as the unwanted gratitude of slaves.

As good of a day as one can expect.

The raiders had two slaves with them in addition to the mare tied to the earth pony, they said they would take care of her, and asked if I would stay.

I’m not, they’re disappointed.

After pulling two bullets out and sewing my wounds closed I make my way out and down the road. The wound causes me to limp and my gait is slow, it itches horribly for hours, I think there’s sand in one of the wounds. And its getting late now.

.....

At least I’m alone.

The town is a proper town, walls, tavern, shop, sheriff, water, crops and guards. The gate guard sits on a bench just outside the town a unicorn in security barding, a battle saddle on his back carrying two short rifles.

His helmet is drawn over his eyes, he’s not paying attention. I stop in front of him and he looks up at me, squinting in the sunlight.

“Oh,” he says " name and reason for visiting?”

“Traveller, and.... Uh travelling through I guess” I respond.

He glances towards my badly sewn up wounded shoulder, one of the holes is leaking slightly, guess I opened it.

“and medical” I add.

“Alright go on through, doctors third house on the left, taverns in the middle of town” he says and gets up to unlatch the gate that is for some reason latched on the outside of town.

“You should probably have that on the other side I say”

“What?” he asks, giving me a confused look.

“Nothing”

“Mmhm, welcome to Ashshore” he murmurs as he closes the gate behind me.

Strange name.

Limping my way down the dirt path leading down the centre of town I quickly spot the doctor’s house mentioned, the large sign saying “DOC” gives it away.

The door is locked, knocking on the door I can hear shuffling and after a moment the door cracks open, a pale blue, white maned unicorn peeks out from behind it, small glasses perched on the end of his muzzle.

“Can I help yo- ah I see, come on in” he says as his eyes drift downward and spot my bleeding wound. And he opens the door letting me in. The room is small, a single chair and a gurney sit side by side, a closed door off to the left.

“Take a seat and let’s see the damage”

“Two bullet wounds, already got the bullets out” I respond as I sit.

“Fortunate that you are alive” he says as he starts to inspect the wound, after a few moments he says ,

“Seems to be a simple stitch job, I don’t have any pain killers however, so this is going to hurt” and he begins to thread a needle with the precision that only a unicorn can perform.

It did hurt, not as much as when I did it.

50 caps later I left the doctor’s office, no pain killers, but a lollipop, strange stallion. I make my way to the centre of town, the tavern is a large rusty red building, on its wall painted are the words ‘Scarlet End’

Ominous.

Inside are a few ponies, in booths, a wooden bar sits in the centre of the room, a earth pony stands behind the bar and a handy robot flits around the tavern carrying bottles.

A sign sits placed on the counter that reads, ‘pay up front, rooms 20 caps, company 100. As I sit at the bar the bartender says,

“Now what method of poison do you wish for?”

“Pain numbing” I respond “And a room”

“Spirits it is, and That’s 25 caps” he says, and begins to pour a glass of an amber coloured liquid, rum I discover, 5 caps a drink, wasteful.

I’m about halfway through my painkillers when a soft voice sounds out from behind me.

“You look like you’ve been through the wringer honey”

Turning I see a small white coated mare, a pale, powder blue long mane framing her face, an earth pony, her eyes are yellow, and she has a pretty looking face.

“One could say that” I say after a few moments.

“You look tense, you look like you could use a good rest and a massage” she continues, stepping closer. I glance to the sign.

“It would be nice”

“I could give you one, and a nice bath”

I was about to decline, I don’t like company, when a voice in the back of my head mentioned that ‘it would be nice to have company for once’, and that ‘we have slept alone for a long time’

It could be nice I guess, and I am sore.

“Please” is all I say.

“This way cutie, and you can call me Platnium” she says as she tugs at my hoof leading me away from the bar.

The smell and texture is strange to my sleep addled brain and it confuses me before I realise that I’m curled up with Platinum from last night, muzzle pressed into her soft blue mane, and I feel relaxed for the first time in a long time, and rid of sand.

I really don’t want to leave.

She senses that I’m awake as she shifts to look at me.

“Hey, how are you feeling” ash asks in that soft voice that i’m getting attached to.

…….

“Content” I say after a moment. She smiles.

“Don’t worry, you don’t have to go anywhere”

“Mm” I murmur and press my face into her mane. Goddesses I missed company.

I’m relaxed and happy, almost convinced to stay another day, something I never do. Then I hear that unmistakable sound, muffled by the walls but distinct.

Gunshots.

We both sit up with a start and a voice sounds out.

“Hey Traveller, we know you’re in there, get out here, and we won’t torch the town.”

Platinum looks towards me.

“Who do you think they’re after” she asks as I start to get up.

“Stay” Is all I say.

I pause only to grab the double barrel and the bullet loops filled with shells as i make my way out.

No rest for the damned.

In the centre of town facing the tavern is seven ponies lined in a row, guns pointed to the tavern, barding that same spiked cobbled together look that has become iconic of raiders. And yet the guards all watching, no guns out, no concern, as if it was business as usual.

“So you’re the one?”

“Depends”

“Don’t fuck around with me, You’re the one who shot up Vacancy ain’tcha?”

“As I recall” I reply in a flat tone.

“What the fucks that mean”

……..

“Yes”

“Right, good”

The raider turns to the watching crowd, and begins to shout,

“You see, this is why you fuckers pay us bribe money, because if you fuck with us, we find you and we fucking kill your stupid ass, you’re sheep and we’re wolves and don’t you fuckin forget it.”

I hate monologues.

I barely get a single shotgun blast off, before the raiders undo all the hard work the doctor did, and all the softness and relaxation given to me from Platinum, pain that I’ve felt before floods me as 6 of the raiders shoot at me.

These ones can aim.
I miss company.

It’s a strange feeling, a pony that you spent the night with and being buried not two hours later. And Traveller was so sweet, soft and nice, that it seemed a crime for their life to be ended, but here we are.

The raiders left shortly after, not lingering and leaving the Travellers dead body in the street.

I haven’t felt good all day.

Leaving town, I walk towards the graveyard that we have just outside the town, I don’t know why I’m visiting again the next day, I like to think that I make a connection to everyone I’m with.

………….

………….

………….

The grave is empty. It looks like a fresh dug grave, I think it’s the wrong one, the wooden headstone reads “Traveller”

I don’t understand, I look around and I can see Hoofprints leading away from the grave, and away from the town.

The Traveller is gone.

Author's Note

Endurance: 10