It was a slow trudge back, but it was the best we could manage. The bow was now my cane, so I could keep as much weight off my left side as possible. Even then, with the pain in my ribs, I had to stop a lot. By the time we got near the bluff, it was starting to get dark, but thankfully, Val had seen us... I mean, we weren't exactly hard to spot. Two giant dogbear people, me, and 14 feet of cat being pulled by a sledge. She came running down the switchback, which, while not advisable, still felt nice that she was that worried. She caught up with us, and her questions were immediate, "Are you alright?"

I laughed, then hissed at the pain from laughing, "Nope. Dislocated my shoulder, bruised my ribs, got a cut over my eye. Pretty much everything hurts. This is Rognar, and Greltha, the Rothani. How you been?"

I got slapped in my good arm, laughed and hissed again, as Val laid into me, "What the hell were you thinking? Were you thinking?! You went up against that... thing alone?! You almost died!"

She kept alternating between berating me, and hugging and fussing over me. It was nice, but I didn't have much left in me, "We need to get up the bluff. Help the Rothani with the sledge. I would, but I can't. You should've seen the fight, though. It was kinda awesome."

Val screamed the next bit, "I *DID* see the fight! The entire galaxy saw it. They even had someone calling the fight. It got broadcast the entire time! What asshole charges a one ton lion?!"

I smiled, holding back the laugh, "This asshole. I promise you can yell at me more, but I really need to sit, and get these wounds cleaned out and dressed."

She clearly had more to say, and I grant, she was on firm ground to be pretty pissed at me. I was the hunting and fishing arm of our team, and I'd just put myself out of the running. At a couple of points, less than an inch either way and I'd just be dead. I was all she had, just as she was all I had. What I did was reckless, and by the rules of the game, counter-productive. I just doubled the number of mouths to feed. Add to that, that I never for a moment even considered asking her thoughts or feelings on any of this, and well, yeah, the hugs were more than I deserved. She does smell good, though. God, I'm loopy.

We moved out, and got back to camp. While I couldn't exactly help much and was brought up the rear of the group, I directed Rognar to get at least a tarp shelter up for the moment, then went to find my rock up near the bluff's edge, "RAVAZH'TIK! We need to talk!"

The screen opened up almost immediately, "Of course, Survivor Keith! And what a thrilling display you gave for our adoring audience! Everyone was 'on the edge of their seats' as you humans put it. A more courageous display I've never seen, and now, we have our first little alliance. But my, my, my, it seems you have not even checked the last several rewards you've been given."

I rose up off my seat, and stood to full height, despite the pain. Every species was watching this if the Host was on-screen and talking like this. Including the fight, I would never get as good a chance as now, "To all species watching this, and especially to those whose people are or have been in this game: The Rothani are our tribe now, by my decision. They are with the people of Earth as friends and equals! I will fight no other competitors! I will find your people, and I will protect them all! If you want to help us, send boons to us that we can display, that will show them we are friends, not enemies! Find a way to direct them here. We will shelter them, but make sure they bring what supplies they can carry.

"I am sorry to the Talesh, to the Miggreen, and the Aqualians: I should have done this sooner, and it cost you. We will beat this game, and when we do, know this: I am coming for you, Ravazh'Tik. To quote a great man, 'if we can't save the Earth, we'll damn sure avenge it'."

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I hit the Privacy Mode before a stunned Ravazh'Tik could respond, and turned to see Val. She was standing there, mouth agape. I'd just straight up threatened the guy running the game, but, it seemed they were not looking to strike me down for it immediately, "Avenge it? Where's that from?"

I was incredulous, "The Avengers! Come on!"

I shook my head, and an air of tension descended on the scene. I inhaled, then looked her in the eyes, "I'm sorry. I know I should've talked to you, and made sure you were on board, but there just wasn't time. I only barely got there in time myself, and only because I had the bow. I just... I couldn't keep watchin' 'em all fall... I'm a medic, I'm an EMT, and the closest thing to a doctor on this planet, as far as I know.

"And I know, I took an insane risk, I could've died. I nearly died multiple times, and when I passed out, I could've been eliminated. That would've left you alone here, but I... I just couldn't."

Val was still pissed, but she was listening, "And now what? We have two more mouths to feed. You can't hunt, you can barely walk properly, and if that head wound gets infected, you're eliminated. Was it really worth the price you may have made humanity pay? You just threatened an entire intergalactic empire!"

"Hon, we are the species of Fuck Around and Find Out. It doesn't matter whether we win the games or not, humans aren't going down like that. We are the most stubborn, obstinate people I can think of. They made the biggest mistake starting this shit with us, cause up til they showed up, we had no common enemy, but that's gone: We all, every man, woman, and child of Earth, have the same enemy for the first time in our entire history, and they have no idea what they're in for. It's inconceivable that they get to just take the Earth, or keep it if they do."

She shook her head, "I know that's a reference, but from what I have no idea."

It was so frustrating, "When we get out of this, we are doing some serious Netflix time. It is ridiculous how much you've missed. But for now, I need some of the moonshine, to clean me and Greltha's wounds."

"Um, actually, you don't. We got several packages while you were out, and... you should see this."

I came back to camp center, and dark as it might be, I saw the reflective tape of something I was intimately familiar with: My EMT bag. I'd had it on me when I got transported. It might not have everything we could possibly need, but it was close enough for humans. I disengaged the Privacy Mode as soon as I made sure Val and I were good for the moment, and directed her through the process for getting me settled. It hurts, but that's what painkillers are for. I got my jacket back, now in a proper sling, and my should and ribs were properly banadged up. I did have to take down the top half of the suit, but I'd be doing a lot better now. The polutice was removed, and a butterfly was used to close up the wound, then a band-aid put over that, with some neosporin to help keep infection away, and then we moved on to Greltha. I looked to Rognar, "I need to remove some of her fur around the wound to inspect it. Is that alright?"

Rognar took a moment, "Yes, you may proceed. We both trust you. We owe our lives to you."

Nodding, I cut away the now matted fur, and shaved off what I needed, "Damn. This isn't going to properly close on its own. Hold still, I'm going to need to staple this shut. Rognar, Can I get you to keep her arm in place?"

Normally, I would've given her a local anesthetic, but since I didn't know if that would harm her more, I stayed off of it, "Greltha, I can't give you anything for the pain, so this gonna hurt, but I have to do it to save your arm. Is that okay?"

She nodded, and Val offered a piece of rolled up jackalope hide around a short stick to bite down on. First, I had to clean the wound, first with water to clean off the blood, then alcohol to remove potential infection. She bit down as it hit her skin and wound, growling in pain. Next, I brought out the staple gun. Proper suturing would be better, but I didn't have the light for it, or both hands to work with, so it would have to suffice for now. I applied the staples, and then wrapped the arm in sterile gauze. I looked at Greltha, "You'll need to check this and come to me to change out bandages until it's healed. The staples'll come out on their own, but try not to overstress it, or the staples can come out.

"Now, Val, I'm still gonna need that moonshine, cause I've had a hell of a day, and I don't know about y'all, but I could use a stiff drink."