I'm sure it would have looked cool. An epic explosion in the background as the horse hero exited the scene.

Except my tail is still burning, and I am still running, and I cannot stop or my skill to will stop, and if the skill stops then I am fucked.

Breathe.

So, I came up with a terrible idea to deal with the problem, a solution that would make teenage self look like a genius. Having a massive surplus of mana, and a heal that won't solve the problem, I instead tried to put out fire, with literal fire.

And it worked.

The orange flame of the explosion was drowned out, replaced by the fire of hell. Blood red flames that do not harm me, and are completely under my control. Extinguished with ease once the danger and the pain had passed, faded away.

I began cackling like a mad shepherd. The sound exceedingly weird coming from a horse's limited vocabulary.

It actually. Fucking. Worked.

Just in time too as one last turn brought a towering building into view. Apartments the size of a common house, a brilliant view brought about by the low elevation of its immediate neighbors.

Castle La Umbra.

Where Flaze, lives.

Or not. She could be dead. The majority of people are probably dead.

I snorted sadly at that. I'd made my way here, and out of everyone I know, that I can actually trust, she's the one most likely to have survived thus far, instead of dying to some monster.

Even I made it out alive! There's no way she hasn't.

There were still monsters roaming about, so I made sure to not muck up the last step. My approach was certainly noticed, the gallop of a horse nowhere near subtle. There always were a whole parade following me throughout this run, except maybe when I blew up those trucks. But this time, something did feel different. I don't know if I'm only imagining thing, but among the common sight that has been the broken roads of the apocalypse, this one seemed to be less populated by monsters, at least if we're talking about living ones. Corpses, carcasses, they litter the streets, some spilling out into the roadside. There were those with blade-like wounds of varying depth, others yet seemed to have been beaten to death with a fucking club.

I ran in between them, making sure to keep a wary eye out. The living ones of course gave chase, and so too did those who are not of the living, for there were a few undead among them. Not that it was much of a problem as they were even slower.

Halfway towards the building that is my aim, I saw a single raging bull in the middle of the road. It was scraping its hooves against the asphalt, eyes trained on my form. I immediately recognized the danger. I, the likely target.

I returned his gaze, my feet still carrying me forward, my entire body barreling towards him. A large ball of hellfire was forming above my head, the largest I can make it.

[Tank - Lvl 30]

My identify connected, just before the bull charged. The wind split apart upon his singular burst of speed as I immediately dropped my fireball ahead of his path. My hooves twisted and my feet snapped as I immediately shot off into the sharpest of turns, the world shifting in but a single moment.

By the time the spell exploded and coated the ground with hellflames, I was already outside the streets and running along the side of the roads.

I gave a single glance back, the fire spreading across the many dead bodies and crashed cars dotting the area. The bull burst out from the blast zone, letting out sullen cry as he continued to barrel out of sight, large wisps of flame still clinging to his form.

Probably not enough to kill him.

Which was a damn shame.

But, I'm not gonna go chasing after that bag of EXP. Not when the bag fights back, and when I'm so close to my destination.

It didn't take long from there. I went back to the asphalt road to get away from the buildings that obscure the denizens inside. I lowered my head, as if that will help, because monsters kept flying by high above, my half-half appearance already too flashy of a fucking target.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

I slowed down, finally, my Longstrider cancelling itself as I arrived at my destination. It was one of those fancy places with a reception and security out front. Too bad it's all destroyed now, I can see from the glass doors outside, the plentiful splashes of blood.

I was about to go in, when I heard the sounds of fighting, coming from close by. Something that I should ignore, by all accounts. Getting involved would spell only trouble, perhaps even my death.

But the I heard a cry, the scream of a woman. Unbridled and unhinged. Even more of a reason to not get involved.

Except, the voice was familiar. It was of someone I knew. .

It was Flaze.

She was the one shouting, rage and fury mixed with an odd twisted joy. She cackled madly, just as I heard the loud snap of flesh.

Maybe I misheard. That couldn't have been Flaze.

"HahAHaAHaha! I will not fall! Not until I do!"

...Nope. definitely her voice. A tad deep yet still feminine, smooth, almost like a whisper even when it's loud and she's shouting. The words just doesn't seem like something she'd say, except maybe for a role. Though I doubt the apocalypse is the best place to be holding a play.

But well, I came here for her. I can't back out bow. Where would I even go?

So I turned a street, just right next to the building, the battle I was searching for immediately came into view.

It was large blob of gooey tar-like flesh, four bladed legs and a bulbous head like that of a dinosaur's.

Battling the creature was an ethereal woman in knight's armor, broken and dented in places. Her void black eyes looked similar from the part of her helmet that had been torn off.

Her body was see-through in places, and she fought the creature with wild abandon. Her blade swung fast and hard, cutting into the creature but failing to penetrate deeply. She had a shield that blocked the monster's attack, but it barely worked and she was flung away with every strike.

And still she kept on coming, slamming herself into her foe with wild abandon. She screamed and she laughed, again with that familiar voice, a ghostly whisper.

I thought for a second that I really was mistaken, the knight woman could not possibly be Flaze. But then I saw, circling around from the other side of the creature, another combatant fighting the tar-like creature.

A woman that was wearing a dirty tunic, underneath wayward pieces of leather. Like that of a poor and lonely squire, armed by a single wooden sword.

And yet her face told a different story. Medium-length black hair, regal yet common features, mismatched with the expression it carried. Unhinged, manic, happy in the terrible murderous way.

And yet I still recognized her.

It was Flaze for certain.

[Tank - Lvl 45]

[Tank - Level 22]

[Hybrid - Lvl 33]

The monster, the knight, and Flaze respectively. Their identifies alone told an exciting story. A story that they seem very willing to tell as at that very moment, all three of them turned towards me.

Right. Identify. Revealed my position, my presence,

I meant to do that.

I felt a stare, one filled with bloodlust and carnage, thick murderous intent. But it was not coming from the level 45 monster, instead it was from Flaze herself as I looked into her bloodshot eyes, the smile plastered on her face scarier than anything I've ever seen.

That of pure violence, and nothing else.

My instincts told me to dodge right that very moment, and I followed it without hesitation. I saw Flaze swing her wooden sword, and a crushing pain followed as my shoulder was ripped apart by an invisible force, the entirety of my body flung away.

[Blessed Heal]!

[Blessed Heal]!

[Blessed Heal]!

I quickly casted my heal and got back up, gurgling blood. I had to cast the heal again, and then again, to get rid of the pain. And the damage that was surely still present.

Gray. The ground was gray. A dark gray. A reddish gray. A messy gray with many shadows and other colors.

I breathed.

Calm down. I'm fine. It's fine.

Why did Flaze attack me!?

I looked back at the scene, a knight and a squire against a hideous monster. Flaze had just attacked me, and for a second I feared pursuit. But then I noticed her attention completely off on myself, now I could easily run away even without my Longstrider.

Hell, a victory is not out of the question. She's 5 levels above, and her knight ally below me. Sure that attack was fucked up strong, but it won't matter much and if it's dodged. I simply didn't think that friend would just so suddenly...

I shook my head, shaking blood off my mane.

It doesn't matter, besides, I'm just now noticing as Flaze was running circles around the monster, but blood had caked her body at every turn, her entire left arm out of commission. I'd have far less worries, should I only stick to one side of her body. Exploit the weakness.

I shook my head again, an annoyed neigh.

I can't be thinking of killing my friends.

But, she's the one who attacked me first. She's attacking erratically, so violently, and that is so unlike her. Is it some sort of mind fuck magic? A berserk state? A product of Sysemization itself?

I don't know...

I began to step back, considering that perhaps my friend had lost it. She attacked me.

Why did she do that? I'm just a sweet... little... Oh.

Only then did I realize, that she did not know. She cannot tell that it is me, Jackal. I'm a literal fucking horse, one that looks both demonic and angelic, an abomination.

Yes, it looks fucking cool. Yes, my mane bloody majestic. Yes, I look like a fucking monster. And I've killed plenty of those, on my way here.

Attacking the high level monster is a totally reasonable reaction.

I sighed, looking on at the fighting. I resolved myself to watch. And to think. Of how I may explain my current form, how to clear this misunderstanding.

Because more than anything else, I don't wish for Flaze to die. Specially not with her blood on my hands, nor that of a stupid monster's.