Plan C lasted all of thirty seconds.

Tired as I was, I couldn't afford to waste time walking. The other three Knights were fighting for their lives, and retrieving the Pink Knight's Bequest had already taken longer than I expected. I wasn't in any condition to sprint, but I forced myself into a brisk jog. It was surprisingly awkward, with a sword in each hand, but Nynyane wasn't that far away.

I was embarrassingly out of breath when I reached her, but I'd made good time. As a bonus, I'd managed the distance without tripping and stabbing myself with a magic sword. I tried to hold the Sword of Bequest out to the Lady, and realized something was very, very wrong.

She was still on the ground. The broken rocks that used to be a wall were scattered nearby, but a few of them were actually on top of her. One particularly big chunk was laying across her legs. Her face was pale. Her eyes were open, but they were glazed, unfocused. Or rather, they were focused on trying to breathe. Her breath came in slow, shuddering wheezes.

I cursed. "Nynyane?" I'd seen some of the rocks land on her, but it hadn't seemed like that big a deal. I might have gotten to use to magic armor and bullshit healing. Or maybe I was just too wrung out to think straight. "Nynyane? Can you hear me?" Her eyes rolled up in my direction. She let out another gurgling wheeze.

I cursed again. "Just hold on. I'll get..." I trailed off as I looked over at the Knights fighting Buttchug. The God was grinning, fighting with enough skill and grace to make Bruce Lee look like a chump. In less than a second, he sidestepped a stab from William, slapped aside slashes from the other two Knights, jabbed his spear through Mike's shield and into his chest, and whirled the butt of the spear into the side of Patrick's head, knocking him the fuck out.

The Green Knight kept fighting. His shield had been discarded, and he barely managed to parry the God's magic spear long enough to slap his free hand down on the other two Knights. It was a sequence that had played out several times during the minute or so they'd been fighting.

"Fuck." No way in hell could I bring William over here. All three Knights working together were barely staying alive. "Okay." Nynyane was hurt bad. I didn't know how long she'd survive if I left her there. That left only one option. "Okay." I stabbed Clarent and the Bequest into the ground.

"This is gonna suck," I told the Lady Who Got Crushed, "but I'm gonna get you to William." I grabbed one of the rocks on her back and tossed it aside. The ribs under it looked... dented? I choked back a wave of nausea. "Just-" Fuck. "Just hold on."

Even with the Strength of Seven, the chunk laying across Nynyane's legs was too heavy to move. The Lady let out a gurgly hiss when I tried. It took me a few precious seconds to cudgel a solution out of my panicky and exhausted brain. I unsheathed Solais. My swings were clumsy, but I managed to slice the boulder into more manageable pieces without cutting into the woman.

Nynyane's legs were beyond broken. The boulder had squished them flat from midthigh to upper calf. It would have looked cartoonish if it wasn't for all the blood. My gorge rose again. This time I couldn't hold it back. I snatched my helmet off just in time to throw up, angling away from the Lady Who Was Clearly Dying.

I allowed myself the luxury of a few heavy breaths before putting my helm back on. "Fuck," I gasped at Nynyane. "Sorry." I bent down to scoop her up. Her body tensed, and she released a low gurgling moan. She didn't have the breath to scream, but she was trying for all she was worth.

She tried to help, clutching at me as I lifted. Tears and snot dribbled down her face, and blood was leaking out her mouth. "Sorry," I told her again. "Just hold on. I'll get you to William." Despite her best efforts, she was dead weight. I cradled her to me as best I could, hoping to minimize the jostling I was about to give her. "Just hold on."

If I was religious, I would have prayed. I would have called on God or Allah or anyone who might listen to keep Nynyane alive for just one more minute. Hell, maybe I should've. I'd already met one God, even if he was an asshole. Stands to reason there were others out there. I shook my head, trying to clear my babbling brain. I needed to move, and I needed a plan.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

I settled Nynyane's weight in my arms and ran. More than ran. My terror at her imminent death and the Strength of Seven propelled me across the courtyard at a speed I hadn't known I was capable of. I gave up on coming up with a plan and used my power to make big glowing letters appear behind Buttchug.

NYNYANE'S HURT! I NEED WILLIAM!

The Knights noticed. They all glanced our way for a fraction of a second. The God of Hunger took advantage. He impaled Patrick on his spear. Buttchug lifted the Blue Knight into the air with a laugh. "Let's make things more interesting, shall we?"

The Red Knight swung for the God's arm, but the Devourer kicked him away before the blow could land. Patrick started to scream. His body twisted. The Green Knight wasted a horrified second looking between the Blue Knight and the Broken Lady in my arms. With a frustrated yowl he plunged his blade into Patrick's leg.

I skidded to a stop a few feet away. Patrick's tortured cry had cut out as William's spell-breaking sword pierced his flesh, but he was still stuck on the spear. William had his free hand on his leg, and was trying to pull him off the damned thing. Buttchug was still laughing, waving his human shish kabob and keeping Patrick and the desperate Knight clinging to him off the ground.

I would have cursed again if I had the breath. William couldn't heal the Lady while he was trying to save Patrick. On the other hand, if he let go, Buttchug would turn the Blue Knight into a Wendigo. We wouldn't survive it. Maybe I could run up close and the Green Knight could just heal her real quick? No. If William let go of Patrick, the God of Hunger would just play keep away for a few seconds and finish the curse. There was no choice. I needed to put Nynyane down. I hoped she could hold on a little longer.

She was still holding on, right? She'd been quiet since I stopped running.

Dread crashed through me as I looked down. The Lady of the Lake wasn't moving. Wasn't breathing. Not even a gurgle. "Nynyane?" I could hear my voice cracking. No. No. It couldn't be. Not again. "Nynyane?" I shook my arms a little, hoping she'd stir. No response.

I should have dropped her and rushed the God. Or maybe run her over to the Green Knight, and damn the risk. I should have done something. Anything. I didn't. I stood there like an idiot, trying not to cry. It was too much. I'd lost too many people.

I barely knew Nynyane. We'd only met a few days ago. I wasn't even sure I liked her. But Nynyane had been the one constant in all this mess. She was the reason I was here. She was brave, and wise, and beautiful. And now she was dead.

I'd lost so much. Justin was dead. And Gina, though I barely knew her, either. Troll had been shot. I'd been fired, and my house had burned down. I'd been hurt and hunted and terrified for days. And now... Now I'd lost the Lady. Lost her because I'd failed. Failed her. Failed everyone.

"We don't need no water let the MOTHERFUCKER BURN!" The Red Knight's shout hit me like a punch. I started, blinking teary eyes as Mike charged back into the fight. Drynwyn blazed like a sharp sun, held high in the hand of my favorite idiot. A wave of white hot flame flashed over the Hungry God. A smaller spiral of fire wrapped itself around Mike's other fist, which he held out the same way he'd held a cross to ward off vampires.

"Idiot," the Hungry God chided. "I told you before. I am the God of Hungry-"

A staccato of explosions cut Buttchug off. No, I realized. Not explosions. Gunshots. Mike must have been holding one of the magazines from his busted assault rifle. The crazy bastard had set it off in his hand.

Buttchug staggered. His spear sagged. The Red Knight didn't let up. His roaring fire obscured the Hungry God's vision as he lopped off Buttchug's spear arm. The Blue Knight crashed to the ground, and William hurried to pull the spear out of him.

Mike went for the legs next. Buttchug must have sensed it, because he made a backwards leap, landing a good ten feet away. The God waved his remaining hand, snuffing out the Red Knight's fire. He was unburned, but riddled with holes. "You," the Devourer spat, "are very annoying."

I'm sure Mike said something pithy back, but I wasn't paying attention. "William!" I shouted. "She's not breathing!"

The Green Knight had just finished jerking the spear out of the Blue Knight's abdomen. He was over in a flash, laying his gauntleted hand on Nynyane's shoulder. I gave up on atheism for a minute and said a quick prayer that it wasn't too late. Please, God, let her live. I'd barely finished the thought when the Lady gasped. She rolled over in my arms, hacking up the blood that had pooled in her mouth. Her wounds were gone.

William ran back to the Blue Knight. He slapped a hand on him, then reached for the sword that had fallen out of Patrick's leg. Buttchug's spear lifted itself off the ground. Quick as an arrow, it slammed through the Green Knight. The spear flew back to the Hungry God, taking William with it.

"This has been a fine bit of sport," Buttchug mused. His hand expanded, covering William's entire lower body as the God pulled him off the spear. "Perhaps I was too hasty in my judgment. Perhaps you are worthy, after all. But now," His shark toothed smile grew as his head swelled bigger than the rest of his body. "It's time for dinner."

"Fuck you, you fucking-"

William didn't get to finish his last words. Buttchug's head snapped forward. His teeth crunched through armor and the man inside it. The God made a pleased noise as he chewed. Blood and viscera dribbled down his chin. He swallowed, and a Sword of Bequest appeared, falling to the ground next to the legs and buttocks that were all that remained of the Green Knight.