"Oh gods, how much farther?", Ted wheezed  out of breath and exhausted. 

[[Ted] has gained status effect: Exhaustion 1]

"As far as we can get. There should be an outpost ahead." Phil answered, heaving air into his lungs. He carried an unconscious, pale and sweating Karen on his back. And, one of their backpacks on his front.

They had quickly packed their things and fled out of town quickly. They stuck to the side streets and kept their hoods up as they walked along the road. 

The guards hadn't been alerted and didn't ask them any questions as the group left the city.  The guards were usually tasked with keeping folks out of the city. Not to keep them inside. 

So, they had managed to escape relatively easily. They walked as quickly as they could down the main road. But, as the sun set, smoke appeared in the city behind them. 

The three travelers opted to travel parallel to the road and through the darkening forest. It would be slower going, but, perhaps they'd be able to avoid being seen by any interested parties.

"It should be relatively safe. But, we'll want to sleep away from the road. Just in case anyone comes looking for us.", Phil continued.

Ted struggled and adjusted the other two packs that they had with them.

"Yeah." He gasped like a fish. "Um, you know... I've been holding my tongue this entire time-"

Phil rolled his eyes. "You've complained this entire time."

"I focused on breathing and keeping up with you-"

"I slowed down for you."

"Impending smiting from the church, shut me up. But, I'm still confused-"

"No surprise." 

"How, in the gods' names, are we supposed to find Zephyra after all this, huh?"

Phil shifted uncomfortably. The question hung on the cool night air, punctuated only by their desperate gasps for breath.

"I'm sure, she has something to find us", Phil finally answered quietly.

Ted stared at Phil for a moment. A bit confused. Zephyra didn't have any way to track them down. 

They didn't leave a note. They didn't tell her anything. They just… left. 

They abandoned her.

"-Shit." Ted mumbled. He set down both of his packs on the rooted and gnarled ground.

"What?" Phil asked, not quite catching what Ted had muttered.

Ted glanced over at Phil. His eyes widened at a sudden realization. They weren't meant to find Zephyra again.

"Shit. Shit!"

"What? Calm down, Ted." Phil blinked at him owlishly. It was a bit strange for Ted to have a meltdown now.

"Its all bullshit, man. I'm just mad that it took me this long to realize it."

"What are you talking about, crazy bard?"

Ted raised a finger and pointed it at Phil.

"You. It's you. You've been trying to get away from Zephyra ever since you found out about her.

Hell. You- you wanted to run her through the moment she mentioned it. Your hand went straight to your sword. But, you couldn't. Something, something stopped you. 

Then, when that didn't work, you ran off and went crying to the temple. But that didn't work either. You've been trying to stab her in the back all this time!

I'm not stupid, you idiot!", He frustratedly yelled and angrily kicked one of the packs.

Phil straightened out and towered above Ted. 

"It's not like that", He glowered. And let out a long sigh. "Look, it's been a long day. Let's get there. Get some sleep. We'll talk about it later."

Ted stared at the ground. He curled his hands into a fist. He took in a deep breath. 

"No."

Phil clenched his teeth. "No?"

"Not gonna happen.

Zephyra saved our lives. She, she saved Karen's life and-"

"Yeah, does she look safe to you?", Phil gestured to the unconscious girl on his back. He gently placed her down against a large tree and turned to face Ted once more.

"Damn it, Phil! She would be dead in the dungeon, if it wasn't for Zephyra. My mistake would've killed her. I would've killed her.

And, I would've been dead the minute that we stepped into that place. We owe her."

"We wouldn't have even been in that dungeon if it weren't for her! I wanted us to train, so that your scrawny dumbass wouldn't get us all killed! 

You always do this Ted! You always derail the plan, make things worse, and you know what? I'm sick of it. You nearly got us all killed." 

"You just… you just can't stand being wrong? Can you, Phillip? 

Butl, guess what?

It's your fault that the church is coming down on us like the wrath of the gods. Not Karen's. Not mine. Hell, it's not even Zephyra's fault because she's a necromancer. It's YOURS. 

You sold us all out. Heh, some Paladin you'd-"

Phil fist moved quickly and without mercy. 

CRACK. 

[CRITICAL HIT!]

[[Phil] has dealt 5 damage to [Ted].]

Ted staggered back holding his nose. 

Blood dripped from his hand. 

"You… you hit me-", Ted stared at the blood in disbelief. "You've never hit me. You swore you'd never…"

"Ted, I…" Phil stuttered. 

"You sanctimonious, pompous, self righteous, pain in the ass, bastard heretic!" Ted shouted and ran at  Phil. He punched Phil as hard as he could. It was like punching a mountain. 

[[Ted] has dealt 0 damage to [Phil]]

Phil didn't move. He didn't budge. Not an inch. 

[[Ted] has been dealt 1 damage]

"Son of a bitch!", Ted shook out his hand. His punch had hurt him more than it hurt Phil. He stepped back and kicked at Phil's shin. 

Phil winced and snapped back to reality. 

[[Ted] has dealt 1 damage to [Phil]]

"Stop it, ya little prick. I'm trying to protect you", he threw another quick punch at the flailing bard. 

It caught Ted in his diaphragm. He coughed. The air knocked out of him. And, he fell to his knees. He glared up at the giant of a man. Blood continued to drip from his nose.

[[Phil] has dealt 3 damage to [Ted]]

"Yeah. Does this look like how you protect a friend?" 

"Ted, I…"

Ted struggled and crawled over to Karen. He took a blanket and spread it over the both of them. And, leaned back against the tree as he winced.

[[Ted] has gained status effect: Exhaustion 2]

"Save it. And, stay away from me. We're not going any further tonight." He closed his eyes and grit his teeth against the pain.

He listened to the wild chirping of the night life around him. Karen shifted and rested against him. A few quiet and incoherent mutterings escaped her lips, as he thought. 

"You know, Phil." He spoke and broke their silence. "At least with my Dad, I knew I couldn't trust the bastard."

They didn't say much else that night. There was nothing else to say. They both knew that they had crossed the line. They both knew that they had hurt each other. 

But, as much, as they wished things could be different, they were stuck with their decisions. What happened, had happened. And, they have to live with it. 

They had to survive. They had to live. They had to help Karen. 

Even if they would never trust each other the same way ever again.