“Unless,” I muttered aloud.

Walking back to the logging camp, I quickly located the spot I had entered the barrier the previous time. My attempt to hide my footsteps was mostly wasted, unfortunately, as they were clearly visible. I decided not to think too much about how much of a stupid idea it had been to even attempt stealth and focused on the task at hand.

Following my footsteps deeper, I waited until I felt the first wave of nausea, and looked down. Sure enough, my tracks stayed straight for a little longer, though it wasn't far before they began to veer off course. At that moment I was only a dozen or so feet into the nausea zone, and I could feel a mental map of the area forming.

From the points, I’ve been to I could tell that my target lay directly in front of me, which made sense. A settlement of such a size wouldn't have a secondary logging area, and the wood would likely be processed on sight or close by. Sure it wasn't a perfect assumption, but it felt like a fair one in my mind, and I decided to act on it.

Taking a step back, I located the drag marks from the felled tree and walked along it. Sure enough, it was a straight shot for nearly a mile, the woodcutter having found a perfect corridor in the trees. Whether it was artificial or natural, it hardly mattered, as it would serve my purposes well enough.

“Here goes nothing,” I whispered to myself.

Trodding the long path, I took strong confident steps until I hit the first wave of nausea. I pushed past it and continued on until it became debilitating, at that point, I carefully knelt down. Once on my hands and knees, I started to crawl forward, creating a deep furrow in the earth in the process.

I grit my metaphorical jaw, and pushed on, utilizing every last bit of willpower I had to just get to my destination. It felt like I was butting my head against a wall, but I was made of stone, so I was fairly certain it would break before I would. My sense of balance was completely gone, and the feeling was starting to dull in my legs, so I simply pulled myself forward.

After an indeterminate amount of time, I felt my arm bump into what I assumed was a tree. Correcting my course as best as possible, I crawled further towards my goal, or at least I hoped I was. More time passed, and though I was battered, and my senses all but destroyed I stubbornly refused to succumb.

After what felt like forever, the waves of nausea became so powerful, so present that I felt like someone was hitting me in the head with a club. Yet still, I did not give in, forcing whoever, or whatever I was pushing against to change tactics. As suddenly my senses started to return to me one by one, though I was still being pushed back by some kind of more physical force.

Standing back up, I lurched forward and swung my fist at the source of the barrier. For a moment I thought I was going to hit nothing but air, but then I felt resistance. By then I was able to see clearly, which allowed me to notice that there was nothing before me but empty air.

Though even then I was being pushed back as if I were fighting a particularly powerful series of waves. Not one to let up, I continued swinging and hitting some invisible barrier, until all of a sudden a crack appeared before me. It wasn't in anything, but rather was suspended in mid-air, hovering like a lightning bolt frozen in time.

“You will not keep my ponies,” I muttered.

My fists slammed repeatedly into the barrier, creating a second, then a third crack, followed by a fourth. When a fifth appeared, I heard what sounded like the sudden cry of a woman from somewhere far in the distance. The cracks soon became so numerous that I was able to see what looked like a mostly opaque dome of magic. The cracks then turned to shards, creating a ten-foot wide opening in the shield that had tried to keep me out.

I wasn't about to celebrate quite yet so I walked hastily through the hole, before stopping and looking around. The drag marks lay before me, but they soon disappeared once they met a crumbling gravel road. Ill maintained, and clearly very old, the pathway went straight for a bit before turning gently to the right.

Before continuing on, I glanced back at the barrier and noticed that it hadn't repaired itself, or at least that's what my assumption was. The thing was invisible, and though I could have checked, I chose not to lest I had to repeat that entire debacle again. Which wasn't exactly high on my to-do list as just one attempt had robbed me of considerable strength.

My energy stores weren't low per se, but they had taken quite a beating. It wasn't enough to be worrying, but I made a note to take it easy until Sunday rolled around again. I didn't want to know what happened if I ran completely out so far away from my little ponies.

Would I wake back up in the mountain? Or would I just die, again? I thought, only to shudder in some strange facsimile of a twitch. Let's not think about that.

I pushed onward, all while trying my best not to think about the potentially grim end I might meet. Focusing on my surroundings, I distracted myself by studying everything I passed starting with the trees.

They were beautiful and reminded me of a hiking trip at some point in my previous life. All I could remember was that I had gone somewhere near a lake, though that was about it. Baseless assumption or not, I chose to believe it and tried to walk as quietly as I was capable of. I had little hope of being silent, but I could at least make it seem as though a large armored person was walking the road rather than a huge stone golem.

It wasn't far before I picked up the sound of a faintly running creek somewhere to my right. After a few minutes the road forked, and the treeline broke, revealing a three-tiered town nestled against a large lake.

The right fork didn't go far before ending at what appeared to be a large ruined house which itself sat atop a cliff. Surrounded on all sides by the swiftly running creek I detected earlier, the waterway traveled under a bridge before me. It continued on, becoming a waterfall not far before widening slightly, and passing under a second bridge. Finally, it widened a second time, passed under another stone arch, and entered the lake after about a mile or so of travel.

The narrow stream of water cut the town in half, with an older and more well-cared-for section being to my right. The left had structures that were newer and likely constructed by uncaring hands as they looked far less visually appealing. Barely more then shacks with rooves, they were arranged randomly, the shanty town occupying a mostly cleared area of the forest.

The other side of the creek was notable for a few things, the first of which was a large villa that sat atop a cliff. Separated from the rest of the town by a sharp drop, and tall walls, it was made of several connected structures. Constructed in a sort of feudal japan style, with large sloping rooves, and prominent archways it also had an oddly European feel to it.

Towers of stone dotted the walls, and the interior courtyard was largely devoid of decoration or plants. I ignored it for the moment and allowed my gaze to linger over the rest of the town starting with the older district. It contained homes and structures obviously built by the first settlers to the area, as they were tall and orderly.

Built in long, orderly rows, and with wide stone boulevards, it looked like a medieval era town or small city. One complete with a large dock where a half dozen sailing ships were moored, waiting for the chance to be used. There was also what looked like a mine to the right, at the bottom of the tiers, but I ignored that for the moment.

My attention had been grabbed completely by a small island just off the coast where a large tree stood, its many branches reaching for the heavens. At first glance, it looked like some manner of willow, though I couldn't remember if I had ever seen one with rainbow leaves before. Its trunk was also the color of polished silver, and where its roots broke the ground I spotted bright gold.

Its startling beauty was countered somewhat by the fact that magical black chains bound its form to a large altar of some kind. Upon this stand sat a large fiery red stone that burned with a cruel inner light that emanated hatred. It made my metaphorical skin crawl to look at, and there was no doubt it was the cause for the tree's apparent bondage.

I pushed that out of my mind for the moment and made a note to investigate it later. For now, I needed to finish the inspection by actually studying the people that dotted the area below me. No longer focused completely on architecture, and the layout of the village, I was immediately angered, a feeling which grew stronger with each moment I looked.

Everywhere I looked I saw ponies in chains, though they weren't alone, as I saw what seemed to be griffons as well. They were joined in bondage by a single enormous chimera-like creature that sported three heads, one a lion, another a goat, and finally a snake that grew where a tail should be. I also spotted a minotaur in their number, the towering bull person physically chained to the blacksmith’s station they worked at.

The most numerous of the various slaves were ponies, but even a brief glance was enough to tell me that something was off. There were too many of them present, meaning they had captured some from elsewhere, perhaps even a few of the inquisitors. Fewest in number were the griffons, as only a single family of them could be seen interspersed amongst the town.

It was at this point that I noticed a pack of diamond dogs being led out of the distant mine by a long chain. The ex-soldiers were haggard, and clearly exhausted from their forced labor, yet their draconic tormentors drove them on regardless. This was a scene I saw play out dozens of times all over town, with the scaled raiders leading their slaves around, uncaring to their condition.

It was a disgusting, revolting, and utterly enraging sight that made my metaphorical blood boil. I wanted nothing more than to head down there and begin slaughtering them all like cattle, but I held back. That was until I noticed something odd about the slaves that worked around the manor house.

They were nearly all female, and more importantly, they were almost all pregnant.

I saw red and before I knew it I was sprinting across the first bridge, down the steps, and towards the small villa. It didn't take long for shouts to go up, alarms to be raised and the first foe to stand in my way. The dragon was fairly large for his kind and was nearly as tall as I was, but I didn't care, nor did I care about the way he was inhaling deeply.

The bath of fire I received cascaded over my stoney form to little effect, and I charged blindly through the flames. Until I was within range, and with a titanic punch, removed the dragon’s armored head from the top of his body. His brain matter turned into a fine pink mist, and my foe's body stood there as if struggling to realize that it was dead.

I didn't turn to watch it fall, and continued sprinting towards the iron wrought gate that stood between me and my ponies. Putting my shoulder down, I prepared to body check my way through it all while arrows rained down against me. The pitiful projectiles did nothing to slow me, and with a crash, I blew the gate from its hinges, sending it flying.

Slaves and draconic masters alike looked at me in terror, with the ponies fleeing while their tormentors remained. A scattered, confused defense was attempted, with the raiders struggling to find weapons before I descended upon them. I didn't give them the opportunity, however, crushing the nearest dragon underfoot with a single stomp.

His closest ally reached for the sword belted at his hip, and I reached for him, grabbing him around the midsection. Hoisting the slaver into the air, I turned and splattered him across the manor walls in a spray of bloody organs. My rage was not satiated yet, however, and I immediately pounced upon a terrified dragon as it tried to run away.

Grabbing the thing by the skull, I gripped his shoulders with the other hand before pulling as hard as I could. Skull, and spine alike were torn free of the dragon’s fleshy prison before being tossed aside. The clatter of a sword against my side alerted me to the fact that some fool had attempted to harm me.

To his credit, he didn't flee the moment I turned on him, though he froze, arm raised above his head. A limb which I gripped, and with a single tug, removed it from the rest of his body. While he was reeling in pain, I flipped the arm around and used the jagged bone sticking out as a spear, jamming it into its owner’s belly.

As he gurgled on the ground, I sought out the next target which could sate my rage and found it. A pair of more heavily armored, and armed dragons were charging forth from the main house, each one sporting scales as black as night. Unlike their comrades which were mostly red, or some variation of such, like orange, or a deep scarlet.

It was clear to me that these were the leader’s guards or elite soldiers of some kind, and that they were confident. I crushed that confidence by sprinting at them with all the speed I could muster and leap upon the first one. He had been prepared for a fight, a duel between himself and a fellow warrior, but I was not a skilled fighter, merely a berserker.

He brought a shield up to defend himself but as I was flying through the air I brought my arms up and crashed down on him. My fists pounded his shield to scrap, and my body slammed into him with enough force to shatter nearly every rib he had. I didn't wait to see if that was enough to kill him, and repeatedly brought my fists down upon his head, shattering his helmet.

Only when his face was a mass of blood, and his friend was chopping at my back did I roll off the first dragon. His ally, now thoroughly shaken by my display of brutality, was quick to get back onto the defensive. The shield he had was visibly stronger, and glowed faintly, though that didn't intimidate me one bit.

Throwing myself at him with a furious cry, I slammed my fist into the shield with all the force I could muster. It crunched but held together, and the second blow added another concave dent to the enormous wall of metal. He tried to swing at me, but the power behind my strikes had knocked him off balance and the swipes of his sword barely did anything.

I wouldn't have cared if they did, as I simply kept punching until I felt something crunch, and I heard the dragon cry out. I had pounded straight through the metal and to his arm strapped onto the inside, shattering the limb. The shield hung limply at his side, blood oozing from his mangled limb and dripping onto the ground.

He didn't have long to consider his options before I punched him hard in the chest. Like before, his defenses held for the moment, though he was knocked back, and his breastplate was dented. Over and over I threw myself at him until I could feel his bones snap, and blood erupted from his mouth. I took a step back and with a mighty snap kick, sent him flying into one of the houses, the entire front half of his body a mix of blood and broken steel.

I turned and immediately began to search out another target, but found that the remaining dragons were quick to flee the moment my gaze landed upon them. I was about to start chasing the closest one when I heard the thump of heavy footsteps behind me. Turning towards this newest foe I found that a quadrupedal dragon was exiting the keep like center structure.

With a long tail and the head the shape of a pit viper, the dragon sported several odd features. The most obvious of which was the four long fangs that emerged from the top and bottom of his mouth. These long spikes of white bent slightly at the end and had golden rings placed upon them as decoration.

That wasn't the only jewelry the male wore, as he also had many bracelets, rings, and necklaces, all of gold. The shiny precious metals contrasted greatly with his dark black scales, and dull grey underbelly. Which in turn made his bright emerald eyes, and the large stone that hung from his neck stick out all the more.

The stone was the most interesting, as it felt familiar to me for some reason, and I deduced that it was what I was searching for. That didn't matter, however, as the sight of several cowering pregnant slaves peeking out from around his bulk enraged me. Picking up the large sword dropped by the first of the elite guard I had killed, I flung the thing at the newest target. A single one of his large thin wings batted the weapon aside, however, sending it flying into a nearby wall.

“So you do have some modicum of intelligence,” cackled the dragon. “Perhaps you can explain why you are in my villa, slaughtering my men.”

“Corpses don't talk,” I spat.

Before this new foe could speak again, I charged him, fist cocked and hate burning hot in my chest. His confusion lasted just long enough for me to reach and slug him across the face. Only then it was my turn to be baffled, as I didn't feel the satisfying sound of my fist cracking his skull. The only damage I seemed to do was to knock loose a single one of his jagged fangs, the tooth landing on the ground with a dull thump.

I kept swinging regardless, uncaring as to how effective I was and merely hoping to push my initial advantage. The dragon was fast, however, his head bobbing left and right, avoiding my clumsy swings with deft ease. He then inhaled, and with a snort, shot a plume of bright green mist into my face.

Stone melted, and sizzled, as the acid bit deep into my rocky features, leaving me open to a shove. Stumbling backward, I swiped the weirdly hot liquid from my face, clearing my vision. Just in time to see that my opponent had grown twice as large as he had been a moment earlier, easily standing as tall as I was.

I knew the tides were turning, and so I pushed on, desperate to get an advantage before I was beaten. This time I swung not for his head but his body, hoping that the quadrupedal creature wouldn't be quite so quick. He wasn't, but he didn't need to be, as he blocked, or batted aside each of my strikes with the ease of an experienced boxer.

Within a few seconds, he had grown to nearly double my height, and there didn't seem to be an end to it either. It was at this point that my fear beat out my rage, and I leaped at the dragon, hands reaching towards the stone hanging from his neck. Like the rest of his jewelry, it to scaled up along with him, quickly escaping my reach and leaving me with nothing.

“Corpses may not speak,” he boomed, voice powerful enough to buffet my body. “But neither do rocks.”

A great clawed hand descended upon me. Left with no other options but to flee or fight, I raised my arms in an attempt to brace myself. It was effective, for only about a second, before my right arm shattered, the acid having eaten right through it.

There was a crack, and a moment later I was lying on my back, a gigantic claw crushing the rest of my body. I squirmed and struggled, but my efforts were in vain, the dragon was simply too large and had too much mass for me to resist. Still, I fought, even as he inhaled once more and leaned down, cheeks bulging slightly with stored acid.

Just when I thought he was going to kiss me, he exhaled and a plume of acid melted the entire top half of my body. The sensation of being burned away was incredibly unpleasant and I would have screamed had I the chance of doing so. Instead, I could merely twitch as my form was turned to a slurry of acid and now liquid rock.

Then, all was dark and I fell into a deep sleep.

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