What have I got myself into? 

I run onto the streets, thankful for my trident in hand as a pair of tieflings run past. The little dragonborn yells a name. Scar. There's a reply from one of them as they stumble, sending a blast of lightning back from some kind of spell. An arrow back from one of the guards on horseback. Etho, I reckon, from their ponytail of white hair.

'Hold positions!' Comes a command from the other mounted guard - the Crown Prince Bdubs - as the other tiefling grabs a stone from the ground, throwing it back.

And then the dragonborn makes the best and worst move they can.

'Doc! Come on! Help them!'

He runs for Scar and the other tiefling, grabbing my hand. Martyn clearly realises what he's doing, grabbing my other hand, forcing me into a run, into the fight.

Into the group.

'Doc?! You're not one of them are you?!' Etho calls.

'Sorry, Etho! He's one of us now.'

'GRIAN?! There's no bloody way I'm letting you go...'

I fall back as the soldier flanking Etho breaks into a sprint for the little dragonborn menace. Grian.

'Joel?! You-'

I have to keep running. I catch a glance of Martyn and Ren ducking into a side alley as I go. Another shot of lightning from the wizard tiefling Scar, but instead of shooting back, Etho turns his horse from the group at goes after Joel and Grian, who are both bleeding already. A horse screams behind from what must be an accurate blow from the second tiefling. And then the sound of instant revenge, a yelp from one of them.  I glance back. Scar's fallen, clearly trying to shoot another blast of magic and failing.

'JOEL GET OFF ME! I DIDN'T KILL HIM! YOU KNOW IT WAS HIS OWN FAULT!' Another look back, this time at Grian and the soldier fighting, Etho trying to pull him back...

'YOU BLOODY LIAR, GRIAN, YOU KNOW IT WAS YOUR FAULT!'

'Joel, calm down!' Etho insists, finally succeeding in pulling the guard - Joel - away.

Another yell from Scar, still lying on the ground, curled up tight but still hit by Bdubs's arrow... The other runs over to help, trying to pick them up... I'm far enough ahead to escape.

'Scar hang on... it'll be ok... you'll be ok...' I hear them mutter, terrified. 'Scar... Scar are you alright?'

'Beef, wake up... please...'

'Beef? Are you ok?'

'GRIAN HELP!' 

There's nothing he can do. I can see from here the tiefling doesn't have the strength to carry his friend... the dragonborn finally frees himself from the furious guard, running over. But he's hurt too. He won't be much help.

'Oh my goodness...'

'Scar hang on... we can get you to safety... the wagon isn't far away...' The tiefling insists. The dragonborn draws a knife, grimacing.

'It doesn't matter how far away it is if these guards surround us... we can't fight and get him safe.'

'On order of Queen Cleo and Queen Pearl you are arrested for thievery!' Bdubs declares. I watch the tiefling fall to the ground, just hugging his dying friend. 

And I do the stupidest thing I can.

I run over.

I help.

'Dragonborn, keep them distracted. Tiefling, where's your transport?' I mutter, crouching down  and easily lifting the unconscious tiefling wizard. I'm already stood up before he answers, clearly surprised. 

'This way.' He scrambles up after me, still keeping attention on his friend. 

'DOC?!'

I don't reply to Bdubs yell, starting to run. The other two are close behind, the dragonborn Grian occasionally fighting back against the oncoming forces... But we stay ahead of them. The tiefling's still alive...

'GET ON!' I skid to a stop as a wagon appears in front of us, but quickly regain wits to jump on. The other two follow and we break free of the city.

'Oh my goodness, what happened to him?!' Martyn turns, tail and ears raised with terror.

'Healing supplies. Do you have anything on hand... Where's the beds?'

'In here.' I lie Scar down on one of the beds inside, giving an immediate check over... A couple of nasty arrow wounds, but that's all.

'Ren, can you go any faster? I can't hit them long distance.' The dragonborn calls from above. 'We just need to get away.'

'Already on it... Come on Fernando!'

'What happened? How did you get into trouble?' I turn to see Martyn duck into the already-cramped back of the wagon. 'You and Scar were just supposed to be... Getting more supplies...'

'Someone recognised him. They must've seen through his disguise or... I don't know. That white haired guard recognised him and... we had to run.'

'Etho always had good perception skills.' I mutter back. We're still racing away from the city.

'Ren! There's a path soon to the right into the forest... I know a place we can go.' Calls Grian from the roof. I turn back to the tiefling. He's still staring at his friend.

'Doc.' I hold out a hand to him. A glance up. 'Though... you probably knew that.'

'Cub.' He accepts the handshake. 'You saved my best friend's life.'

'Beef... Beef no...'

'Etho... there's nothing we can do...'

'He... he's one of my best friends! He's not... he's not going to die...'

'He's already dead...'

'I didn't want to see any more best friends die.' I reply, staring down at the unconscious tiefling - the one that must be Scar, then laugh as I realise. 'Oh man, the reason we stopped going on quests before is the reason I'm stuck on one now...' 

'Ironic...' The wagon jolts as it turns corner off the main path. Scar groans, but stays unconscious.

'How's Scar doing?' 

I turn, seeing Grian there, standing in the entrance. Martyn's ducked out to talk to Ren at the front.

'He'll survive.' I reply. 'He just needs a long rest and he'll be fine.'

'Thank you.'

'I'm not letting anyone else die.'

'Seriously... I didn't want to force you to get involved but...'

'It's fine.' I don't know if I'm lying. 'You should get some rest too.'

'We can rest when we get to safety. It... shouldn't be far.'

'Where... are we going?' Cub asks. Grian gives a little smile.

'A little burnt down place we used to call Bad Boy Manor.'