He pressed on.

Despite the painted mare’s lashing hooves and the dark stallion’s eventual arrival to her aid with his teeth snapping on his skin to prevent him from driving her away, Panzer kept moving. A few of each of their blows landed upon his thick coat, already adorned with a number of scars from countless acts of violence that fell upon him. He didn’t bother engaging them. It wasn’t worth his energy. If she wasn’t easily removed, she wasn’t worth removing. And if the stallion didn’t care to continue driving him out of this god-forsaken place where hell had frozen over, then Panzer would not make an effort to leave.

His work was not yet done.

He pressed on, but the blue monster was nowhere in sight. Sure, many years had passed since he’d come spilling out of her—a tangle of blood and bones. But if there was ever a hope that could fill his empty heart, it was that she was still here somewhere, just waiting to feel the full wrath of his anger. He had spent so many nights dreaming of vengeance it was the only thing that soothed him anymore.

The smell of death that lingered here hung like a perfume. Enticing and invigorating. When a large carcass appeared on the horizon, Panzer grunted with interest as he drew closer. Its shape was vaguely equine, and for a moment he wished it wasn’t her. As much as he would have enjoyed finding her dead already, he wanted to be the one to slam the life from her eyes, so that he could watch her shrivel and turn to dust—forgotten.

However upon closer inspection, it was not her, but the corpse of an elk. Even though it was freshly dead, it seemed advanced in its degree of rot. Panzer snorted, tossing his large head with disgust. Only this place could harbor such decay so readily. Leaving it be, he continued his search—until his vision grew cloudy and his bones ached.

And even through the pain, he pressed on.


PANZER