I am suddenly regretting my decision to come to this strange, blood-soaked place when, out of nowhere, a gigantic demon bear spawns into the middle of the land. I resist the urge to squeal and flee for the hills, because it's huge, not to mention scary and crystalized and ominous...it could eat a horse like me up in one big bite.

Apparently, other Helovians are not so afraid. They all pile in to attack the bear, and I quiver at their bravery. One tries to escape, but is pursued by another; will the same happen to me if I try to run away? I swallow, hard. I wouldn't be any good if I tried to attack, and I'd only get in the way of the people who know what they're doing. But I cannot just stand here and watch - even my sometimes-questionable conscience won't let me do that. So I decide to do the only thing I am actually good at; heal. One swing of the bear's great paw and it could decapitate one of its equine assailants, and whilst I wouldn't be able to stitch the unfortunate soul's head back on, I could lend my assistance if they gained a slightly less dramatic injury.

I see young Erthë collecting crystals, and my stomach squirms. What if she gets hurt? Why in the name of all the hells did that Time God tell her to put herself in danger collecting crystals, and not one of the other, older horses? I make a move to go and guard her, but I see a big colt's red dragon circling her, protecting her - or preparing to eat her, I'm not quite sure. I think it's the former, though, because the red creature makes no attempt to attack my filly. She is not mine, but I wish she was; she is such a sweet little soul, and I am proud to be an uncle of sorts to her. I want to protect her with every fibre of my being, with every drop of heroism in my soul and blood in my body. "Erthë, be careful!" I shout to her, the concern evident in my voice. Heavens, if she gets hurt...it is best that I prepare for injuries by her or any of the other attacking horses.

I always keep some herbs stuffed in my halter, but I know I will need more for the victims of this battle. I shuffle around as fast as my stout legs will carry me, murmuring plant names in my head and scooping up the relevant herb. There is a whole new variety of foliage here, mostly red, but thankfully there's also some of the familiar plants I recognise. Soon my mouth is stuffed with them, and I can stand and watch the battle unfold, ready to scurry to the aid of the injured. Raspberry leaves to clot the blood and slow bleeding, calendula and garlic to speed up healing and prevent infection, green vein kratom for pain relief...

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Badger runs around collecting herbs to heal the injured!