I'll be waiting...
My lungs, my legs, my every muscle ached, burnt and hurt like I had never experienced it before. And yet I didn't even contemplate the possibility of stopping or even slowing down in my race. Instead all I did was try to keep in mind that if I ever stopped, if my knees ever touched the ground, I 'd never be able to stand up again, at least not in time.
That was surely the reason why I kept running through the dark passages of the cave without a single doubt in my heart. It was a curious thing. Not too long ago these very same passages filled my head with dark fears and terrors undreamed of before, and now they felt all so familiar, that it was almost as if I considered them a second home, or rather a friend's.
From behind a mare yelled my name. She was way behind, panting, tired and she complained often about my hurry.
It was uncalled for at the time, but I couldn't help myself to feel very understanding, even sympathetic for her. I had dragged her along with words and promises of riches beyond her imagination to a race against time and death without knowing my motivations, my goals or my reasons for coming to what others believed was a cursed and forbidden place. But despite the guilt that consumed me, instead of offering her rest, it was better to poke her pride and greed to force her to continue.
"Don't fall behind, don't stop or even slow down!
We're almost there! Mountains of gold and gems await you, a treasure only worthy of being taken by the infamous Wild Rose."
I heard her hoofsteps come closer. Like before praise was to her like oil to the fire. I needed her like that. I needed somepony's strength to support mine, to show me what being strong looks like so I can imitate it.
Wild Rose ran at my side. She was pale and and her brown mane was soaked in sweat. But despite being in such deplorable state, her only eye showed an almost hellish resolve and her scars seemed to turn reddish, as if the flames inside of her were about to burst through her skin.
"You are pretty tough...for a preacher.
What would it be of my reputation...if I were to be bested by one such as you..."
The wounded mare smiled me with an overflowing, wild and dangerous confidence few of the best and healthiest of us had or, at least, displayed.
Unfortunately I couldn't smile back. I felt like doing so would cost me my remaining strength. All I could manage to do, without risking to faint, was thinking about running faster.
The wind blowing through the giant underground tunnel carried then a familiar voice to my ears. It was the voice of one I believed a friend, a mentor, but who believed me an enemy in an unexpected twist of destiny, the cardinal's.
"Look!!! There it stands, the evil sealed in here!"
It was already too late.
The echo repeated the Cardinal's words of encouragement to the soldiers, throwing them into battle.
It was obvious to me then that I had failed again, twice to the same friend.
I couldn't prevent it from happening, nor could I warn him about the one he was about to face. But still I couldn't bring myself to walk, despite the complains of my partner and my body, to a friend in need.