Jaws that bite, claws that catch

Part 4

Wild ran.

His feet pounded on the pavement, his chest burning, his breath coming out in puffs. He ran through puddles, nearly tripped over a homeless man, and almost got tangled up in a leash from a couple who was taking their dog out on a leisurely midnight stroll. He didn't even pause to throw out a hurried "Sorry!" He ran and ran and ran.

Sleep weighed him down. Adrenaline pushed him to keep moving and he knew the moment he found himself in a calm moment, he was probably going to collapse. He needed to get as far as he could.

He threw a cautionary look behind him. Nobody was chasing him. Twilight's wolf form could easily catch up, but Wild was hoping the injury to his foot would slow him down.

By the time his stamina finally gave out on him, he had reached city limits. Wild gasped and clumsily reached out to a nearby wall to catch his breath. Here, the city limits were not defined by a wall or sign post. A bridge, nearly a mile long, stretched out before him. It was as wide as the great bridge in Wild's era, allowing plenty of room for travelers to come and go easily. Unlike inside the city where the majority of the residents had gone to bed, the bridge was filled with people.

Without meaning to, Wild gave a small sigh of relief. Safety in numbers. There were also a few guards keeping watch, idly directing the flow of traffic. Wild thought about approaching to inform them about the dead man, and chose against it. First reunite with the group. That was his first priority.

Taking a moment Wild unhooked his slate to shuffle through its contents.

When Wild first met his counterparts, he had plenty of supplies. Bottles upon bottles of stamina potion. Weapons of great strength. Hundreds of arrows. But he's been out of his Hyrule for so long, resupplying himself was impossible. He used up all his shields, swords and bows. There were no more tough or mighty elixirs Wild could depend on. If Wild wanted to outrun- outlast- Twilight, it would all have to be on his own two feet.

His breathing calmed now, Wild hooked his slate back on and started his trek across the bridge.

The bridge was fairly well lit with plenty of torches burning on the sides. Other travelers carried their own lanterns. Though none was enough to light up what sat underneath the bridge.

The locals called it The Great River. Not very imaginative Wild admitted, however it was fitting. The river below was like a raging beast, always churning and twisting in white rapids. It's amazing how the engineers managed to build a bridge when the rough rapids should've swept away any building materials.

Wild walked at a good, steady brisk. He wanted to sprint now that he's gained his second breath, but the guards were giving him scrutinizing looks, staring at the wrappings around his wrists, stained with blood. Wild was in no mood to deal with guards on top of Twilight. He kept going, his fingers curling and uncurling in heightened anticipation. It felt like someone was hold an ax over his head, ready to drop it at any moment.

He passed through the majority of the crowd, seeing the end of the bridge in sight.

A spear was suddenly thrusted out in front of him, forcing him to stop. Wild took a step back, gritting his teeth at the sight of two bridge guards pulling back their spears and re-positioning themselves properly in front of Wild. The first guard, a man with a scar across his cheek, looked Wild up and down, his lips curling in appreciation. Wild stiffened under the scrutiny. He did not have time for this.

"Where you're going in such a rush, cutie?" The guard asked coyly. "You got a boyfriend you're hurrying to get back to?"

On any other day Wild would've told this guy to fuck off. Such actions always resulted in a fight, and Wild had no problem teaching losers like him a lesson. However now wasn't the time to fight the patriarchy. If a brawl started, Wild would also have to take on the guard's friend. In turn that would alert to the other guards, which would then start a panic among the travelers.

Stomping down the feeling of disgust bubbling in his stomach, Wild blinked up at the guards, pitched his voice high and said, "Dear sirs, it is my mother I am rushing to. She is sick and I need to get to her swiftly."

To the guard's credit, his face softened. "I am sorry to hear that. She lives outside of the city?"

"Yes sirs. She needs my help."

"Well then..." The guard and his friend moved aside. "Please, be on your way and quickly now."

"Thank you."

Wild took all but two steps when the guard suddenly grasped him by the wrist. "One last thing... would it be impolite to ask for a little kiss on the cheek?" He turned his head to offer said cheek.

Wild resisted the urge to crack his fist across that unevenly-shaven mar. The guard held Wild's wrist loosely, yet when Wild gave it an experimental tug, the grip tightened. "Sirs, I must hurry to my mother, please."

"I'm not asking for much. I'd like to end my shift on a good note."

"Sirs-"

Wild jumped when someone clapped a hand down upon his shoulder. "Hey, sis-" Twilight said, coming into view besides him. "Did you get lost on your way to see mama?"

It felt like someone punched Wild in the gut, knocking the wind right out of him. The situation had gone from bad to worse.

The guard released his hold. "Oh, you're this girl's brother?"

"Yes sir. Did she do something wrong?"

"Not at all. She looked a little lost, is all. But now you're here and I feel confident she'll be able to find her way."

"Thank you for helping her out. You two have a good night."

The guards bowed their heads in response, turned and left.

Twilight's grip on Wild's shoulder tightened. "That hurt," he said, turning to face him. "But I do commend you, pup. You showed resourcefulness and did what was necessary to get away. I'm rather proud of you."

Wild unclipped his Sheikah Slate, shoving it against Twilight's chest, his finger hovering over stasis. "Don't try anything," he warned. "Or I will freeze you where you stand."

"I'm barely standing," he said. Pebbles of sweat dotted his forehead. Looked like Wild wasn't the only one suffering from a long night. Wild glanced down, seeing Twilight favoring his other leg. The puncture hoot in his boot blackened with blood. "Wild, it's late," Twilight said. "Let's grab a red potion and go back to the house and talk about this."

"No. We do this on my terms or none at all. We're going back to the group, I don't care if I have to freeze you every step of the way."

"Do you truly believe in your cause? After everything you've seen and experienced, you think I can be saved?"

"I don't know," Wild admitted. "But I have to try. Wouldn't you do the same for me?"

"I'd go to hell for you, kid."

Tears sprung into Wild's eyes as those words took hold in his heart. His mentor was still there, still rooting for him despite it all. Knowing he just under the surface of this killer persona made Wild wonder how much Twilight was aware of it all.

Without meaning to, Wild's conviction lagged and his grip on his Slate loosened.

From the corner of Wild's eye, he could see the guards coming back. The flirty guard held up his palm, showing off the blood that had transferred from Wild's wrist. "What is this?" He demanded. "What the hell is going on?"

"Go away!" Wild snapped at him. "This doesn't concern you!"

That was the opening Twilight needed. He reached up and ripped the Sheikah Slate out of Wild's loose grip. He didn't hook it on his own belt or hide it away in his bag. He tossed it aside, uncaring where it landed, and then bent down, hooking his arms beneath Wild's legs and back, lifting him up bridal-style.

"I told you not to test me," he said.

Before Wild could utter out a single word of confusion, Twilight threw him over the edge of the bridge.

Wild fell. Legs kicking, arms reaching out for purchase. He instinctively went for his belt, trying to activate his glider. When his fingers found nothing, his stomach dropped. He screamed. A moment later he struck the rushing water, his world turning pitch black.