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“Get down—!”
Crrraaccck!
Legend gasped, shocked by the cold rainwater which soaked the front of his tunic. The grass was slick, the fall splashing mud up onto his face. Above him, the sky was dark and through the rain, Legend could smell something like wood smoke.
“Ledge,” Twilight hissed, “you okay?”
Legend’s eyes darted towards the rancher. Twilight was over him, one hand still gripping the back of the veteran’s top. The wolf’s eyes were sharp, flicking across the trees on high alert.
“Yeah,” Legend got out. “What was that?”
Twilight shook his head. “No clue but—”
The rancher swore, throwing himself down on his belly. Some hot beam cut through the rain, a flash of brilliant light firing where Twilight’s head had been. Legend watched the light hit a boulder, a crack splitting the massive rock from top to bottom. Left where the beam hit, there was a smoking dent of red slag which sizzled and faded in the cold rain.
“What in Nayru’s wisdom…?” Legend mumbled, his eyes wide.
“Don’t smell any monsters,” Twilight muttered, more to himself as he thought aloud. “‘N those beeps—there’s a timin’ to it…”
“Timing?” Legend asked. “You think we can outrun whatever it is?”
Twilight frowned. “I’m not sure,” he admitted, “but we can’t stay here—”
Twilight barked out a cry of surprise, suddenly throwing Legend forward. The rancher was right behind him, slipping over the wet grass. A spray of mud erupted from the ground, burned blades of grass fluttering upwards before the rain brought them back down in short order. The ground smoldered where the latest beam struck, the burned grass smoking beneath the storm.
“Twi!” Legend cried. “Are you—”
“Fine!” Twilight snapped. It had been a little too close for his comfort.
“Is it chasing us ?”
“I think it c’n see us—”
“There!” Legend shouted, pointing behind them.
Faintly, through the haze and rain, Legend could make out a red beam. A laser of some sort, he assumed, and those strange projectiles followed its trajectory.
“Hurry!” the veteran yelled, grabbing Twilight.
The two heroes fumbled to their feet, sliding over the mud beneath them. Legend watched the laser sweep right towards them. His eyes widening, the veteran shoved Twilight behind a tree, ducking as he rolled for cover himself.
Another beam cut the air right where they’d been, separating the two of them as it met and felled another tree. Legend flinched as the tree fell with a groan, crashing to the ground with a loud splash. The bark burned before the rain put out the fire and washed away a thin trail of black smoke.
Legend pressed his back to the tree he hid behind, darting his eyes towards Twilight. The rancher crouched beneath a clump of bushes, his eyes fixed on Legend. The two nodded at each other, reassured that the other was okay.
Legend tried to calm himself with a long breath. “We can’t outrun it, but if we hide long enough…”
Twilight’s face paled. “No way—what is that? ”
Legend dared to follow Twilight’s stare. Emerging from the mist was some hulking mound—a heavy machine crawling through the marshes on metal claws. Each step sent a spray of mud and water from the ground, each movement of its odd joints creaking in the cold weather. A glassy stone caught the light, a red shimmer piercing through the fog. Its head turned all the way around, clearly searching for the heroes.
“Oh we’re so dead,” Legend hissed.
Twilight shook his head. “Not if I c’n help it. You got that ice rod on ya?”
Legend nodded. “Always.”
“Freeze that thing’s legs if ya can—try ‘n buy us some time.”
“Its head can spin , rancher—”
“I’m gone fall back,” Twilight continued in a firm growl. “Wait ‘til you gotta blin’ spot, ‘n then make a run fer it. Get the rest, come back. Reckon it ain’t gone chase a wolf.”
Legend glared at the rancher. “You don’t know that! That could be suicide, Twi—”
The two were interrupted as the machine picked up a rock the size of Twilight’s head, hurling it into the trees. There was no more time for discussion. Legend drew out his ice rod, wringing it in his hands nervously.
Twilight licked his lips, finally jumping out from the bushes. “Hey!” the rancher called.
The guardian locked onto the rancher immediately. Twilight balled his fists, counting the beeps— slow, slow, faster, faster, faster! The rancher ducked into a roll, fleeing into the trees.
Legend clutched his rod to his chest, wincing as the laser struck the ground much too close for his liking. He opened his eyes, catching Twilight skirting around an apple tree. The guardian’s head followed, the monster scuttling as it lined up another shot.
Legend waited until the eye was facing the other direction. He leaned from the tree, charged the rod, and shing! A block of ice choked the monster’s head. Legend’s eyes widened, the boy edging backwards as the monster scrambled from side-to-side, claws bashing at the ice around its head.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Legend forced himself to turn around, to leave Twilight, to run! His boots splashed through the grass, his arms pumping as hard as they could to propel himself forward. He dared to charge a touch of magic into his boots, just enough to keep them from being sucked down into the foamy wetlands.
The hair on the back of Legend’s neck rose—he knew there was danger right at his back. Chips of ice showered him in a frozen powder, the guardian free of its flimsy prison. It locked right onto Legend, its laser focused directly between his shoulder blades. Beep, beep, beep, beep—
Legend yelled in surprise and pain as he was thrown aside. He expected a burn, but instead, there was an ache.
The veteran landed harshly, rolling shoulder over hip until he slid to a stop in the mud. The marshy ooze coated him, rinsed from his skin in clumps as the rain came down harder. Legend sat up with a pained groan, his hands clamping around his thigh. There were marks in his leg—curved, tidy marks.
Legend gasped, his eyes sweeping the woods. He looked up just in time to watch Twilight shed shadows, the man clutching his hip in pain. Red blood spilled between Twilight’s fingers, pouring from the deep gash carved into his flesh.
“Twi!” Legend screamed. “Twilight!”
“I’m fine!” Twilight managed to yell back, though it was through his teeth. “Run already!”
Legend shook his head wildly. More beeping—the veteran threw himself to his belly, narrowly dodging another shot. He gasped, thrusting himself to his feet. Swiveling, he took his ice rod in hand, facing down the menacing machine.
The guardian’s feet crawled to a stop, the machine’s beady eye-like gem fixing on the veteran.
“Come get it!” Legend screeched, freezing its head with another wave of his rod.
The machine whirred, seemingly angry with Legend’s interference. The veteran propelled himself to Twilight’s side.
Twilight clutched the wound, putting as much pressure on it as he could. His face was gray with pain, his breathing unsteady as he tried to tread panic. Even without the rain thinning the blood and spreading it over Twilight’s hands and clothes, Legend knew it was too much blood.
“Lemme help,” Legend breathed, digging into his pouch.
Twilight shook his head. “You gotta run,” he hissed.
Legend tugged out a potion. “No—I’m not leaving you, rancher.” The veteran used his teeth to pry the cork from the bottle. “Hurry up—drink it!”
Twilight sluggishly held out his hand, bloody fingers grasping the bottle. The rancher sipped the medicine down, grimacing over the burn in his throat as he did. Some sigh of relief left him as the wound mended halfway, as the blood slowed and his pain ebbed. Still, he was in no condition to move.
Legend let out a barrage of curses, unable to think of a way forward through his panic. Constantly grating on what shards of thoughts he could manage was the hideous whirring of the machine as it lilted one way and the other, driving its claws into the frozen block around its head. Thunk! Thunk! Thunk! Each one could be the last, the final beat before the shatter.
And over the hiss of rain and rumble of nearing thunder and that constant thrashing of the monster, Twilight’s blood stained the air with a sharp odor. The potion could only do so much, and Legend realize, it couldn’t do enough. The wound was too fragile—it would open as soon as Twilight walked, and even if Twilight could move, he would never be able to escape the—
Legend cringed at the sound of ice shattering. He dared to look over his shoulder, tears pricking the corners of his eyes as fear choked his throat. He snatched his fire rod again, unable to still shaking hands, but the laser was already narrowing its sights.
“Vet!” Twilight roared, grabbing the boy by his arm.
Roughly, the rancher threw Legend aside. Legend watched, horrified, as time seemed to slow. The blue bolt burst from the machine’s gem, the laser guiding it right towards the rancher’s neck rather than Legend’s chest. A horrible scream of grief and terror left the veteran, but he could only watch as Twilight braced for the end of his life. The rancher bowed his head, screwed his eyes shut, and choked out a frail prayer through his teeth as he clutched mud and grass in his tight fists.
Legend hit the ground with a grunt and splash, sliding through the mud again. He jerked his head up with a gasp, his breath clouding in the cold as mud soaked him to the bone. There was a flash—brilliant, like an explosion of daylight.
Wild carved his shield through the air, blocking the guardian’s beam. He threw it aside, the stray shot felling another tree instead.
“Wild!” Legend cried, relief flooding his chest.
Wild glanced towards Legend, nodding briefly in acknowledgement before he focused all his attention on the machine again. The champion’s expression was uncharacteristically serious—it belonged to the stranger who possessed the former knight from time to time. A flat gaze, an unmoved frown. As quickly as Wild parried the beam, he was drawing his bow, nocking an arrow, and fwing!
The arrow sank right into the guardian’s gem. Its laser flickered, its head swiveling wildly as it careened one way only to push itself back the other way. Wild knocked another arrow as the guardian found its aim once more. Fwing!
A second arrow split the first, marking a crack through the gem. Again, the monster staggered this way and that as its head spun frantically. And then, Wild readied a third arrow. Fwing!
The gem shattered. The monster careened to one side with a deep, mechanical groan, crashing into the mud. The faint red glow of its odd markings flickered dark, its empty socket facing the stormy sky. Wild lowered his bow, but for a moment, kept his guard up.
“Twilight!” Legend yelled, immediately running for the rancher.
Twilight lifted his face, furiously wiping some tears from his eyes. There was a broken smile on his face, one that indicated he’d truly expected to perish just then.
Legend threw himself against Twilight in a vice grip. He did his best not to cry, biting back his tears as he clung to the rancher. For now, for another day, Legend didn’t have to bury one of his brothers.
“Are you guys okay?” Wild asked, his tone grave.
Legend drew himself from Twilight, pointing at the gouge in the rancher’s side. “It got Twi,” he reported, ignoring how weak his own voice was.
Wild frowned, his eyes flicking towards the bite mark in Legend’s thigh. The champion said nothing, instead taking a knee in front of his brothers. He pushed Twilight’s hands away to look at the wound for himself.
“Ledge give me a potion,” Twilight reported, though discomfort choked his voice. “Not s’bad as it were.”
“The captain’s gonna wanna look at it,” Legend said sternly.
Twilight grimaced, clearly not fond of the idea. Wild kept quiet, but nodded as if making some decision. He stowed his bow over his back, taking one of Twilight’s arms. Without needing instruction, Legend took the other. Twilight spat out a few swears as the younger heroes pulled him to his feet, supporting his weight between the two of them.
“That might be my new least favorite enemy,” Legend said in a weak attempt at humor.
Twilight nodded, a chuckle escaping him. “Think Wild’s their worst enemy, huh?”
Legend looked towards Wild. “What was that thing anyway?”
Wild glanced over, a blank expression of feigned indifference on his face. He looked ahead again, simply giving his head a shake. “Later,” he said plainly.
Legend nodded. Later, then, and he was more thankful than he’d ever been that there would be a later at all.