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jinxedruby · 2 days ago

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Whumptober Day Thirty: Venom

Featuring Time & Wild. Doing an alternate prompt for this one.

Heads up for some wound description.

AO3

First part | <- Previous part | Next part -> (coming soon)

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Time hardly dared to breathe. The form of a stalfos flickered between gaps in the shrub he peered through. He kept his eye trained on it as it moved past the rocks he hid behind. His back ached but he didn’t dare adjust his hold. He felt Wild’s trembling breaths against the crook of his neck where the champion’s head rested. Wild groaned near inaudibly, pressing his face harder against Time’s neck to muffle the noise as much as he could. Grass crunched as the stalfos walked past them, head swiveling slowly, glowing eyes gleaming in the dimness of the deep woods. Time let out a slow, silent breath, trying to steady his racing heart. The monster moved closer to Time and Wild as it searched. Time resisted the urge to duck farther behind the rock, fearing the movement would give them away. He prayed the shrub and rocks hid them well enough. The stalfos continued walking closer, whacking through a bush in its way with its sword. Time’s heart picked up speed again. The muscles in his legs burned from staying crouched for so long.

A monster chattered in the distance. Time barely managed to suppress his flinch, a chill buzzing outwards from his heart and engulfing his chest. He took a slow breath as the stalfos turned toward the noise. It tilted its head, made a clattering sort of sound. The distant one gave a chittering cackle in response. A moment passed. Wild tensed and Time tightened his grip on the champion’s legs. The stalfos turned and lumbered away, clattering voice calling out to the other monster as it did.

Time waited until the stalfos was out of sight, then waited several seconds more. He exhaled shakily and turned his head to glimpse Wild. The champion lifted his head at Time’s movement, blinking sluggishly at him with glazed eyes. Strands of long blond hair stuck to his pale face and neck. A lock had found its way into Wild’s mouth but he didn’t seem to notice.

“Hey, Champion,” Time murmured. “We have to keep moving.”

Wild hummed and dropped his face into the crook of Time’s neck again. Time stood as carefully as he could but Wild still flinched and groaned. He whined as Time began walking, muffling the sound in Time’s shirt. Time felt the urge to stop and check Wild’s wound again. He shoved it to the back of his head, forcing himself to keep moving. Stopping, putting Wild down, checking the wound, and picking him back up would all be a waste of time they didn’t have. Even without the monsters combing the forest for them, Wild was fading. Checking to see how much farther the venom had spread wouldn’t change the fact that it was spreading.

“Ol’… ol’ man, think I got an… ‘lixir,” Wild mumbled, barely lifting his head enough to speak.

“No, you don’t, Champion,” Time reminded him in a low voice. “We checked. Remember?” We checked three times.

Wild said nothing for a long moment. Then he groaned, weak and miserable, before letting his head fall against Time’s shoulder again.

“I know, I’m sorry,” Time murmured, hoping his voice didn’t betray the rapid pounding of his heart against his ribs. “Just hold on.”

Each step felt heavier than the last. The endless woods buried them deep in its hold, thick canopy blotting out sunlight and leaving them in dimness. Time’s legs burned, the deep aching in his arms and back increasing with each passing moment. He felt Wild slipping from his cramping fingers. He leaned forward and hiked Wild higher up on his back with a grunt. Wild let out a strangled cry, fingers digging into Time’s shoulder. Time muttered an apology as Wild fell still again. Sweat soaked Time’s shirt, mixing with the splotches of Wild’s blood on his back. The various scratches he’d earned throughout the afternoon stung with sweat.

He took a misstep, knee buckling beneath him. He staggered, nearly dropped Wild. The champion cried out again. Time barely managed to regain his balance before he could topple, tightening his grip on Wild’s knees. Wild’s cry tapered off into a strained grunt, muffling as he shoved his face into the crook of Time’s neck. Time moved unsteadily to the side with the leftover momentum of the stumble. His shoulder knocked against a tree and he leaned his weight against it. The forest swallowed the sounds of his ragged breaths. Wild shuddered against his back. His head lifted from Time’s shoulder.

“T-Ti…”

Something in his tone filled Time’s gut with dread. Heart stilling, he glanced over.

The sickly white of Wild’s skin appeared almost purple in the dim light of the forest. His brow twitched slowly, eyes dark and sunken. Then his head lowered onto Time’s shoulder again. His whole body sagged.

Time’s breath stuttered. He squeezed Wild’s knees unconsciously. Wild gave no response at all. “Champion,” Time breathed. Wild remained motionless. Fear gnawing at his lungs, Time jostled Wild slightly. “Link.”

Wild did nothing but weigh on Time’s back. Panic setting in, Time dropped into a kneel. He set Wild down as gently as he could, twisting around to lower him to the ground. Wild’s head lolled back against Time’s arm, eyes closed, lips parted.

“No, no, no,” Time whispered. He gathered Wild into his arms, chest throbbing painfully with each beat of his heart. Keeping one arm wrapped around Wild’s shoulders, he used the other to press shaking fingers to the side of Wild’s throat. Between the haze rapidly clouding his senses and the throb of his own heart in his fingertips, he couldn’t tell if Wild had a pulse or not. He laid his palm over Wild’s chest, lowered an ear to the champion’s mouth to listen for breaths, darkness pricking the edges of his vision. His hands shook harder and he jerked his head up, reaching for the hem of Wild’s tunic. He fought to pull it upwards, revealing the ugly wound just above his hip. The skin swelled around the twin punctures, colored with blotches of purple and green. Blood and pus oozed from the wounds, soaking Wild’s tunic.

“No, no, no,” Time breathed again. He released Wild’s tunic, moving to hold his face instead, rubbing a thumb over the champion’s cheek. “Don’t do this, don’t do this to me, Champion.” Wild’s face remained pale and expressionless. Time’s breath hitched. He absently pulled the lock of hair from Wild’s mouth, moved strands out of his face with his thumb. “Please, just open your eyes, Champion, don’t do this, don’t do this.” He didn’t register the words he spoke, muttering pleas to Wild over and over again, hands trembling violently. His vision blurred. His chest grew tighter and tighter. All the while, Wild remained unresponsive.

A small light glimmered out of the corner of his eye. He blinked away tears, lifting his head. A little yellow orb of light bobbed through the air toward them, transparent wings fluttering behind it. The fairy chimed softly, drifting close and hovering over Wild. She couldn’t heal him. Time’s heart crumpled and his shoulders slumped even as he lifted a cold hand for the fairy to land on. She wasn’t a healing fairy, her gentle ringing like a bell told him as much. But- but these were the deep woods, maybe she could-

“P-please,” Time said in a hushed tone, voice husky with emotion. “Your great mother, is she near? He-” He swallowed, wrapping his arm tighter around Wild. “He needs help.”

The fairy’s wings stilled. Then she chimed, leaping off his finger. She zipped off to his left, halting after a few feet and bouncing up and down in the air. Time’s eye widened. Hastily, he threaded his other arm beneath Wild’s knees and hauled the champion up off the ground. Wild’s arm flopped limply as Time moved, head rolling and coming to rest on Time’s chest. A surge of adrenaline numbed the aching and exhaustion in Time’s body. His skin shuddered with it as he took off at a run after the fairy. Once he began following, she darted ahead. She wove through trees and around bushes, leading him through the woods. Branches and trunks passed by Time in a haze. He hardly felt his boots as they pounded against the grass, all of his attention honed in on the small yellow light as it flew ahead. He crashed through a shrub, tripped over a root and nearly fell. He managed to stay upright, stumbling after the fairy as fast as he could.

The fairy zipped around a rock and vanished behind some ivy. Time slowed as he reached it, nudging at it with his shoulder to find an empty space behind the foliage. He ducked through, the ache in his arms overcoming the adrenaline and making them tremble. He saw the fairy flitting ahead toward a pool of crystalline water. Instead of relief, a surge of burning desperation tore through him. He bolted forward, all but sprinting to the fountain. The fairy returned as he knelt down by the edge, settling onto his head. He gently set Wild down but kept an arm around him. He looked up to see a tall, ethereal woman standing in the center of the fountain. The light of her gossamer yellow wings nearly hurt his eye in contrast to the darkness of the woods, fluttering gently at her back.

“Please,” Time whispered, holding Wild’s still form close.

The great fairy moved forward, the long hem of her flowing yellow dress sending silent ripples across the pond. Eyes closed, expression serene, she leaned forward, hovering a hand over Wild’s head. A soft light emanated from her palm, enveloping both Time and Wild. A sense of peace washed over him. His shoulders relaxed, the tension gradually ebbing from his muscles. His eye slid shut as the taste of butter and honey blossomed on his tongue, filling his nose.

The great fairy spoke in a language he hardly understood, the words some ancient variant of those he knew. His eye fluttered open to see the great fairy standing tall once more, a gentle smile on her face. Then she stepped back and her form faded, the light dimming along with her.

Time blinked slowly, fatigue settling deep in his bones. For a long moment, he stared unseeing at the pool. Then the weight in his arms shifted. He gasped, eye snapping wide open as he jerked his head down. A low sigh left Wild, head rolling to one side before coming back again to rest on Time’s chest.

“Champion?” Time said, squeezing Wild’s shoulders with his arm. Wild’s brow furrowed, eyes screwing shut tighter. Then he cracked them open, gaze slowly drifting around. Time laughed wetly, vision blurring.

“H-hey,” Wild rasped, eyes meeting Time’s. He lifted a hand and Time grasped it tightly in one of his own. Wild gave a weak squeeze in return. “Y… y’ alright?”

Time huffed a laugh again. A tear slipped free and dripped onto Wild’s chest. “Don’t do that again and I will be.”

Wild snorted, head falling back against Time’s arm. “Gotta… keep you on y’r toes.”

“I’ve spent quite enough time on my toes, thank you.”

Wild smiled crookedly, the expression turning to a grimace as he struggled to sit up.

“Does it hurt?” Time asked, helping Wild up. Wild shook his head, grabbing the hem of his tunic.

“I’m jus’ exhausted,” he explained. He pulled up his tunic to reveal smooth, unbroken skin where the wound had been. Only his usual scars marred the flesh. Time exhaled slowly, struggling to let the worry and angst bleed out of him.

“The next time we’re set upon by black-blooded ropes, please don’t use your body as a shield,” he said.

“It was headed right for you!” Wild protested, rolling his tunic back down. “You wouldn’t have noticed it. What was I supposed to do?”

“Use your actual shield.”

“I didn’t have it out.”

“Maybe get into the habit of taking it out when we’re in combat.”

“I prioritize having a weapon in hand over a shield. Faster to draw, anyway.”

Time sighed and rubbed his brow. “I wonder, sometimes, at how our rancher is able to put up with your recklessness so often.”

Wild just grinned. At that moment, Time couldn’t find it in himself to be very upset, too relieved that Wild was alive to reprimand him much at all.

#linked universe #linked universe fic #ruby writes #linked universe fanfic #whumptober #whumptober 2024 #lu time #lu wild

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jinxedruby · 8 days ago

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Whumptober Day 29 - Fatigue, “Who said you could rest?”

CONTINUATION TO DAY 23 more Warriors and Legend (and the dragon) time!

Lordy this got so long. SO. LONG. it was never supposed to be this long and that's probably why it took so long to write 😔 but I hope y'all enjoy this monster, I had a lot of fun with it :) And also LOOK AT THIS COOL ART it was one of the things that got me to finally finish this and inspired a good bit of it XD Thank you so much for the awesome art Maeson!!

Warnings: same as 23, whipping, animal abuse, arguably torture... bad times. A little nonconsensual touching, but nothing extreme.

Ao3 link

Day 23

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They’d been stuck here for days now, and Warriors was beyond frustrated.

Whenever the troupe’s wagons stopped, Legend was dragged out of his tank, his legs trembling underneath him from the prolonged time with a tail, and pulled outside somewhere to run through tricks or... something. Legend didn’t talk about it much. Half the time he couldn’t he was so exhausted from being beaten up at the slightest misstep, intentional or not.

Apparently their captors weren’t due to reach another town for a good week or two, so it didn’t matter that Legend had a split lip and a cut on his cheek. Those and the other small bruises on his face would heal before any customers saw him. As for the whip marks on his back, well, some scars made him seem more dramatic.

That’s what the horrible woman in charge had said anyway, and Legend had nearly bitten her hand in response.

Warriors had noticed his responses were growing more feral the longer he spent with a tail, growling when he was angry, warbling more when he talked, taking longer and longer to adjust to legs. Warriors tried to talk with him whenever they were together, and regular conversation seemed to help, but Legend was still struggling.

And Warriors still didn’t know how to get them all out.

He set his head against the bars of his cage again, watching a small spot of moonlight creep across the floor. It was nice that they’d parked the wagon so the window faced the moon for once. Usually all Warriors had to look at was either Legend or the baby dragon’s glowing eyes, which, while interesting, weren’t quite as good as natural light. And he was already feeling lethargic from the lack of natural light.

The baby dragon himself was snoring softly on Warriors’ lap, head tucked against his arm, and Warriors ran an idle hand over his scales, watching as they shimmered just a little at the touch.

Legend’s guess was that he was some kind of forest dragon, based on the colors and the fact that he’d never shown the slightest propensity for breathing fire. Warriors didn’t have any clue himself, but that felt right, and would explain the faint hint of trees and leaves he thought he smelled sometimes.

He really didn’t know much about dragons though. It was a little embarrassing.

At least Legend didn’t know all that much either— he’d pretty much only met the monstrous kind.

The dragon shifted a little at Warriors’ touch, and slitted open sleepy green eyes, blinking up at him. Warriors blinked back, and the dragon yawned and shifted around, snuggling up tighter against him.

“Ink?” he chirped, and Warriors shushed him, looking over at Legend. Legend was deeply asleep though, exhausted from his daily attempts at resistance, and he didn’t move.

“Go back to sleep, it’s not morning yet,” Warriors said quietly, but instead of curling back up, the dragon’s eyes opened wider, and he sat up, looking at Warriors and cocking his head to the side.

“Ink? A-rik?” he chirped, and Warriors paused, not having heard that last word from him before. The dragon’s vocabulary had been pretty much limited to ‘ma’ and ‘ink’ before now.

“...Arik?” Warriors questioned, and the dragon’s ears pricked, his face lighting up in the only way a dragon’s could.

“A-rik!” he chirped excitedly, hopping around on Warriors’ leg. “A-rik A-rik! A-riiik!”

“I don’t know what that means,” Warriors said with a frown, and the dragon excitedly chirped the word several more times. “Is... wait, is your name Arik?” Warriors asked, and the dragon preened.

“A-RIK!”

Legend stirred a bit at the shout, but he settled down again as Warriors shushed the dragon. Or Arik, he supposed. It sounded like a name, and just calling him ‘the dragon’ had gotten a little old.

“So, Arik is your name then?” Warriors asked in amusement, and the dragon trilled.

“A-rik! A-rik!” Arik chattered loudly, and Warriors couldn’t help his smile as he set a calming hand on his head.

“Okay okay, it’s sleepy time Arik, settle down,” Warriors whispered, and the dragon chirped again, snuggling up to Warriors. He happily blinked up at him as his eyes began to droop, and a content little sigh came from him as his eyes finally closed.

Warriors smiled and slid down to the hard floor, deciding to try and sleep the last few hours before dawn. He looked up at the ceiling, and his amusement at the dragon’s antics faded as he watched moonlight glint off the bars. Unease churned in his gut at the upcoming day, worry and dread mixing into an uncomfortable lump.

He’d spent all of his time in the cage so far, but he had a feeling that was going to change soon. The woman had been taking greater interest in him and the dragon lately, and he knew it would be their turn soon enough.

After all, they had tricks to learn.

Warriors breathed out, and closed his eyes. There was no use worrying about it right now. He would get some sleep, and reevaluate tomorrow.

The same thing he’d been telling himself every night he’d spent in this place.

(...)

Warriors woke up to frantic screeching.

He jerked upright and banged his head on the ceiling, adrenaline shooting through his veins. The warm weight was gone from his lap, Legend was growling, and Warriors whirled towards the cage door, stomach dropping as he saw the dragon being dragged out, his tiny claws scratching the floor.

“Ink!” he wailed, and Warriors dove for him, moments too late as the dragon was yanked out and the door slammed shut.

Warriors threw his weight against the bars, but the door didn’t budge, and he could only watch as Arik was bundled into a tiny cage with a loop for carrying on top.

“Leave him alone,” Warriors snarled, but the man ignored him, slamming the tiny door shut. Warriors clenched the bars so tightly it hurt.

“Wow, you really did get attached to it,” a familiar voice said, and the woman appeared, a hand on her hip. Warriors glared as Legend’s fins flared aggressively, and she waved a dismissive hand. “Oh relax, we won’t hurt it. So long as you all do what I want.”

“Which would be?” Warriors growled.

She smiled. “To learn your act. I’ve been debating about what to do with you while we’ve been training the merman, and I think I’ve figured it out. It’ll be a real show for the audience, I’m sure the crowds will turn out in droves.”

The mere thought made Warriors’ skin crawl, and he crossed his arms. The woman raised an eyebrow, and set a hand on the cage where the dragon was.

“And I’m sure you know what’ll happen if you refuse,” she said, and her voice turned threatening. “Mer scales would sell for quite a bit, no less ones from a dragon.”

Arik chirped in distress, the same noise Warriors had first heard from him, and he breathed out a hiss.

“Good,” the woman said as his shoulders lowered from their aggressive position. “Perhaps you won’t take as long to learn as your friend.”

Legend glared at her through slitted eyes, but he didn’t move from his place at the bottom of the tank. As much as Warriors hated that it was his turn, he was also relieved Legend would get a break. Maybe he could take the time to recover, and be able to put up more of a fight again. And they could both get out.

The door to his cage was pulled open, and the woman jabbed a thumb backwards, motioning for him to come out.

“Come on. And don’t try anything, or it won’t be pleasant for this one,” she said as she patted the dragon cage. Warriors silently scooted out, fury boiling under his skin as he stood up straight for the first time in days. He let them tie his hands behind his back without a fight, though he couldn’t help his flinch when a collar got pulled out. He forced himself to keep still though, the woman’s threat hanging over his head like a dark cloud, and she smiled as it was fastened around his neck.

“Lovely. It took us a good hour or two to get one on your friend, and it really completes the look. Come on,” she gestured, and one of her burly assistants shoved Warriors forward.

He nearly tripped, but followed without complaint, still fuming. He could stand humiliation. He would stand it, for Legend and the little dragon’s sakes.

This was an opportunity for reconnaissance, or even escape. Warriors had gotten nowhere with any of the plans he’d been working on, and being out of the cage was exactly what he needed. He glanced back before they left the small room, and met Legend’s eyes, tired and worried. Warriors sent him a cocky smirk he didn’t feel in the slightest, and Legend’s mouth twitched upwards just a little.

Then he was pulled out, and Legend was blocked off by the door slamming shut.

After days in near-darkness, the bright sun hurt Warriors’ eyes, but the warmth of it on his skin more than made up for it. He’d always felt better with some sunshine, and though Warriors was still tense and angry, he relaxed a bit. Sure he couldn’t see very well for the first little while of the trip, and the burly man had to keep shoving him along in the right direction, but at least he was outside.

Warriors’ eyes eventually adjusted, and he began to take in the sights. The rest of the place wasn’t much to look at honestly, at least the section he was in. A couple bright wagons parked in the grass, some people cooking food who leered and stared at him as he was shoved past. The town he and Legend has been in with the others was long gone, and Warriors saw nothing past the wagons but grass and open plains.

Are the others going to be able to catch up to us? Surely they’ll put together what happened, but who knows how long it’ll take, and they’re almost all on foot...

Warriors swallowed. He’d been betting on eventual backup.

A hand harshly cuffed his ear as he tried to peer around a corner, and after that Warriors kept his head down. But he still took in every detail he possibly could. He noted who had weapons and who didn’t, which people ignored him and which ones jeered, any small bit of information that could help.

And between it all, he kept an eye on the cage held in the woman’s hand, blood boiling whenever he heard a growl or whimper from inside.

They finally reached a large tent, a bit more sturdy looking with actual walls Warriors guessed could be collapsed to transport. He got shoved inside, and blinked as his eyes had to adjust to another change in light.

He almost wished they hadn’t. The mat on the floor in front of him had stains of what was unmistakably blood.

“I know a dancer’s body when I see one,” the woman began as she strode past him and into the middle of the tent, gesturing for her lackey to untie his hands. There were several other people inside this area practicing a few things, and Warriors recognized them from when he and Legend had been captured. “That along with your pretty face and the dragon, and we’ll have people lined up for miles to come see you.”

“You... want me to dance?” Warriors said in surprise, a little of the knot in his stomach loosening. He wasn’t the world’s greatest dancer or anything, but he could certainly manage. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad.

“I want you and the dragon to dance,” she corrected, and snapped her fingers.

The man she’d brought with her opened the cage where Arik was, but before he could leap out, the man snatched him, and quickly bundled something over his face. A muzzle.

Warriors’ jaw tightened, but he didn’t say anything, merely caught Arik when the man abruptly lobbed him over. Arik made a whimpering noise as he clung to his shoulder, and Warriors ran a quick couple fingers along his scales.

“I know, it’s okay,” he murmured under his breath, and the dragon pressed himself against him with a shiver. He wondered how many times Arik had already gone through something like this.

Probably too many.

“Now,” the woman said, smoothing a bit of the mat with her boot, “I have a specific dance in mind for you and the dragon. So long as you can do what you’re told, and get the dragon to behave, we’ll all get along here just fine.”

Arik hissed through the muzzle, and Warriors stayed silent.

“Your dance is about dragons, harmony, mystique, things that always draw people in. Fire, swords, spectacle. If you wow the crowd, intrigue them, they’ll always want to come back,” she continued, and smiled at him. “Take off your shirt.”

Warriors froze. “Excuse me?”

“Take off your shirt,” she said coolly, and when Warriors didn’t move, tapped an impatient finger. “Come on. Or I’m going to start plucking scales.”

Warriors glared at her, heart in his throat, but when she began to move closer he did as she said and pulled his shirt over his head. Arik slipped down to cling to his leg while he tugged it off, and Warriors hated the way his hands shook despite his best efforts to still them. The air felt cold on his bare skin, and Warriors forced himself not to wrap his arms around his middle.

He could feel everyone in the tent’s eyes on him, staring at his bare chest, and Arik hissed again.

You’re doing it for Legend you’re doing it for the dragon she’s just trying to make you uncomfortable—

“Not even a few scales?” the woman said disappointedly, raking her eyes across him. “People are going to expect scales from a half dragon...well, we can work with the scars at least. Maybe have some makeup done to make you look more exotic. But that can come later,” she said with a clap, her smile growing wider. “Let’s get started.”

Her whip suddenly cracked across his back, and Warriors gasped in shock at the sudden pain. She did it again, and Arik fled to Warriors’ arm as he stumbled, letting out a shriek of alarm.

“That was just a taste,” the woman said calmly, Warriors staring at her as his shoulder throbbed. “You do what I say, and I won’t need this at all. It’s your choice. Now let’s get to work, honey.”

Arik rushed back up to Warriors’ neck as she spoke, pressing tighter against him. His scales were cool against his skin, but not in a bad way, and Warriors glared quietly at the woman as the dragon trembled.

But he knew he was stuck.

The last thing Warriors wanted to do was learn any kind of act, and try to get a tiny dragon to go along with it, especially in front of these people. But he didn’t have a choice. If it was just himself at stake he’d fight against it with everything he had, but he wasn’t alone.

And Legend or the dragon being hurt wasn’t an option.

So Warriors lowered his head, ignored the smirking grins and eyes leering at him, and nodded.

(...)

It didn't get better from there.

After Warriors’ first training session he could barely walk, his shoulders shredded and muscles beyond sore. The entire thing had been brutal, and that was with Warriors attempting to cooperate. He knew now exactly why Legend had been so worn down whenever he returned.

Warriors may not have been a bad dancer, but the moves he was supposed to be learning were nearly impossible in most cases, and the woman demanded nothing less than perfection. If he didn’t get a step right on the first try the whip immediately came down, and he was expected to keep moving no matter how painful it was. A significant portion of his torso had been coated with blood by the time it was over, and the only thing he'd had in regard to treatment had been having a bucket of cold water dumped over him to wash it off.

At least he knew why she’d wanted his shirt off now.

Poor Arik avoided the whip at least, too small to be an effective target, but he was obviously terrified, and getting him to do what the woman wanted was nearly impossible, even with Warriors there. The tiny dragon didn’t do anything except cling to his arm, and occasionally growl at anyone who came too close, spikes raised threateningly. Along with the gouges that had been torn into Warriors’ shoulders from the whip, there were small claw scratches marring a good portion of his arms.

Warriors hated it, but he did his best to coax Arik along with the routine they were supposed to be learning. He barely succeeded. Legend had been right with his initial observation— Arik was a baby, and terrified on top of that. It was a miracle Warriors was able to get him to do anything.

Warriors couldn’t explain to Arik that it would be better if he just tried to go along with it. He couldn’t reason with him barely at all. All he could really do was try to make the woman take out her frustration on him rather than the little dragon when he messed up.

Which she did. Quite often.

Warriors and Legend began being taken out of their cages on alternating days, though sometimes when they stopped for longer one of them was taken in the morning and the other the afternoon. The longer they were there the worse the training seemed to get, and Warriors was at a loss of what else he could do.

The woman at least seemed to recognize she could only hit both him and Legend so much before they truly couldn’t move, but she wasn’t shy about other methods of abuse. She realized Warriors hated taking his shirt off, and made him do it every time he practiced, often with an audience. If one or the both of them messed up particularly bad, they weren’t fed anything, and more than once Warriors was kept up by Arik’s tiny stomach growling, and his sad mewls for food.

Even worse, a couple times the woman had actually gone through with her threat and plucked some scales from both Legend and the dragon, all while Warriors watched.

Legend had actually managed to bite her that time, which only got him several more scales yanked from his tail, but despite the blood dripping from his tail, he said later to Warriors that it had been more than worth it.

The woman had also been pressing Warriors about any dragon skills he had, and Warriors struggled with how much to tell her. Sure he couldn't do all that much, but he didn’t want to admit to anything. And a few things were unavoidable with Legend and a baby dragon on the line. But was it okay to admit he had night vision? Or would that only make escape harder?

He didn’t know.

But the woman had gotten a couple things out of him, and he started coming back with singed hair from her attempts to figure out exactly how fireproof he was.

Their situation was getting unbearable, Warriors and Legend both hit and beaten and treated like less than human on the daily, and it was wearing on them both, any escape attempts immediately shut down, any plans ground into the dirt.

Warriors had one idea left.

And if it didn’t work...

He wasn’t letting himself think about it. It would work.

But he couldn’t put it into effect until he and Legend performed, so Warriors did his best to keep his head down, preserve his strength, and try not to worry as Legend spent more and more time curled up and silent, and Arik’s happy chirps grew less frequent, both of their scales growing dull.

But finally the moment came.

One day the wagon never stopped, trundling along much longer than it usually did. Warriors' heart beat faster when he heard some shouts outside, and he realized they'd finally reached the town they were due to perform at. He rapidly went over his cobbled-together plan with Legend, and they built as many backup ideas as they possibly could into the idea.

Soon enough the wagon was stopped and the doors were open, and he and Legend were both were pulled out of their respective cages, Arik shoved in his own tiny one. Legend’s tail split back into legs again as he was dropped on the floor, and he collapsed when he couldn't hold his own weight.

Warriors tried to go over to him, but the usual group of burly assistants held him tight, dragging both him and Legend out. The only thing Warriors managed to do was brush against Legend’s shoulder, and Legend only flinched at the touch.

Probably because the only human contact he’d had for the past week and a half was in order to inflict pain on him.

They were both dragged out into the night, the moonlight mixing with that of the torches scattered around. Warriors heard the loud chatter of people, saw lights from a town nearby, and he craned his neck, trying to see any of the crowd he could hear. But he was bundled away too quickly, and soon enough he and Legend were hurried off into two small separate tents, Arik's cage dropped to the ground with Warriors.

Inside, Warriors was descended upon by a small mob, clothes shoved at him and makeup painted on his face, unfamiliar hands sprucing up and making adjustments and touching him all over. He briefly considered making a run for it, but Arik was still stuck in his cage, and he didn’t know where Legend had gone.

So he sat there and took it, even though he was really, really tempted to scream.

Warriors caught a glimpse of himself in a mirror as he was fussed over, and blinked, shimmering scales painted onto his cheeks, his hair ruffled just enough to make him look a bit wild. It... made him look a bit like his father, actually.

Huh.

Warriors didn’t have time to dwell on it though, as he was tugged back over and given finishing touches. He was just grateful the outfit he had on included a shirt, even if it was a thin, silky material.

His scarf was wrapped tastefully around his waist, and before he knew what was happening, he’d been shoved into a small waiting area, and the woman was reminding him of the cues they’d practiced.

“And don’t try anything,” she added, eyes narrowed. “I’ve got my men posted everywhere. If you so much as twitch towards the exit, I’ll know.”

“Yes ma’am,” Warriors muttered.

She nodded, and then went through the tent flap, cheers coming from the other side. Arik’s cage had been set beside Warriors, and he quickly unlocked it while he waited, the dragon leaping onto his shoulders in one huge jump.

“Hope you’re ready little guy,” Warriors said, and Arik let out a soft chirp, pressing his head against Warriors’ chin.

He heard the sound of splashing and gasps, then uproarious cheers, and assumed Legend was currently doing his act. The urge to charge out there and stop it all was strong, but Warriors waited, his plan pulsing in the back of his mind. It was messy, and had so many little things that could go wrong with it, but it was all Warriors had.

And it all rested on the prop sword currently in his hands.

Warriors twirled it nervously, testing the weight of the criminally dulled blade while Arik paced anxiously around his shoulders. A chime rang out, and the music outside changed, the cheers and applause growing dying down. Here we go.

“A deadly dance of sword and beast, I give you...”

Warriors clutched his fake sword, and stepped out through the flap of the tent and into the light.

“...the dragon man!”

Gasps and oohs went through the audience as he stepped out, excited faces and fingers pointing at him and the dragon perched on his shoulder. Warriors took a deep breath, ignoring the eyes fixed on him as he gave the room a quick scan, and saw Legend in a tank in the corner, tail lazily flicking.

Warriors let out a small sigh of relief, and began to dance.

He moved through forms similar to fighting, twirling his sword in a careful dance as music swirled through the air. Arik wove around his arms and shoulders with a whispered instruction, and the crowd oohed again as his scales shimmered in the light.

The moves pulled on still-healing injuries, and muscles that had been pushed too far. Keeping the smile fixed on his face was a challenge in and of itself, but Warriors was good at keeping his emotions close to his chest. Even if so much as spreading his arms out was close to torture.

The music slightly changed pitch, and Warriors sped up, whispering to Arik again. He was betting a lot on the little dragon, and could only pray that it would work.

Torches were lit around him by juggling performers, and Warriors drifted closer to them, heart thudding, palms sweating, the beat of the music thudding in his ears.

Then he twirled neatly around, and in one smooth motion, threw his sword right at Legend’s tank.

It may not have been sharp, but the fake sword was heavy, heavy enough to make a huge crack form in the glass. At the same moment Arik leapt from Warriors’ shoulders and knocked over the nearest torch, sending fire shooting towards the tent walls.

Legend exploded into movement as someone shrieked, and slammed his shoulder against the crack in his tank, breaking it with a resounding crash as water burst free.

The audience screamed at the noise and spreading fire, and people began to jump from their seats, rushing for the exit. Warriors bolted for Legend and quickly helped him up, Legend’s now-legs shaking violently.

“Nice throw,” he breathed, and Warriors nodded, giving his shoulder a warm squeeze as he began to drag him towards the exit.

Arik scrambled back onto Warriors’ shirt, leaping impossibly high. He gave Legend a delighted chirp when he saw him, and rubbed against his face as they hurried away from the shattered glass and spreading fire.

Legend gave the dragon a tiny smile, and petted him in turn.

The tent had fallen into chaos, people running and shouting and trying to figure out what had happened. Warriors heard furious yelling above it all, and he quickly pulled Legend out of the tent and into the dark night outside. He didn’t really have a destination in mind, just getting away was his biggest goal.

“Try the town?” Legend wheezed, his lungs obviously straining.

“I was thinking the woods,” Warriors replied, "better cover." Legend nodded.

People streamed around them, largely ignoring the three, but occasionally someone noticed them or Arik and shrieked. Warriors made sure to change direction whenever that happened, and Legend followed beside him, his legs still stumbling as he got used to them again.

Warriors kept his gaze scanning for any weapons he could swipe, but between the crowd and uncertain lighting, nothing caught his eye. Every time someone shouted he flinched, and Warriors could feel himself flagging, pain and exhaustion dragging his steps. The longer they fought their way through the crowds, the worse Warriors' anxiety grew.

They needed to get out of here now.

Arik suddenly let out a screech, and something slammed into Warriors, tearing him from Legend’s grip and wrapping around him as he was thrown to the ground. Legend shouted as Warriors struggled, and he realized he’d been caught in a net.

“I told you not to try anything!” a familiar voice shouted, sharp with anger.

Warriors peered through a hole, and his stomach dropped as the woman strode forward, her hair askew and face furious. The tent they’d set on fire backlit her in an eerie way, and Legend stumbled to put himself between her and Warriors, legs shaking as he held himself up, gripping the prop sword.

His face was equally furious-looking, and Warriors began tearing frantically at the net, trying to rip a hole in order to free himself. Arik had been trapped in it along with him, and his claws dug into Warriors’ chin as he thrashed and cried in distress.

“Ma!” he wailed, and as the woman drew her whip and one of her assistants readied another net, Warriors’ gaze clouded with fury.

He’d had enough.

His rage built in the back of his throat, heat rushing up through his chest in a strangely familiar way. His throat clenched so tightly Warriors thought for a moment he was going to throw up, but then he snapped his mouth open and fire blazed from between his lips.

The net broke from the heat and Legend stumbled backwards, his eyes wide as a huge blast of fire burst towards the woman and her assistants. Warriors heard panicked shrieks, and as his fire sputtered out and the remains of the net fell away from him, he bent nearly double as he coughed, throat spasming, his whole mouth tasting like smoke.

Okay yeah I’m not really built for that, good to know, he thought dizzily as Legend shook his arm, saying something he couldn’t hear over his hacking.

“Ink!” Arik screeched in his ear, and Warriors finally caught his breath enough to stumble to his feet, and Legend dragged him away, the grass burning behind them.

They didn’t make it far before Warriors heard shouting again, and he let out a breathless curse, sparing a single glance over his shoulder. More of the other troupe members were chasing them now, and Warriors forced his exhausted legs to keep going, Legend struggling along beside him.

One of their feet caught on something, Warriors didn’t know if it was him or Legend, but they both tumbled to the ground, a triumphant shout behind them.

Warriors lifted himself up on shaking elbows, back screaming in pain, his throat raw from smoke, and Legend shakily caught his arm.

“Wars, I...” Legend wheezed, his eyes half-lidded. “I’m not... get y-yourself out of here...”

“No,” Warriors snapped, then coughed and gritted his teeth. “None of us are going back in there.”

Arik stood up and hissed as shadows fell over them, baring his tiny teeth and claws. Warriors braced himself to get up and try to fight, when someone suddenly yelled in pain.

One of the figures above them toppled backwards, and Warriors stared at the arrow protruding from a shoulder.

He’d know that fletching anywhere.

“Captain! Vet!” a familiar voice shouted, and Warriors managed to sit up the rest of the way, relief sweeping over him as two figures leapt out of the shadows and began pushing the enemies back.

Another appeared and knelt beside them, and Warriors let Wind snatch him into a hug, even though it hurt.

“Thank Jabun you guys are okay, we’ve been looking for you guys for ages," Wind gasped into his shoulder, "it took us so long to figure out where you went it was like you'd just disappeared and then there was this whole side quest thing we got stuck doing—” Wind continued as he pulled back with a relieved look, talking at warp speed. Warriors nodded as he helped Legend sit up, and Wind paused in his talking just long enough to grab him into a hug too. “—it was a whole thing and that’s why there’s a dragon over where Sky is and—”

“Whoa whoa whoa, wait, say that last part again,” Warriors said, and Wind breathed out, and then in.

“We found a dragon, the good protector kind, not a boss. She said her baby had been stolen and wanted us to help, and once we figured out you guys were here Time said he thought her baby might also be here, so that’s why there’s a huge dragon with Sky,” Wind summed up in one breath. “Also Sky can understand her? None of us can but him. It’s not very fair.”

Warriors grinned despite his exhaustion, and heard a distant roar bellow out across the field. Arik’s head shot straight up from where he'd been pressed against Warriors' side at the sound, his head and ears tilting around rather frantically, and Wind gasped.

“Whoa, what’s that?”

Warriors scratched Arik in his favorite spot. “Another escapee,” Warriors said with an exhausted smile. “...And the reason Sky’s friend is here.”

Arik eyeballed Wind cautiously, but Wind stayed still, only stretching out a hand for him to examine. Arik gave it a small sniff, then chirped, bonking his head against his fingers.

Wind giggled. “Aw, he’s cute. You... said he was captured too?”

Warriors nodded. “Yeah. For a lot longer than us.”

"Put up a good fight, though," Legend wheezed quietly, and Warriors held his shoulder a bit tighter. Legend leaned into the touch with an exhausted sigh, and Wind gave them both a worried look.

A fair amount of the yelling had died down around them, the crowds dispersing, though Warriors could still hear some shouts from across the field. More of the Links appeared shortly, looking utterly relieved at the sight of Legend and Warriors, and Warriors let them all fuss over them. Arik curled up in a trembly ball on his lap as he explained briefly all of what had happened, and Twilight and Time exchanged horrified looks more than once.

Legend was half-asleep on his shoulder by the time he finished, and Hyrule had just started to try and coax him to drink a red potion when Sky suddenly joined them all, the last one of their group to appear.

He gave Warriors and Legend relieved looks, and then his gaze landed on the dragon in Warriors' lap and his face lit up.

"Oh it's him! You found Arik!" he exclaimed excitedly. Before Warriors could reply, a huge shadow swept over them, blocking out the moon.

“Arik!” a chiming voice cried out, and a huge deep blue dragon poured out from the sky, landing effortlessly on the ground before them. Arik shot up from his place on Warriors’ lap and squealed, leaping straight at her and purring wildly as the huge dragon nuzzled him.

Warriors smiled as he leaned heavily against Legend, both dragons purring contentedly as they reunited. Time gave him an amused look from beside him, and Warriors quickly cleared his throat as he realized he was purring as well. Oh sure, now it decides to work.

The blue dragon finally eased in her frantic purring, and she looked around at them all, her eyes bright with relief. Arik sat on her head, still purring up a storm, and began chattering so quickly Warriors couldn't make out a word of it. His mother let out what Warriors assumed was a laugh, and Arik draped himself across her nose, looking happier than Warriors had ever seen him.

“Thank you heroes, you've done more for me than you could possibly imagine,” the dragon rumbled, her gaze resting on Warriors. “Especially you, little dragon and mer. Thank you for protecting my son.”

Warriors smiled, and froze as the dragon leaned forward, pressing her nose to his forehead.

“I can see that you've suffered much. Your kindness won’t be forgotten,” she said warmly, and gave him and Legend's hair a small lick.

Warriors heard a few of the others muffle laughs, but he nodded at the dragon, and Legend, though he looked confused, managed a smile in her direction.

“You guys catch the leader?” Legend murmured as he sipped at the potion Hyrule finally got him to drink.

“We did, don’t worry,” Twilight said, giving the burning tent in the distance a furious look.

“Some knights from the town came to see what was going on, and we explained the trouble. We helped them get her and most of her people in custody already,” Time said, and Warriors further relaxed.

Arik wouldn’t have to worry about her ever again.

As if he’d heard his thoughts, the little dragon hopped off of his mother and scampered over to him, not quite flying with his small hops. “Ink A-rik!” he said with a happy purr, and a sudden pang of sadness hit Warriors.

Logically he’d known this was coming, but... he supposed he hadn’t really thought about what saying goodbye would entail. He had no clue where they were in history, especially not in relation to his own time period. In all likelihood, he’d never see Arik again.

“Ink?” Arik chirped, and Warriors gave him a smile, scratching at the base of his horns.

"You’re going to have to go in a minute here, little guy," Warriors said softly, still gently scratching. Arik chirped again, and rubbed against him with a quiet purr. “Your mom probably wants to take you home.”

“Ma,” Arik said happily, looking back at her, and Warriors nodded. Then he looked back at Warriors, and his face drooped. "Ink," he said a little sadly, and gave Warriors a small lick on the nose.

"Yeah, I’m going to stay here. This is... goodbye. I'll miss you too," Warriors said with a sad smile, and Arik rested his head against his with a quiet coo, meeting Warriors' blue eyes with his own bright green.

Then he licked his nose again and pulled back, giving Legend a quick lick as well before hopping back over to his mother. Legend spluttered, but there was a fond look on his face as Arik climbed up onto his mother’s head again. The large dragon blinked happily as her baby curled up, and gave all of the Links one more grateful look, her gaze lingering on Warriors again.

“Thank you,” she purred softly, then leapt into the air, a triumphant musical cry ringing through the sky.

They all watched her sweep across the field, her scales nearly glowing in the moonlight, Arik chirping along with her. The smell of rain hit Warriors’ nose as the dragon curled over the spreading flames, and he saw mist sweep over the field, steam rising from the now-doused tent and grass.

And then she flew upwards, and both dragons disappeared into the starry night.

Warriors sighed, every ache and pain suddenly reminding him of its presence full-force. His throat and back still aches fiercely, and suddenly all he wanted to do was sleep. Legend looked over at him, and Warriors gave him a faint smile.

“Let’s get you two out of here, I’m sure you’ve have had enough of this place,” Time said, and Warriors nodded, Legend huffing out an exhausted laugh.

“Absolutely,” he agreed as his eyes slipped closed, and Wind and Hyrule helped him up, Time assisting Warriors. Warriors leaned heavily against him, legs wobbling, and Time gave him a worried look as his eye flitted across the scales painted across his face.

“You’re all right, Captain?” he asked quietly, and Warriors nodded, looking over at him.

“I will be,” he assured just as quietly, and sent Time a faint smirk. “I just want a hot meal, a bath, and to get out of these clothes.”

Time chuckled, but his warm grip didn’t lessen in the slightest as Warriors looked up at the sky one more time, scanning the swathe of stars above them.

He almost thought he heard a triumphant chirp echo from above him.

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