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skyward-floored · 28 days ago

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Whumptober Day 17 - Venom, “we had a good run”

sorry it’s late again here's this thing. I had fun with it at least. Knight trio except for twi <3 Maybe big brother trio. Oldest trio? Minus Time. Something. Idk.

Warnings: spiders, spider bite, battle violence, brief vomiting

Ao3 link

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"This... looks way too similar to a place I’ve been before,” Sky said quietly. Dread sat heavy in his gut as he looked at the dark cave walls, thin cracks of purple spread through the stone, a sort of weight in the air around them. “I can tell it’s not, but... ugh," he continued with a shiver, remembering the ancient cistern's basement.

“Unpleasant memories, huh?” Warriors asked, holding up his borrowed fire rod for light. Sky nodded. “Hm. Well this certainly looks like a nasty place. Let’s hope we have a better time then you did.”

“Yeah, I hope so,” Sky huffed, kicking a little at the ground. “Maybe we’ll get some treasure out of it at least.”

Warriors chuckled, though Sky saw the unease in his eyes as he looked around the passageway. “Well I’ll keep an eye out. You hear that Rancher? Keep that nose of yours out for treasure, huh?”

A hum was the only reply they got, and Sky and Warriors both turned to see that Twilight had fallen behind by several paces, his face creased.

“Rancher?” Sky asked, and Twilight straightened, though his face was pale. “Are you okay?”

“Fine... fine,” he reassured, hurriedly striding back over to Sky and Warriors. Sky saw his legs shake as he joined their sides, and his smile seemed weak. “This place is just... rotten.”

“Yeah,” Sky grimaced. “Try to breathe through your mouth.”

“More then just the smell,” Twilight said under his breath, his face pale.

Sky frowned, but Twilight didn’t elaborate, quietly brushing past him and continuing forward. Warriors exchanged looks with Sky, his face pinched, and they followed after Twilight, Sky intent on keeping a closer eye on the rancher.

The cave stayed fairly straight, but after a while it curved a bit, and Sky grimaced as a sludgy-looking river came into view, purple and gooey. This really was like the ancient cistern.

Twilight wasn’t the only one who grew paler the longer they trekked through the cave, and Sky watched him and Warriors both with an increasing amount of worry. All the dark energy in the area must have been wearing on them, but while Sky could tell it was pretty bad, he largely felt okay himself.

Was the Master Sword helping with that?

He didn’t have much of a chance to think it through though, since it was only a few minutes later that they turned a corner, and the ground shook beneath their feet in a familiar way.

“Watch out!” Sky shouted, and leapt backwards as a cursed bokoblin that looked slightly different from his own crawled out of the ground, yellow eyes rolling unsettlingly.

“What is that?” Warriors exclaimed in disgust as another appeared, nearly grabbing his ankle. Sky leapt sideways and stabbed through the spine of the cursed blin, hampering its movement.

“Cursed bokoblin, don’t let them touch you,” Sky warned, and Twilight skittered away from another one that lurched towards him. “They take several hits to take down.”

“Oh yay,” Twilight muttered, looking even paler as he slashed at one.

They all stayed in close formation as they fought, keeping the undead enemies away as best as they could. There were a fair number of them, but the heroes were able to cut down enough that they were never overwhelmed.

Sky fought more fiercely than normal, able to tell the others were rapidly flagging. It must have been the Master Sword that was keeping him in working order, and so Sky did his best to pick up the slack.

And everything was going okay, until a skulltula leapt from the ceiling, slamming into Twilight before he could move.

“Twilight!” Sky shouted in alarm, but he couldn’t get away from the cursed bokoblins he was fighting. The skulltula wrapped its legs around Twilight, and despite the rancher’s strength, he couldn’t break loose.

Twilight suddenly screamed, and Warriors killed the bokoblin he was fighting and raced to his side. Sky knocked the cursed bokoblins back with his shield and gained just enough time to charge up a skyward strike, launching a beam at the group in a wide swathe.

The monsters fell, and Sky whirled around, running over as Warriors slashed at the skulltula’s head. It screeched and released Twilight, and Sky and Warriors both stabbed the creature in its soft belly.

It curled up with a dying rattle, and Sky and Warriors hurried over to Twilight, who was curled up on the ground and looked even paler than he had before.

“Twilight, did it bite you?” Sky asked urgently, and Twilight managed a shaking sort of nod. “Where?”

“I see it,” Warriors said tightly, pulling Twilight’s tunic up. Right above his belt his shirt was torn, and Sky heard Warriors hiss as he tried to inspect the bite.

“It had a st-stinger, or, or fangs or s-something,” Twilight said, wincing as he tried to curl up further. “Went r-right through, the chain-chainmail.”

Sky glanced at his sword, and grimaced as he saw dark blood staining the blade. That would be why.

Warriors pulled Twilight’s layers out of the way enough to see his skin, and he and Sky both sucked in a breath at the sight. The wound was pale and raised in two spots, blood dripping lazily from the fang bites. A dark ring lay around them, the color of an especially dark bruise, or the infected monsters’ blood.

Twilight moaned quietly, and Sky gave Warriors a frightened look.

“I don’t think a potion will fix this,” he said, and Warriors put a hand on Twilight’s wrist, his face grim.

“No, potions can’t fix venom. We need to get him a fairy,” Warriors said as he felt Twilight’s pulse, then his forehead.

The rancher was already looking paler, and he groaned again, a hand wrapping around his middle. Sky gently pried it off, and Warriors swiped a cloth over the bite, then wrapped a few bandages over it. Sky noticed the job was messier than Warriors would usually be okay with, but he wasn’t looking all that much better than Twilight was.

“I guess we look for the exit then?” Sky said as Warriors put Twilight’s tunic back.

“I guess so. I just hope we find it,” Warriors murmured, and Twilight grunted, shakily raising himself up.

Sky quickly helped him, and Warriors sighed, his shoulders tense as he also supported Twilight. “Careful, rancher.”

“I can m-make it,” Twilight hissed, a hand clutched tight around his waist. “'s not too bad..."

Warriors raised an eyebrow at that, but didn't argue. Sky was sure he was thinking of the last time Twilight had tried to walk off an injury. They got moving then, Twilight supported between Sky and Warriors, his skin looking almost purple in the faint light from the cave. Sky kept the Master Sword at the ready, but no more monsters came to attack them.

Maybe the only real goal was to take one of us out of commission.

Twilight's head lolled the longer they went, sweat beading at his brow. Sky could feel him twitch now and then with odd little tremors, and his weight grew more and more heavy between him and Warriors' arms. Twilight was fading fast, and Sky... didn't know what to do.

Twilight suddenly lurched forward, and before Sky or Warriors could do anything, he was retching violently into the dirt.

He moaned as he finished, his breathing coming in short gasps, and Sky held his hand as another violent shudder wracked through him.

"He can't walk anymore," Sky said quietly, and Warriors exhaled, wiping sweat off his own brow.

"I know. We'll have to carry him," he panted, and Sky gave him a look.

"I don't think you can carry him right now," he said, placing a hand on the captain's arm. "Here:"

Sky handed Warriors the Master Sword, and Warriors gave him an intense look.

“Sky I can’t take this, you’re the only one of us who’s actually functioning.”

“I know, but someone has to carry Twilight, and someone has to be ready to fight in case there’s more monsters,” Sky said patiently, ignoring how heavier he felt not holding the sacred blade. He’d seen Warriors’ shoulders relax the moment he’d touched the handle though, and he knew it was worth it. “You can’t carry Twilight as you are, but I can last long enough to carry him out of here. You can cover us.”

“Take it,” Twilight suddenly rasped, and Sky and Warriors both looked at him. “‘S be... best plan.”

Warriors hesitated, then gave in with a sigh. His hand tightened on the sword, and he nodded at Sky, standing back up.

“Okay. Let’s go, then.”

Twilight could barely move as they pulled him up onto Sky’s back, head lolling and eyes oddly milky. It was a struggle to get him situated, and as Sky listened to his breath still coming too fast, he wished they could let him hold the Master Sword.

They kept going through the murk, Warriors keeping a sharp eye for any monsters. He held the Master Sword in one hand and the fire rod in the other, and between the two they had enough light to see. The sludgy river soon diverged from their path, disappearing into a wall, and Sky wasn’t sorry in the least to see it go.

He wondered if it was possible that they were upriver of the ancient cistern.

Twilight moaned behind him, and his grip slipped from Sky’s shoulders, nearly sending him to the floor. Sky hurriedly grabbed him, and Warriors had to come over and stabilize them both, expression pure worry.

Sky wished he could just hold Twilight in his arms— it would be so much more comfortable for him, but the sad truth of the matter was that Twilight was pure muscle, and Sky was not. Though under normal circumstances Sky could probably pick him up at least. Just not while there was dark magic breathing down his neck, slowly drawing the strength from his limbs, sucking him dry.

Sky’s steps slowed more and more, the dark magic seeping into him like rot. Twilight seemed to grow heavier on his back, trembling and hot, and it was all Sky could do to keep him there.

“Wait, Sky look.”

Sky wearily raised his head, blinking at where Warriors was pointing.

They had come into a large, open cavern, with big purplish rocks hanging from the ceiling. It seemed even darker than the rest of the caves had been, all except for a pale glow tucked on the opposite side from them, warm and... pink.

“It’s a fairy fountain,” Warriors said with a relieved smile, his face a little less pale.

“Down here?” Sky asked incredulously, and Warriors nodded, looking ahead.

“They must be immune to the magic. Or maybe they’re here because of it? Fairies can purify things like this sometimes.” He shrugged and glanced at Twilight. “Regardless, a fairy is exactly what the rancher needs.”

Twilight didn’t reply.

They hurried across the cavern, Warriors in the lead and Sky right behind him. His feet felt like lead but he pushed them on anyway, his head aching from dark magic.

The shadows seemed to grow the closer they got to the fountain, and Sky abruptly stopped, a sense of foreboding so huge that he couldn’t stand it. Warriors stopped as well and turned back towards him, but before Sky could voice his concerns, something leapt from the darkness.

It bowled Warriors over with a shout, making him drop the fire rod. Miraculously he kept his grip on the Master Sword, but since his arms were pinned to his sides by a skulltula’s legs, he couldn’t do much with it.

“Captain!” Sky cried out, and snatched the fire rod from the ground, almost dropping Twilight in the process.

Warriors thrashed against the spider’s hold, eyes wild as he tried to twist away from its head. Sky stumbled towards him as fast as he could, but he was too slow with the weight of Twilight and the dark magic.

Warriors suddenly screamed, and Sky’s heart dropped as his clumsy fingers finally clicked on the fire rod. Fire burst from the tip, lighting up the cavern, and to Sky’s horror, revealed a good two dozen skulltulas all crawling towards them.

Sky cursed under his breath as he shot a blast of fire towards the skulltula still holding Warriors, the fireball making it screech and drop the captain. Sky hurriedly shot another into its face, and the smell of burning monster flesh nearly made him gag.

The Master Sword slipped from Warriors’ grip and clattered to the ground, the captain clutching weakly at his arm. Sky bolted to his side and blasted back another skulltula, another enraged screech filling the cavern.

“It got you,” Sky said, and Warriors nodded stiffly, eyes closed as he panted for breath. “Can you make it?”

“I think... so,” Warriors gasped, a shiver running up his body. “Think... hit a vein, won’t... have long.”

Sky bit the inside of his cheek, heart pounding, and helped Warriors up as best as he could. “Luckily we don’t need long. We can make it.”

Warriors nodded with a held-back groan, and Sky blasted another skulltula that was getting close. It seemed like they were weak to fire, but there were just so many.

He grabbed the Master Sword once he had some breathing room, and between holding two weapons, carrying Twilight, and supporting Warriors as they stumbled towards the fairy fountain, he wasn’t sure if they were going to make it.

More and more skulltulas crawled towards them, joined by the occasional rotting bokoblin. Sky had to use the fire rod near continuously, and interspersed it with slashes with the Master Sword. At least with the blade in his grip again he wasn’t feeling the heavy press of dark magic so much.

Warriors struggled along beside him, Twilight was almost completely motionless on his back, and Sky was beyond flagging, two monsters coming in to take the place of every one he shot down.

Warriors’ legs suddenly gave out, and Sky couldn’t catch him, merely stand over him as he fell to the ground. Dozens of skulltula eyes shone in the dark, chittering and clacking an eerie song as they came closer and closer.

Warriors made a weak sound, and Sky looked back at him, the captain’s dazed eyes meeting his own.

“We had... good run,” Warriors gasped, eyes rolling back in his head as he trembled. “Thank... thank you, Sky.”

“We’re not done,” Sky said fiercely, grabbing both weapons so hard his fingers hurt. “Not yet, we’re not done, just hold on a little longer.”

Sky whirled back towards the monsters, the beasts almost close enough to attack, and he yelled, holding both weapons as high as he could without dropping Twilight.

The Master Sword seemed to warm in his hands, and Sky charged a skyward strike. He felt a buzz in his veins, nearly electric, and the fire rod grew almost unbearably hot in his other hand.

He swung both weapons simultaneously, a beam of light going one way, a huge wave of fire going the other.

It was a bigger blast of heat than Sky had ever seen from the rod, and he watched in shock as it took out a good two thirds of the monsters, the remaining third cowering and screeching from the light.

Sky didn’t waste a moment, dropping the fire rod and grabbing Warriors under the arm with his freed hand. He dragged him and Twilight towards the fairy fountain, his head spinning, legs like stone, the pink light growing ever brighter.

Something caught at his leg and Sky yelled as he slashed it away, spider webbing sticking to the Master Sword. He stabbed at a spider that leapt at him, kicked away another. then threw all three of them into the gap of rock that shone warm and pink.

The heady thrum of dark magic was immediately blocked out, and Sky gasped in relief from his spot on the ground, Twilight squishing his arm, Warriors halfway on top of his leg. A light shone in his blurry vision, and Sky nearly cried with relief as a fairy drifted into his sight.

“Heal them,” Sky wheezed, his eyes falling shut. “Please.”

A worried chime rang in his ears, and as pink sparkles drifted around him and his brothers, Sky relaxed, grip finally easing from the Master Sword’s grip.

#linkeduniverse #linked universe #lu Sky #lu twilight #lu warriors #whumptober #whumptober 2024 #fic #no.17 #we had a good run #tw arachnophobia #writing from the floor #ta daaaah #next fic will come later #lucky it’s already mostly written!#the continue to day ten heh heh heh

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