Jaws that bite, claws that catch

Part 12

The main roads were filled with guards. With the bridge massacre and army camp explosion, the local authorities sent everything they got. These guards were not bored men who accosted pretty girls and collected meager pay. They were all armed to the teeth, bearing claymore swords, large shields, and other instruments of war. A flash of memory sparked through Wild, and he remembered for a scant of a second of the soldiers he used to fight next to.

"All of this for one person," Twilight said. There was no pride in his voice, which surprised Wild. He thought Twilight would take delight in the chaos he wrought. Instead there was disgust on Twilight's face as one guard stopped an elderly couple and began interrogating them as if two seventy year olds were suspicious.

Twilight was immediately zeroed in on. The guards didn't like his facial tattoos or the sword on his back. When it looked like they were planning to search him, Twilight produced a purple rupee and held it out. Wild followed suit.

The guard, now a hundred rupees richer, waved them off. Once they were out of hearing distance, Wild said, "I can't believe all it took for him to back down was a bribe."

Twilight said, "Now you know why I stay hidden. It doesn't take much for someone to look the other way."

The bribes didn't end there. Every other guard stopped them. Money wasn't the issue, but it was getting harder to keep a neutral attitude when dealing with entitled assholes, one after another. Some of them wanted more than fifty rupees. Others kept giving Wild appreciated looks.

Security got progressively worse. Guards stopped all wagons to search through them. They tore through belongings, tossed things off of wagons, uncaring if it were food or clothes. Men and women wailed at the unfair treatment, but dared not resist. Anyone who had a suspicious look to them was dragged off to be investigated further.

"This is insanity," Twilight said. "They know they're not looking for an elderly couple. This is just posturing, high off their own stink."

Guards grabbed a woman's bag, turned it over, and dumped everything on the dirt. She had nothing in there except clothes. She went on her knees, scrambling to pick them up, and the guard stepped on the clothes, pushing them deeper into the mud.

Seeing this, something in Twilight's eyes flashed. "I've had enough." He strode forward, intent braced in his shoulders.

A chill stole Wild's breath. There was no panic in him. His heart didn't race, his skin didn't sweat. He felt separated from his body, like an outsider observer peering in through windows. He wanted to scream, shout, bang his fists against something. Yet he stood there and did nothing as Twilight walked towards the guard.

Thankfully the gods stepped in. A familiar voice ranged out, "That's enough, stand down!"

It was Warriors.

This was a man who wielded power and authority as easily as breathing. He didn't have to flash his scarf to show what rank he was; everyone stopped to turn to him, to listen what he had to say. He pointed to the guard who dropped the old woman's items in the mud. "You there," he said. "Who gave you orders to terrorize civilians?"

The guard snapped to attention and stepped away from the clothing he stepped on. It dragged with on the bottom of his foot. When he spoke, he tried to kick it off. "We-we got orders to search suspicious individuals... sir!"

"This woman is a hundred pounds wet and in her sixties! This is who you deemed suspicious? "

The guard swallowed. "She could be covering up for the criminal. Sir."

That only made Warriors angrier. He got up in the guard's face, looming over him. "I want to speak to your superior. Go get them."

The guard squeaked out a confirmation, saluted, and ran off to grab their superior. Warriors turned to the poor woman who was still on the ground, trying to gather her things. "I apologize for the brashness of that solider," Warriors said. He reached for his rupee bag and handed over two purple rupees. "Please accept this to replenish any damages he may have caused."