Looking For Group

Part 29

It was an agonizingly slow progress to walk through this place. Charles kept stopping, paranoid by every sound that came their way. There were footsteps on the floor above them and shouts below them. Through the drywall the faint noise of a football game on a television set could be heard. It didn't help that the hallways were not designed for a person to carry a sword. Wild kept scrapping the tip of the blade against the sides, taking off paint every time he did it.

"Will you stop that?" Charles hissed at him.

"Sorry, I've only held it once before today!"

"Once...? Goddess, I thought you were trained!"

"Did you miss all that proofing back in the room? I only found out I was a Hero a few hours ago!"

"What...?" His face tightened. "You... but the photos-"

"Were taken without my knowledge or consent. I was just hanging out as a friend."

"You held the sword in those photos!"

"I didn't know what that meant until now!"

"STOP!" Twilight bit out. "Shut up... idiots!"

Wild and Charles hunched in guilt. "Sorry," they both said.

They continued on in silence.

Wild kept readjusting the sword in his hand, the lack of weight bothering him. It was too light. Something of this size shouldn't feel like air, so free and easy to move. He could hold this sword all day if he had to. Wild didn't feel any different. He didn't feel stronger or faster or more sure of himself. Wasn't he supposed to change, like a magical anime girl or something?

Goddess, what was he going to do if he did come across a Yiga member? There wasn't enough room here to swing the sword. He knew he had latent fighting abilities but Wild had no idea how to trigger it. How was he going to protect everyone here if he didn't know how to use this damn sword? Was there an ON switch or something?

They only gone a few more feet suddenly yelling started echoing through the halls.

"Master Kohga has been attacked!"

"The Heroes are gone!"

"Spread out and find them!"

"Shit!" Charles said. "We need to hide!"

There were like a million doors to choose from. "Hide where?" Wild demanded.

Charles pointed. Wild shoved the door open, briefly looked inside, then gestured to Charles to get in. Wild got in himself just in the nick of time, closing the door right before a dozen or so people rounded the corner, stomping by.

They were in a broom closet. Wild had the Master Sword pressed against his chest, his back against Charles' side, and poor Twilight was half-smushed against the wall next to him. He didn't seem to mind.

When no other noise came, Charles whispered, "Do you know even how to use that thing?"

"No..." Said Wild.

"Great."

Twilight groaned. "You... need... to... believe... in..."

"What?"

Their only light source came from outside, through the cracks in the door. Twilight's face could barely be seen, the single thread of light shining across his face like a slash. "Believe... in... her... and she... will believe... in... you."

"What the heck are you talking about? Who is she? The sword?"

"Yes..."

"Are you kidding me? What other helpful advice do you have for me? Believe in the heart of the cards? Swing away?"