AN: hey Guys here's another chapter for you, I wanna give a huge thanks to all of you who have followed/faved. It means so much that you guys want to read what I write.
Christian Wolf27: Herakai's many adventure's are just beginning and i can't wait to write them. as for your question, I'm not sure it is still a bit early in the story for me to incorporate new characters out side of Herakai and the canon characters, it's definitely something for me to think about and i thank you for your offer, I might take you up on it later maybe.
A few hours later.
The moon was high in the now dark sky and Herakai was taking a break on a small bolder. Deciding to try his mother's ocarina, he pulled it from his belt and took a big breath before putting the instrument to his lips. The sound was muffled; looking over the instrument he didn't see any damage on it. On a whim he gently shook the ocarina, he was rewarded with the sound of something rolling around on the inside. Turning the instrument upside down and gently shaking it again trying to get what ever was blocking his ocarina. After about 15 minutes the task was being made harder by the fact that Herakai was starting to feel the effects of inter-dimensional travel, as well as the last few hours of walking. Then the corner of the object found it's way to one of the finger holes.
"Finally!" Herakai exclaimed in exasperation as he grabbed the corner and tugged. The object pulled free without much resistance. Once out, Herakai looked at the object to see that it was a small roll of paper, unrolling it he saw the title. Herakai's lullaby, under that was written notes for the lullaby, witch his mother must have simplified for him to be able to play. After studying the lullaby for a couple of minutes, he brought the ocarina to his lips and began to play.
Meanwhile up in the clouds Sally Acorn and Bunny Rabbot were on the back of Daulcy the Dragon doing a late night recon of the plains just east of the Great forest. This happened twice a week with a rotating roster of 3 people set to scout out the areas around the Great forest, this was so Robotnik couldn't lunch a surprise attack on them if he discovered the location of Knothole. Sally's thoughts drifted to Tails, they had been late in leaving as Tails wouldn't go to bed and was insisting that he can do lookout tonight. It took the combined effort of Sally, Bunny and Sonic to put the ten-year-old to bed and much to his protest. She was brought out of her thoughts by a nudge from Bunny, looking over at the rabbit that smiled.
"Thinking of Tails sugar?" Bunny asked in her southern drawl.
"Yeah, he was very stubborn tonight." Replied Sally
"He'll be fine, he still need's sleep at his age." Bunny reassured the squirrel girl.
"He's trying to grow up faster because there is no-one close to his age in Knothole, he's lonely." Said Sally sadly.
"Well there's not much we ca-, Hey! Do you hear that?" said Bunny suddenly lifting her other ear up to hear better.
"What, I don't hear anything." Replied Sally while looking at the scenery below them.
"I hear it." Said Daulcy, speaking for the first time since they left knothole.
"Can you follow it?" asked Sally
"Sure I can, hang on!" said Daulcy as she dived for the source of the sound. As they got closer Sally began to hear it, it sounded like a flute or a recorder.
"It sound's so beautiful," said Bunny.
"It's making me feel.. so.. sleepy.." Daulcy uttered as she began to fall asleep in mid air. Only to be shaken awake a moment later by her two passengers.
"No time to sleep Sugar, focus on your landing" yelled Bunny as they plummeted down. Daulcy snapped awake and quickly opened her wings to slow their fall and change it into a glide. Once close enough to the ground Daulcy stuck out her feet to attempted a landing. But as her feet touched the ground Daulcy tripped and fell on her face throwing her two passengers off onto the ground in front of her.
"Sorry guy's" apologized Daulcy as she picked herself up and then her friends.
"It's ok Daulcy, just be a little more careful next time." Replied Sally as she brushed herself off. As the trio moved to the cover of a small hill they saw something that made their jaws drop. An overlander was sitting by a small fire playing what looked like a mini flute. He was dressed with a dark T-shirt, tan cargo pants and dirty skate shoes with it all looking like they were meant for someone bigger than him. His brown hair stuck up and outwards in spikes at the top of his head but as the hair grew out his hair submitted the wills of gravity, ending at a point somewhere between his shoulder blades. He had a sword strapped to his back and a concentrated look on his face a he played the instrument. The melody he was playing was sweet and slow and sounded like a lullaby, the smooth flowing tune of the instrument was interrupted by the squeak of a wrong note being played. Stopping immediately after his mistake he frowned and picked up a small note and studied it.
"He looks as young, as Tail's" Sally whispered to Bunny. Daulcy growled.
"Can I freeze him?" Sally shook her head.
"No, we will find out what he is doing here and go from there." She answered looking back to see the boy on guard all of a sudden.
"Who's there?" he called out while looking around with his right hand on the hilt of his sword. The three girls were shocked; they were a good 20 meters from the overlander and only spoke in whispers. An overlander shouldn't be able to hear them.
"I said who's there?" the boy repeated still looking for the source of the noise but was not game enough to move beyond the light of the fire, until Bunny sneezed. The boy clumsily drew his sword and held it out in front of him in a sloppy stance, eyes now locked on the source of the sound.
"Come out and into the light." He called. Sally quickly grabbed Bunny and signed to Daulcy 'Wait for my signal.' The dragon nodded her understanding and kept low while Bunny and Sally came out from behind the hill.
"It's ok, we are friendly." Sally called to the now shocked boy in front of them. Keeping his guard up, he called.
"Who are you guys?"
"Only if ya tell us your name first" shot back Bunny. The boy sighed.
"Joh-, Herakai." Sally raised an eyebrow
"Is it John or Herakai?" she asked as she prepared to give the signal to Daulcy.
"Herakai." He said lowering the weapon a little, "Your turn."
"Sally Acorn, and this is Bunny Rabbot" introduced Sally. The boy cocked his head to the side, like he was trying to figure out something.
"By any chance you're the Sally who is the leader of the freedom fighters?" he asked.
"Why should we tell ya?!" Said Bunny harshly getting a glare from Sally in the process.
"Because, I want to join." Replied Herakai as he lowed his sword. He couldn't help but feel like this was a strange request as the both of them were looking at him as though he was insane.
"Ya serious?" asked Bunny, Herakai nodded.
"Why would an overlander want to join the freedom fighters?" asked Sally.
"What do you mean? I'm not an overlander, come to think of it I don't think I'm technically human either." Said Herakai.
"Have you looked in a mirror lately?" Bunny remarked earning her an elbow from Sally who was trying to keep this diplomatic.
"If your not an overlander, what are you?" she asked. Herakai looked at her.
"Wera." Sally raised an eyebrow at this.
"Do you have any proof?" she asked, at this Herakai reached into his pocket and pulled a note from it, as he went to hand it to the squirrel girl he asked, "Dose this mean you are the Sally I'm looking for?"
"Depends if you're telling the truth." Sally replied as she took the note and began to read it with Bunny over her shoulder. After a few minutes Bunny put her non-metal hand to her mouth in shock as Sally's eyes went wide. Finishing the letter Sally handed it back,
"Can you show me how you opened the chest?" she asked starting to feel a little excited at the prospect of a Wera in the freedom fighters. Herakai nodded and retold how he went about opening the chest showing the girls the finger he cut to open it. Pulling what looked like a handheld computer from her boot and a slide from her blue jacket she held out the slide.
"Can I get some of your blood?" she asked. Herakai immediately ran the tip of his finger on the edge of his sword, wincing as the sharp blade cut into his flesh. Holding his finger over the slide as a big drop of blood deposited itself onto the slide, as this was done Sally flipped open the small computer.
"Nicole, analyze blood sample," said Sally
"Analyzing Sally." Came the drone like voice of Nicole.
"That thing talks?" asked Herakai but was hushed by Bunny.
"Blood sample Analyzed," Stated Nicole.
"What species does it belong to?" asked Sally.
"Blood sample is of Wera Origen, 99.99% match to known strains." Stated Nicole. Sally then closed the pocket computer and re-attached it to her boot.
"Ok, you are telling the truth, but what was all that stuff in the letter about this earth and why you were there." She asked, Herakai sighed.
"You might want to sit down, and call your friend over from behind that hill." At this, Daulcy burst from her cover and began to take a deep breath.
"Woah!" yelled Herakai in fright as he lifted his sword up to defend himself,
"Daulcy, stop! It's ok!" yelled Bunny but it was too late as Daulcy began to breathe ice at Herakai as the two mobians were trying to stop her. Thinking fast, Herakai dove left to avoid being flash frozen by hairs. Running out of breath, Daulcy halted her assault to take another breath but Sally and Bunny moved in front of the boy.
"Stop, Daulcy!" Yelled Sally. The dragon looked at the two as though they had just grown an extra head.
"What do you mean stop? He's an Overlander! One of Robotnik's kind, I herd him call out so I thought he was trying to hurt ya." She said glaring holes into the boy behind her two comrades.
"He's not an Overlander sugar, he's a Wera." Bunny informed the now confused Dragon.
"Wera? I thought they were all Robotosized." Replied Daulcy. Looking closer at the terrified child her friends were shielding.
"Not all of them apparently, I checked his blood and it was match to Wera DNA" added Sally turning around to the boy behind her.
"You ok?" she asked in a soft voice that only a mother would use. He nodded and proceeded to get off the ground, picking up his sword in the process and re-sheathing it on his back. His eye's on the now guilty looking dragon the whole time.
"S-sorry about that" the she-dragon stammered sheepishly. Herakai nodded and moved over to the rock he had been sitting on, picking up his ocarina in the process.
"Did you still want to know my story?" he asked as he sat down, the only answer he got was a loud grumble from his stomach. Grinning sheepishly he looked up at the three girls.
"Do you have any food?" Asked Herakai as he put a hand on the offending area. Sally quickly reached into her jacket and pulled out one of Rosie's homemade energy bar's that was wrapped in a clean handkerchief. Unwrapping it, she handed it to the hungry 12 year old that began to eat like it was his first meal in ages.
Bunny raised an eyebrow, "When was the last time ya ate sugar?" Herakai finished cramming the whole bar into his mouth and after a few chew's he swallowed and replied. "Three days."
"THREE DAYS!?" all three of the girls repeated in shock. Sally moved over to the small fire Herakai made and began to smother it with dirt.
"Why haven't you eaten in three days?" she asked in her motherly tone again and instantly regretted it as Herakai began to tear up.
"Because freaks don't deserve a hot meal, only scraps off the floor like the animal I am." He quoted as tears began to run down his face. Instantly he felt a pair of arms wrap around him as Sally pulled him close rubbing his back in small circles like she dose for Tails when he has a nightmare. As soon as his crying had dulled down to sniffles and hiccups, Sally released him from her hug and looked him in his dark green eye's.
"Your story can wait till you have had a good meal and some rest, how dose that sound?"
Herakai nodded and began to pocket the lullaby and the letter as well as reattaching the ocarina to his belt. Turning to face the girls who were already on Daulcy's back, he went to clime on too but was stopped by the dragon.
"Sorry kiddo, no more room on my back, I'll have to carry you in my arms if that's ok?" Herakai nodded before getting scooped up by the dragon.
"Please don't drop me." Said Herakai nervously.
"Wouldn't think of it." Came Daulcy's reply as she spread her wings and took off and headed for knothole. The flight didn't take long, maybe 10, 15 minutes. But it was long enough for Herakai to fall asleep in the dragon's arms.
Herakai felt himself being gently shaken; slowly opening his eye's to see Bunny standing beside him as well as Daulcy above him.
"Come on sugar, let's get you something to eat then get you ta bed." Herakai nodded as Daulcy slowly set him on his feet, wobbling for a second till he got his footing and began to follow Bunny. They came to a large area that resembled a mess hall. Leading him right past the tables, Bunny lead him through a set of doors into a small kitchen. The cupboards lined the walls with an oven in the corner with a fridge next to it and the smell of something freshly baked, Herakai inhaled the air as if attempting to eat the treat by smell alone. Seeing this, Bunny smiled. "You like Rosie's cooking?" The young Wera nodded excitedly.
"Then your gonna love this" said the Rabbit as she opened the fridge door to reveal more food than Herakai had ever seen in his short life. Pulling out a lot of fruit and a bit of bread, she handed them to Herakai who had only a stunned look on his face.
"I.. I can eat all of this, right?" he said looking at the rabbit in front of him. Bunny was shocked, 'what did they do to this kid?' she thought as she smiled and nodded.
"Yes sugar, eat till your full." Herakai didn't need telling twice as he quickly sat down in a chair by the wall and began scoffing the food as if it was going to be taken back if he didn't eat fast enough. Bunny chuckled, "Slow down, or you will give yourself a stomach ache." She chided the starving boy; Herakai slowed down a little but continued till all of the fruit and bread he was given was gone. Feeling full for the first time in what felt like a long time Herakai began to yawn as Sally walked in.
"Feeling better?" she asked the now drowsy 12 year old. Herakai nodded and rose from his seat. "Thank you," he said with an incline of his head.
"It's ok, now until we find you a place to stay, you can sleep in Tail's hut." Sally replied as she turned to Bunny "Sonic wants to talk to Herakai tomorrow, go get some sleep, I'll take him to bed." Bunny nodded before wishing the both of them goodnight and departing. Once she was gone Sally turned the young boy in front of her. "Follow me." She said with a smile as she lead him out of the kitchen and away from the mess hall. While they walked Herakai was fighting to stay awake, stumbling a few times as he walked and almost walking strait into Sally when she stopped outside a small hut. Turning to Herakai and putting a finger to her lips Sally slowly opened the door to the small hut and let them inside. Herakai couldn't see much inside the hut but he heard the light breathing of another person in the hut with them. Quickly and quietly, Sally gave Herakai a blanket and pointed to the couch next to them. Nodding Herakai sat down removing his sword, ocarina and his shoes before lying down on the couch.
"Goodnight Herakai." Said Sally's in barely a whisper. Her words falling on deft ears as he was already asleep.
AN: Please leave a review to let me know what you think of the story and if have any questions on it as well as if I need to make any improvements,
Good day
