Sonic Heroes: Desert Winds
Chapter Four: The Heat of Battle
The scene opens to the deserted planet of Areno, but several miles west of the Jade Jungle. Despite the heat radiating from the twin suns, nothing could compare to molten depths of the scarlet-stoned volcano placed in the endless sea of sand. While streams of molten magna flowed through specially designed courses, the villagers settled in the heart of the volcano remained undisturbed. The village of the Areno tribe was seated at the top of a stone pillar at least a mile above the lava flow – homes and structures were shaped from obsidian rock. The inhabitants themselves were a mixed breed of creatures, all bearing the same symbol: three crimson claw marks.
"Did you hear what Gilo found in the Molten Canyon?"
"Yeah, I heard it was an echidna."
"An echidna? I thought the Blackhearts killed off the last one."
Being a close-knit colony, it was natural for the news of their newest arrival to spread fast. In one of the smaller stone homes close to the heart of the village, Knuckles the Echidna lie helplessly on the stiff, stone mattress. His breathing was uneasy and sweat was coursing down his forehead – the heat of the volcano was getting to him. Just then, an unknown character walked through the curtained doorway, slowly making it approach to the former guardian. The shadowed figure stretched its hands out closer to the echidna and...
"Don't even think about it."
The unknown creature was caught by surprise as Knuckles' hand snapped up and captured him by the wrist. The hot-blooded echidna opened his eyes for the first time as he sat up, inspecting his unwanted intruder. From the looks of it, he was nothing more than a green-furred canine somewhere around twelve years of age. He wore a dirty-brown vest and a pair of open-toed sandals, which gave his a scruffy appearance. The young hound smirked deviously, despite the increased pressure on his arm.
"Oh, you alive." The hound chuckled. "Looks like we don't have to cremate you after all."
"What are you doing here?" Knuckles questioned seriously.
"The leader asked me to make sure you were cool." The canine answered. He pointed with his eyes, directing the echidna's attention to the wet cloth in his hand. Once realizing he was no threat, Knuckles released him. "Thanks. You know, some people would consider it rude to break the arm of the person trying to help you."
"I've always been the cautious type." Knuckles stated, accepting the cloth and throwing it over his eyes. "Ahh, it's so hot. The last time I felt kind of heat, I was fighting Rouge in an active volcano."
"Well, isn't that a coincidence." The canine laughed. "You're in one now."
"Say what?!" Knuckles exclaimed, throwing the cloth off.
Before the younger canine could respond, the hot-blooded echidna jumped off the stiff bed and dashed through the curtained doorway. What he found was far from expected. Instead of the cool, starry skies of Night Babylon, he discovered the radiant walls of the volcano covering everything in sight. The mouth of the mountain was partially blocked off by a thick cloud of smoke, concealing the twin suns. The only light provided for the village was the number of fire lanterns hanging from homes and the veins of lava circulating across the walls. Knuckles, spaced out and confused, was attracting the attention of the tribe members as he staggered around with fright apparent on his face.
"Where...?" Knuckles gasped. "How...? What...?"
"Don't act so surprised." The canine said as he followed Knuckles out. "I'm sure this isn't the first time you've been here."
"Where exactly is here?" Knuckles questioned.
"Ok, maybe I'm wrong." The canine shrugged. "Anyway, you're in the heart of the Crimson Volcano." He swirled around the echidna and stared at the birthmark on his chest. "So, which tribe do you hail from? We've looked through all our records and we couldn't find any tribe marking that matches yours."
"That's because it's a birthmark." Knuckles said awkwardly. "I'm the last descendent of the Knuckles Tribe."
"The Knuckles Tribe?" The canine repeated confused. "Are they related to the Redclaws or the Whitetails?"
"Redclaws and Whitetails?!" Knuckles exclaimed, attracting more attention than needed. "What the hell are you talking about?! Where on Earth am I?!"
"Uh...what's an Earth?" The canine asked nervously. "Is that some kind of vegetable?"
That last sentence was enough to silence the hot-blooded echidna – now it was all starting to make sense. If these creatures have never heard of Earth or the legendary echidna wars, then there was only one possible explanation: he was in another world. But there were so many questions that continually buzzed around his mind like Charmy on a sugar rush. How was he transported to this world? What happened to Rouge? And more importantly, was anyone else affected by this transfer?
"If anything, no doubt Sonic would be mixed up in this." Knuckles thought. "Now the real question is who is behind this whole thing. The logical possibility would be Eggman. But...why would he bring me here?"
"Uh...hello!" The canine yelled, waving his hand in the echidna's face. "Is anyone still alive in there?"
"I have a few questioned." Knuckles said suddenly. "If I'm not on my world, then where in the universe am I?"
"Well, you're on a desert world called Areno." The canine asked. "The whole world is made of mostly sand, but there are some places that exist where other tribes live." He waved his hand to the surroundings. "This is the Crimson Volcano, home to the Redclaw tribe. This is where we mine precious ores and smelt them to make strong metal used for weapons and other assorted needs."
"You mentioned something about other tribes." Knuckles said.
"Yeah, there are six tribes in all." The canine explained. "You've got the Redclaws, Bluefins, Greenwings, Blackhearts, Whitetails, and the Greyfangs. We each have our own means of surviving..."
"And do you people have a leader?" Knuckles interrupted.
"All of the tribes have a master that commands the populace." The canine continued. "You see, the way each tribe obtains a leader is through..."
"Take me to him." Knuckles commanded.
"Yeesh, not the patient one are ya?" The canine said disappointedly. "All right, just try to keep up and stay out of trouble."
The hot-blooded echidna crossed his arms and glared menacingly – the canine shuddered under his gaze. As Knuckles followed the forest-green hound across the village, he took careful notice of their lifestyle. The Redclaws seemed to have little supply of food or water, but have somehow managed to push their way through this dilemma. Their main line of work was apparently found in metal work, which had its advantage with all the ore and lava abundant in the volcano. Unlike Sonic, Knuckles was able to fit in with the colony effortlessly due to the mixed breeds everywhere. After a long walk through the stone roads, the canine child led the Knuckles downwards through a series of steps to lead away closer to the lava flow.
"Where are you taking me?" Knuckles questioned.
"To the arena." The canine answered. "The leader likes to train during this time."
"Training, huh?" Knuckles smirked. "He must be a strong guy if he's this disciplined."
"Uh...in a way." The canine sniggered
After a few flight of stairs, Knuckles and his guide could see the arena floating on top of the lava river. The place looked like it used to be part of the main village before breaking off. The walls were made from purified obsidian with six curved spikes decorated overhead. The duo reached the bottom step and reached stone bridge that stretched across the molten sea and towards the entrance of the coliseum. Knuckles and the canine reached the coliseum entrance shortly. Upon enter, the echidna found a wide battleground covered with stalagmites and a thin stream of lava in the center. Raised stands were placed around the battlefield – this was most likely a collective sport.
"So, where's your leader?" Knuckles questioned.
"Over there." The canine said, pointing lazily.
The hot-blooded echidna followed the directions given to him, finally taking notice of the battling duo emerging from behind the rocks. One of them was a heavy-muscled coyote with bright-orange fur and a black scar over his left eyes. He was garbed only in white bandages placed across his waist, wrists, and ankles. Due to his obvious strength, K knuckles had ventured a guess to say that he was the leader of the Redclaws. But out of curiosity, his eyes wandered over to the coyote's opponent, who amazingly curled around his fist.
His opponent was a female jackal with black fur and white stripes running down her exposed back and forearms, two red stripes over her eyes, and a red diamond birthmark on her forehead. She wore a short sleeveless green shirt, a pair of red/gray sneakers, tattered gray pants, and a red bandanna wrapped around her left shoulder. The symbol of the Redclaws was present for both of them, symbolizing their rank as warriors. The two warriors were attacking left and right with neither showing signs of exhaustion.
"Heh! Looks like she's giving him a hard time!" The canine cheered. "You know, not many people are allowed to see the master practice. I wonder who will come out on top this time."
"I don't have time to wait." Knuckles growled.
"Wait, what?!" The canine exclaimed as Knuckles jumped down into the battlefield. "Hey, you're not supposed to be down there!"
The two Redclaws warriors stopped their battle momentarily as the impatient echidna landed a short distance away. Knuckles stared down at them with the coldest glare he could muster, but neither warrior was disturbed by this. After exchanging glances with the female jackal, the coyote stomped closer to the echidna, cracking his knuckles.
"This arena has been privately reserved for the Master's use." The coyote growled lowly. "You're trespassing."
"Listen, I just need to have a word with you." Knuckles said.
"Oh, you'll get more than a word." The coyote proclaimed, grappling the echidna's shoulder. "After I'm done with you, they'll need a scouter hound to find..."
But the cocky coyote was cut off as Knuckles grabbed his wrist and flung him effortlessly over his shoulder. The muscle-bound titan snarled and kicked back to his feet, swinging his fist backwards. However, Knuckles proved that his strength was more than a match for him and easily captured the beast's hand. The arrogant coyote struggled to withdraw him limb, but the former guardian's grip was unyielding. Sighing loudly, Knuckles released his hold and watched the muscle-bound coyote fly across the arena and slam his head into the wall. The bulky warrior groaned – his vision blurred for a few short moments when Knuckles stood overhead with his arms crossed impatiently.
"Ugh...what are you?" The coyote moaned.
"This is pathetic." Knuckles scoffed. "You're supposed to be the leader of this whole tribe?"
"Actually, that would be me." The former guardian turned on his heels, surprised to see the female jackal approach him while wiping her sweat away with a cloth. "You must be the new guy from another world that I've been hearing about. My name is Lia the Jackal, first-class elite and leader of the Redclaw tribe."
"Excuse me, Master!" The canine screamed, falling on his face between them. "Whoo, that was a rush. Anyway, I'm terribly sorry for disturbing you during your training time. It's just that guy is so hotheaded and..."
"It's ok, Loki." Lia nodded. "I'm an understanding person. Just give me a few moments alone with our guest while you take Grise to get something for his headache."
"At once, Master Lia." Loki saluted.
The forest-green canine grabbed the warrior called Grise by his tail, fruitlessly trying to drag him along. Loki tried every method he could think of, but his body was too small to lift even the coyote's forearm. Quickly growing annoyed by the display, Knuckles lifted both Loki and Grise with each hand and tossed them over the arena wall. Lia whistled impressively, watching the duo disappear beyond the boundaries.
"Impressive." Lia complimented. "You're just about the second strongest fight in the Redclaw tribe, next to me, of course."
"Can the small talk." Knuckles growled impatiently. "I don't know what kind of joke your playing, but I'm not buying it. Where is your real leader hiding?"
"You're looking at her." Lia glared; Knuckles scoffed in disbelief. "What? You think I'm not good enough to lead this tribe?"
"Listen, I don't really have time to mess with you." Knuckles stated firmly. "I need to figure out how I ended up in this world and how I can get back to my home. And quite frankly, I don't need to waste my time with a little girl."
"Little girl?!" Lia shouted furiously; Knuckles staggered in a moment of fear. "Where in the Shadow Realm do you come off calling me a little girl?! I have been through over a hundred battles, fought back against three invasions, and led my tribe to safety during the Great Shock! You cannot tell me that I am not good enough for this tribe!!"
"And I thought Rouge was loud." Knuckles stammered shakily.
"All right, you mole-nosed rodent." Lia growled, pulling Knuckles by his dread. "I'm going to make you an offer. If you win, I will assist you in finding out the reason you trespassed on my homeland. But if I win, you have to take back every word you said and become my personal servant for a year."
"Isn't that a bit steep?" Knuckles asked worried. "I already have a wife who makes me give her pedicures every week."
"Don't tell me you're afraid of a little girl." Lia smirked.
"Not on your life." Knuckles said with his eyes narrowed.
The two fighters stood in complete silence – the lava bubbled echoingly and the intense heat bringing sweat to their brows. And then it happened – Lia kissed his cheek before back flipping away. The former guardian's face was red with embarrassment, leaving him unguarded for Lia initiate a clean strike. Once at a distance, the female jackal reached into his pants pocket and withdrew a steel claw with three blades. Lia latched the Tri-claw to her left hand and charged ahead, throwing a deadly swipe with extreme accuracy to his neckline. But at the last moment, Knuckles' warrior instincts kicked in and the echidna threw his hand out, capturing the Redclaw leader by her wrist. The feminine hound was surprised by his speed and was barely able to catch herself in the air when Knuckles threw her over his shoulder.
"Hey, no one said you could use weapons!" Knuckles complained.
"You really are from another world." Lia smirked. "In the arena, all manners of physical weapons are acceptable."
"Is there anything you can't do in this place?" Knuckles questioned.
"Actually, there are a few rules." Lia explained. "A fighter cannot accept help unless more than one warrior from each tribe has been registered to battle. Killing is allowed, but not if the opponent forfeits beforehand. And warriors are allowed to use animals and vehicles for assistance."
"Pretty straightforward." Knuckles stated, stretching his muscles. "All right, if that's how it's going to work. That I guess I should start playing seriously."
"Do me a favor and stop trying to act macho." Lia taunted.
The warrior jackal brought her Tri-claw in front and dashed a few feet before kicking ten feet into the air. As Lia slowly descended towards the ground, Knuckles strapped his goggles over his eyes and slowly reached behind his back. Once she was in range, Lia swiped her Tri-claw across Knuckles' face – the sound of metal clashing echoed across the battleground. Lia landed shakily, surprised that Knuckles was able to draw up a weapon similar to her own. It has been a long time since Knuckles was force to use the Shovel Claws, but he couldn't think of a more perfect time.
"So, you have experience in armed combat, too." Lia smirked, raising her Tri-claw. "Then this should be fun."
With both their weapons poised to strike, Knuckles decided to take the offense this time around. The hot-blooded echidna dashed across the rocky battlefield, scraping his claws along the ground. As soon as Knuckles was close enough to attack, Lia swung her arm backwards and attempted a swift stab. But the former guardian swiped his Shovel Claws upwards and kicked up a heavy cloud of dust from the ground. The female jackal was blinded by the flying ash, giving her opponent the perfect opportunity to perform a counterassault. The former guardian raised his foot and slammed his heel into Lia's abdomen, sending her flying through two stalagmites and stopping close to the lava stream. Knuckles flinched slightly – his ankle felt sore after the attack.
"She's a lot stronger than she looks." Knuckles thought, hissing as he set his foot down. "I haven't felt this terrible since I accidentally scratched Shadow's bike. Man, he's obsessed with that thing."
Lia panted as she slowly crawled to her knees, wiping the blood away from her maw. For as long as she could remember, there was only one occasion where she was nearly killed off by a single blow. This echidna was clearly hiding his full power – how strong was he?
"Well, I'll give you some credit." Lia complimented as she stood. "You're the only one besides my father who has ever actually managed to make me work up a sweat. So it looks like the gloves are off."
"But you aren't wearing gloves." Knuckles said bluntly.
"Is...he serious?" Lia sweat dropped.
Though finding Knuckles lack of coherent thought astounding, the Redclaw was no about to be distracted. The hot-blooded echidna raced forward and stabbed his Shovel Claws ahead. But at the last moment, Lia dropped on her back and pressed her feet into Knuckles' chest, throwing him directly over the lava stream. The former guardian could already feel the lava burning at his fur, but he was not one to surrender so easily. At the last moment, Knuckles turned in midair and stabbed his shovel claws into the ground only a few centimeters from the lava flow. Using his weapons as a base, the hot-blooded echidna propelled himself back into the battle and straight for the unknowing jackal. Lia was just picking herself up when Knuckles came from behind and wrapped his arms around her torso, pinning her arms at her side.
"What...in the...Shadow Realm?" Lia growled.
"I have fought ancient gods, vile machines, and a four thousand year-olds traitor." Knuckles said, struggling to hold his grip. "Compared to them, I can handle you."
"You have an impressive record." Lia smirked. "But could any of them do this."
All of a sudden, Knuckles heard the sound of bones cracking from below. Looking down, the hot-blooded warrior was equally shocked and amazed to discover that Lia had twisted her lower half completely around to face him. How was it even possible for any living being to perform this. And while Knuckles struggled to find the answer, Lia placed her reversed leg against his chest and pushed him away. The hot-blooded echidna slide backwards only a few inches, watching Lia twisted her body back to its normal position in midair before landing.
"How did you...?" Knuckles stammered.
"Triple jointed bone structure." Lia answered confidently. "I can contort me body into any shape I desire. That is one of the many reasons I have never been captured."
"This is insane." Knuckles said fearfully. "How do I beat someone that I can't catch?"
"That's the point." Lia smirked. "You can't."
With her Tri-claw raised for action, the Redclaw leader dashed forward for the final conflict. Pushing his fear away, the former guardian stabbed his Shovel Claws ahead, only to be sorrowfully disappointed. Lia had performed a perfect split as Knuckles attacked and slid between his legs before snapping back into proper form. With her back still turned, the feminine jackal crooked her leg backwards and wrapped it around her opponent's throat. Knuckles was completely caught off guard that he had no time to think of a counterattack. Lia smirked and bended forward, throwing the former guardian in an arch, and piledrived his head into the stone floor without moving her other foot. Lia released her foothold over her opponent and returned to her normal posture with an expression of victory present. The Redclaw leader kneeled down to her defeated opponent, bringing her Tri-claw to his neckline.
"Game over." Lia whispered.
"That was impossible." Knuckles said stunned, sitting up. "I've trained my whole life to protect that Master Emerald and now I have failed helplessly against someone who lacks my experience. Have I really fallen that far?"
"I think we know what the deal was?" Lia grinned deviously. "You are now my personal servant for the next twenty-one months."
The feminine warrior could not feel any more elated – she just loved making men cry like the whining babies they were. But once taking a second glance at the echidna, her jubilations were sorely dampened. Knuckles was staring at his Shovel Claws, possibly wondering how he was defeated by someone younger than him. Lia may love to destroy the egos of others, but now she felt that she had taken the fight a little too far. Knuckles' may have been put up a valiant fight, but it sounded like he took great pride in his strength. The Redclaw leader sighed, taking a seat next to the echidna.
"Listen, you really shouldn't take this loss too badly." Lia said comfortingly. "You can't win every battle. If people always won in battles, we would never be able to grow with experience. Basically, a defeat is only an opportunity to expand your prowess and become stronger the next time."
"I already knew that, but thanks for trying." Knuckles smiled gratefully. "I can truly understand why you were chosen to take over the tribe. If you're going to select a leader, it would be the one who is compassionate to her subjects."
"Then what in the Shadow Realm are you moping about?!" Lia exclaimed.
"I'm not moping, I'm thinking." Knuckles stated. "I realize that there are strong opponents on Areno, but I'm still nowhere closer to finding out how I got here."
"Listen..." Lia said awkwardly, scratching her head. "I know this wasn't part of the deal. But maybe – if you want to – you could join the Redclaws and become a first-class warrior and maybe get stronger along the way. And with time, we might just be able to find out how you came to Areno and find your way back home."
"Thanks." Knuckles answered happily. "I'd like that."
"Then I will make the announcement tomorrow." Lia nodded as she stood up. "Until then, you can clean out the waste in the sand-carrier pens."
"Say what?!" Knuckles exclaimed.
The scene alternates to the deserted wasteland farther north of the Crimson Volcano. A cloud of sand kicked across the skyline as a motorized vehicle traced across the dunes at a regulated speed. Toxin the Basilisk was seated on top of the four-wheeled vehicle – his body remained completely still even while the driver was jumping over the dunes. The Greyfang elite sighed, feeling the saw-blade shield under his hands as the light reflected off the surface to the blindfolded serpent.
"Another clean victory, Toxin." The Greyfang laughed. "That stupid Blackheart stood no chance against the strongest fighter in Areno. Next to the master, of course."
"Was it a victory?" Toxin asked rhetorically. "I may have won that battle, but the Greyfangs are dreadfully behind in the coming war. We tried to make contact with other dimensions, yet we have failed to acquire a warrior of our own. At the same time, the Greenwings are reaping our rewards. It feels that we may be..."
But the legendary serpent never allowed himself to finish the sentence – his nostrils flared with a new scent. Without warning, Toxin jumped off the vehicle and ran across the sand in an unknown direction. The driver was forced to make a short stop to turn around before giving chase to his passenger. By the time he caught up the serpent, he was staring blankly at a crumpled figure lying motionlessly in the sand.
"What...is that?" The Greyfang asked, gaining a better view of the creature.
"Contact the master immediately." Toxin commanded. "Tell him we have found a new warrior."
The trials of fate lead to many unexpected turns. Will Knuckles discover the secret of his sudden transport? How will this affect the destiny of the world? And who is this newly discovered fighter? Find out on the next Desert Winds!
Please, read and review.