VII.

~Minotaur Slayer~

The soul-less beast stood silent other than the occasional rattling of his chains. Tails looked up in utter horror. His mind couldn't even control his body. He fell backwards and was slowly pushing himself away from the beast. Charmy was in the same dilemma, his fear clouded his better judgement.

All the while Knuckles and Espio were still struggling to get free from their chains. Finally though, something happened to break loose and Knuckles had broken free. The chains still hung from his arms, but he had free range of motion unlike before. He went charging to the arena before he was stopped by a voice.

"Stop!" Espio cried. "I need to save Charmy!"

Knuckles turned around to look at Espio, then to Tails and Charmy and back to Espio. He decided that he needed help to save the two young children from the sizable beast.

As Knuckles ran back to help Espio, the Minotaur advanced upon his prey. With a muscled fist he struck downwards hitting the ground with mad fury. Fortunately, this scared the two out of their trance allowing them to scurry away.

As Knuckles reached Espio, he began frantically trying to open his chains as well. Knuckles wasn't sure he could take them off he was running out of time. A single guard turned the corner to the entrance. Without much effort Knuckles knocked him out and was able to find a key on his person. He unlocked Espio and Mavis, but was too distracted to remove the chains on his own arm. He disregarded the fates of the other men chained up there and headed for Tails and Charmy.

The Minotaur charged for Charmy who was slow and vulnerable. Tails saw this and tackled Charmy just barely dodging the blow. Charmy was surprisingly light to Tails, so he decided to just carry the bee.

"Charmy, we can't just run we have to fight!" Tails said with astonishing bravery in his voice.

"W-what?! Against that thing?" Charmy said on the brink of tears.

Tails stopped running, turned and faced the beast. He also readied his weapon. As he did so, he felt a moment of utter hopelessness as the Minotaur's eyes bore into his own. It was fast. Faster than anything he had ever seen before there was no time to react. He took, luckily, an unfocused blow from the Minotaur and was sent didn't stop the pain from spreading through his limbs though. Before his all too soon end came, a red blur passed his vision and stopped the Minotaur dead in his tracks before any advances could be made. Tails looked to the source. The sun blinded him slightly, so he just saw a shadowy silhouette of the echidna with his fist dug deep in the chest of the beast. Time was slower for him. He could see every fine detail of the scene down to the misted blood spurting from the Minotaur's mouth.

The beast flew back, but never lost his ground. He collapsed to one knee and panted heavily. Knuckles fell to his feet as Mavis caught the fox before he landed on the stone ground. He threw the key to the chameleon and Charmy was freed.

"Mavis! Go with Espio and lose yourselves among the masses of people!" Knuckles barked. His orders were obeyed without question.

Guards filed out of the stands in search of the four fugitives. Mavis took that as his queue to leave the scene, but he first spared some encouraging words for Knuckles.

"Knuckles, I'll get Tails out of danger. Take care of that beast."

Knuckles did the same and threw his fist out in front of him. As he made contact with his foe, attacks were already being dished out. Fists were being thrown this way and that, but occasionally Knuckles' or the Minotaur's attacks would hit their designated mark.

As the action intensified, Mavis, with Tails almost unconscious in his arms, led the group. Guards who cowered away from the battle below in the arena, chased after them and were catching up quickly. The group headed to the highest seats in the Coliseum. Espio, just behind Mavis, took one random bear and threw him down the steps to slow the progression of their pursuers. It worked, but only for so long. They simply hopped over him. A few stumbled and earned few bruises from the stone steps. There were several guards at the top of the steps that quickly caught on and tried to become road blocks.

Mavis had an idea, "Espio you and Charmy go right, I'll go left! We'll divide their attention. We won't have to worry about arrows either. They wouldn't dare to fire into the crowd!"

"Alright!" Espio said with Charmy flying close behind.

Espio turned sharply. He bumped and pushed people as he made his way through the seated attendees. The soldiers were struggling with their long capes and bulky armor to get through the sea of bodies. They ushered the people to move out of the way, but they were too quick. Unfortunately, another string of guards filed around them at the other side of the seated row. They were boxed in, but not really.

Espio grabbed Charmy and swung him high into the air, "Fly, Charmy!" and fly he did high into the blinding light of the sun. Espio stopped for a moment. As the guards closed in, he simply went invisible and promptly ran away.

On Tails' and Mavis' side they ended up hiding beneath a row of people to escape the guards the guards. Mavis found a seat on the top row, took his ragged shirt and fashioned it into a head dress. Tails had regained some consciousness and pulled his shirt up like a hood. Espio phased back into vision beside Mavis and Tails on the top row of seats. And finally, Charmy silently floated back down and covered his head like the other three.

"How will Knuckles fare, Mavis? We should help." Espio said concerned.

Tails looked down at the brawling beast and the energetic echidna. They were still blow for blow. "Knuckles will make it! I know it."

Mavis chimed in, "The young one is right. I know Knuckles he always prevails-" He realized that he had yet another slip of the tongue he ignored the questioning look from Tails.

"Wait, how do you know Knuckles? You've just met him." Tails pondered.

"Uh, Look!" he said changing the subject. "The battle shifts in the Minotaur's favor!"

Knuckles dodges several downtempo, unfocused attacks from the beast, but inevitably receives damage. While dodging, Knuckles felt a very particular pain in his chest it distracted him just long enough for the Minotaur to get the upper hand in battle and land a nearly debilitating strike. Knuckles was sent flying, but had no one to save him from the hard sand. He landed on his side roughly.

The snap of Knuckles' ribs could be heard from Mavis and the group's perspective. They all noticeably winced. Tails was about to cry out, but was stopped by Mavis with a hand over his mouth. Tear welled in his eyes.

Knuckles slowly started to build up he was on his knees with his right hand clutching at the pain in his side. The Minotaur charged once more. Knuckles manages to deflect, but not quite dodge the Minotaur's punch. He retreated not quite unscathed. His left arm was strained trying to defend against it.

The attack made the situation more real for Knuckles. Before he was running on the cheers of the crowd, but now he only heard silence.

Sweet silence.

Something in Knuckles snapped and he soon understood what he had to do. The Minotaur was relentless and rushed after Knuckles once more. He anticipated one of the Minotaur's attacks, a fist he knew would connect if nothing was done to stop it. As the Minotaur's weight shifted into the attack Knuckles moved his shoulder just out of the way of the move. The Minotaur noticed that he missed and swung his forearm at the echidna. Knuckles was just quick enough to catch it and drive a fist into the elbow of the beast,shattering bone and earning a loud cry of pain from it. Knuckles wasn't finished, however. The broken limb sent the Minotaur to the ground in pain. Before it could get up, Knuckles had already dealt another blow. This time directly into the Minotaur's jaw. The uppercut sent the Minotaur flying up off the the ground allowing Knuckles to get below the Minotaur and give it a devastating kick to the lower back as it fell. A deafening roar was unleashed from the crowd as it happened.

Knuckles was ready to continue fighting as he felt no pain, but had noticed something. The Minotaur remained grounded. He lied on his back looking as if he was struggling for air. He bellowed in frustration. Knuckles had realized what he had done. He severed the spine of the unfortunate beast. It looked over at him from the ground. Its face looked pained as if to say, End me.

Knuckles obliged with one final blow to the skull instantly killing the monster. Dead was the two hundred year old beast. It lies motionless upon the cracked, scarred earth. It seemed as if he committed a sin. The thought of death provoked him so much as to feel the need to give a silent prayer for the beast amidst the cheers of the crowd. He crouched down low and placed a hand on the unbreathing chest of the Minotaur.

"You were a formidable foe. Had I not been familiar fighting your kind, I'd have been a dead man. Peace to your spirit in the afterlife."

"See? I told you he would prevail!" Mavis said patting the back of the relieved fox.

"It's not over yet. We need to get out of here. Then, we can celebrate," Espio pointed out.

Knuckles, still caught up didn't realize that the king's sentinels were slowly surrounding him. As he realized it was far too late for him to do anything. He was cut off from all exits and the stands, but he hears a call from above him the flying fox was quickly heading towards him.

"Knuckles!" Tails said with his outstretched hands.

Knuckles looked up, astonished. Tails flew close enough to be caught by a well placed hand, but was very quick.

Knuckles grabbed Tails' hand and he went soaring into the sky. As was expected, arrows flew up after them. Most missed, but one was able to leave a thin cut on one of Tails legs.

"Tails! Get to the King if we can capture him we will be able to put an end to their persistence!" Knuckles said. He looked down at the outcrop where the King had been.

Little King Manik was getting worried in all the action. His guards escorted him away into the coliseum.

Before they got far, Knuckles was already closing in. Tails swung Knuckles onto the platform and followed behind the echidna who was now merely yards away from the king.

Mavis and the others had made their way to the outcropping as well and they were close behind.

The king and his men came to a stop down the middle of the hallway. The group finally closed in on the King and his few guards. Just as they thought they had the advantage. Another dozen and a half guards appeared seemingly from nowhere in the dark corridor.

"Ha! Outsmarted again!" King Manik said condescendingly. "There's no way you'd ever get your hands on me!"

A deep scowl adhered itself to Espio's face. He hated the feeling of being backed against a wall. Literally and figuratively. He thought about his options. If he went invisible the guards would undoubtedly slaughter the rest of his group, so, already, he was out of tricks.

Knuckles knew that brute force wouldn't work on twenty odd men, so he just stood his ground. Mavis could do something about the current situation, but was unsure if the possible outcome was worth the risk of simply being captured again. He took a chance he put his hands in the air show no ill will on his part. He got a strange, but understanding look from everyone until he clasped his hands together and released them. A blinding light was emitted from his hands. All the hostile men were thrown back. Some were thrown into the wall and others were sent flying. The group used this as a chance to leave. The king was also pushed away, so he was beyond reach, but the group was still able to make an escape. They continued through the inner workings of the coliseum and their pursuers made a quick recovery.

Mavis turned around facing the attackers and spoke to the group. "You must all get out of here. We won't be able to leave with all of these people chasing us. I will be able to hold them off. I have spells that will protect me!"

"What?! I won't leave you Mavis!"

Unexpectedly, Mavis addressed Knuckles by a name he hadn't heard in so long, "Sir Knight Knuckles the Echidna, it's an order!"

Knuckles stood dumbfounded for a moment. He was about to speak until Espio did, "You saw what Mavis was able to do to those guys earlier. He'll be able to take care of himself. Espio was interested by what Mavis had said, but he ignored it for the moment.

The soldiers were approaching and they began battling Mavis, but three had already been downed with his blade before Knuckles could even say a word.

"We'll head north from the entrance of this place! We'll wait for you!"

"Alright!" Mavis said distracted by his battle, "Now go!"

After a few tugs at the arm by Tails, Knuckles was eventually able to leave Mavis. Out of the exit now with little opposition, the group headed north as Knuckles said.

Into the brush went the fugitives away from the chaotic limbs of the government.

To be continued...

xXxXx

I want to make an apology to anyone who has read and enjoyed my story. I got a bit caught up with the real world and totally forgot about my writing, so I took a little bit longer to make a (hopefully) more detailed chapter for you guys.

My Apologies,

-Damien