X O X - CHAPTER SEVEN - X O X
Sonic didn't remember when he had curled in the patchwork blanket. The scent of sweat and dirt roused him from his slumber, reminding him he was still on the open road and not in the safe comfort of the echidna village. He yawned, stretched, and his knuckles knocked on the inside of the tree, reminding him of his location. His eyes went wide when he remembered the events of the earlier night, and sat up kicking the blanket away.
Sonic was alone, and there was something big blocking the entrance of the hollow tree he had taken for a shelter. He rubbed his eyes and blinked again to make sure he was not imagining things. Shadow was a werehog again, big and burly and perhaps ready to ream him into the ground for his misdeeds. Shadow stirred at the sounds of Sonic getting up and brushing his clothes, he raised his head and turned to look at Sonic, expression irate.
Shadow scowled and sat up in a motion Sonic noted was slower than usual. Sonic rubbed his eyes as he exited the shelter, still groggy. "Good morning?" he greeted, a little nervous.
Shadow glowered at him, not in the least bit pleased. "Go home." He grouched.
Sonic scratched an ear to make sure he heard it right. "Excuse you?"
"I never wanted you to come along since the beginning." Shadow curled his lips in a grimace.
Shadow's anger was brewing, and Sonic could tell Shadow latched onto self control by a thread, yet it did not frighten nor faze him. If anything, it made him giddy. Sonic was also not sure if the grimace was in anger or pain, Shadow's expression was a torn mix of both. He shrugged and flashed a non-too-caring smile. "I know you're too proud to admit it, but you need me around, Shad." His smile widened at Shadow's affronted gape. "You can't tell me you'll be able to survive a full moon without help. You were downright pathetic last night."
"Why you little- !" Shadow raised his paws to smite him.
Sonic shot a hand up to signal him to stop, which halted Shadow in a second. "I admit what I did last night was uncalled for and I'm sorry." He lowered his hand to express his sincere concern, which perplexed Shadow into a standstill more. "But also, let's face it. You haven't spent more than a handful of nights by yourself, and you need all the help you can get."
"I don't need your help." Shadow barked. His cheeks colored in a purple hue, offended and embarrassed.
"On a dangerous mission like this, you're asking to get killed." Sonic retorted in a tone so sharp it had Shadow inch back in surprise, ears pinned back. "Do you think Amy and Rouge would forgive me if I turned tail and left after knowing this?"
Shadow's anger faltered, he clinched his jaw and chose his words with care. "You are under no obligation to cater for my needs, nor am I in need of you." He whirled around and marched out of the clearing. "Leave or stay, it does not matter to me." He muttered.
Sonic gathered his things and chased after Shadow with a cheerful grin. When he caught up Shadow's ire wasn't as bitter as he had expected, instead it looked torn. He did not press, it was better to leave things be.
They walked side by side for a while, long enough for their differences to melt away as if the argument never took place. It was some time later Sonic noticed Shadow flicked odd glances his way, tail curled between his legs, and ears lowered looking like horns again. It looked like Shadow wanted to say something, but resisted the urge to do so.
Sonic decided to break the ice since Shadow was being timid for a change. "Ya know, if it would make you feel better, you were awful cute in that form." He grinned, wide and cheeky.
Sonic bit back his laughter when he saw the color change across Shadow's muzzle. Sonic jabbed his elbow into Shadow's thigh in a playful manner, then opened his mouth to continue ribbing. His witty rambling was cut when to his surprise, Shadow winced away with a yip of pain then shot Sonic an irate sneer. Shadow walked ahead faster, irritated by his obnoxious company, muscles twitched under the thin layer of fur with a slight spasm.
Sonic figured it out. When Shadow suffered physical pain during his transformation, it carried on to the next day when he becomes a werehog. Shadow's body was raw and tender and needed time to recover. His fur was thin again which meant he needed time to grow it back as well.
Sonic matched Shadow's pace and avoided eye contact. After a minute of silence he dared his luck and sank his hand into the pelt and gripped a handful. As expected, Shadow jolted away with a yowl and jumped away from the offending grip. What Sonic hadn't expected was the infuriated snarl and horrid morning-breath shoved at his face. He staggered back and fell on his rear with a yelp.
"I am more than capable of tormenting you throughout the year." Shadow threatened, his eyes bright with bitter anger. "Do you think it's smart to assault me on the night I can't, despite knowing that come morning I could bite your head clean off your shoulders?"
Sonic stuck out his tongue, which had Shadow so stumped his jaw slacked open. "Why shouldn't I take advantage? You're stronger than me every other day of the year." He retorted. He got up and brushed his seat, then shifted his weight to one leg and crossed his arms, defiant and unafraid. "Besides, you can't say you didn't enjoy it." he goaded with a broad grin and half lidded eyes, he wiggled his eyebrows to emphasize his point.
Shadow stammered at Sonic's smug smile and opened his mouth so retort, but nothing came to mind. He worked his jaw and failed, too boggled to think of anything strong enough to get his thoughts across. Infuriated with his inability to reprimand the impish child, Shadow spun around and grumbled a string of incoherent slurs under his breath, this time keeping distance between himself and Sonic. Sonic chuckled and skipped after Shadow, sure to keep their personal space.
The hours bled from sunrise to sunset, and Sonic found a bustling town down the road to provide him with nourishments, plus something which could not be packed in a bottle. He left his belongings by a creek, because Shadow needed a bath to rinse the sweat that clung to his fur, and wash out the terrible taste in his mouth which he could not figure out where it had come from.
Sonic needed some late night entertainment. He wandered into town, made his way into a bar and hooked himself a lovely lady whom he courted for a one-night stand.
Shadow, bitter and alone with damp and cold fur, peered with tired red eyes into the oblivion that surrounded him. He found comfort in his solace yet sadness for having no one by his side. He closed his eyes and wished for a dreamless sleep, perhaps tomorrow would offer him a better day.
Sonic sang a merry tune as he stepped out of the tub and ruffled his quills dry with a nice, fluffy towel.
He had the most amazing evening last night. It felt so good to get laid after a long journey. He returned to the bedroom had he rented and grinned at the basket left by the door. His clothes were back from the cleaners, ironed and folded. The woman he courted was still asleep, so he placed a couple of rings by the night lamp where she would find it. He flung the towel over the chair's backrest, put on his clothes and then slung the knapsack over his shoulder.
As he exited the inn he placed rings on the counter, which the cashier accepted with a bright smile and an encouragement to come again. Outside, Sonic took in a deep breath of morning air and marched out of town, heading towards the creek to meet up with Shadow. When he got there he found the backpack remained where he left it, but the ground where Shadow sprawled was flat and cold, but not damp, which meant Shadow had left a long time ago.
Sonic worried if Shadow had ditched him, so he shouldered the backpack and tracked the footprints to find his wayward companion. If Shadow considered him unrequited company, it would serve to amuse Sonic more than annoy him. He had every intention to stick to Shadow like a tick. The tracks were hard to follow on rough and solid terrain, but Sonic was undeterred as tracking wasn't so difficult over soft soil.
Sonic arrived at a large lake, where the waters shimmered and sparkled under the rays of early morning sun, like diamonds. By the shore Shadow was sunbathing, sprawled with glistering wet fur over a huge outcropped boulder. Sonic stalked slow and steady, not wanting to disturb him, and was a little surprised to find Shadow was fast asleep. Sonic had not been detected.
Sonic wondered why Shadow left himself open like this, considering there was a bustling town not far off from where he was, which raised the chance of hunters. It was like inviting someone to come over and blast his head off his shoulders.
Sonic decided to sneak closer and stilled when the smallest hint of a frown developed over Shadow's brows, followed by the ears perking up before relaxing and flopping over his head again. Daring his luck, Sonic unloaded his luggage by the foot of the large rock and then climbed it to sit next to Shadow, then began scratching him behind the ear.
Shadow's skin twitched in reaction and he flinched with a grunt and snort. Shadow's eyes were glazed with sleep as he glanced at Sonic. He blinked, then grumbled and looked away to get back to sleep. Sonic grinned and leaned against Shadow's side to get comfortable, glad to see he was not kicked away or rejected.
He loved the plush and growing lustrous thickness of Shadow's fur, it served as quite the cushion. Since Sonic had his fill of sleep, he unstrapped his knapsack and rummaged through his things searching for the map. He thought the witch's house should be close, so it would be a good idea to have a general idea of their current location.
His hand came across a vial of lily draught and he pulled it out. The essence within the bottle glowed, and Sonic was a little awed how it sparkled under the saturating sunlight.
Sonic had been curious about the truth behind its effects for a while. The others have seen ghosts related to them after using it, so perhaps he would see something similar if he tried it? There wouldn't be any harm giving it a try, right? He unscrewed the cap and waved it inches away from his nose for a long sniff, then screwed it tight and shoved it into his knapsack.
At first he didn't feel anything, but then there was a disorienting pang like a muted explosion which sent tremors across his brain. It was jarring and felt like someone kicking the back of his eyeballs in attempt to pop them out. He groaned and gripped his head, the base of his palms pinned on his eyes to apply a bit of pressure, and a dull ache pounded into his eardrums intensified by each passing second.
There was a splitting headache, and his surroundings went silent. All he could hear were the gongs of cemetery bells ringing in the distance.
He opened his bleary eyes and his spine straightened up when he saw Shadow had disappeared. Cold sweat coated his skin and he trembled, confused and shaken. Sonic felt seasick, and his head grew heavy. His breath puffed like small clouds from his mouth as he fought for breath. The sound of howling wind whistled between his ears, followed by the sound of shuddering reeds dancing with the wind, and then the stink of something putrid invaded his nose.
He heard labored breathing coming from behind him. He craned his near-petrified self around with difficulty, wary of the spirit's identity. When he laid his eyes upon its appearance however, all colors drained from his face.
"D-Dad?" He gaped at the decayed form of his father, looking as mottled as Enerjak. A moment passed and a second spirit joined, a female with half her face ripped off, their skeletal jaws hung off their faces. "Mom..." Sonic squeaked.
Sonic realized that not only were his parents dead, they weren't spirits, they were vengeful poltergeists.
"Your fault… boy…" His father moaned in a disjointed and howling voice, his volume rose and dropped at certain times, which made it difficult for Sonic to tell if he was hearing the whole sentence or not. "Couldn't be happy with what… you're had… wanted more…"
Sonic scooted away, a million questions raced through his mind: What happened? How had they died? Why were they mad at him for?
"… your fault demons… for your…" His mother moaned and reached flesh-torn and bony arms towards him.
Sonic could not move. He was paralyzed in fear. "No!" he cried, his heart thudded so hard in his chest he felt like it was about to burst. "Stay away!" he shouted again and scrambled to his feet, wanting to run. His feet would not comply and his knees knocked together, rattled and weak. Cold sweat drenched his coat, and Sonic found it harder to breathe. When their hands landed on his ankles, their fingers curling around his joint, he felt cold needles prick his skin. Terrified he lashed out and backed away screaming. "DON'T TOUCH ME!"
The ground beneath him vanished, and he fell into an abyss.
One second he was flailing and screaming his head off, the next he hit a body of water with a muted splash. He flailed in panic, trying to work his uncooperative legs to kick and swim back up, water invaded his airway, but his limbs were still too shaken to comply. Then something broke the surface of the water and grabbed him by the ankle to yank him up. Sonic coughed and wheezed for air, heartbeats still hammered his ribs. Shivering and terrified, his eyes wandered to his savior.
Shadow grimaced at the sodden and pale hedgehog. "What the hell's gotten into you?" he grouched, annoyed to have his slumber disturbed. If it hadn't been for Sonic's shriek of terror Shadow would have assumed he had jumped into the lake for a swim.
He placed Sonic down on the rock and gave his back a short rub to help him cough out the water he had swallowed, and then when Sonic's breathing leveled, he scooted sideways to give him space. His irritation vanished when Sonic buried his face in his hands and whimpered, holding back tears. Shadow looked around for the cause of Sonic's strife and saw nothing. He was startled when Sonic crawled towards him to bury himself into Shadow's pelt, whimpering turned into sobs.
Shadow placed a comforting hand on Sonic's back to sooth him, confused. It took Sonic some time to pull himself together, and Shadow was glad to see some color returned to his features. "Would you mind telling me what's going on?" Shadow offered in genuine concern.
To his surprise, Sonic faltered for a second before he burst into laughter, lying through his teeth. "Sorry big guy, didn't mean to wake you. I fell asleep and my imagination got the better of me." He sniffled with a rasped voice, and then rubbed away the last of his tears mingled with the water.
Shadow gave Sonic a penetrating look. "You can't expect me to believe that. You look like someone spooked the daylights out of you." he admonished, and his ears curved back like horns. "It was also quite clear to me you are unable to swim, so I know there is something you're not telling me." He hissed.
Sonic was still shivering when he pulled his vest and pants off to wring out the water. "It's… I was just seeing things. Don't worry about it." he chuckled.
Shadow's eyes narrowed and his gaze followed Sonic when he climbed down the rock. Shadow saw the knapsack on the ground where Sonic had flung it in his panic, and the small vial glinted with a glaring shine under the sunlight. His eyes lit like embers. "Don't tell me you used the draught." He asked, stunned why Sonic would use the dreadful concoction.
Sonic flinched mid stride and grit his teeth, shoulders squared he hissed a curse under his breath. He glanced at Shadow with reluctance, and was not surprised to see the disapproving frown on Shadow's face. He sighed and flapped his vest to cast away the water.
"Who did you see?" Shadow inquired, curious to the nature of Sonic's plight.
Sonic hesitated further. He hung his clothes on a branch, and then set about collecting rocks for a fire. He needed to get dry before he caught his death of cold. It took a few minutes fumbling to make a circle of stone, for him to notice Shadow was still scowling at him, expecting an answer.
Uncomfortable, but needing an outlet Sonic sighed in dejection. "I saw my parents. They were poltergeists." He admitted, not meeting Shadow's eyes. His lips twitched at the memory of their deformed face. "They blamed me for their death. I don't see how that is possible since I wasn't aware they were dead." He returned to their luggage and searched for a matchbox.
Shadow went silent, his expression unreadable. Sonic picked up his knapsack a moment later to gather the items which spilled out when it fell, and then continued his search for something to light the fire. He grabbed the bag and turned it upside down, spilling so many things out that Shadow's brows arched high. "How did you fit so much into such a small bag?" he blurted.
Sonic, a little startled, turned to Shadow then looked at the items scattered before him. The distraction granted him a small, amused smile. "Oh, this?" he shook the empty knapsack. "This is woven with magic. I got it from my alchemy teacher as a gift. It's called a bag of holding and can carry things ten times a normal bag's capacity." He sat back with the bag over his shoulder to shovel through the junk. With a satisfied 'Aha!' he located a lighter and flicked the switch to make sure it was working.
"If I may ask." Shadow hesitated, which gained Sonic's undivided attention. He gritted his teeth, unsure if he should voice his concerns. "Did the dark spirits say anything to you?"
Sonic's smile fell when they went back to the topic. He swallowed a lump in his throat and thought for a moment, then shrugged. "A lot of what they said didn't make sense to me, to be honest. All I understood was that demons killed them, and I was the cause of the attack." He wished away the bad memories.
Shadow hopped off the stone to pad towards him, mindful to let Sonic keep his personal space. "What did your parents do for a living? I recall you said they were rich, so they were bound to have enchantments to ward off monsters, wouldn't they?"
Sonic tensed and his ears pinned down, his expression paled a little more. He glanced over his shoulder but did not meet Shadow's eyes. "Promise not to get mad?"
Shadow arched a brow, then nodded.
"My mom was a fashion designer, and my dad was a hunter." Sonic confessed.
Sonic shielded himself with his arms over his head when Shadow's posture changed. His eyes lit like ambers, nostrils flared, and lips curled away from angry jagged teeth. Shadow looked ready to smear Sonic across the earth like paint out of a tube. But it never happened. Shadow snarled and his frame gave a violent shake to cast away the ill-placed fury, then he palmed his face and looked away to calm himself. Shadow drew in a long deep breath a minute later before he turned to address the matter once more.
"A hunter?" Shadow echoed, his cutthroat voice seethed with bitter hatred despite his suppression. "Did he ever bring home large, black pelts by chance?"
Sonic's eyebrows shot up, and he blurted without thinking. "He did." His eyes widened and his expression paled. "They had streaks like yours."
The silence lingered between them thick and suffocating, and no amount of cold sweat was enough to shake Sonic from his terror. The look Shadow sent him bore into his mind, disabling his senses and leaving him helpless and vulnerable. He tried to swallow, but the lump was caught in his tightening throat like the cold hands of death. Sonic was overwhelmed with the suffocation nausea he collapsed to his knees, breathless.
"How old were you when your father brought the pelts?" Shadow's tone was calm, which made it all the more dangerous.
Sonic stuttered. "About… seven or eight." He paused to swallow the provable rock in his throat, and felt its harsh, cold spikes claw his inside as it slid down. "That makes it… around twelve years ago, I think."
That was all it took for Shadow to throw a fit.
Shadow whirled around with a bellowing roar that shook the ground, dropping Sonic off his knees to his tail, and sending birds chirping and squawking away in terror. He bounded towards the outcropped rock he had laid upon before, mindless of the large backpack sitting in the way, and snarled as he flung his hands forwards pouring his rage onto the solid stone. He cursed a blue streak in a language Sonic could not understand, and their belongings were sent flying in pieces. Shadow shattered the rock sending dust and gravel stone everywhere, and then heaved a large chunk and threw it across the clearing.
Sonic watched the rock fly over the lakebed and then hit the water with a giant splash, it sent fish flying in its wake. Shadow roared and howled, his massive claws sliced through the rest of stone as if it were cloth. Destructive and blind in fury, Shadow tore the backpack into shreds, rendering everything useless.
Sonic backed against a tree and hugged himself, fire forgotten. He felt cold and shaken, seeing Shadow's true wrath unleashed upon the surrounding visitation struck fear into his core. By the time Shadow's anger diminished, the clearing had become twice as wide with more flatlands and rocks in the water than around it, and a sever lack of trees and too many shattered tree stumps and splinters scattered around.
Once his trembling subsided, Sonic composed himself and lit the heap of leaves he had gathered to make the campfire. He sat by the flames to keep warm, yet knew nothing would be able to cast away the iceberg floating in the pit of his stomach, nor the cold sweat drenching his skin.
Daylight was whisked away by nightfall, and the two companions shared a painful silence.
Where Sonic felt better, Shadow was in a terrible mood.
Sonic moved what little remained of their things out of Shadow's reach to save what he could. Shadow remained by the shore to keep his distance from Sonic's presence, lest he gains a second wind and does something he may regret. Sonic understood Shadow's anger, and felt horrible yet angry because it was not his fault. It wasn't like he knew his parents were the cause of Shadow's strife, and Shadow was being unfair getting mad at him for it.
Agitated, Sonic lay over the patchwork pelt and closed his eyes. For the first few hours he watched with sleepless eyes as the flames danced. He could not sleep. The draught prevented him, which served to agitate his already raw nerves. It was not until midnight that the exhaustion of the draught dispelling took over, and he found solace in muted darkness.
The next morning fared off better. Sonic woke up to the smell of skewed fish cooked on an open fire. At the opposite side of the fire Shadow sprawled, looking neutral. Shadow's eyes fluttered open and he gazed across the flame to Sonic's weary smile. Sonic stretched his arms over his head, rubbed his tired eyes, and then grabbed a stick to check if the fish was ready to eat.
Shadow raised his head and snorted, a little anxious. "Today, we need to continue our search. Ebony's lair should be around this area, correct?"
Sonic nodded and plucked a piece of fish, blew on it so it would cool and then tossed it into his mouth. "Hold on, let me check the map." He bit onto the stick and turned around to sift through his knapsack. He pulled out the map and spread it onto the ground, using small rocks to keep the corners from curling. He took the stick from his mouth and licked his lips, then pointed at a junction leading towards a village. "There should be a marketplace after we pass a dense forest. The witch's place is around that area." He bit onto the fish, then hissed and pulled it out of his mouth. It was still too hot to eat.
Shadow nodded with a grunt. "Very well, we'll move out as soon as you're ready."
Sonic did not argue, he rolled the map and shoved it back into the bag, then focused on his breakfast.
Shadow's pace slowed when they came across the thicket.
He stopped to sniff their surroundings and his fur bristled, gave a low warning growl and directed his glower at the pitch darkness engulfing the depth between the trees. Sonic leaned against Shadow's shoulder for support and scanned their destination. He felt better than before, but was still not at his peak.
After they have gathered what was left of their belongings which Shadow had not destroyed, Sonic shoved everything into his knapsack and strapped it to his shoulders. Shadow offered to carry it this time around, which Sonic declined. It was not as heavy as the backpack which served to even the load on his back.
"What's wrong?" Sonic murmured, his voice a bit rasped.
"Is this forest our only way through?" Shadow grouched without facing his companion, and Sonic nodded. "There is something wrong with this place, but I can not figure out what." He relaxed his stance, but paranoia still twisted his features. "Can we take the long way around?" he looked at Sonic.
"Don't worry, whatever it is I'm sure it doesn't stand a chance against us." Sonic boasted. He adjusted the straps on his shoulders and walked ahead. "C'mon. The day just started, so the faster we plow through the better." He encouraged.
Shadow snorted at Sonic's brave act, and though unhappy with their options, he followed. "I liked you better when you were quiet." Shadow goaded, and Sonic replied with a chuckle.
The tall tree branches and leaves were thick-knit together in a tangled mess. Cobwebs lingered over the top branches where the sun could not reach, and crickets chirped aloud around Sonic's feet as if they were in the dead of night. The forest was dark and frightening, crows squawked, owls hooted and leaves rustled with critters skittering about which neither travelers could see. All they could spot were reflective, dim-lit eyes in the dark, stalking their every move.
"Light a torch. Something tells me the darkness isn't on our side." Shadow grouched in heightened paranoia. "Just be careful not to catch anything on fire, the trees look dry."
Sonic reached into his pouch, pulled out a lighter and then started checking through the broken branches on the ground for a fitting torch. It occurred to him the cane Amy provided would have been suitable, but he had long forgotten and left it behind during one of their stops, so he had to make due with something else. He found a large club-like stick, pulled out his hunting knife and split the head worth an inch, then pulled out a flimsy piece of cloth and wrapped it over the cross-cut head. Applying oil, the torch burst into whooshing flames as soon as the sparkles made contact with the cloth.
The two marched through the thicket in high alert, and the torch despite being a powerful and strong raging flame, was unable to illuminate more than a few feet around them, thus restricting their long range vision. Sonic began suspecting that perhaps he should have listened to Shadow and taken the long way around. The eerie forest brought back the unpleasant memories of his parents, and it served to do nothing but frazzle his nerves.
But then there was a keening sound in the distance and Shadow froze, his head whipped around in surprise and his ears perked up. Sonic tensed and felt tingles go up his spine when he heard the keening as well, and was confused when he found they were not coming from Shadow. He turned to his companion and was startled to find Shadow gawking at something. Sonic swallowed and turned around, torch raised to get a better look at what Shadow was seeing.
His jaw slacked. It was a large and familiar looking creature shrouded by the darkness of the forest. It had a thick pelt and ravenous teeth with deep cobalt eyes. Sonic would estimate, from his distance, that this creature was at least a few inches smaller than Shadow. That was not what surprised him, however. Sonic was surprised because this creature was a werehog, and not just any werehog, from the structure and the posture he thought it would be safe to assume it was female.
And she had her eyes fixated on Shadow, who was petrified on the spot. She keened and pined at Shadow, a shy smile stretched across her muzzle, her eyelids dropped in a flirty flutter. Sonic thought if Shadow's tail wagged any harder he was going to slap himself silly. Shadow uprooted himself from his spot and walked towards her, oblivious to his surroundings.
That action was more than enough to send sirens wailing in Sonic's mind. Something was not right here!
"Shadow, wait!" Sonic cried and grabbed a handful of black fur.
Alas it was a futile attempt of preventing Shadow from walking away, as Shadow dragged him along without trouble. Shadow continued, oblivious to Sonic's struggle, and did not flinch when Sonic toppled back to fall on his rear with a yelp, he lost the torch from one hand and gained a clump of fur in the other.
Sonic's heart plummeted into his stomach when the fur disintegrated into ashes. His attention zeroed on the she-hog who continued to make beckoning noises, urging Shadow to come closer, and Sonic's heartbeats raced when she backed away luring Shadow into the woods.
Charm spells were super effective if the caster provide their target with something they desired. The stronger the desire, the more effective the spell and the more difficult it was to break them.
Shadow was beyond smitten and physical pain was not enough to snap him out of it. Sonic was undeterred, he had to find something painful enough to rouse Shadow from his love-struck fog. He jumped to his feet and grabbed onto Shadow's tail and gave it a good, hard yank.
That seemed to do the trick.
Shadow yowled in pain and jumped in his skin, backing away a step or two which caused Sonic to loose his footing and thump on his rear a second time. Shadow growled at him, confused why his tail was in agony and caught the sight of Sonic's hands clutching it like a lifeline. Before Shadow could gather his thoughts, the she-hog laughed, voice playful and sweet. Sonic saw Shadow's eyes glaze over as if someone placed a sheet over them. Shadow's eyelids dropped and he directed his attention to the female again, dragging Sonic along.
Sonic grumbled and pulled on the tail harder, but it didn't look like it had any affect on Shadow anymore. Disturbed and scared he released the tail, grabbed the touch before it died down, and then climbed onto Shadow's back. Sonic bit onto the butt of the torch and then grabbed Shadow's ears to yank and redirect the head towards a different path. Sonic's attempts were in vain, as it served to tilt Shadow's head sideways, but not change his course.
Shadow was like a stubborn mule. His attention was locked on the female backing away through the woods, luring him where it was so dark, Sonic could only see the soul-sucking cobalt glint of her devilish eyes. He let go of the ears and picked the touch from his mouth, giving her a warning scowl.
She smirked at Sonic and it sent dreadful shivers up his spine. She giggled and whirled around, bounding off into the distance and before Sonic would tell where she went from the sheer darkness, Shadow leaped right after her, dodging branches and rocks as if he could see them. Sonic yowled in surprise and pressed himself flat against Shadow's back, hugging him tight to not get clobbered by passing low branches, yet careful not to let the half-dying touch get too close to Shadow's fur.
Sonic listened to his surroundings, feeling blind and vulnerable. He squeezed his eyes shut, focusing every ounce of his mind on being perceptive of approaching danger. There wasn't much to go with when the torch's light died, shrouding everything in darkness, other than the rustling leaves and the she-hogs happy yips and barks, followed by Shadow's keening and loud breathing.
Then there was a splash, and before Sonic could do anything Shadow had jumped into a deep, murky swamp. Sonic cried in alarm as mud and murky water splashed everywhere, drenching them both. There was enough light seeping from between the leaves above to tell this puddle was wide enough to sink an elephant. Shadow had tripped over the ledge which surrounded the entire pool, thus left land a good few feet above their reach. They were trapped in a death pit.
Where Shadow still hadn't woken up and was splashing around the mud, trying not to sink under the surface, Sonic scanned the treetops for an escape route and saw vines dangling overhead. Shadow flailed and spurt mud as he struggled, body sinking, that made it difficult for Sonic to balance himself on Shadow's back. Having one chance to execute his escape plan, Sonic was forced to abandon Shadow's back for a precious minute to leap up and grab onto a vine, then use it to swing himself across and gather as many vines in his way as he could.
Shadow sank down to his shoulders, arms laden with thick heavy mud.
And then tentacles approached.
Sonic shrieked like a girl when he saw a monstrous squid appear out of the puddle, its huge bulging eyes swiveled around to search for its drowning prey.
Sonic quickened his pace tying vines to one another to create a net. He grabbed as many loose ends as he could and jumped down. He stomped the octopus arm that got too close to Shadow, and then bolted across its slippery surface sending mucus splattering off and away from it, like a boat slicing through the waves. Sonic leaped and shot his heels forwards ramming the soles square in the beast's eye, and to add insult to injury, he used the still hot torch head to clobber the other eye and do some damage.
He grinned in satisfaction when it flailed away from Shadow's sinking form with a screech, which Sonic took as a chance to wrap loose vines around the kraken's head as it retreated. He leaped towards Shadow and wrapped the other ends of the vines around the massive mitts.
A natural reaction, the kraken's escape at being assaulted pulled the vines and plucked Shadow out full force, sending him catapulted out of the mud to soar a decent distance away from the pool, and then slam onto solid earth with a loud, wet thump, mud sprayed and splattered everywhere. Sonic recovered from the crash within seconds, and used the free vines which did not break or snap with the activity to climb his way up to the treetops, he watched the kraken writhe back underwater.
Satisfied it would not come after them, he jumped from one tree branch to the other towards Shadow, mindful to look out for the she-dog who tried to kill them. She was nowhere in sight. 'Good riddance to bad rubbish.'
Shadow groaned and made weird noises Sonic was unsure if they were of pain or bliss. He needed to snap Shadow out of the spell, and knew he had no choice but to use the vial again. He pulled the knapsack off his shoulders and rummaged for the vial, taking a moment to unscrew it and wave it under Shadow's nose. The effect was instant and Shadow coughed and rasped. He wheezed and then pushed to his hands and feet to hack and spit the mud that had managed to get into his mouth.
"What hit me?" Shadow groaned. His head throbbed in agony.
Before either of them could comprehend what had transpired, a glowing red ball appeared from the pit with a splotch and whirled around them like a firefly. Sonic tensed and Shadow shielded his eyes from the offending bright light. "I see you got out alive. Well done." A feminine voice echoed, amused and entertained. The inside of the sphere revealed a small woman, but neither of them could tell the details from how bright it was glowing. "I am Shara, mistress of these woods. What is it you seek to dare plunge into my domain?"
Sonic decided to reply, though dubious. "We were just passing through. We're looking for a witch called Ebony."
"You must've taken a wrong turn then. These lands belong to Erezor djinn. Ebony's den is not in this side of the forest." She muttered, sounding quite displeased. "Oh well, might as well send you outside. You have no business being here."
Sonic stammered. "What? Wait! We don't- !"
"Hush. It'll only take a moment." Shara raised her hands as if lifting something over her head, and then twirled around herself like a mini tornado. "Hold on to your lunch, this could get ugly." she laughed as the wind around her picked up.
Before either of them could argue they were swallowed by the whirling cone of wind and hauled through the forest in frightening speed. One moment they were in darkness, damp and muddy, and the next they were spun dry and tossed onto the grassy earth under bright sunlight.
The pink sphere bobbed overhead for a moment and Sonic scowled at her giggles. "Ta ta, I hope you had fun, cause I sure did." Shara laughed and darted into the thicket again.
Sonic rubbed his throbbing skull and scanned their surroundings. The lands did not look familiar, so at least he knew they were not at their starting point. Perhaps the pink creature booted them towards the right way to Ebony's den? There was a town in the far distance, so he figured they could ask about the witch there.
Sonic looked at Shadow, and was not too surprised to see a tormented expression on his face. Shadow was affected the worst by the horrible ordeal. To meet one of your own kind to discover they were an illusion, the crestfallen and depressed grimace of anguish twisted Shadow's face in a way that sent daggers into Sonic's chest. Shadow lay on the ground, exhausted in more ways than one.
Sonic crept closer to offer him comfort and a scratch behind the ear, but it seemed to make Shadow's kicked-puppy noises worse so he stopped. Sonic said nothing. He knew it would take Shadow time to regain his composure so it was best to sit tight and wait. All he could do was support him with his silence.
It had taken Sonic some coaxing to encourage Shadow back to his feet, moving to a less eerie part of the woods.
Sonic peeled off his clothes, muddy and reeking, wrapped them in a towel and then shoved them into his knapsack. He had a nice campfire burning to keep him warm, so the nakedness did not bother him. The two found comfort in the shade of the bordering trees, and remained there till sunset when their stomachs demanded food, thus forcing them to abandon their camp and head to the nearby town.
Shadow had been wary of approaching the town, until he saw lesser demonic creatures waltzing around. It turned out that this city was under monsters rule, which served to make Sonic more uncomfortable than Shadow. The lands were in utter disrepair. It was maddening. The homes were leveled, and people had erected small shacks made out of whatever material they could get their hands on. Demons were everywhere sauntering like they owned the place, which seemed to be the case. The non-demon citizens of the town were in no better condition than their homes. Their spirits broken and their features crushed, pain and misery glazed their eyes.
Sonic and Shadow were appalled by the sight, it was similar to how the echidna village was when Enerjak took over, but worse. They were curious to the cause of this disheveled state, and got their answer when they walked past a fair taking place by the side of town. Sonic, happy to see a bit of life headed towards the bustling and loud men to see what all the excitement was. His expression darkened into one of rage seconds after.
It was a slave-market. People were being dragged forward towards the crowd, naked and shivering under the attention as an auctioneer boomed out their physical traits and attributes, and what they were good for being either house work or bed warming.
Shadow retreated to the back of the clearing, so though he could hear the loud awes of oohs of admiration, he wasn't too keen on what the people were looking at. Of course seeing Sonic's brewing fury he realized it was cringe worthy.
When Sonic returned, Shadow flicked and ear before he spoke. He did not want to be on the receiving end of that fist. "I take it is not as exciting as the crowd makes it seem?"
"It's a slave market." Sonic spat, and at the blink and ears stiffening in attention, Sonic as glad Shadow was aware of what that meant. "It doesn't look like any of them were even treated right, they all had bangs and bruises, and they're all naked and look like they hadn't had a meal in weeks." he shook with rage, shoulders squared and palms curled into tight fists. Sonic was about ready to beat the living snot out of someone.
Shadow's low voice gave a deep rumble. "Want me to run over and make some noise?" he offered with a tiny grin.
Sonic gawked in surprise, and some of his anger faded. "Erm, as much as I'd love to trash the place, I don't think it'll be a good idea." he quirked an appreciative smile and then rubbed the back of his neck. "Let's wait till nightfall, maybe we'll get to free them without making too much ruckus." he glanced at the parading horde behind him.
Shadow gave a low grunt, glad Sonic was being rational. Neither of them noticed a hooded figure watching from the sidelines, a glint of an approving smile shown in bright yellow eyes.
Shadow and Sonic stood side by side, which drew a great deal of attention. Shadow was approached by one slaver after another, having found interest in Sonic and asking if he would sell. Sonic was affronted each time, and anyone could tell he was getting more provoked. The hooded figure watched with a growing smile as Shadow shepherded his bristling companion out of town.
Shadow sensed eyes on him once again and was unnerved to find nothing there. They retreated to the forest and away from any stalking predators.
"I swear, the next guy to ask if I'm house broken, I'll deal him a knuckle sandwich, echidna not included!" Sonic fumed as he marched circles into the dirt. He whirled around and flung his hands over his head in rage and disbelief. "I mean, why the hell do they think you own me?"
Shadow arched a lazy brow from where he sprawled on the ground, and then offered nothing but a tiny amused smile and a once-over look.
Sonic stared, arched a brow, acknowledged his nakedness and then palmed his face. The lack of clothing was the sign of a slave, he had forgotten that. "Doh! Forget I said anything." he grumbled, and then shook his head. "Actually, you asked me to go away after we got kinky, so that mean I'm free." He shot Shadow a cheesy smile.
At first there was no reaction, and Sonic realized Shadow wasn't listening.
Shadow's features hardened with a mean snarl. He raised his head from between his paws and his ears swiveled around, fur bristled and alarm glinted in his eyes. "What is this obnoxious feeling…" Shadow hissed and scanned their surroundings. They were a good distance away from town and cloaked by a decent amount of bushes and forest. It was not the eerie side of the woodland so there was no worry of being tackled by the pink light lady. "It feels like ice cold water dripping on the back of my neck."
Sonic pinned his fists to his hip and looked around. He felt nothing amiss, but knew Shadow's sense of danger was more acute than his. He drew in a deep breath and called aloud. "Alright buddy, whoever you are, stop the stalking and come out if you wanna talk." he demanded.
Shadow whipped around to stare at Sonic. Did he just beckon danger to come and snuff them out? "Why would you- ?" Shadow began, meaning to reprimand him, and to his surprise a hooded figure stepped out from the shadows.
"I'm sorry for disturbing you, gentlemen." The voice belonged to a woman. Her black hands pulled the hood from her face, revealing a rather young cat woman, mischief twinkled in her eyes. "I couldn't help but notice you upon arrival."
"He's not for sale." Shadow grouched, eyeing Sonic who went red in the face.
She smiled, the glint of her golden ankh earring was hard to miss. "I'm not interested in buying, though I can't blame you for thinking that." Her gaze flickered to Sonic with a strange smile. "I am Ebony. I believe you two have been searching for me?" she introduced herself with a slight nod, her gaze flickered from Shadow to Sonic.
They looked at Ebony in shock, unwilling to believe the person they had been searching for decided to come to them instead. Sonic was quick to jump on the opportunity and looked at her, surprised the witch was such a babe. He had been expecting a warty-nose old hag. "Glad to see you then!" Sonic flashed a grin in hope of swaying her with his charm. "You sure saved us a lot of time. We were hoping you could- ?"
Ebony cut him off with a hand gesture, requesting that he stops talking. "Before I do anything, you must know nothing comes without a price." She arched a brow. "You two must pass my test first."
Shadow sat up to glower at her, eyes narrowed and fangs bared, paranoid and distrustful. "Elder Locke claimed you were a Trickster. I hope you'll excuse us if we're less than enthusiastic about accepting whatever test you have to offer."
Ebony replied with a thin smile. "Be as that may, my terms will be met or you may go elsewhere for whatever advice or aid you require."
Never one to back down from a challenge, Sonic bared his teeth into a disarming grin. "Lady we've met death in the face. I'm sure we can punk whatever you plan to throw at us. Let us have it." he boasted, encouraging her to take a shot at him.
She raised her index finger to her lips, asking him to shush. "My test is simple. From this point onward you two must spend one week in the lives and bodies of the other." Her eyes drifted over Sonic and pointed at Shadow. "One week as a mortal man." Her finger drifted back towards Sonic. "One week as a demon."
"Shape-shifter, actually." Sonic corrected her.
Ebony ignored that. "This is no easy task, and you may not wander away from town lest I lose track of you and become unable to remove the spell." She smiled, impish and devious, it sent shivers up Shadow's spine. "Do you accept?" she challenged, a twinkle in her eyes once more.
Sonic glanced at Shadow with a thoughtful look, but Shadow looked about ready to smite her for requesting such a thing. "Hold that thought." Sonic gestured a hand for her to wait and marched towards Shadow, slinging an arm over his neck, or attempting to, and lowered his head down so they could discuss the matter. "I take it you don't want any part of this." Sonic muttered, not needing to ask.
"Do you have any idea how difficult it is for me in that form?" Shadow hissed under his breath, his angry red gaze flickered to Ebony before they turned to Sonic. "I'm inadequate and you know it."
Sonic raised his hands in surrender with a sheepish grin. "We need to do this or we won't get help. If we are to go through the Djinn's forest without straying off we need a way to see through the darkness. I don't think the lilies work for this one." he paused to produce a confident smile at Shadow, comforting and reassuring. "Don't worry, I'll protect you. I promise." he winked.
Shadow muttered something intangible in native tongue which Sonic didn't understand, then sighed and shook his head. "We don't have proof this woman has what we need. I will not go on a wild goose chase to be taken for a fool by some kitten. I get enough of that out of you." he grouched and poked a careful finger into Sonic's stomach.
"You wish to know how to defeat the Gods of Four." Ebony called out, her hearing keen and well aware of their hushed conversation. "I foresaw you coming. I already know your question and I have your answers, and I will provide them if you agree to my test." She smiled wider, teasing and challenging, much to Shadow's ire. "The lilies will not work on Erazor Djinn. He exists on a separate plane which nullified their effects. Also, when he was alive he was not nearly as kind spirited as Enerjak, so you will need my assistance if you wish to defeat him." She hinted, not elaborating on the danger looming ahead.
"Kind spirited?" Sonic echoed, baffled by her choice of words. "Lady, that guy creamed us!"
Shadow interrupted him. "Before we agree on anything, what can you do to help?"
Ebony rolled her eyes, amused how paranoid he were being. "I am a witch, need I say more?" she teased, enjoying Shadow's ever growing irritation. "So, do you accept my offer, or shall I let you look for another witch to suit your fancy?" she purred.
Shadow growled and Sonic tugged on his shoulder to grab his attention, getting desperate. "Come on, Shadow. We don't have much of a choice and we gotta find our way through that forest somehow." He implored. Shadow glanced at him, displeased with the whole scenario, and Sonic reflected the gaze with bright, confident eyes. "Trust me."
Shadow did not know how to reply to that and his anger faltered. Defeated, with no actual choice in the matter, he relieved a heavy sigh and nodded, his ears swiveled towards Ebony. "Fine. We'll do this test of yours, but know that if I'm not back to normal in one week's time, there will be consequences to pay." He threatened.
Ebony lowered herself in a slight bow. "You have my word."
"Great! So how do we go about doing this?" Sonic grinned, cheerful and excited.
Ebony managed a cheshire grin. "First, you two need to hold hands." She began and did not hold back her laughter when they gawked at her, awestruck and flabbergast. "I need you two to have psychical contact so I may switch you, or else I may end up replacing you with the wrong object." She explained, and then pointed to Sonic's feet. "Unless you rather I accidently switch you with an ant?"
Sonic looked under his feet and spotted the row of ants in mention, which made contact over of his shoes. He shook them off then forced a grin, seeing what she was talking about. Timid and awkward he offered a hand for Shadow, who snorted something under his breath again, and his large mitt circled Sonic's hand with ease.
Ebony took one step back, raised her hands over her head then began to chant, waving her hands and fingers as if composing an orchestra. The forest surrounding them began to shudder and leaves rustled. The breeze picked up and the wind began to circle them. Shadow felt Sonic's hand grip his thumb tight. Shadow remained calm which served to make Sonic relax, finding comfort in Shadow's unaffected resolve. They closed their eyes and their senses felt the magic overflowing and coating them.
Shadow felt his body shrink, and it was painless. His muscles went limp and he couldn't open his eyes no matter how hard he wanted. His senses were drawn away, plucked from inside and shifted elsewhere, leaving him feeling blinded, deaf, and unable to feel his general surroundings. Shadow was stripped from his abilities, and he groaned as a sudden bout of exhaustion raked his ribs.
As soon as the whirlwind stopped, he collapsed to his knees and sat down with a pounding headache. Thin nimble fingers met his face and he blinked at his own hands. Shadow was reduced to his weakest state and the thought alone made him feel vulnerable. He glanced at Sonic, and was awestruck by what he saw.
There was a giant werehog in Sonic's place. His frame was powerful and exotic in its own right. Shadow had to admit it looked quite awe inspiring, pretty, and it left him a little breathless.
Sonic groaned as well when the spell ended, his voice deeper than it had been before. He saw his hands and turned them over. He frowned at the massive paws that greeted him. Shadow's tiny hand was still trapped within his mitt so Sonic released him. He looked at Shadow, seeing he was even smaller than before, no doubt because Sonic was bigger now.
Shadow stared at him with a clear look of awe, which made Sonic feel a bit uncomfortable. Sonic couldn't help but notice Shadow had quite the puppy eyes in his weakened form, it was cute. Sonic had no idea how much strength he had, and the attempt of comforting Shadow with a nuzzle on the chest sent Shadow on his rear with an undignified yelp.
"What was that for?" Shadow demanded as he climbed back to his feet, only to fall flat on his face when Sonic attempted to help him.
Sonic blabbered apologies. His clumsy hands served more to nudge Shadow every which way, rather than help him back to his feet. It didn't help that it was already nightfall. Shadow hugged himself when a cold gust of wind whooshed passed by.
Sonic attempted to walk on four, but ended up tripping over his front paws and planted his muzzle into the dirt. With a spit and grumble he pushed up only to scratch his palms with his own claws. Sonic was soon aggravated. He settled on his tail and inspected his long and sharp claws glowing with a faint green tint. "I've never been one for nail polish, but dang, this is pretty neat." he chuckled.
He swiped his claws through the air, watching the glowing lines appear for seconds before fading with his attacks. "Hey, Ebony, This is- eh?" he stared. Ebony was gone. "I take it we wont see her again for another week, huh?" Sonic blurted, giving Shadow a mild, cheeky grin.
Shadow straightened up, dread bubbled in the pit of his stomach. "Afraid so." he grumbled. The harsh cold breeze blew again, ruffling Sonic's fur who was unaffected, while sending Shadow bristling in a ball of fluff, shaken by the chill. "Goodness gracious! How can you live with such a meager coat! I'm freezing my tail here." he shuddered with a slight stutter.
Sonic laughed, his chuckle louder and gruffer than intended, and then ran a hand through his quills, only to flinch with a yelp and glare at his sharp, pointy claws. "Ya know, I think I might get used to this." he grinned and extended a hand when he saw Shadow shivering. "Want me to keep you warm?"
Shadow shot him a dirty sneer. "I don't want your mitts anywhere near me, thank you very much. Nor do I have any intention of staying this way." Shadow then inspected his own hands, wishing he still had his claws.
At first Sonic did not understand Shadow's defensive sneer, nor the fluster which colored his face, but the mention of mitts offered a hint which made him grin wider. "What? You asking for seconds?" he jeered and wiggled his shaggy brows. "If you're into those kinks maybe I could- !" and he stopped.
The look on Shadow's face threatened to rip his eyes out if he dared to continue what he was about to say. His muzzle blushed as red as his streaks and roared in anger, cold forgotten he charged at Sonic and punched Sonic's arm as hard as he could, but to Sonic it felt like a rough tap. Shadow rained punches onto Sonic's resilient hide, muttering a blue streak under his breath, and then marched away when he acknowledged pounding onto Sonic was a waste of time and energy.
Sonic chortled and watched Shadow walk towards the forest, then started gathering rocks and sticks. At first he thought Shadow was going to sling him, and then realized he was preparing a campfire. Since they had abandoned their previous camp it was best to make a new one.
Sonic, feeling mischievous, came up from behind Shadow and wrapped him in a firm hug. Shadow got his arms pinned against his sides. He grunted when Sonic cuddled him.
"What are you doing?" Shadow yelled, having lost the vicious wolfish tone, Shadow sounded more flustered and meek than intended.
Sonic nuzzled the side of Shadow's head, forcing the black ears to flatten. "You gotta keep warm somehow right?" Shadow kicked his legs as Sonic drew him closer to his chest. "Stop fighting it, I aint gonna hurt you, I promise. Just relax." He coaxed, not giving into Shadow's struggle nor letting go.
Shadow had to admit he was much warmer like this. He curled his fingers through the lush pelt, aiming to have a grip in order to push himself away, but it was to no avail since Sonic's embrace pinned him tight. The fur was very soft, he realized. Shadow didn't realize he was relaxing in the others hold until he stopped to catch his breath.
Sonic's flesh was very warm and radiated with heat. Shadow buried his face into the pelt and was greeted with the scent of earth and something he wasn't quite sure what. He frowned, realizing his senses as a werehog had been stripped away and given to Sonic.
Sonic chuckled and a massive mitt brushed over Shadow's head, smoothing down the ears and quills as if he was a pet being stroked by their owner. That's when Shadow snapped awake in embarrassment. Flustered he gave a grunt and tried to wriggle out of the hold, but Sonic was having none of that.
Sonic pressed his muzzle against the side of Shadow's neck, a low growl came from his throat as he snuggled Shadow in a bout of affection, if only to see him squirm. "You smell nice. It makes me want to eat you." Sonic continued to invade Shadow's personal space with his snout to Shadow's throat. His tongue stuck out and licked Shadow from the collar bone to the jaw line.
Shadow shuddered and his face grew warmer, swallowing the lump in his throat. "Stop that!" he demanded with a hiss.
Sonic let out a small whine at Shadow's struggles and locked his arms around him. Shadow smelled divine. All of his senses had increased and Sonic wondered how Shadow was fairing without them. Shadow on the other hand felt almost as if cotton had been shoved into his ears and up his nose. His sense of touch was still there, and was more than aware of Sonic's claws pricking him. Shadow snarled and his elbow jerked back, getting free from the hold at last and clocking Sonic on the nose.
Sonic let go with a yip and touched his aching nose, and as Shadow staggered away, landing flat on his rear, Sonic burst into laughter and grinned with pearly white shark teeth. "Okay, I deserved that."
Shadow got up and brushed dirt off his rear, then shuddered as the warmth of Sonic's pelt was lost to the cold air. "I'm going to get some sticks to build a fire. I hope you still have a blanket because I'm going to need it." He snarled and then walked into the bordering forest.
While Shadow went to collect firewood, Sonic used his large mitts to make a slight depression in the earth, and then started picking up rocks to form a circle, readying a pit for the fire. It took a minute, and when he was done he sprawled and waited for Shadow to return, thinking the cranky one needed some alone time. Sonic closed his eyes, enjoying the fact he could hear well beyond what he could see. This werehog body was fascinating.
Shadow wandered deeper into the wood than intended because he could not find any branches low enough to reach. He placed the pile he had gathered on the ground, then wandered deeper into the woods again to find more dead leaves. He realized after a while his arms were too thin and weak to carry too much. When he was a werehog he was able to knock down a tree and hack it into pieces whenever he pleased, and would still be able to haul it home, but now he didn't possess the strength to break any worthwhile branches off the trees, and by damn he was not going to ask Sonic for help.
Part way through gathering the third pile however, a tingle shot up his spine enough to make his tail straighten in alarm and for his quills to bristle. Alarmed, he caught the sound of rustling leaves from his left, and a very subtle crack to his right, then the faintest scent of something thick from winds way. He was surrounded, and he was sure it was by no means Ebony.
He swallowed, breath caught in his throat. He picked up the bundle of wood trying to remain as neutral as possible. Shadow walked his way towards the clearing where he left Sonic, a foreboding feeling thumped hard against his ribs when he saw shadows emerge and block his escape route.
Shadow's ears went ramrod straight and his chest tightened. A green hedgehog stepped out of the shadowed bushes and into plain sight, a leer adorned his lips. This stranger's eyes were bright yet as cold as ice. Shadow would have sworn it was a Sonic replica if it hadn't been for the twin scars adorning the fellow's front.
The green hedgehog took a few steps towards Shadow who did not back away. Shadow knew it was pointless to run as the forest around him groaned and rustled, more shadows appeared blocking all escape routs.
Shadow felt his heart jump to his throat and stay there, making it difficult to swallow. It was just his luck that not one minute in this frail body and he was already getting accosted. He thought perhaps it was time to shout for Sonic, but knew that a werehog blundering through the woods would more than likely get Shadow killed faster, than whatever these men intended to do to him. His pride would not allow it, either.
The green hedgehog circled Shadow who clutched the wood closer to his chest, his mind running a mile a minute to come up with a clever solution out of this. He was stark naked, if these men wanted to rob him they'd be out of luck, and with his current looks poaching was out of the question. Shadow didn't know what these men wanted from him or why the green fellow was sizing him up like a piece of meat on the butcher's shop.
"Not bad." The green fellow grabbed a hold of Shadow's hand and yank him forward. Shadow lost his grip on the wood and the pile hit the floor. He caught himself and did not hit the floor, but the stranger yanked his arm up again and turned him around, then pinned it to his back in a locked hold. Shadow managed a stifled yowl of pain as the stranger shoved him forward, forcing him flat on his stomach on the dirt. "A little scrawny, but with these looks he won't leave the bedroom anyway."
Shadow stilled as realization dawned on him.
With the blood rush, Shadow kicked the green hedgehog on the knee and sent him yowling backwards, then took the chance of his release to bolt past the mob as fast as he could. Alas, one of them saw it coming and threw their foot forward which tripped him. Shadow hit the dirt with an 'oomph' and could not gather his bearings fast enough to dodge as a massive mitt which landed on the back of his head, stuffing his face to the ground.
He struggled and flailed for air, and a second later the mitt lifted and Shadow gasped, and then spat the dirt he had almost swallowed. He did not get the chance to push himself up as three mitts landed on him again, pinning him down. Shadow squirmed and wriggled but was breathless, and exerting himself served to delay the inevitable, it seemed.
It was then the green hedgehog approached and crouched besides Shadow, none too caring for the treatment given. He gave Shadow's ear a rough yank to inspect his face, snorted with a strange grin, and then let go. He tugged on his glove like a surgeon and the gleam in his eyes became more sinister. "Alright, let's see what we got here." He chimed, sounding rather pleased.
Shadow tried to turn his head around to see what was happening, but then squeaked despite himself and jumped in his skin when something prodded into his rear. His face flushed hot in shocked humiliation.
Did he just- !
The green hedgehog whistled and crowed in laugher. "I think we got ourselves a virgin, boys!" He squeezed Shadow's bottom, which had his face burn worse and his ears pinned on his head. "He'll fetch our highest price yet. I've never seen a pelt like this one before, he's exotic. Just as much as the blue hedgehog we were following in here." Shadow yelped when a sharp, stinging smack landed on his sore bottom. "Firm and unyielding, too. This one's quite the catch." he mused.
One of the other men, a blue hawk by the looks of it, spoke up in a rasped tone. "D'you think we should break 'em in, Scourge?" He stepped closer to their pray.
Shadow squeezed his eyes tight and braced himself for the worst, a cold, bubbling nausea started in the pit of his stomach.
Scourge froze and his eyes narrowed. "Break him in?" He echoed in a condescending tone, and then socked the hawk across the beak with a snarl. "And knock down his price value? What are you, stupid? No, he's worth much more as is."
Shadow squirmed, the gorilla's mitt was tightening and it was getting harder to breathe, but the ape shoved his head back into the ground to make him eat dirt.
"Of course his disobedience will knock his price down some, too." Scourge growled in annoyance, and then his mean smile returned, eyes glinting. "We'll have to break him of that spirit first." He stood up and gestured for his men to move out. "Take him to town, boys. We're taking this one home." he chuckled.
Shadow inhaled a deep gasp of breath when the ape removed his massive weight from his ribs, then a solid object clubbed him on the back of the head. His vision swam and everything doubled, the sound of water filled his ears.
As he felt hands grab his wrists and bind them behind his back, Shadow stilled with a weary breath, and the last he remembered was being pulled off the ground, and then nothing more.
