Tails peeked into the back room of Crevan's house, trying to see what Sonic was doing before interrupting him. The hedgehog was sitting on the windowsill looking out over the Titanic Plain, a beautiful meadow with hardly anything blocking the path through. It was dotted with white flowers and an old ruin far out in the distance, barely visible from their current vantage point. The sun setting over the horizon cast the entire plain in a fiery orange glow, making it look all the more warm and inviting. Sonic's wistful look told Tails all he needed to know: Sonic wanted to run, and the Titanic Plain was the best place to do it; conveniently in the opposite direction of their current destination. The kitsune sighed, shutting the door and walking back to Crevan's workshop. His blacksmith doppelganger was sharpening Caliburn-who indignantly protested that he did not need it- and fixing Sonic's hand gauntlet.
"Well? Did you talk to him?" inquired Crevan, his sapphire eyes curious.
With a sigh, Tails shook his head. "No. I didn't want to bother him. He looked kind of distant, anyway."
"You didn't want to bring up his weakness, did you, fox?" barked Caliburn, glaring at the kitsune.
"It's not a weakness!" snapped Tails, jumping to the quick defense of his brother. "Sonic's never been beaten by water, ever."
"The knave is currently drowning in self-pity in the back room of the young blacksmith's house. I believe that makes it a weakness, as well as a fear. I will talk to him, and I will talk sense."
"Caliburn, wait!" yelped Tails, watching helplessly as the sword made his way into the back room. "Oh, no… This can't go anywhere but south."
"I didn't think they were walking anywhere," commented Crevan.
Tails sighed and smacked his forehead. "Nevermind. Let's just say this won't end well for either of them."
Why does it always have to be water? Never fire, never earth, never air. None of the other elements seem to want me dead. Just water. Sonic sighed and shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts but failing miserably. If he simply was not so gosh darned curious, he would not have fallen into that hole in the first place, and this situation would not be a problem. The plain outside the window seemed to call his name, beckoning him to come and race away from all his troubles, letting the wind blow through his quills and the sun warm his fur. It would be pure bliss to allow himself to run from all the issues facing him at that moment.
"Wallowing in self pity is not getting you anywhere, knave."
Sonic barely muffled a low growl of annoyance as he turned to glare at Caliburn, who was glowering at him with an equally irritated expression. His emerald green eyes were alight as he jumped to his own defense. "I am not 'wallowing in self pity,' dull blade! Last I checked, you can't die, so you don't have to worry about this kind of stuff!"
"Tell me you weren't asking why the world is against you."
"I… not the world," muttered Sonic.
"Water, then."
"Hey, how'd you kn-"
"The fox told us."
"Us? You mean Crevan, too?"
"Your impromptu storming out of the room required explanation. Personally, I don't think it was called for in the least. Your excuse to leave could have used more thought, too."
"I was under pressure!" barked Sonic. "The information that the dungeon was along the water was a little unexpected!"
"A knight never flees his foe, be it physical or elemental."
"Yeah, well, as you keep pointing out, I'm no knight."
"But it is my duty to make sure you become one!" snapped Caliburn.
"I never asked for that!" retorted Sonic. "I was shoved into this job, and you know it! I never wanted to do this, but I had to!"
"And that is where you are wrong."
Sonic could not think of a reply as quickly as he had. His eyes widened and he looked at Caliburn quizzically. "Whaddya mean?" he finally asked.
"You might not have wanted to, but you most definitely did not have to. You could have easily given up when King Arthur injured you the first time, or when Sir Lancelot kidnapped your brother. You could have just gone home."
The hedgehog looked away and sighed. "I can't, Caliburn. Home isn't even in this reality. In my world, this story is just that: a story. Nothing more. In fact, this story's pretty warped compared to the one I read. I have no clue how to get back. I figure as long as I'm here, I might as well help out."
"Exactly!" interrupted Caliburn. "You don't have to. You can submit to King Arthur's rule, just as countless of others have done. But you did not. You are fighting, and you will continue to fight, until I say you are a knight of valor."
Sonic smirked. "Fine, you win this time. But I'd still love to know how you plan on getting me through water, since I can't swim."
"We will cross that bridge when we get there, proverbially speaking."
"Nice one."
Tails leaned against the wooden door separating them from the bickering mentor and student. Crevan was in a similar position, trying desperately to catch some of the conversation. When the yelling stopped, Tails glanced at him. "Do you think they've killed each other?"
"I wasn't aware that swords could die."
"I wouldn't put it past them. Sonic can get pretty hot-headed when you insult his honor."
"And he's not a knight?"
Tails chuckled. "Nope, not yet, according to Caliburn."
The two kitsune jumped out of their fur as the door their ears were up against opened. Sonic glanced down at them and smirked. "Eavesdropping is not becoming of you, Tails."
Both foxes blushed furiously. "S-sorry, Sonic," chortled Tails, grinning hopefully. "Just thought I'd… uh…"
"See if we'd killed each other yet? Yeah, you never did whisper well," added Sonic, upon seeing Tails' blush deepen. "No, we haven't. Caliburn talked sense to me, and for some reason, got through my thick skull. We'll be leaving for the dungeon at midnight, so get some rest, alright?"
Tails nodded. "Whatever you say, Sonic! C'mon, Crevan, I still want to tell you about Arondight!"
Sonic watched the two foxes race into the back room, and he shook his head. Caliburn smiled. "They won't get a minute of sleep."
"I doubt it," laughed Sonic. "They've never seen another fox like them, though, so it's understandable."
"But foolish."
"I never denied that."
***
"Tails! Darn it, Tails, get up!" snapped Sonic, shoving the fox out of his bed. Tails hit the floor with a resounding thump, moaning and rubbing his head as he stood. The hard, wooden flooring was not his choice of wake-up calls, and he glared at Sonic despite the grogginess that made his vision swim.
"That was not called for," he hissed.
"I've been trying nicely for the last ten minutes! I nearly let Caliburn wake you up."
The sword snorted disdainfully. "And I would not have been so kind, fox."
"Kind, my foot," muttered Tails, grabbing Sonic's proffered hand and rising to his feet.
"It's not my fault you stayed up talking for hours."
"Shut up. Where's the dungeon?"
"I know what you know. Caliburn suggested following the water flow within Camelot, since it all collects in the center of the town to reach Lake Avalon," explained Sonic. "I haven't thought of anything better yet. You got anything?"
"I was just rudely shoved to the floor to wake up. I hardly know why we're going there, much less the best route to take."
Sonic laughed. "I figured as much, which is why I did some asking around. Apparently, the large tower behind the statue of King Arthur houses the entrance to the dungeon. The only way in is through the main castle itself."
"You don't plan on going in there, do you?!" exclaimed Tails, realization dawning.
"Of course not. I know another way to get in, but you'll understand when we get there. Now come on, and be quiet. Try and keep your tails' noise level to a minimum."
The cobalt hero bolted out the door of Crevan's workshop into the chill night air outside. Tails followed loyally, glancing back at Crevan before shutting the door and continuing on his way. The stars above Camelot twinkled innocently, unaware of the destruction about to occur below them. Little light managed to cast its way in between the dark alleys, which was the specific reason Sonic chose to run through them instead of the main waterway. The man-made creeks were easily heard in the silence of the night, and Sonic had never had any problems hearing. Despite the fact that the creeks were too far away to see in the darkness, Sonic successfully maneuvered alongside them as he made his way towards the tower he had been told about. He screeched to a sharp halt when he came to a ninety degree turn in the alleys, switching directions at an astounding speed and using Caliburn to whirl himself around.
Tails grinned proudly as Caliburn complimented him on the maneuver. "You've really gotten used to running with me," he commented, keeping his voice hushed. "I congratulate you."
"I didn't have much of a choice now, did I?" asked Sonic cheekily, speeding up. Despite the sarcastic tone of voice, Caliburn could tell Sonic was absolutely thrilled to have been complimented by his own weapon. It was something other squires and knights did not get the pleasure of experiencing. Suddenly, Sonic veered away from the noise of the creeks, something that did not go unnoticed by Tails.
"Where are we going?" the fox inquired, flying low so the hedgehog could hear him. "The creeks flow in the other direction!"
"Just trust me, okay, lil' bro?" The cobalt hedgehog sped up even faster, barely making the sharper turns and always choosing staircases. Although it was not blatantly obvious, Sonic was taking a roundabout route back to the tower, and simply trying to come to it from a high vantage point. He eventually came to a stop on one of the turrets on the outer edge of the castle, right in front of a harpoon-like weapon that launched spears with ropes attached. The tower could barely be seen in the distance, glowing softly by the half moon's light.
"Why on Mobius are we here?" inquired Tails.
"Not now. Help me turn this thing around," ordered Sonic, pushing against the weapon. Tails joined in while Caliburn watched, confused. When the weapon was sufficiently pointed in the desired direction, Sonic stopped. "There. Only one thing left to do."
Sonic snatched Caliburn and swung him hard against the cord that kept the taut spear in place. With a loud snap, the spear was sent hurtling towards the statue of King Arthur, burying itself deep in the statue. At first, that seemed to be all that was happening, when the force from the spear finally caught up with the stone. Cracks that would have woken the dead sounded from the base, and slowly the statue began to lean backwards, before losing all grip on the firm ground below and smashing into the tower behind it. The spear was still attached to the statue, and the rope was taut from the turret to the tower. Tails' jaw had dropped, and Sonic was smirking. Caliburn was the only one who seemed to retain the ability of speech: "Good heavens!"
From their current hiding place, they could easily hear the gathering of worried villagers who had heard the noise. Sonic leapt into action once he saw the demonic soldiers reach the scene. He backed up a few steps, before quickly accelerating and jumping onto the rope. Balanced precariously, Sonic slid quickly down the rope to the tower, much to Caliburn's protest. Tails simply laughed as the sword berated its bearer while sliding down the makeshift grind rail. Like usual, the hedgehog just shrugged it off. "Sorr-ee!"
While Sonic's outer composure suggested he was fine, his stomach was doing flip flops as he anticipated what would meet him in the tower. He was racing towards water that had an unknown depth, and there was no way he could turn back. This could easily be his last escapade, if he fell directly into water that was too deep for him to stand. In that case, he would drown, and the world would be doomed. Not to mention Caliburn would be stuck at the bottom of some river. On second thought, that might not be too bad!
"Sonic, watch out!" cried Tails. The hedgehog glanced over his shoulder to see some of the King's knights at the turret where he had been only a few seconds ago. It was obvious they planned on cutting the rope he was using to get to the tower. Great. I'll die by falling hundreds of feet or drowning. Sonic crouched low, trying to gain more speed and outrace the demons' swords. It was a useless attempt, and the rope quickly went limp and fell. Tails yelped, but Sonic just jumped towards the opening in the tower.
"It's too far!" yelled Tails, nearing hysterics. "You're not going to make it!"
Ignoring his younger brother's cries of desperation, Sonic stabbed Caliburn forward, hoping with all his might that the sword was long enough to reach the wall. Luckily, it was. Sonic wasted no time and flipped forward, jerking Caliburn out of the wall and stabbing him in again at a higher point. He continued in this manner, smiling as Tails cheered with joyous relief, until he reached the top of the statue. After running down the rest of the statue, he could hear the water running below it. It was too dark to see what was going on and how deep it was, but Sonic knew he could not hesitate. Taking a leap of faith, he prepared to be hit by a wave of water and prayed he would not drown.
There was no need, as the water he landed in was no more than seven inches deep. Tails met Sonic in the tunnel, carrying a torch he had borrowed from one of the villagers. "Hey, this isn't so bad!" he chirped, landing beside his brother. The light cast from the torch revealed just how the dungeons worked: along the shallow river were multiple cells containing many villagers, all of whom were terrified at the commotion down the tunnel. Three doors divided the dungeons into sections, before it emerged back into Camelot Castle.
Wasting no more time, Sonic broke into a run towards the door to the next section. "Tails! I want you to open the cells, alright? I'll break through these and clear the way out of the castle!" Not waiting for the fox's reply, Sonic braced Caliburn and attacked the wood portion of the door. It was firm, but the water running beneath it had weakened the door. It was not much, but it was just enough for Sonic's continued battering to begin to break through it. As he was attacking it, Sonic's ear flipped backwards at the sound of swords clanking. He knew good and well Tails did not have a sword, and the only ones who could would be the King's knights. He whirled around and attacked the demons trying to sneak up on him.
"Face your foe, cowards!" he yelled, catching them by surprise as Caliburn's excessively-sharpened edge sliced through their armor like butter. As they dissipated and he turned back to the door, he saw more demons appearing from smoke on the other side. Tails had released the prisoners in this section of the dungeon, and he would have to hurry to break the door down before the soldiers could attack him. Curling into a spin dash, Sonic smashed through the door, his momentum sending him through the half-formed demons. The knights shrieked as they melted back into their smoke, and Sonic wasted no time breaking the next door. Tails had taught the other villagers how to open the cells, and others were being released at a much quicker speed than the previous section of the dungeon.
The door went down without a hitch, and no knights awaited him at the other door. However, an obscure red crate was placed against it on the opposite side, with knights waiting anxiously past it. Sonic snorted and charged for the door. One crate was not going to keep him from getting out of here. "Be careful, fool!" Caliburn snapped as he scraped against it. Soon, Sonic realized why: the sparks from Caliburn had set the fuel-soaked box on fire, and the hedgehog was pretty sure it would explode.
"Get back!" he yelled, pushing all the released villagers to the previous section of the dungeon. The crate exploded, just as he expected, and took the door and the knights with it. He glanced at the open hallway, shocked, before dashing out. "Hurry up!" he called, motioning the villagers towards him. He raced up the steps to the castle's main hall, and destroyed all the knights guarding the door. The drawbridge, however, was far too big to break down. Sonic immediately found the solution, and sliced the cords that held the drawbridge up. With a large echoing slam, the door fell across the moat and into the town. The path it opened to led right to the eastern exit, which Sonic cleared quickly and swiftly.
After all the villagers were outside, he gave them quick instructions. "You'll be wanted criminals here, just like I am. Run to the Deep Woods and find villages there, or form new ones, I don't care, but get away from here."
"What about our families?" asked one tentatively.
Sonic groaned. Of course they would refuse to leave without them. "Alright, there's enough chaos in the dungeons, and you all kind of look the same, so keep to the shadows and the alleys, find your families, and run, darn you! Run or you'll be captured all over again!" The villagers nodded gratefully, some crying with joy, and others still in shock.
"We should leave, too, hedgehog. Otherwise we'll be captured. We don't blend in like the escapees," stated Caliburn.
"True. We can't go back to Crevan's, so where do you suggest we go?" inquired Tails.
"The same place you suggested the villagers run to: the Deep Woods. We've completed the Lady's quest, and just in time. If we reach her tomorrow, we will have barely met the deadline."
"But I didn't destroy all of King Arthur's knights!" protested Sonic.
"Not all of them. There's no possible way for you to do that. You did, however, defeat all the leaders of the army. King Arthur is now the only one to give orders."
"How do you know that?"
"Don't ask," growled Caliburn. "Now run, fool. I know you can."
"Wait, Windblade!"
Sonic jerked forward as he canceled his take off, nearly resulting in him completing a rather embarrassing faceplant. His recovery, however, made him appear quite composed. "What did you call me?" he asked, regaining balance and looking at the villager who had spoken.
"Windblade. A name we give knights who are skilled with a blade," replied the villager.
"Oh. I'm not a knight yet. But what do you need?"
"I wanted to give you this, as thanks." The villager shyly handed the hedgehog an amulet. The chain was gold, and the medallion held a sparkling blue sapphire. It was no doubt beautiful, but Sonic was not entirely sure why he would be given a piece of jewelry. Luckily, the villager gave an explanation before he had to ask: "It's a healing gem. It has been blessed with the power of all the Sacred Swords, and can heal you of any wound, but it only works once."
"Thanks," murmured Sonic, placing it around his neck. "Now hurry up and get out of here. I don't want to have to rescue ya again." He gave the villager a quick wink before taking off down the path to the Deep Woods. When they had made it to the edge of the dark forest, dawn was fast approaching. Sonic refused to see Nimue without sleeping first, and so he stopped at the nearest clearing that was protected by shrubbery. He yawned, placed Caliburn against a tree to stand guard, and curled up into a sharp ball, snoring softly as he fell into a light slumber. Tails was too awake to go to sleep, and sat watch with Caliburn.
"Do you realize your brother admitted he was not a knight?"
"Yeah…" murmured Tails. "You didn't even say anything."
"Do you know why?"
"Why? I don't know. I might be Sonic's adopted brother, but I sure 'nuff don't know everything about him."
"Hm… that's only to be expected, I suppose. Nonetheless, it marks a lot of progress. Humility is a very important virtue for a knight."
"So he's almost reached knighthood?"
"Almost. We'll see what happens this afternoon when we meet with the Lady of the Lake."
Over on his side of the clearing, Sonic smiled to himself. So he was making progress, after all.
