The square was jam-packed with people from the whole town, gathering like livestock for slaughter, admiring the fancy bunch on the erected podium. Only one person stood out from the bunch on the wooden platform. Someone with a proud and determined look on his face, his eyes almost physically emitted arrogance and perfectionism. He stood among the black, long coated people, who looked eerily identical to each other. Same long, black coat, same haircut with different colors from the darker palette of the color wheel. The pose they were standing in suggested order and law. Straight face, and a sharp gaze forward. They were clearly not from around, not even from the North. They must have come from the known world's inner regions. Unlike the rest, the one who stood out wore a white long coat and crimson hat that had a ridiculously huge flange. This was a common outfit among high ranked individuals in the religion. However, the emblem they wore, was slightly different from the original. Maybe they were part of a special underground association supervised by the church itself or maybe they were just an overzealous bunch who just wanted to preach their beliefs like many before. But if that was the case, only a few people would be here to listen to their nonsense. Instead, according to Sonic's sight, they gathered the majority of the town. He was more than impressed. However, this also meant that these strange people were an incredible force to reckon with or directly related to the church, governing in the center of the continent, ruling beside the king.
Rumors say that the king got an astronomical lot of money from the church for his campaign against the eastern countries to annex them into the already existing union with the north and west. If he succeeds, the church will have the new emperor around its finger and even more, people to pay the "Tithe". His Holiness is not a dumb and lot individual…
Sonic and Amy stuck close to each other while the others stayed nearby. Since the hedgehog boy heard the age-old story that the sorcerer girl told him about the relationship between them and the holy people of the church, he was afraid to leave her alone. A couple of minutes earlier, the fox boy explained the situation to the rest of them. He told them the gathered information from the town folk, about the possible intentions of the strangers. Tails told them about the rumors of a sorceress girl roaming around the town. Ever since that world left the fox's mouth, Sonic could not help but to stay on edge, not letting her go anywhere where he cannot reach. Or even too far from him. He was unsure whether Amy could protect herself if it comes down to fighting. Speaking the truth, he was not even sure if his strength was enough to protect her from those people. They were way taller and wider than him, making them look more like soldiers than messengers of God. A humble man would not be enough to tackle even one of those golems down. But on the flipside, it was a piece of cake to take down trained people with little to no sweat, accumulated the hedgehog boy from what vague idea his sight could provide him.
The man with a red hat took a few steps forward and looked around, measuring the people standing around before a long sigh left his mouth. His breathing became more rapid and his chest was rising and falling under the thick coat. Steam left his body, with the heat he emitted from the gaping abyss of his organ. Sonic raised an eyebrow for what he had seen but he dismissed it as anxiety. However, this statement of his came down crumbling as the strange man looked up from the wooden platform, into the crowd below his feet. His facial expression emitted courage and dedication, his most significant distinctive feature above all the fellow bishops. He raised his hand up to his face and clenched his fist around the symbol of the church and the Lord, that he wore as a protection charm. The metal slowly touched with the flesh, as he silently praised the One and Only, that he is with the man. He always thought that this amount of courage is the aid of God. No, he rather knew that he was aided by God. Always feeling like he was born to do something big. That is why he decided to become a priest, and slowly work his way up to the top. To change the religion's ill deeds. To clear not only the church but the whole world from things that the Almighty would not seem to like. "How would such deeds be wrong?" he always thought. He just wants to spread the word and the love of God to every single individual in the world. Yes, his ultimate goal was a kind of power where he can form the world as the One Above originally wanted to.
Mustering up his gift from God, the courage inside his heart and the determination, he reached out to the crowd with his voice.
"Brothers and sisters of this humble town of the North. I came to you, not in regards of strengthening your fate in the Creator. However, I came here to plea for your help." He took another long breath in through his mouth, which was fairly audible among the crown.
People already began murmuring possible rumors about the bishop's mental health, some people signaling these with spinning their index finger around next to their heads, making fun of him. Sonic could not take this so lightly though. He kept the holy people in his eyesight at all time while crossing his arms in front of his chest, to keep his racing heart from bursting out from there. He furrowed his eyebrows while the holy man resumed his speech.
"Humble citizens of the Holy Union. I turn to you in regards to this matter. I beg you to help to find the foul witch that was a thorn in God's side. Do so, and I can ensure, your reward will not come in short." Each word became more and more silent, ensuring that they suggested the right message. It was a request, not an order. Because he depended on the people of the city, he could not order everyone around. He could have made an interrogation with the force he brought with himself, however, he did not see this as a walkable road. God's message to people was love. Every form of violence is forbidden among the brothers and sisters of the church as well as the believers. The only form of violence that was justified and supported by the One Above, is when a person or a group made fun or mocked the Creator or the dogma he and his followers set up all those years ago. In this case paganism and the worship of the old gods. Sorcery, as the toying with the power of the Almighty, was strictly forbidden. And back in Amy's time, could result in execution linked together with humiliation.
The people of the town began to murmur to each other, which broke the silence that fell on the audience. The thrill of passion hit its head up in every third individual in a form of chills and little bumps forming on their limbs. The speech was indeed a short one and was more like plea rather than a feverish exclaim, however, this passion snuck back into his voice once in a while, waving towards the awning lot and the cloudy, greyish sky. And in a final attempt of convincing the people before him to join his side in this little conquest against heresy, he even fell on his knees that on Sonic could not help but break out in a silent chuckle occasionally letting out a barfing like sound. Like when a kid swells up its mouth with air and you gently slap them. Luckily for him, it was not audible enough to reach the holy man's ears. He was far from someone who could be taken lightly by anyone. Always making sure that God's fist strikes down to the heretic and the one who ridicules the One Above All. Though Sonic knew about this as much as a fly would know about quantum physics. He furrowed his eyebrows and rubbed them in frustration and boredom, groping on Amy's wrists. He eventually turned around dragging the wondering girl with him.
"Come on. We heard enough of his bullshit today. Maybe I give his thought a consideration tomorrow" Sonic said with the final part said with noticeable sarcasm. "This dude is just delusional. Like anyone would turn you into these monsters for a small fortune." He added. It was almost a fact that in this town, everyone would have loved any type of passive income since the last harvest was not as good as expected because of the massive rain and the early winter. This year the town relied massively on the arriving merchants from all over the continent and the same trade routes to get enough food on everyone's table. The importing cut away a good portion of the residents' wallet though 'Everything for survival.'. Or as most people claimed here.
However, despite the dire need for money and goods, nobody would strip down their dignity to hand the pink hedgehog girl in. It was more likely a pressure coming from each other. Standing out and tell information about the girl in public would be an extremely risky task since people would most likely exile the greedy one from the community, thus forcing him/her to leave town in a passive-aggressive way. But there was something funny in this situation. Nobody knew what this so-called heretic mage looks like so even if there were people who were willing to stray away from the light of dignity could not give any information to the holy men.
The bishop slowly got up from his knees and pulled the laughably big hat into his head in order to cover his wet eyes from public view. The fact was that he pumped himself up so much with his passionate plea, he became so touched that he shed tears of joy on behalf of everyone in the town. What a pompous man one would think. So full of himself that he even cried after his own speech. It was a bad habit of his, that he worked on to erase from existence with little to no luck.
Turning around, he wiped off the huge tears that gathered on the outer side of his eyes. Then turning around, he lowered his upper body to a bow without even uttering any words. It looked like the freak show was over. The holy men walked down from the wooden podium back down to where the major was standing. Sonic could only make out a few words in regards to their accommodation. The inns were still jam-packed with people. The process of them going back to their own smaller town, villages and on the very southern side, to their farm was expected to begin later this day. The sun barely rose up from its slumber and these fancy pants high-rank men were pushing their madness on everyone. People were less welcoming this early to any crazy ideas that popped out from people's head all around the world since it interrupted their morning routine, essential for the 'wake up process'. As a result, the crown scattered fairly quickly, cursing the bishop and his henchmen to the seven hells and back. Almost an hour spent on his crazy speech and the waiting. They have found it more than ridiculous.
Sonic wiggled closer and closer to the bishop and the major, just to overhear where are they going to stay and for how long.
"I am sorry Major. I got a little bit 'hyped up' as the youngsters these days would say." Apologized for the man with a red hat in an affable voice. Higher tones with a rhythmic ringing to it that is good for one's hearing. Talk had a sort of magical effect on most people, helping to bend their choices around the caster's will. Though this was not considered to be legit mage craft since anyone could master this sort of skill in the matter of a few weeks and did not require the implication of mana. However, charisma was something that could easily be the replacement of mana.
While speaking, the bishop handed over a papyrus to be nailed to one of the bulletin board.
"A wanted poster? Or details?" the paranoid questions raced through the young hedgehog's mind from synapse to synapse which urged his body to take actions against it. Not only that but these kinds of thoughts pumped adrenaline into his blood flow. Despite the extreme cold, he did not feel the icy wind that blew through the small holes where the outfit pieces met with each other. In fact, he was sweating. His eyes grew wide and the pace of his breathing became more rapid. His hand tightened into a fist then became loose again. As soon as the man chosen to do the sacred task of informing the townsfolk about the details that the man with the ridiculous hat failed to do. With a head bow and a 'Yes, your excellency' the priest began his move towards the inn of the town, where the news got usually nailed.
Sonic did not hesitate even a second. Letting go of Amy's arm, he pushed his way through the majority of the crowd and followed the trail of the holy man. He could not let them do whatever they want. At this rate, they are going to find Amy and take them away. Doing god knows what to her in the capital. The most humane thing would be a fast execution but he was more than afraid of that would only be the icing on the cake. Vague, tattered memories from his school flashed in and out of his mind, as he was turning the pages forward in his history book. It stated that the heretics were got brutally tortured before. Dunking underwater in a cage, stretching the body to its absolute limits on a rack. Then most likely being burned alive.
It was a fate that he could not let happen to such a 'young' girl. He wants to show so much to her. He wants to do so many things with her.
His eyes darkened as he pulled his cap into his head in order to hide his face as he passed the remaining holy men and the major. The distance between the cat and the mouse shortened due to the cat getting too eager to jump on the prey. However, Sonic did not take the last turn that leads to the inn. Instead, he decided to wait for the priest to do his job then getting into action himself. Leaning against the wall of the house, he waited for a while occasionally taking careful peeks from the corner then immediately getting back to his original position. With his hand, that was further from the corner, he began tapping on the wall impatiently, faster and faster with each passing second. As he was panting, thick steam left his boiling body and occasionally wiggled his tongue around on her lips to replenish the moisture on them. Even as little as dry lips made him boil with rage at this point.
When the man left the flyer on the board, Sonic quickly dashed over to it barely waiting for the holy man to leave the place. Though he paid attention not to look too suspicious when he passes beside him. His heart was racing and sweat broke out on his forehead yet again, only to be dried off by the gentle icy breeze. Reaching out with his fingers to the poster, he halted the movement.
"Wait. If I rip it off they are just going to put on another one. Or worse. They are going to find the one who is responsible for taking these flyers off…. And even that if I take them down, they will suspect that Amy is here."
Time stood still in the hedgehog's mind. Something that rarely happens. He is usually eager to do anything that is in his mind. However, the stakes were too high with this action. If he takes it down, they will surely get their hands busy with looking for the hedgehog girl even more. Impulses were rushing to everywhere in his mind, looking for a solution to this crisis. There had to be something that they can do for her. No. What he can do for her. He cannot expect his friends to help in this matter. He was the one who brought Amy here, he was the one who insisted on reintroducing her to the new, more calm society of this land. The boy never expected that such people like His Holiness still exist. Especially in this high position. The era of craze and madness was long over. Right?
Sonic slid his fingers down from the poster then turned around to make his way back to the gang.