It wasn't just Shadow or Eclipse having a bad evening. There was one more person wandering the empty streets. It was the exorcist, Silver the Hedgehog, who tracked down the black hedgehog here. He now wore more civil clothes consisting of a white shirt and light brown pants, to not give his occupation away. He was alone with his thoughts and plans swirling in his mind.
There was no way they would somehow get the information if the fake priest was still in this city or not. He would need to ask the local branch for help. Such action could alert other agents, and he was sure, more than half of them would be happy to get in his way or to snatch his target under his nose. The silver psychic snorted, feeling annoyed. He scanned the wider street he was walking down.
It wasn't overly clean either dirty it was just a way through the city. If he wouldn't be moody, he would appreciate the lamps were maintained as neither had broken bulb. Their structure was painted by gray colors, and it had a shiny feel. Under each lamp was a small pot with flowers which were taken care of too. Along the walls were also bigger flower pots that gave this street lovely feel.
The pavement was properly stoned, so it was almost flat. The plasters around had some dirt on them, but no house was damaged, and the windows had decorated frames. His trained eyes spotted a cafe and sweet shop, and his nose told him the delicious smell didn't leave yet. It lifted his grumpy mood for just a split of a second, as he pushed the thought of finding open cafe out of his brain.
His ears pricked as he heard running water. It was coming from behind, and it was water running in a small fountain. This city was full of small centers, and each had something big in the middle. The one he had passed a few steps ago had round fountain that was damaged on a few places. However, it was still in working shape, and the steams of water were pushed toward the sky to rain down into the bowls, creating multiple waterfalls. It wasn't like he paid it any attention, he just wanted to take his mind off the priest for a bit. To give his brain a moment to recuperate, before kicking it back to work.
His mood sunk once more. There were too many unknown factors. This whole time he was pondering where to start his search. He couldn't decide if Shadow was hiding in the center or near the city border. Both options were valid, after all, the best hiding place for a tree is in the forest. He bit his lip since his mind ventured back to a small thought.
Before he decided to take this stroll, he started to play with an idea of asking for help. There was actually a way to do it without raising big suspicious. He only needed to phrase it the right way. It wasn't a rare occurrence to search for witnesses. This priest happened to be one, and since this case happened to be serious, he didn't want to startle him.
He still needed to work out some details, but this could work. 'Yeah, I think I can do this.' He smirked. This way he would also make Gold happy. On their way here she talked with him about this, but he kept refusing to get help.
And speaking of his partner, Gold was sleeping in their temporal home. She had no idea he had left. It wasn't like he wouldn't inform her, but when he got up, he was grumpy and had zero interest in any kind of conversation. So he was glad the tenrec was already in the bed. But at least his mood improved a bit as he walked the silent streets.
His ears suddenly twitched. 'What was that?' He immediately pressed his body against the wall, moving slowly forward. His trained instincts were sharp and accurate. His keen hearing allowed him to estimate enemy's location in about fifty meters radius. This time his ears picked horse sounds, heavy steps, and loud gasping.
'Is someone coming closer?' He carefully jumped over one pot, silently touching the ground. This person was very loud, and even a normal person would hear him or her by now. Silver sniffed the air and picked up a faint smell of blood. His fur bristled as he stopped just behind the cover.
He quickly scanned the area of small center with a big tree in the middle. Around it were benches and somebody was in front of the tree on knees. The psychic snarled since he too well recognized the sounds of hurling. 'So it was some drunk idiot,' he thought with a disdain.
However, he waited for this person to stand up. Something was familiar to him, and as the man slowly straightened himself, Silver clenched his fists and bared his teeth. 'That fake priest!' His blood was boiling.
Shadow spat the rest of saliva on the ground. As far as he could remember, he never felt so miserable. The voice was hunting him for long minutes, and the bloody scenes caused his stomach to throw everything out. His ebony body was covered by sweat, and his legs were trembling.
The priest leaned against the tree with his right shoulder, taking deep breaths. He still felt gastric juice in his mouth. He swallowed the sour taste as his throat was dry. With another deep inhale he realized the voice was gone. 'But for how long?' He clenched his body, digging fingers into his sides.
He felt despair was taking over him when some hand touched his left shoulder. His dark eyes shot open, and he bit his tongue to stop any scream from escaping. He pivoted, pushing the arm away and jumping back. The fear in Shadow's face was soon switched with a shock.
"Uah!" shouted a young man as he landed on his butt. His long and silver quills swayed in the air. He rubbed his backside, and two big amber eyes were full of fear.
"Ah, I-I'm sorry!" The black hedgehog quickly apologized, realizing he almost hit an innocent citizen. He quickly offered him his hand. "Are you alright?"
The young man accepted it with a small smile. "That's alright, mister priest. I have approached you so suddenly. Anyone would be surprised." This gentleman was nobody else but Silver the Hedgehog who was fuming a few seconds ago. He completely changed his personality to creep up on his target without raising any suspicion. "B-But I really need your help, mister priest!" the psychic quickly babbled.
"Speak your mind, son." Shadow felt a certain calmness filled his mind. It felt he could forget about his trouble and be true to his beliefs. However, there was a strange smell coming from this young man. However, he had no idea how to describe it.
"My good friend is dying. Please, listen to his last words." Agent's ears went down in a submissive manner. Small tears appeared in corner of his eyes.
"Of course, show me the way." He eagerly accepted his invitation making the other's ears perk up.
"Thank you!" The young man's face turned brighter. He gestured to the priest to follow him. However, after a dozen steps the young man started to stutter: "I… I…" For some reason, he had a hard time to speak his mind.
"What's the matter?" Shadow asked. "You don't need to be afraid. I will hear you out." He wondered if he wasn't nervous because Shadow pushed him before.
"I'm just bad… with people…" Silver halfway turned back, "and my friend is on the other side of the city." He made a slight pause, playing with his finger. "So… going through the center is a bit… There are some nightclubs and… would you mind going underground? This city has beautiful catacombs. It will make our journey shorter," he sounded happier, but there was uncertainty in his voice.
The black hedgehog smiled. "I surely don't mind. I have heard about them and wished to see them."
Silver made a cheerful smile. "Thank you, the nearest entrance is this way." The psychic caught Shadow's hand and dragged him behind himself.
The priest somehow felt there was something wrong as the grasp was strong. He convinced himself it was because this young man was desperate. Soon they stopped in front of an iron door.
The young man took a key, opened it, and they entered a new world. At the entrance, he took a torch and lit it, and as they walked, he explained, "This place was built a few years after this small village was expanded into a big town to provide shelter and escape routes in the case of invasion."
"How sophisticated," the priest noted, rubbing his wrist. The stone corridors were in good condition, so even now it was maintained.
"I agree, if you notice the text, those are secret messages telling how to navigate here."
Shadow quickly examined the wall next to him. "Whoever designed this place must have been a wise man." He felt one text with his finger, though it was a bit illegible. The strange feeling refused to leave him. He slightly shook his head, trying to push it away.
"Yeah, I and my friend were exploring this place many times since we were children. I can still remember my parents getting angry at me every time." He snickered.
"I can imagine that. All parents are worried about their children." For some reason, the priest still felt the uneasiness, and with each step, it was getting stronger. Shadow pushed it back, trying his best to ignore it, he was sure it was the voice trying to sneak up on him again.
They walked for a short while until they arrived in big open space illuminated by bluish light coming from crystals. "How beautiful," the priest gasped, he had never seen anything like that. His eye twitched as his vision got momentary blurry. He pressed the temple to ease the pain in his head. 'Go away you unclean voice!'
"Do you want to see something awesome?" The exorcist looked at him with excitement in his eyes. "Please, stand here." Silver pushed him into the center of a medium-sized circle without waiting on Shadow's answer.
"I don't mind, but your friend…" He felt electricity running through his toes. What was wrong with this place?
The silver hedgehog looked slightly low-spirited. "I know, but," he made a tired smile, "he would never forgive me if I would skip the best part of this place."
Shadow smiled as well. "He must be a really dear friend." Silver nodded in response, but Shadow couldn't understand why there was a dangerous feel coming from the young man's smile.
"Yes, that's true." Silver walked away, and when he was about a dozen steps away, he asked, "By the way, do you recognize this?" While showing him his back, he lifted in the air a silver gun.
The ebony hedgehog froze. "That looks like- Ghaa!" he screamed as sudden pain filled his body. His body was in one flame, and his teeth chattered. He forced his head to look at his torso. Shining chains spurted from a magical circle on the ground and bound him.
The circle itself was a small part of a complex inscription. It was spread across the whole room, and the amount of text suggested it was not just powerful, but it was laid by many priests in the past. Shadow's mind vaguely understood this must have been the reason for his uneasiness, but the brain was too preoccupied with the perception of pain to formulate actual thought.
The priest tensed up his muscles and tried to break free. However, the chains didn't budge a bit. His back was in one flame, and he felt his wings were jerking. The voice in his mind returned, and it was screaming, howling, and roaring. Shadow noticed his mouth was open, but he was unsure if any of the cries were his.
Silver's face was emotionless, but his eyes were full of delight. "Finally, I have got you. You eluded me for too long," he said in a cold voice.
"What..." the priest gasped barely talking, "Have we... met?" His body was shivering, burning from inside.
The agent of The Order grinned. "No, otherwise you wouldn't follow me so willingly." There was a clear sign the psychic felt sadistic pleasure from Shadow's pain as Silver was watching him like a predator.
"Then why…?" he asked in a husky voice. He leaned forward and noticed the chains tightened their grasp. He felt his ribs might snap at this rate. Shadow wasn't able to properly breathe.
"Silence, you fake priest! You will only answer my questions!" Barked the psychic. The aura around him turned deadly.
The priest was full of fear. For a moment it drowned the voice in his head. However, it was back in the next second. It was becoming stronger and stronger he had a hard time to hear what Silver was saying.
"Now, tell me who you are!" the psychic commanded him as he made a few steps forward.
With a hoarse voice, the priest slowly answered: "I… I'm Shadow the Hedgehog, a priest…" A strong and pulsating headache was taking over his brain. It was like somebody was beating his head with a big hammer.
"Liar! You aren't a priest!" the agent barked back. He was angry, but also happy. His prey was powerless and scared, quaking like a leaf. Silver's eyes fell on the cross around ebony hedgehog's neck. "Scum like you don't deserve to wear this!" He made a few strides, grabbing it.
"N-No! Don't take it off!" The black hedgehog priest was panicking, feeling this was the only thing keeping the voice from completely taking over his body. "Please!"
The psychic smirked and tore the necklace off. His pleasure lasted only for a brief moment, as an absurd rise of demonic power engulfed the prisoner's body. The young hedgehog jumped back since Shadow's body was consumed by green flames turning him into a shadowy figure.
"Wha- How's that possible?" he yelled.
The chains were breaking one by one. The air around him shook and was suddenly hot. His eyes darted toward the cross in his hand, feeling a faint warmness coming from inside. "Was this a seal?"
The last chains were broken with a loud bellow. Silver's body jerked, and he dropped the cross. The psychic instinctively created a psionic layer around his body. He managed it in the last second as Shadow leaped from the flames. A strong blow was dealt, and young agent's body was pushed back. However, Silver managed to still stay on his legs.
His eyes widen when he noticed how much Shadow changed. Hideous horns, third eye, red fur and markings, yellow sclera with red glowing eyes, dragon wings and a long tail could mean only one thing.
"So, you never were a person…" Silver snapped and avoided another punch, "but a demon from the beginning!" This option never crossed his mind, and that made him more furious.
Shadow roared, and the whole place resonated, echoing it back for a long time. The psychic flew backward, avoiding his slashing attacks.
"You unclean fiend! How dare you to impersonate a holy man!" He formed lances with his power behind himself and fired them. "Begone!"
The demonic priest didn't avoid them he cut them with his hands engulfed in green flames, crashing the energy. This attack meant nothing to him. Throwing toothpicks might have a bigger impact.
Silver hissed, "Impossible!" This attack always killed his target, not to mention no one was able to deflect it… until now. The ebony demon swiftly rammed into the stunned agent, pinning him to the wall with his hands.
The psychic put up his defense, keeping the claws away from his neck. 'This raw power… it's insane!' A streak of sweat appeared on his forehead. His amber pupils were shaking, staring right back into the red ones. For the first time, the young agent felt he might die.