Chapter six: "A twist of plot, please"
Before long, the five guys found themselves tied to stakes, in some sort of prison-like
straw hut. The females had said nothing to them, just growled fiercely, and locked them up.
Of course Sonic protested, but it seemed they didn't understand him. All the guards were female.
In fact, Sonic hadn't seen one single male in their entire village. They seemed to have
stumbled upon some sort of wild amazon tribe.
"Sonic, I'm scared." Tails whimpered.
"Don't worry, big guy." Sonic reassured, "Sal will come looking for us."
"Soon I hope!" Nack complained struggling with his ties, "This ain't exactly comfortable."
Suddenly, a tall thin tigress, wearing only a black silk wrap around her breasts and
hips, entered. She had black stripes over her eyes vertically, giving her a rather menacing
look. She scowled at the group with disgust. Two other females trailed in behind her and bowed.
She looked back at them, then looked at Sonic and said something in an odd language, too fast
to be understood.
"Uh... Mind repeating that?" He asked.
She scowled again. Then she turned to one of her attendants. She was a young vixen, with
short blond hair and a leather skirt and jacket. She had a small yellow cat-like creature on
her shoulder. The little fox nodded to the tigress, then walked up and stared at the rather
ragged looking group.
"Hello?" She said, "You speak English?"
Sonic looked incredibly relieved. "Great! Finally someone can understand us!"
"Yeah, whatever." She said, dryly. "Now what were you doing spying on her highness
an' her court while they were bathing?"
Sonic sweated a little. "Eh, well..." He mumbled, "We weren't spying, we were looking
for firewood, and kinda stumbled upon them... We didn't mean to intrude..."
"Yeah sure." She said, raising an eyebrow, "Where you from?"
"The Great Forest." Sonic said.
Her other eyebrow raised. "What are you doing way out here?"
"We came looking for something." Sonic answered.
"What?" She questioned.
"Umm..." He said, thinking for a while.
"Well?" She asked, impatiently.
"I... I don't remember." He admitted, unhappily but truthfully.
The fox girl frowned. "How convincing." She mumbled.
"It was something for a uh... Friend..." He continued. "Really, I promise."
She sighed. "Yeah, whatever. Where you traveling with anyone else?"
Sonic's face lit up. "Yes! Yes we were! They're still on the outskirts of the swamp. You
can go ask them, they'll tell you we're clean!"
"Are your companions males?" She asked.
Sonic was rather confused by this question. "Uh, well one is, but the others are
both girls. Why?"
Without answering she turned back to the other attendant and said something to her in
another language which sounded rather oriental. The other attendant nodded, then bowed to the
tigress and left the room.
"She'll go find your friends and see if your telling the truth." She said. "You'll
stay here until she returns here with them."
"Thanks." Sonic said, dryly.
* * * * * *
It seemed to be hours before Sally and Bunnie appeared. Sonic had never been so relieved
in his entire life. Sure, he could have easily escaped. But he would have to take out the
guards. And the guards were women. And he didn't hit women. It was unjust, and if Sonic was
anything he was just.
The first thing he did once he was untied was hug Sally.
"We were so worried about you guys!" She said, rather angrily. "Now why on earth were
you accused of being 'peeping Toms'?"
They group shifted. "Er... It was an accident, L.P." Clawz said, then added silently
to himself, and a rather enjoyable accident, too. He turned and looked at the slender tigress,
who was watching them in grim silence. She was undoubtedly the leader of this group. 'What a
babe,' He thought, smiling.
"Are y'all all right?" Bunnie asked.
"Oui, mon cherie." Antoine mumbled, "Just a little, how you say, offed ticked."
"Does he mean ticked off?" Nack asked.
Clawz shrugged. "How should I know?"
"Where's Rotor?" Tails asked.
"He's back at the camp keeping watch." Sally explained.
"Good deal." Sonic said staring to walk out of the hut, "Let's go back and--"
Two guards blocked the doorway with their spears.
"Hey!" He said, "What gives?"
"You will apologize publicly to our people now, accident or not." The little fox
girl said. "Our leader also wishes to speak with your Princess before you leave."
Sonic grumbled. "All right, all right. Just put down those spears all ready, you could
put an eye out with those things."
Tails laughed at that.
The little vixen turned her spear on him and scowled. "That goes for all of ya. You
too, little boy." She said, indignantly.
His smile turned to a frown. 'Little boy?!' He thought.
"Come on everyone," Sally instructed, "Do what she says."
"You better." She said huffily.
"Look kid, if you're gonna get off bossin' us 'round, you might as well tell us
yer name all ready." Nack requested.
She thought a moment. "Why not... M'names Maria. Maria ClearWaters."
* * * * * *