The tunnel was finally coming to an end. Well, sort of. Hawk would be deep underground by now…again. He slowed down slightly as he felt he cool breeze of a spacey hollow in the earth. This one showed many more signs of construction…the walls and roof were rounded into one…made of some kind of metallic substance, they were blue. Wait, maybe they were stone…who could say for sure? They looked like a mix of the two. There was a humming sound from the center of the room, down on the floor. Hawk looked at the wall below him and ducked down to inspect it. Yep, there were grooves in the wall for climbing. Avoiding a somewhat precarious drop the sort of which has always been a hassle, he dropped down to the ground from halfway and realized that the strange humming was from underneath. There was a passage at the other side of the room. What was this place, anyway? Hawk realized he had travelled a long way South…no idea where any of his friends could be. They would have survived, no doubt. If any of them had been taken by surprise, the others wouldn't be so easy. Even Kay-Kay probably had some strong fighting techniques, not that Hawk had seen them yet, but who cared? She wouldn't have come after him with Mini if she didn't. The passage turned away to the left, still lots of blue glowing panels at the bottom of the walls and near the roof. The floor was metallic and rang as Hawk ran. Sort of like some kind of base. Suddenly he came out into a large room…just a large domed room. Same colour scheme as the rest, though. Suddenly there was the whoosh of someone dropping to the ground from above…then a light tap on metal. Hawk stepped back, a dark, cloaked figure was standing there…it was breathing, its chest moved in and out…its face was hidden in shadow, it wore a dark blue cloak…its eyes glowed yellow. Nothing compared to what Hawk had faced in the past sometimes. "How did you find us?" It growled. Hawk didn't answer, there was a buzzing noise as the glowing blue beam came out of Hawk's clenched fist again. The Lazuli Blade. He remained controlled. "HAGH!" It yelled. Suddenly there was a loud metal clunk as steel bars blocked the way back and the way forward. Hawk swiftly turned around and hit the bars with his blade…the blade disappeared as Hawk reeled from the sudden vibrations in his hand. "You cannot run. Did you think that this I would not anticipate?" Hawk turned back around. Not going down without a fight. No way. He pushed his sunglasses back onto his eyes as they slipped forward. The cloaked figure drew a shiny yellow blade out of nowhere. No, it was solid. Surely. Hawk made the first move. Anticipating his own attack of rainbow energy bolts, Bluehawk outstretched his hand suddenly. "YARGH!" Pychark! Pychark! This one wasn't even powered by the emerald! Hawk's eyes widened. The cloaked figure had retreated backwards. The emerald was still fairly dim. Hawk glanced at it. No, it wasn't dimmed by that lightning. Suddenly his hand shot up to block the yellow sword coming down on him. "Have to be faster than that." Hawk remarked cockily. Cloak let out a growl, then jumped backwards again, put his sword away and reached into his coat. Suddenly there was a thwipping noise and a clang. He had out a long, gold chain, which coiled and writhed as though it were alive. Hawk stepped back from it as a wave of leaping links neared him. He glared at his attacker. Suddenly, with barely a thought, he was slamming himself straight into the wall, sandwiching the cloaked one. Suddenly the cloak simply dropped to the ground, its occupant seeming to have vanished. Hawk stepped back. What the heck had just happened? Whatever was in that cloak had deliberately let him win. Either to put him off guard or to let him through for some other reason…That was the next thing Hawk noticed. The barred doors were now open. Figuring out which door was the one he came from, he jogged forward…the passage turned left again. A dirt room, then. A pedestal in the center that looked sickeningly familiar. It was just like the pedestal in the ice chamber…only there was nothing on it. The passage was a dead end…but then Hawk realised there was a piece of paper attached to the other side. He walked around slowly, reached out to pluck it and ripped it from its nail.
With power taken, evil is reborn.
Power handed to the people of wrong.
The elemental's champion
Is the opposite of their titan.
The writing seemed to be a translation of what was inscribed on the pedestal in strange lettering. Time to stuff this into his pocket for later. But…how to get out? Suddenly there was the sound of an explosion from the wall ahead and the choice was made for him as the dirt wall collapsed…stand ground. A giant black thing was bursting out from the wall…hungry, vengeful…Its red eyes gleamed and looked straight at Hawk.
"Pee…haitch…won…" It snarled.
Hawk stepped back, drawing the Lazuli Blade. Pee haitch won…no, PH-1. What? What was PH-1?
"What's…PH-1?" Hawk said slowly, half-stammering, stepping back and bumping a wall. For a second he thought he was trapped, then he realized he had turned slightly. The Lazuli Blade was pointed directly at the creature's gaping maw. It lumbered forward slightly with a thoom, then lashed out its tongue twice. Suddenly it lunged forward, taking a bite out of the wall behind where Hawk had just been. If it hadn't been for the emerald…the creature seemed to think it had got him for a second, then it realized that for one thing it could hear the humming of the Lazuli Blade, and secondly that there was nothing live in its mouth. Its head turned angrily. Its eyes flashed, and for the first time Hawk noticed it had huge bat wings which were now spreading. It forced its face forward, splitting Hawk's ears with a huge roar…then the rumbles started and it lost its footing. Earth crumbled from the roof. Hawk was about to run away when he realized that it was impossible to do so. The emerald flashed in his hand, then crackled, and the crackling faded. So did the Lazuli Blade. Not so good at all. Abandoning all worries of pain, Hawk threw himself to the side, narrowly averting a tongue lash. The long slimy pink thing stayed out and rigid…Then started swinging from side to side as the huge creature tossed its head. Hawk was well out of range, and the creature soon realized this as its glistening red eyes fixed on him. It didn't stop swinging for a few seconds, then it sucked its tongue in with a sickly sliding noise and grunted twice. Hawk stepped back, then suddenly knew what to do and extended his arm. The creature looked surprised, as if it had expected him to flee at any moment. Perhaps that's what all of his other prey had done. But hawk stood his ground, hand outstretched. Suddenly the huge hulking creature bounded away through the passageway through which Hawk had come…then Hawk saw the strips on its back. A chimera!? But then he realized he should be turning to where the beast came from, the hole in the wall.
It was dimly lit along this new corridor, and it showed no signs of resurfacing. It was level, which was a relief, because Hawk wanted to reach the surface before facing further horrors…and the deeper he got…but it was amazing how this tunnel could have been generated without anyone knowing…it would have been charted or something. But then the air eventually became fresher…it was subtle at first, but then Hawk realized there was less of a dirt smell and he was getting cold. Hawk sped up a little, the emerald still not being any use to him in its need to charge, so he didn't go too fast in fear of tiring himself out any more than the day's events already had. He had been running for most of the day…trying to think…but now that he felt safe again the only thoughts he had were those of the past…he could still remember that awful day as though it were yesterday, even though it had been a year since…the images he could recall with but a thought, that had subconsciously plagued him this whole time…after spending all of that time in a sort of solitude training at the secret service he had completely lost any social skills he had, which was probably why he had been so naïve…so trusting of what he knew, so assuming…so stupid. He had been highly misunderstood too though, in the process. His thoughts at that stage far exceeded what he could have expressed…then the night air hit him, the cold wind, and the opening into darkness that was so welcome now…Then he bothered to look around, the tunnel was dimply lit and shot some light out here, so Bluehawk moves out of it, into the dark where he couldn't be spotted so easily. The grass around him bent in the wind, being rather wet and green, but also long…but the only thing he could really do now was sleep while he let the emerald recharge, so he sat down and tried to get comfortable, despite having nothing but what he held and wore.
*****
Phantom looked around, dazed. He must have collapsed once he knew he had won…that was the last thing he could remember, at least. Eagle never would have succumbed…there was immense power in him of a strange sort…the sort that Phantom had felt before in a powerful foe…but only once….it was almost as though they had something in common. It had survived the fall, of course…it was probably even now looking for him. Sama groaned behind him, sitting up in the grass. "Where Hawk?"
"Hawk wasn't with us when we were attacked, Sama. He could be anywhere."
"We go find him now!"
"No, we go find the others now, then we think about Hawk. At least with the others we have a chance…they should be around somewhere."
Sama grunted. "I smell something."
Phantom glanced over and almost fell over laughing. KawaiiKitsune was trying to sneak past Sama without being noticed, but now that Phantom had spotted her she stamped her foot, which made Sama look up. "Yay! You here now." Sama cried happily. KK rubbed the side of her head.
"Where's Mini and the armadillo guy?"
"We're still working on that."
Sama looked around and slumped back onto the dewy grass.
"But in any case. As soon as they're found, we head South, to the Incire Globe!" Phantom announced.
Sama and KK gave him puzzled looks.
"To the place where the orb of flames is. The Akise Orb was stolen in front of my very eyes, and that's what caused the eruptions…" KK's eyes widened. "The Pesnah Sphere was stolen before any of you were born, and the Terras Ball…my race used to have it. But they don't anymore." Of course not. He was it for now. "We have to get to the Incire Globe before sinister forces find it. If all four of the elements fell into the same hands, which they eventually will if we don't get them all, then SoaH will be the first place to be wiped off the map."
A thudding noise from the other side of the small hill behind them could be heard. Minimaniac was running toward them. "What's this about SoaH?"
"We're going South. Where's Eagle?"
"The shadows got him."
"Impossible." Phantom retorted. "You haven't sensed the power in that guy."
"I've seen it, and I saw him being dragged off unconcious."
That seemed to settle the matter.
*****
Bluehawk didn't know which direction he was heading, but he ran at what would be his fastest pace without the emerald, using the emerald to keep from puffing himself out. Hopefully with this mode of travel he could find food and shelter…he seemed to be passing familiar territory, though…then he passed the sign as he turned downhill, and slowed to a stop before backing up a bit. "SoaH City-3 Days' travel.". Shoot, he was heading for home. But at least it could help him get his bearings…he had found the ex-resting place of the Terras Ball, then when he reached SoaH City he could stock up on supplies, then reaching the ball of flames would take mere hours. And reaching SoaH city would take less than a single day from here considering he was running.
It was late in the afternoon now. Hawk had made good time, and now he could see the city outskirts. Excellent, he was nearly right at home! First thing he would do is check up on the apartment, then maybe visit Nambuk or Sugababe. He grinned happily, as that feeling of homesickness became stronger than it had ever been-he didn't realize how much he had missed home!
The apartment was like it hadn't been lived in for a while, but obviously knowing he was gone Nambuk had cleared out (and possibly used, but he didn't mind) all of the perishable foods and made sure it didn't become web-infested. Hawk grabbed a few dry biscuits and changed his clothes (shaking out the red trousers to make sure they didn't have any spiders in them) before heading outside again.
*****
"One more day and we'll be there, I think." Minimaniac suggested.
"That is if no-ones' limbs are sore from trying to keep up." KK said unhappily.
"It's okay, KK. I can carry you if you want!" Mini offered.
Phantom and Sama were having their own conversation. "Did you see Hawk at all since he went out yesterday morning?" Phantom asked.
Sama shook his head.
"Sure? I know you let things slip sometimes, Sama."
Sama nodded.
Phantom wouldn't let his concerned look go, though. It was important that they found both him and Eagle, but there was something extra sinister about those shadows…the way they had taken Eagle and left, the way they had been captured by them before and taken to chimeras? The way they had first attacked, and attacked Bluehawk and only Bluehawk? What was up with all of that? Phantom knew that they would attempt to take the Globe of Incire, the flame orb. So what he had to do is claim it himself…maybe give it to…wait…Sama's stupidity…his flame abilities…could be connected…was he not discovered in that same desert by Bluehawk only a year before? The same desert they were now entering…?
*****
How good it was to have slept in his own bed for once. The emerald was now recharged as well, so Bluehawk made himself breakfast, packed a few clothes and basic supplies and was out the door, already running North-West with a map in hand. He would soon be in the same desert where he had started to make true friends…running along the hypotenuse he had been traveling along earlier.
Damn it felt cool, having the lush landscape rushing underneath him and the wind in his face as if he were flying. He didn't usually enjoy going fast because it was usually used in short bursts or desperate situations…
*****
They had been out in the heat for a while, interesting how soft sand made the jouney so much hotter and harder, even for Minimaniac…although Sama wasn't bothered by the heat. The red sand went down with their weight and as such they avoided stepping in each others' footprints, making Phantom's the easiest job and KK's the hardest. But a town could be seen on the horizon. "Water…" KawaiiKitsune panted. She looked up to Minimaniac who looked almost the same, sweat coming close to dripping off of his chin. But he wasn't complaining in the least…although his thoughts were filled with constant grunts of boiling agony. "I'm staying in front to give you a little shade, KK." It wasn't working very well, he realized as he said it, but it had obviously expedited KK's suffering a little.
"We're nearly there, you two! The orb should be near that town somewhere, and if our bearings are wrong at least they'll give us replenishment!" And soon this area will be a different kind of wasteland…Phantom thought to himself. Although it might even be worse for some… the company of four trudged onward, each having their own thoughts associated with this new town. Customs, food, water or lack thereof…possible hostility…where's Hawk and Eagle? Then Minimaniac looked up beyond the town as it was halfway between them and the horizon. "DUST STORM! MOVE IT!" He cried out. The others looked. Sure enough, there was a lot of wind over there and a sandstorm was in fact brewing into their direction. If they could get to shelter in time, they would be fine. But if not…"Grab my arms!" Phantom commanded the others. Sama grabbed both, Minimaniac and KawaiiKitsune hesitated, then decided that running to the town in time, without drying out, was impossible. Then they didn't know where the heck they were…houses all around, all painted white and made of a sort of mud-brick….but Sama stared around as if nothing could make him happier…than to be home at last.
******
He was nearly there…Hawk was nearly at the nearest town to the next sphere. The last one. The one which, perhaps finally, they would claim for themselves and use to prevent any further madness. Then suddenly he realized the gate was closing in front of him. "No entry without written invitation." Two guards in bulletproof vests suddenly turned in towards him from nowhere. Their yellow dreadlocks swished a little, almost perfectly synchronized. Almost like they were mechanical. Then his eyes widened. Yellow dreadlocks. Just like Sama. Just like Sama. Yellow echidnas, just like Sama. They took off their helmets, again synchronized…both of them had reddish eyes. Just like Sama. "Are you okay, kid?"
"I-I'm…fine…"
"Sorry, but you can't come in unless an official has invited you. We need absolute security…"
"You guard the globe of flame." Hawk said indignantly.
The guards gave a start. "Yes, you know. All the more reason to not let you in."
"All the more reason to let me in. I want to help guard it…and I don't care if there's a gun at my head the whole time either. And you know it'll go sooner or later, no matter how tough security is."
The guards glanced at one another. The kid was right, but…
"Sorry. We can't."
"Alright then, know this…extreme forces are out to get it. Thousands of hedgehog like creatures each having special powers which you often will not be able to fight. Black shadows of humans…glowing red eyes. Their very presence smells of fear." The guards seemed almost unfased. "They will not stop. Try to defend yourselves without me and this entire desert is history…I've seen what the other removals have done." Bluehawk gave them cold, close up stares as he said this, even through the sunglasses they could see he was deadly serious.
"We'll see what we can do…there's a town not far away from here, in THAT direction…" He pointed over the town. "You'll see it as soon as you're out of view of this one."
Bluehawk shrugged. Nothing wrong with checking it out. He crunched his hand over the emerald and was away like a bolt of lightning and a dust storm.
*****
Some dust storm that had been, it had pretty much just blown over when it neared the town. Phantom looked around, still no-one emerged from their houses. Minimaniac and KawaiiKitsune looked like he felt…and Sama was jumping about happily. "I know here! This place got small since time Sama came!" He started running off. He had to explore…see the town and what had changed! Phantom didn't bother to stop him…he seemed crazily happy, as if he had just been granted a room overflowing with sherbet bombs. Minimaniac glanced to Phantom. "Sure he should be running off?"
"No."
"Anything that means I don't have to look after him myself." Groaned KK.
Minimaniac nodded sympathetically. Suddenly a yellow head popped out of a door near where Sama was running…a yellow echidna head! Just like Sama!
"You're from around here…but I've never seen you before…" The girl said.
"SAMA BACK! SAMA BACK!"
The yellow echidna girl's eyes widened. Like, REALLY widened. "Sama Funistuf was killed eleven years ago. You can't be him."
Sama just grinned, Phantom could tell even though he was facing the other way about twenty metres away.
"Sama not dead never!"
The echidna girl stood there for a second. "Your…home was…just over there…" She stammered. Sama's jaw dropped. He was standing in a corner of the dusty street, so the others couldn't see where he was looking.
"It burn."
*****
Dear blue foxI figured you'd be at this hotel, so it wasn't hard to track you down. If the situation is a serious as you claim, and you can normally go as fast as you did, then the town of Corcieda would be glad to have you as a little extra defense. You and the security cameras and alarms will guard the Incire chamber itself. Yes, I'm being extra trusting, but I know of your race and I trust you: You are a descendant of the Pesnah guardians, as plainly as I am a yellow echidna. Our races were always allies and always meant to be allies. I know that your meaning is well and even if not I could not go without at least giving you a fair trial. This is your written consent to enter our town.
It was signed in orange ink at the bottom. Bluehawk leaned back on his hired bed and left his emerald on the desk to charge itself. But what did he mean, Pesnah guardian? He was no Pesnah guardian! Not even a descendant of-…then again, he knew nothing about his parents. For all he knew…the pieces were suddenly fitting together in his mind. He hadn't realized that his father would have escaped from the catastrophe at the Pesnah city straight to Graim's…he had noticed something about that, but not fitted it all together until now. His father had been one of the guardians of the Pesnah Sphere. Now he would follow in his father's footsteps and guard a different orb…in the morning…
*****
"They're coming." Phantom said eerily. "The chimeras are coming. That sound…"
Minimaniac and KawaiiKitsune stared in disbelief.
"I'd know that sound anywhere! They've changed it a bit…must be a new model of the-"
Suddenly there was a huge high-pitched banging whine. Phantom was on a rooftop now, staring up at the air. There was a faint buzzing-hissing sound which was throwing itself about in all directions…there were multiple of whatever it was…sand from the roads blew away from certain points and the sound got lower-pitched. Then the sand stopped blowing about. KawaiiKitsune reached over the back of her shirt and lifted out a small bow, throwing a slingshot to Mini. Phantom stood atop his rooftop, simply staring at the spaces. Then the firefight began.
*****
Bluehawk heard the blasts a long way coming…but what made him even more worried was the chimera ship he saw coming in the town's direction from the other side. This was a full-on attack, like he had predicted. Just as he had imagined…although these new sounds from the town weren't normal guns. He was nearing the town walls. Then he heard a faint flying whirring buzzing sound heading toward him…then he was thrown backwards as steel hit him straight in the face. Then the whirring was behind him. Scarmble up, scramble up, scrambleupscrambleupscrblupscramp and over his head it went again as he suddenly ducked. He kicked up and out of his shoe leaped his favourite gun…restocked from the town he had just come from. The whirring sound was again moving around him…Bangpeeying! The bullet richocheted, but there was now crackles around the whirring noise as it took shape. The cloaking device was gone, revealing a small steel dome with four limbs, the front ones being like that of a mantis, only shorter and fatter, and the ones at the back being those of a spider. A small visor resided in the dome…so was this manual control or what? It front legs rose and pointed at Bluehawk square between the eyes…for a split second, before the dust storm was leaping into the town straight over the wall…landing straight on top of another uncloaked drone, Bluehawk grabbed it as he went over the front and flipped over, letting go when it was heading for the ground, then landed dead on top of it. The yellow echidna girl in front of him eyed him her thanks. Bluehawk looked up as she ran away, seeing the battle before him. An explosion rumbled the white mudbrick houses and sent dust flying. Phantom was madly teleporting from one place to another…Bluehawk gripped his emerald. "Hawk! It's you! Get over there and-" Phantom teleported again and wrestled another drone to the floor as one across the street fired rapid bullets at a fleeing yellow echidna who was occasionly firing back. Phantom appeared again next to Hawk. "Find the orb! Hurry!" Bluehawk didn't wait around. Another drone was already on his back…the shadow of the chimera ship was drawing inward…Bluehawk dropped through the rubble of the burned down house into a small dark hole. Another underground escapade…wait…BURNED house? Mudbrick? No time to think about that…must get to orb.
*****
Phantom teleported again and watched the Spider Drone fire upon his previous location as if he were still there. At the command of his thought a pillar of earth shot up out of the ground and threw the hapless thing spinning over the wall and it exploded with a thoom.
*****
Sama was darting about frantically and fearfully…perhaps he had gained some wit with the presence of the Incire Globe nearby…the bullets of the Spider Drones whizzed about him, narrowly missing his feet and head and he didn't even know how many drones were on him. Then his eyes changed as he saw the innocents being attacked in front of him. He glared up at the blurred light which marked a drone's location. His eyes grew hot along with the rest of him. Then onlookers and chimeras up in the ship, which was now casting a shadow upon him, watched with amazement as he burst into flames. There was no messing with him now…
*****
Minimaniac watched from his and KK's hiding place with absolute awe as Sama burst into flames, and then his fiery form darted about through the air, sending appearing drones flying into their own explosions. KawaiiKitsune suddenly let go with a twang and a flying, spearheaded wooden object upon a blurred shape that Sama hadn't yet seen.
"Not good." Mini's eyes widened. "You just showed them where we are." Then he saw her bright eyes.
"Good." She said with determination.
