This is a fanfiction, and as such, most of the characters in the story are not mine. Most characters are © Sega, and are not used with permission.
Chapter 3: Homeward Bound
Yohan and Shadow walked through the ruins of the village; smashed houses of stone spread their charred remains on the ground. Mixed in the slag, were large lumps of blackened meat, the remnants of the villagers. Some were recognizable as people, but it would have been difficult for anyone to recognize an incinerated face. Many of the bodies were desecrated, a meal for the attackers who killed them all; nothing but a few loose pieces were left: a foot, some of the less delectable inner organs, and a savaged head.
Shadow found one body that was in relatively good shape, though it was still charred black. It was hunched over, away from the action, as if turtling down like a coward would earn them enough pity to be spared. Shadow looked closer at the slender form, which he guessed was female; but when he touched the corpse, the top half crumbled like a burnt log in a fire. Underneath, a smaller form was there, a child, no more than 3 years old. Shadow guessed that the woman was his mother trying to shield the tot from the dragon's rage with her body. The boy was shielded well, but even the blaze-ravaged body of his mother could not protect him from the freezing cold of the mountains.
The hedgehog left, and walked over to Yohan who was bent down over other bodies.
"A week, I came through here only a week ago when I came to get you. I can't believe that the village is gone. It's people; there were almost 200 here. There must be someone left, someone the dragons didn't kill."
"I don't know, it looks pretty thorough; anyone who didn't escape or burn, likely froze. We can search around, but it might be best to leave and try to reach your home as soon as possible."
"Karma…"
"What?"
"Carmelita, I call her 'Karma' for short. I hope that she's O.K." Yohan stood up and breathed deeply. "But we have to check for survivors here. That and…"
Shadow didn't like the way Yohan's voice drifted off. "And? And what?"
"We need some more supplies, I was counting on getting some supplies here."
"How much do we have?"
"If we ration, we have enough to get to Lalberdean, even if we run into trouble."
"Good."
"But we'll have to cut back; smaller meals, and I can't have the engine running at night."
Shadow rolled his eyes, not wanting to make those concessions. "Let's try to find any survivors."
Yohan and Shadow spent an hour sifting through the remains of the city, cautiously working around the immolated corpses. There was almost nothing to find.
As Shadow pushed aside some timbers and bricks, he found something that wasn't completely burnt to a cinder, part of a mattress; the hedgehog didn't really care whose it was, for all he knew this was the one he might've been sleeping on that night.
"So much for my nice warm bed."
He tossed it aside, and it landed with a bit of a bounce.
Shadow met Yohan in the middle of the wreckage. "So, what did you find?"
"Almost nothing; virtually all the food stores were destroyed, probably eaten by the dragons and other wild animals that roam these mountains. All the vehicles were destroyed, and all the Fyr crystals in them went with them. You?"
"Just disappointment."
Yohan wiped his brow. "It's getting late, there's no point moving on until tomorrow."
Shadow considered his options, he wanted to get going as soon as possible, and wanted out of here all the more; but Yohan was the only one who knew where they were going, so if he said they were stopped, they were stopped.
"What ever you say, but could we not stay here?"
"There's a chance that someone may pass through here, so we shouldn't go far; but I suppose that we could move just outside, this place is giving me the creeps too."
Yohan parked the truck just outside Vannannen on the road heading towards Lalberdean. Shadow started a fire and Yohan prepared a pot of soup.
"Do the villages have any kind of defense against the dragons?"
"Yes, the villages have various guard towers and we mount large harpoon cannons on them. We can usually keep the dragons from getting close and doing any real damage with a few shots at them, and that usually works. If the dragons get too close, we arm ourselves to fight them."
"With what?"
"Whatever is available; pickaxes and shovels, axes, hammers. When the dragons started to actively attack, we started forging actual weapons like spears, swords and shields."
"How effective would those be? Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't dragons huge flying fire-breathing monsters; wouldn't they just swoop down and roast you alive?"
"You are correct, but their fire is not as destructive as you think. Just as it takes time for our supper to cook over this flame, a dragon's breath cannot kill a person instantly, or destroy stone houses. The best way that a dragon fights is to descend and fight with its claws and tail; fire is a good distraction and a blast of it can paralyze a small group, but if you circle around, you can get in a significant blow or two."
"How many villages have fallen before Vannannen?"
"Only one other, Polbal; it fell a few months ago. That was what started this whole mess. Before that, the dragons were a nuisance, but rarely did they threaten us; still, we were ready for any rogue dragons causing trouble. Then, one day they directly attacked Polbal. The villagers were caught completely unawares and destroyed, only one managed to escape and warn us. The other villages were able to up their defenses to keep the beasts at bay, until now that is."
"Who escaped?"
"Joshua Noos, a miner; he was leaving to visit family in another town. He was almost out of sight of Polbal when the dragons came."
"I wonder if anybody got out of here."
Shadow didn't think he'd get much sleep that night; he considered everything that was happening. Massive beasts that could fly and breathe flame, Shadow wondered just how effective he could be fighting such things. The idea that they had to land to do any real damage opened a few possibilities, but not many. At the very least he would see them face-to-face before making any decision to fight or retreat.
One other very gruesome thought crossed his mind. Yohan's comment about the fire not killing a person instantly brought him back to the woman with the child. She was shielding it from the fire; unable to move or run, just kneeled down trying to block the flame. Shadow could only guess how long she would have been under the heat, it could've been seconds or minutes, but no matter how hot the flames were, it would still be an eternity of excruciating pain.
Shadow shuddered as he thought of the woman's last minutes on this world. Her clothes, likely heavy outwear would've given her an added layer of protection, but would have only delayed the torment's end. If the flames were really hot, they would've burned to ash in seconds; her underlying fur wouldn't last much beyond that. Her back would then be immediately bombarded by the heat, scorching and blistering, tuning red before it succumbed and charred black. The pain would be unbearable as the nerves sizzled and snapped like meat on a frying pan.
The only thing that could've been the slightest bit merciful for the condemned mother was if the pain sent her to unconsciousness very quickly. Or it could have kept her awake through the whole ordeal, waiting until the heat finally attacked the skull and the head, boiling her brain like a stew.
Shadow wondered if the woman even considered how her baby would survive, or if the immediate threat of being burned alive was so great that she didn't even consider freezing to death.
The hedgehog's sleep was uneasy, but he did rest, his dreams were not as contaminated as he originally feared.
Day 4
The next morning, Yohan wasn't very well rested either; his dreams were infested by the fear that the dragons may have assaulted his home as well, but he didn't let on to Shadow about his fear. Shadow was affected by the ruins, but to Yohan he acted like he was made of stone; Yohan didn't want to fall apart in front of his guest and tried to hold strong. In reality, Shadow really wasn't as terrorized by the sight; he lacked the emotional attachment that Yohan had and his stalwart show was sadly real. What was scaring Shadow the most, was that he didn't really care about the town and the people in it. Neither of the two wanted to speak of this; Yohan didn't want to appear weak, and Shadow was ashamed to admit his lack of compassion.
Frying up some eggs and some vegetables into an omelet, Yohan and Shadow had a much smaller breakfast than the day before. They got back in the truck and continued on, each bearing a new found despair, something that made the trip that much harder and arduous.
Having less than the optimum amount of sleep that night, Shadow snuggled into the passenger's seat and tried to add some more time to his rest.
Yohan kept driving for a few hours, not wanting to disturb Shadow, hoping that was able to get some sleep; as long as Shadow was sleeping, Yohan didn't need to save face. This continued until he came to something on the road.
"Shadow."
Yohan looked over, he then shook the black one.
"Shadow, get up."
"Neh, ugh, ar? What's going on? We there yet?"
"No, up on the road."
Shadow looked ahead to see the obstruction.
The truck stopped in the road; spread out over the path was the mess leftover from a large trailer truck, torn in half, bits and pieces everywhere. Boxes were scattered about, some broken open and their contents spilled.
"What is this?"
"A supply truck; a merchant hauling cargo up and down the mountain for trade. We need them to get stuff that can't be found on the mountains."
"Hey!" Yohan and Shadow looked out the left side of the truck. "Over here!"
Yohan opened the door and got out, Shadow followed. Coming up to them was a gopher in a fur coat.
"I thought I was stuck out here forever."
"Milon? What happened?"
"I was heading towards Vannannen, I was due there yesterday. It was the morning before and I was making good time, I figured I'd get there in the afternoon. That's when I got clipped by two dragons; they tore open my truck, ate what they could, and flew off. How am I gonna get this stuff there now?"
"Don't bother, there's no one expecting you now."
The man named Milon turned back towards Yohan. "What?"
"It's gone, all of it."
Milon just stood there.
"Milon, we need some more supplies to make it to Lalberdean, can we take some of yours, and fuel too."
"I should charge you an arm and a leg for it, but I suppose you'd just charge me the same for a ride out of here. Sure."
It was only now the trader saw the other that was with Yohan. "Who is this? Wait, are you Sonic the Hedgehog? They told me you were gone down to get his help."
Shadow rolled his eyes into his head.
Yohan introduced Milon to "Sonic". "Unfortunately, Sonic is no longer with us, he died a few years ago. This is Shadow, Sonic's brother, he's the one who defeated Dr. Robotnik."
"Shadow, huh? Glad to meet you." The merchant reached out and shook Shadow's hand. "Milon Binhelm's the name, and if you need anything, you just ask and I can get it. I don't know how you dealt with this Robotnik guy, but if you can do the same here, it'd be a miracle."
"Thanks, I'm here to see if there's anything I can help with."
Yohan broke the two apart. "We need to get moving quickly, Lets grab some supplies and fuel and get moving."
The trio packed some boxes into the smaller truck, and Yohan collected some of the Fyr crystals and put them in; they also cleared out some of the debris to open a passage for their vehicle. Before leaving, they opened another box and started a fire near the overturned transport; it made the most sense to use some more of the lost cargo and have lunch here instead of wasting some of what they packed later on.
Around the fire, the three sat around eating a feast of meat, cheese and bread in a very quick and crude sandwich form; they ate enough for three meals.
"So Shadow, you're from Mobotropolis are you? How are things going down there?"
"Pretty good; reconstruction is mostly complete, but there's still a lot of things to finish."
"I've heard."
"You're a trader, you've never been there?"
"Not yet, I get supplies from across the mountain and towards the sea; sometimes I head out as far as Baltesaria or Tormilli. I haven't been south since Robotnik came; even though he's gone, I've heard that Mobotropolis is still rebuilding and not a good place for getting supplies yet."
"They should be soon, there are plans for a highway to Baltesaria, and a seaport."
"Great, then I'll see more of you when this is over."
"I hope not, I've seen you for two hours and I've already had my fill of you."
The three of them got a good laugh over that one. In reality, Shadow didn't laugh because it was funny, he did it just to be personable; he hated the whole situation and wanted to put this whole thing behind him.
After the meal, the three got back in the truck and headed out.
Nothing much happened on the rest of the day, or the day after, but their progress was well behind what Yohan had intended since the rescue of Milon Binhelm. What they gained was food so they didn't have to skimp on meals, and fuel so that they could have warmer nights to sleep in.
The path was long and boring, it was a constant droll of rock, the same garish gray rock with a slight blue tinge. The mountains rose up on both sides of the trail, but in some places, the path was on the side of a peak, where the rock rose like a tower on one side, and plummeted sharply on the other. Scattered on the rocks, Shadow could make out a glitter in the sun; the rocks themselves seemed to glow ever so slightly, but even brighter than that was the shine of Power Rings. The Rings came in clusters, large groups of a dozen or more, all within one step of each other; it would appear that a Ring supply would not be a concern, it's just so damn cold out that collecting them should only be done in the middle of the day. The only real break in the constant blue-gray theme was the occasional splash of green as a swath of evergreen trees appeared.
The road couldn't really be called that, it was a worn out path that was once only large enough for foot travel and small carts; but constant use and some coercing by the miners eventually widened it enough for large vehicles. The trails' population was very sparse, only the occasional wildlife would dare venture out. A lone rabbit would come out of the brush, or an odd goat might stop on a perch to watch the strange metal monster as it crawled over the landscape.
The nights were cold, frigid to the touch; to leave the confines of the cab would risk your health without protection of a snowsuit. Yohan let the truck run for an hour to heat the inside so that the occupants wouldn't meet an unfortunate end.
For the nights, Shadow had a bit of a tight fit; the new supplies took up a fair bit of room in the back, as did the merchant who didn't like sleeping in the passenger's seat either.
One thing that Shadow liked about Milon, was that he was pretty quiet; driving a truck along these lonely trails was not a job for very extroverted people, and aside from the odd parlance of words here and there on the journey, Milon didn't say much. Unfortunately for the hedgehog, he snored.
Rouge didn't snore, Bunnie didn't snore; why did he get stuck with this idiot and his nose?
Day 6
It was in the afternoon before anything changed in the repetition of the last two days since the trader joined them.
Yohan was getting nervous the closer he got, the memory of Vannannen was still fresh in his mind, and every nightmare scenario danced in his head, wondering if his home was attacked too. Would he arrive, only to find his wife and children reduced to ash? It couldn't be, it had to be there, it had to be just around these next few turns.
Shadow rarely paid much attention to Yohan unless the bear did something to draw his attention, but he did notice the rather impatient look on his face; not the look of anticipation, but fear of what was coming. Shadow didn't like people peering into his affairs and asking personal questions, so true to the Golden Rule, he didn't say anything.
The truck rounded one more bend, Yohan's answer was just ahead. What would he find? A community waiting with open arms, or a devastated charred mess. He could feel the goose bumps all up and down his body, like his skin was crawling and about to jump off his bones. Yohan's hands were clamped firmly on the steering wheel, as if wavering slightly on the road would curse this whole trip. Here it was, the last turn, clutch time, when all would be known.
Slowly and steadily the truck made it's way around the turn. Yohan looked up to see the first sign of home. Up on the mountainside, a small structure could be seen, with large open windows and several odd shapes poking through the openings. It was a watch house, a post set up to spot dragons and launch an early attack from the harpoon cannon that Yohan once mentioned to Shadow. Down the road a bit further, another post could be seen on the other side. And at the end of the trail, where it opened up, Yohan and Shadow could make out the silhouettes of some houses.
Lalberdean was here, waiting for his return. For the two minutes it took for the truck to get from the turn to the town, Yohan's tension turned from worry to anticipation, he was finally home.
Shadow saw the change in his travel companion, the glitter in his eyes, the smile on his face, the total abandonment of worry and concern; and more important that all of that, the loss of that longing, that feeling that tugs at your heartstrings. Yohan was home, but it reminded Shadow of one thing; he was not.
The hedgehog missed the home that he had not seen in almost a week, knowing it could be many weeks more before he'd be back. Though just five and a half days since leaving, he so missed Rouge and Bunnie, and his house, and Mobotropolis; he even would've liked to see Knuckles again, or even Amy. Tikal was the only one he had direct contact with, and could send messages back and forth between Shadow and Mobotropolis; but this was no different than mail or a telegram, just messages, the feeling was long lost, and the ability to get an immediate result was not there. Shadow couldn't reach out and touch them, nor could he get an emotional bond with anyone save the echidna. He felt totally detached from all he knew.
Now there was that longing, that feeling that Yohan had until now but hid relatively well under the worry he had for the concern of his people and his family. Shadow also had that concern, for he came here to fight a menace, and he also lived under the feeling that he might not return alive. Shadow understood just what Yohan went through, because he was now in that very position.
At least he could get a good meal here, and sleep in a proper bed.
