Chapter 16
As Sonic stayed with Amily in the Town Ruins, Shadow went off by himself to try and brave the desert again.
He knew there must be something out there that they haven't found yet, all thanks to the creatures that kept attacking Sonic.
And why only Sonic?
Is it because he's the champion?
Were the creatures trying to corrupt the hero that's supposed to stop them?
The golden hedgehog honestly didn't have a clue, and frankly, he didn't want to know why.
So, dispersing those thoughts for now, Shadow looked to the desert, and began walking through it.
Almost half an hour goes by until suddenly, a winged shadow flashes by. Shadow looks up, but can't find its source in the searing desert sun. A tap on his shoulder is all the warning he gets before a curvy body is pressed against him, stroking and touching him in all the right ways.
Shadow shudders and looks over at the creature behind him. "Hello, Lucia."
"Ah, so you remember me. How flattering." It was the succubus wife of the man with the big balls. "I stopped by and I wanted to thank you and your friend for this," Lucia purrs, balancing a purple crystal along her knuckles. It sparkles and glitters with a light in the sunlight as she speaks, "You see, when a human or other mortal creature finally begins to desire corruption and pleasure more than everything else, they can become a demon. The process leaves behind a single crystal of lethicite – this crystal. It's a power source beyond anything you can comprehend, and I have you two to thank for giving it to me." She looks around. "Where is the little blue hedgehog anyway? I would like to thank him as well."
"He's resting with a friend after… well after getting hurt yesterday." Shadow sighs. "I will be sure to pass the message to him."
"I see." Lucia nods, placing a small bottle in his hand. "Well, anyway, thank you again, and have this present. Perhaps you can create some lethicite for us later... oh, and before I forget, Marcus is loving his new existence."
She steps away and blows a kiss as her wings unfurl. With a powerful downstroke she scatters sand everywhere, forcing Shadow to throw an arm in front of his eyes. When the debris settles, she's gone.
"What a piece of work." He sighs, looking at the bottle the succubus gave him.
It's a bottle of Succubi Delight. He's not sure what to do with it. He dares not use it, but he's not sure if it's important. Holding onto it for now, Shadow hides it in his quills and continues forward.
The merciless desert sands grind uncomfortably under his feet as he walks the dunes, searching the trackless sands to uncover their mysteries. All of a sudden, he can see the outline of a small city in the distance, ringed in sandstone walls. Strangely it wasn't there a few moments before. It's probably just a mirage brought on by the heat. Then again, he doesn't have any specific direction he's heading, what could it hurt to go that way?
He slogs through the shifting sands for a long time, not really seeming to get that close. Just when he's about to give up, he crests a large dune and comes upon the walls of the city he saw before. It's definitely NOT a mirage. There are sandstone walls at least fifty feet tall ringing the entire settlement, and the only entrance Shadow can see is a huge gate with thick wooden doors. The entrance appears to be guarded by a female gray fox who's more busy sipping on something from a bottle than watching the desert.
As if detecting the hedgehog's thoughts, she drops the bottle and pulls out a halberd much longer than she is tall.
"Hold it!" barks the fox, her dark gray fur bristling in suspicion at his sudden appearance, "What's your business in the city of Tel'Adre?"
Shadow shrugs and explains that he knows nothing about this town, and just found it while exploring the desert. The girl stares at him skeptically for a moment and then blows a shrill whistle. She orders, "No sudden moves."
Deciding he's got nothing to lose by complying, Shadow stands there, crossing his arms in an agitated manner, awaiting whatever reinforcements this cute vulpine-girl has summoned. Within the minute, a relatively large-chested centauress emerges from a smaller door cut into the gate, holding a massive bow with an arrow already nocked.
"What's the problem, Urta? A demon make it through the barrier?" asks the imposing horse-woman.
Urta the fox shakes her head, replying, "I don't think so, Edryn. He's something else. We should use the crystal and see if he's fit to be allowed entry to Tel'Adre."
Shadow watches the big centaur cautiously as she pulls out a pendant, and approaches him. "Hold still," she says, "this will do you no harm."
She places one hand on his shoulder and holds the crystal in the other. Her eyes close, but her brow knits as she focuses on something. The crystal shines a pale white light. Edryn steps back and smiles broadly at Shadow and says, "You've yet to be ruined by the demonic taint that suffuses the land of Mareth. Come, you may enter our city walls and find safety here, though only so long as the covenant's white magic protects us from the demons' lapdogs."
The vixen Urta gestures towards the smaller door and asks, "Would you like a tour of Tel'Adre, newcomer?"
Shadow remembers his etiquette and nods, thankful to have a quick introduction to such a new place. Urta leaves Edryn to watch the gate and leads him inside. He does notice her gait is a bit odd, and her fluffy fox-tail seems to be permanently wrapped around her right leg. The door closes behind them easily as they step into the city of Tel'Adre.
Urta leads Shadow into the streets of Tel'Adre, giving him a brief run-down of her and her city, "You see, about two decades back, the demons were chewing their way through every settlement and civilization in Mareth. The covenant, a group of powerful magic-users, realized direct confrontation was doomed to fail. They hid us in the desert with their magic, and the demons can't corrupt what they can't find. So we're safe, for now."
"I must say it definitely works." Shadow nodded. "My friend and I traveled the desert twice and we never found your city. Of course, we were also stopped by a sandtrap and a naga."
"You have a friend with you?" Urta frowned at him. "Where is he?"
"He's resting after the naga incident yesterday. He's staying with another friend of ours, a Marethian mouse girl named Amily, so he's safe for now."
The two of them find themselves in the center of a busy intersection. Urta explains that this is the main square of the city, and that, although the city is large, a goodly portion of it remains empty. Much of the population left to assist other settlements in resisting the demons and was lost. She brushes a lock of stray hair from her eye and guides Shadow down the road, making sure to point out her favorite pub - "The Wet Bitch". The hedgehog blushes at the rather suggestive name as Urta turns around and says, "With how things are, we've all gotten a lot more comfortable with our sexuality. I hope it doesn't bother you."
"Not at all." Shadow shook his head. "Hell, between you and me, Sonic, my friend, I'm pretty sure he's bisexual." He and Urta share a chuckle at that.
A bit further on, Shadow is shown a piercing parlor, apparently another favorite of Urta's. A cute human girl with cat-like ears peeks out the front and gives them both a friendly wave. It's so strange to see so many people together in one place, doing things OTHER than fucking. The whole thing makes the hedgehog miss his hometown more than ever. A few unwilling tears come to his eyes, and he quickly wipes them away, glad to at least have this one reminder of normalcy. Urta politely pretends not to notice, though the tail she keeps wrapped around her leg twitches as she wraps up the tour.
She gives Shadow a friendly punch on the shoulder and says, "Okay, gotta go! Be good and stay out of trouble, alright?"
Before he can answer, she's taken off back down the street, probably stopping off at 'The Wet Bitch' for a drink. Strange, her departure was rather sudden.
Tel'Adre is a massive city, though most of its inhabitants tend to hang around the front few city blocks. It seems the fall of Mareth did not leave the city of Tel'Adre totally unscathed. A massive tower rises up in the center of the city, shimmering oddly. From what Shadow overheard in the streets, the covenant's magic-users slave away in that tower, working to keep the city veiled from outside dangers. There does not seem to be a way to get into the unused portions of the city, but he'll keep his eyes open.
A sign depicting a hermaphroditic centaur covered in piercings hangs in front of one of the sandstone buildings, and bright pink lettering declares it to be the 'Piercing Studio'. Shadow glances over and sees the wooden facade of Urta's favorite bar, 'The Wet Bitch'. How strange that those would be what she talks about during a tour. In any event Shadow can also spot some kind of wolf-man banging away on an anvil in a blacksmith's stand, and a foppishly-dressed dog-man with large floppy ears seems to be running some kind of pawnshop in his stand. Steam boils from the top of a dome-shaped structure near the far end of the street, and simple lettering painted on the dome proclaims it to be a bakery. Perhaps those shops will be interesting as well.
Unsure of what else to do, Shadow makes his way to the largest fixture of the city, the impressive tower in the center. The large spire could easily hold everyone he knew ten times over and still have room to spare. It is far too large for a city with Tel'Adre's population – but then, he reflects, so is Tel'Adre itself.
The front entryway appears to be fairly heavily guarded, and the two elites at the entryway turn him aside, directing him towards a different entrance - a public library. Following the directions, Shadow quickly comes upon a different face of the tower. He might have expected some epic pair of double doors, ten times his height, barely opening with a dramatic creak as he pushes them out of his way. Instead he sees a polite little entryway with hinges so well maintained they shine. No frowning gargoyle door knockers, simply a small knob and a keyhole, as though it was someone's apartment.
A single room takes up the entirety of the space on the first floor. Staircases up and down can be seen on opposing ends, but the majority of the room is furnished with simple seats and tables. Scrolls and books litter the surfaces, likely pulled from a series of shelves set under the curving staircase. There does not seem to be a connection between this library and the actual core of the tower. A single man carefully turns through the pages of one book, though he does not seem to be reading it. Stacks of books sit next to him. As Shadow closes the door, he glances up at him.
"I'm sorry," he says with a voice so weary Shadow is surprised he doesn't fall over face-first upon exerting himself by speaking, "The library is not presently open to visitors, due to defacement and..." He pauses, looking at a book next to him covered in an off-white crust. "Vandalism." His eyes look twice as tired as his voice sounds, darkened to the point they almost seem bruised. Pale – no, pallid - and lean to the point where one would think you can see his cheekbones. Shadow not convinced that this man has all of his health. "I'm afraid there is no present estimate as to when we will re-open, as unfortunately no other members of the Covenant are presently able to devote the time to inspect and record the extent of the damages."
His dress seems at odds with his features. Whether vanity or pride drives him to wear it, he adorns himself in a tailored suit. The coat rests on the chair behind him, but the waistcoat is fully buttoned and the chain of a pocketwatch can be seen. Despite this attention to detail his short hair – an odd lifeless and cold blue – is dishevelled enough that it likely has never seen a comb. "I presume that you are not here on a social visit," he continues, walking around the table and approaching the sandy blonde hedgehog, "Given that we have a very limited interaction with the populace these days. Goodness, I doubt you even know who I am. No longer recognized on the street, not thanked for my tireless work." He shakes his head, looking over Shadow's shoulder into the town and crossing his arms. "The sun rises and falls and each time they forget more of those who work themselves to the bone to keep them safe." Shadow is not entirely sure what warranted this monologue, but he doesn't stop the man as he continues. "I likely met you as a babe, you know. Took it upon myself to ensure that the names of every citizen would be written down, to mark that they had been here should they ever pass on. But you likely extend no such courtesy to me. A shame. Quinn," he continues, offering his name despite Shadow never asking, "Thaddeus Quinn, the Monolith of Bone. Ah, but it is too long since I was known by such a title. The walls of Barrow exist only in memory and tomes now."
Wanting to be polite, Shadow offers his own name, and explains that he has never met Quinn, not even as a baby because he is not from Mareth. The man looks not much older than Shadow. He's not sure how to feel about him continually pining for the past.
"But that is of little matter now," Quinn concludes, folding his hands together. "If you do not have any business with me or any members of the Covenant, I shall have to ask you to depart. We are not a free range tower."
A bit perturbed by Quinn's countenance and apparent exhaustion Shadow can't help but inquire as to his well-being.
"The sycophants that clutter this town thought it would be amusing to fornicate wildly and rapidly within the library with no regard for where their filth would wind up or what would be damaged in the process. So no, I am not particularly well." He answers the question with a slight sarcastic bend in his voice that Shadow honestly doesn't feel as though there was any real need for. "It will take months to go through every tome and list the damages and details. Updating the index, cross-referencing between existing damages, re-evaluating the justifications of placing it on the shelf... it's enough to slab a man." Quinn looks back at the library behind him and shakes his head in disappointment.
"To clarify, I was referring more-so to your health." Shadow elaborates. "You look awfully pale, sir."
Quinn scoffs in return, running a hand up through his hair (and only further disorganizing it). "As a member of the Covenant it is my duty – nay, privilege – to look over this city and protect it from the harm the outside world will do. However, unlike many of my colleagues, I have chosen to take actual responsibilities in the management of this town – and this library. This makes holing up in one of the tower's rooms and spending my days meditating to maintain the town's defences... untenable." The weary man dusts off the front of his waistcoat with no small amount of pride. "Thus, I have taken into my possession a small item which will allow my fellow magisters to siphon from my magical ability and direct it to such a noble purpose. Should I need to call upon my full capabilities I shall simply remove this object from my person, and the vim and vigor that I am proud to maintain shall spring back and rejuvenate me." He chuckles lightly, rubbing his cheekbones. "Until then, I am proud to wear the so-called scars of my station. Would that everyone had such selflessness."
"Indeed." Shadow nodded.
Finally getting the exposition he was looking for (and then some) Shadow thanks the man for the information and resolves to talk to him as little as possible in the future.
With the new city and information attained, and feeling a little worried, Shadow decides to head back to the town ruins to meet up with Sonic and Amily, and tell them of what he has found.
