Chapter six
It wasn't so much that Sonic and Tails didn't trust Eggman to scan the village and surrounding mountainside for surges in energy, they simply doubted that he would pass the information back on to them. Unless it benefited him directly Dr Eggman was unlikely to help Sonic in any way. The heroic hedgehog suspected that Eggface had only supplied his two henchmen on the expedition in the hope that they would all become hopelessly lost under Cubots guidance and never return. With that in mind Tails had sent Dash back to his workshop where the robotic dog could link in with Tails main computer. He and Tails were hoping that Dash could pass through any data pertaining to the mysterious energy surge at the graveyard and any relevant information that might help them work out how to stop a ghost. As far as Sonic could see ghosts were already dead so there wasn't much more he and Tails could do to hurt one. It was not a comforting thought.
Tails looked down at his tablet which was displaying a live reading from the robot which indicated that they were indeed headed towards an energy surge.
Sonic had tried not to look too pleased when the irritating lump of metal was sent packing home but it had soon become apparent to him that although the hedgehog had gotten rid of one annoying robot Dash might have been the lesser of two evils. Orbot and Cubot complained the whole way up the mountainside as they made their way though the Mystic forest towards the hidden cemetery. Sonic couldn't really see what they both had to complain about, after all it wasn't like they had to walk. They both floated off ahead of Sonic and Tails not having to worry about the roots and the bracken threatening to trip them up if they put a foot wrong.
"Why couldn't you have just flown us here in your plane?" Cubot whined as Sonic stumbled over the uneven path.
"And where would I land?" Tails snapped. Sonic looked over at his little friend. It was rare for the chirpy Fox to speak to anyone like that. Something was clearly getting to him. Sonic put a hand on Tails shoulder and his little bro took a calming deep breath. The hedgehog could completely understand why his friend was so on edge. It wasn't just their robot escorts incompetence that was making the journey through the woods harder. There was something about this place that was making Sonic feel on edge. It was getting dark now but that wasn't quite what was bothering him. Every snapping twig made him jump. Every shape in the distance seemed like a looming threat. He wished he could put his finger on what was making him uncomfortable. Sonic shook himself mentally. He was beginning to sound like Sticks.
After a while the forests trees began to thin and a winding path appeared up ahead. Orbot and Cubot slowed down and allowed Sonic and Tails to overtake them.
"It's just up ahead." Orbot said, pointing a long finger towards the gravel path.
Sonic usually found the little red robot to be the more reasonable of the two henchmen. The fact that he was acting so frightened was more than a little disconcerting. Sonic looked over to Tails whose face was set with a determined look.
"Ready buddy?" Sonic asked with a reassuring wink and a thumbs up.
Tails nodded and together they led the way towards the twisted railings of the cemetery gates.
As the group drew nearer Tails raised his hand to halt their progress. Orbot and Cubot were trailing so close to Sonic that they slammed into his back.
Tails crouched down by the stone pillar to the left of the gate and brushed away the moss and dirt clinging to it. There was writing etched into the bottom of the pillar. It did not seem to be part of the design.
Sonic tutted. "Damn vandals. Ruining creepy abandoned graveyards for everybody." The hedgehog sighed. "What does it say Tails?"
Although the writing was more legible now that the little two tailed fox had uncovered it properly Sonic still couldn't see what it said. The letters were all strange swirls and dots. Tails lifted his tablet up to scan the strange markings.
"Was this here before?" Sonic asked Eggmans robots.
"I don't know." Orbot said honestly. "There was so much fog on the ground that night I could hardly see an inch in front of my nose."
"You don't have a nose." Cubot reminded him.
Sonic turned back to Tails who had finished examining the etchings on the pillar.
"It seems to be in the language of the ancients." The fox said.
Sonic brightened. "We need Amy then!" he smiled. "I'll run back and get her."
The blue hedgehog was about to speed away when Tails waved a dismissive hand.
"Oh we don't need to bother her with this." He said. "She's been helping me with some translating software. Its pretty rudiment at the moment. Just some basic words and phrases but it should be able to manage this."
Sonic visibly sagged in disappointment earning a quizzically look from his best friend.
"So what does it say then?" Sonic asked, pulling his friend back on task.
Tails held the scanner up to the pillar. It flashed green for a moment before clearly displaying one word on the screen. TROLLS.
"The cute things with the bushy hair?" Cubot asked. "I like them. Maybe they'll sing us a song."
Sonic shook his head. "No way we're including a musical number." He said firmly. "So what do you think Tails? Is this a troll cemetery?"
The fox shrugged. "Only one way to find out." He jabbed his thumb to indicate that they should enter the graveyard. Sonic nodded his agreement and moved along the gravel path. Orbot and Cubot stayed put.
The hedgehog sighed heavily and yanked them along behind him.
"C'mon." He muttered. "You two need to show us this vase."
As he pulled the reluctant robots further into the graveyard Sonic once again felt the uneasy feeling he had first noticed in the forest. His eyes darted all around him as they passed row after row of crumbling gravestones. As he scanned the area a slight movement caught the hedgehogs eye. There was a slight sway in the overgrown grass just behind where Tails was treading.
"Look out!" Sonic yelled and slammed into his buddy.
Sonic knocked the little fox off of his feet and sent him tumbling out of harms way just as a jagged spear shot from the ground. If Sonic had not pushed his friend aside the pointed tip would have gone straight through the foxes toes. Tails righted himself immediately and balled his fist. Copying Sonics stance the fox stood back to back with the blue hero. The ground swelled around them. Lines appeared where the earth was being disturbed from underneath. Something was burrowing bellow the surface. It was moving so fast Sonic was certain that it couldn't be alone. As the tracks veered off in different directions Sonic could see that there were at least two would be assailants beneath their feet.
Orbot and Cubot clung to each other. Sonic couldn't see what they had to fear. They were both several feet above the ground and therefore out of harms way. Sonic looked around him to see if there were any high surfaces he and Tails could use to avoid the underground attacks. The boy genius was one step ahead of the hedgehog and had already worked out a solutions. Whirling his twin brush tails behind his back the fox lifted himself above the ground. He reached his arms out to Sonic who sprang up just in time to avoid a spear in the bottom.
"Haha." The blue hedgehog gloated from a safe distance. After a few seconds he regretted his premature celebration. A long handled spear shot from the ground below them with such force that it skimmed the edge of Tails elbow. The fox winced in pain but maintained his grip on Sonic.
"Oh that does it!" Sonic roared, enraged that his friend had been injured.
Tails weaved in and out of attacks as spears erupted from beneath him at various angles. There was definitely more than one attacker. Sonic watched the movements on the ground until he noticed a pattern. Immediately after a spear shot from the soil there was a few seconds pause before whoever had thrown it moved off. Sonic kept his eyes on the ground for a few moments before he saw his opportunity.
Sonic spin dashed towards the ground and sank deep into the freshly loosened soil. After a few moments he emerged triumphant with a small round figure. What the creature lacked in size it made up in strength. Sonic felt a forceful blow to the side of his head and was stunned for a moment. He managed to hold on long enough to see Tails land in front of him. Sonic kicked the creature as hard as he could towards Tails who span in the air and volleyed the creature back towards the blue hero like a soccer player scoring the winning goal. Sonic was braced and punched the attacker hard in the face before slamming it into the ground. The force of the impact shook the earth and stopped the spears from shooting out of the soil.
There was a pause before a muffled voice called from somewhere below them.
"Gethin?" the underground attacker called. "All alright up there?"
Sonic glared down into the small blinking eyes of Gethin the mole, leader of the Mystic forest protection league.
"You'd better all come up." Gethin squeaked as Sonic hauled the creature to his feet by his robes.
Slowly the mounds of earth around Sonic and Tails erupted. Small black figures emerged holding spears and glaring suspiciously at Sonic, Tails and the robots.
"Now now." a female mole called over to them with her paws raised defensively in the air. "Lets keep things civil."
"Weapons down." Sonic said firmly. "And we'll all have a nice civil talk about why you tried to kill us."