Chapter 88: Compassion
Eventually, Sonic and Caliburn came to a pristine lake that glowed in the pale light that shined from the gibbous moon. A walkway lit by crystal lanterns guided the two to a circular altar where a familiar figure stood. It was Amy, but instead of wearing her usual pink dress and boots she wore a long blue and white dress with a matching headband that two gold circles on each end, white gloves, and a transparent blue collar that rose behind her head.
"Welcome, Sir Sonic," the Amy lookalike responded.
"Greetings, Nimue, Lady of the Lake," Sonic said as he bowed to the Amy lookalike.
"I assume you're here to ask about how to negate the Scabbard of Excalibur's power over the poor man known as King Arthur," Nimue said as she sat down on a cushioned seat before a circular table made of stone with two cups full of tea on it.
"You're still as wise as ever," Sonic replied as he took the seat next to Nimue. "Then I take it you know you're occupying a body that belongs to someone else."
"Yes, and I have already consulted both the host and my counterpart," Nimue said. "I've convinced them that I should be in control for now until the threats that plague this kingdom have vanished."
"Fair enough," Sonic said casually. "So are you going to tell me how to repel the Scabbard's power or do I have to complete the tasks you gave me last time?"
Nimue shook her head. "You do not have to, but your host will."
"What? Why?"
"While you have proven yourself worthy of being a true knight, your host hasn't. So if you don't mind, I would like to speak to him."
"Fine," Sonic said as he sighed and changed back into Sonny.
"Now, in order for you to become a true knight, you must complete three tasks for me: free the innocents who've been imprisoned in King Arthur's dungeons, offer compassion to those in need, and defeat the Knights of the Underworld."
"Sounds like the kind of knightly things to do," Sonny replied.
"You have three days to complete these tasks," Nimue said as she disappeared. "I wish you luck."
"Are you sure about this? The tasks won't be easy to accomplish," Caliburn said.
"If they'll make me a true knight, then I'll do them in a jiffy," Sonny said and took off from the lake.
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By the time Sonny freed all the people imprisoned in Camelot Castle, it was already morning.
"That task was too easy," Sonny said as he ran past the Deep Woods.
"Don't let it get to your head, knave," Caliburn responded.
Sonny was about to respond when he heard sounds nearby. Up the path he was running along, a little girl sat crying into her gloved hands. She wore a long purple robe with a hood that covered her face.
"Hey," Sonny said approaching the girl. "What's the matter?"
"A dragon attacked my village," the little girl said mumbling into her hands. "It took my mommy and daddy and everyone away."
"A dragon!" Caliburn exclaimed. "Then you're very lucky if you managed to escape."
"But that's impossible," Sonny responded. "Dragons don't exist in my world."
"Then the Black Knight must have summoned one from the Underworld," Caliburn guessed.
"Do you know where the dragon lives?" Sonny asked the girl.
"He flew into a big cave at the bottom of that mountain," the girl said pointing to a looming mountain in the distance.
"All right, I'll slay that dragon and save your folks," Sonny said and took off in the direction of the mountain. "Be back in a flash!"
"You fool! What about the tasks?" Caliburn objected.
"Doesn't this fall under the task 'offer compassion to those in need'?"
Caliburn said nothing in response as Sonny ran at top speeds toward the looming mountain which lay north of Camelot Castle. On the way, Sonny came to an open field with grass and large flat stones arranged in a circular formation. Inside this circular of stones stood a figure who resembled Chuck but he wore bronze-colored armor and a helmet that covered his face. Twin blades were gripped in his unusually large fists and there was a red zigzag tail coming out his rear-end.
"Is that you, Knuckles?" Sonny asked. "You're standing in my way."
"I am Sir Gawain, Knight of the Round Table," the Chuck lookalike said raising his blades. "Are you the one who poisoned Lancelot's mind with lies?"
"Lies? Sonic was telling the truth!" Sonny said, but then he immediately regretted it.
"So Sonic's his name," Gawain muttered as he slowly walked toward Sonny. "Tell me where he is, and I might spare your life."
"As much as I'd like to, I'm kind of in a hurry to save people from a dragon who took them to his cave and is holding them hostage."
"Liar! I bet you're really after the dragon's treasure!" Gawain said as he picked up his pace. "Now die, you thieving rat-boy!"
"Then you leave me with no choice," Sonny said raising Caliburn as he transformed into Sonic.
As Gawain's blades came swinging, Sonic used Caliburn to block them. Then when there was an opening, Sonic flipped through the air and struck Gawain from the back. Fortunately, the blow wasn't lethal but it angered Gawain enough to turn around and charge at Sonic once more. This time, Sonic was ready and he swung Caliburn so hard that Gawain was literally knocked off his feet as his two blades fell to his sides. Before Gawain could recover, Sonic dashed up to him and held Caliburn's tip near Gawain's neck.
"I have disgraced my king, by losing to a mere boy like you," Gawain said and closed his eyes. "Please kill me now, so that this stain on my honor is removed."
Sonic paused and then he lifted Caliburn. "Didn't you learn anything from last time? There's more to being a knight than just serving your king."
Gawain opened his eyes and blinked for a few seconds. "Sir Sonic? Is that you?"
"In the flesh, but in a different body," Sonic replied.
Immediately, Gawain grabbed one of the twin blades near him and held it at his own throat. "I shouldn't have attacked you, my liege, and shall thus take my own life as punishment."
"Hey, quit being so melodramatic!" Sonic said and swung the blade away from Gawain's hand using Caliburn. "You haven't disgraced your king, but you've been misled by an impostor. Didn't Lancelot tell you this?"
"I have not spoken to him since yesterday," Gawain answered. "The Black Knight who claimed he was King Arthur visited me last night and claimed Sir Lancelot had been mislead by a hedgehog-eared boy who helped the traitor Merlina escape. I was told to slay the boy if he should cross my path or Sir Lancelot should he still be alive."
"Still be alive? Did the Black Knight confront Sir Lancelot?"
"Yes, in a fight that resulted in Sir Lancelot mysteriously vanishing after being wounded by King Arthur's sword."
"That sounds like the work of Merlina."
"The Wizard?"
Sonic nodded. "She possesses the girl your false king sent you to chase."
Gawain gritted his teeth. "Didn't she betray us once?"
"She did, but I don't think she'll be foolish enough to try the same thing again."
"So what shall I do, Sir Sonic?" Gawain asked as he bowed his head.
"Go to Deep Woods and seek out the Lady of the Lake. If Merlina didn't send Sir Lancelot to her already, then she might know where he is."
"Very well," Gawain responded as he picked up his blades.
After he stood up, Gawain ran in the direction Sonic just came from, while Sonic changed back into Sonny and continued toward the mountain.
"You realize using Sonic to fight your battles is a form of cheating, right?" Caliburn said dubiously as he floated alongside Sonny.
"I know, but the guy we just fought was actually a friend of mine who got possessed by the spirit of Gawain so it only seemed fair to counter him with Sonic," Sonny replied.
To be continued…