yeah yeah I know
i'm still editing, but it's not as much work as I thought
im gunna give you guys the first two chapters, and see what you think
"And then Tone swooped in and saved the whole town!"
Silver's large golden eyes opened to the sound of excited babbling. Candlelight shone yet again onto the rows and rows of sleeping children. Oh dear, Basil and Lyre were up again. Those two always got in trouble for staying up well past bedtime. The kids gathered as much information about the outside world as they could, and shared it amongst themselves at some god-forsaken hour such as right now.
"Really? You really heard that?" Lyre questioned, tail thumping on the hard floor in excitement.
"That's what he said." Basil proudly answered, the young mouse shifting on his pillows. "He was there. He saw everything happen."
Silver balled his tiny fists. He couldn't do much but listen. The older kids always laughed at him for "being a baby" or a "sissy". If he tried to ask them to quiet down now, they would just shut him up. Being the youngest wasn't easy.
"He used his shockwave to drive the monster back." Basil continued. "If he hadn't shown up, everyone would have been dead."
"So it was a big one?" Lyre choked, hiding his orange face behind a pillow.
"Oh yeah." Basil chirped. "It was as big as a house!"
Silver shuddered. Big monsters were rare, but extremely dangerous. Unlike the little ones, which could be fought off with weapons or other means; the big ones were tough: hide thick as armor, and teeth as sharp as razors. The thought of monsters terrified Silver. He was small for his age, which meant he would be picked off very easily - especially if he was in one of his episodes.
"Quiet down you two." A gruff voice snapped. "We're all trying to sleep here."
"Come on Branch…" Lyre whined, ears flattening at the older teen. "Haven't you heard what Tone just did?"
Branch sat up, striking a match to light his candle as the wooden boards creaked from the movement. The dim flickering cast the teen in a threatening light, with his strong arms and thick fur glistening in the firelight.
"Yeah I heard." He growled. "I coulda done better if I were there."
"Cut it out, Branch." Another voice sighed. "You don't do much else than help around town."
Silver giggled, holding his tiny hands against his mouth to prevent being heard. Fliss always knew how to put Branch in his place. Even though she was the same age, she never failed to use logic against the aggressive male.
Silver liked Fliss. She was nice. Many nights she would sing him to sleep when a nightmare came, or slip him some of her food when the Mistress wasn't looking. She even managed to help him during his episodes. A gust of wind shook the house, seeping in through the cracks and loosening the boarded windows. The young hedgehog shivered against the cold night air.
"Can it Fliss." Branch hissed. "I'm strong enough to take one on."
"Are you though?" Basil giggled. "You barely fought off that one monster - and you got pretty hurt."
"Plus, Tone was trained by… him." Lyre whispered. The room fell silent.
"Puh-lease." Branch scoffed. "I could go get trained by him anyday. I'm definitely worth his time."
"Branch." Fliss warned. "You know what they say."
Silver felt the mood change. It felt like sharing a myth. He was always discussed in hushed tones. Curling tight against his pillow, the young hedgehog prepared for the discussion.
"Tone has nothing more than I do." Branch continued. "In fact - I'd say I could be better than him with proper work."
"Braanch." Basil whined. "He doesn't work that way."
"If I'm going to be honest." Branch growled. "I don't think He's real."
The room fell very quiet.
"He sounds more like a story." The teen laughed. "An old legend like King Arthur."
"But he is real." Fliss stated.
Silver ears flicked towards the other teen. What?
"You really think so?" Silver squeaked, sitting up.
"Yeah." Fliss answered, turning towards the young hedgehog. "My grandfather saw him."
All waking eyes turned to Fliss.
"Before he died, he told me stories of the Hero." She continued. "His village was attacked by the Mother, and He came to aid."
Silver scooched closer. Lyre and Basil huddled nervously into their sleeping bags. With a scoff, Branch also laid back down, blowing out his candle.
"He said he fought like the wind - running faster than the eye could see and striking with the power of Chaos." Fliss recalled. "He said it was… beautiful."
Silver could see him now. The hero standing atop of the biggest monster ever, smoke billowing around him as the sun set behind his back. With closed eyes Silver imagined him further, running with speeds unparalleled, a trail of blue riding behind him as he went. He must be tall - taller than Tone the Cougar with a strong build and majestic fur. There was no way he wasn't real. No one could make stuff like that up.
"Really Fliss?" Branch scoffed. "If your Grandpa saw him, he must be really old by now."
With a small flinch, Silver realized he was right. Perhaps the hero was bent over with age, fur white with wisdom and eyes set with experience. That didn't seem right…
"That may be true, but he still trained Signal." Basil answered.
That was true. At least three generations of heroes were raised up by Him. Signal, a fast, but strong Lemur with the ability to distort space. Breeze, a beautiful dove who was known for her wind abilities. And of course, Tone.
Tone was the current hero, looked up to by many. Silver desperately wanted to meet Tone one day - just to see if the stories were true. Maybe the cougar really was as tall as a human, or as strong as a bull. Perhaps his sound abilities were real and he truly could blast holes into stones with only his voice. With a sigh, Silver grasped his pillow, trying to ease the bruise on his side from the hard floor.
"Look..." Branch growled. "If He is really out there, I will find Him and make him train me. He's old, I could totally take him."
"Branch cut it out." Lyre groaned. "You can't find him, He finds you."
"Well, He can't hide forever. You'll see. I'll be the next great hero." The teen boasted.
The sleeping room door burst open with a bang, the Mistress standing there looking ticked. Everyone jumped, even the twenty other kids who were sleeping.
"Quiet down you pests." She hissed, slamming her walking stick against the decaying door frame. "Or none of you get breakfast in the morning."
With a defeated sigh, all candles were extinguished, and pillows fluffed. Silver re-adjusted himself on the hard, wooden floor and closed his eyes, trying to ignore the rumble in his tummy. Everyone was hungry, and if no breakfast was served? Well, it would be time to go bug hunting again.