hmm yes traffic. Shadow should really get better at keeping track of this kid
Silver didn't even realize he was asleep until he was awoken by a sudden drop. Shadow had crouched down rapidly behind a log. Rubbing his eyes with a groan, Silver looked around. They were still in the forest, and it was still night. But, shining through the trees, was firelight.
"Wha…Shado-" Silver found himself cut off by a glove to the mouth and a rapid shushing noise.
"Be quiet." The ranger commanded, slowly removing his hand and setting the hoglet on the ground. Silver rubbed his eyes again, feeling sleepiness slowly fading from his body. Ivory ears pricked up as Shadow grumbled to himself.
"There's something off about them." He muttered, peering over the half dead bark. "Something's not right."
The "them" in particular, happened to be a collection of indecipherable voices that laughed and spoke. Other than Silver not seeing the persons of interest, nothing seemed off at all. Except Shadow. The adult had his eyes poked over the edge of the log and was observing the group with absolute concentration. It was like he was waiting for something.
Silver also tried to poke his head over the edge of the log, only Shadow to place his glove on the top of his head and slowly push it back under the log. With a pout, Silver plopped himself down on the moss and let out a discontented huff. Why wasn't Shadow letting him see? What was so bad about looking at a group of people?
"What's going on?" He whispered, turning to stand back up.
"They're talking." Shadow whispered back, using a hand to turn the hoglet back around.
No duh. Silver could hear them talking. That wasn't any new information at all. What they were talking about was what he wanted to know. Slowly he raised his head above the log.
"What are they saying?" Silver asked. The hand pushed him back down.
"They're talking about a catch." Shadow mumbled. "There's no big game in these woods anymore so I have reasons to believe foul play."
"Foul play?" Silver asked.
"Meaning they're bad guys." Shadow answered. Slowly the hedgehog ducked below the fallen tree.
In one motion, Shadow hitched the hoglet onto his back and crawled to a tree closer by. Silver watched the fire creep closer as Shadow crept lowly along the ground. The voices grew clearer as the adult reached the target tree. Slowly and methodically, he scaled the trunk; not making a noise or even breathing. Was this how he did the creepy disappearing? Carefully, Shadow balanced on a branch, sliding out above the encampment where he could observe closer. With one hand, he gestured to Silver to be absolutely silent.
"-really put up a fight, but I reckon we could sell 'em for roughly 500 coins." Said one of the strange individuals. Silver looked down on the people below. There were many - close to 50 rangers all clumped together in 10 tents around a single fire. Their green hoods blocked out their faces, but their weapons glistened in the firelight. They had to be armed to the brim. Shadow adjusted himself to a crouch.
"Got no powers though." Said the leading ranger. "Syndicate says they gotta be strong to rack up the big prices."
"Syndicate." Shadow hissed. The hatred and anger in his voice was enough to send chills down Silver's spine.
"The younger the cheaper too." A third member spoke. "How old was that one?"
"Roughly nine." The first one.
Silver felt Shadow start to tremble. It was no fearful tremble that his young body was used to. Oh no. Every inch of the ranger's being was boiling with untapped anger. What did the syndicate do that made Shadow so ticked off?
"Delivered 'em to the Crescent base." The first member spoke again. "I'll be getting my cut when he's sold."
Sold? Wait. Silver looked down. There were nets and cages littered around the encampment, clearly made for catching and storing things, but what? They were only talking about kids…
The realization dawned on the hoglet like a sack of bricks. What Shadow had said earlier swirled around his mind as he put two and two together. "Here is where kids go missing."
Silver felt lightheaded as he realized why Shadow didn't want to stop. If Shadow fell asleep, Silver could go missing too. Fear crept down his spine as he looked at the nets and chains. They were meant for children.
Suddenly, and randomly, a member looked up; spotting the duo sitting on the branch above them. The dog opened his mouth and pointed, alerting the other to Shadow's location.
"It's Him." The apparent leader shouted. "Get the weapons! Go!"
Shadow bared his fangs with a roar of rage. Dropping down, he hit 2 members, grabbing them by the throats and throwing them to the side like dolls. Silver squeaked, squeezing tight onto Shadow's strong shoulders. He prayed with all his might Shadow wouldn't drop him.
The ranger grabbed at a sword, dodging past the blade and right at the wielder's hand. With a pull, he forced the cat forwards- driving his palm straight into the hooded face. Taking the sword in his own hand he spun around, holding the hilt reverse grip as he dropped his body low with arms outstretched. As the group charged again he launched into the air cutting the tips off the metal spears and sending them clattering across the site. Landing low he swung his leg; knocking 2 fighters off their feet while throwing the sword spinning into the group.
Launching into the air with a figure skater's spin, Shadow dodged two spears thrust at him, landing on one and kicking the other away. Pulling his knife from his belt he grabbed the terrified child off his back and shoved the knife at him.
"Take this and GO!" Shadow shouted. "Waste no time and run!"
"There's a prodigy!" The leader shouted.
Silver turned on his heels and fled. Looking over his shoulder to see if he was being followed. He was. 5 members turned from the raging battle and followed him, nets and weapons in hand. Silver ran faster.
The hoglet hoped Shadow would notice the followers, but the adult was overrun by the crowd of fighting Syndicate members. His focus was so pulled, he didn't even notice the group chasing his student. Silver turned back and bolted.
As he ran, the hoglet tried and tried to pull his power. Straining to turn the familiar cyan glow on. If any time he needed it, it was now. Flexing his fingers, he scurried up a tree, spotting the oval plated cones littering the ground. The sight brought unexpected relief. He just needed to be careful.
Reaching the top, he broke a branch off the glue pine and threw it down, hoping to hit one of the chasing rangers with the sticky sap. It only landed on the ground with a thud, catching the chasers' attention.
"He went up a glue pine." One growled. "Do you have any matches?"
"What a climber." The second commented with a smirk. "I got three."
With a wicked grin, the match bearing member kneeled on the ground, gathering dead materials around the base of the tree. Silver started to sweat. What he would give to float at this second.
As the first match lit with a flick, Silver extended his hands out, trying desperately to control his mind and body to force the power out. As the second match was tossed into the brush pyre, Silver flexed his fingers, watching the cyan glow flicker weakly around his palms and hands. Cmon … just a bit more… As the third match lit the kindling on fire, Silver felt heat rush up the tree. The bark below began to crackle and pop as the flames slowly climbed up the trunk.
Silver shook his hands, trying to get the flickering lights to start working. All he needed was a few seconds of control. That's all he asked for. Branches crackled to the ground as the five members below started calling for him to jump. Silver knew better than to deliberately deliver himself into enemy hands. One of the first things Fliss taught him was to never trust people like them. If he jumped, he would be sold. The outstretched hands to catch him from the blazing tree were far from tempting. He had to try his powers.
Shaking his hands he strained his mind, eyes bulging and face reddening from the force of his thinking. His fingers twitched and jumped, reacting to the straining muscles and sheer willpower to survive. He had to keep trying.
Thrusting his hands forwards, Silver felt himself jolted into the air. Yes! It was working! Slowly he started to rise off the tree. Now he had to control the direction somehow.
"Powers confirmed!" The members below shouted amongst themselves.
Silver flailed in midair, no matter how he tried he could not control his direction as he toppled aimlessly through the canopy. The group below followed in extreme interest as he tumbled through the air. Knocking into a tree he pinwheeled off, dizziness growing as the world spun around him. Before he was fully upright, the glow released, dropping him into the branches below.
With a shriek, he grabbed for anything as he fell; claws catching on a tree limb as his descent jolted to a stop. Breathing heavily, he stayed. Fear froze him to his spot with neither staying or dropping feeling like a good decision in his mind.
In the distance a huge explosion shook the ground, knocking the five off their feet and tossing Silver to the ground. Wasting no time, he stood and bolted - using the time the members were getting up to put as much distance between them as possible. Clutching the knife against his chest he headed back towards the encampment. He had to get back to Shadow.
Bolting harder, he felt his feet pound into the rotting ground. The trees rushed by as he ran and ran. A root caught his foot, tossing him several feet into the air. Landing with a pained squeak, Silver looked about to see he had dropped Shadow's knife behind him. Right as he turned back to get it, the five pursuers appeared amongst the trees. There was no time. He had to keep running.
The glow of the fire began to show through the woods, telling Silver he was headed in the right direction. The sounds of a few people fighting echoed through the trees. The hoglet heard Shadow's familiar voice as the firelight grew brighter and brighter.
Racing towards the campsite with a final push, Silver opened his mouth to catch the adult's attention; only for cloth to be pulled around his mouth, yanking him back and gagging him. The cloth constricted, tightening down his throat as his body was yanked once again. Trying to scream, Silver flailed as he was pulled back - clawing at both dirt and air as Shadow's form defeating the last of the fighters slid out of view.