Man with so many people using google translate and TTS, i gotta find some goofy words that will sound wierd in a mechanical voice
The tavern was a jolly place to say the least. Even before Silver had set foot onto the chicory wooden floorboards of the well patroned establishment, jolly singing and clanking of mugs emerged from the curtained windows of the inn. When Shadow led the hoglet through the open door, Silver found himself entranced by the sight around him.
Savory smells of meat and mead filled the air in a jolly wind - filling the hoglet's nose like a mug overflowed with beer. Well worn wooden tables and stained oakwood chairs decorated the floor - filled almost to max capacity with men and women alike. Rowdy patrons alight with the joy of socialization slapped on each other's shoulders, devouring aromatic dishes and downing them with hearty swigs of alcohol. Steaming dishes of well cooked foods almost floated through the tavern on carried plates - scents drifting upwards into the splintery ceiling and well repaired cross beams. Aged chandeliers adorned with hardened drips of wax swung from the ceiling, occasionally trembling from the rowdy push of a giraffe or over energized teenager. Trodden floorboards shook with the happy dances of drunken merchants and cart-pullers as a musician sawed away at a pleasant stringed instrument, filling the air with a heart lifting tune. Just as the awestruck child let his eyes wander to the crowded counter, he felt Shadow's hand grip his fingers tighter - almost possessively - as the leather cloaked hedgehog pushed through a collection of off duty guards.
"Sit on my lap." Shadow ordered, sliding into a chair before a heavily stained tablecloth. "Quickly now."
Obliging, Silver pulled himself onto the adult's sturdy legs - grasping at the strong arms and kicking his feet in the effort. Looking left and right, Shadow pulled the child into a proper position. With a flick of his hands and a roll of his shoulders, the ranger adjusted his cloak. Silver felt his fur droop slightly as a wave of heat enveloped his body. With questioning eyes, he looked up into the ranger's darkened face. Why had he been covered up?
"Hello sir - what can I get for you today?" A voice chirped, grabbing Silver's ears with a rapid flick.
Curious, the hoglet poked his head further into the room. The waitress before him was a hefty woman for sure. With lemon yellow fur and brawny arms, Silver could only assume she had been lifting heavy things for a long time. With a face to match too.
"I need a portion of potatoes and meat for my young one." Shadow spoke, voice lowered. "He also requires a drink - non alcoholic - in a smaller glass as well."
"Non alcoholic?" The waitress grunted, tilting her head to peer at the snowy white fur. "Best I can do is milk. Water's been spiked so it lasts longer."
"That will do." Shadow nodded. "Please make sure his servings have no contact with Circus."
Reaching into his back pouch, Shadow pulled out two links of rings. Taking the gold circles in her hand, the waitress counted them out. After she was satisfied with the amount, she gave a gruff nod.
"One small portion of poultry and potatoes with a small milk - Circus isolated." She announced, picking up her feet and walking towards the kitchen door.
Shadow only sighed, shaking his head with an air of disappointment. Sensing a slight air of paranoia about the ranger, Silver sunk further back into the hedgehog's chest. If Shadow was worried about something, it was only fair for him to be concerned as well. The elder hedgehog did not spook easily in the slightest. Something about this city seemed to be putting the ranger on edge.
Scooting back a bit further, Silver huddled slightly. Being as small as possible seemed to be the best course of action. The only thing preventing him from outright curling into a ball was the promise of food - the scent of which laid heavily in the air.
"Why do you keep looking around?" Silver asked, noticing the ranger subtly turn his head once more.
"I'm looking for hoods." Shadow responded. "Ideally blue, but green I can simply trail."
"Why blue?"
"Blue hoods are commanders in the Syndicate ranking." Shadow answered. "The structure puts green at the lowest and purple at the highest."
Silver only kicked his feet, feeling the cloth bump against his boots in satisfying brushes.
"Green is your average hire, usually doing all the dirty work and earning the least pay." Shadow explained, moving his gloved hand to a closer position to his right blade. "Red hoods oversee a squadron of greens, acting as a field leader so to speak."
Silver only nodded.
"Blue oversees red, with there being two to four in any given base, and yellow oversees blue - operating as an outpost leader with an entire city or region of hires submitting to them." Shadow finished, subtly turning his head once more to peer in another direction.
"What about purple?" Silver asked, thumping his feet once more.
"There is only one person who wears a purple hood." Shadow growled. "And that is Fang the Timberwolf."
"Fang?"
"The recent inheritor to the Syndicate itself - passed down from his late father and fought from the right hand man with blood on his claws." Shadow grimly spoke, tightening his fists. "He is… in many ways…worse…than anyone before him."
"Your meal." The waitress announced, setting the ceramic plate and mug of milk in front of the two hedgehog's as if she had manifested from thin air.
With a nod of thanks, Shadow extended his arms so his elbows rested on the table in front - encouraging Silver to begin his meal after sniffing and tasting a tiny portion of the food. Eagerly, Silver snatched up the wooden fork and shoveled the potatoes into his mouth. The mistress had brought potatoes to the orphanage every once and a while when the slop was running thin. Silver always remembered Fliss sitting by the kitchen window and singing an ancient babylonian song while peeling a pail of the plump growths. Fond memories were always associated with such a filling food.
The poultry wasn't bad either. It was delightfully juicy and slathered in a gravy that tasted most delectable. As the hoglet slowly switched between the two different foods, Silver couldn't help but wonder if Shadow could replicate a meal like this one. The elder hedgehog seemed to be a rather good cook, even with limited materials and scavenged findings in the woods. Although chicken and potatoes couldn't be found in the wild anymore, it wouldn't be too much to ask for him to bring home such ingredients every once in a while, right? He had made that wonderful honeyed rabbit once after all. Gosh how Silver wanted to taste that again.
Just as the ivory child lifted another cube of potato to his lips, the vegetable slipped from the wooden utensil - leaping off the points and rolling under the table like a runaway wagon wheel. Anxious not to let the scrap get away, Silver bolted after it; diving under the table in almost perfect reaction. Shadow had gripped his waist in an attempt to catch him, but a barely rationalized burst of psychokinetic intent loosened the adult's fingers without so much as a fleeting conception. Hardly hindered by the mild containment attempt, the hoglet felt his bare paws hit the wooden floorboards - boots following shortly after in a synchronized thump.
Observantly, Silver's eyes darted around. The mild exhilaration of hiding under a tablecloth filled the hoglet with a mischievous shiver. It felt so sneaky to be underneath the well used fabric. Almost no one could see him under there. A grin crossed his lips as the hoglet continued his search for the elusive potato, crawling around on his hands and knees like a barncat after a mouse. It had to be down here somewhere, right?
Spotting the brown skin of a diced vegetable, Silver slid over to the precious piece and seized it in his paws - inspecting its surface for any incriminating substances. When it looked relatively clean, the hoglet wasted no time in shoving it into his mouth. Food was food. Who cared where it had been as long as it was safe to eat and full of nutrients. Silver would never let any scrap go to waste. Not ever. With a satisfied smile, the hoglet thought of the plate resting on the table above. He should finish that after all.
Before he could make a move towards Shadow's dense leather boots, another pair of heavy footwear approached the table, followed by an identical set close behind. The two unidentified figures stopped before the wooden legs, resting their hands on the surface with a heavy thud. Curious, Silver crept closer to the edge of the tablecloth.
"Well hello there, sir." One of them spoke, voice friendly and overly confident. "What's a fine young fellow like yourself doing in a large city like this?"
"You rangers stick to the wilds." The other one spoke, in an equally conversational voice. "Decide to come sightseeing away from the pack?"
"One could say that." Shadow answered cryptically.
"Ah, well it's a shame you ended up in this hole of a place." The other commented, crossing his feet and leaning fully on the table.
Feeling curious as to who could be trying to bother Shadow, Silver slowly peeked his head out from beneath the tablecloth - moving as slowly as possible in an attempt to remain unknown. No sooner than he did, Silver felt overwhelmingly glad his judgment had been so sound. For as he panned his eyes upwards to investigate the two unknown men, the sickening green of dyed hoods greeted his vision.
"You don't even know how to enjoy yourself in a place like this." The observed leader of the pair pitched, gesturing theatrically around the room. "Sure you have food and drink, but where are the women, am I right?"
Despite being obscured, the hoglet could make out the ranger's facial features distort into a look of irritation. Looking around the room himself, the hoglet could make out at least five ladies dancing merrily to the bard's lovely tune.
"All around, if you have the proper eyes in your skull." Shadow responded dryly, pretending to sip from Silver's wooden mug.
"Oh I'm not talking about those women." The hood smirked. "What you need is some time to relax, my friend."
"Have a great time, y'know?" The second hood piped up, tail twitching excitedly from under his cloak. "A young man like you hasn't ever met a proper lady before."
From under the shadow of his hood, Silver watched the ranger's face contort into a look of incredulous disgust.
"What are you…twenty? Twenty-one?" The first hood asked, energetically reaching over to lean onto Shadow's armored shoulders. "All that time in the woods has likely left you a little high and dry."
As if actively repulsed by what the men were saying, Shadow's nose began to twitch upwards- wrinkles and lines appearing on the tanned muzzle like folds in a used dishrag.
"I know a couple girls that'll rub all that tension out of your shoulders." The cat continued, patting Shadow aggressively.
"Or guys…" The second hood commented, noticing the look of abhorrence on the hedgehog's face. "...If you're into that…"
"I have no such desires whatsoever." Shadow huffed, setting the mug down with a dissatisfied thump. "You can take your predatory pandering elsewhere."
"Yeesh no wonder you stayed in the wilds so long." The cat jabbed, pushing off of the ranger in a rough launch. "You're an impossible customer."
"C'mon man, we can't get him." The second hood snapped, gesturing towards the door. "Let's get back to Phantom 'fore it gets too late."
Silver ducked back under the tablecloth, heart thumping and lungs heaving as he tried to process what had just happened. Did those green hoods…not recognize Shadow? Clutching at his chest, Silver attempted to calm himself. In and out. In and out. He had to calm down. He couldn-
"Hurry up and finish your meal, Silver." Shadow ordered, hastily fetching the child from under the table and placing the mug of milk in the ivory paws. "We can't lose them."
"What? Why?" Silver asked, tipping what was left of his drink down his throat in anxious gulps.
"They are reporting back to Captain Phantom." Shadow hissed, wiping a line of white from the hoglet's chin and setting the empty cup on the tabletop. "I need to follow them."
As fast as his trembling body allowed, Silver downed the final pieces of his potatoes and chicken. In less time than it took to wipe his nose, Shadow had slung the confused hoglet over his shoulder and pushed through the tavern - arriving on the mostly abandoned streets just in time to see the twin pair of hoods disappearing into the night.