The night air sent a chill down Kintobor's spine as he crept through the ruins of the ancient Echidna temple. It was all deserted, had been since long before he'd arrived here. Well, it was no matter in the grand scheme of things, but the scholar in him itched to know more, to explore every inch of the ruins and learn every secret hidden within its crumbling stone walls. But that was not why he was here. He was here for another purpose entirely.
The only company Kintobor had on this particular venture was Black Doom, his court mage from back at the palace. The palace that had been taken over by those mobian rats in his absence.
Damn that blue hedgehog, he cursed in his mind for what could have been the thousandth time that day. He still didn't even know the hedgehog's name. All he knew was that he was fast, as if someone had shot lightning into his veins and imbued him with its power, and that he was a very powerful opponent.
But this plan should give me the upper hand, Kintobor thought to himself. Then he could watch the rat that took everything away from him breathe his last breath.
Black Doom walked next to him through the ruins, his footsteps silent, as if he were floating on the air rather than walking. Kintobor wouldn't have put it past him. Black Doom had always given him an uneasy feeling, but he had served him well in the years he'd been at the palace, so he was willing to overlook the fact that he had no idea even what creature he was, even years after meeting him, and how downright terrifying he was.
He was very tall, taller than Kintobor himself, and he had two thick horns like that of a cow sticking out of the sides of his head, covered in a dark… something. It shone in the moonlight, so Kintobor had to conclude that it was some kind of slime or mucus, like that of an amphibian's skin. The only way to be sure was to touch it, though neither party would have stood for that. Kintobor suspected Black Doom would have sooner killed him before letting him touch his horns. Aside from that, he looked almost human, save for ashen gray skin, and the lack of a mouth. When Black Doom spoke, it was in people's minds rather than conventional speech.
Fortunately he didn't seem to be able to read other people's minds in turn.
Finally, they approached the altar in the center of the temple, and Kintobor was surprised not only to find the largest gem he'd ever seen, but a living being standing in front of it. An echidna with deep red fur stood in front of the gemstone, which was twice his size, the green glow of it turning his fur brown where it touched him. He wore a wooden mask over his face, decorated with white paint and a crown of yellow feathers atop it. Behind the mask, a pair of violet eyes shone in the moonlight, narrowed in aggression.
As they came closer, the echidna raised his fists, wrapped in cloth with two spikes protruding from his knuckles. "Who are you?" he demanded, his deep voice ringing loud in the night air. "How did you get here?!"
Kintobor stifled a grin. This was too easy. He forced his face to look anguished before dropping to his knees, clasping his hands together in a pleading gesture. "We come in peace! We mean you nor anyone else here any harm! We're being pursued by horrid people for crimes we did not commit!"
The echidna's eyes narrowed further, and he was silent for a moment. Then, he said, "What are your names?"
Kintobor smiled. "You may call me Mister Eggman," he said, though in truth he detested the name. It was simply the first thing he came up with, as he'd had eggs on his mind (he was rather hungry). He gestured to Black Doom. "This is my assistant, who does not speak, so I do not know his name."
What are you doing, Ivo? Doom's voice slithered in his mind.
Kintobor didn't respond, simply walking forward towards the echidna. "What is your name?" he asked politely.
"I am Knuckles, last of the mighty Echidnas," he replied.
A little on the nose, Kintobor remarked inwardly, looking again at his hands. He extended his hand, only earning a skeptical glare from Knuckles before he lowered it. Not very good with people, he noted.
Perfect.
What he didn't notice, however, was the smallest crack spidering out in the gemstone behind Knuckles, the flicker of a being inside shifting, pushing against its prison. Something ancient stirred within. Ancient… and furious.