Warmth.
A comforting warmth crept along Silver's pelt as he laid in his bed. Cloudy waves of ethereal calm filled the air - pulling the hoglet from whatever sleep he had been in. Cracking his golden eyes slightly, gently flickering firelight greeted his vision with a soothing kiss of reds and oranges. Bathed in the blissful peaceness of color and fabric, Silver basked in the wonderful calm as a rocking sensation carried all his aches and pains away in a current of soft music.
There was music, the hoglet realized, as he blinked through blurry vision. It was a voice; singing a faraway song with perfect pitch and practice in a tune so vaguely familiar yet foreign at the same time. Caught in the wave of music and light, Silver squinted. Rolling in his blanket slightly, the hoglet peered and peeked to try and get a glimpse of who could be making such a beautiful noise. Annoyingly, the environment was blurry, and all of the colors far too saturated for the child to make anything out. But somehow he was not overly bothered. Left and right his ears shifted as the hauntingly beautiful tune carried into his head.
It was a woman, he gathered, as he honed in on the mystifying sound. Her song was enrapturing as it echoed through his mind, pushing and pulling on his brain and soul as she shifted between the notes like the tides in the seas. Squinting, he tried to make out the words of the melody only to find them faint and far away.
"Hello?" He mumbled, shifting his head about.
The song did not stop as Silver shuffled about within his bed - twisting and turning inside his covers, unable to unwrap himself from within. The woman got louder as she approached him, face distorted and words unintelligible. However, Silver did not feel distressed.
"Hello?" He asked again, blinking through his content drowsiness.
"Silver." She softly spoke, tilting her head daintily to one side. "You need to get up,"
"Huh?"
"It's time to wake up, Silver?"
"What?"
"It's time to wake up."
"Huh?"
Unexpectedly, she reached out - seizing his shoulder in a crushing grip and shaking him with a stiff arm.
"Wake up, Silver." Shadow ordered, tightening his hold on the child and ripping him from his pleasant dream.
Confused, and slightly startled, Silver jumped as his eyes opened to reveal the stern face of his mentor crouched before him with an irritated tilt on his ears. Flinching from the unexpected appearance, Silver let out a half squeak. Fluffed fur and spiked quills shook his tiny back as the child instinctually flared his spines.
"You've slept in." Shadow grumbled, ears sinking lower and eyelids falling to a halfway position. "You were supposed to be awake two hours ago."
"S-sorry." Silver stammered, shuffling out of his bed the second the elder hedgehog released his shaken shoulder. "I must've been-"
"I don't want excuses, I want you ready." Shadow interrupted. "Breakfast is getting cold."
Silver could only sigh as the ebony hedgehog jumped off of his floor to the room below. It was very easy to feel tired these days. It was months ago when Tone had lectured Shadow about overworking the young hoglet. Even though Silver had felt very optimistic at the time for the chance of a few days off, it never happened. Well after the elderly cougar had left the fields, the hoglet still found himself drilling day in and day out without any sign of Shadow following through on his words to the old cat. Silver may have thought that he could keep up with the demand before, but true to Tone's word he was starting to feel tired.
Grumbling to himself as he put on his shoes, now tight once more from a recent and painful growth spurt, Silver stood and climbed down the ladder in a rather sour mood. Was it so wrong of him to sleep in every once in a while?
"Stop dawdling and come." Shadow ordered, not making eye contact as he poured a re-heated serving of water into a bowl of grain. "You're wasting time from today."
"I'm tired, Shadow…" Silver whined as he drug his feet to the fire pit.
"You can be tired." Shadow responded without hesitating. "But skipping meals is unacceptable."
Making sure to give the adult a look as he snatched the wooden bowl from the leather gloved paws, Silver began to munch on the less than perfect mash.
"It's soggy…"
"That's what happens when you sleep in."
"I'm tired."
"And I'm tired of your complaining." Shadow shot back, sliding his shirt on and attaching his belt to his hip. "I don't care how sleepy you feel, you are learning something today."
"But I learned something yesterday."
"And you will learn something today." Shadow obstinately stated. "You're almost seven, it's time I taught you to navigate the Gravity Ring."
Sitting bolt upright from his slouched position, Silver felt his ears prick to attention.
"Really?"
"I feel confident in your ability to defend yourself and your foraging skills are excellent." Shadow answered. "It's time I let you explore the Fields by yourself."
Despite having pulled the hood up, Silver could still spy a slight shiver run through the ebony fur.
"By…by myself?"
"Yes." Shadow answered. "Your punches are accurate, your kicks are strong, and you can throw objects quite well."
Pausing to sheath his twin blades, Shadow let out a held breath.
"Your form…could use some work." He continued, turning and cautiously placing medical supplies inside his pouch. "But any random robber or troublemaker would serve no problem for you right now."
Silver sat back on his heels. Was he really coming along that well?
"Come." Shadow ordered, turning out to the fields and beginning to walk towards the ring. "Let's go."
Wolfing down the rest of the bland mash, Silver bolted after the elder hedgehog. Navigating the ring? Already? The hoglet could hardly process the information. Even as he trotted next to the elder's cloak he tried to imagine what possessed the ranger to loosen his leash so much. What was a young hoglet even going to do in the outer fields by himself?
"Hold out your hand."
In his train of thought, the hoglet had lost track of time. With a cautious skip, Silver abruptly halted himself next to the ranger. Were they already at th-
"Quickly now."
Remembering the previous command, Silver extended his paw.
"What do you feel?"
"Nothing."
"Good." Shadow nodded, raising his arm as well. "Remember how that feels."
Taking a slow step forwards, the ranger gestured for the hoglet to follow. Silver swallowed a gulp. Although he felt excited about learning field navigation, the child felt a twinge of apprehension about the situation. There was no doubt that the Gravity Fields were dangerous. Even before, Shadow had warned about the pulls sweeping or crushing creatures that dared enter their dangerous influence. Even an elder ranger - an expert survivalist of the wild tribes - could be swept to their death by the dangerous phenomena of the Gravity Fields.
A tugging sensation lapped at the hoglet's fingers, ripping him out of his internal thoughts.
"Do you feel that?"
Silver nodded.
"That's a pull." Shadow informed, wiggling his own fingers on his extended hand. "It is very important for you to use your senses to feel the gravity around you."
"My senses?"
Shadow took a step forwards, the uncovered fur on his arm sweeping and rippling as if underwater.
"Your muscles and limbs react to the world around you, subconscious or not."
Mirroring the elder's step, Silver felt the pull consume his arm.
"Do you feel the current?"
Closing his eyes, the child honed his senses. It was very subtle. Almost unrecognizable if it hadn't been pointed out, but it was there. A swishing and swaying that danced in his fur like a leaf on water - not dissimilar to his own martial style.
"Yes…" Silver exhaled, feeling his fur dancing in the rippling gravity.
"Good." Shadow approved. "Your senses are strong."
Hearing the tapping of soles against rock, Silver opened his eyes just in time to observe his mentor walk into the pull. The familiar leather cape swept upwards with the ranger's motions. Like a cloud in the sky it rippled and waved, tugged along behind the hooded hedgehog in an entrancing swirl.
"Follow me."
Silver nervously picked up his feet. Expectedly, the pulls felt strange on his body as he slowly stepped after the elder. Despite being in the midst of gravitational phenomena before, the hoglet felt strange to have his own two feet on the ground for once. Having Shadow to hold onto always made things easier to manage but now he was on his own. Nothing but his own body and his own reflexes to keep him safe.
Rocks and metal scraps danced around him as he observed the fields around him. Why the ranger had decided to bring him to the densest part of the ring was lost on the hoglet. Yet, no unexpected feelings were felt.
"Gravity is always light here." Shadow stated, hopping slightly on his toes. "The closer you are to the raw zone the safer you are from the pulls."
Silver turned around to peer at the place where gravity was normal. It almost seemed to be an abrupt wall of phenomena…
"The same goes for the outer edges - the closer you are to the external fields, the safer you are from the pulls." Shadow informed.
"Raw zone?"
"The eye of normality within the fields - where we live."
"Why is it called the Raw zone?"
"Like a wound upon skin, such is the damage done to this plain." Shadow explained, turning to walk deeper into the pulls with a gesture to follow. "Without Chaos Energy, the wound cannot heal - leaving everything in a state of absolute disarray and damage."
Feeling the subtle waves on his skin, Silver adjusted his steps. Each foot and each pace required different amounts of force each time he lifted his boots - leaving his gait strange and disjointed in the pulls. Wobbly on his paws, he followed on.
"The Raw zone is like a gap, almost." Shadow continued. "When you place an object on top of a surface and then burn it with fire, the space underneath is mostly unaffected."
"Was there something on the ground?" Silver asked, pushing away a small stone from his path.
"There was an entire structure there." Shadow answered. "One corner of it survived the destruction - we inhabit its skeleton."
"There was a building there?"
"An engine core."
"What's that?"
"A device used to generate energy."
Shadow placed his hand on the hoglet's chest, stopping the child in his tracks.
"Hold out your hand."
Reluctantly, Silver did. As if a great weight were hung on his fingers, the child felt his hand grow unreasonably heavy. Ears pricking and mouth opening in shock, Silver pulled his paw back - rubbing his sore joints until the pain eased.
"What was that?"
"A pull." Shadow responded. "A positive pull."
"Positive?" Silver frowned. How could something like that ever be considered positive.
"There are two kinds of pulls." Shadow explained, sticking his own hand into the heavy gravity. "Positive and negative pulls."
Silver looked left and right.
"Negative pulls are the safer ones." The ranger continued. "If you consider normal gravity your baseline, a negative pull will feel lighter - as gravity is below the baseline."
"Below the baseline…" Silver parroted, bouncing in already lowered gravity.
"A positive pull is more dangerous than a negative pull."
"Why?"
Without answering, Shadow pushed the hoglet forwards - straight into the heavy air and strong pull. Knees hitting the stone floor, Silver gasped, feeling his joints strain and heart cry. Lungs heavy, the child found himself gasping for air. Despite his best efforts, the hoglet felt his chest fall like a sack of rocks to the ground - muzzle pressing into the eroded stone in an uncomfortably weighted squish.
"It's harder on your body." Shadow answered, voice feeling flat and muted in the dense air. "Fortunately this is an average one and will not kill you, but it is still above baseline."
Silver could only groan as he struggled to pick himself up. From his peripheral vision, he could spy Shadow walking into the pull after him - quills and ears flopping downwards with his slowly slumping shoulders.
"Do you know what to do if you find yourself in a pull?" Shadow asked, laying down on the ground next to the struggling hoglet.
"No-" Silver coughed, sliding his hands around and attempting to push himself up.
"Lay yourself back down." Shadow ordered. "Do not waste your precious energy on getting up.
Silver stopped, taking the time to take deep breaths and regain control of his lungs.
"Instead, remember this phrase; Spy the Sky, Roll the Pull, When you're clear - Get up and Go." The ranger gasped, feeling the weight take toll on his own body. "What comes first?"
"Spy the Sky." Silver answered, rolling onto his back to peer upwards.
"Do you see any stones that could hurt you above?"
"No."
"Good. What comes next?"
"Roll the Pull."
Slowly and carefully, Silver began to bring his knees to his chest.
"What are you doing?" Shadow sharply spoke, halting the hoglet in his movements.
"I'm gonna roll-"
"Do not curl." Shadow ordered. "You need to keep your eyes uncovered so you can watch the environment around you."
"Why?"
"Because there may not be a stone above you right now, but the gravity around here is unpredictable." The elder scolded. "You do not know what could float into danger."
Wrapping his arms around his chest, the ranger began to roll horizontally across the stone floor.
"On each revolution check both the horizon and the sky." Shadow grunted, hood uncovering his head as he slowly rotated his way through the pull. "Keep going until you have cleared the area."
"How will I know?"
"You will know."
Taking as deep of a breath as he could muster, the hoglet stretched his body out. Crossing his arms, he nervously began to roll himself across the ground. With each turn of his body, his bones cried against the weight of the air and the weight of himself. Wincing through the pinching pains he rolled on. He had to keep going. Horizon was clear. Sky was clear. Keep checking the area around. Just keep checking. Taking another inhale, Silver pressed himself onwards - turning and turning and turning…
"You're almost there, Silver." Shadow encouraged, having stood up to watch the hoglet's progress.
"I'm doing it…" Silver wheezed, feeling quite proud of himself despite the circumstances.
"Pay attention to your senses, Silver." Shadow instructed. "There's a slight gradient to the pulls - use it to tell if gravity will get lighter or heavier."
Wincing over a pebble, Silver focused on his body, feeling the ripples of gravity flow on his skin. Pay attention…pay attention… Silver resisted the urge to rub his eyes. In the weight of the air itself focus seemed to flee. How could he tell if anything…
Trailing off in his thoughts, Silver noticed his arm feel slightly lighter than the rest of his body. Eagerness erupted through his veins as he picked up his pace - rolling into the negative pull with instant relief to his body. Breathing heavy from exertion, Silver found himself smiling in triumph. With bright eyes and an excited breath, he flipped himself back onto his feet.
"What comes next?" Shadow asked, prodding the child's memory.
"Uh…" Silver thought, scraping his brain for the rest of the saying. Spy the Sky…Roll the Pull…
"Get up and Go."
"Get up and Go!" Silver chirped. "I think i got this -"
"We are not going."
"Oh- Right."
Turning on his heel, Silver briskly walked away from the positive pull. Hearing the steps of the ranger behind him, the child only kept going. He needed to clear the area - no doubt about it.
"Like gusts in the wind, the pulls can change directions and sweep across new locations at any given time." Shadow explained.
Feeling a heavy gradient, Silver changed direction.
"It is important to get away from a positive pull when you encounter one." Shadow continued. "That way if it shifts, it does not shift over you."
"I just gotta use my skin to get through here." Silver chirped, feeling excited about the new skill he was learning.
"...sure."
"I can feel when gravity starts to get heavy."
"Yes."
"This is wild! I could tra-"
"Please do not attempt to travel on your own out here until you can reliably navigate the more dangerous pulls." Shadow instructed. "If you are by yourself, I am not around to make sure that you are safe and I need to rely on you to do that yourself."
"You can rely on me, Shadow." Silver smiled, turning on his heel to face the adult behind him.
A look crossed the elder's face as he maintained eye contact - almost driving sadness into the hoglet's heart at the potential the ranger was regretting teaching this new skill. Concerned, Silver tilted his head. Shadow wasn't changing his mind… was he?
"That… is yet to be determined." Shadow finally answered, breaking eye contact and walking ahead of the worried child. "I will decide when you are reliable."