Chapter 64

Resist

Plop! Sonic's foot sank into a knee deep bog. "Ugh!" He pulled it free and stopped short. The swamp was disguised by the continuation of the forest in every direction. Only in the far distance could Sonic notice a thinning of the trees.

"Is everything okay?" Jasmine asked at Sonic's elbow. The young Thirteen was red in the face from exertion, but looked eager to keep moving.

"The Sanctuary is on the far end of the swamp." Priam explained as he bent over his staff to catch his breath.

"Is there no way around?" From what Sonic could tell, the swamp covered a few miles at least and he did not relish the crossing.

"Not unless you go a dozen miles around, which you could do in a second but you wouldn't know the way to the Sanctuary."

Sonic was not the only one to hesitate on the border of the swamp. A dozen Thirteen civilians were huddled at the edge. The youngest among them were so small they risked being sucked into the water. Sonic groaned as he realized what he would have to do. "Jasmine, hold on to me. I'm going to run you across. Priam, tell those others to wait, I'll ferry all the children one at a time."

He waved aside Priam's gushes of gratitude and hoisted Jasmine into his arms. She blushed badly and could not stop herself from letting out a tiny giggle. Sonic ignored that and raced across the swamp. Each step caused him to sink into the bog, slowing him down to a barely impressive seventy five miles per hour. Along the way, Sonic passed the bulk of the rebel army. The scouts had gone ahead with Silver to secure the Sanctuary, while Blaze brought up the rearguard.

Sonic felt a little out of place when he had not been given a task, but he figured ferrying the children across the swamp would be his contribution to the effort. He dropped Jasmine off on the far side and saw that the swamp ended at the edge of the forest at a steep ravine leading into the bowels of the mountains. A few of Silver's scouts were waiting at the top of the ravine to lead people down into what Sonic figured would be a place of refuge within the mountains themselves.

"I'll wait here for you and father!" Jasmine said, still blushing boldly.

Sonic gave her a thumbs up and raced back to the other side of the swamp. Ferrying the rest of the children did not take very long, but by the end, Sonic's shoes were clogged with swamp water and he was covered in mud and muck.

He and Jasmine waited for Priam to arrive and Jasmine then set to helping her father descend the ravine. The way was treacherous and the Thirteens were forced to go at an agonizingly slow pace. Halfway down, Sonic spotted Blaze and the rearguard starting their descent. Sonic let out a sigh of relief.

After he had extinguished the fire, he had offered to take Blaze up ahead, but she insisted that she be the last to flee. I'm not sure why I was even worried. Even if the imperial forces had managed to corner her, what could they even do? Sonic had never seen a power like the one Blaze had unleashed in the battle against Zero.

"Priam, who is Soleanna's king? I heard that he was taken captive when the emperor came to power?" Sonic would not give up Arthur's identity, but he still wanted to know more.

Priam groaned as they struggled down a particularly steep decline. "The king…he is the king of the Eternal Flame. Chief magistrate of Soleanna."

"Did he have any children?"

"Only one. His daughter, Blaze. She was the pride of all of Soleanna. The princess of fire and Emissary of the Day. When Mesto took the province he attacked the royal palace. We know that the king was taken, and many believe that Blaze was killed in the attack."

"But you aren't sure?"

Priam sighed. "I know that she was not taken captive. Mesto would have used her against us if she had been. Alas, if she was killed in the fighting, the empire might choose to keep it a secret to prevent her from becoming a martyr. With the mystery, many wonder if she escaped and is simply living in exile." Sonic did not ask anymore. There must be a reason why Blaze decided to keep her identity a secret, but he could not riddle out the answer.

It took until the late afternoon for them to reach the base of the ravine. From there they followed a rocky path that led beneath a great roof of the mountain. A stream then guided them through the cave until it expanded into a great cavern. The far wall was enormous and unnaturally smooth. Sonic saw that Silver and his scouts were waiting by the wall.

Throughout the journey, many had hoped to be reunited with friends and loved ones they had lost track of during the battle and flight. The moment had come for hope to be realized or destroyed. Sonic stood alone at the exit, watching the Thirteens. As more and more of them trickled into the cavern they were greeted with cries of joy and stares of expectation. It was obvious to Sonic that the rebel group had lost at least half of its fighting force and a significant chunk of the civilians.

Arthur arrived just as dusk was setting and announced that he and his group were the last. Sonic saw the faces of those still waiting go dark and mournful. Many broke down in tears. Their grief made Sonic want to pull away. He had faced danger and battle many times, but never a war. There was no thrill in war, and no adventure in grief.

"Come with me." Sonic was pulled out of his thoughts by Blaze. She stood beside him, watching the lament of her people. Sonic followed Blaze to the far wall of the cavern. No one paid them any attention as they were too focused on their grief.

Silver waited for them at the wall. His eyes were alight with manic intensity. "Sir Gawain and the others…"

Blaze shook her head. "I didn't see them…."

Rage consumed Silver's expression. "Those damn imperials…they…they-"

"-Were willing to slaughter their own people to defeat us," Blaze finished.

Tears gathered at the corner of Silver's eyes. "Damn them…"

Blaze put a hand on Silver's shoulder. "Save your wrath. We have much to do before we can mourn." She pushed past him and stood before the wall. Blaze removed her mailed gauntlet and placed her hand on the stone. A jet of flame sprang up the wall and slithered up it like a snake. Sonic watched as the flame spread revealing a hidden mural on the wall. The image depicted a great inferno descending onto a sprawling city. When the outline was complete there was a massive CRUNCH! A fissure opened in the wall and the stone gave way like an enormous door.

"Get everyone inside and set up a tent for the healers. Our priority is our wounded." Blaze put on her glove and started ordering all the rebels inside the doorway.

Sonic waited outside with Silver and Blaze while everyone else entered. Once they were the last ones, Blaze turned to Silver. "Once these doors close they stay closed. We cannot afford to risk revealing our position."

"But my scouts-"

"Will have to stay here. We can't afford to send outriders. This is why I never wanted to come here in the first place. This Sanctuary is a last resort."

Silver paused. "Does that mean…"

"With Rayne and Gawain lost…Come let's go inside." Blaze motioned for Sonic to enter. Before she could close the doors however, there was a shout.

"WAIT!" All three of them stopped. Silver's eyes and hands glowed green and he

stepped in front of Blaze. A second later, two figures came stumbling into the cavern.

"Gawain!" Blaze pushed past Silver and caught Gawain as he nearly collapsed. Sonic got there a heartbeat later to catch Rayne whom Gawain had been assisting. The Echidna was badly wounded. A long gash cut across his face and he had several open wounds across his torso and arms. Gawain had a burn on his left wing, but seemed to have succumbed to exhaustion and not an injury.

"Let's get them inside!" Sonic tried and failed to carry Rayne to his feet prompting Silver to nudge Sonic aside and encase Rayne in some strange green aura. When Silver raised his hands, Rayne floated eerily into the air.

Blaze led them through the doorway before turning around and raising her hand. A bolt of fire shot out of her hand and the stone walls closed in. The light faded, enclosing them in a dark tunnel. "Let me." Sonic took Gawain, allowing Blaze to direct them.

They shuffled deeper and deeper into what Sonic figured was a long abandoned mine. After a few minutes, they came into view of a small orb of orange light. The light turned out to be a swirling mass of spiraling flame. It burned over a stone pedestal set with runes that looked similar to the ones Sonic had seen on the fountain when he first arrived in Arvana.

Sonic paused when he noticed that the fire was burning without any fuel. "That is a Keshin." Blaze explained, walking over to Sonic. "The ancient ones knew how to tap into the flames at the heart of the planet and trap them with their spells."

"So it's magic?" Sonic reached his hand out and was surprised to note that the flame gave off no heat. His question went unanswered as the rest of the group had already gone ahead. Sonic readjusted Gawain over his shoulder and hurried after them.

Three more Kenshin followed the first, serving as pseudo guideposts through the tunnel. After a sharp bend, Sonic saw faint daylight spilling across the cavern floor. The source of the light was revealed as they rounded the next bend. A colossal arch stood at the mouth of a temple built right into the bones of the mountain. However, instead of leading deeper into the mines, it seemed to lead backoutside.

The air itself felt ancient and Sonic had the distinct impression he was stepping in very hallowed ground. "By Solaris…" Gawain whispered. He shrugged himself free of Sonic's support and staggered forward. The falcon knelt at the base of the dais leading up into the temple and crossed his arms.

Feelingly extremely out of place, Sonic ascended the stairs and passed through the arch. He stood at the height of an enclosed gorge in the center of which lay a magnificent grotto. Dozens of structures interwound with the existing terrain and spiraled up the walls of the mountain in rowed terraces from which it appeared an ancient civilization used to farm.

It felt like a mixture of the marble gardens Sonic had visited on South Island and the Sky Sanctuary on Angel Island. A row of carved stone steps wound down a grassy hill towards the base of the grotto. There, the rebels were already hard at work building a new camp. Blaze's pavilion had already been set up at the far edge of the grotto.

Sonic waited for Gawain who insisted upon kneeling again when he had a view of the grotto. When he had finished his veneration, Sonic helped him up and assisted him in descending the hill. "What is this place?" Sonic asked.

"The Sanctuary," Gawain answered solemnly. "An ancient refuge for the priests of Solaris and the royal family. It was founded nearly three thousand years ago and settled by the precursors of the Soleananns. A thousand years later the temple was made and the doorway was shut during the War of Righteous Fire when the Church of Solaris was nearly destroyed in a great civil war."

As they passed through the camp, Sonic saw that most of the rebels were in awe of the place. Their grief stymied slightly by the beauty and wonder of the Sanctuary. No one paid them much attention as Sonic brought Gawain over to the central pavilion. The posted guards allowed them entry without contest.

Sonic entered to find Rayne perched up in one of the chairs. His wounds looked even worse when lit by the pavilion's torches. Silver stood beside him while Blaze paced back and forth. "You need to see the healers." She insisted, continuing what Sonic assumed was an ongoing conversation.

"After." Rayne growled. "We need to make sure that camp is safe first."

"As safe as it can be."

"No it isn't." Silver noticed Sonic's entrance. He strode towards him. "We shouldn't have let him in. He still has the mark, he will bring the imperials right down on us again." Silver and Sonic stood face to face, the former glaring intensely.

"He won't." Blaze snapped, coming to Sonic's side and taking him by the wrist. She raised his arm and displayed the scorch mark on Sonic's wrist. "I burned it off him after we defeated Zero."

Sonic did his best not to cringe at the pressure Blaze was putting on the injury. She had indeed burned the mark away at Sonic's insistence after the battle, however it had not been pain free.

"Burned it off?" Silver repeated.

"Argh!" Grunting in frustration, Blaze seized her helmet and pulled it free. Both Gawain and Silver nearly leapt out of their skin.

"What are you doing?" They shouted in unison.

"He already knows," Blaze hissed.

That was enough for Gawain, but Silver was livid. "What do you mean? We have to…to…"

"Kill him now?" Blaze finished. She put a patient hand on Silver's shoulder. "Brother, now is not the time for doubt or reckless action. I trust Sonic, I wanted him to know who I am."

There was something in her tone that suggested to Sonic that by "brother" Blaze had not meant "comrade." "You two…are siblings?"

Silver was too furious to answer. Blaze sighed and nodded. "Silver is my brother…my half-brother." She added with a sidelong look at Silver.

"I-"

"Enough!" Rayne roared, causing him to gasp in pain. "Silver, what is done is done. Sonic knows the truth, nothing can help that now."

"Rayne's right, we have more important matters to discuss." Blaze tossed her helmet aside and sat down. Even without her helmet, she maintained an intense aurora of command and authority. "Now, what happened Rayne? I thought we lost you."

"Howl…" Rayne muttered. "He led the imperial wedge and tried to bait me to break my line and come challenge him one on one."

"And you took that bait?" Blaze asked pointendly.

Rayne dropped his head in shame. "He mocked me, mocked us all, laughed at the torment Zero put Sir Tristen through. I thought…I knew I could take him."

"Howl? Is he that wolf captain from Castle Town?" Sonic interjected.

"Yes," Gawain answered. "Zero often relies on Howl's legion for support. They are two of a kind, both are blood thirsty and savage. A few weeks ago they cornered one of our own. Sir Tristen was a great warrior but he was no match for the entire Jackal Squadron."

"Howl was with them," Rayne snarled. "He told me all about it. I was ready to rip him into pieces but as soon as I broke formation he pulled out a Sol Gem."

"So that was that pink light I saw," Silver exclaimed.

Rayne nodded. "Howl got all powered up and became feral. He did this to me and I lost sense of the battle. But I gave him as good as he got me. I got a nice long cut across his torso, with any luck he will be out of the fight for a few weeks at least."

"That was foolish of you," Blaze surmised dryly. "But it has caused no lasting harm. You are alive and that is more than I could have hoped for."

"I'm sorry my princess." Rayne bowed his head. "I will not fail you again."

"Sir Gawain, take Rayne to the healers and neither of you are to leave until you are fully recovered." Gawain obeyed the order at once. When they had gone, Blaze let out a long sigh. "Defeat makes warriors long for an honorable death." The way Blaze sat her chair was not unlike paintings Sonic had seen of kings on their thrones. He felt oddly intimated when she turned her fiercely yellow eyes on him. "That's twice now you have helped save my people. Soleanna is not a place where a debt goes unpaid. However, I am in no position to offer you a boon that fits your service. For now, you will have to suffice with my thanks, from me and for all the people of my kingdom."

"You're the one that saved me," Sonic deflected with a shrug.

"Be that as it may, few warriors could have pushed Zero to the limits that you did. My soldiers are strong and brave, but as you have seen, their eyes drift towards the end of our cause. They will never submit outright, but that won't stop them from seeking out the means of a noble death."

"What are you saying!" Silver protested. He stormed over to his sister's side, his face red with anger. "We won't give up until the empire is pushed out and your father is restored as the king!"

"Is that why Rayne sought the honor of solo combat?" Blaze countered. "Look at where we are. This Sanctuary is a hideaway, not a staging ground. From here we can look forward to meager lives of survival, not of war and victory."

"For now! But we won't stay here forever. Once we heal up we will go back out, take the fight to-"

Blaze raised her hand. Her eyes flashed dangerously and Sonic caught a spark of flame in their depths. "Our victory will not come through battle. We must-"

"Run?" Silver spat. "Again? Like we did at the palace? I'm sick of running, I'm tired of hiding." A mystical green aura shone out of Silver's eyes. "If you hadn't…we could have stayed…we could have fought.." Suddenly, Silver seemed to come to his senses. He stopped talking and bowed jerkily to Blaze. "My apologies princess…I…"

"Go, and scout the area," Blaze commanded, her tone stiff and indifferent. Silver hastened to obey, but before he went, Sonic saw him wipe his face of tears.

Once they were alone, Blaze's entire demeanor shifted. She exhaled and slid down her chair. Her hands trembled slightly as she placed her fingers on her temples. "You must forgive my brother…" She said quietly. "He uses his bravado as a shield against despair. Denial is just another symptom of defeat, a disease that runs rampant in this camp."

"But you weren't defeated," Sonic insisted. "You beat Zero and most of you made it here safely."

"We lost half our fighters in the battle. It doesn't matter if the empire lost ten times more or ten million times more. Our losses are more grievous because our numbers are so few." Blaze moved her hands and gazed up at Sonic. Her intensity had faded slightly, leaving her eyes the color of a sunflower instead of the sun itself. "The battle only revealed what most of us already knew or suspected. There can be no victory through battle."

Sonic frowned. "What does that mean? Will you surrender?"

Blaze raised an eyebrow. "Surrender? As if that is even an option. Perhaps most could, but Mesto would never allow me to live. I present a great threat to his claim over the region, besides we have a…history…he would want his revenge." Blaze stood up and walked over to the entrance of the pavilion. She stood by the crack, peering out into the camp. "Those who have come here have already decided it would be better to die than to assimilate. No, we will not surrender. I said victory cannot be achieved through battle, not that it was hopeless."

"What can you do then?"

"Resist."