Chapter 81

Final Barrier

They had escaped. Silver could not say how they managed it. Without hope of victory or survival he had led his soldiers into the secret passage. Sentinels and imperial legionnaires coursed up the tunnel like a tidal wave. Yet they were surprised by the sudden offensive of the defenders. Silver lit the passage with his mystic aura and a rain of blaster bolts showered down. The fighting was confusing and hectic, but somehow they managed to win the passage and break out of the fort.

As they stepped outside, Silver marveled at what he saw. The sands of the desert had risen up and flowed in a gigantic whirlwind. Visibility was limited to a few feet. The imperials were scattered and disorganized. Hope leapt into Silver's heart and he gave the command. With his hand outstretched, Silver created a force field of energy that protected him and the survivors of Masada. They cut through the storm like a hot knife through butter.

The imperials seemed hardly aware of their passing. Beyond the edge of the storm, Silver caught a glint of blue. Sonic? It hardly seemed possible for one creature to have so much power. He was not jealous this time, only relieved beyond words.

After passing out of the storm, Silver let his hand fall. The effort of holding up the shield had already drained him immensely. Gawain took the charge from there and he led them towards the south east. The desert rose steadily upward and the ground became dryer and whiter. It was a cold, barren stretch of earth that led up into the mountain passes. They would not have much cover until they passed over to the other side where the rains came more often. If they could reach the trees, then perhaps they could escape the eyes of the empire entirely.

For now, they could not rest. A stitch burned in Silver's side as he sprinted forward to catch up to Gawain. They had already crossed a distance of over ten miles. The whirlwind still encompassed Masada and all the lands encircling it. However, Silver knew that Sonic could not hold out forever. Eventually, the empire would regroup and take up the pursuit.

"Take to the sky!" Silver said to Gawain. "I will lead on the ground. Scout ahead and see which paths are open!" Gawain nodded and leapt into the air with a great gust of wind. Silver paused and turned back. The Masada garrison was at their limit. Roran and the priests had already fallen to their knees. Even Levi, stout as he was, appeared at the edge of his physical endurance.

"We cannot rest long," Silver reminded them. "We must reach the far side of the mountains."

Roran clutched his chest and wheezed. "Can't…you…you must leave us behind."

"Nonsense." Levi walked over and picked the priest up and set him on his feet. "Jacob and Leon are dead. You are the highest ranking priest we have left. Would you leave Solaris without a servant?"

Roran clutched onto Levi, and tried to catch his breath. "I…I will try."

Silver crouched and tried to restore his own dwindling reserves of energy. Of all his many powers, none drained him so much as his energy shields. They required intense levels of focus and energy output.

He counted softly in his head, intending to give them two minutes of rest before continuing. Before he could finish, Gawain returned. "There is only one path that leads into the forest. It will not be an easy hike. The way is perilous and there is little cover. We will be packed into a narrow ravine with walls on either side."

"If that is the only way, then that is our road." Silver inhaled and stood up straight. "Come on-" Silver halted. In the distance, he could see that the tornado was slowing down. Sonic…Panic crept back into Silver's mind. "Come on!"

At his urging, the others broke out in a slow run. Even with the garrison assisting them, the priests were old and unable to keep a good pace. Gawain took them to the start of the mountain path and Silver saw that it wound snake-like up through the mountains, eventually cutting straight through two great peaks.

They charged up the sloping path, the rocks sliding beneath their feet. As they got higher, Silver turned back. The tornado was gone. Everything around Masada and the great rocky spyre upon which it stood seemed calm and quiet. For a moment, Silver wondered if Sonic had managed to completely drive away the empire. Then he felt it. A slight shimmer in the air, a heavy buzzing of pressure. Silver clenched his teeth. He's here.

Beyond the edge of sight, it pierced out of the clouds like a sword. The white flagship sparkled in the orange light of the failing sun. It was Titan, the great floating fortress of Lord Mesto. It was so huge that it completely dwarfed the fort as it hovered over Masada. Silver's spine tingled. He could still remember the day the ship had come to Sol and sent its shadow over the entire city.

There was a rush of wings beside him. "Sonic is alive." Gawain said. "I told him to meet us here." Gawain pressed the scouter over his left eye. "Mesto is sending Sentinels into Masada."

"He will be able to pick up our trail."

"We must go and hurry!"

Silver didn't need to be told twice. He ran to the back of the group and urged them forward. The sight of Titan had driven the fatigue out of the garrison. They and the priests ran as hard as they could despite the treacherous terrain. Silver felt the air shift again. He turned back and saw that Titan was on the move. Its massive engines sent back jets of blue flame as it soared effortlessly in the air. Within seconds it had already crossed over to the mountains. It blocked the sky and covered the mountain pass in its hulking shadow.

There was a huge roar of metallic hinges. Its heavy guns and artillery cannons shifted into position. BANG! A shell smashed into the mountains. The ground beneath Silver trembled. BANG! BANG! BOOM! Again and again, artillery shells exploded. Silver covered his head and pushed everyone forward. For the moment, Mesto was firing randomly. Yet even a blast that hit a target a mile away, caused a tremor near at hand.

Silver could feel the rocks and boulders creek and cry. He feared that the shelling would cause a rockslide that would bury them all. There was a loud hiss and the base of Titan opened up. Silver looked and saw hundreds of Sentinels descending out of the ship. There was nothing they could do, no cover to search for. Ahead, the path narrowed and was covered by shear walls on either side. If we can just reach that, they at least won't be able to surround us.

But there was no hope of gaining ground. Sentinels spotted them and let loose metallic cries. Gawain took to the sky and fired at them with his sniper rifle. Silver hung back and levitated boulders into the air and tossed them at the Sentinels. For every two they destroyed, a dozen took their place.

Levi was leading the garrison now. They had nearly reached the walls when Sentinels overtook them. Blaster bolts rang out and Silver feared that they would be wiped out. But then something blue whipped by him. Sonic had returned. He charged into the ranks of Sentinels and broke them. This created the distraction that Levi needed to lead the garrison into the covered pass.

Silver, Gawain and Sonic followed close behind. They had combined to destroy a few dozen Sentinels but that was merely a drop in a filled bucket. Together, they raced into the pass. "The cliffs may cover us against Titan, but if those Sentinels reach the far side before us we will be completely surrounded. We need to know if they have."

Sonic held up his hand. "I'll get there." Despite his assurant smile, Silver noticed that Sonic appeared haggard. He wasn't running all that much faster than Silver and Gawain. But there was no point in a debate. Sonic increased his speed and overtook Levi and the others. While he sped to the end of the path, Silver called a halt.

Sentinels had pursued them into the path, so Gawain, Silver and Levi took up defensive positions at their rear. A short, but brutal battle ensued. Within minutes, they had destroyed enough Sentinels to pile up their parts and use them as a makeshift barrier. The waves of enemies stopped and it appeared that the Sentinels were content to keep them trapped inside the pass.

BANG! An artillery shell hit the wall above them. The rocks trembled and a piece broke off. Silver caught it with his energy before it could crash down onto the group. He tossed it aside with ease.

"What do we do?" Roran wailed. He and the priests circled around each other and started praying.

The garrison all turned to Levi, their captain. But at that moment, Levi had his eyes on Silver as did Gawain. Silver felt a strange thrill race down his back. In a sudden moment of comprehension, Silver realized that this is what he had wanted. For years, he had watched as everyone turned to Blaze. She was always the failsafe, the sure thing, the savior. But now, with defeat and death seeming certain, it was Silver's turn to bear the flame of hope.

"We will not die here! If the other side is clear then we can escape into the forest. If not, we will make our own way. Do not lose hope. The fire of Solaris burns inside each and everyone one of us. We are the sons of Soleanna, and we will not fail." His words seemed strong at first, but they echoed childishly against the high halls of the mountain. As they echoed, they became weaker and weaker until they were nothing but a shrill cry carried by the wind.

A new sound came, the quick patter of footsteps. Sonic returned breathing hard. "They've reached the otherside. Thousands of Sentinels, and they have already erected a barricade."

"Then we go another way." Silver pointed upward. "Once we reach the top we will try and find cover again as soon as possible."

"What's the point?" Gawain wondered. "We are caught in the net. There is no escape."

"We have to try!" Silver encased himself in energy and did the same for Levi. He lifted them into the air and floated over the sheer walls. At the summit, they stood upon a narrow peak. Titan loomed directly above them. From their vantage point they could see the path winding out from beyond the walls and down to the far side of the mountain, into the forest. Sentinels had blocked their escape with a blockade as Sonic had reported.

"There is nowhere to go…" Levi muttered. He chewed the inside of his lip. "I…I'm sorry Silver. I had not thought for our reunion to be so short."

Silver took Levi by the shoulder. "We will escape. Believe." Silver left Levi and floated back into the pass. By that time, Gawain and Sonic had taken their own charges up the wall. Once everyone had made it out of the pass, Silver pointed them towards a gorge in the mountains. "Perhaps there is an opening there that will give an outlet into the forest."

They had no time for a discussion. Already, Titan had spotted them and they could hear the grinding of metal as the gunship aimed its canons. BOOM! BOOM! There was nothing left to do but run. Artillery shells exploded all around them. Silver lost track of everyone else. His ears were ringing with the sound of explosions and everything around him had turned to smoke and dust.

All Silver knew was that he was still alive. Air continued to filter through his lungs and blood continued to surge through his veins. With that one, certainty driving him, Silver continued to run.

A gust of wind pushed aside the smoke and Silver saw that they had reached the gorge. It dug a deep bowl into the mountains. Whether or not it led them to safety or to a trap, Silver could not say. He led them forward. Half of their company had been lost in the open sprint.

Silver could feel despair's cold fingers prying at his throat, urging him to fall down and give in. But he resisted the temptation. Not because he hoped for release or salvation. Escape was impossible. What mattered now was that he faced the end with courage. He owed it to his countrymen to try, to keep the faith until the bitter end.

Titan's weapons continued to rain down behind them. It seemed that the flagship was trying to push them forward. Sentinels were called and were pursuing from behind. Soon they would reach the end of the gorge. If their way was blocked it would all be over. Silver closed his eyes. Blaze…I'm sorry…

They had reached the end of the road. At the bottom of the gorge was a single, solid, wall. There were no openings, no caves or crevices in which to hide. Silver felt tears form in the corner of his eyes. At the end, the land in which he strove so hard to save had betrayed him. Gawain was at his side. He sighed deeply. "We did our best.."

The others collapsed onto their knees. They did not want to turn back. There was no need. They could all hear and feel the approaching army of Sentinels. Titan had come to a stop. Its canons were being repositioned. Soon it would be free to fire upon them, and this time they had no cover. Levi bowed his head and whispered a faint prayer.

Only one figure moved. Silver watched as Sonic strode forward to face the oncoming hoard. The blue hedgehog crouched into a fighting stance. Silver did not understand. How? How could Sonic still persist even in the face of complete hopelessness? Was he simply too foolish to understand their peril or did his spirit burn with an imperishable fire?

What does it matter? Something clicked inside Silver's mind. He finally understood the difference between himself and Sonic. He's not weighed down by anything. At that moment, Sonic was not thinking about retaining his honor, or the dignity of defeat. All that existed was the challenge in front of him. He was free, free to fight, free to live or to die.

Silver looked around him. He saw the faces of his countrymen, and the fear in their eyes. Even Levi, Silver's former tutor, looked despondent. Silver felt something turn inside him. Like a lock holding back some hidden reservoir of power. The power swelled inside him, washing through his limbs like the roaring waves of water long held back by a dam. He stood beside Sonic. "Take them back." He said. "Take them back to the Sanctuary. I will hold them off. Use your speed."

Silver held up his hands. A shield larger than any he had ever projected in his life sprang to life. It covered the entire base of the gorge. "Go Sonic! Go now!" BANG! Titan opened fire. Its shells exploded on contact with Silver's force field.

Sonic looked at Silver with amazement. "What about-"

"GO!" Silver discharged all the energy inside his body. His shield sparkled and spread out even further. BANG! BANG! BANG! Shell after shell glanced harmlessly off the energized barrier. In front of him, the army of Sentinels formed up. Their red eyes glowed with menace as they opened fire. The shield deflected the bolts and Silver felt the energy inside him drain rapidly.

Silver's fingers twitched. The effort to hold up the shield was costing him every ounce of strength he had left. He was only dimly aware of Sonic, and the slow exodus of the others. Sweat pooled down his face. Heat was churning inside his stomach threatening to explode outward.

He was reaching his limit. One more. One more. One more. Silver repeated this mantra to himself over and over again. He would hold out for one more second, just one more then it would be over. "I'll come back for you!" He heard Sonic shout. Silver exhaled. He had got them all. Silver was the only one left. This relief lasted half a heartbeat. A twisting, agonizing pain shot up Silver's body. His hands fell and the force field vanished.

Silver's face hit the ground hard. For a moment all turned black and Silver lost consciousness. A second later, he stirred at the sound of approaching footsteps. The Sentinels had parted to allow a single figure to stride down the center aisle. Lord Mesto wore a crimson cape and an elegant black cloak. Upon his hands he wore metal gloves set with Sol Gems. Mesto raised one and flexed it into a fist. Silver felt his entire body seize up and he was lifted into the air.

A cage of pink energy encased Silver. Mesto summoned him closer. A sly, twisted smile spread across the fox's face. "Well met, Sir Silver, Knight of the Stars. It has been too long." Mesto's eyes widened with triumph. "I was disheartened to hear my treasures had been lost during the siege. Masada was meant to be taken without violence and the rebels within immolated in the streets. Yet now, all is forgiven. A much better prize has fallen into my lap."

Sonic took Roran and ran him up the sheer side of the cliff. In his current state, Sonic did not have the power to reach the speed of sound. He felt sluggish and slow. On the far side of the cliff, Sonic surveyed a sloping path he could use to reach the vast expanse of Gortorian Forest. But he had no idea what he would do next. Sonic could not find the Sanctuary on his own and he did not have time to run through the entire forest. "I know the way." Roran whispered, sensing Sonic's hesitation. "Take me to the forest, I will guide the others."

Sonic sprinted down the slope of the mountain. Once he entered the forest, he sped onward until he entered a deep grove completely shielded with trees. He left Roran behind and headed back towards the others. One by one, Sonic took the priests, Masada garrison and Maren to Roran. Each trip took him at least a minute. Sonic's legs wobbled. It was getting harder and harder just to run. Hold on. Hold on Silver. The barrier protecting the Thirteens was wavering. The great gunship kept up its barrage of artillery shells while an army of Sentinels fired blaster bolts. But somehow, Silver remained strong, keeping his barrier alive.

At last, only Gawain remained. The knight tried to resist, unwilling to leave Silver behind, but he eventually obliged. "I'll come back for you!" Sonic shouted at Silver. The effort of holding up the barrier had brought Silver down to one knee. Hold on. Hold on.

Sonic dropped off Gawain and headed back. Despite his effort, Sonic felt himself getting slower and slower. His body had been pushed to its very limit. Can't give up. I won't. Somehow, Sonic managed to reach the mountains and race back towards the gorge.

He was too late. The barrier had failed. Silver floated eerily in the air. A fox with a shining pink glove held him thrall in some kind of energized cage. An armada of Sentinels made a ring around Silver and his jailor. Sonic readied himself to charge. "Sonic!" Silver's voice echoed inside Sonic's head. Sonic recoiled from the strange sensation. "Sonic it's me! It's Silver. Go back now!"

Sonic shook his head. "What do you mean? I can't leave you-"

"Please! Go back! Make sure everyone is safe. Soleanna cannot afford to lose both of us. I…I am sorry about not trusting you. You were right to save Maren and Darren, whatever the end may have been. We cannot lose who we are in pursuit of victory. Go back to the camp. Please…protect my sister…"

Sonic punched the ground. "No! I won't…I won't leave you-"

"It is my last order to you. Blaze put me in charge…remember? Please, do this…I'm choosing to trust you…Sonic the Hedgehog."

A light streaked down from the great fortress ship. It encompassed Silver and his gloved foe. They were both pulled up into the ship. Sonic watched him go, internal torn on what to do. Titan's great engines roared and the ship vanished in a trail of white smoke. The left behind Sentinels broke ranks and started to swarm over the mountainside. Sonic knew he had to leave now or he risked getting overwhelmed.

It took Sonic nearly an hour to return to the entrance of the Sanctuary. There was no sign of the others. Sonic limped towards the secret entrance. It was sealed and for the moment, Sonic did not have the energy to try and reach the Sanctuary from above. He placed his hands against the cold rock and tried to keep himself awake. His legs were shaking terribly. "Sonic?"

He turned to see someone emerging from the shadows. The figure removed the hood of their cloak and he saw that it was Blaze. Her eyes were wide with fear and shock. She rushed forward and wrapped Sonic in a fierce hug. Half of him yearned to hold her and relish her embrace, the other feld oddly disconnected from her. Guilt weighed upon him and when they broke apart, he found it hard to meet her eyes.

"The others just came through. What has happened Sonic? Why was there an imperial with you? Where…where is Silver?"

Sonic shook his head and stared at the ground. "He was captured. He told me…he told me to leave him behind."

He did not look up to see her reaction. After a few moments, Blaze reached out and took Sonic by the hands. Her warmth seemed to spread into him. "You have saved my people yet again. I can never repay you." Sonic swallowed back a lump in his throat. He could feel tears stinging his eyes. Blaze's praise only made his guilt expand. "Sonic, there is something else. Someone has come here looking for you, someone from your world."

This meant little to Sonic. He was too dazed to comprehend. Blaze retrieved her helm and resumed her disguise as Arthur. She then opened up the passageway and led Sonic into the tunnel. At the entrance to the Sanctuary, Sonic saw a group of Thirteens leading a blindfolded Maren inside. She was to be allowed within, but not shown its exact location.

Sonic allowed himself to be led without resistance. Eventually, he stood outside the command pavilion. Blaze stepped aside. "She is waiting for you."

Sonic pushed aside the tent flap. As soon as she saw him, she jumped out of her chair. Sonic's shock made him struggle to form words. "Amy?"