Chapter 126
The Hideout
An imperial honor guard waited at the base of the ridge to escort Blaze and her party to the Church of Solaris. The Knights of the Round doubled as both council and guardians. They formed a fortified ring around Blaze as they walked, much to the princess's annoyance. The priest Roran was also invited and Silver assigned four of his best scouts to protect the priest.
There was an air of mistrust and paranoia as the group embarked. Sonic's hand was wrapped tightly around Caliburn's hilt. He frowned when he noticed whom Mesto had chosen to lead the contingent of imperials. Caiphax had changed his attire from the day before, choosing to forgo his clerical vestments for a simple black robe.
"I had not thought to see you here," Blaze commented as they approached. "Have you forgiven me then?"
Caiphax concealed his dislike with a subtle smile. Sonic sensed that there had been some kind of change in the priest. He was much more weary and on guard than he had been the day before. Perhaps he realized that Blaze was not so easily impressed as others. "We were all on edge yesterday. Peace seems so fragile, and the threat of war so pressing. But today is a new day, and the sun, the shining lamp that has so long inspired our people rises afresh. Lord Mesto requests that you meet with him in the Church. Your guards will be allowed. There will be no searches for an imperial persona, nor will Mesto require one of you."
At this Caiphax paused, perhaps he expected his words to be met with relief or even gratitude. When neither was given, Caiphax continued. "This escort will see you safely through the city."
"Why does my sister need imperial swords to protect her?" Silver questioned hotly. "Aren't they the ones we are protecting her from?"
Triumph flashed suddenly in Caiphax's eyes. When he spoke, he had to constrain his eagerness. "The emperor has commanded that the princess is not to be harmed. Whatever fault you might find in the empire, you cannot question our loyalty to the sovereign. She shall not be harmed as long as the emperor's decree protects you."
Sonic was not the only one who caught the words "our loyalty" but they were not the ones that Blaze honed in on. "If the emperor's word can protect me from worlds away, then why bother with this farce?" She indicated the squadron of soldiers awaiting them further down the mountain.
The muscles on Caiphax's face twitched as he resisted a smile. "Unfortunately my dear princess, it is not the imperials that you must concern yourself with. There are many among our own blood who wish to harm you. The reports that came here from the countryside did not bring the tidings that you intended. Many had finally settled into lives of peace, but the threat of war destroyed that illusion. Lord Mesto was forced to act, as many in the city proved to be spies and traitors. Without the ability to discern the true from the false, many innocents have suffered. That bitterness has boiled to a deep rage, and I fear that there have been reports of plans to try and assassinate you."
The veiled threat was too much for Silver. He made an aggressive move forward, but Blaze seized him by the arm and held him back. Caiphax's eyes gleamed. "Lord Mesto laments this unfortunate state of affairs, but he has vowed to do his upmost to honor his emperor's command and keep you safe. Wherever you go, you shall have the legions of the empire at your defense."
Blaze bowed her head in a well feigned show of gratitude. "Lord Mesto is kind. Perhaps former hurts can be overcome and peace achieved after all."
With the verbal jousting concluded, Caiphax turned and escorted them towards the waiting party of imperial swords. Sonic kept his hand on Caliburn's hilt as they marched down the mountain.
Overnight, the imperials had erected a barricade at the base of the ridge. Twelve guards and ten Sentinels patrolled the hastily erected electronic fence. Sonic was not the only one to notice that the gate was positioned in the wrong direction. Silver's eyes flashed dangerously as the gate was opened. However, he kept his cool and made no vocal complaint.
The excitement generated by Blaze's first entrance into the city had dimmed from the day before, but there were still crowds awaiting her as she was led into the streets. They cheered when Blaze approached and several let out cries, blessing her in the name of Solaris. These isolated shouts were met with stern glares by the imperial soldiers. It was evident no one in the crowd wanted to be signaled out for saying anything.
So few…Sonic had expected a majority of the city to flock to Blaze. The rebels received Blaze like a hero even more than a princess. Sonic had just assumed that all of Soleanna had similar devotion to their princess. But then Sonic remembered what Simon had told him, that most of the Thirteens were ready to fall in line and accept the new order that Eggman had introduced.
It took the better part of an hour for them to walk to the other side of the city. The great Church loomed over them, its white walls shimmering in the veiled daylight. Above it, gray, forlorn clouds shrouded the sky. The smell of rain musked the air.
The imperial guards were left behind and a smaller contingent headed into the Church. Sonic was not surprised to find that the empire had already cleaned up the mess Blaze had made yesterday. The outer court had been completely bereft of all signs of imperial interference leaving the open courtyard pristine and clear.
A set of ceiling tall arches separated the outer court from the inner chambers of the temple. The white stone was steadily replaced by a bluish quartz giving the inner court a sense of penetrating into a kind of crystalline cavern. Sonic gazed up at the flat ceiling and marveled and the dizzying ribbon liked designs that stretched and intercrossed each other. None of the designs made a concrete pattern, but Sonic did sense an overall motif. Before he could put his finger on exactly what it was, he suddenly realized that everyone was staring at him.
Caiphax's quills were raised sharply and his eyes were full of brimming fury. "He is not one of our people. He should wait outside. The inner court is only for those of the true blood."
Blaze paused. She turned her amber eyes on Sonic and considered him intently. Sonic smiled apologetically. He did not want to be the source of another rift between Blaze and Caiphax. However, before Sonic could volunteer to be left behind, Blaze spoke. "Sonic, I trust you understand that I mean no offense. Caiphax is right. The inner courts of the temple are reserved for the blood of Soleanna."
"Uh-" Sonic adjusted his weight from one foot to the next as he fumbled for a response.
Suddenly, Silver broke rank and hastened to Sonic's side. "I'll go with him." He put a reassuring hand on Sonic's shoulder.
"You should stay," Gawain insisted disapprovingly.
Silver waved him off. "I'm in no mood for negotiations. Besides, things will probably go better if I'm not there." Silver turned to Blaze and inclined his head. "Allow me to take Sonic into the city. I fear my emotions might get the better of me if I go with you to meet with Mesto."
Blaze looked surprised by her brother's display of self-awareness. "Very well, you may go."
Silver inclined his head and took Sonic by the arm. "Come on."
They left the Church just as rain started to drizzle down from the gray clouds. Sonic shivered as his fur was quickly soaked by the deluge. His discomfort was relieved when Silver offered him a silver cloak. They both hooded up and marched deeper into the city.
It took Sonic a couple of minutes before he realized that they were not going back to the estate. "What are we doing?"
"I need to check out a few things. My scouts have been busy gathering intel, and I think they've secured a nice hideout for us."
"Hideout? What do you mean?"
Silver lowered his voice. "I for one won't sleep comfortably anywhere that is under Mesto's surveillance. I've sent my scouts out to try and find a place where we could relocate. Somewhere we could stay without Mesto knowing."
Sonic frowned. "Won't that be a bit obvious? They'll know if Blaze doesn't return to the estate."
"Let me worry about that."
Sonic sighed and permitted Silver to lead the way. Trudging through the city and plunging back into some dank sewer was not the antidote to Sonic's malaise. However, unlike when Sonic had done so with Levi, Silver did not take Sonic underground or anywhere so evidently hidden. Instead, they walked to one of the older and more run down quadrants of the city. Those that lived here appeared to not be Thirteens, but impoverished imperials. There were dozens of buildings and stalls dedicated to the relief of these unfortunate souls. Sonic wondered why Silver had chosen an area with such a strong imperial presence, but the reasons became more and more evident as they went. Though Eggman's insignia was everywhere visible, less visible were Sentinels, soldiers or other displays of force. It was obvious that those who lived off of imperial charity were deemed less likely to be a threat.
The two hedgehogs ventured into a rundown marketplace. Shady vendors with raised hoods proffered illicit wares, while avoiding the eye of the slim imperial surveillance. The customers haggled in silent whispers while stealing furtive glances to make sure they weren't being overheard. Amongst this dubious activity, one person stood out from the rest in stark contrast. Jasmine hustled to every stall talking excitedly to the vendors.
"What the hell is she doing here?" Silver hissed. "She should be back at the estate." He sighed deeply and looked up at the sky. "Look, I had better see about that hideout. Can you make sure she goes back to the gardens and stays there this time?"
"Uh…sure-" Before Sonic could protest, Silver raised his hood and strode down a narrow alley. Sonic shrugged his shoulders and resignedly hurried to intercept Jasmine. The young hedgehog was so immersed in her shopping that she nearly ran headfirst into Sonic. He quickly ducked out of the way and snatched her by the hand.
"Hey!" She snapped, but she quickly calmed down once she saw Sonic's face beneath his hood. "O Sonic, its you!" She said loudly, causing several passersbys to look.
"Not so loud!" Sonic pulled her away into a nearby alleyway. "You were supposed to stay at the estate," He reminded her as Jasmine folded her arms.
"I couldn' be cramped up there all day, it's been ages since I've been home, I just wanted to get out an explore a bit."
"You're from here?" Sonic asked.
"Yes, we lived in the Farrow district. My father was the priest of the smallest congregation in the city." She said this as if it was a point of pride. "I wanted to run by my house and see if it was still up, I saw that they've tore down alot of the old districts to make room for those ghastly new buildings." Jasmine pointed, and Sonic saw that she was indicating a gray highrise that looked like the most oppressively sterilized apartment building Sonic had ever seen.
"Well…have you checked yet?" Sonic asked.
Jasmine frowned. "No, I got distracted." Her suddenly sour mood struck a cord inside Sonic.
He offered out his hand and gave her a reassuring smile. "Well, let's go see!"
Jasmine led the way down a few dozen sidestreets. The deeper they went into the district, the narrower and more dizzying the streets became. Much of the older architecture had been left either to rot, or had been bulldozed to make way for newer buildings. Each slab of square gray concrete was like a stain on the traditional backdrop. Though the Farrow district was one of the poorest in the city, it still possessed a quaint, traditional beauty that could not be replicated by industrial machines.
In the center of this amalgamation of new construction and abandoned buildings, was a maze of forlorn alleys, littered with dozens of wooden shacks. The wooden shanties were completely bland and non distinct making it impossible to tell one from the rest. Yet, somehow, Jasmine managed to navigate her way. She stopped short before a particular shack with a raised roof. "This was the chapel my father used to shepherd. It was old, but it was very revered because of that. It seems they have let it go to rot."
She walked past the chapel and down three more sidestreets. They rounded a narrow turn that Sonic would have completely missed had he been walking by himself and arrived at a spacious nook hidden amongst the rows of packed houses. There were at least six dwellings packed into the space. Jasmine approached the centermost door and stopped short. The circular entrance was splotched with burn marks. Jasmine ran her hand gingerly down the wood.
Sonic stood beside her and tried the handle. It moved but when he tried to push something resisted him. A barricade must have been set inside, preventing anyone from accessing the door. "It's alright," Jasmine said quietly.
"I'm sorry," Sonic returned gently. However, to his surprise, Jasmine was smiling at him mischievously.
"No I mean, it's alright, we don't need to use the front door." She moved away from the door and indicated the narrow gap between her house and the next. Jasmine squeezed halfway through the gap and kicked her foot. Without applying much pressure, a wooden beam moved, revealing a small hole. She smirked at Sonic while putting her hands triumphantly onto her hips. "What do you think of that?"
Sonic walked over and inspected the secret opening. He expected a dank, dusty hole, but to his surprise the air issuing out of the gap was surprisingly wholesome. "I don't know…" He started. "Do we really need to go in?"
Jasmine bit her lip. "It's just…there are some things we didn't have time to get. Everything happened so fast."
"Let's do it then." With a thumbs up and a smile, Sonic rolled into the gap. He used a burst of speed to spin himself through the tunnel. Thankfully, the journey did not last long. A second later, Sonic had uncurled onto a dark entryway. Faint traces of light managed to slip through the many cracks in the house, illuminating a dusty carpet beneath a cobweb coated chandelier.
Sonic had emerged a few paces away from the front door. Much of the house's furniture appeared to have been crudely shoved up to the door. Faded yellow tape crossed over the wreckage with words his ear piece translated as "Condemned" written in red ink. "Argh!" Jasmine's scream echoed as she came barreling down the hatch. She rolled as she hit the ground and stumbled slightly as she got to her feet.
"I forgot how fast it goes!" She said cheerfully. Jasmine brushed away the dust that she collected from her fall and looked around. "Everything is so empty…"
That much was true, however Sonic suddenly had an eerie feeling. He peered further down the dark hallway which led deeper into the house. Sonic drew Caliburn and the steel reflected a ray of light down into the darkness. That speck of light revealed an empty living room. "Come on." Heedless of danger, Jasmine hurried onward.
Sonic followed more cautiously. Once they were in the living room the signs of struggle became more apparent. There were burn marks on the walls and the furniture had been flung aside. Rubbish along with torn parchment littered the floor. Sonic saw a stack of soiled scrolls unceremoniously shoved into a corner. He stepped over to them and saw that someone had purposely ruined the scrolls by dousing them in some putrid liquid.
"My father spent his entire life working on those," Jasmine said as she walked over. "One of his duties as a priest was to ensure the transmission of our sacred texts. He had been working on those copies for ages."
Sonic crouched down beside them and began to aimlessly rifle through the stack. "I am going to go over here for a bit," Jasmine said nervously. "I won't be long." She left him and Sonic heard her close a door.
Deciding he had better give her some space, Sonic contented himself with trying to find something preserved from the ruined texts. The splotched writing was so damaged that his translator could not make anything of it out. Even when there were a few letters spared, it wasn't enough for the translator to do anything with.
He sighed and stepped away. A sense of grief fell on Sonic as he inspected the ruined home. It was a modest dwelling, yet Sonic could feel the ghosts of the loving memories that still lingered within the walls. He could see, like a projection of his mind, the scene in which imperial soldiers had busted down the door and stormed the house. In an instant, a family's life had been changed forever.
Sonic tightened his grip around Caliburns' hilt as a surge of rage rushed over him. He wondered if even as he stood there similar events were now taking place on earth. I will stop him. Sonic promised himself. Everything he has done, he will pay for it. Sonic lifted Caliburn and twisted the blade in a semicircle. The movement left a faint afterimage in the air, a burning ripple in the darkness. During that brief interval of extended light, Sonic saw something out of the corner of his eye.
He lowered his blade and went over to the edge of the room. Hidden beneath the wreckage of the family dinner table was a torn piece of parchment. Sonic took it and lifted it up. The writing was faint, but the torn scroll had been preserved from the imperial desecration. He walked back towards the entrance where the light was strongest. Sonic held up the scrap into the light and heard his translator speak in his ear.
"She shall be taken in front of the elders, and in front of the people. Ashes she will be forced to eat, and chains shall be her blankets. The Flames of Atonement will be unleashed, and the smoke of sacrifice shall rise to the heavens. Thus shall — be defeated, and the Phoenix rise from the ruins."
Sonic studied the scrap of paper, gazing fixedly at the word that had been skipped. Thus shall — be defeated. His translator had not made a mistake. Whatever it was that was to be defeated, the name was intentionally scratched out. Sonic could tell that this had not been done by the imperials. Frowning, Sonic stored the scrap of paper in his belt.
He heard a faint rustling behind him. Sonic crouched down and readied to spring into an attack. His senses expanded as he listened as intently as possible. The noise he was hearing was not faint movement but stifled crying. Sonic relaxed and sheathed Caliburn.
He walked back into the living room and carefully pushed open the sidedoor. He found Jasmine sitting in the midst of a wrecked bedroom. She cradled a small silver hairbrush while trying her best to stop crying. Sonic sat beside her and put a reassuring arm on her shoulder. "Your mothers?" He asked gently.
Jasmine nodded. "There's nothing else. We used to have some family photos, but the Hive destroyed them all." She glanced meekly at the wreckage around her. "I don't even know what we were supposed to have done wrong." Her voice cracked and she lowered her head to try and hide her face.
Sonic said nothing. He couldn't think of any words of comfort to share with the young girl. After a few minutes, Jasmine cleared her throat and sighed deeply. A surprising smile flashed across her face as she wiped away her tears. "I'm sorry," She said. "I never really had the chance to cry about it. After that night so much has happened, I feel as if I'm still running away, unable to stop and remember." She turned to Sonic and her soft eyes swirled with innocent vulnerability. "Everytime I tried to think about her, all I could picture was that night. The stomp of their boots, the door breaking, my mother screaming. I thought I would never have a pleasant dream again. Until you…"
Fresh tears welled up in her eyes, and she turned away in embarrassment. "A hedgehog blue as sapphire, faster than the wind…." Jasmine closed her eyes as if to recall the image of her prophetic dream. "A flame that lights the world…."
"Hey…" Sonic started, his stomach squirming uncomfortably. "I don't know what all the means…I-"
Jasmine turned back to him. "I am not asking you to believe in my dreams. I just want to thank you. It feels good to believe in something."
Sonic rose to his feet and offered out his hand. "Come on, we should get going, Priam is probably worried sick about you."
Jasmine stored away her mother's comb and allowed Sonic to lift her up. Together they returned to the entryway and Sonic peered dubiously up the narrow shaft. "How do we-"
But his answer came with Jasmine strode forward and reached into the hatch. Her hands clasped around some narrow grooves that Sonic had not noticed before. Using these, Jasmine started to climb up towards the surface. Sonic followed swiftly after and presently he felt the rain fall into his face as they emerged back onto the street.
"Come on!" Jasmine took Sonic by the hand and led him away. Something seemed to have changed in the young hedgehog. She was giggling and skipping as they made their way through the rain soaked streets.
It took them half an hour to return to the estate. By this point Sonic's cloak was soaked as was his fur. Priam was pacing by the dead tree and let out a howl of exasperation and relief when he saw his daughter. "How could you leave me like that?" He protested. Jasmine gave Sonic a wink as she went away with Priam.
Sonic saw that Silver and his scouts had returned and were meeting near the entrance to the gardens. "Took you long enough," Silver said dryly as Sonic approached.
"Did you find a hideout?"
Silver shrugged. "A few places had promise but nothing ironclad."
"Blaze still gone?" Sonic cupped his hand over his eyes and peered out across the city hoping to see the Church. However, the low hanging clouds obscured his vision.
"She probably won't be back till dusk."
With a few hours left to kill, Silver decided to use the time to get in some light training. Sonic removed the belt that housed Caliburn and laid it aside as he stretched out his arms. Silver hovered in the air with his legs folded together, holding himself aloft with his telekinetic powers. "Are you feeling stronger then?" Sonic asked him.
Silver shrugged. "A bit, still not one hundred percent, but I can't afford not to be ready. If there is a fight, I need to know what I am capable of."
It turned out that he was capable of quite alot. Several times, Silver managed to blast Sonic with psychokinetic energy and make him freeze. It took a stupendous effort for Sonic to break free and resume his attacks. When it came to close quarters, Silver was noticeably lethargic. Though his powers seemed to have returned to almost full strength, his physical body was still feeling the effects of Mesto's prison.
They called the match off as dusk settled and the rain intensified. Silver motioned Sonic over to the eves of the nearby garden. They passed through a set of rusted gates overridden by sprawling ivy to take cover beneath the wild canopy of some low hanging trees. Silver looked pale and was breathing hard by the intensity of the effort. He wrapped his cloak tightly around himself while glaring dejectedly at his hand as faint wisps of green energy crackled between his fingers. "If there is a battle soon. I won't be of much help."
"Will there be a battle?" Sonic prompted.
Silver shook his head in an obvious sign of frustration. "I don't know! The board has been set perfectly. I don't know what Blaze is waiting for. There is no telling when the emperor will come back. If we are going to strike we should do it now. There is still a chance we can take Mesto off guard, and if we can take an early advantage, the city might turn in our favor. We can't afford to waste more time."
Silver frowned as he pushed his hand out over the cover to collect a handful of rain. "Mesto's spies have been hard at work. His lies have reached every corner of the city. There is a reason my sister has not been welcomed here as she should have." Silver titled his hand to allow the collected runoff to trickle down his palm. "I don't know what she's thinking. Something isn't right, ever since we first arrived I've felt an animosity hovering above us. I can't escape the feeling that something dreadful is going to happen."
Silver turned aside and looked at the overgrown garden which drew back for some distance. Sonic could imagine that the place had once been very beautiful. There were hundreds of different species and, with a careful hand, he could picture the myriad of different colors that would have sparkled beneath a summer sun. Now the garden was mostly occupied by weeds and long murky plants that were difficult to distinguish from mud.
"My sister used to love this place," Silver said quietly. "She would spend entire days tending to the plants. Sometimes she would sit and watch a flower grow for hours before bending down and making the tiniest cut. Sometimes it felt like it took her months to prune a single flower, and at other times she could sing an entire grove into bloom over the course of a single day."
Silver sighed as he looked at the overgrown and neglected garden. "I wonder why Mesto left it up? Perhaps he thought it would break her heart more to see it in this state than to simply burn it down." He flexed his hand into a fist. Anger caused a burst of green energy to emit from his eyes. "All Mesto knows how to do is destroy. There will be no peace with him."
At the word "destroy", Sonic remembered the torn piece of scroll. He withdrew the scrap and held it out to Silver. "Hey I was wondering if you could tell me what this means?"
Silver searched the words. Upon his second reading, his hands tightened. "Where did you get this?"
"It was in Priam's old house. Jasmine took me there. What does it mean, what is that word that has been blotted out?
To Sonic's surprise, Silver's face had gone pale. He looked cautiously back at Sonic. "I am no priest, and to tell you the truth I didn't pay much attention in my lessons. This verse sounds vaguely familiar but I don't know where it is from. But this…" He pointed at the blotted out word. "That is a secret reserved only for those invested with the highest authority in the Church. I don't think it is my place to tell an outsider."
Sonic frowned. "Is it important? Because I think I've more than earned the right to know."
"I'm sorry Sonic, but it isn't my place to tell you. Ask my sister, I doubt she will refuse you." When he handed over the torn scroll, Silver's hand was trembling. Sonic noticed it, and Silver quickly flexed his hand into a fist.
"There is just too much uncertainty, too much danger. I would feel alot better if I could at least bring Blaze somewhere safe and hidden from Mesto's eyes."
Sonic felt a lock turn in his mind. "Hey!" He said suddenly, grabbing Silver by the arm. "I think I know just the place!"