Chapter 42 - End of a Beginning
"...w-wait!" Triselle called out with a hand reaching out to him.
Seeing him stop in mid step, he did not turn toward her or around. Feeling put on the spot, she tried pushing through the physical tiredness she felt through her bones. Walking carefully to him, her fur began to slowly straighten. He hadn't move as she was making her way around him to his side. Thinking that he would be looking at her from the corner of his eyes, she steeled herself from seeing him do so. Stopping and facing him, she nervously closed her hands into fists.
"I...I am not going to beg you to help me," the female canine began. Her insides tighten from seeing him still not moving or blinking. Not sure why he was doing so, a part of her told herself to be wary of him still.
"You've...already helped enough...but...if you could take me to-!?" she talked before seeing his image glitch before vanishing.
Before she could take an inhale, Triselle felt a sudden acceleration going backwards. Blinking from seeing images blur and zip by her, a feeling of being squeezed into a tunnel came. As if the wind coming and passing through her were trying to blow her away. Except, something kept her body anchored. A bar of flesh, something like an arm though unsure from the speed she was traveling. Within a few seconds, she felt everything begin to decelerate exponentially.
"Ahh!?" the female let out a shout. Instead of standing on solid ground, she was still traveling backwards. Feeling the arm not around her stomach anymore, she launched backwards above the earth.
Impacting with something of filled bags of sorts, it cushioned her from any injury. Given the sheer amount of plastic containers, there was enough to stop her immediately. Blinking and breathing a little heavier from the experience, she felt adrenaline coursing through her body. Being more alert, her nose picked up what she was launched into. Having energy to move, the canine slowly got out of the trash pile. Moving forward and eventually standing up, her eyes widen from where she was.
"...the...the peer?" Triselle muttered to no one.
Ignoring the stares from those that defied the martial law from their local protection services, she slowly turned around. The clean and clear air from mountain area was replaced with a lesser degree scent of when she was in the dungeon. The sight of the environment had a soot tinted smoke fog that covered the metropolis. Only blinking from the fowl smell, she felt her fur stand on end. Glancing to her right, Speed was standing nearby. Staring at her, the cybernetic eye made her feel tensed up again.
"Yes...the peer..." he answered. Lifting his left arm and pointing, she turned to her right a little. Stationed at one of the docks, was a ship. Triggering a memory back to the war, she failed to notice a sudden pull of wind near her.
'That's...a human war ship...I think it was called a minesweeper,' she pondered while continuing to stare. '...is that the supply boat?...Is there a human piloting it or is it one that was stolen by our race?'
"H-Hey..." she called out and turned to her right. Flinching, Speed was in a different place than before. Also, the small blue hedgehog was nearby.
"W-whoa!" Sonic stated with a big smile on his face.
Looking up at the older male to rave about going super speed, he saw the man was looking at something by the water. Following the line of sight, the largest boat the boy has every seen was stationed by the narrow plank bridge. About to open his mouth, he saw something move suddenly in his left peripheral. Glancing over, it was the former female prisoner looking surprised and tense. Seeing her open her mouth to say something, nothing came out of it. Feeling awkward from the silence, the child spoke.
"Hey Speed. What boat is that?"
"...it is...a supply ship..." Vermilion answered. Turning his head to face both the kid and the woman, the cybernetic implant looked at the blue boy. Looking at the canine with his regular eye, he saw both tensed up a little.
"...apparently...it is stolen property...from a human military."
"So it was a war ship," Triselle spoke finding her voice. The aspect he knew knowledge of the vessel made her feel more sure that the disfigured hedgehog was from the war. These convserations with gray ash fur being made him more approachable despite knowing how monstrous he can be.
"A war ship?" Sonic asked. Turning to her, he walked closer to her and looked up.
"What was it used for?"
"From what I remember...it was called a minesweeper," she replied looking down at him. Not seeing the split eye face of the amputee helped lower the anxiety that was built up. Solely focusing on the child seemed to make her feel better.
"A minesweeper? Mines can be put underwater?" the boy questioned with mild astonishment.
"Yes. Humans were the ones that crafted and built that ship and various others. Its sole purpose was to scope out water mines to disable them during the war."
"Whoa," the kid commented. Turnng to look at the floating vessel, he spread his arms outward with his hands open.
"Thats the biggest boat I have ever seen. Are there larger ones than that?"
"I can't say for sure...most of the time I was on land so I never got placed near a port to observe. I just know that one for it was seen more from where I was."
"...I..." Malaria spoke nearby. Causing another flinch from Triselle, both she and the boy turned to the right. Standing by herself nearby was the bat woman. She was staring at the gunmetal gray ship as if it triggered memories.
"...have seen this ship...before...but...why does it not have cannons?" she muttered to herself a little confused.
Blinking from feeling eyes staring at her, she glanced to her left. Seeing the canine and the child hedgehog, the three stared at each other. Creating tension and not seeing where the amputee was, she looked back at the ship. Ignoring the two, the thought of getting on the vessel to escape this landmass seemed oddly appealing at the moment. About to look to her right and behind for the one who brought her here, she saw the dog breed open her mouth.
"...h-have you..." Triselle spoke weakly towards her former torturer. "Seen other types...of ships?"
"This one looks familiar to the ones I faintly remember. However...there were large cannons on the front and the rear of the ship."
"Did that one have a name?" Sonic interested in wanting to know more.
"..." Malaria looked down in thought. "Humans called it...a cruiser of some sorts."
"...ugh..." Chiara uttered nearby. Causing the others to shift around to look behind them, the female stoat was standing behind them. Looking queasy, she put a hand over her eyes and held her face.
"Not this...fowl smell again...did ya go faster than before?"
"...sssoooo..." Speed called out. Uncharacteristically drawing out his voice, all turned to him. Materializing ahead of them, he faced them with an uncanny grin. The oddity of his robot eye not squinting while his right eye became narrower gave his appearance a more crazed look. Seeing him lift his left arm, he opened his palm to face the sky. It was seemingly gesturing to the large metal ship.
"What will you...decide?"
"..." the four stared at him. Each were getting interpretations in their head while he continued.
"...stay...or leave..."
"Why the hell ya gettin' so creepy for?" Chiara asked. Recovering a little from the fast travel, she walked forward to get closer. Stopping near Sonic, she put her hands on her hips.
"I ain't going."
"...so...you have stated," he answered keeping his expression the same. Lowering his arm to his side, he glanced over at the female canine.
"...I'm going..." Triselle answered with a nod.
"..." Speed nodded his head. His eyes shifted towards Malaria. Seeing her narrow her eyes at him, a part of her wondered what was he plotting.
"...damnation...or redemption...Malaria?"
"..." she responded with continuing to stare. "...what are you...driving at?"
"...you are...scorn here..." Vermilion remarked then pointed at her. "You are not...elsewhere."
"...you telling me to leave?"
"...no..."
"Why is leaving my only redemption?" she asked while crossing her arms over her chest.
"..." the gray ash hedgehog kept grinning while staring. His cybernetic eye slowly panned to the right while the regular eye continued looking forward. An irritated grunt emitted from Chiara.
"I don't have time for this shit again," the female stoat commented out loud with a face palm.
Dropping her hand to her side, she put on a small frown and approached Speed. About to get into his face, his expression did not change. Oddly, her intuition was telling her to defend herself. Stopping near him, she followed where his left eye was looking. Controlling herself from jumping or shouting, there was a dark robed person standing nearby. Hearing small movement behind her, Chiara figured it was the dog woman getting closer to the kid. However what really tensed her nerves was undistinguished small phantoms hovering around the unknown individual.
'GOD DAMN IT!' she shouted in her mind while getting in a small defensive stance. Feeling this was a milder repeat of the prison and dungeon, a piercing foreboding came to her.
"...Sister...Malaria...?" the covered individual spoke in a higher pitched tone. It sounded like a male voice though meek. The tone was of surprise.
"..." the bat woman slowly got into a mild offense stance and stared down the figure.
"It must be...a blessed day to see you rise out of the Sanctum. I prayed that you were unharmed from the hell fire and unearthing." the unknown figure asked putting his hands together. They were still hidden in the sleeves of the long robe.
'This guy a follower of that screwed up cult?' Chiara thought in apprehensiveness. Taking a quick glance to her right, Vermilion was still in the same position. However, both of his eyes were on the dark clothed silhouette.
'Does he know this guy?'
"...Sister Malaria..." Vermilion spoke. Sounding harsher, he tilted his head towards the unknown individual. The zany crazed look with smiling teeth continued on his face.
"...is burdened...by the suffering...of the scorching."
"..." the person moved his head towards the hedgehog. "What are thou to speak for the holy savior?"
'...freakin' hell...' the female stoat tensed up watching and listening.
Glancing over at the bat woman, she tried to look stoic; however, her eyes were hyper focused on the stranger. Looking at the canine, she became stiff as a board. Though appearing to be alarmed, she acted as a shield for the child. Sonic on the other hand had taken a small step back. Instead of looking scared, he took a casual stance of about to dash forward while staring the unknown person down. Looking back at the robed individual, her fur stood up from seeing the blurred ghosts make air noises. Only hearing scraps of words, the rest was nonsense and creepy.
"...I'mmmm...the guardian...replaccccceement..."
"..." the hooded individual moved its head and stared at Malaria. "...your grace...is this another reformer? By your hand I assume?"
"..." she bit her inner lip hard. Feeling pain, she resurfaced her old personality despite detesting it.
"That lost soul is repurposed," the bat woman stated with authority. Placing one hand on her hip, she marched straightforward. Passing everyone without glancing at them, she got within the other individual's personal space. Giving indication of a height difference, she looked down at it.
"Prey tell your presence here believer," she demanded. Her action made the other individual give a sigh of relief. Moving their hands to be a sign of prayer, it showed red spotted fur. It was not hair pigmentation, but a thick liquid that crusted on its skin. Given the appearance of his hands, they appeared to be a rodent type. Saying a phrase under his breath, the individual gave a slight head nod.
"Thank our lord that I was mistaken you were ill Sister," the person began. Separating his hands and removing the hood from his cloak, it showed a scarred-up face of a male mouse breed. Not much to disfigure, but enough to cause people to stare. The old spotted blood stains were also another confirmation of who this person belonged to.
"I was a lost soul that Sister Sars reformed. She enlightened me towards the ills of my past sins and showed a new path of life. She has given me a way to spread the word and faith of our lord and savior."
"...reformer...I will let your lack of faith in my commitment be graced by our lord," Malaria voiced in an annoyed tone. "Again...what business have you approached for?"
"I have taken a task given by Sister Sars. I am to guide the pilgrimage of ones saved...and ones unsaved," the man answered with a mild smile on his face.
Despite that expression, the person's eyes did not appear pleasant. They held the impression of a zealot guided by the ways preached by the Sisters of Sanctum. The bat and canine woman recognized that characteristic and did not change their face or body language. Chiara clenched her teeth together as the man's face reminded her of the ones in the prison cells. Even the float specters seemed to be similar to the ones she saw in that underground hell.
"Sister Sars has never informed me of this rite of passage. Does Sister Polio know as well?" she asked trying to keep her composure.
"Yes," the man nodded.
His eyes started to glance at the others and stared. About to address his concern with the individuals around them, the augmented hedgehog moved in his peripheral. Darting his eyes toward him, the hedgehog's tilted head slowly went back to straightforward. However, the maniacal expression on his face remained. Goosebumps flared on his thin furred skin from seeing the guardian open its mouth. He began to only move his lower jaw up and down repetitively as if chewing on something.
"Has something disturbed your mind follower?" Malaria spoke without moving. Seeing the mouse breed glance back at her, he bowed his head a little.
"Forgive me for asking sister...what are...the others here for?"
"These surfacers...guided me to the water...nothing more," she answered then narrowed her eyes. "They have no communion with I."
"...right," Chiara spoke as normally as possible. Turning around and heading towards Triselle, she looped her right arm with the canine's left.
"Come on Tris. That manager is a pain in the ass if we are late taken his squirt back to his folks."
"...r-right..." the dog woman spoke. Giving a small bow, she looked at Sonic and offered her hand.
"E-excuse us. Let's go Cinos."
"..." the boy blinked but didn't turn his head. Wanting to look at Speed, he slowly figured they were trying to fool the cloaked man. Breaking his stare and looking up at the woman, he took her hand.
"Okay."
"..." the robed individual watched them carefully.
Malaria and her servant never looked back at the three as they slowly walked away in the opposite direction. However, the cybernetic eye of the amputee was panning to the left to follow the trio. At the same time, its normal eye was staring directly at him. Apprehension began to infest him as the disfigured being had not stopped his action of slowly opening and closing his mouth. Feeling uncomfortable of the situation he was in, his mind began to ponder if he should stay here.
"Is my hound shaking your faith unnamed reformer?" the bat woman asked in a stoic voice.
"..." he looked back at the taller female who hadn't stepped back. The time away from the Sanctum made him forget how this sister operated. About to open his mouth to question, something was amiss. Quickly glanced to the left again, the hedgehog was gone. Blinking and becoming stiff, the sound of teeth chopping together was heard behind him.
"...fear?...in the face...of a savior?" Vermillion spoke gravely. Both saw the stranger flinch and turn around. Backing up a couple of steps, the intimidation between the two was intensifying. So much so that the robed man felt his goosebumps flare up his legs and back.
"...me think...this reformer...has sinned...forgotten...the ways of...the Sanctum," the hedgehog commented. Stretching his mouth as wide as possible, it looked like the face of sadist seeing its prey.
"Quiet Vermilion Witness," she ordered. Immediately, Speed bowed his head. Getting out of a lunge stance, he stood straight. Holding his position with a down casted head, he appeared like a statue. The aspect of not seeing his eyes gave mild relief to the mouse breed.
"...Vermilion...Witness..." the unknown individual muttered to himself. The name ringed a bell, but nothing was coming to his mind. Seeing sharp and piercing yellow eyes on him, he stiffened and looked back at the taller woman.
"You will show me...the vessel of passage."
"Y-yes sister...may I ask...why you were sent instead of-"
"Are you questioning me insect?" Malaria threatened. Walking forward slowly, she stared the robed man down. Looking at him as a pest, she got in front of him and grabbed something behind her. Grabbing hold of her metal whip and bringing it to her side, she spoke.
"Do not...give me a reason...to believe you have lost faith."
"I-I haven't Sister!" the feeble man denied strongly. Getting down on his knees, he put his hands together tightly as if praying.
"It was just irregular to see you do a task that Sister Sars has been doing since I was reformed! It was not my intention to question or throw disbelief!"
"..." the bat woman stared without a blink. Narrowing her eyes, she gripped the whip harder.
Her inner emotion that was generating was not the old anger to discipline the former non-believer. She was battling herself from wanting to stop acting as her old self. The resurfaced sensations. The dogmatic ego. The perception that all walking sentient life was weak and unresolved. It all felt revolting now as old memories came in flashbacks. Lost in thought, she blinked from seeing Vermilion get beside her.
"...Sssssister Malaria..." he spoke with a wicked smile. "...punissssshment...on the sssssurface...is againssssst...God'ssss...wishessssss."
"..." she stared at him with eyes of tension. His embodiment of being the upgrade from Stiles was too real and uncanny. Part of her knew he was acting while the other part felt scared of him.
'He knew...this guy was nearby...and that the ship was docked,' Malaria pondered. Feeling mild sweat begin to develop on her back, his face turned to the mouse breed.
'...he already knows...what was really going on...and I was...blind to all of it?'
'How long has he known?' she wondered while keeping her expression in check.
'He wasn't...waiting for me...was he?' the woman continued feeling the tension increasing.
Her mind scattered at different points of time within a day's period. Questioning why he saved her from being in the blaze or not kill her like the other Sisters. Leading up to this point, the bat woman thought about this situation. Only assuming from what facts and evidence she has so far, her focused became sharper. The following actions from here on would indicate what was Vermilion's true intention for her.
"...reformer..." Speed spoke harsher as if agitated. It made the other man immediately stand up.
"...you are being...spared from retribution...by the holiness."
"...!?" the man reacted with surprise and began to sigh in relief. He took a sharp inhale from seeing the disfigured hedgehog instantly nose to nose with him.
"...the faith that's...spread...from our trio divinities...should...never...be...corrupted."
"Y-Y-Yes. I agr-"
"...you...who were graced...by Sister Sars...with a holy task...to guide the pilgrims...to the land beyond."
"...you...are not...one of them," Vermilion threatened. His lunatic expression changed dramatically to stoic. The alteration caught the stranger off guard as he took a back step. Flinching, Speed matched his step to keep nose to nose with him.
"...do you...perceive...your placement...in the grand voyage?"
"...the...grand...voyage?" the individual repeated in a whisper.
Swallowing something that was in his throat, the impression of the mad freak vanished. Instead, he felt that this damaged being knew too much. The outlash he was expecting from Malaria did not occur. Instead, she was looking at him with what appeared to be disgust. Feeling threatened and endanger, he quickly reached into his robe.
Grabbing hold of the metal object that was inside, time seemed to slow down. Eyes going into micro vision, he suddenly felt an outer body experience. As if his body was left behind, his mind and eyes seemed to get pulled along at blinding speeds. Only able to see a glimpse of the effect, it was as if the environment and light was bending and streaking passed him. Feeling a sudden stop, everything whipped back into place as a stand still.
'...what on Mobius was...!?' the individual thought.
Frozen with fear, his chest and back felt suddenly warm. Focusing on the sensation it was as if liquid was slowly oozing out. Slowly looking down, his eyes widen with horror. His feet were not touching the wooden planked ground of the peer. However, there was a stake that had rammed out of his chest and holding him in the air a little. Inhaling even a little sent painful pins and needles throughout his entire body. Coughing hard, blood shot out of his mouth.
"...yOu...WoN't..." the monstrous voice spoke nearby.
"...!?" the man shook hard and was paling quickly. Moving his head right a little towards the voice, the amputee was next to his face. The stoic look remained as both of his eyes bored at him. The cold and piercing intensity of them was that of a predator. A killer. A taker of life.
"...Be...A mArTyR..." Speed spoke then pressed his nose against the dying man's nose. "...yOu...HaVe...No...FaItH..."
"...thi...this..." the mouse breed began. Crying while feeling his vision fading to darkness, the only thing he saw was the hedgehog's vicious face.
"...nOt...FaIr?" he finished the other's sentence. Reaching and grabbing the metal object from inside the blood-stained cloak, the mouse breed's breathing stopped. With a face locked in a fright and sorrow, his limbs hanged loosely with crimson slowly dripping down their length.
"..." the hedgehog backed away from corpse.
Hearing footsteps nearby as well as from a distance, he ignored them. Looking at the metal object, it was an old walkie-talkie. Confirming of what this equipment signified, he heard someone stop. Glancing to his left and seeing the bat woman, she had the look of ambivalence. Staring at her and blinking a couple of times, he looked back at the bleeding body. Not seeing anything out of sorts, he shifted his eyes back to her. The notion that the former Sister of Sanctum would look perturb from such a display was amusing.
"...come now..." Vermilion spoke and gave a small smirk. "You've seen...and done...much...worse."
"Is this..." Malaria started then pointed at the red dripping stake. "Why you said...the ship was...my redemption?"
Seeing him turn to fully face her, he tossed her the metal box. Catching it and staring at it, it made her think it was heavy. Like it signified what she was dreading about. The rabbit hole of S.O.S. seemed to be much bigger than on the surface now. A thought came across her mind that shook her to her core. Looking up at him, his appearance near the dead person he just impaled without mercy was cold-blooded. The aspect of him being a savior turned to something closer of a hell spawn of judgment.
"Hey," Chiara called from a distance.
Hearing jogging footsteps towards them, it sounded like three individuals. Thinking about their location, it occurred to the bat woman that they were just further away from the supply ship. At the far end of the port, they were not in direct sight of residential buildings. Both Speed and Malaria did not turn to them as they kept staring at each other. The amputee saw the female stoat round the corner of a wall to reach them.
"Did you guys give that..." she began. Seeing both of them, her eyes shifted toward the brutality near and above the adult hedgehog's head. Her eyes widen and immediately stopped.
"HOLY SHIT!?" the woman reacted with shock.
"W-What is it!?" Sonic asked curious and about to round the corner.
Seeing her turned around, she immediately went to him. Triselle figured it was a grizzly scene and tried to cover the boy's eyes. Both saw the blue kid dash sideways faster than they could capture him. Forming himself into a ball, he somersaulted a couple of times before coming out of it. Seeing him slid to an abrupt stop near Malaria, he gave the two women a cocky smirk.
"Can't catch..." the hedgehog began. Turning his head toward where Speed was, he froze with apprehension. The sight, though having seen similar scary incidents, hit a different level. With wide eyes and his mouth open, the impaled bleeding body, the fowl air, and muggy sky all blended together as if a nightmare came to life.
"...humans..." the bat woman spoke after swallowing a lump in her throat. "...are not...involved in this...are they?"
"..." Vermilion blinked and stared. Seeing four pair of eyes on him, flashbacks of the past came to him after escaping from the Sanctum. Giving a genuine smile at her, he walked forward.
"...where else...does their meat supply...come from."
"...!?" the bat woman became bewildered with horror.
"...you've...gotta..." Chiara whispered with shocked and terrified face. "...shittin' me..."
"..." Triselle just stared with fear from the revelation.
"..." the child stared at everyone with frightened eyes.
Seeing Speed walking closer, he moved towards him. About to open his mouth to ask a question, a hurling sound came. Stopping and looking back at the black-skinned female, she had thrown up on the wooden floor while still on her feet. Feeling a hand on his head, he turned forward and looked up quickly. Seeing it was Speed and keeping what seemed like a normal smile, it didn't look right.
"...do you know...Sonic..." Vermilion said while patting the boy's head a little. "...where meat...comes from?"
"...y-yeah?" he answered with a nod. "The hunters in my village would capture primals and get meat from them."
"...ah...they are...a good source..." the man agreed.
Keeping his crimson eye on the kid, his normal eye looked to the right. Gazing at all three of them, he could see two out of the three women were staring at him. Triselle still looked in fear while Chiara glared at him. Thinking it was to mask the disgust from the revelation, the one that kept her disturbed aura was Malaria. Locking his eyes into position, he continued.
"...what else...can be a...source of meat?"
"..." Sonic curled his lips inward. Wanting to take a backstep, he just curled his fingers. Forming fists, he wanted to become less scared.
"I've...heard bad stories from village elders...of people getting eaten by primals."
"...so...um...we...I mean...our kind...is another form of...meat I guess."
"...how...mature of you," Vermilion complimented keeping the smile and split eyes. Placing his hand on the boy's head again, he ruffled his quills a little.
"H-Hey," the child remarked with a small nervous smile. Feeling his hand remove from his head, his right eye moved left. With both eyes looking at him, the left blinked while the robotic right never did.
"...V...e...r...m...i...l...i...o...n..." Malaria growled in a low voice. Grabbing the attention of everyone near, she wiped the red vomit on her mouth with her hand. Seeing small discoloration on her palm, it gave another indication that the blackness on her skin was not a tone color. Making tight fists with her hands, she clenched her teeth together. Turning to him, her face was that of self-loathing and fury.
"Get me...on that damn...ship."