chaos-societies

[chaos-societies]

Episode 9, The Green Hills

[x] – The Hills – Talisk

The first day of travels after their pit stop at Búra’s homestead was light and uneventful. The night out in the wild made the gang already miss Búra’s welcome, but they managed. The next morning was cool and there was dew on the flora around. They continued northwest and soon came up on a hill. As they did, they could tell the world around them was different. It was the first hill that was completely covered in lush green grass – no signs of dirt or sand.

As they reached the top, they looked out and saw something they had never seen before. For miles, as far as the eye could see, green hills covered the expanse. Some hills small, some obscured the horizon, some were bare and some had tall and healthy trees. The sight shone a new spirit in the crew and even brought tears to Amy’s eyes. The grass was a deep green and white clouds speckled the pure blue sky overhead.

Sonic and Tails let out a gasp as they sprinted (and flew) off with excitement. They could say no words as laughter and chuckles obscured their vocal chords. Rouge and Amy took a seat on top of that hill and took in the sights. Amy’s hand was mindlessly running through the soft grass. The grass was short where they were but they could see where it grew tall not far off. Sonic was already probably half a mile off in the distance. He sprinted through the tall grass leaving a trail mowed over in his wake; a path carved into the undisturbed stalks that weaved sporadically about the hills.

“I take it these are the Green Hills.” Rouge stated the obvious.

Amy wiped another tear from here eye. “It’s beautiful.” She sniffled a little. “I’ve never seen so much green!”

Rouge took a deep breath of the cool fresh air and just smiled. “Yeah.”

Meanwhile, Sonic continued to run and Tails hovered over him. The landscape became an instantaneous escape and they relished in the moment. Sonic’s arms were extended so he could feel the brush of the tall stalks as he wisped by. Tails flew a bit lower and reached one hand down so he could do the same.

At one point the grass began to shrink down to a similar height as that first hill. Sonic stopped and Tails followed suit, hovering a bit as he lowered his feet gently onto the ground below. They looked back and saw Rouge and Amy maybe a little more than a mile off sitting and relaxing. Sonic waved to them and they waved back. He placed his hands on his waist and looked around. The sight of endless rolling hills of green and the earthy scent of the greenery around made Sonic extremely content. But it also shot a pang of sadness through him. All his life, he had lived on South Island and though it was vastly greener there than in the Greater Area, it paled in comparison to this. But that was his home and he knew he would have to return to the desert once again and eventually for good once they were all finished with their journey. He almost wished he could live in the free open Green Hills forever but knew he couldn’t abandon his friends and family, and his chapter of his Society.

The sadness left him as a breeze rolled through and the light rustling of the grass was heard all around. Waves were seen rolling over the hills from the wind as if they were in a green ocean. He smiled once more.

Sonic and Tails made their way back to Rouge and Amy who were now standing on that same hill they left them on. Amy was twirling around with her eyes closed, chin high, and arms extended out. As Sonic came up, she stopped and smiled at him. “Oh, this is wonderful isn’t it!”

“It sure is!” Sonic answered. But Amy continued.

“The air is so fresh, the scent is new, the breeze is cool, there’s so much green!” She placed her hands on her chest and took a deep breath.

Something came over Sonic and he formed a light grin as he walked up to Amy and took her hand. He pulled her a bit and twirled her to kick off a bit of a dance. They moved around in the grass smoothly. Tails smiled while Rouge rolled her eyes. After a few extra seconds, Tails broke out his feadóg and began playing a light tune. Rouge couldn’t fight the feeling for long and began lightly clapping to keep a beat with Tails’ tune.

The couple continued to dance for a bit, now to Tails’ jig instead of a melody inside their heads, and as the tune slowed down to end on long note, Sonic and Amy also concluded their dance.

They rejoined Rouge and Tails and quickly decided it would be a good time to stop for some food. They sat down on top of that same hill and began eating, looking out at the vast sea of green. The meal was relatively quiet as they just stared at the sight in front of them. Who knew a view with nothing but hills and a few trees could be so breathtaking, but when that sight is new, and so different from empty desert, it was wondrous to the quartet.

Knowing they couldn’t sit for much longer, and that they could continue to take in the scenery as they journeyed northwest to Smithwick, they cleaned up from their meal and strode on.

The ground beneath their feet was firm compared to the sand they were used to but also soft and not a discomfort to their roving feet. The grass was soft as they kept up a good stride often with hands extended. The breeze continued to welcome them to the new land and the sounds of flickys in some of the trees created a peaceful ambience.

They continued their trek and as the day continued, they knew they should be able to see Smithwick at some point off in the distance. But for the first time since leaving South Island, they almost wished they would not arrive at the seaside city just yet. The buildings, streets, commotion and crowds of a city were not at all appetizing to them now that they were in the open lands of the Green Hills. But nonetheless, they continued on to try and make it to their destination before it got too late. The sun was already setting to the east as it did on Mobius and the far off peaks of the Sléibhte Scáthaigh were barely seen over the top of some of the hills. The sun began dipping below the highest peaks on the far off horizon and the sky to the west was warm with sunset colors.

They came up atop a hill and finally saw Smithwick off in the distance. The landscape sloped down from that hill but the green pasture continued to the city and beyond. The sea was sparkly with the sun’s dying light and lights from the city were beginning to shine as the night sky took over. They figured another hour to two they would be out of the fields and back to the city. They were reminded of their first visit to Cap and prepared for the variance of Societies and hustle from street vendors.

Tails broke out a piece of paper that showed a rough layout of Smithwick that Uncle Chuck gave them. The library was on the far end of the city, opposite of the ocean but was not too far from them as they were coming up on the southeastern part of the city with the ocean to the city’s southwest. Tails explained the location of the library and the crew decided to stop by the next day after finding a lodge for some rest and a warm meal. And with that, they moved on – saying goodbye to the lush Green Hills for the time being as Smithwick awaited their arrival.

[x]

As the gang entered the city, their expectations were met as all types of people moved about despite it being well past dusk by now. They did not enter right into a market place as they did when they arrived at Cap which was a relief for the weary travelers. They quickly decided to find an inn and settle for the night and pay a visit to the library the next day.

They passed a few inns that clearly delineated specific Societies. ‘Greens Only’ – they continued to move on. ‘No Reds Allowed’ – it fit the mark for the time being but they still felt weary about it, especially if Knuckles joined them before they left. Finally they came across an inn with a sign posted in the window, ‘All Colors Welcome’. It was not in as great of condition as the others but it wasn’t bad and definitely felt like a place worthy of their patronage. They stopped by.

As they walked in, they saw many Mobians dressed in varying attire attributing to their respective Society. Though all were welcome, they all still sat in cliques with groups of their own. They approached the innkeeper behind a desk near the front. “What can I do ya for?” He asked.

“Two rooms please, two beds each if you can spare them.” Sonic asked.

“Sure thing. What Society?”

“Oh, uh.” Sonic was a little taken back. He looked at the rest of his group with a raised brow. “I thought all Societies were welcome?”

“Oh sure! We have rooms available in all our Society-separated corridors!” The innkeeper said cheerfully.

It definitely wasn’t what they were expecting but they shrugged it off. “Uh, Cyan please.”

“Sure thing, right this way.” The innkeeper stepped out from behind the desk and took them to a small hallway with a few doors with a cyan colored pane. “I assume one room for the lassies and one for you two lads?”

“Correct.” Sonic answered.

Their host nodded and opened the first room. It wasn’t bad at all, in fact it looked better than the exterior of the establishment. “Will this suit ya?” Sonic gave a thumbs up. “May I ask how long you’ll be staying?”

“Uh.” Sonic looked at Amy. She shrugged her shoulders. “Can we pay night-by-night?”

“Of course. Just ask that if you are looking to take your leave you let me know at the desk by mid-day ‘tis all.”

Sonic smiled kindly and agreed. Amy brought out a coin sack of tokens and gave the innkeeper the pay for the rooms. He thanked them and gave them a rundown of amenities before returning to the desk.

The four of them decided to freshen up after their long travels and then meet in the lobby for a meal. After some time, they were all ready except Rouge.

After a few urges from Sonic and Tails to get her moving, she came out of her and Amy’s room and they headed to the lobby. They each sent their food ticket to the bar and waited for their food at a table near the Cyan hallway.

“Well I’ll be.” They all heard in a familiar voice. Sonic felt a firm grip on his shoulders as he looked up to see Knuckles staring down at him. “And here I figured you’d be staying at the ‘No Reds’ inn down the street.” He said with a smirk.

“We almost did, figured it’d keep us from running into you.” Sonic jested. He stood up and gave Knuckles a fist bump. “Good to see you! How long have you been here?”

“Got here yesterday. I had to sell a few bushels of fruit from Angel Island before I could rake in a comfortable amount of tokens. I still hate how you all have to deal with currency down here. Was getting some grub myself when I saw you all sit down here.” He pulled up a chair and joined them.

The quintet exchanged stories of the past few days. Sonic Amy Rouge and Tails on their travels, Búra, and their experience that morning seeing the Green Hills. Meanwhile, Knuckles joked about all the shenanigans his group up on Angel Island got into. They all ate their food and had a pint or two of some beer before calling it a night. They arranged a time to meet and head out to the library first thing in the morning.

…

Sonic was not greeted by any morning sun the next day. In fact, to his slight surprise, he awoke to the light sound of consecutive ‘tings’ and a grey sky. It was raining outside. He slowly got out of his bed and gave a big stretch. He scratched his sides as he looked over at Tails in his bed, still sound asleep with his hands under his cheeks and the occasional flick of his ear. The sight gave Sonic a bit of a smile before turning his gaze out the window. The rain was light but steady. It shouldn’t give them any issues to travel to the library later. He also figured it must have been much later in the day than he, or any of his crew, likely anticipated waking up to. But after their travels out in the wild and having only the grace of one night at Búra’s, he was glad to sleep in.

He and Tails were out in the common area drinking some tea while waiting for the rest of their crew. Knuckles joined them, though not from his room but from the streets where he claimed to have been searching for some fresh fruit in the market. Shortly after Amy and Rouge emerged and they took their leave for the library.

Though it was not the first time the crew had seen rain, it definitely was not as common in the Greater Area as it was there in the Green Hills. The topography would surely look different had it been. But they enjoyed it, more so than their encounter with the storm after leaving Cap for they did not have to sleep under cover from the weeping sky. The light drizzle and the cool air made for a brisk climate and the ambience was peaceful. There were many overpasses and a lot of cover as they traversed through Smithwick so their fur and clothes remained mostly dry.

The city was vastly different than Cap, as that was their only frame of reference for anything urban. Grey and white stone were the basis for the structures around. Lichen and moss were sometimes growing on the structures and vines draped portions of walls in some parts. The architecture was different as well. With arches of stone wedged perfectly together to support the block to its sides and crude etchings in the stone, there was an aesthetic to the place.

They came across a courtyard with an aqueduct that ran overhead with little rivulets spawning from it, leading to smaller channels that snaked around. Some of the outpourings led to a garden behind a rusty metal gate. Another few led to a fountain where some people were washing their clothes, not even being bothered by the trickling of the rain. A large portion of the aqueduct passed by a watermill with a small window above the wheel that allowed the scent of delicious fresh bread to creep out into the open air. A bakery must have been on the other side of the watermill, utilizing the rushing water’s motion to mill grain. The group was curious if the rain had any major affect on the water level of the aqueduct or if the flow they were seeing was about standard on most days.

They passed through some small tunnel-like passageways where steps branched off the path and led up to doors and terraces above that ended up being the cause for the small tunnels. This happened for a while as they must have been passing through a residential area of the city. They noticed the city was not as bustling as it was the night prior when they first stepped foot into Smithwick but quickly concluded it was likely due in part to the weather.

The group passed through another small passageway and found themselves in an opening with what was clearly the library on the other side. Just like the one in Cap, it had grandeur to it. It too stuck out from the rest of the city and looked much older than the architecture around. However instead of clay, like the library in Cap, it was crafted with stone and wood – much like the city that surrounded it. There were pillars outside the entrance that held up a small overhang. The doors were a sturdy red wood with delicate carvings. They entered and saw the interior was quite similar to the library in Cap. It had three levels to it with the center being clear all the way to the roof. There was slanted glass in the ceiling that would likely bring in a lot of natural light if the sun had decided to show its glow that day. The rain falling on the windows ran down out of sight to the rest of the rooftop. The library was much more populated than the one in Cap and Mobians could be seen traversing the tall bookshelves on the balconies of the second and third levels.

The gang continued to walk through to a desk in the back where a small koala was flipping though an old book. She gingerly adjusted the glasses that rest on the end of her nose as she turned another page.

“Excuse me ma’am?” Sonic asked as they approached her.

“Yes?” She looked up to them with tired aged eyes.

“We are looking for some books on some ancient texts. My uncle said he sent some correspondence to this library that may aid in what we are looking for.”

“Hmm.” She looked away and grabbed a small notebook. “Ah, yes. The head librarian had passed that we might be expecting a group that meets your description.” She closed the small notebook and left a bookmark in the other book she was reading then stood up. “Come with me.”

She took them to a small study in the back part of the library. It was a cozy room with a few comfortable chairs and a single desk. “Wait here while I bring the requested material for you. We set it aside a few days ago.”

She briefly left and Amy noted how accommodating she was compared to Eiméar. Rouge joked that it was likely because they did not personally know Uncle Chuck like she did. Though they don’t know the history behind the elder hedgehog and the bandicoot, they had gathered that it must have been an exciting one.

The koala came back with a small cart and a few old books stacked on it. Tails thanked her for her hospitality but she insisted that that was the accommodation was standard in the great libraries as their intent was purely for scholastic advancement. She left with a declaration that they were free to ask for any assistance if they needed it.

To no one’s surprise, Tails was the first one to dive into the books. Knuckles was a little less interested and decided to claim one of the chairs as there were not enough for all of them in the small study.

They toiled over the books but did not find much. After some initial readings, they all ended up indulging in their own interests as Tails read up on understanding ancient Ogham. Amy looked up ancient runes however the most progress she made was relating to what some of the symbols on her tarot cards meant. Most notably a quarter of the cards seemed to relate to water and another quarter related to fire, based on the cen and laguz runes they had found. The other half of her cards must then have related to earth and air and she was determined to figure out which were linked to what. Knuckles continued to take an easy nap, Sonic became more preoccupied with a chain bookmark in a random book he was ‘studying’ and Rouge took numerous breaks between any short reading she was doing to ogle at the embedded gems and embroidery in the ancient texts.

The group left the library mentally exhausted. Up until now, they had Uncle Chuck to point them in the right direction. He was the one that would toil for weeks over possible interpretation of these symbols that have lost their meaning many centuries ago. Sonic and his troop didn’t know where to begin, let alone any hint of where to possibly find another crown.

The rain had stopped at this point and the sun was beginning to show its face behind some of the clouds. Knuckles and Rouge wanted to go out and get some food and Tails wanted to go back to the inn to look over some of the notes he took so he could try and learn more about Ogham to make future studies quicker. It would seem not all of them were mentally exhausted.

Sonic at this point had beckoned to Amy that this would be a good time to get out of the city and explore more of the Green Hills. She agreed to join him and the group took their separate ways for the rest of the day.

Outside the city, Sonic walked with Amy along a main road that headed north. The road was lined with wildflowers and had divots for both carriage and vehicles; although the latter was actually quite a rarity in the world. The Reds at Rockbase had a few desert buggies and Tails had the Syphon but even those were not a common sight in the general sense. Tails happened to come across the Syphon, abandoned in a canyon in the Jagged Browns, and was only able to get it running through his acquired knowledge of mechanics. Most of which he obtained simply by studying the Syphon’s systems. When it was brought back to South Island, with help from Sonic’s legs and Knuckles’ strength, most residents didn’t even know what it was.

But Smithwick must be large enough to see high levels of trade requiring the rare and expensive modes of transportation. Much of the world still utilized more traditional modes of travel which Sonic was quite content with, based on his natural ability.

He and Amy continued walking for a while. Amy could tell Sonic was getting a little antsy at the pace and rolled her eyes before offering to Sonic that he could carry her. He gladly obliged and swooped her up then quickly sped off into the distance.

They came across a rocky area off the main road. There were some rocks protruding from the soft earth that led down toward the bottom of a hill. There, a small creek seemed to have cut through the earth from runoff of the rain that ends up occurring in the area. The creek snaked around the base of the small hills and led off into the distance. Thousands of years of runoff must have eroded the land to expose the rocky terrain beneath as natural stone surrounded the creek for as far as the eye could see.

Something else peculiar about the stony terrain must have been revealed through the sands of time as they also seemed to create arches and tunnels; some only a couple feet in height, others tens of feet.

“Oh yeah, now this seems like a fun playground!” Sonic exclaimed.

With a huff and a grin, Amy conceded. “Go have your fun I guess… as if the past few days of walking weren’t enough for you.” She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek as he put her down and bolted off.

Amy watched in admiration at his wild spirit as he ran toward the structures that seemed so alien to what they were used to in the sandy Greater Area. She sat down and pulled out her tarot cards to try and further understand their use, all the while letting the soft breeze caress her fur while the rustling of the tall grass from that same wind brought a calming ambience to her ears.

Sonic, in the meantime ran along that creek – small in nature but mighty in the fact that it carved through the land in a timeline that surpassed thousands of generations of fauna that was found in the fields.

He followed a path of smooth stone that led to a slight drop off and leaped into the air. He curled into a ball and landed at the base of an arch, unraveled himself and sprinted so fast he ran from base to base, upside down and all, as if it were just another path and continued on. That first loop was only the beginning in his wild timeless time trail.

Amy sat there with her knees bent and off to one side and she shuffled the deck of cards. There she laid out a number of them and flipped them over one by one. Wheel of Fortune, Ace of Cups, Ace of Swords and some others… She still was unsure how to utilize them but felt a deep connection with them and the unknown guidance she was sure they were trying to lend her.

Meanwhile Sonic’s silhouette could be seen nearly a mile away already, snaking around the bases of multiple hills. He leapt off a rock into a makeshift foot track that only he could manage. He ran along the creek that seemed to have gotten larger the further from the road it went. He saw another nearly alien rock formed loop and ran its course.

The terrain around was already like nothing he had ever seen, or even imagined possible. But then again, up until now, he only knew one small corner of the vast world. He continued further where the hills became larger and the rocks protruded higher from the ground. Topping a steep hill, nearly like a small mountain, he came across another astounding sight.

There, the rocks created a fantastical formation resembling pathways of abstract spires. Steep hills, nearly small mountains, created a bowl with pillars of rocks protruding from the sides as if each one fell from the heavens and imbedded themselves in the earth below.

Sonic did not waste time with exploring the area and jumped right from the ledge he was peering into the basin from and bounced from spire to spire, leaping between them as if his feet transformed into springs. He finally had landed next to one of the rock structures and ran long it enjoying the sights of springs that wept from the rock faces and large condors that soared up above. He zigzagged up a steep mountainside and found another depression beyond the bowl where more large boulders were piled high as if the children of giants were making rock piles. He found a natural reservoir created by the dam of some creatures with a waterfall that led to a cave-like tunnel. Sprinting through the rock tunnel, leaving behind nothing but a flash of blue and his footprints, he came across a lone peak in a flatter piece of terrain nearby. Zooming around it until he reached the top, he finally came to rest. Gazing off in the distance to take in the sights, he now noticed the basin he previously traversed, a couple miles away now, looked almost like a cage from this vantage with large gaps between the rock spires that lined the edge.

He zoomed back and circled the outside of that ‘cage.’ To his surprise, he came across a ledge side where the ground had loosened and fell to the land below. He screeched to a stop and looked down to see a cave. With his curiosity, he rushed down to take a look.

The space did not allow for such swift movements as he preferred but he continued to explore as the light from the sky above would shine through the crevices that were overhead. He moved around a bit more until something caught his eye. He squinted trying to see what it was; something etched in the rock face? It was hard to tell with the limited light. Was it getting darker? He then heard a faint roll of thunder in the distance.

He left the cave and sprinted out to a high point and saw dark clouds rolling in miles away. He immediately bolted off back toward Amy, still running through the ‘playground’ as he referred to it earlier - swiveling between rocks and up and down hills, through loops and leaping over ledges.

He got back with Amy and saw her standing there waiting for him. She too must have noticed the incoming rain. “Have your fill?” She asked.

“Was pretty cool if you ask me. There’s a cool place over there like nothing I’ve seen Ames! And of course really good for stretching the legs.” Sonic responded which earned a chuckle out of Amy. “But never mind that now. Think we can beat the rain?” He smirked.

“I think YOU can.”

“Let’s see!” He swooped her back up and sprinted off back toward Smithwick.

They made it back to the city where Sonic figured Amy could now do her own walking. “Got some time to spare as well!”

“It seems we do. Though I’m not quite sure I want to stay cooped up just yet. Oh it was just wonderful being out there, feeling the breeze and just admiring the view.” Amy added. As they walked toward their inn, they passed by a little café. Amy fiddled with a token or two in her pocket. “Care for some tea before we head back?”

“I won’t complain.”

They stopped at a small table and a waitress came up shortly after. “None of y’all are whites are ye?” The statement took Sonic and Amy a bit by surprise. They once again were reminded that South Island seemed to be a much more hospitable place than the rest of what they’ve seen of Mobius. The inquiry was probably sharper to them than most people as others at the café didn’t seem to even acknowledge the question. They shook their heads with slight concern and the waitress immediately changed demeanors. “Alright, just had to ask. What can I serve fer you two?” She asked quite cheerily.

Still feeling a little awkward, they simply made their request for some herbal tea and carried on. Sonic began to tell Amy about his ‘light jog’ and how the land seemed to transform into a fantastical landscape further upstream of the creek they departed from. He vividly described the sights and all the rock like pinnacles that were scattered around.

It wasn’t long until the waitress came back with their tea. “He ya go you two. Hope everything is to your liking.”

“Thank you.” They said in unison.

“I apologize fer asking, but I saw you two coming in from the east gate there. Are you travelers?”

“Well, yes, but we actually arrived yesterday. We’re not from this area so we were just enjoying the Green Hills a little bit.” Amy responded a bit bashful.

“You two didn’t happen to see any others comin’ down the road did you? Wearing garments resembling…purples did ya?” Her tone wasn’t spiteful, nor was it concerning; it was more inquisitive if anything.

“Purples?” Sonic asked.

“Now, I know what yer thinking. There ain’t none no more. But rumor has it two Mobians been seen wanderin’ between cities that people are claiming are purples! Heard another patron say he heard they were headed toward Smithwick from over the mountains. T’was just curious is all – sorry for the bother.” She grabbed the tea pot she walked out with and headed back indoors.

“Purples?” Amy said curiously.

“Yeah, weird.”

They continued with their own conversations and Amy was discussing her tarot cards and how she felt a connection to them but still does not quite understand them. Sonic joked about how they’ll likely find Tails asleep on his notes when they get back to the inn.

They lost track of time and started to feel the light pellets of rain hitting their fur. With apt timing, they were nearly finished with their tea and decided to make their leave before the rain picked up too much and headed back to the inn to join the others.

[chaos-societies]

Though I keep saying I'm gonna get back to this, and though I constantly think about my plans for this...

I just finished Sonic Frontiers and there were some similar themes and more inspiration that now I HAVE to get back to this!

I'll try and get another chapter or map sketch out soon 🫡

[chaos-societies]

Episode 8, The Leaving of South Island and Búra of the Fields

Nearly a month had past. The gang of South Island enjoyed some extra company in the time before they set off on yet another journey to adventure and everyone was doing their part. Sticks carefully gathered certain rocks she was sure to bring good luck to the crew. Vanilla would occasionally give them tips and lessons how to prepare decent meals while traveling. Mina constantly encouraged Sonic and Tails to come up with new jigs and songs inspired by their upcoming trek. Meanwhile Knuckles was up on Angel Island for a majority of the time ensuring both his presence and the company of his fellow Reds there before his plan to pop in and out during the expedition. He only sparingly came down to South Island a few times for coordination of the journey

[x]

The sun was high and the air was hot. Over the southwestern parts of the Greater Area, a dust plume was billowing across parts of the land originating from a single, fast moving point. Miles behind, the dust was lingering in the warm breeze turning what once was a crisp blue sky to a haze of brown.

Anyone from a distance would have seen a red speck plowing the desert sand with a continuous tail trailing behind but upon any closer inspection they would have seen Sonic and Tails driving the Syphon at top speeds enjoying the tricked out ride for possibly the last time for a while before they departed for foreign lands. Though the windshield and roof was sufficient enough to protect the two’s eyes from any blowing wind or from being sand blasted, they both wore their goggles regardless. Tails’ ears were tucked back otherwise they would be flapping in the wind from the open windows and Sonic’s quills were fluttering around uncontrollably. Tails had both hands gripped tight on the steering wheel as he turned and banked at will. Sonic had his arm resting out of his window for much of the time.

As a clear show of authority for that corner of the world’s wastelands, they tested the top speeds and dynamic prowess of the Syphon. At some point Sonic turned to Tails and pointed up to the roof. Tails gave him a nod as any verbal communication would have been hard with the sound of rushing air entering the car; they often had a good idea of what the other was looking for even without words. Tails stopped his rapid turning and gave Sonic a thumbs-up to which he worked his way out the window to stand on top the roof of the Syphon. Tails continued to accelerate then lightly tapped the brakes to send Sonic flying forward with his continued momentum. He curled into a ball and with his speed, a light blue streak followed his bodily orb as he landed on the ground in front of the Syphon and began rolling. He rolled right as Tails took a slight left to avoid collision. Despite Sonic performing what he called his ‘spin dash’ at a remarkable speed, until he got back on his feet the Syphon would easily overtake him. As his roll slowed down a bit, he rolled out of his curled up posture onto his feet and began running. He caught back up to the Syphon and was running alongside it. There were now two dust plumes from two separate points of origin out in the Greater Area outside South Island.

Weaving in and around each other, the two swift objects resembled a choreographed dance of speeding bullets through the desert. Sometimes they would break apart, peel away to go make some fast turns and churn up more dirt. Other times they would meet again side-by-side and act as if they were racing, which they often were. Sonic would jump up around Tails in his incredible vehicle in a corkscrew-like maneuver simply just to switch sides. The two would catch a glance and a glare, a silent challenge to the other. Tails’ hands would grip tighter on the wheel and his foot would steadily move the gas pedal closer to the floorboard. Likewise, Sonic’s feet would increase their pace and the two speed demons would be off to race again.

They were a bit more southeast now toward the Jagged Browns and took a turn for some rock formations that were scattered about. Tails picked troughs and crevices that were large enough to safely fit the Syphon and Sonic chose which ever path he felt most enjoyable. With perfect timing of brakes, acceleration and turns, Tails weaved around the rocks and cliffs. Sonic would sometimes follow, then run up some of the rocks and jump from one to the other. They travelled through a path that had a decent length of trail below and level cliff above where they took their respective positions. Sonic was up high looking down at the Syphon maneuvering through the obstacles. He would curl up into a ball and fly to the other side of the crevice leaving a blue streak behind him; dust was still billowing from behind the speedster of a vehicle as it moved. Not long, they came out from the rocks and turned back to the open desert for more speed runs instead of obstacle maneuvering.

This continued for quite some time until at one point, while travelling close by, Tails signaled to Sonic with his thumb and pinky out from a fist and motioned it to his mouth as if to ‘drink’. Sonic nodded and they two changed course back toward South Island. Tails was running low on fuel.

They approached Lookout Rock and Sonic took point as Tails slowed down. Once he concluded he was out of reach from Sonic, Tails snapped the steering wheel left and the car began skidding until it made a few sliding spins in the soft loose desert sand until it came to a stop. Sonic too slowed down slightly before quickly hopping sideways and skidded on the sides of his feet until his momentum ran out. What was once a flurry of dust and dirt with constant roars of an engine was now a scene that instantly changed to a quiet settling of the still airborne particles.

They were nearly at the base of Lookout Rock at this time as Sonic took a moment to catch his breath and Tails lightly kept pressing the gas pedal for subtle revving of his engine. Sonic walked over to Tails’ side of the car and gave him a fist bump before stepping back a bit to get a running start and leaped over the Syphon. He made a mid air turn that ended in a back flip and grabbed the window sill of his side of the car and swung his feet in through the window to land perfectly on the seat. The hedgehog’s maneuverability sometimes was otherworldly.

Tails gave Sonic a slight head nod as a sign to be ready to go and Sonic reciprocated. Tails hit the gas, giving the back tires a bit of a spinout before getting enough traction for decent acceleration. He turned back toward South Island putting Lookout Rock on their right. As they passed, Sonic looked out at the monolith of a natural structure and saw something peculiar. He saw a figure looking down at them not too far up the path. It was hard at first to discern the silhouette but he surely concluded it was that of another hedgehog, a black hedgehog. His arms were crossed as he stood motionless, watching them as they zoomed on their way back home.

[x]

The time had come for them to head out and truck north. Uncle Chuck spent many hours looking over the Stair na Seacht and even copied a miniature transcript of relevant text for the crew. He ensured that the library in Smithwick could point to more clues about another crown’s location. He had sent a few letters to the library in the meantime so that the librarians there could accommodate some texts the gang was to look into.

They said their goodbyes and there was no shortage of tears. The last time any permanent resident of South Island left for such an extended time resulted in the ill-fate of many of this group’s parents that now lie at Stark Ruins. But Chuck believed deep in heart they would be alright until they met again. Some last words of advice were exchanged and they walked over the bridge back into the unknown.

Their timeline of travel must have picked up from their previous two treks to Cap and made it there with more time to rest before the sun fell behind the Sléibhte Scáthaigh to the east. They once again stayed with Eimear much to her dismay. She gave them some extra supplies to ensure they did not come to bother her sooner than she’d like and they set off from Cap to continue to head north.

Though the crew had seen Angel Island pass over a few times, Knuckles had yet to come down and pay them a visit. Based on the timeline he was given from his last visit to South Island before the crew departed, he knew where and when he should meet the four Cyans if he decided it was time to do so.

The fourth day of their journey was coming to a close and they were setting up camp at the base of the Sléibhte Scáthaigh as they did the night before. Seeing as the area north of Cap was quite barren, much like the rest of the Greater Area, they had decided to hug the tall mountains in their trek north despite it possibly adding another day on foot. The harsh hot sand has since turned to dry dirt for the past day now and more and more vegetation was becoming apparent, albeit still desert vegetation. By the end of their latest day of travel, though dry and weak, there was grass that was becoming apparent – trying so desperately to survive as the flora tested its own capabilities creeping more and more south from the Green Hills.

There was a storm off in the distance that was forming. As the night winds were beginning to shift from sailing in from over the West Sea to pouring over the rocky spires to the east, clouds were forming at the mountain peaks. Fearing any kind of rain wash if a storm were to hit, which it seemed more likely as the hours passed, they took shelter on top of some of the hills at the base of the mountains, bearing the stronger winds that would be present there.

The few animals that were there knew of the storm too and were irritant and protective of their dens. Amy narrowly avoided a snake as in the fading light she accidentally stuck her foot in its nest.

They camped under some rocks that were atop their chosen hill that should provide enough shelter from the coming rain. The moon, when not hiding behind the building clouds, was very bright and should be full in the next day. Out of the four of them, Rouge was having the hardest time out of the four adjusting to roughing it in the wild. Though she had to do so in their previous treks to Cap, it was typically only one night before being back under a roof and in a bed. This was the second night in a row under the stars and the third total doing so and she was getting a little annoyed by the lack of accommodations. Sonic and Tails tried to lighten her spirits a bit with some songs before hunkering down for the night, taking Mina’s advice about coming up with something inspired by their short start to their long journey north.

“There’s a hardy group of four,                we await our missing fifth, like we await the water from storms of the Sléibhte.

Spawns of the sand,                tried, true with grit, the trials ahead only bolden our great spirit.

Two ladies of fair,                with two lads they’re roving through desert sands to green hills we’re a-coming.

The air gets dense                the ground grows green, the vast hills roaming free should soon be seen.

Vagabonds be we                for only the time through to our mission and our journey we will hold true.

Two ladies of fair,                with two lads they’re roving through desert sands to green hills we’re a-coming.

As if their song was a beckon to the coming storm, at its end a crash of thunder sounded in the distance and the light beginning of rain fell from the dark clouds above. They could see the dark streaks of virga in the direction of the storm’s coming and made any last adjustments to their camp before the heavy rain began to fall.

Lying in their makeshift racks, they were quite content on their choice of cover. Save for the humid air that they were not accustomed to in the dry desert, they remained dry and protected from the wind and rain. The lullaby of the rain storm combined with their physical exhaustion from their travels called them to sleep quickly and they slept well throughout the storm.

The next day, the air was thick with the lingering moisture from the storm but the sky was clear and the land looked slightly greener than it did the night before. They ate some food, packed up and continued on their journey.

The next day of travelling seemed longer than the previous despite the long rest and cooler air. The humidity was more than they were used to and the ground was unfamiliar. As the landscape beneath their feet slowly changed, they felt they could stray further from the Sléibhte Scáthaigh than their previous path. They would need to do so eventually as the boundaries of land among the West Sea began to curve further west and the mountains continued due north. The grass was becoming fuller and they started to see more wild animals wandering about. Wondrous beasts the likes they had never seen in the desert wandered freely, some in herds some individually. Tails had a little notebook out and was scribbling down all the intriguing new finds of both flora and fauna. Sometimes he would urge the group if they could get closer to some of the animals. His wish was granted on occasion to keep the journey interesting; sometimes it was not if the group of animals looked frightening or threatening.

It was getting later in the day and the sun was beginning to touch the peaks of the mountains of shade when the group saw their first sign of development since Cap in the form of an old abandoned stable. The wood was grayish in tone from the decay and the structure did not look like it should still be standing but they knew they might be close to even a small village that could give them better accommodations, if even for a single night, than camping out under the stars.

They continued to move northwest at this time and saw the occasional small tree or lines of bushes off on the horizon. They came up to one of the trees to rest momentarily under the shade. It was not quite late enough for them to camp but the still barren fields almost tempted them to stay there for the night. But after some debate, they decided to keep moving as surely another bit of growth would present itself closer to a more appropriate time for camp.

The sky was still bright but the sun had passed behind the mountains that now became more and more distant as they moved west. They saw another small pack of wild animals grazing in the field that they had yet to see before and Tails once again in his curiosity and desire for further knowledge convinced them to get a closer look. The creatures looked relatively tame and harmless despite their large size. In fact, their perspective of the beasts was skewed from their distance. They were much larger than they appeared. They still looked tame however but they approached with caution. They quickly regretted their persistence in a closer look as suddenly the small herd of these creatures, similar to what one would describe a bison, roared and charged at them. They were swift for their size which added to their danger. The four of them took off in different directions.

Sonic swooped up Amy and sprinted off while Rouge and Tails took to the sky. Knowing their own ‘odd’ abilities they knew they could avoid certain perils but this quick turn of character for the wild animals definitely took them by surprise. The beasts continued their momentum for a bit but then calmed down once they saw their perceived threat to be gone.

“Oi!” A voice shouted out to them.

Tails and Rouge stayed close to each other while airborne and looked down to see a figure a few hundred yards from the herd of beasts now back to lazily grazing on the ground below.

“Are you lot mad?” The question was rhetorical in tone. “Thinking you can just go sneak up on any animals you see out in the wild.”

Sonic was off in the distance a bit, still holding Amy in his arms but standing still listening in as well.

“You all lucky you got odd ways to escape. Meet me over by that tree on that hill over yander!”

The group made their way over to the designated tree that was pointed out to them and they met with the stranger. She was a very tall wolf but not like other Mobian wolves. She seemed more feral in appearance and, without her soft demeanor would otherwise be intimidating. She was hardy however as she clearly lived out in these lands. “Are you all lost?” was the first thing she said to them.

“Not exactly ma’am. We’re travelers.” Amy spoke up.

The wolf stood firm, towering over them. She was barefoot and her feet were not like normal feet as she stood comfortably on her paws. The back of her ankles were far more separated from her toes and appeared more to be mid-calf joints than actual ankles. Her arms were crossed and tufts of hair extended beyond the rest of the length of her fur at the elbows and around her neck. She was quite muscular but it was more from natural physique than anything she worked to gain and maintain. Her snout and ears were longer than normal and her canines protruded from her muzzle even when her mouth was closed.

“Young cubs you all are for travelers, especially out here in the fields. Where you be headed?” Her voice was a little raspy yet delicate and caring. Her eyes showed no hostility.

“Smithwick.” Sonic spoke up.

“Smithwick!” She let out a bit of a hearty laughter. “Travelers for sure! You are still a good two days out or so. Though maybe not with how fast I saw you all scatter earlier. I won’t ask your business in Smithwick but I will ask what you all plan to do for the night.”

“W-we typically have been camping out since Cap.” Tails shyly responded, being a little more daunted than the others.

“Ah, such a brave cub!” She said which gave Tails some extra comfort. “That is a longer journey to here than it is here to Smithwick. Come children, I will give you food and rest tonight. I call myself Búra. What are your names?”

They each introduced themselves and Búra found good humor in the reason behind Tails nickname. She once again drew on Tails’ bravery and though not explicitly saying why, they each connected the dots. None of her mannerism was demeaning but the more she spoke the more comfort they got with just her presence.

They followed her for a good distance. Simply due to her height her stride was much greater than theirs but it was clear she was taking much smaller steps to match the group’s pace. Their conversation on their walk was mostly small talk. She would describe a bit of the land and talk about how the day after next they should start to see the edges of the Green Hills. It was a little peculiar how she never seemed to ask about which Society they belonged to as most people would. Finding a stranger could mean extreme danger if that stranger’s Society has a quarrel with another’s but she never brought up the topic. She didn’t even question how a fox could fly or a hedgehog could run so fast.

Búra brought them to her shelter near a spring. It was neither as big, with the exception of its height due to Búra’s own height, nor as sturdy as the four’s huts back on South Island but it was surely her permanent stay. They entered and were surprised to see two well crafted beds fit for their sizes. The place was not really anything of merit but the homestead fit the character of the large wolf. There was a small place for a fire but it was clear one had not been lit for a long time. Animal hide was hung on the walls and there was a shelf for food and supplies.

“I got these two beds here for you all, probably could suit two to each one. I’ll get some food going for you cubs. I apologize it may take a bit – I don’t typically cook when it’s just myself so I have to prep the flames. Is there anything you all need before I get to it?” She asked sincerely.

The four looked at each other and since no words were spoken Amy answered. “I think we are good for now ma’am. We really appreciate your hospitality.”

The wolf smiled deep and warmly and more of her sharp teeth could be seen in the grin. It was such a happy smile that gave them the impression that simply helping them out gave her great joy. She stepped outside to gather some kindling for the fire.

“This is very kind of her.” Amy spoke up.

Meanwhile, Rouge walked over to one of the beds and threw her body on it. She spread out her arms legs and wings and let out a sigh of relief and relaxation. “Ahhhh, a bed!”

“It is very kind.” Sonic added. “I would say it’s suspicious but…it really doesn’t seem suspicious somehow. It’s weird. But mostly because it doesn’t seem weird.”

“Maybe she just likes to help out?” Tails said.

“It really does seem like it.” Amy agreed.

Búra came back in and laid out some branches and small pieces of wood as the fire was not needing to be a large one, just enough to generate hot coals for cooking. As she did so, Amy looked around the hut again and seeing Rouge sprawled out on one of the beds, Amy noticed there was no apparently place for Búra to sleep. “Excuse me Búra? If the two beds are for us, where are you going to sleep?”

“Oh little one, I have a bed!” She pointed to a pile of hide and cushion in a separate corner. It looked like something a pet would sleep on. The bed itself was pitiful but again her words and tone was deprived of any insincerities; it was not a pitiful declaration but purely an informative one. “Besides…” For the first time in their encounter there was not as much warmth in her voice and her face looked slightly saddened. “I will not be needing a bed tonight.” She stood up, opened the door and looked outside at the dimming light. It was then Amy noticed there were no windows to the hut. “I have a request for you all and it is naught for aid to me but for your safety tonight. I cannot allow cubs and youngins to be lost and uncared for if I come across them. But tonight I will leave sometime before dark and will not return until morning. I ask that you remain indoors tonight and do not, under any circumstances, open the door after I lock it when I take my final leave.”

“Is…there something outside at night?” Tails asked.

“Shame on me, I do not wish to frighten! But only tonight, yes. So long as you do not play further pranks on any wild beasts in your travels, there is nothing you should fret between here and Smithwick.” Back was Búra’s warmth and comfort.

But the tenderness in her words did not curb their curiosity for her slight out of character moment and it was apparent on their faces. “Oh children, do not worry! I am afraid I might have said too much for anyone under my care for just a single night.” Búra looked over to a certain wall in the hut after her statement before looking back at Sonic and the others. Amy noticed this. “There is nothing to fear especially while you sleep comfortably here for the night.” There was no malice in her words or voice and the four knew it. Despite all this, Rouge was sitting up in the bed listening skeptically. “Now let me not delay, you lot must be hungry and tired and you likely soon wish to eat and rest.” She moved her attention back to prepping dinner for her guests.

She lit the small fire and let it burn for a bit. In the meantime she moved to a shelf ladened with jars and containers. She opened one of them and pulled out a still very rare hunk of meat. It was entirely coated in salt as the jar must have been filled with the granules for the purpose of preserving meat. “Be right back, going to wash this in the stream as the coals heat up.” She said and stepped out of the hut.

Amy moved over to the wall Búra briefly glanced at earlier and noticed many small game hides with drawings and etchings on them of faces of many Mobians, mostly young ones from children to young adults. There had to be about twenty of them.

The door swung open and Búra walked back in. “I see you’ve come across my cubs!” Búra said joyfully.

“They’re all your children?” Amy asked inquisitively.

“Not directly, no. But I consider them to be. You are not the first cubs to wander around here that I’ve taken care of and won’t be the last. But those are the ones who needed more than just a night of hospitality. Let me finish the meal and I will tell you about them!”

It was not long before the food was ready and Búra gave each of her guests a bowl of the meal she prepared. It was a thick medley of vegetables and chunks of meat in a broth. The meat was less cooked than what Sonic Amy Rouge and Tails would typically eat but it was very edible. They all sat around the hut and had many conversations. Sonic did not hide his tongue to divulge Búra in some of the stories of their adventure so far and the wolf was captivated through them all. Her hearty laughs at his jokes and clear interest in the stories gave them the sense that they were speaking to a distant relative they had not seen in a long time despite just meeting her. Búra too told them some of her tales and they listened intently as well.

After they had finished their meal, Amy asked about Búra’s ‘cubs’ again. Búra lit up with excitement. “Ah yes!” She stood up and moved over to the wall. They had forgotten how tall she was from their time sitting during their meal and was surprised that she didn’t have to duck and crouch in the hut even though the ceiling was much higher than any of the huts on South Island. “These are pictures of some of the youngins I took care of for long periods of time throughout the years. Some were merely lost, some unfortunately discarded that needed a mother until they were strong enough to venture out on their own.” There was deep admiration in her raspy voice. “Some even were not children, but wounded and injured people that needed help being brought back to health. I loved and cared for each of them and made these etchings to remember them by.”

“That’s very sweet.” Amy said sincerely, being touched by Búra’s call to care.

“Thank you! Each one of them I consider my cubs and each one I hold dear.” She continued. She was quick to retell some accounts of her ‘cubs’ and remembered in detail many aspects of those she cared for. She would go down the line and pick out a few to tell the group about them – their names, why they were brought in, how long they stayed with her and how long ago. With some of the accounts, they picked up that Búra must have been much older than she appeared to be, even older the Uncle Chuck and yet she still seemed like a mother mid-life.

She stopped and turned back to her guests. “Ah! I am so sorry for rambling.”

“No need to worry Búra, it seems you really loved them.” Rouge spoke up.

“That I do.”

“Have any of them come back to visit?” Amy asked.

“Aye! A good deal of them, mostly the ones I helped raise so to speak. Some of the older ones that came with wounds have moved on as I would expect them to but yes, a good deal of the others came back throughout the years. Was always good to see their faces and how their lives were treating them.”

“That’s a lot of people you’ve helped care for ma’am.” Tails observed.

“And there’s even more not on this wall; many young that passed through briefly like yourselves. But that’s enough of a wolf talking about her cubs. You all must be getting tired.” Búra said with a smile.

As if they had forgotten about their exhaustion from travelling and camping the past few days, they were suddenly reminded and each reignited their desire for good rest.

Rouge immediately stood up and moved over to the bed to sit on it. “I know I am.” She said. “We can’t thank you enough for hosting us Búra. I’ve longed for a nice bed each night.”

“I’m sure! I’m happy to provide.” She said warmly. But the tenderness was cut off by another brief change of her demeanor. Suddenly she groaned in discomfort and clenched her chest. “Oh.” She said simply. This brought concern to Sonic Amy Rouge and Tails. “It’s about that time I get going.” She said through a grunt. “Before I make my leave, is there anything you need? Feel free to grab any of the hides off the wall if you need extra warmth but the beds are primed for you as is.”

“I can’t think of anything Búra. Is everything alright?” Sonic asked concerned.

“Oh yes, don’t fret about me.” She answered as she moved toward the door. “Just rest up.” She grabbed a small pack and put it over her shoulder. “Any last needs before I go? Once I leave I won’t be back until morning and again I ask you to stay inside in that time.” Her leave seemed rather sudden but the group ensured her that they would be fine. “I will see you all in the morning! Sleep well.” She continued to speak warmly despite her clear discomfort.

She made her way out the door and closed it behind her. There were some noises heard as she did so that sounded like locks despite the primitive nature of the hut. Another noise was heard, as if something was being dragged outside, and then silence. The four looked around at each other unsure what to make of the matter but was still overtaken by her kindness and care, as well as tiredness and the desire to sleep in a comfortable bed, to investigate. They made their way to the beds and got comfortable. Sonic and Tails were in one and Amy and Rouge in the other and they quickly fell asleep.

…

At some time in the night, Tails awoken. He leaned up and could tell from the lack of light seeping through the door and the cracks of the hut that it was still late in the night. He rolled over to go back to sleep when he heard a deep growl off in the distance. It was so faint and far off that he wished Rouge was awake as she would be the only one of the group who could hear it better. He tried to ignore it and get back to sleep but just as he tried, he heard another growl and then a bone-chilling howl. His fur stood on end and he got out of bed instinctively. With there being no windows in the hut, he moved cautiously over to the door. With a shaking hand, he tried to push it open but was unable to. He tried to peer through some of the crack and saw not only was it locked but also blocked outside by a large log. With hesitation, he remembered the sincerity of Búra and trusted her words and moved back to the bed where exhaustion once again took over and he was back asleep.

…

Morning came and Tails was the first to rise. He had forgotten about the event from the night and got up to stretch. He made his way to a water container that was left out for them and took a good few drinks. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw Búra curled up sound asleep in her ‘bed’ in the corner. She was breathing deeply in her sleep and had no impression of waking up in that moment.

The others slowly awoke and followed almost in the same ritual as Tails did. He pointed out the sleeping wolf to the others and they spoke quietly for the time being. The door was clear and unlocked and they went outside to see what that day brung. It seemed to still be early morning but the sun was out and the land looked green and welcoming.

Not long after, Búra woke up. Her animalistic behaviors seemed more pronounced as she rolled around in her bed. She gave a bit of a groan as she stretched out and let out a hefty yawn. Her tongue extended far out of her mouth as her jaw snapped open and closed and one of her ears twitched a bit as she stood up.

“Good morning children.” She said. Her voice was tired and much raspier than before but the motherly warmth was still there. “Did you sleep well?”

“We did, thank you!” Rouge responded sounding very rejuvenated.

“Good to hear.”

Búra prepared a morning meal for her guests and they packed up ready for the next day of travel. Búra gave them some extra supplies and told them the best route to get to Smithwick. Sonic Amy Rouge and Tails gave her their sincerest thanks and Búra just looked happy to help. They said their goodbyes and made their way back toward the Green Hills and their next destination.

As they left her hut, Tails noticed paw prints in the ground that slowly got bigger as they went off down a different path. He wanted to follow them but knew they needed to get going. All the while, he remembered the growls and howl he heard in the night and couldn’t stop thinking about it. His mind was brought to an old tale he remembered hearing long ago, most likely from Uncle Chuck, about a wolf-like being called a faoladh. Traits of that tale seemed to mirror their encounter with Búra.

[chaos-societies]

ppl who celebrate fictional character birthdays are annoying pass it on

[chaos-societies]

Episode 7, The Spokes That Keep Turning

[x]

There was little light in the small entrance to a cave hundreds of miles from South Island. Chuck was crawling through the small passageway and already had stains of mud and dirt on both his clothes and his fur. He held upright a torch which limited his progress as he made his way deeper.

“You sure you didn’t want me to go first? I am a bit smaller.” A slightly high pitch voice came from behind him.

A smile arose on Chuck’s face. “Wasn’t it you who said whoever gets here first gets to go in first?”

“WaSn’T iT yOu WhO sAiD…shut up.” The girl answered back snarkily. Chuck just smiled.

He came across a small wall of rocks that seemed lose enough to dislodge. He reached his free arm as to his waist and pulled out a small hammer. He got as much leverage as he could in the tight space and began swinging at the wall. After a few hits the rocks seemed to loosen up and he kept swinging. Lo and behold, the small wall collapsed and he squeezed his way through.

He found himself in a massive cathedral. The sound of running water and the occasional drips of stalactites, giving portions of themselves to the pillars below in hopes that they would eventually meet to join the hanging columns, echoed through the chamber. He stood on a ledge and found he didn’t seem to need his torch as much as he thought as beauteous glowing crystals, larger than the tallest buildings in any village or city he had been to, were scattered all around. He didn’t dare extinguish the torch though as they had only succeeded in finding what the party of two were hoping to find. Only now would the exploring begin.

“By the lords…” He said as he gazed upon the sight.

His follower soon emerged from the tiny entrance and stood up to gaze upon the sight as well. “Whoa. It’s beautiful.” She said. The bluish tint of the natural light of the cave, coming from seemingly unnatural sources, washed away the green color of her fur. “So. I guess we found it.” Her awe was paused as she curled a smile and gave Chuck an elbow to the side. “Guess now that we found this place that means we’re forever cursed like the locals said.”

Chuck gave an ‘oof’ with the hit but had grinned at the joke anyway. “Come on, we only just found the cave. Now we got to find that crown. There may still be many curses that we have to look out for.” His partner rolled her eyes.

The two started making their way down to a ledge where there seemed to be enough footholds to climb down with relative ease. Working their way down, they appeared to be mere ants on a wall compared to the size of the vast open room.

…

[x]

“The cave was far to the northwest of the continent. It was bigger than anything I had seen or explored. I couldn’t imagine making a map of the place. I just made a crude trail on some parchment I had to make sure I got back out.” Chuck spoke to the gang as he dipped a biscuit in some black tea and took a bite. He continued. “There must have been miles of passageways, dozens of rooms and chambers that I was not able to investigate or explore. I ended up finding the crown in a crypt, deep in the cavern. I almost didn’t make it out; it was a very dangerous excursion.” His audience of the usual bunch listened intently. “Not being a greedy man, I had no means to keep the thing.” He let out a sigh and a small smile formed on his face. “Ah, I used to be quite the adventurer back in the day. I gave the crown to the archives in Westport. They have many safeguarded secrets in those archives and I still am confident in its safekeeping there.”

“Wow. Sir Charles, I didn’t know you were a treasure hunter.” Amy stated.

“I wouldn’t call myself a treasure hunter. More of a scholar. There just happens to be many scholarly relics of times of old that may be hidden about.”

“Did you go back into the cave to find anything else?” Sonic asked.

“I would have. Oh the wonders that must have been down there! When I went back, I found that a rockslide must have happened and the entrance, so small and hidden, taking me many hours of research and weeks to find, was covered up. It would take a massive crew to undergo the efforts to clear the rubble. No one other than those at the archives, and now you lot, know of what I found there and I find it best for that information to fade away.” He finished explaining.

“Do you think the other crowns were down there?” Tails asked.

“I don’t know. Possibly. But such things of great historical importance such as that are rarely in the same place. Would have made things much easier back then wouldn’t you say.” He answered with a chuckle to finish.

“So you want us to travel all the way across the continent?” Rouge asked a little unsure about the task if that be the case.

“Heavens no. At least…not quite yet. I hope things won’t come to that. But much of my research to find the crown was done in the library at Smithwick, beyond the Greater Area in the Green Hills. But that journey wouldn’t even make sense for you to go looking in old dusty books and then come back after not even knowing what to look for.” Chuck took off his glasses and looked away knowing what had to be done. “No…this next journey I may ask of you won’t be a simple errand. What I am hesitant to ask of you all, if you shall accept the task, I’m afraid may take you away from South Island for a while.”

“How long is a while?” Rouge asked.

“That depends. Weeks for sure. Maybe months.”

“How would we go about doing that?” Tails began to wonder.

“It won’t be easy. You’d have to do certain jobs here and there for tokens. Beyond Cap, I can’t guarantee a place to stay. And there will surely be many nights where you would have to set up a camp between cities in your travel.”

“You think we could take the Syphon to make things easier Tails?” Sonic turned to him to ask.

“I thought of that but it will surely need a good amount of maintenance on the way which I won’t have a means to do unless I am here usually. It can only do so much, I’d hate for us to come to an impasse and have to leave it somewhere, lose it, or it even break down where we can’t get it back up.” He explained.

“Why do we have to go out and do anything?” Rouge spoke up. “The way I see it, we had some kooks play a grotesque prank at Stark Ruins and now we’re chasing ghost stories. Do we really have to do anything?”

The room was a bit silent as Rouge had brought up a good point. There was no indication of apocalypse, there was no threat that they could tell, and other than some loose connections between pieces of mythology they had no reason to make any further action. But Chuck was smart and he wouldn’t be laying out the framework of such undertaking unless he deemed it necessary, and he definitely wouldn’t be asking them to put themselves in danger and leave South Island out of mere curiosity, despite it being embedded in the Cyan way of thinking. But there was another piece of evidence.

Chuck looked around at the lot and saw Amy shyly staring at the ground. “Amy.” He said warmly. “Do you wish to say something?”

She looked up at Chuck and knew he meant well. She could say no and that would be the end of it. But she felt something was awry. She knew answers needed to be found or else something horrible may come to pass. “I do.” She stood up to speak

“Amy?” Sonic said mostly as a reaction.

“I’ve…been having dreams lately. I know what it sounds like but. They have been…different. They aren’t some surreal haze that you forget about shortly after you wake up or even some fictional scenario or collection of events and memories. They have been clear and almost like a message. All of them foreboding.” She was timid at first but then her confidence overcame her. “They’ve been about the recent events, but because of recent events. In fact lately, they have been about recent events before they’ve transpired. Before we set off for Cap the second time, I dreamt of fire and flood devastating the land. Then we came across those runes about god and giants of fire and water in conflict. The gypsy in the street told me we were special. She knew I was having dreams and I hadn’t said a word to her at that time. I’m think something is about to happen and I think we need to act.”

The room was silent again. Finally Chuck spoke up. “Rouge, you have every right to be skeptical about this. I’m glad you are in fact. So many things can occupy your mind and if you don’t scrutinize them to really determine what they are for, you may succumb to falsehoods. Not at all am I ordering you to undertake this task, by any means. This is your choice.”

“When would you want us to leave?” Sonic asked.

“Not for a while. Before I send you off, I need to do much research and further study the Stair na Seacht to give you all the proper amount of information for your investigations and findings. That will give you time to prepare as well. Overall, so that you are not blind to my goals, I think we need to find the other crowns.”

“Do you expect me to join in on any of this?” Knuckles spoke up for the first time in this meeting.

“I’m afraid this concerns you, as well as anyone. But again, that choice is yours to make. You have your chapter of the Red Society on Angel Island to manage. I would never ask anyone to stray from their duties to their Society.” Chuck answered.

There were many wandering thoughts throughout the room. Yet none of them were spoken. “Can we have some time? Some time to think about it?” Tails asked coyly.

“Of course.” Chuck gave him a warming smile. “I am sorry to have burdened you with this request so suddenly. Go enjoy yourselves. Talk amongst yourself if you so please but rest your thoughts for now.” Slowly, they each got up and made their way out of Chuck’s hut. Once they were all gone, Chuck rubbed his eyes and placed his glasses back on his face. “Chaos have mercy.” He muttered.

…

“Up to the Green Hills. Oh I bet that’d be an awesome sight! Not to mention some great solid ground to stretch my legs. I don’t know about you all but I think I’m decided.” Sonic said enthusiastically as the group walked from Chuck’s hut.

“You won’t even need to do any convincing to give Sonic a chance for adventure.” Amy said almost in a derogatory manner if it wasn’t for the light admiration in her voice.

“Oh you know it!” Sonic responded as he pulled Amy close and gave her a kiss on the top of her head.

“I still don’t know about travelling hundreds of miles away on foot chasing fairy tales.” Rouge spoke up.

“Come on Rouge! Even if it’s for nothing, can you imagine the places and sights we’ll see? Something other than desert and this dusty old town? Don’t get me wrong, I love it here at South Island. But the world is much bigger than this corner of The Greater Area.” Sonic rebuked.

“Would you be joining us Knux if we decide to go?” Tails asked their pseudo-foreign friend.

He gave a huff and crossed his arms. “Why?”

“Why not!” Sonic answered back continuing his enthusiasm.

The echidna let out a sigh. “I have other things to worry about.”

“Oh? Like what.”

“Like my own island. Besides, you all have to learn to take care of yourselves. Can’t rely on me all the time to save your skins.”

“Oh har har har. You say that but we all know you enjoy our little scuffles, let alone our company.”

“Your company? Pfff, I need a break from your company on the regular!” He shouted back annoyed. “And IF I were to come along on your strange trek for some dead guys’ busted up crowns, I’d have to make it back to Angel Island regularly. Its trajectory goes along your path up north, depending on the time of year, and touches the Green Hills. I’d be coming and going often.”

“Sounds like you already thought it through.” Sonic said with a devilish grin. Knuckles looked over at him as Sonic gave a few raises of his eye brows which earned him a heavy shove from the Red.

The group came up to the tavern as Knuckles began to veer toward the road to the main bridge. “Well like Sir Charles said, we have some time to mull it over.” Amy stated. “Oh, are you heading out Knuckles?”

“I am. Someone’s got to make sure my goons up on Angel Island haven’t killed each other.”

“I’m sure Mighty does at good job keeping them in check.” Sonic added.

“Regardless, I’m looking forward to my own home again. I’ll see you in a few passings. Angel Island should be getting close.”

“See you around handsome.” Rouge called out to him. Knuckles threw his hand in the air in somewhat of a wave as he walked on. “I think he has the right idea though. I need my own place for a bit. I’ll see you all tomorrow.” And with that Rouge also departed the group.

…

“What do you mean, your turn? It’s MY hammock! If my ass is planted in it, it’s not leaving until I decide for it to.” Nack the weasel blurted out as he swung lazily in the breeze on a crudely made rope hammock. He flicked his wrist to ‘shoo’ off Bean, closed his eyes and went back to lounging.

“Kinda rude to make the decisions for your ass,” Bean began crawling on his hands and knees around the hammock. “I’m sure if you let it decide,” by now he was underneath Nack, “it’d want to go UP!” At that moment, Bean sprung up and sent Nack flying out of the hammock.

“Bean! I’m gonna kill you!”

Bark was sitting next to one of the trees used by the hammock, relaxing as well. Nack happen to land close to him so Bark quickly grabbed a hold of Nack’s handkerchief to hold him back from charging at Bean.

“Bark resting on bark, holding Nack back from attack!” Bean cheerfully called out as he swung his feet back and forth while sitting upright in the hammock.

Nack, now defeated as he surely wasn’t going to break free from Bark’s grip, crossed his arms to pout. “Bean, at least could you shut that beak of yours?”

“howms mhis?” He answered with a poor attempt at ventriloquism. Nack just sighed.

“Kn-Knuckles is b-b-back!” Ray came into the scene from above as he glided down to the group.

“Geez, it’s about time. The guy should just hand off the island to us with how little he seems to be up here now.” Nack commented.

Mighty strolled up. “Give him a break. He’s been alone up here for over half his life, if the guy wants to see the world and venture out a bit, he is more than deserving to do so.”

“But why the desert though? He always goes down there instead of anywhere else on the globe. He just wants to hang out in the dirt meanwhile it’s paradise up here! And let alone the treasure that’s supposedly up here.”

“Treasure you still haven’t found but are so sure is here?” Mighty taunted.

“Oh there’s treasure here. Heard it many times from people who see this hunk of land floating overhead.”

“And yet none of them have been up here?”

“Irrelevant. Every treasure hunter knows where there’s ruins there’s treasure.” Nack walked over to Bean as he was lying back in the hammock, whistling an odd tune. He flipped Bean out of the rope bed then quickly hopped back into it. “But nothing wrong with living the good life up here in the meantime.”

“Is he still talking about gold and riches?” Knuckles finally made his way up to the group. Bark just silently nodded his head. “I’ve told you, I’ve seen every inch of this island. The only treasure here is solitude and delicious fruit.”

“Maybe that’s the only treasure you care about.” Nack added.

“E-enough for me!” Ray said as he came down from a tree with a pear in his hands, taking a good sized bite from it.

“Ray, sounds like your speech is improving.” Knuckles said warmly as me moved over to another tree and gave it a hard smack with his fists earning a few fruit to fall from the tree. He tossed one to Bark, another to Mighty then took a bite of one for himself.

“I’ve b-b-been p-practicing!” The flying squirrel said excitedly.

Knuckles leaned over to Mighty and whispered. “Still no luck on jogging his memory about your village?”

“No. And at this point I’m starting to think it’s best if he doesn’t remember. He still is the same cheery optimistic guy but that event definitely traumatized him if it’s entirely blocked out from memory. It did something to him, other than give him that stutter that is. I feel for him.”

“Yeah. You’re a good guardian for him you know?”

“He’s like a little brother.” Mighty said with an endearing smile as he watched Ray devour the pear he came across.

“Heh, you two are like some others we know.”

“Sonic and Tails?”

“Yup. Speaking of them, some things went down not too long ago. They’re going to be venturing out up north at least to the Green Hills. I’ll probably be dropping down to join them quite frequently.” Knuckles explained.

“Nack has been getting a little irritant about your absence you know. It might be good to stay for a bit. The gang down there are tough cookies, I’m sure they can handle a lot of the journey themselves you know.” Mighty spoke his two cents.

“I know. But I’m thinking the crazy events that have surrounded their recent ventures are somehow connected to this place too. While I was down there, there were a lot of strange markings in some cavern north of Cap that matched some here in the ruins. Chuck called them runes and some other ancient markings that I have never seen up here before. Can’t remember the name. O-something he called them. I just…really want to know why I was alone up here and what happened to the others of my kind that used to live here.”

Mighty looked at Knuckles for a good bit and saw how him and Ray weren’t the only ones with some deep seeded issues about their past. Though his past was not a particularly great one, he at least knew his past. He decided to verbalize this to him. “I’ll support you buddy. Ray might not remember our village being ransacked, his parents being killed. But I do. It’s not comforting reflecting on it – that village took me in after I escaped that mad man’s experimentation – but I know where I came from and how I got here. I can’t imagine what it’d be like to not even know that.”

“Thanks.” Knuckles rested a hand on Mighty’s should briefly. “Oh, that reminds me. Amy was talking about some dreams she was having again. One of them mentioned a man with a manic laugh. Not going to lie, you don’t hear much about humans anymore. Not much left. But your captivity with that demented fool came to mind.” Knuckles explained.

“It would be horrifying if she’s having premonitions about the same guy. I will say…he did have a strange laugh that would haunt me for the rest of my life…”

[chaos-societies]

The Greater Area

The Greater Area is a large region in the southeast part of the world. Comprised mostly of desert and mountain, it is home to a few cities, namely Cap which is home to one of the seven great libraries of the world, Rockbase, Ardfield, and South Island that houses a village often referred to as ‘the haven of South Island.’ To the east is a large forest that is so dense, not many know what lies beyond its reaches. The vast West Sea borders the western side of The Greater Area and is known for turbulent dangerous waters that make it a hazard to cross even for the most skilled of seafaring peoples. Though the Kern Wasteland still stretches north on the east side of the Sléibhte Scáthaigh, the land west of the mountain range becomes more green and fertile as it marks the furthest edge of the Green Hill plains.

[chaos-societies]

Episode 6, The Seven Chaos Princes’ Crowns

Fire was burning all around. It was inescapable. The distant sound of rushing water was not of comfort however. Waves flooded the scene and there were no means of staying afloat. It became impossible to breathe. The shadow of a man was letting out hearty laughs all the while.

“Past…Future… ”

The words cut through the chaotic event. They were clear and soothing, but there was an air of concern in the voice.

“The plant for creation, the plant for destruction... They’re waiting for the controllers.”

A light began shining. It wasn’t clear where it came from but it was blinding. Suddenly there was no more drowning, no more inferno.

“The servers are the seven chaos…”

…

Amy’s eyes slowly creaked open as a ray of sunlight had slipped between the closed shades of the window and landed right upon her face. She rolled out of the sun’s piercing brightness and let out an accompanying grown. “Five more minutes…” She mumbled mindlessly.

After a decent bit, Amy moseyed out from the bedroom and joined Sonic who was already in the kitchen stirring up some breakfast. “Sleep well?”

Amy let out a yawn. “Yeah…” She said without much conviction.

“Oh come on Ames, don’t lie to me. You were tossing and turning all night!” He quickly flipped the contents of the skillet before placing it back down on the stove. He moved over to the table where Amy was sitting and slid a cup of coffee in front of her. “Tell me, what’s up. More dreams?”

“Yeah…” It seems that was as much of a response she was capable of at the moment, at least until she woke up more.

The two discussed them more over breakfast. Amy told Sonic how Chuck comforted her about these dreams of hers and she made sure to remember as much as she could in case anything from them came to fruition. She even wrote some of them down and started her own dream journal. The one from the night prior for sure being noted as the new voice was surely telling some important information about ‘creation’ and ‘destruction.’

The world outside was moist after a light rain during the early morning. The sun was out but clouds occasionally obscured it and gave the air a cool brisk feel to it. The two walked around the wood surrounding the main village. The faint sound of waves mixed with the rustling of leaves in the wind. The two came across a ring of mushrooms and made sure to go around lest walk through. They discussed many things, mostly around the speculation of the recent events – Stark Ruins, the library in Cap, their run-in with the Reds from Rockbase, Chuck’s concern something menacing was afoot. They pondered what could be; evil spirits coming for vengeance, a forewarning of death. Nothing of their speculation was of the positive nature.

Meanwhile, Chuck was reading more from the Stair na Seacht at his place of study in his hut. The cool moist air battled the warmer sun as the two took turns pouring in through the window overhead. Birds were singing outside and the ambiance added peace to Chuck’s focus.

“Come ere spires…blocking…light? Blocking sun?” He looked over to another book and scanned some pages, turning them with a slow pace as he searched the text. “North the South city of trade…” He stopped reading a moment and thought aloud, “The South city of trade…”

Chuck stopped and looked out the window to see the trees. He thought of anything to avoid what he knew was inevitable if he were to find out what mysteries were starting to reveal themselves. But his concern for what may transpire outweighed his desire to keep those closest to him from venturing out in the world outside the haven of South Island. He let out a heavy sigh.

Outside, Sonic and Amy were walking back from their excursion. Knuckles and Rouge were off talking under an oak tree. Tails was sitting around with his nose deep in another book of some sorts.

As Sonic and Amy came around to the main area of the village, Chuck walked out of his hut in good timing. He looked over at Sonic with a non-verbal message that he needed to speak with him. Sonic said some words to Amy and they split as Sonic walked to join his uncle.

“Sonny boy. Enjoy your morning?”

“So far, what’s up Chuck?”

“I’ve been reading and trying to decipher the Stair na Seacht. I haven’t gotten far but there is a passage that uncovered something nearby. It doesn’t say much but something close is much more manageable than anything if it may bring more clues to what may be going on.” He explained.

“Another adventure!?” Sonic asked enthusiastically.

Chuck smiled behind his bushy mustache. “I knew you’d take pleasure in the prospects of possibly another trek into the wild. Despite my concern for your well being.”

“Uncle Chuck, you’ve done so much for us here. And you know we can keep our own. If there is anything we can do to help out your research.”

“There is.” He said quickly. He began to walk and Sonic began to follow. “There is not a lot of definitive phrasing in the book. It’s almost entirely written in riddles it seems, although I can’t tell if that’s intentional or just so old that what it tries to describe and explain was based on limited information of the world at the time.”

“What kind of riddles?” Sonic asked inquisitively.

“Some of it is plane information…mostly lore and ancient beliefs and mythos. Other parts be like directions to pieces of a puzzle that it didn’t even intend to create. It’s got me arsed if I weren’t lying.”

“So what do you need from me?”

“You and the gang, don’t you forget. Not only do I fear this involve the lot of you, you all have a tight nit that surely come in handy in a pinch. I need you to go north again, to Cap and even a bit past. I will have to owe Eiméar more for your visit a second time but–”

Sonic took the chance to make jest, “She was kind but I think we may have put up a nerve on her while we were there.”

“Oh I’ve not a doubt you did you kook.”  Chuck answered with a chuckle. He got back to the topic at hand. “The book mentions a place. I think it refers to somewhere at the base of the Sléibhte Scáthaigh north of Cap. If you can’t find anything, don’t mingle about as it doesn’t define a precise location. But it talks about something there, a text or message of sorts. I couldn’t determine exactly. But it was under a chapter referring to the emergence of ancient calamities with the talks of fire and flood. I think it’s relevant based on the runes you saw at Stark Ruins. Might give some extra clues, whatever it is there referring to. And…it wouldn’t hurt to investigate as it will still take some time for me to study the book further.”

“Chuck, you know we’re your guys for the job!” Sonic said with a bounce of his words.

“Ha!” Chuck laughed a bit. “Oh I know you are lad.” His cheery tone at Sonic’s response faded back to emotions of concern as his deepest fear still lingered on his mind; the world could be consumed with darkness and he wouldn’t care so long as he knew Sonic and the rest of his friends and all those in South Island were safe from harm. But he knew there was much at stake and feared it directly involved those he was trying to protect. “Go grab your crew. I’ll let you all decide on when you want to make this journey. The last one was more trying on you than I had ever hoped it to be.”

With that, Sonic departed and bolted off to join the others. Tails was the first one he told as he wouldn’t even consider going anywhere without his best friend and ‘little bro’ as he says. Next was Amy who showed a fair share of concern but also intrigue at the prospect of uncovering more of the world’s secrets. Her dreams were definitely a factor in wanting to know more as well. Knuckles acted annoyed as he would with even the simplest of requests but took the opportunity to give Sonic some slagging saying he saved them last time and they could use his help. Rouge felt similar in the sense of watching out for the group, not so much in the poking fun at them part.

They decided to give it another day or so before heading out. Knuckles took this time to go back to Angel Island. Nack and Bean made jest on how Knuckles was leaving his own chapter of Reds for the Cyans but he was used to this with how much of his time was divided between the two factions of the two Societies. Mighty and Ray were supportive and wished him luck as they knew the dangers of the Greater Area since they too helped rescue the Cyans from their not-so-friendly Rockbase brothers and sisters on their journey back from Cap the last time. Bark was silent as ever.

The time came for the group to depart and was once again sent off by Chuck and Vanilla. The rabbit innkeeper, always the mother, even prepared another care package for them.

The journey to Cap was much like their first, uneventful. A good thing too. They arrived again in the market and were lucky no one remembered their faces based on their last scuffle with the locals. They are a rambunctious crew but were smart and learned quickly. They didn’t want to draw any attention or break out any of their ‘abilities’ as Chuck put it. But that didn’t stop their gaze at the goods and merchandise. Knuckles was particularly fascinated by the hustle of the city. He was too used to the quiet life of Angel Island – the village at South Island was sometimes even too much for him. He would moan and scoff at every Mobians that bumped into him which was a lot based on his larger stature as they walked through the crowded streets.

“Psst, miss.” A voice called out. Amy stopped and turned her head. “Yes you! Lovely pink quills you got.” An older lady called. “I ‘member the days my quills were so well kept. What’s your name lass?” The lady was an old hedgehog covered in a shroud and had many chains beads and pendants hanging from silver wire adorned on her head and shoulders. She had a few gemmed rings and long hanging earrings.

“Um… Amy?”

“Amy, lovely. Short for Amelia?” Amy didn’t respond and continued to stare inquisitively. She looked back at the group who stopped and noticed Amy fell behind. They stood with similar curious looks as to why she stopped. “Ah, no matter.” The gypsy continued. “I can tell you’re special.”

Amy turned back to the older hedgehog. “What?”

“Dreams is it?” Amy was stunned. “Come now, I only wish to help.” Her words were warm and sincere. Amy turned back to Sonic and the others and raised a finger for them to wait a moment for her. She slowly but cautiously followed the gypsy back behind her booth and into a small dwelling.

Amy passed many odd trinkets and oddities as she continued back. The place had a warm earthly glow to it and plants were all around in pots on the floor and hanging from the ceiling. Not too far back, as the place was rather small, the gypsy was sitting at a table. On the table was a cloth with a delicate design and repeating patterns. On top the cloth was a hookah.

“Aye, no need to be alarmed. Tis as much I can say for an old hag pulling a stranger off the street.” The lady said as Amy took a seat. The lady grabbed a hose from the hookah and drew in a large inhale of the substance. She offered it to Amy but she kindly shook her head mostly not even knowing what the thing was. “I saw your lot walk by and must say you are a peculiar bunch.”

“How so?” Amy asked, trying to keep as many words to herself.

“Strong energy coming from the lot of you. Not only that, I remember you all brought quite a stir to these parts a few moons back.” She explained. Amy’s curious yet cautious expression was washed away with a pang of fear. “No need to fret lass. I don’t mind a good show every once in a while. Just happy to catch your lot back through here. Now, last I wish is to intrude but you’ve got something on your mind, something heavy.”

“You seem to already know.”

“So you’re plagued by some dreams. Foreboding yet shrouded in obscurity. I have something to help.”

“Why?”

“Why what lassy?” The lady said as she took another toke of the hookah before standing up and walking over to a shelf full of odd pieces.

“Why are you helping me? If it’s tokens you’re after I don’t have much and am less willing to give them to you. I need them for other things.” Amy explained.

“Ah, though that’d be normally what I’d ask for. Not this time.” She came back with a small box and opened it up to reveal a deck of cards. “On the house this time. However if you ever stroll through and wish to take a gander at me lot then I’d be happy to fulfill those wishes.”

Amy took out the deck of cards and scanned through them. They weren’t any normal cards she had seen being played by the locals in the tavern or out in the street. They each had separate pictures on them, trees, symbols, imagery. “What are they?”

“Tarot cards my dear. To help you translate the messages the world sends you.” She sat back down and grabbed the hose of the hookah except did not take a drag just yet.

Amy continued to look through the cards but then turned to the gypsy with a raised brow. “You never really answered. Why do you want to help me?”

“As I said, I sense a great deal of energy coming from your crew. I sensed it back at your last visit and that was just from watching you tussle around with the street folk. I too have dreams sometimes. And I’ve been waiting to come across you all again. I believe I was told to help you and that is all. I don’t make it a habit to quarrel with the will of the world.” Finally she took a long drag from the hookah and whisked out a heavy cloud of vapor.

“Is…is there anything else you know?” Amy placed the cards back in the small box and rested her hands on it.

“It is not my place, nor yours, to ask questions to the ether. But only receive their answers. This was all I know about you and for both our sakes it may be better that way. Now, I’m sure your friends want to know where you slipped off to ey?”

Amy arose out from the lady’s dwelling to see everyone there waiting for her.

“Ames, what was that about?” Sonic asked.

“I…don’t really know.” Amy answered as she held the box in her hand. She slipped them away in her small pack.

“Probably just some desperate merchant trying to sell her something. Don’t fall to these guys’ scams there girl.” Rouge said as they all started to walk off. Meanwhile the gypsy peered out from behind a curtain in the only window of her home and watched with curiosity as they left.

They made it back to the library and walked in. It did not take long to find Eiméar again, slaving over the task of sorting the books in the magnificent study. “Hello Miss Eiméar.”

They were now back in her living quarters once again drinking tea as she set up for their short stay. “I knew I’d see yer lot soon but I shant have expected this soon.” Eiméar said as they sat. “That coot decided to have you bother me yet eh?”

“We won’t be staying long, no longer than last time. Just two nights.” Rouge explained kindly. “And we again appreciate your hospitality.”

“Well if that old hedgehog keeps his word I won’t complain. As long as you stay out of trouble this time ‘round, that clear?”

“We’ll keep to ourselves.” Rouge answered once more.

“And you got a new lad with you this time. What’s your name?” She said to Knuckles as he stood off to the side.

“The name’s Knuckles. It’s nice to meet you ma’am.”

“Knuckles, well geez, ah could have placed a bet on that one with those sluggers of yours.” She motioned down to his fists. “Another friend or are you some bodyguard of sorts.”

Knuckles smiled and glared over at Sonic to which he just rolled his eyes in response to Knuckles’ leer. “Maybe a bit of both.” Knuckles answered through a grin.

“Aye. Well, what be it dis time?”

“Chuck wants us to look at some place north of here. Said it should be at the base of the Sléibhte Scáthaigh.” Sonic stated.

“The Stair na Seacht is pretty cryptic Sir Charles says. But he said there may be something there that could fill in the gaps to his studies. Maybe in a cave or a hollow. Know of anything?” Amy asked.

“That I do. There’s an old cave I’ve been told up there with old carvings on the walls. Typically an old smugglers den so best be careful if yer plan to be ‘sploring any. Could that be it?”

“Possibly!” Tails answered. “Do you know anything else about the place?”

“Afraid not. Never been meself. Just heard ‘bout it. Not too far though and quite noticeable I’ve been told, but best go in the morning before the sun is past high. They don’t call em the mountains of shade for nothing.” She looked over at Knuckles again. “And best bring your bodyguard of sorts too. It’s abandoned I hear now but ya never know.”

The morning came quickly and the group set off to see this place. They initially ventured east to hit the base of the Sléibhte Scáthaigh and paralleled it north. There was nothing of particular interest for a good distance. They scanned out to the west in the open area before the mountains rose out from the land like towers but also checked directly at their base in case it was hidden before the sudden cliffs.

“Look!” Tails shouted as he was flying high above the rest for a better vantage. “I think I see something!” He zoomed down to their level and dropped down stirring up a little sand as he landed. “There is an outcropping of rocks and boulders not too far from here. Looks out of place, could be what we’re looking for.”

“Great job buddy! I’ll go ahead and scout it out to see and to make sure no one is around.” Before any objection from the crew Sonic sped off in the distance. It took not even a full minute for him to return. “I think he’s right! There is a sizable opening in the rocks. Didn’t see anyone around either.” Without another word he zoomed off again. Tails quickly sped off to join him. Knuckle and Amy ran as quick as they could in the looser ground and Rouge fluttered alongside them.

They reached the structure and saw it to be exactly as Sonic loosely described, a cave with an opening big enough for the tallest of Mobians to walk right in. They made their way down the entrance. Tails dug through his small pack and grabbed a flashlight. It flicked on and they ventured down. The light wasn’t entirely necessary however as a short bit past the entrance was the darkest part. Natural light began to illuminate the burrow through openings in the ceiling.

Soon they came into a decent sized room, one slightly bigger than any of their huts back at South Island. Closer to the hallway that was the entrance was some crates covered in sand and dust. They seemed abandoned and forgotten but the group took note not to stay long in case their owners made a return.

[x]

The sight beyond that was strange and mystical but beautiful. The light from the high sun poured down through the openings and glistened along the yellow and red rocky walls. It was surprisingly moist there and small puddles were scattered on the cave floor until they grew in size where they reached a small pool at the end of the cavern. The grotto there had two large very out of place trees arising from the pool. They arose tall through a large hole in the ceiling. They were amazed they couldn’t see the trees from outside but figured they may have been shielded by other taller rocks that jut out around the place.

One tree was an ash tree, forked into two halves. Intertwined with the ash tree was a white fir that rose up strong. In the pool were some reeds as well. The fact that all these trees were found in a cave was surprising. The water there must have softened the ground to make for a strong root system and the sun shining through must have been sufficient to keep the trees alive but the less than ideal environment surely stunted their growth.

“Hey guys, there’s something along the lines of what Chuck was thinking I think over here?” Knuckles was over by the wall and pointed to some carvings and etching there.

“Ogham!” Tails shouted as he and the others moved over to investigate. Sure enough, a series of lines with hatches and marks were all over the walls of the cave. There was too much scattered around to take note of all the etchings but they examined them nonetheless.

“Surely we won’t be able to write all these inscriptions down for Sir Charles, there are just too much!” Amy pointed out.

“He told me that more than often the writing was used more to inscribe names for memorials or markers for tribes and boundaries. There are a lot of random inscriptions. I don’t want to miss anything but maybe many of these are like that.” Tails said.

“Kind of like a ‘Sonic was here’ thing?” Sonic said half joking as he scratched his finger over some of the carvings.

Tails gave a chuckle. “Probably. Let’s try and see if anything sticks out.”

“There’s something over here.” Amy called out as she was over closer to the trees. “There seems to be more structure to these. Not only that…” She signaled everyone over, “runes!” There were only a few but the symbol ᚦ was followed by the laguz ᛚ that they knew from Stark Ruins. Then again with the first, followed by cen ᚳ and above both was the symbol ᚫ.

“There’s one on the tree too.” Rouge pointed out. On the white fir was an aged engraving, hardly made out but appeared to be another rune, ᛇ.

Surrounding the runes Amy found was a long vertical line of ogham inscriptions that appeared more like text than the others which just resembled single words.

“If anything let’s write these down for Sir Charles.” Amy suggested. They did so and stayed a little while taking more looks around. They wrote down things here and there that they thought might be of interest. The sun that illuminated the grotto was now passed and little light was shining through the ceiling. They took this as time to make their leave and head back to Eiméar. It was early afternoon and with how close to the Sléibhte Scáthaigh they were, the sun was already starting to fall behind the mountains to the east.

They made it back to Cap with no trouble and divulged to Eiméar what they had found. She again told them that though she was familiar with every text in the library, she wasn’t so familiar with all their context and that Chuck would know more. She also suggested Chuck hand them some transcript to readily read runes and ogham if they were to be out doing more of Chuck’s ‘research.’ They made sure to suggest the same to Chuck once they got back.

The day had past and they settled in their own ways for their trek the next day. Tails was running about in the library picking up and reading books of interest. Rouge dragged Knuckles to the market and they promised not to cause any trouble. Sonic and Amy were talking together over tea.

“So she just…gave these to you?” Sonic asked as Amy had the tarot cards sprawled out in front of her.

“Yeah, it was…odd. She said she knew we were special. Also recognized us from our fights in the market last time. She somehow knew I was having strange dreams. I couldn’t say no to taking them especially as a gift.” She explained.

“As long as they aren’t ‘cursed’ or something.” Sonic said in his typical manner of unserious humor.

“No, I think she was sincere. I just am not entirely sure how to go about using these things. There is a placard describing each of the cards but… it’s still a bit confusing.” She was focused hard on trying to remember the cards and their descriptions and the different meanings behind them and how to read them.

Later that evening Rouge and Knuckles returned and Tails was back with a tired brain. The crew went to sleep and awoke to get ready to travel back. They gave their regard to Eiméar once again and thanked her for her hospitality. She now was surer than ever she would see them again and this time expected it to be soon.

Thankfully the journey back was much less exciting than their last trip from Cap back to South Island. They made it home with enough time for Chuck to not grow any concern. He met with them at once on what they had found.

“After last time I was concerned about setting you out again but I guess you have proven that you don’t always run into trouble.” He said with a smirk.

“I told you we were the guys for the job!” Sonic said proudly.

Chuck shook his head lightheartedly. He looked at the notes they made for him and studied them. “You said these were carved in the wall of a grotto?”

“They were. It was weird, in the middle of the barren land north of Cap, here was this little cave with two large trees growing in the rock!” Amy exclaimed.

“Two trees huh?”

“Yeah, an ash and a white fir were growing together. Some reeds too in the pond surrounding them.” Tails continued to explain.

“An ash tree, a white fir and reeds…?” Chuck seemed interested.

“Yeah. And then a BUNCH of ogham inscriptions on the wall.” Sonic spoke up. “Too much for us to write but Tails said you said most of ogham was used for names and markers so we only wrote down a few. But there was one in particular.”

Chuck cut him off. “The one by the runes?”

“That’s the one.”

“Hmm…” Chuck started stroking his mustache as he did when in deep thought. “Cen and laguz like you saw at Stark. And what seems to be thurisaz before them and ansuz above them.”

“Yeeaahhh… Sure.” Sonic said unfamiliar with the seemingly foreign language his uncle was speaking.

“There was another carved into the fir. It was faded but it should be there on the notes too.” Rouge added.

“Ihwaz.” Chuck said all the while writing down his own notes and flipping through a book in doing so. The group sat patient and with intrigue, with the exception of Knuckles who was in the corner chewing on a stalk of grass. “Interesting…” He said aloud as he continued to investigate.

It took a moment before he finished up and turned back to the group. All of their ears perked up simultaneously with interest at what he had to say. “The thurisaz is a rune meaning giants or strong ones, often in association with a conflict. Ansuz quite literally meaning ‘the gods’ and you already are familiar with cen and laguz, fire and water. So these tell me something about giants or gods of fire and water, possibly in some conflict.” He looked up at Amy as he and her were likely thinking the same thing – her dreams seemed to show some stalemate battle between the two forces. He continued, “And the ogham, seacht anord flaith coróin. Seven Chaos Prince Crown.”

“Seven chaos prince crown? I mean, I get the first half Chuck.” Sonic called out.

“There is an old legend saying the Lords of Seven each wore a crown that had a different shard of chaos bestowed upon them. I don’t know much more beyond that in terms of their significance. But these Lords were said to have immense power.” He answered.

“And the rest of the ogham? Any more hints from that old dead language?” Tails insisted on knowing more.

“Hmf,” Chuck scoffed, “dead language. It’s not just dead, and much less a language in the way we use the common tongue. It’s ancient. Found only in old text about ancient times and myths. I had forgotten entirely about it until you came across it at Stark Ruins. But you were right in that it seems the other inscriptions were nothing more than names and markers. An ‘I was here’ kind of thing.”

“Ha! I knew it.” Sonic said gleefully as he was softly elbowing Amy.

“Shh!” She shushed him so Chuck could continue.

“Why was the ogham in Stark in the common tongue then? And also the rune in the tree?” Rouge asked.

“Ah, well that is another mystery. Maybe whatever forces did that horrific deed at Stark knew who ever would stumble across it would only know the common tongue. But then again, why even make it ogham…” He said more so as a question to himself. “As for the tree, it was ihwaz or yew. Odd to label the tree as if anyone wouldn’t recognize the kind of tree it was. But the yew and even the ihwaz was a symbol in lore of death and resurrection.”

“From Chaos comes creation and creation ends with destruction.” Amy muttered.

“Yes, but creation also come from destruction.” Chuck mused. “And endless cycle of death and rebirth. You should all know this from our,” Chuck and Knuckles made brief eye contact, “from your respective ceremonies. One of the few beliefs all Societies have in common.”

“What of those crowns you mentioned?” Knuckles finally spoke up. Though stoic as he liked to be, he couldn’t help but also be intrigued by the information.

“I think there might be more to them than just ornamental pieces associated to folklore. I only know of one currently in existence and even then there is speculation on whether it is in fact one of the Lord’s crowns or just an ancient artifact from a time long passed. Last I heard it lay locked away in secret in a museum in the city of Westport, many many hundreds of miles from here.” Chuck further explained.

“If it’s locked away in secret, how do you know of this thing?” Sonic asked.

“Because I’m the one that found it.” They all froze in perplexion. “But that is a story for another time. I will need to read the Stair na Seacht more to see if this trail of crumbs is worth following. Go get a pint of gat at the tavern and rest up from your journey. I’ll let you know if I uncover anything of worth.” They all got up and moved out the door. “Amy, a word if you don’t mind dear.”

Amy looked at Sonic and he gave her a shrug. She’d join them shortly. Chuck moved over to the sink and began washing his hands. “I know you and I are both thinking similar thoughts.” He finished rinsing his hands and turned to further explain. “Whether from ancient myths or omens of future, your dreams are connected to this vast riddle we’ve been investigating and exploring. Fire and flood…” He paused, “I fear something of the sorts may come to transpire. And a human you said?” Amy nodded. “I think we need to find these ‘crowns’ before whatever man in your dreams does.”

[chaos-societies]

Episode 5, Back In The Homestead

The float on the end of Knuckles’ fishing line bobbed up and down gently among the small ripples of water. He was lounging back on an oak tree next to a rocky ledge above the water with one leg resting on the knee of the other. His fishing rod was tactically positioned between his legs so that he could feel the tugs from any bite he might get while he rested, eyes closed and chewing on stalks of grass.

“I figured you’d be somewhere all alone.” Rouge spoke up from nearby. Knuckles opened a single eye, otherwise not reacting to her presence. “You spend all your time alone up on that floating island and when you are here you just spend more time alone.” She continued as she came over and sat next to him.

“You all had a rough day or two. Didn’t want to disturb you guys.” He answered, again barely moving or acknowledging her existence.

“Nothing we haven’t handled before.” Rouge rested her head on his shoulder and began twirling her fingers between some stalks of tall grass.

“So the old man had you go all the way to Cap for some book? Must be a big deal for you to be attacked for it.” This time, both Knuckles’ eyes opened as he looked over to Rouge.

“Something weird is going on and Chuck wants to look into some old dusty ancient history for some answers.” She huffed. “Your desert red buddies just happened to catch us with something they thought of use.” She said flicking some bangs hair beside her face.

Knuckles grumbled. “I’ve told you, I have nothing to do with those guys. They’d probably do the same to me or Mighty.” He growled.

Rouge smirked. She loved seeing him all worked up. “Oh I know I know. Besides, that run in might have been good. Apparently some man is looking for people like Sonic and Tails…and you for a matter of fact. Good to know we need to be extra careful watching our backs.”

“Like us?”

“Found out, outside our two little peculiar corners of the world, Mobians with ‘abilities’ is a bit of a rare occurrence. Sonic with his speed, Tails and his …well tails, and you. Goodness, you’re probably the oddest of us all!” She gave a light chuckle.

Knuckles took a second to process it all. His contact with others was so limited he couldn’t understand what anyone would want to do with them other than pick up little tussles and fights like the Rockbase Reds or even some Reds from his chapter up on Angel Island. But the latter is more for friendly banter than anything else. “Did you come over here to just to pick on me?”

“As much as I’d like that to be the case, Sir Charles wants to see us.”

…

“Alright, unless anyone else left we should all be here by now.” Rouge said as she entered Chuck’s hut with Knuckles following behind her. Chuck was washing his hands in the sink while Amy Tails and Sonic were sitting around. Amy was drinking some tea and Sonic’s foot was subconsciously tapping the floor in a rapid rhythm that the others seems to ignore as it surely was not done of his own cognition rather than just reflex.

“Good.” Chuck said as he turned off the water and shook his hands for a moment before drying them on a towel on the rack. “Now, I’m going to get right off and say that I don’t really have any further answers for you all. The Stair na Seacht is in rough condition and is written in words and grammar not particularly used anymore. Many notes and parts are in other and older languages.” Chuck wiped his hands further on his vest. “On top of that, there is more symbolism in it than I recall when I gazed upon it last many many years ago and it will take some time before I make any sound conclusions.”

“So no ghosts are coming to drag us to the underworld or anything?” Sonic asked with a façade of words to give the illusion he was cool and calm. But the truth was he was concerned and never ceased to get chills whenever he recalled his visit to Stark Ruins that day.

“Heh.” Chuck smiled. “No sonny boy. No ghosts. But… I’m afraid something is happening and the fact that I’m not sure what or how it plays into all of this makes me concerned for your safety. Out of everything in my life, that is my upmost concern.” His tone dropped to a fatherly tone that the group had often heard before. “I was both angry and terrified when you were late last evening. But the moment I saw all of you in one piece, a little battered yes, but together and well I was filled with joy as I am every time I see you come over that bridge from the Greater Area. I want you all to be a little more attentive while out and about.”

“Surely you don’t mean me as well?” Knuckles asked with arms crossed, wondering why he was here with everyone.

“I do.” Chuck’s mustache twitched a little. “The Rockbase Reds attacked you saying someone was looking for people of your sorts. I’m not sure why things became so dangerous overnight but I take it you saw some shifted eyes in Cap while you all went about as you normally do.” The group looked around and nodded as they in fact did. Even Eiméar made note of their ‘abilities’. “You are all special in very unique ways. I’ve known this and the entire town has known this for so long. But we are a haven who watches out for each other, for our friends and family. To everyone here, you are just as normal as everyone else. But we are not a normal community here in South Island. It pains me to say, most of the world is not as friendly or as caring as each and every person who has found safety on this island. If someone out there is looking for you all, for malice or not I don’t know; it is best to remain vigilant and on guard. Which includes you Knuckles.”

The echidna was humbly silenced a bit. His arms remained crossed and his face was still stern and slightly pouty but there was a reason he still came around South Island and Chuck spelled out that reason accurately.

…

Later that night, the gang was hanging around the tavern as they tended to do. Inside a group was on the stage livening up the place with some music. Sonic was on his guitar, Tails on the whistle, Craig was on the bodhran and Mina was singing. Amy Rouge Knuckles and Mighty were at a table conversing and Mrs. Mongoose was tending to the tables. Chuck was in the back relaxing and enjoying the high spirit of the place. Vanilla came to enjoy the social life as well and she let Cream run around the place with some of her friends too, Ray was playing as well. Vanilla, always looking to lend a helping hand, offered Mrs. Mongoose some help which she gladly accepted.

The song the band was playing just ended and the tavern gave their applause. “Thanks everyone! We’re glad to have Sonic and Tails back. And of course they had to go get themselves all roughed up.” She looked back and gave the two a wink. “But them, Rouge and Amy as well are back safe. We’re going to take a short break but we’ll be back soon enough.”

Sonic and Tails moved to the already full table of their friends and pulled up two more chairs to even further crowd the spot. “Didn’t take long for you two to get back into the swing of normalcy I see.” Rouge commented as Sonic gave Amy a quick kiss before taking a swig of his drink.

“Not much to bog us down right buddy?” Sonic held out his fist which Tails responded with a fist bump.

“So, you plan to run around the Greater Area on the regular still?” Rouge asked.

“You know nothing can stop my feet from moving.” Sonic said with a friendly wince.

“Sonic, please. We need to be careful!” Amy said concerned but knew her words couldn’t keep him from running around freely.

“Don’t worry, with you all by our sides no one has a chance shaking us up.” He answered.

“Except when you need saving by Mighty and me.” Knuckles jested.

“A one off chance I’m sure.” Sonic shrugged.

Their conversation continued as normal as a group of three came in the door of the tavern. A mongoose name Ash and two of his cohorts. They came up to the bar where Mina was working behind the counter to help her mother before they took the stage again. She glared at him. “I’m hoping you’re only looking for some brews and not any trouble Ash.”

“Brews, yes. Trouble, only if you bring it.” He said coldly. “Three.” He said as Mina turned to pour them some beer. Ash and Mina were once a couple, often taking the stage together to perform rather than with Sonic Tails and Craig. They had a falling apart and both have been bitter to each other ever since. But despite their past, the three are still residents of South Island and thus are still part of the communal family. Both sides have been decent at remaining civilized.

Mina swung back around and placed the drinks in front of the three. Ash slapped down the tokens for all three for the first round.

Things moved smoothly during that time, groups of people enjoying themselves and their respective company while the noise and chatter of the tavern added to the ambience. A decent couple of minutes had passed before Mina walked over to Sonic and Tails to let them know she was ready to hit the stage again. The two stood up and from across the room, Craig stood up to leave his group of friends to also join.

As they did, Ash and his group walked up to the stage. The two with Ash picked up a spare set of strings and a violin. Mina confronted them. “Ash, what the hell do you think you are doing?”

“Me and the boys wanted to play a little something. It’s been a bit since we’ve hit this stage. You remember those times don’t you?” He stated.

“I try and forget.” Mina snapped back at him, causing a smug grin to form on Ash’s face.

“How about a little play off? Some jigs between your group and mine? Figure it could be fun.” Mina looked back at Sonic Tails and Craig. They each shrugged in indifference. “That fine with you?”

“I appreciate you asking first. One would almost think you had some manners. Let’s go boy.” Mina said as she walked up to the microphone, directing her attention at the rest of the bar now. “Got a little something we’re going to try out up here. A bit of a dueling act between my group and Ash’s here. Hopefully it will run smoothly. Let’s kick this off!”

Ash’s group started off first and began playing a set of chords. Sonic Tails and Craig joined in and matched their chordset. The pace was relatively quick and in good timing and rhythm, Ash stepped up to the microphone. All players switched to a background melody as the vocals were about to take the lead.

"Mina Mina, you were a girl oh so fair. I heard your voice and saw your eyes I couldn't help but stare."

Mina stepped up to chime in as the two improvised the collaboration with words aimed to take shots at each other.

"You were just a kid stealing drinks from the bar, I knew you were trouble, don't know why I fell so far."

Ash waved his hand to signal to his group of musicians and they changed the pace. Mina’s group kept up seamlessly.

"We used to sing our songs all night."Ash started off.

"Right before we'd start a fight." Mina then gave her addition.

"Shots of whiskey and pints of beer," Back to Ash now.

"That's all that got us through that year."

Mina gave the final line and the chorus was established. The song again took another slight change. The two groups of players bounced off each other’s lead so well one would think the entire song was previously coordinated instead of the spontaneous performance that it was.

"You brought me home I was drunk as a mule!" Ash kicked off the second verse.

"You puked all over my good gown I got just that yule. You apologized and I felt bad; a symbol of our love." Mina continued.

"But remember you came back to me, said I was a gift from above."

Since the chorus and sequence of chords for the verse was previously established, the improvising led to a set rhythm. Both Ash and Mina began singing their chorus together.

"We used to sing our songs all night. Right before we'd start a fight. Shots of whiskey and pints of beer, that's all that got us through that year."

The same post-chorus interlude played between Ash’s group, Sonic Tails and Craig. Then the verse again, now started off by Mina.

"I had some friends that you thought were too close."

"I never said those words you know, I knew you were my rose. But your thorns stabbed me again and again."

"I hoped you would change your ways but that added to the pain."

One of Ash’s groupmembers jumped in and gave an unexpected extension to the verse. The rest of the performers rolled with it.

"A pain you so willingly passed on to Ash!" He shouted.

"Shut your dirty mouth boy it wasn't you I asked. He had another girl the same time as me." Mina spat back.

"And you didn't hesitate to love equally as freely." Ash joined back in to conclude the new verse and bring back the regular pacing of the song.

"We used to sing our songs all night. Right before we'd start a fight. Shots of whiskey and pints of beer, that's all that got us through that year."

Ash went on to sing the next verse alone.

"It's a shame that things had ended so poorly. My only regret is to get out so forcibly. It would have been nice to end on a smile. One coated in acceptance instead of denial."

Mina now sang her verse.

"I know I had mistakes, the same as you, We're both shy of demented, we've both lost some screws. But crazy doesn't fix broken, And my hand's a little warmer now that it you aren't holding."

The two bands slowed down together with impeccable synchronization. The chords were the same as the chorus as they gave signal to conclude the improvised piece.

"We used to sing our songs all night... Right before we'd start a fight... Shots of whiskey and pints of beer... That's all that got us through that year..."

The two groups ended the song and Mina and Ash stood glaring angrily at each other. The bar clapped at the dueling performance as what was emotion and expression for the two singers, was entertainment for the rest of the tavern. Ash took a drink of his beer, never breaking eye contact with Mina, as him and his group moved off the stage now that their fun was over.

The rest of the evening at the tavern was a much more low key than the excitement of the dueling duet. Slowly but surely the bar crowd started to thin out until all that was left was Mina and her mother, stacking chairs and wiping down the tables.

…

“There is room at the inn. You and your kits can stay there until we work with the rest of the village to accommodate your stay. There may not be many whites that have passed through or stayed here but you are welcome nonetheless. If you need anything, assistance, supplies, anything for your own individual societal needs come find me okay?” Chuck said to a rabbit outside his hut. She was visibly tired and behind the tears forming in her eyes, it was clear she hadn’t slept peacefully for many nights. She was holding hands with a young child as he sucked on his thumb and a sleeping newborn was swaddled in a cloth that draped over her back. Chuck placed his hand on her shoulder and gave her an endearing smile.

“I- I can’t thank you enough.” She said wiping her tears away with her free hand. “I don’t know how to repay you for your kindness!”

“No payment is necessary.” His mustache remained curled upward as he never dropped his smile. She turned and headed toward the inn and was on her way.

Not too far off, Amy was standing there waiting for them to finish their discussion. She was not waiting long and felt no need to interrupt. As she walked off, Chuck remained stationary and Amy approached.

“Sir Charles, do you have a minute?” She said as she walked up.

“Of course deary. I was just welcoming a new villager. What is it you need?”

They walked into Chuck’s hut. Amy took a seat and Charles offered her some tea. He hadn’t put any water on so she politely declined to save him the trouble.

“I wanted to seek your opinion on, well…a dream I had last night. I know you entertain my thoughts on my dreams more than the others.” She explained.

“Sure.” He nodded.

“It’s just– I really believe sometimes they are telling me something. They always have! I can recall so many dreams that ended up being premonitions that came true.”

“You don’t need to justify anything Ms. Rose. Now what was this dream about?”

“Well…Fire. Fire and flood. It was strange but the two forces seemed to be battling each other. Meanwhile the world was suffering in the devastation. I saw seven lights too. They seemed to be simultaneously helping the two forces but also trying to subdue them. I couldn’t make much of it. But I awoke with fear and dread. I’m concerned it was an omen of some kind.”

Chuck sat there thinking for a while. He slowly got up and moved to the kitchen where he proceeded to wash his hands. “I believe you are right. I too have been getting strange feelings of many trials that are to come.” He explained. “Do you have any further interpretation of your dreams?” He turned and moved to sit back next to Amy.

“No. I’m not sure what to make of this one. But I know there is great significance, I just know it!” She said with concern.

“I’m afraid I’m not sure what to make of it either. Fire and water. These were the basis of the symbols Sonic and Tails found at Stark Ruins. And I’m sure you’ve already concluded that the seven lights must be representative of the seven Chaos Societies.”

“I have.”

“I will keep all this mind. But Amy one thing is for sure, something is coming. I need you and the others to be on your toes and to stay strong for whatever may come. Continue to listen to your dreams, you have a great gift my dear. They may not make sense now but in time they may.”

“Time…” Amy mumbled.

“What was that?”

“There was…something else in my dream.” Chuck sat patiently listening. “I saw a man. A human. And though there was nothing connecting him to the rest of the dream, I felt an estranged away of time being part of this.”

Chuck sat there thinking. Nothing was coming to mind but he took note of it all regardless.

Start | Previous | Next | End

[chaos-societies]

After God knows how long, I've been reinspired to pick this back up. Not that it got anywhere fan/support wise. But I have a story I want to tell in case even just one person listens to it.

[chaos-societies]

Please put your texts under readmore it's too much in the tag

I do put all of them with the "read more" option. Unfortunately I've noticed that function fails with mobile sometimes, not just for my blog but in the Tumblr app all around. I apologize if that's the case but I've done all I can on my end.

[chaos-societies]

Episode 4, Freaks in Foreign Lands

Sonic walked into the back room that Rouge led him to. There he saw Tails and Amy sitting at a table with a cup of tea each. Eiméar was there and got two more cups ready for him and Rouge. They took a seat next to the two others of their party and Eiméar placed their tea in front of them before sitting as well.

Sonic was curious with the bandicoot’s sudden change of heart and opened his mouth to speak but before he could get any words out she spoke up first. “So yer uncle is doing more digging about the ancient legends of Mobius eh? Won’t lead him to any less trouble than he’s already found,” Sonic glanced over at Tails with a cocked brow, “but if that’s his business I’ll leave him to it I will. I can house ya for the night and the next in the meantime.” She took a sip of her tea and continued. “I will need to wrap the Stair na Seacht and prep it for yer to deliver it to’m. Unfortunately dat means I won’t be letting the lot of yer to take any gander at it. I trust him with the book though not a whole lot else, but seeing as I just met ya I feel safer if it’s kept sealed.”

“We understand Miss Eiméar.” Rouge said kindly.

“Ah, see the old man brought you up with manners did he? Just call me Eiméar. Save yer some time and talk.”

“Of course Eims.” Sonic took the liberty to take the formalities even further away. Eiméar chuckled at the retort.

About this time, Tails let out a yawn and the face he had after showed just how deeply exhausted they were and ready for rest. “I’ll go and prep the back study for yer to sleep in tonight. The trek from South Island be made in two days if there be a decent stop between. Would take a fool to not see yer exhaustion.”

She departed and came back just in time for them all to have finished their tea. Eiméar ushered them up and showed them an extra room further beyond her own. In the hallway to it, they walked past a large tapestry. It was a strange and old looking piece with a poem in the middle and strange pictures and symbols in the borders around it. Sonic stopped and looked up at it.

“In the days of old when the Chaos roamed free, The world was wild, dark and queer.

The Lords of Seven, with their wisdom did see, That reckoning was coming near.

To conjure their strength they were wrought with might, Destruction erupted from their summit.

They split and roved on the eve of the fight, As the world into turmoil did plummet.

What forged their ways and nothing more, The colours of power they should have feared.

Yet here we stand with time at our door, Their voices are silent, their lessons we sneered.

Forsaken are we as the world pass us by, But alas the truth that survives time’s fly...

                               The Societies make sure this world does not die.”

“Eims.” Sonic called out. “What’s this?”

She strolled up with a candlestick in hand. “Ah!” She sighed. “A gift from me brother. Always knew I was keen for all things old and dusty. Wouldn’t tell me where he found it, but dat’s cuz’ I know he didn’t if you get my words.”

“What are these symbols?” Sonic asked and pointed to one of the tapestry’s corners as the symbol was in each, circled by artistic knots and tangles. It was the same symbol he saw at Stark Ruins before Tails called him over except here on the cloth hanging from the wall they were colored blue and red.

“Ancient runes of a different history than yours or I’s. Laguz and Cen by their proper names, water and fire to be said in loose translation. Many ancient markings depicted water and fire as the creator and destroyer. But the odd thing is, it never separates which is which as both water and fire creates and both water and fire destroys.” She saw how intrigued he was and thought he might stand there for hours before letting his companions rest so she spoke once more to try and budge him. “But me guesses it simply relates to common mythological tales of water and fire combining to create land. Come, yer friends are tired.” At this, Sonic slowly walked away but not before stealing another glance or two at the odd wall piece.

…

The next day started late for Sonic and his gang as they were more tired than they even thought themselves. It was late morning before they got up. Him Tails and Amy were in a tangled mess of blankets on the floor with a thick rug as a cushion. Rouge was lounged on a small couch by the wall. A small tray of trinkets and tea was on a little table and likely had been there a bit as the tea was now cold. Sonic got up and drank some anyway to help ease away the sleepiness.

Each taking their own time to get up and awake, Sonic Tails Amy and Rouge made their way through Eiméar’s back chambers and to the main library. Seeing as the bandicoot was nowhere to be found they decided to look around town a bit more as they did not have the chance to do so after arriving in Cap.

Venturing mostly just to see more of what an actual city was like, and straying from certain residential alleys to avoid confrontation of aggressive members of different Societies, they took off the main roads and followed the signs that were about.

Well past mid-day and they came across the marketplace that they originally entered, now taking the time to look around at the merchandise. Amy found a trendy yet practical belt she could use. It had a few loops and hidden pouches for small items if need be but because of how it was made and fastened around the hips no one could guess it other than just a regular belt. Tails saw some nifty tools he imagined could make some of his tinkering easier and purchased wisely one or two that he could afford with his tokens in hand. Sonic simply stood by a food vendor and ate his fill of chili dogs.

[x]

Rouge was looking around when she heard a shout from behind. “That’s the witch that stole from me!” She turned around to see the man from the day before. He was surrounded by two others with anger on their faces. They slowly approached her and shoved through the unsuspecting persons who got too close in their way. Rouge stood her ground.

“Ah, I’m glad you’re here. I’m looking for some of the finest jewelry someone in Cap could find.” She taunted him.

“Nuh-uh miss. I think you already took some.” He stopped in front of her. The two beside him cracked their knuckles in the most cliché fashion.

“Who’s to say I’m not looking for more?” She said mockingly aghast. The two henchmen approached her to grab her arms. One was quicker and as soon as he gripped her forearm she twisted it and with her other hand grabbed the man’s wrist. Simultaneously she flung a knee into the gut of the other man as she twisted the arm that grabbed her into a sprain.

The two men were stunned and fell to their knees while the original assailant shouted, “Get her!” Two more men came out from the crowd, in hand with makeshift melee weapons found on the street. Without a chance to go after Rouge however, they were jumped by Sonic and Tails.

Sonic would throw a punch at his foe then dash behind him and stick his tongue out. He’d quickly dodge a strike then dash around again and give his opponent another strike. Tails swooped down from above and dropped his foot down on the neck of the one he was after.

Amy was quick to jump in as well and stood by Rouge as the two that went down were now back on their feet. Their easy takedown enticed their rage and they both sprinted toward Amy and Rouge with a shout. Rouge would use her wings to give her an extra boost to flutter around and dodge the swings taken at her. Amy too was quick to dodge and gave a swinging kick at opportune moments.

By now the market place had opened up a circle for the brawl going on right now. It was obvious the audience were in awe at the seemingly strange powers of the apparent outsiders. A flying fox, a speedy hedgehog, and two other skillful fighters all able to take on with ease opponents twice, and in Tails’ case, three times their size.

Occasionally switching opponents and even teaming up, the gang was able to throw down their enemies which left just the original instigator. Looking around at the aftermath of the fight he turned tail and fled.

The circle of an audience, still buzzing about the impressive spectacle, slowly fizzled back into a crowd set on making purchases and sales. It was then Eiméar showed up, pushing her way through the weaving bodies of townfolk. “By the old Lords, you four are even more trouble than dat old coot that sent ya!” She was noticeably angry but also awestruck as her eyes were wide and her mouth was left ajar. She grabbed the first two hands she could reach which happened to be Sonic and Rouge’s and tugged them away. “I leave for a bit and find yer causing trouble with freakish abilities.” Tails and Amy followed Sonic and Rouge as they were being hauled away by their host.

…

[x]

At Eiméar’s resident chambers in the back of the library, the gang were again sitting around the table they first spoke with Eiméar at the night prior. The sun was fading and there was a dying glow just before dusk overpowered the day. “I should bar yer from dinner due to the commotion ya caused back there.” She spoke to them as she worked toward finishing her cooking for said dinner. “But still a host I am though I might regret it.”

“It wasn’t us that started it Eims.” Sonic called out.

“But no restraint in finishing it eh?” She turned to them and gave each their meal. She sat with them and surveyed the four as they ate. It was a little while before she spoke up again. “How’d you to get those strange abilities anyhow?”

“Abilities?” Amy questioned.

“Speed so swift yer almost unseen,” she thrust her finger at Sonic, “you,” now giving Tails the attention, “I seen some odd mutations and tend to overlook them but you put yer two tails to flight!” She then came back to Amy. “And I only saw you two fight but if I had any sense about me you two got something too!”

Sonic shrugged as they each never really took note of their abnormal capabilities. Even the residents at South Island never drew attention to it as it just seemed normal for the four. “We all just kind of… always had these abilities as you say.” He answered. “Sure, we’ve gotten better at them in time I guess. But this isn’t strange to us.”

Eiméar continued to study them through squinted eyes. “Interesting…” She remained frozen in thought as she looked them over then drew focus on her own dinner trying to not act suspicious of them. “Well it be strange to the lot of us regular folk.”

The rest of the meal was relatively silent. Pleasantries and small talk was passed around but once they all were finished eating Eiméar cleared the table and got some tea for them (she sure loved tea).

“I think we’ll be making sure tonight we have everything set for our journey back tomorrow. Do you have the book prepped for us?” Sonic asked.

“I do.” Eiméar answered. “I can get that to you here shortly.”

“We really do appreciate it Miss Eiméar.” Rouge said as she set down her teacup with a ‘clink’.

It was then Sonic thought of something, for he had many questions about his and Tails’ encounter at Stark Ruins and suddenly became restless and eager for answers. “I know you said we can’t handle the book ourselves and you already have it prepped for us, but as I assume you read my uncle’s letter and know what was found at Stark Ruins. Do you mind telling us what you might think we saw?”

“I suppose it to be fair.” She answered and took another sip of her tea. “But I’m afraid I do not know much more than what I’m sure yer uncle had told you already.”

“But aren’t you the librarian here?” Amy asked.

“Young lass, I’m a librarian yes. I can tell ya the name of every book in dis place and where to find it. But the contents of them all, I do not know. I know about the ancient myths and legends as any blaggard on the street might. But tis Charles who has seen many with his own eyes.” She looked around the table and saw many raised brows and cocked heads. “Well, ask away.”

There was a short pause as they started to gather their thoughts. “Well, to start, Chuck hinted it wasn’t done by anyone around South Island to knock us. He said there was something evil going on but–”

“But yer not the superstitious type are ye?” Eiméar finished his thoughts. Sonic shook his head. “Well I’ll tell yer now, whether be it supernatural or at the hands of other Mobians it surely was evil. The Reds at Rockbase that I know bug the lot of yer down at South Island won’t stoop so low and the bandits dat turned Stark from an outpost to ruins have long moved on. So whoever or whatever dug up all the resting bones there did so out of malice.”

“So there was a motive for it?” Amy asked.

“I don’t have a doubt ‘bout dat. But I don’t suspect it involves the haven or its dead… not directly.”

“Then what do you suspect?” Rouge chipped in.

“Not confident enough am I nor knowledgeable just yet to say, less I give false lead. I only found out of this event yesterday eve anyway. But I stand by me words of it not directly involving the deceased dat was upheaved.”

Tails now spoke up. “Sir Charles mentioned ‘Chaos’ being spelt out with seven marks for the seven Societies. Something like that seems almost too vague to mean anything – it’s just the Chaos Societies. But why was it in Ogham, a dead language? I tried to find any significance to that language in some of the books here.”

“Ogham is dead for sure and for dat reason alone is why the message is not as vague as you may think. But unfortunately that answer may have to wait until Charles studies the Stair na Seacht.”

“It seems like most of what we want to know will have to come from Chuck.” Rouge exclaimed a bit impatience at the roundabout of responses that got them nowhere.

“I am the librarian, the custodian of scholarship. Charles is the scholar.” Eiméar smiled.

“Just one last thing.” Sonic asked. All the eyes shifted to him as he had a humble and serious tone. “I forgot to mention it to Chuck and I’m not sure if he came across it… But before Tails found the bones I found something etched on a wall.” He looked up at the bandicoot as she cocked her head slightly with interest. “The laguz and cen that was on that tapestry. It was there too.”

Eiméar scoffed. “Well lad, dat is something you should have remembered to tell yer uncle. He mentioned no such thing in his letter and that is a valuable piece to this puzzle.”

“How so?”

“Cen, laguz. Tine agus uisce. Fire and water… Creator and Destroyer. What is one of the few things each Society has in common? What do we all say before each ceremony?” She asked for their participation.

“From Chaos comes creation…” The four stated slowly and simultaneously.

“And creation ends with destruction.” Eiméar finished. With those words a strange chill ran through the spine of all of them at the table. “I’m terrified you may have come across a terrible terrible omen at Stark Ruins.” A hollow feeling of dread passed over them in an instant and just as quick as it arrived, it fled.

No further words were spoken until their tea ran either dry or cold. They finally got up to retire for the night before their long journey back to South Island in the morning.

…

Just like two days prior, they were all up before sunrise and even a bit earlier for they did not want to miss the curfew that Chuck put out for them. They had a heavy breakfast and set out before the streets got busy – they had seen enough action in them each time they walked through them and this time they didn’t need a delay.

Eiméar sent them off, “I’d say good riddance to be rid of yer. But I don’t doubt we will see each other again real soon.”

They made it over the bridge and back to the large wetland of that mossy weed. Dew was thick on the plants as the sky showed signs of the rising sun off to the west (unlike the worlds of yours or I’s, the sun rises west over Mobius and sets east).

“We never did find out what this stuff is or what it may be used for did we?” Tails noticed as he bent down and plucked some of the plants up for himself. He stuffed some in his pockets to study later and maybe find out the answer to his question in one of his books back at South Island.

They made good time in the start of their journey under the solid ground but the nice fresh air above the marshy wetlands dissipated as they headed south. The sun was warm and the green slowly turned back to sandy brown. They walked further and came across the clúdach they stopped at previously but arrived much earlier than they had two days prior. They knew they would be moving much slower after the checkpoint due to the loose sand and tall dunes but it was not quite late enough for their lunch and they feared if they ate now they would be dreadfully hungry later. They decided to keep moving and attempt to eat on the leeward side of a dune when they felt time to do so to hopefully avoid being sandblasted from the winds during their meal.

Another hour passed and they were weary of the journey already. On the way north to Cap, they were greeted with better sights than the dry desert shortly after stopping at the clúdach shade and it invigorated them. Now, they knew there would be nothing but heat sand and sun until they saw the peak of The Lookout far off in the distance which was their only signal that they were close to home.

[x]

The four looked out far in front of them and with the heat that diffracted the light and made the horizon appear fluid and wavy, they thought they saw dark shapes. They seemed to be approaching them as they got bigger and clearer. It wasn’t until they saw small puffs of smoke coming from behind the objects and they heard the distant rumble of engines that they knew what they were looking at. Trouble.

“Chaos damn, Rockbase Reds! Hide!” Sonic shouted as the group tried to disperse themselves across the dunes, burying themselves as much as they could to avoid being spotted. Being a lot smaller than the buggies, they hoped they weren’t already seen and that they would not be noticed half under the sand at the trough of the dunes as they zoomed by.

Silently and anxiously they waited as the noisy vehicles got louder and nearer. Their whooping and shouting echoed as the front few leaped over the top of a dune and became airborne only momentarily before landing and speeding off. The next few came as well and followed suit. Turning away, the front few sped off not noticing Sonic Tails Amy or Rouge, buried nearby.

Most had moved on but they could still hear a few coming by. Suddenly they heard a few loud ‘pops’ and ‘bangs’ which Tails immediately recognized the sound as engine backfires. The impaired buggy was on them and tried to jump the same dune as the others had but with the bad engine, it barely flew and landed oddly, toppling down and rolled. The buggy that followed the toppled one saw it and swerved back to help out their comrades.

“I told you not to come out with us with that bad engine Rory!” One of them shouted as he hopped off his now parked buggy to help flip the toppled one. “You fools alright under there?”

The two under the flipped buggy coughed but answered back they were fine save some sand in their mouth and eyes.

The hearts of the hiding gang were beating real fast right now as they could hear how close the troublesome Reds were to them. They could only hope the wind wouldn’t betray them and blow away some of the sand that covered them. But hope wasn’t enough.

“Hey, you see that over there?” One of them shouted.

“Yeah, looks like something’s buried.” They came up to the gang and kicked one of them with their foot. It happened to be Tails and he let out a grunt and his two tails twitched up out of the sand. “I don’t believe it!” One shouted as he reached down and grabbed Tails by his namesake and lifted him out of the sand. “It’s the South Island Cyan twerps! Call the rest back over, we’re going to have some fun!”

Another of the Reds chuckled loudly as he ran to his vehicle and grabbed a radio that was in it. By now, with no need to keep hiding, Sonic sprung out from under the sand and quickly dashed over to the one that held Tails. Sonic leapt as far as he could with the soft sand beneath his feet and coiled into a spiky ball to smack the Red. With a heavy ‘oof’ he released Tails and Amy and Rouge revealed themselves too.

Sonic reached out a hand to help his buddy up as Amy and Rouge came by their sides. Almost instantly, the loud roar of engines seemed to surround them from all directions until they encircled the four. They were outnumbered three to one.

“Well well well. Looks like it’s you all wandering around in our turf now.” Said what must have been the frontman of the group; the same rabbit that Chuck fended off the day of Tails’ induction. “And no guarded island to protect you too.” He laughed a bit. He walked toward them with a baton in one hand, raising it then smacking it down in the palm of his other. The four got close and put their backs together, clenching their fists ready to defend themselves.

“Hurry up and let’s have at it. Beat and bruised, we still got to get back tonight.” Sonic shouted.

“Oh? Sneaking out further than that old geezer lets you? He overlooked the group and saw their packs, big enough to not be just out in the Greater Area trotting around for the day. “No. The old guy sent you to do something. Why don’t you empty your packs and show us what you got?” He let out a toothy grin while slinging his club over his shoulder.

“Why don’t you make us.” Amy called out.

“Oh we intend to. You heard the lass! We’ve just been invited to have some fun.” He moved closer at a slow pace but the rest of them moved in quicker and began to attack. The four dropped their packs, knowing they couldn’t fight well with them on, and they squared up.

First off were about four of them to jump in. Rouge fluttered up and twirled to kick with one foot but it was dodged. Fortunately for someone who can take flight, she could remain airborne while she spun her other foot to kick as well. It was more successful but was still blocked on the forearm of her opponent. It was a badger she was fighting and he was stockier than her. He quickly grabbed her foot and tugged her back to the ground. She didn’t realize how tired she was from the half day of travelling and she hit the ground with a thud. The Red swung his foot back to kick her but she rolled out of the way.

When Amy was assaulted by her opponent, another rabbit, she jumped up and kicked her in the gut which sent her back but she quickly rebounded and charged at Amy again. Amy tried to hit her again but the rabbit learned quickly and ducked under her foot and gave her a swift uppercut which only made it to Amy’s side. She was flung back but turned on a swivel and tossed a well placed fist on the face of her assailant.

Another badger went after Tails and unfortunately for him, she was larger than he was and used her brutish characteristics to just absorb anything Tails swung at her. He never fully took flight with his tails but used them to lift him or quickly direct him away to dodge her strikes.

Sonic was handling them a bit more effectively than the rest of his gang and had already taken out two with his speed and spin dashes. He was on his third which he recognized as the one who grabbed Tails out of the sand earlier as he must have already recouped from Sonic’s earlier hit.

Rouge was finally able to land a heavy kick to her attacker which knocked him out cold while Amy was still working on her opponent. Tails was getting a decent bit handed to him but he managed to surprise the badger as he and Amy swapped opponents. Amy blindsided the badger and knocked her out with a fist to the jaw.

Tails was not as fortunate as Amy and the speed of the rabbit he now faced had proved to be too much for him in his travel-weary state and she knock him down hard. Sonic had noticed this and called out to his best friend which proved devastating as, now distracted, he was socked in the gut knocking the wind out of him.

Rouge moved onto another but the exhaustion from wandering in the desert for half a day was too much and she became sluggish. Once a hit was landed on her, another quickly followed and then another until she fell back gassed.

Amy too quickly became exhausted and was taken down. Sonic got back to his feet as the rabbit frontman approached him with a swing of his club. Sonic jumped up and bounced behind but the rabbit swung again and Sonic was forced to dodge instead of making an offense.

While he squared up with the rabbit, he was suddenly hit in the back with another club; one of them was playing dirty and struck him while he was focused on another opponent. The main rabbit then drew his club back and slammed it across Sonic’s face, knocking him back onto the ground. He slid a bit in the sand next to the other three that were beaten down and Amy quickly grabbed him and shook him to ensure he was still conscious.

“Well, there you have it. It seems we just made you. Now empty the packs.” The frontman said as he again slapped the club in the palm of his hand except now part of it was crimson with blood as Sonic’s face already was swelling up and his brow was busted open.

As Sonic lay in the arms of Amy as she squatted down to hold him, he flung his fingers toward the packs. Slowly and easily, the four put down their bags and empty them. Some extra clothes and cloths and unfortunately their lunch were all quickly snagged up by their captors. “There, can you leave us be now?” Rouge proposed.

“Not likely sweetheart.” The bunny flashed a wink and Rouge fumed. She was about to get back to fighting but Amy stopped her. He then turned back to Sonic. “Something else be in that bag of yours.”

“It’s empty.” Sonic answered through gritted teeth.

“Not likely.” He snapped his fingers and two of his cronies walked over to get the last pack and they reached inside and found the Stair na Seacht swaddled in packaging. “Well this looks like something important!” He gave a hefty laugh and a few of the others around joined in the taunts. “As if finally being rid of you freaks wouldn’t be a prize enough, it seems we found another.”

“Finally being…” Tails said softly out loud as a means to process the statement amongst his tired state. “Surely you’re not going to kill us are you?” He asked.

“Ha! No. We won’t. But see, we got word that an odd man is out looking for anyone with freaky powers like you all. As if a man in general wasn’t a rarity, a smart one must be a gem! Heard he wants to ‘study’ you all. And you know what happens to lab rats don’t you?” As the rabbit made his statement, one of his cohorts mockingly put his hands around his own neck and acted like he was being choked. A few of the others around chuckled. “So it’s only a matter of time I suppose.”

The sun was then quickly blotted out and everyone around looked up to see that Angel Island was passing off tens of thousands of feet above them. Since this wasn’t anything strange to them, they continued with their business except relished in the godsend that was shade in the desert.

“Well we ought to be heading back. Got to figure out what you so kindly delivered to us!” He laughed but quickly stopped as a strange whistle was heard. It lasted only a second or two when suddenly a huge blast happened right next to their parked buggies. Sand was flung high into the sky from the blast and they all shielded themselves from the dust and sand.

Some of the Reds went to investigate and found a crater in the sand where it seemed a red ball had made impact. They really started to question it when it moved and two yellow ears popped out from groves in the ball.

Their bewilderment ceased when the ball bounced up and unfurled to reveal it was Mighty the Armadillo. He out stretched his arms and jumped up to the rim of his impact crater and quickly slung a fist into one of the Rockbase Reds, sending him yards into the air where he made a much smaller impact crater on the other side of the dune upon landing.

Soon after Knuckles and Ray the Flying Squirrel twirled down and landed on a Red each, stomping them into the sand. Sonic took advantage of the frontman’s distraction and curled up to throw himself at him to strike him down.

[x]

Everything was once again in disarray as the brawl started up again. But with the three reinforcements and the surprise aerial strike it was not long before it became an even fight.

At one point in the fighting, Sonic and Tails found themselves back to back. “Chuck’s going to hate us if we end up even getting back after this shite!” He swung a fist at his foe and twirled to kick him away. “Not only that, we don’t have a hope to outrun these guys.”

Tails stopped for a second before getting an idea. “Sonic, I need you to cover me! I’m going to sabotage some of their buggies. Even if we just take out a few of them, they’d use the remainder to get back to Rockbase instead of chasing us.”

“That’s my buddy!” Sonic shouted with pride. “I’ve got your back.”

Tails used his tails to propel off to the group of buggies while Sonic slowly fell back to follow him while still handling some of the enemy Reds.

The frontman was facing off now with Knuckles. Every swing of his club was stopped by Knuckles’ fists or forearms which seemed to not even faze the echidna. “You’re a damn traitor you know that!” He spat angrily.

Knuckles just smirked. “I don’t know what you are talking about, I’m the lead Red of the Angel Island Chapter.”

“Yet you’d fight your brothers and sisters for these freaks?”

At that, Knuckles caught the tip of the baton mid swing and used his other fist to punch through the wooden melee weapon, splinters sent into the air. “Except I’m a ‘freak’ too.” Knuckles then sent a spiked glove into the gut of the rabbit which sent him back before landing flat on his back.

Knuckles turned to still see them outnumbered. He caught glance of Rouge and she shouted out to him that they needed to get out of there. Knuckles then turned to see Tails under the hood of some of the buggies. Sonic was making sure no one was getting close and at one point signaled over to Amy who came at his request. He saw Sonic hand her a few small objects and she put it in what appeared to be small satchels attached to her belt. He realized what was happening and called Mighty over to him.

“What do you need?” Mighty asked as he made his way to Knuckles.

“How far do you think you can throw Amy Rose and Rouge?” Knuckles asked.

Mighty turned and studying the two for a moment before coming to a conclusion. “100 yards, at least.”

“Perfect, get over to Sonic and tell him you’re going to get them out of here on his call. Make sure you send them south!”

“You got it boss! Ray, follow me!” With that he ran over to Sonic while Knuckles continued to fend off foes.

Meanwhile Tails seemed to have finished his task. “That should be enough.” He said handing over to Sonic what must have been spark plugs.

“Should be the last of them Amy!” Sonic shouted as he tossed the last spark plug Tails gave him to Amy and she tucked it in a pocket on her belt.

By now Mighty came up to them and told them of Knuckles’ orders. “I think Knuckles realized what you all were doing. He told me to send off Amy and Rouge a long way south. Sonic, you can dash that way in an instant and Ray can fly there. From there we can keep trucking until we get far enough out of these bastards’ reach.”

Sonic stood for a moment processing what was told to him. “Nice!” He responded once it all clicked. “Alright, let’s do it to it. What about you and Knux though?”

“Well I was hoping Tails could assist in flying me over to you all. And Knux? He can handle himself.” Mighty answered.

“Wait, how are you going to ‘send off’ Rouge and I?” Amy asked.

“I’m going to toss you.” Mighty said with a straight face.

“What?!” She responded back aghast.

Mighty smiled, “You might know me. But I take it you’ve never seen me in action.” The armadillo pitched a glance at Sonic and got a chuckle from him in return.

“Trust him Amy. But Mighty, do throw Rouge first. Her wings will help both herself and Amy on landing.”

With that, Mighty nodded and moved over to Rouge who was also nearby and overheard the plan. “If you don’t mind miss?” He beckoned to her.

“I do. But make it quick and get me out of here.” She answered as Mighty took a strong grip on her clothes, one hand near her collar and the other around her waist. He twirled around twice or thrice before letting go and launching her much further than he estimated. She soared through the air nearly 200 yards off and before hitting the ground she gained a bit of control and flapped her wings to land comfortable on her feet.

She was panting heavily from all that happened and so quickly too but her rest was short lived as she heard the faint screams of Amy as she rocketed her direction. Quickly, Rouge flew up in the air and tried to catch the hedgehog. Unfortunately for both of them, there was too much momentum and the bat merely broke Amy’s fall. “I’m going to KILL him!” Amy shouted as she got up and dusted off the sand.

[x]

Shortly after, Sonic bolted over and Ray and Tails, carrying Mighty, were seen flying over in the sky. They all looked off where the rest of the Reds were, the ones that hadn’t been beaten down in the brawl, and they stood atop a hill in the distance. Many of them were screaming and shaking their fists. A few bolted back most likely to try and start up their buggies but they would soon find they were unable to do so.

The gang sat only for a moment to catch their breath. Amy looked down at her belt and took out the spark plugs Tails removed from their buggies. “Guess this purchase already is proving to be a good one.”

“I can say the same for these bad boys.” Tails replied while shaking a few tools in his hand.

Just then a spot in the ground started to give. The sand then bulged up and Knuckles popped out of the ground. He remained half buried with his chest and arms above ground and shook off the dirt that was on his head. “Nice to see you all in one place.” He then turned his head to Mighty. “Great aim!”

“Give me your hand friend!” Sonic extended his arm to help Knuckles out of his hole. The dried blood on his face had attracted a decent amount of sand and his swollen eye looked even worse in time.

“I’m surprised to learn your face could get even more ugly.” Knuckles toyed with Sonic as he was hoisted to his feet.

“Hardy har har.” Sonic said with a lighthearted smile.

“Oh! I think you all forgot this.” Knuckles quickly turned around and from his underground entrance pulled out the Stair na Seacht still bound and not damaged at all.

“Knuckles you’re a lifesaver!” Amy exclaimed and jumped for joy, temporarily forgetting her anger at Sonic for allowing her to be literally thrown a tenth a mile through the air.

“I appreciate it but we better keep moving. There are a dozen Reds pissed at us and like it’s said about us Reds, ‘one’s energy is not to be taken granted.’ They could very well still take pursuit.”

So they all started to head south back on their way to South Island. To much of their dismay, Sonic Tails Amy and Rouge were going to have to travel the remaining number of miles in the desert with no further food as what they had was left back with their packs. But they were just glad to still have the book they promised to deliver.

Knuckles told them how he saw the Rockbase desert Reds from Angel Island because of the dust their buggies were spinning up and when they all turned around then stopped, he knew something was up. Figured the only reason they’d stop their dune jumping fun was if they ran into someone and it was likely Sonic and his crew; a conclusion that turned out to be very accurate. Sonic then informed Knuckles on what he and Tails saw at Stark Ruins and how Chuck had sent them to Cap to get the book and thanked him again for retrieving it in their fly of a flee.

Since they came from Cap, Knuckles asked if they plucked any ‘Mage’s Moss’ on their way down. He said it was a medicinal herb that helped with swelling and clotting as Sonic’s eye was nearly swollen shut at that point. Tails reached into his pocket to pull out the moss he grabbed and Knuckles inspected it. Unfortunately for Sonic, it was not quite mature enough to do any good but Tails was glad to at least learn the weed’s purpose. If he ever went back he’d have to learn how to distinguish mature Mage’s Moss as it could be of great aid.

The gang was nearly two hours behind schedule by then and with how beaten up and tired they were, surely another hour would be added at bare minimum before they arrived back at South Island.

When they finally did arrive a total of four hours behind their planned arrival time, Chuck was there waiting for them ready to berate them despite being very concerned at their tardy. But one glance at them in the beaten state and any plans to do any berating wilted as he greeted them with joy and relief. He called for Vanilla to come and aid their injuries and gave them each some gargle, even Tails, to ease their tired and troubled bodies from their trek.

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[chaos-societies]

It is bloody terrible I haven’t updated yet...especially since I’ve had all the time in the world to do so but have just been doing other things. I swear I will get it up soon but unfortunately I will become awfully busy again and updates, well, might be at the pace they’ve normally been but yeah, that’s just kind of where I’m at.

Episode is coming soon...

[chaos-societies]

The portion of The Greater Area surrounding South Island.

Here is a map of a corner of the Greater Area mostly associated with South Island. This is likely what Tails had on his way to Cap which is just outside the northern bounds of this chart. 

The Greater Area is what’s regarded as the large open and mostly desert land to the southeast of the Mobius continent/world. Being so vast, it is often split into different segments when talked about as a whole. Many of the depicted objects are not to scale in relation to each other but general distances would likely be accurate. Not labeled is the actual name for the large canyon in the northeast corner and the Sléibhte Scáthaigh which is the mountain range that starts at Rockbase and runs due north for hundreds of miles out of the Greater Area.

Only partly content with how this turned out. I’m working already on a map of the Greater Area in it’s entirety so hopefully it will be a bit of an improvement compared to this one. But if not, it’s all for fun anyway eh?

[chaos-societies]

Hi! I'm really liking this headcanon so far! And I can't wait to see what else you have planned. When did you start with this project? And if I can ask, when are yo going to continue?

Whoa! Sorry for the late response here..not sure when this was asked but holy smokes I really appreciate it!

And, I will say I have a lot planned. Actually the reason I never really fully abandoned this project just kind of put it on the farthest of back burners instead. I had the idea for this a while back, maybe years ago, in the form of an original piece but the more I thought about it, the more it fit better as a strange sonic au haha. And seeing as I’m not exactly new to fanfics for that fandom I went with it.

But as you can see I am continuing it still and have some of the next episode written as well. I’ve updated a few things like the cover photo (still wip obviously) as my art skills are slowly becoming bearable and am close to finishing portions of a map that will continue to expand as the gang advance on their adventure.

[chaos-societies]

In the works...

Mentioned I’m working out a few original pieces of music for themes and such and I’ve made progress on those.

However, I also have small area maps that I am/will be making (and conjoining as the gang further explore) to help with some of the landmarks and terra of this AU. I will try to get a map of The Greater Area out before the next episode.

[chaos-societies]

Episode 3, The Journey to Cap

Sonic Tails Amy and Rouge sat around the outside of the tavern just as they had earlier the day before. Weariness from the craic of Tails’ Induction being all spent, each had a glass in hand – even Tails though being nearly two ages too young. Mina was able to sneak him one as she waited the tables that evening.

“I’m telling you all,” Sonic said to close the conversation they were having, “it was the strangest thing I had ever felt.” He left it at that but in thought went into more detail. Into detail about how the moment he saw those bones arranged so, he was chilled to the core but his flesh burned with instinct to run. How he exhaled what seemed like for a moment his last breath. How he felt like three worlds, past present and future imploded into a moment that left him frozen in time and space.

Tails swirled his drink around a bit, staring at the small bubbles of foam that clung to the glass at the wakes of the alcoholic ripples he was making. He took another nervous sip all the while looking around to ensure no one but his friends saw him do so. “Same thing for me; I don’t think I had ever felt such a cold loneliness.”

The group fell to a sorrowful silence. There was not really any way to follow up the conversation without being abrasive about it. Luckily and with convenient timing, Chuck had walked down the main road of the village. As soon as Sonic and Tails returned from the Stark Ruins and informed him of their findings he decided to set out himself to take a look. However it being so late the previous day he waited until morn. His grim and pale face upon his return did not comfort the two but they were anxious to hear what he had to say.

“Come on Tails,” Sonic said just before downing the rest of his drink. He continued with a small bubble of carbonation in the back of his throat, “let’s go see what he’s got to say!” He put his mouth in the pit of his elbow to conceal the small burp that was forming before speeding off. Tails followed in his wake with the same actions but coughed and gagged a bit after chugging the remaining contents of his glass as he was still not as used to it. He slammed down the cup and with his fluttering tails spinning up dirt behind him he zoomed to Chuck’s hut behind his friend.

“Well I guess that’s that. Surely they’ll fill us in.” Rouge said raising her drink to her lips.

“Yeah.” Amy sounded a tad down. “Call it a gut feeling but,” she paused momentarily, “I don’t like what may come of this.”

“What do you mean?” Rouge asked.

…

Tails and Sonic sat quietly as Chuck paced back and forth in his hut. There was a strange tension in the air as they anxiously waited for the old hedgehog to speak as not yet had he done so in the few minutes since they arrived.

“Chaos.”

Sonic and Tails’ ears perked at the breach of silence. “Chaos?” They stated close to simultaneously.

“That’s what is spelt out by the arrangement of bones you saw.” Chuck peered down at a little paper with the design from the ruins etched onto it. “It’s Ogham. An ancient alphabet not used in at least a millennium and by much older civilizations than what was around back then. As for the seven marks surrounding it I can only assume it means for the Seven Societies. But–” He scratched behind his quills. “–there is no reason for anyone to do this. It is pointless. And yet,” he paused again, “not sure I am if anyone actually did this.” Chuck looked back at the two as they lingered in curiosity on every word that dripped from his mouth. “I felt the same eeriness when I went to investigate after you told me what you saw. There is evil at work here.” He turned to the kitchen sink and washed his hands.

“Come on Uncle Chuck,” Sonic broke from his enthralled attention to a more down to earth stance and continued, “you saying some ‘evil magic forces’ are playing pranks on us? How do we know those damn desert Reds didn’t just want to spook us?” He didn’t believe his own words – but still wished them to be true.

Chuck didn’t verbalize the answer he had to Sonic’s inquiry but yet spoke only what he knew needed to be done. He turned to them. “There is a library in Cap, just north of the Greater Area. There’s a book there about the ancient legends and myths of the Lords of Seven. It is old and frail and not to be borrowed by the public but I have read it. I know the librarian well and she will surely heed my request for it. I want you two to retrieve it.”

“Wait…” Sonic stood up, a thrilled expression on his face. “You’re asking us to venture past the Greater Area?!”

Chuck took off his specs and cleaned the lenses on the worn vest he was wearing. He sighed, “The short answer is yes.”

Sonic jumped up enthusiastically with a fist tossed in the air. He turned to Tails who by now was also on his feet showing a bit of excitement, though not near as much as Sonic. They high fived before Chuck spoke loud and stern, stopping their celebration and bringing them back to attention. “But listen still to the long answer!” He put the glasses back on his face and turned to them. His mustache furled up then back down as he drew in and out a heavy breath. “You both know damn well why I normally forbid you to go far out of the village. You kids wandering out in the Greater Area is something I am still nervous about and it took me a year before allowing you all to do even that. Both your parents were victims of this world’s hatred and I will not let you to fall victim to it as well.

“Cap is just outside of the Greater Area and some would even argue that. The only reason you are going is because there is less dangers on the path north and I have great concern for the reason behind the vandalism at Stark Ruins. You will go to Cap, you will talk to no one, you will go straight to the library and get that book. If you leave before first light the trip up can be made in a day,” he shot a slight glare at Sonic, “at a normal pace. Eiméar the bandicoot is the librarian there. She will house you for the nights. I will prepare a letter for her and adjoin it with the sketches I made from the ruins. Same rules apply for your return. Stay in Cap only one day mostly to rest between the journeys to and fro. If you do not make it back eve of the third day, I will know you either hit trouble,” he tossed a finger at the two of them, “or you didn’t listen and found yourselves detoured.” He paused and stared to ensure the notion sank in. “Either way, I will send out a group if you do not return on time.”

“We won’t let you down Chuck!” Sonic proclaimed still with a bout of enthusiasm.

“I don’t suspect you will. But it won’t be just you two either. Amy and Rouge will be joining you.” Chuck stated. Both Sonic and Tails did not mind the declaration and half intended to bring them along anyway – with or without his knowledge. “They too are strong and if you hit any trouble out there you can use all the help you should muster. You all are close enough to watch out for each other and that includes making sure no one makes any stupid decisions.”

“Geez Chuck you really are serious about us going out there aren’t you.” Sonic said with the intent to relieve some of the tension in the air.

“You’re damn right I am.” He said flatly. “And I wouldn’t even risk it if I didn’t feel the need to. Bring me that book. You leave tomorrow; see you dark and early.”

With that, the two brothers felt the need to take their leave. They left Chuck’s hut and walked back over to the tavern to inform the other half of their new venture party.

…

[x]

It was early morn the next day and Rouge was accompanying Amy as they prepped and packed for their venture. Amy was currently in front of the mirror fixing some of her quills while Rouge was packing some of Amy’ outfits she put out for the trip. Sonic was over with Tails, likely conversing in the same fashion, which gave the two gals their own time.  “OH!” the bat exclaimed as she clutched one of Amy’s outfits before properly folding it and rolling it in her pack. “I can’t believe the old man is actually letting us journey out of this place!”

“Calm down Rouge, he wouldn’t let it happen if there wasn’t some need for it and you know that. We have to be serious with all this.” Amy spoke, always the voice of reason; committed to the task at hand.

“I know, I know. But think about it, we get to see some place outside of this place – something new. This town turns like a wheel stuck in a rut and sooner or later you can’t argue that all the spokes end up looking the same. I can’t wait to see what another village will be like. And not just a village, a city! Shops, peoples, fashion!” She couldn’t contain her excitement.

At that, Amy came into the same room as Rouge. She stared blankly at her friend before breaking down with a similar thrill. “It is pretty exciting isn’t it!” She hopped a little in her words. She ushered Rouge to relax and sit as she took charge in the continuation of packing her own things. The deed was almost done as not much was needed for just three days so she rolled the last garment and tucked it away.

They walked together to meet with the rest of their party. It was not quite dawn but the faint hue of a warm sun far beyond the horizon was proof of it soon to come. To no surprise of their own, Sonic and Tails were already and waiting by the village center. The two were talking with Chuck and from Amy and Rouge’s standpoint his finger pointing were notion enough that he was drilling a few more holes in their head on what to do and most importantly, what not to do on this trip. Vanilla was also there to see them off. Being the innkeeper, she was usually up early to tend to any guests she may have. She also a small food pack for each of them as they would be on foot until late evening.

“Good morning Sir Charles!” Amy stated so formally as was her tendency. “Hello Miss Vanilla!”

“Ah, Amy. Rouge.” Chuck answered, “I want you two lasses to make sure these knuckle heads don’t get into trouble. It’s not yet dawn and they are giving me a headache!” Behind Chuck’s frizzled mustache a playful and joking smile was noticeable. He looked at Sonic and Tails as they both chuckled. Chuck couldn’t help but give a lighthearted laugh back at the banter he tends to receive from them.

“Oh I’m sure we can keep them in line.” Rouge confirmed.

“Good. Now, I told you all yesterday what you are doing so I don’t feel the need to cover that again.” He paused, “I hope this journey is but a precaution, but in all sense take it seriously.” He looked at the youngins before him and smiled. “I’m not too sure why I had any reservations about sending the lot of you off. You’re all strong brave and beautiful and those three things alone can get you far. But do keep your wits about you. Cap is not an untrustworthy place but you know well enough from your small treks into the Greater Area that there are friends and foes and they are hard to discern. Best keep to yourselves.”

“Don’t worry Uncle Chuck, you can count on us!” Sonic said as enthusiastic as ever.

“I know I can.” He admitted and brought Sonic in for an embrace. He gave a few stern pats on the back and Sonic returned with good squeeze as well before they broke off. “Now you best be off. Get there soon enough and you might be able to enjoy some of the sightseeing.” He stated with the knowledge that that would get them on their way even the slightest bit sooner. But as they waved and turned to walk on their way, Chuck snagged Rouge’s arm. “Rouge.” He stated firmly. “I need you to take this parcel to Eiméar. Don’t,” he emphasized, “open it. It is from some long unresolved business.” Rouge took it and tucked it into her pack. “I would have trusted me sonny boy with it but he seems to be the epitome of a Cyan and I can’t let his curiosity get the best of him. She shall see its contents and no one else.”

Rouge was taken back a bit but soon composed herself and nodded in agreement before turning and joining the others. 

“I know you are worried Charles. But they are good kids with gifts and good minds.” Vanilla said to Chuck to comfort him.

“That they are. As you likely know, I just like to be a bit cautious. I am forever haunted by the fate of their parents.”

“I do understand. I feel the same way with my young Cream. It is hard raising young ones alone but you have done these kids right. Some of the older Greens here are up and stirring and we will be having some morning tea soon. Please join us and ease your nerves.”

The four departing turned back one last time and waved as they turned down the road toward the main bridge. Chuck and Vanilla waved back and with that, the four were on their way to Cap – the first place they’ve never been.

…

The distant sun was bleeding into the ocean far off the rocky cliffs of the Greater Area’s edge. Soon it would rise high enough to scab and the light that poured into the ocean would gather in the sun’s reflection. They had not made it far and the main bridge to South Island was faintly visible beyond the early morning dust at this moment. They did nothing much beyond talk as besides walking, that was all they could do.

“Hey Ames,” Sonic began, “why do you keep calling Chuck by his honorable name?”

“Because it seems I have a greater capacity for respect than you.” She toyed with him. He stuck out his tongue in a response of similar humor. “But in all honesty, I do have a lot of respect for him. He made sure my grandmother got the care she needed when we first came to South Island. Never knowing my parents, Nani was the closest I had to a mother. Ch–… Sir Charles made sure in her trailing years that, along my side, she was tended to and cared for and I can’t thank him enough for that. I still remember how much more joy was in Nani’s eyes in those last years that she found a place so peaceful and void of the hatred between Societies that we hear is so common in the rest of the world. And when I told her I wished to be a Cyan instead of a Blue like her and apparently my relatives, she even said that just a few years prior to coming to South Island her own discord with a certain Cyan Chapter would have caused her to fret. But after living here and seeing the world in a new light, she was happy for me. It meant a lot that the love from one tiny little island could do that and help an outsider like herself in such a way. And I give that credit to your uncle.” Sonic immediately felt a little somber as he knew how much Amy’s grandmother meant to her. But he was also humbled with her words.

There was a lot more talking, and even more walking, done on their journey to Cap. Thankfully for them their company kept time fast and the day enjoyable. Tails occasionally brought out his whistle and blew a tune. Some new, some quite familiar and of those the gang even joined their voices in.

Seven seas and seven skies, I've seen them all with these wanderin' eyes. But n'or better sight did I did see than that sweet island by the sea!

Cast our lot to leave or stay To find a home we hoped we prayed. Of our rove, in our last mile we found the haven at South Isle.

To this, our new found home we made, and sent away dangers each day. By Chaos if it ever fell, It'd be a sorry day in hell!

Cast our lot to leave or stay To find a home we hoped we prayed. Of our rove, in our last mile we found the haven at South Isle.

It was no hotter than it normally is in the Greater Area, which was still stifling, and they both packed and wore garments they knew would be suitable for the journey. Sonic, knowing he was not likely going to do any running as per his uncle’s request, brought along his jacket to keep the sandy wind from pelting his chest. Tails too had a light hooded shirt he liked to wear on occasion for the same reason. Anything else might disrupt his tail-propelled flight. They might have retained heat more than comfortable out in the pseudo-wasteland but a bit of sweat was always better than a lot of chafing and rashes. Rouge tossed a scarf around her head to make a headdress to keep any sand from embedding itself in her hair. Amy had no need for any head garments as her quills were not has thick or as hard to maintain as Rouge’s hair but went with her normal garment which protected her same as the others.

They stopped at a large rocky settlement a few hours after mid-day and they were overjoyed with the rest and relief. The sun was pelting their fur at this time and they camped under the shade of the towering stones to eat their packs that Vanilla had prepped for them. It was no other than Tails that was in charge of their navigation and unraveled the map he had packed to see their progress and location.

“Hmm,” he mindlessly sounded as he pondered at the parchment, “So it seems we’ve made it here, labeled clúdach.” He pointed at the labeled point on the map. He was mostly speaking to himself as the others were enjoying their meals. In most senses of land navigation, the landmarks were not always so far and in between or so specific. The Greater Area’s barren sands made the exception. So when Tails would shoot an azimuth in juncture with his map, they had to make sure they did not deviate from that direction. Fortunately they succeeded pretty well. The continued trek was much further though than what they had made through the first half of the day. It was, however, not as sparse and instead of soft sands that rolled into endless waves of dunes, it was rockier in certain areas and then opened into a small plain of as close to marshes as could be found in the Greater Area. They would likely make much more ground over the next half of the day traversing over terrain of that kind.

It was the furthest north they had ever gone as not much interested them this way. Their local exploring was confined typically to The Lookout, Stark Ruins, and some of the further edges of the Jagged Browns that bordered and ran southeast. Though they were far out of the territory for the desert Reds that resided in Rockbase there was the constant danger of running into them as their buggies made travelling through the sand much more efficient than on foot and they enjoyed harassing the South Islanders. They did not know the four were travelling though so they had no need to head their way.

They finished their meals and continued on despite their deep desire to continue to rest. They were hot and tired but Chuck gave them a timeframe to abide to in order to make it to their destination. It wasn’t an hour later and they could feel their feet landing on more sturdy surfaces. Their calves ached in their release of lactic acids through the strenuous actions of walking on sand for over half a day and though solid ground was a godsend, it was still tough work for how much they were travelling. Close to two hours later they came across a bizarre sight for anything outside of the lively island they resided; greenery. A third of a day of marching through their corner of Mobius and they had seen nothing but the tan brown and red sand and rock that was native to this part of the world. And though it was not any jungle, one or two thin green bushes per square yard stretched for miles over the plain before them. Amy even admitted that she would have never expected something like that out in the Greater Area. Rouge agreed but commented that it still was not much. They continued and found that every once in a while their foot would sink into soft and wet patches of sand and dirt showing another miraculous feat for the region.

The sky held strong an evening glow that even without the obvious orb that was descending over the far off mountain peaks of the Sléibhte Scáthaigh, the travelers could tell dusk was near. Tails had let them know that they were close but maybe still an hour’s trudge off. The land beneath them steadily got greener and denser and soon they found themselves in a wetland. The terrain seemed oddly similar to when they first entered the bushy patches – flat and smooth – but now it was covered in moss and weed that with each cushioning step was much needed relief upon their soles. Small divots and basins in the area harbored an inch or two of stagnant water which brought a fresh, clean scent to their dry nostrils. The air was denser and by it alone they almost could have been fooled into thinking they made a large circle in the span of their travels and had arrived again back at South Island. But alas they had never seen parts of the world as this.

For the first time since they waved goodbye to Chuck and Vanilla, they saw other persons. Some far off some closer, but Mobians were out in these areas crouched low, bending down and plucking some of the mossy weeds that rest below their feet. They each took some, quickly inspected it and put their gatherings into a sack they had fastened to their hip.

Sonic Tails Amy and Rouge came upon a small hill and as they did, they saw the city of Cap. They stood on the top of the hill that descended down to a tiny stream with a bridge off to the west and a port or two that sat in artificial channels to the east that caused the stream to open to a small river that fed into the ocean many miles off. The same flora that surrounded them also was on the other bank of the stream but they were surprised to see that it stopped a few yards past before the ground had a sudden change in coloration from the thick, dark green back to desert tan and red. Tails being ever the knowledge seeker and Sonic being curious enough, made note to ask this friend of Chuck’s why that was. The sun must have found a low window in the peaks of the Sléibhte Scáthaigh as the city was gleaming in the light of evening dusk.

The city seemed to have been forged up from the ground out of heavy red clay, likely from upriver of the stream. Even with the lush green wetland they traversed through over the past hour or so, Cap was still a desert city and the land north to it seemed quite similar to the rocky expanse they encountered just after their lunch stop. But a city nonetheless and the sounds they could hear even from the hill and the constant movement in its streets were enough to invigorate the gang for a bit more until they finished their task. They continued on over the bridge and into the city.

[x]

It was no doubt a much livelier place than the village at South Island. Shops and stands were lined different alleyways making some places a tight squeeze with the crowds that surrounded them. Rouge was weaving excitedly in and out from the shops, not with the intent to purchase anything, but just to see what kind of things were around. Each merchant had a cloth either lined or hung from the stand they were selling from and it did not take long for the gang to realize it was to associate them with a Society. The buyers of these merchants too wore clothes that were or close to what was likely their Society as there seemed to be a lot of yellow adorned persons buying from the stand with a yellow cloth and green adorned persons buying from green stands and so forth. Some people were not wearing any one color in particular however. Maybe it was coincidence or for some other reason they thought. But when they went up to a stand, it was obvious as to which Society they belonged. Sonic even caught a glance of an exchange of the secret Cyan greeting between a merchant and customer. It always amazed him how each Society surely had their own secret greeting and it was so subtle that it could be done in front of anyone and no one would even know.

It seemed that they had entered right into the market district of this town. Passersby were calling to them to look at their merchandise and they often tried to appeal to whatever Society the sellers were from. It was a good tactic as they couldn’t upright tell which Society people from the crowd belonged to so their shouts of ‘the best cabbage a Green could buy!’ or ‘finest clothes for all your Yellow needs!’ would bring the attention of their respective company.

One of the hustlers took a gander at Rouge and how she was browsing the products being offered and stepped in front of her path. “Excuse myself miss, I see that you are looking a bit out of place without some of the finest jewelry a White in Cap could find.” He traced his eyes up and down her figure and she immediately felt both assaulted and annoyed. “Such a fine young lass,” his brow rolled and his eyes softened, “the shame it would be if one could not know her name.”

“The shame is all mine then.” Rouge answered with a laugh. She brushed past him and gave a nudge on his shoulder as she did so.

The catcaller fumed red. “Hey, what kind of lady are you!” At this time, Amy noticed Rouge had fallen behind the group and she stopped Sonic and Tails to go back for her.

Rouge stepped back and bumped her hip into him, accidentally brushing her hand into his side. “One of a kind.” She said and walked off, ignoring whatever words he continued to spit. She joined back up with the others as she fastened a brand new necklace to her collar. It gleamed in the fading sun and the diamond or two inside the pendant glistened beautifully and bright.

“Was that really necessary?” Amy asked pointing to Rouge’s new piece of jewelry.

“Hey now, I had no intentions of robbing the poor fellow. But that silver tongue of his just sweet talked me into it.” She answered behind a proud grin.

“Guy deserves it though. The jerk!” Sonic exclaimed with a disgusted glare at the man as he faded back into the crowd.

They soon passed the hustle and bustle and entered into a less populated area. They were so caught up in the energy and awe of this new spectacle they forgot to ask where to find the library.

“Excuse me, ma’am?” Sonic stepped aside to ask a woman who was sweeping the stoop of what was suspected to be her home. She turned and glared at him as he continued, “Do you mind telling us where the library is?”

“What’re ya?” She spat with skepticism in her eyes.

Sonic was taken back a bit. “I’m sorry?”

“I asked ye, what’re ya?! Get the twigs out yer ears and speak! White? Green? Blue like yer fur?”

“Oh,” Sonic took a step back, not liking how this was developing. He glanced up above the door she stood in front of and saw a white swap of paint over it. The other doors around all too had white above them. Not wanting to risk making false identities he answered truthfully. “I’m a Cyan. We all are. We–” He tried to explain that they were not from there but she cut him off quickly.

“Ack!” She spat at his feet. “Ya awkward folk’re out far from yer ghetto aren’t ye? Leave!” She thrust her broom in Sonic’s direction and he instantly bolted off back alongside the others. They continued walking but were now extra weary.

They no longer felt a desire to ask for directions, instead just hoped they found either another market or any Cyans where more friendly folk could be of help.

They continued through the streets and though they did not find any market, they found a square with signs posted. A White chapel in one direction, a Yellow one in another, cemeteries of the likes, and finally ‘leabharlann’. They headed to it with haste as the sun had already descended behind the mountains.

[x]

They came up to it and it was grand. The structure seemed much older than the rest around. It was tan like much of the desert city but it lacked the red clay that many of the residential housings possessed. It was made of large rock that was sculpted and carved away in the style of an era long passed. Maybe three or four stories tall but there was a large spire in front of a copula that likely had a view of the far ends of the city. They climbed up the worn steps up to large wooden doors which had to have been imported as they have yet to see a tree of any kind since they left South Island. They entered.

The sight inside was almost as impressive as it was outside. The building was longer than it appeared to be and stretched off opposite to the entrance. There were spiral stairs rising from each floor to the next and the center remained open with a glass ceiling overhead, alternating in all seven colors of Chaos, which brought in the sun’s light to the interior. Sand was seen built up on the outside of the glass but it did nothing to hinder the rays that shone through. Hallways of bookshelves branched out from the center on each floor and persons were walking through with the noses deep in texts.

They each were awestruck at the sight but it was Amy and Tails who found it most impressive; inspired by how much knowledge must be housed in these great halls.

For Mobians, it was much easier to find someone they had never met if they knew their species. They walked through the great halls, Sonic and Rouge pulling back Tails and Amy respectively as they tried to wander off, until they found a bandicoot hunched over a cart unloading books into a shelf.

“Excuse me, are you a Miss Eiméar?” Sonic asked, reaching into his pack to retrieve the letter that was prepared.

The woman’s ears flicked as she turned around. “Yes? Yes I am.”

Sonic extended the letter to her and she took it. “I’m Sonic the hedgehog from South Island. My uncle Charles, sent us to–”

“Oh bloody no! I tought your voice sounded familiar.” She quickly stood up. Her snout scrunched in annoyance and she crushed the letter in hand, and pushed her cart away. “I don’t want nothing to do with dat man’s business no more!” Her accent was strong but nothing they hadn’t heard before.

“But wait! He said you’d help us!” Sonic called back.

“Did he now?” She stopped and turned to them. “If I do recall it t’was him that made a fuss like no other when I asked him ta help with me brother’s dealings in Bastard’s Bay but did he help any? No! He tell you anything about dat did he? Eh?”

Sonic  didn’t know what to say. Not only did he have no idea what she was rambling about, he was also surprised there was a person in this world that did not find his uncle in a good light. “He…hasn’t.” He finally stated.

She puffed. “Of course he hadn’t.” She turned back around and pushed her cart way. “If ye no more business in this library then I kindly ask you to leave.” The gang stood in disbelief, unsure of what just transpired. They stepped back not knowing what to do as they had not expected anything but cooperation.

They walked back and sat down at one of the many tables situated in the center area of the first floor. “Well?” Sonic asked. “Any ideas guys?”

Amy and Tails looked at each other and knew exactly what the other was thinking. “Nope.” Amy said as she stood up. “But I think while we are here, Tails and I are going to see what some of these dusty old books have to offer!” Tails’ face gleamed at her statement and the two vanished in the maze of shelves that held more information than one mind could hold.

Sonic and Rouge sat for a short while, but not too long before Rouge stood up. “Well I for one won’t sit here and mope after an entire day of walking through a desert to take ‘no’ for an answer.” She began to walk away. “I know you were hoping for a positive and simple outcome here, but I don’t like to sit around when I could get things done myself.”

Sonic was getting a bit restless as he sat by himself at that table. The sun had set and the illumination of the library had switched from natural light to candlelight. It gave a new feel to the place but the feeling was still that of history and solitude.

“Alright you lost pup!” Rouge called out after a couple minutes of being away. Eiméar is taking us in. I already found Amy and Tails and they are with her in her residence quarters in the back. Come on.”

Sonic jumped up with excitement both at the change of pace and the fact that progress was made. “Wait, how did you convince her to hear us out?” He asked.

“I asked her nicely.” She said inconspicuously. Sonic was awfully curious on what that meant but received the explanation nonetheless. He followed Rouge back to meet with the woman. He wondered though how successful they may be in retrieving a book that was ‘old and frail and not to be borrowed by the public’ as were his uncle’s words, if she was so reluctant to take them in in the first place.

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[chaos-societies]

Super apologies to you, had fully intended to get it out last week, then told myself I’d get it out today, but alas I won’t and likely won’t until next week as I’m travelling to go to my best friend’s wedding. But if you waited this long, what’s another week right...

I had to rip myself away from my mandolin as I was trailing tunes for a theme.

Going to work on Episode 3 and hopefully get it out tomorrow.