Chapter Text
Chapter 163
Blood Moon
The buzz muted all other noise. Distinct faces blurred as all detail and color in the world seemed to slip away. The anchor that held reality together unlatched and everything seemed to slide into indistinct void. Without a firm tether to the world, Silver rocked backward and forward. The ground beneath him lurched as if he were on the deck of a ship in the midst of a storm.
Sunlight dazzled from above bursting into a multitude of white sparks that washed all other colors away. Disembodied bells thundered discordantly. A freezing anxiety aggitated every nerve in Silver’s body. He felt trapped in his own body, isolated within his own senses and limited perspective of the events around him.
Silver stood in the midst of the crowd that was steadily packing the Church of Solaris. The energy within pulsed with an almost electric shock. A horrible readiness consumed the passions of all the spectators, and this violent spirit passed as rapidly as a disease.
The Knight of the Stars had disguised himself and managed to be one of the first people to enter the Church. This placed him at the bottom of the funnel shaped benches and only twenty yards away from the raised stage. Members of Mesto’s Hive busied themselves with preparing the instruments. They raised up a wooden stake and set a pile of coiled black chains around the base.
Silver’s mind did not seem capable of coherent thought. The clear signs presented to him by his eyes washed away in a storm of his disbelieving heart. He simply stood silent as all the stimuli rushed past him without leaving the faintest trace.
Time crept slowly with every moment stretching to infinity, while at the same time, the progression of the spectacle occurred instantly. Lord Mesto appeared and the crowd’s frenzy grew hotter and hotter. The bells ceased their singing. Thousands packed into the arena until everyone was squished into their neighbor. Mesto raised his hands and addressed the crowd. His voice lingered in the ear, a threatening whisper that seemed to burrow in the mind. But the words left no meaning, his speech started one instant, and in the very same ended. Mesto raised his hand and shot sparks of pink lighting into the air. The gates into the Church opened.
The heavy iron portcullis groaned as the long length of coiled metal worked through the mechanism. It took ages for the bars to rise, but in the same breadth that Mesto had started his speech, Blaze seemed to walk through the tunnel.
Silver watched her for an eternity. The bruised, broken image of his sister burned itself into his mind until he was certain he would see it forever tattooed onto the lids of his closed eyes. Yet before he had even drawn in a hitched breath she had reached the stage.
Mesto abused her in front of the audience. An inferno of rage and hatred consumed the hearts of the spectators. They seemed to shout for her death in a never ending chorus. Just one heartbeat later, she was being strapped to the stake. The mask of stoic determination slipped and Silver saw the genuine expression of fear on Blaze’s face. Mesto held her in that moment, elongating the torment of expected pain. Or perhaps it was Silver. Perhaps he was the one holding her there, unwilling to allow time to move forward. He seemed caught in that moment for a lifetime. Then he blinked and the flames burst.
Silver returned to the Sanctuary just as dusk was beginning to settle. The clear spring day had shifted to overcast. A potentially beautiful sunset was stained with the strange crimson glow which leaked out of the heavy clouds that obscured the appearance of the moon.
His scouts met him at the outer gates and allowed him through the hidden entrance. What remained of the rebel camp awaited him. Silver felt their eyes on him as he approached the command pavilion at the base of the grotto. He glanced around and made note of the many absences. Rayne, Roran, Blaze, Priam, the names thundered in Silver’s mind as he made for the tent.
However, just before he hid himself within, he stopped short. Some voice in his mind reminded him of his duty. Silver exhaled slowly and turned around. The eyes of his countrymen were firmly locked on him. Many eyes glistened with tears. Some were enraged, others at the limit of what they could endure. I have to tell them. There was no one else. Gawain had gone to Castle Town to reinforce the garrison there, and Sonic was nowhere to be found.
Silver’s hands trembled as he tried to muster up his strength. He was not afraid so much as he was hesitant to display his own despair. They need hope. Even if Silver did not have much himself.
To his right, the priest Erenfel pushed to the front of the crowd. His clerical robes were torn and heavily faded from long durations of living in the wilderness. He is the last. Silver realized. With Roran gone and Priam dead, Erenfel was now the last of the high ranking priests. He had come from Masada to request Blaze’s help, and in exchange Silver had suggested that he go and take the Sol Gem the priests were harboring and then leave them to their fate.
That adventure felt like a lifetime ago. Before Mesto’s prisons, before Levi’s death, back when Silver had been kept away from command. Only as he now possessed what he had for so long desired did Silver fully appreciate how much his sister had protected him. He had chafed under that shield, always desiring a higher rank and place of honor. But with honor and rank came responsibility. Now that the walls had come crashing down, the brunt of everyone’s hope fell squarely onto Silver.
The time had come. All those hours he had wasted pouting when he had been pushed aside, all those days he had spent dreaming of the moment when he would be given command, all that time had reached its culmination. Silver forced himself to try and find that feeling he had discovered back at Blaze’s solar. When his sister had told them the plan and insisted that her death would not be the end. Every rational faculty in Silver’s mind and heart flushed with despair, while at the same time, a warmth had come into his soul, comforting him and renewing his spirit with purpose.
“The princess is dead.” Silver could not hear his own voice, but he knew he had spoken firmly. The gathered crowd of rebels blanched. Several women cried and children sobbed into the knees of their parents. Erenfel collapsed, enraged voices split the night. Curses, threats and all manner of impotent words carried in the wind and faded into nothing.
Silver allowed their emotions to run their course. Silence steadily overtook them as both rage and sorrow gave place to quiet despair. Erenfel struggled to his feet and walked in a daze towards Silver. “Its all over….what will become of us?”
“It is not over,” Silver said. “As long as our people still live under the threat of the empire our work is not finished.”
“But…what’s the point?” Erenfel stood in front of a young female hedgehog who carried a newborn babe in a swaddling blanket. “There is nothing to be gained from fighting. We…we should throw ourselves on the mercy of the emperor, allow ourselves to receive the brand and-”
The priest’s words were met with outrage. Rebel soldiers pressed to the front of the throng, their rifles raised. Percy, the chief of Silver’s scout regiment, rounded on the priest. “Would you have us betray the sacrifice of all those that died?”
Erenfel trembled. “Should we all go to the grave then?”
“If that’s our fate!” Percy’s expression was black with rage. Silver had known Percy for years. The rigors of the rebellion had changed him drastically. He hardly resembled the laid back youth Silver had befriended not so many years ago.
Erenfel turned back and forth from Percy to Silver. “Perhaps some would choose to die, but can we make that choice for all? There are innocents here. Not everyone is a soldier.”
“There is no escape,” Percy bellowed. “Mesto will not show us mercy. Surrender, and we will simply be rounded up.” This pronocument was met with murmurs of agreement, as well as a fresh outbreak of panic. Silver saw many faces turn an even fainter shade of white.
“Now is not the time for this.” Silver magnified his voice to carry throughout the grotto. “My sister would not want us to break apart. We have choices to make, but for now we must carry on as before. There is work to do. Scouts and lookouts are to return to their posts. Everyone should go back-” His words trailed away as he heard the rush of wings. Silver looked up and saw Gawain and two of his fellow sniper corp officers descending into the grotto.
Gawain landed beside Silver and took him by the arm. “We need to talk.” Without waiting, Gawain steered Silver into the command tent.
“What’s going on?” Silver asked, once they were alone.
“Mesto has sent emissaries to Castle Town,” Gawain managed through halting breaths. “He wants to parley with you.”
“Mesto?” Just saying the name sent a white hot surge of hatred flooding through Silver’s body. His eyes flashed with green aura. “There is nothing left to say to him.”
Gawain inhaled slowly. “Silver…they have her.”
By the tone in Gawain’s voice, Silver knew instantly what he had meant by her. “They brought her in a casket and sent it with the emissaries. You must come back and see what they have to say.”
The rage flushed out of Silver to be instantly replaced with uncertainty. “I…” Just the thought of his sister’s corpse was enough to make the floor slide out from beneath him. Silver lurched forward and grabbed onto a tent post to steady himself. “Sonic…have you seen him yet?”
Gawain shook his head. “I wouldn’t worry about him though. I’m sure he is just dealing with things in his own way.”
Silver closed his eyes. The threat of seeing Blaze’s dead body haunted his mind, making it impossible for him to order his thoughts. Gawain stepped forward and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “Come on. I know this isn’t easy, but you can do this.”
“I-” Silver looked down at his hands. They were shaking. “You should lead,” He whispered. “The people would look to you, you’re-”
“The princess chose you,” Gawain said firmly. “All this time she has been preparing you for this moment. You are strong Silver, the strongest of all the knights. Blaze believed in you, so did Rayne, and so do I.”
“But I haven’t been any help.” The words were pulled out of Silver’s heart against his will. Immature tears bubbled in his eyes. “I’ve been weak. I let Mesto capture me, and Levi had to die. When Infinite killed Rayne…there was nothing I could do…and when they came for Blaze I was still too weak.”
“That’s not true,” Gawain said firmly. “You saved all our lives at Masada, and Sonic told me how you saved him from Infinite. None of us has doubted you. Right now, all that is holding you back is your own fear. There hasn’t been a mistake. Blaze walked into that arena with her head held high because she knew you would be here to carry on.”
Silver wondered at that. Had Blaze walked into that crucible with her head held high? Silver tried to picture it, he tried to crystalize his memory of the event, but it was all obscured by fog. His memory was forever tainted by the stain of her screams, and the greedy flames that enveloped her. And then what came after.
Whatever his sister had meant to do, it was immediately apparent that she had accomplished something. The sky itself had seemed to burst as fire rained down. Pandemonium and chaos had gripped the Church as the fissures wrenched the very earth apart and flames sprayed up from the molten depths of the planet. It seemed certain that the wrath of Solaris had finally been unleashed, that the Flames of Disaster would, as before, destroy the city and its inhabitants. Only this time the wrath seemed certain to spread out and consume the entire planet.
At that moment, Silver made peace with his fate. He did not run around in a panic, but prepared to meet his end. But just as suddenly as the fires had started, they had ended. Now Silver was left in doubt. Had the fires truly been the work of Solaris, or had that been another trick of the empire?
Gawain brought Silver out of his mind by shaking him by the arm. “Come on, we should go now.”
Silver sighed. He closed his fists and his hands stopped shaking. Perhaps he would never feel comfortable in command, but it was his duty to try his best.
He delegated control over the Sanctuary to one of Gawain’s officers and gave orders that the people were to be kept busy. There will be rumblings and whispers tonight. The debate between Percy and Erenfel would be repeated in every tent between family members as each wondered if this cause was truly worth the cost. However, there was nothing Silver could do about that now.
Silver followed Gawain and the two knights flew off in the direction of Castle Town. The sky was strange as it seemed caught between the orange and red paint of dawn and the bluish purple of dusk. It felt as if the planet had slowed down and was unwilling to turn and bring about the next turn.
“It will be bright tonight,” Gawain observed as he stretched his wings to catch them on the wind. “Nature has felt this loss.”
Silver pushed aside this omen and worked his mind on the potential of this meeting. Had Mesto sent the emissaries just to mock them? Was this just an opportunity to parade Blaze’s body in front of her army? I won’t let that happen. Energy swirled around Silver’s hands.
The forest gave way beneath them as they soared over the terrain. A stream bubbled against the edge of the trees before twisting around to follow the sloping ground back towards the valleys between the nearby mountains. Silver took in the view with a sinking feeling in his heart. This place is so beautiful.
But much of the landscape bore the scars of recent battles. The land between the outskirts of the forest and Castle Town was riddled in blast marks. What had once been a stretch of farm lands was now just a black stain of burned out buildings. All the fields had withered during the winter and now that spring had come no one had been left to revive them.
Castle Town itself had been reduced to a pile of melted stones, wrecked houses, and mostly destroyed walls. When Titan fell, Mesto’s flagship had destroyed the entire southern section of the town, reducing all the buildings and walls into ruins. The rebel garrison had done what it could to salvage what remained.
Guard towers were erected at the four corners of the town, each one manned by snipers and reinforced with anti-air artillery that the rebels had fashioned together using scrap pieces of Sentinels and what weapons they could salvage from the wreckage of Titan.
The wrecked ship’s front half had landed with its face plunged into the ground like a spear. By chance, its forward command center was left mostly unharmed and the rebels had repurposed the intact structure into their main base of operations to coordinate the garrison.
Silver and Gawain landed on the deck of the ship and made their way to the command center. Mesto’s emissaries had agreed to meet them within. Silver trudged up the sloping incline of the broken deck and two rebel soldiers stood back to allow him to pass into the command center.
“You!” Silver could not stop himself from blurting out. Caiphax and two of his priests stood on the other end of the room, flanked by several imperial soldiers. The priest had his hands behind his back and bristled slightly at Silver’s outrage.
“Sir Silver, we meet again.” The priest bowed curtly as did his fellows.
Silver made to rush forward, but Gawain caught him by the arm. He jerked his head towards one of the cracked windows. Silver walked over and looked out. Standing a few hundred feet away from the city was a retinue of imperials. A flag bearing the insignia of the emperor flew atop a tall pole. The imperials were joined by half a dozen sentinels and a floating white obelisk set horizontally.
At first, Silver did not understand, then it hit him with the force of ice cold water to the face. His breath hitched. He turned to Caiphax. “You brought her?”
The priest nodded. “Lord Mesto has sent us to make you an offer. Though it is the custom that those killed by the Black Chains forfeit the honor of burial, Lord Mesto wishes to make an exception. Whatever her faults, Princess Blaze had courage and deserves to be entombed with honor and respect.”
Silver trembled with badly suppressed rage. “How generous of him,” He said, seething.
Caiphax smirked. “Lord Mesto is stern but fair. He gave orders for her to be paraded through the streets of the city; as is the customary fate of traitors and rebels.” The priest’s smile trembled faintly. “But alas, one of my own order begged Mesto to relent. He was so carried away by the spectacle of her execution that I think he quite lost himself. In exchange for her body, he offered his own place in the Church.”
Gawain frowned. “And who was this priest?”
Caiphax shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. Lord Mesto agreed to at least make an offer.”
“Just say it already,” Silver interjected. “We do not wish to hear your lies any longer than needed.”
Caiphax glared at Silver. The animosity that Silver felt was shared in equal measure. “Call me what you wish, think of me what you wish. Of the two of us, only I have done whatever it takes to protect our people. I warned your sister. I told her what would happen if she did not humble herself.”
“Don’t waste your breath,” Wheezed one of the other priests. He was an extremely ancient echidna who leaned heavily on a staff for support. “They are just as fanatic as her. Give them Lord Mesto’s offer, but let us not waste time on talk.”
Caiphax composed himself. His vengeful glare receded to give way to practiced indifference. “Lord Mesto has agreed to return the body of the princess. In exchange you must pull back this garrison and return Castle Town to imperial control.”
“Bastard!” Silver’s eyes flashed. Several items in the room floated into the air, carried by Silver’s psychokinetic power. Caiphax and the others drew back and their guards rushed forward. Violence was only averted by Gawain who leapt between both groups and shoved Silver back. There was a loud series of clangs as all the items dropped to the floor.
“Have you come only to rub salt in the wound?” Silver bellowed. “Mesto thinks he can take away our victory by-”
“ Lord Mesto owes you nothing!” Caiphax’s voice carried without him needing to yell. “He makes this offer out of sympathy. He gains no advantage by returning the princess to you.”
Gawain rounded on the priest. “This offer is an insult. Hundreds of our people died to take this position, and Mesto would have us give it away for a body?”
“Parading the body of the princess is a spectacle none of us desire. Yet it is the mode and custom of warfare to triumph over your enemies.”
“How dare you…” Silver’s hands were balled into tight fists. He could not stop the tears that were falling down his cheek. He knew he must have looked extremely weak and immature, but it didn’t matter. All he could think about was the torment and abuse that Mesto had inflicted on his sister. “Do you not have a heart? Didn’t you see what they did to her?”
Caiphax responded to Silver’s agony with an increase in disgust. “I saw what I have seen countless times. Everyday I watched as my countrymen were abused and killed. Your sister would not relent and while she pranced around and called herself a ruler; her people suffered. Do not flash your tears at me and expect sympathy.”
“Enough,” The old priest shuffled forward and slammed his cane into the floor. “We will never see eye to eye on this. We have done our part and delivered Lord Mesto’s message. Now what say you?”
Silver felt trapped, trapped in his own emotions, trapped into his command, and trapped by Mesto. There is no choice. Silver could not refuse. If he did, then Blaze would be subjected to as much cruelty and humiliation in death as she had done in life. Even if Silver had the heart to give her up, the spectacle itself would completely destroy their cause. However, if Silver gave up Castle Town then all the rebels would take it as a sign that the war was over.
He wanted to turn to Gawain and receive some kind of signal over what he should do, but Silver’s instincts told him that was wrong. At that moment, even Gawain was watching him. Silver had to show that he had the resolve to lead.
“Fine,” Silver said, forcing his voice into a calm, flat delivery. “Bring me my sister, and I will pull this garrison back.”
Gawain turned to him in surprise, but Silver kept his face forward. He wanted to present a show of certainty and confidence.
Caiphax’s eyes narrowed, but he kept up his sardonic smirk. “Very well. But there is one more thing. Lord Mesto is weary of our customs and believes that we are given over too easily to superstition. He requests that the tomb of Blaze be guarded by his own personal soldiers.”
“What?” This time it was Gawain’s turn to be outraged. He dropped all pretense of composure and formality and openly berated the priest. “This whole thing is just a ruse! Mesto wants to slip his agents into our camp. Does he really think we’d be so-”
“We accept.” Silver spoke over Gawain and cut him off.
This time, Caiphax could not hide his surprise. “You accept both terms?”
Silver nodded. “I will pull this garrison back, and Mesto may guard the tomb as he sees fit.”
Caiphax looked uncertain. Silver could tell that the priest did not understand and was afraid that Silver had tricked him somehow. However, Caiphax could not seem to think of any more counters, so he bowed curtly. “Very well, I will make the arrangements.”
The priests and their retinue of imperial soldiers left the command center with an agreement to meet outside the walls of Castle Town in half an hour. Once Silver and Gawain were alone, the falcon leaned heavily against one of the broken down consoles.
“This will not go over well,” He said cryptically. “Many died to take this position and now we are just going to give it up? It will seem that they all died for no purpose.”
“Castle Town served its function,” Silver said. “It was a military victory and a blow against the empire’s claims of invulnerability. Mesto may have control over the city, but his armies won’t forget that he led them to defeat. Both here and in the forest, Mesto resorted to tactics that destroyed most of his own army. He can’t keep doing that and expect them to remain loyal to him. Losing this position hurts us, but not nearly as bad as if we allowed them to parade Blaze through the streets.”
Gawain looked back at him in surprise. “So is that our plan then? To keep fighting as if nothing has happened?”
“That is what my sister wanted.” Silver put a hand on Gawain’s shoulder. He put aside all his own doubt and fear and put on a face of determined confidence. “She told us not to give up on our people, on our city. Castle Town was never meant to be a staging ground for a siege, it was simply a roadblock to prevent the empire from marching on us. Now there will be no other roads for us but forward.”
“Yes, but we cannot allow Mesto to bring his soldiers into the Sanctuary. I’m certain this whole business about protecting the tomb is simply a ruse to get his troops inside.”
“I agree,” Silver said. “Which is why we won’t be burying my sister at the Sanctuary. We will bury her in the old ruins, and there will not be some grand funeral. It will just be me and you.”
Gawain’s feathers ruffled. “But I thought you meant to bring her back. To present her to the camp so that everyone could mourn.”
“I don’t want them to mourn,” Silver allowed some harshness to flavor his voice. “I want them to be angry. Losing Castle Town will make everyone face the reality of our situation. We can’t play games with the empire anymore. That first offensive was just a test of our will against Mesto’s. Now we come to the final chapter. No delays, no diversions, just a single all out assault on the city.”
Gawain smiled wistfully. “There’s almost no chance at all that we’d win.”
Silver shook his head. “Probably not. But before everything is over I promise one thing. Mesto will die.”
Half an hour later, Gawain and Silver met with the imperial delegation on the outskirts of the town. The floating white obelisk that served as Blaze’s casket floated between a ring of heavily armored guards. Silver approached and Caiphax gave orders for him to be allowed through. “I want to see her,” He said, his voice shaking slightly.
One of the guards withdrew a metal key and held it above the casket. The key flashed and communicated with some device within the casket. The white material glowed a faint blue color and there was a small hiss as the top cracked open and floated a few inches in the air. Silver looked down.
Blaze lay on her back with her hands folded together. They had taken away the rags she had been executed in and dressed her in muted pink robes. Above her head, words were projected onto the base of the casket. The Queen of the Thirteens. Silver’s eyes flashed towards Caiphax, who, for once, at least had the decency to look abashed.
“The work of Mesto’s soldiers.”
Silver looked back down on his sister. She had always appeared taller than him, but he only just now realized that she was a bit shorter. That aura of power and absolute determination that always encircled her was gone. Her body was small and greatly diminished. It would have been impossible to know that only a week ago she had single handedly destroyed Mesto’s flagship. Silver nodded and stepped back. The guard held up the key and the lid snapped shut over the casket.
“We will bury her in the ruins near here,” Silver said.
Caiphax hid his surprise. “Very well. In the old ruins I presume? There aren’t any tombs there though.”
“It will be fine.”
Silver did not wait for the imperials. Instead, he and Gawain took back to the sky and flew back to Castle Town. There, they quickly gathered the garrison captains and informed them of the trade. Most of them were outraged, but Silver was able to carefully redirect their rage towards the empire. He put a hand on one of the scout leader’s shoulders. “This is not a defeat.”
The empty words were received as if they were a vote of confidence. Silver watched with an empty feeling in his stomach as the rebel soldiers began to make preparations for the march back to the Sanctuary. No matter how he chose to contextualize his decision, the fact remained that the rebel victory had been snatched away. Would Silver be forced to lie to his countrymen from here on out? Would he stoke the fires of a feigned hope until the moment when the empire finally snuffed them all out for good?
What is our part in this? He thought as despair threatened to overwhelm his heart. Were the Thirteens merely a shield to blunt the empire’s advance on earth? Perhaps all their efforts were simply destined to end with Blaze preventing the emperor’s schemes with Iblis. When it was over, when Silver and all the people of Soleanna were finally defeated, perhaps earth would have a chance.
This foreboding thought turned Silver’s mind to Sonic. Where was he? Had the hedgehog got what he wanted from them and then returned home? All of Silver’s early mistrust and envy of Sonic passed through his heart like a wisp of smoke, and left no trace. Sonic is a knight now. Wherever he was, Silver knew that Sonic had not simply abandoned them.
With the orders given, Silver and Gawain flew towards the forest. The ruins were located only a few short miles inside. Huge stones littered the ground as far as a hundred feet from the main structure. In ancient days, this ruin had been built, destroyed and rebuilt several times. Now all that was left was scattered remnants of stones and a few raised sections of wall.
In the center of the ruins was what had once served as a temple. The walls and ceiling had been blasted apart leaving nothing but a bare skeleton of half raised arches and crumbling stone. Silver, however, could picture the place in the height of its glory. He had studied the art of the ancients and knew that it surpassed all others in beauty. This temple had once been the most revered of all outposts of the Church of Solaris beyond the walls of the city.
But like most of the history of their people, it was now just a ruin and existed only in the memory of those who were soon to perish. Gawain and he walked slowly into the heart of the sanctuary. There seemed to be a strange density to the air that kept both knights somber and reflective. Gawain pointed towards a distant set of broken down rubble. Black scorch marks riddled the stone, and the grass beneath was all torn up.
“This is where I first met Sonic,” Gawain said, a small smile flickering across his face. “Zero had him pinned down and was plumbing him into the dirt. I thought for sure that he was dead.”
Gawain adjusted the signature sniper rifle he always had strapped around his shoulder. “Things were somewhat more hopeless then, but they were also so much simpler. All we had to do was survive.”
Silver tried to think back to that time. Zero’s Jackal Squadron had traced Sonic’s mark back to their camp and forced the rebels into their first serious encounter against the imperial legions. I had wanted to lead so badly. In the face of an all out battle, all Silver could think about was that his sister had given Rayne the most important command.
I was such a fool. Though it had not been so long ago, to Silver, that night seemed a part of a different life.
“Where will we bury her?” Gawain asked. The falcon scrutinized the ruins, searching for a safe place.
Silver pointed towards the rundown fountain at the very center of the ruins. The lip of the fountain was covered in ancient markings; the symbols of the Church of Solaris. A flame to represent the power of Solaris, a phoenix the deathless eternality of Solaris, a Sol Gem for the infusing vitality of Solaris that gave energy to the planet, and finally, the sun the ever present symbol of the King of the Eternal Flame.
Gawain walked over to him and frowned. “I don’t understand, how-”
Silver’s hands flashed with swirling green energy. He pushed that energy forward and enveloped the entirety of the statue. Silver pressed his feet into the ground and delved deep into the energy within himself. With a stupendous effort, he flung his hands into the sky. The fountain groaned as stone that had endured for centuries cracked. Silver’s arms trembled as he lifted the heavy base into the air and moved it a few feet away.
He relaxed and the fountain fell gently to the floor. Silver dropped to one knee, exhausted by the use of his power. Where the fountain had been, there was now a deep hole. Gawain stepped towards the edge and looked down. “Woah…I had no idea…”
“The original temple went underground…” Silver panted. “Most of it has collapsed but I hoped that there would be at least some of it left.”
“You know your history.”
Silver and Gawain turned to see Caiphax and the imperials walking towards them. The priest motioned for the imperial soldiers to move the casket into position. Before allowing them to drop it into the hole, Silver checked inside one more time to ensure that Blaze was there. After doing so, he allowed them to place the casket inside the tomb.
Caiphax wiped his hands together. “Well, that is done then. These soldiers shall remain posted here to guard it. You need not fear. Mesto has given direct orders that the tomb shall not be-”
Silver ignored the priest. He raised his arms and used his psychokinetic power to lift the fountain back into the air and place it over the hole. The fountain dropped with a low thud, completely covering the tomb. “Hah!” Silver unleashed a blast of his own energy. Greenish white energy swirled around the fountain to create a transparent force field.
Caiphax could not resist the temptation to place his hand against the barrier. It was completely solid, and remained so even when Silver put his hands down. “Such a pointless waste of effort,” The priest snarled.
Silver did not answer. He slumped to one side, and needed Gawain’s support to remain standing. I’m too weak. He had still not fully recovered from his fight with Infinite. Creating a force field with enough energy to sustain itself had cost him dearly.
The imperial soldiers stabbed metallic spears into the ground and formed a ring around the fountain. At the press of a button, the machines whirred to life. Red electricity pulsed from the tips and shot back and forth from spear to spear creating a cage of electric energy. The imperial soldiers then took up positions around the cage.
The amount of protection placed around a corpse was so beyond ludicrous that both Silver and Gawain laughed. Caiphax glared at them, wondering how he had missed out on the joke. When they did not offer an explanation, he snapped and led his priests away.
Silver and Gawain’s momentary mirth faded instantly. They both stared forlorn at the now doubly guarded fountain. “May she rest in peace,” The falcon said with his head bowed. “Give us strength princess, so that we will not fail you.”
Silver knew that he should say something, but now that the moment had come, his throat was dry. Just thinking of Blaze instantly transported him back to his childhood. They both stood on a high terrace of the palace as the rising sun bathed the city in an orange glow. It was the perfect morning. Blaze stood tall and resolute. Though she was only his elder by a few years, there often seemed to be an infinite gap between them. She was everything that Silver wanted to be, and never could. Jealousy burned in his heart for a fleeting moment, but it faded away when she turned and smiled warmly at him. “Remember today little brother,” She had said. “Today, life is good.”
The memory drifted away, replaced by the image of Blaze bound to the stake. To the wild fear in her eyes as the Black Chains were ignited and she was engulfed in fire.
Silver stirred as he heard footsteps behind him. Both knights turned to see Sonic walking towards them. He had the broken shards of Caliburn strapped to his back. His face was white and he was covered in bramble and dirt. He looked as though he had been walking aimlessly for hours.
“Sonic?” Gawain asked hesitantly.
To both of their surprise, Sonic smiled at them. “I knew I’d find you here,” Sonic said. He walked past them and gazed out at the fountain. “This is where you buried her?”
“Sonic, where have you been?” Silver demanded. “You shouldn’t be walking around like that on your leg.”
“I just needed some time to think.” Sonic winced slightly as he stretched out his injured leg. Despite the severity of the break, it seemed that the hedgehog was healing quickly. “When I first came to Arvana, I arrived here. Did you know that?”
Gawain and Silver both shook their heads. There was something strange about the way Sonic was acting. He didn’t seem nearly as depressed as Silver expected.
“We’d better get back to the Sanctuary,” Gawain suggested. He was still watching Sonic closely, clearly unnerved by his attitude.
“I can carry you,” Silver offered.
Sonic smirked. “I don’t care for being hauled around like luggage, but that would be faster.”
Silver shrugged Sonic over his back and raised himself into the sky. Gawain soared up beside him and they both gave the fountain one last look before taking flight. As they soared over the forest, the wind shifted. The overhanging canopy of clouds parted. Arvana’s sun slowly failed beyond the western world. However, this loss of day did not give way to the darkness of night. Instead, a red glare beamed into Silver and Gawain’s faces as they flew.
Just as they arrived in the Sanctuary, the whole camp came out of their tents to stand in the midst of the grotto. Every head was turned upward to gaze in terror at the sky. Silver and Gawain landed beside the command pavilion. Each of them felt a horrible chill rush into their hearts. Even Sonic’s smile faded as he stared up at the moon.
Arvana’s moon was blood red. It hung huge in the cloudless sky, the reach of its crimson haze extending outward into every direction. The light was so strong that Silver had to cover his eyes.
“A blood moon….” Erenfel fell onto his hands and knees. Women wailed and children cried as the ominous light grew in intensity.
Above the streets of Mestopolois, the populace covered their heads and shrank from the sight of the celestial portent. Imperial soldiers quivered at their posts and covered their heads with hoods. Lord Mesto the Sly retreated into the lowest depths of his tower to avoid the penetrating stare. Caiphax and his priests fell prostrate to the floor and felt their prayers fade into silence even as they tried to speak.
Arvana mourned with tears of blood. The heavens trembled and flashed its wrath down upon the world. All the city fell silent. Fear came into it, sweeping from house to house as the angel of death. Nightfell and the blood of the princess hung over the city.