Chapter 40- Dismal Crossings

Sotsu sat at the small wooden table sipping at a steaming mug of coffee. His eyes locked onto the wooden breakfast table in front of him, as if it might be holding the answers he is searching for. The answers of weather he should worry about his dreams being real or not. Of what he was to do about this, regard it as a simple nightmare, or worse, a true event waiting to unfold. He has gone so far in his stay of a little over 15 days on Mobius. So much has happened already. Now, he was having nightmares that whispered the future to him. The footfalls over the inn’s single maid echoed as they sounded on the white linoleum floor. Sotsu looked up to meet her warming gaze. A female black cat, dressed clad in a black trench coat, long dirty blonde hair, held a blue plastic tray to the echidna. As the cat walked off Sotsu noticed some formed of a wrapped brown pack hanging off her back. Her long dirty blonde hair hung down her back, contrasting with her black attire. 

The smell of freshly cooked breakfast hung in the room. Sotsu took the contents of the tray, and thanking the cat, set the plate of food on the table. He, Carmen and Gray enjoyed the delightful meal as if they haven’t any real food for several days, which indeed was actual. Small chatter held between Gray and Carmen, Sotsu for the most part remained silent. His eyes hung in their sockets, he couldn’t head back to sleep after the frightful event. He couldn’t help to think of both the advantages and the disadvantages of Knuckles and his family’s death. Weighing them in his mind, as if he were the rightful judge of life and death. To Knuckles and his family, the black echidna very well may be. 

"Sotsu?" Carmen asked as she suddenly took notice of the black echidna’s troubles.

Sotsu didn’t reply, he was too engrossed in his mind to take heed of Carmen’s calls.


"Sotsu! Sotsu, Sotsu, Sotsu! Hey wake up!" she repeated until finally Sotsu’s spell was broke and he cast a curious glance toward the fox.

"Yeah you alive there?" she asked.


Sotsu just shook his head slightly and began to work at his food. Carmen kept her sight fixed on the echidna for a few more moments trying to comprehend the reaction she had received. Then with a slight look of surrender she gave her attention back to her breakfast.

Piece remained fixed on the three for a while until an abrupt shouting came from the front of the small inn:

"Just lemme in old man! I know he’s in there!" 

"For the last time! Tell me what business you have and I might let you in!" an aged yet strong voice replied.

"No business of yours that’s for damn sure!" the other voice shot back.


There was a slight metallic sound, the sound of a sword being drawn from it’s seethe. 

"I’m telling you! Get away before you push me over the edge!" the older voice sounded.


Sotsu placed his fork and knife on his plate and stood up. Gray cast him a vicious glance.

"It’s none of our business. Let’s not worry about it," Gray stated sternly.

"No Gray. It is my business. They’re after me," Sotsu began.

"What are you babbling about?" Gray interjected.

"The people…" Sotsu tried to explain before he was cut off by the sound of gun fire sounding off.

With a growl from Sotsu the black echidna took up his pistols and headed off swiftly for the door. 

"God dammit what the hell’s he gonna get into this time?" Gray grumbled as he drew his large pistol from it’s hoistel at his side.

"I dunno, but I wanna finish my breakfast if… if you wanna do something you go yourself," Carmen spoke between mouth loads of scrambled egg.


Sotsu threw the thin wooden door open to find none other then the Neo Guilty Blades. Two dead members lay in a pool of blood. Fury Gear stood with his pistol drawn and pointed toward the inn keep. The inn keeper was a dark brown doberman in a green military uniform and wielding a deadly looking broadsword that pointed toward the coyote. Sotsu took note that the uniform seemed similar to those he had seen the dingoes wear at the Floating Island. 

"Hey boss," one of the bikers stated as he nodded toward the new arrival.

Fury Gear straightened his stance and looked over toward Sotsu, a smile crossed his face.

"Sotsu," the Neo Guilty Blade captain began with a sharp hint of joy in his voice, "why I knew you were here. So nice to see you."

"Boss, what about the dirt bag here?" the same punk said pointing toward the doberman.

"Name’s Welkin thank you," the aged canine shot back proudly.

"Torch the place and kill him," Fury Gear said with a wave of his free hand.

"I won’t allow it!" Welkin shouted as he brought his blade across the chest of one of that biker. 

"Son of a bitch you’ll pay for that!" a hedgehog biker spat as he took up his pistol.

"Well Sotsu you’d better help," Fury Gear said revealing his sharp fangs as he brought on a wide smile.

The hedgehog pulled the trigger, the round sounded as it began to leave the barrel and head straight for the inn keeper. Sotsu’s eyes sharpened, he took off pushing past the coyote. The bullet completely left the barrel, it spun in the air as it sped toward it’s target who just turning toward the round. Sotsu pushed harder, he gauged his distance, despite his doubts that he could make it he knew he had to try. He could not pull off any elaborate psychic technique, exhaustion held to great a factor. Sweat pushed forward on his brow, he strained himself as he used the Chaos Energy to push himself harder. But he couldn’t produce a sufficient amount, too weak from lack of sleep.

As the round neared the final yard a thunderous boom was heard, a line intercepted the bullet, the sound of a ricochet echoed. The maid, the cat from before, stood strong next to the door with Gray next to her, she held a large smoking revolver in her hand. Welkin shot a proud glance at her.


"Well done Shekaru!" the dog announced as he took his blade back up and dashed forward toward the hedgehog.

"Kill ‘em all!" Fury Gear shouted as he turned toward the black echidna who was righting himself.

One of the bikers drew a stick of dynamite from the pack lying on her motorcycle and lit it. She grinned maliciously as she tossed the explosive toward the inn. 


"Crap!" Gray shouted as the stick rolled near. It’s fuse was too low, if he were to throw it anywhere it’d wither blow up the inn (which would already happen) or it’d blast some of the people, which could include someone he doesn’t want a heaping pile of pieces. With that in mind Gray burst into the in. He grabbed hold of the fox who was still enjoying the breakfast, though be it actually Sotsu’s leftover food. She shouted and screamed at the metal-armored echidna as he smashed through the thin wooden walls of the inn and out the other end of the place before a loud rumble that sounded the final demise of the old building.

Shekaru shot the pistol of a gang member’s hand. Then she reached toward the tall brown pack on her back and drew a large sledgehammer from it. The orange-headed weapon seemed too heavy for her to wield. But with uncanny swiftness she smashed the heavy object into the punk’s shoulder. With a sounding snap and crackle the victim of the blow was sent sprawling in a fit on the ground. Welkin charged toward the nearest gang member, it was the one responsible for the blowing of the inn, a female rat who looked like she came straight from sleeping in a junkyard. The obscene rodent drew up her pistol, figuring it should be no problem to pull the trigger and hit the doberman as he was a mere dozen feet away. Just as she locked her sights and began to tighten her finger the heavy blade came down on the weapon and knocked it from her grasp. Then in one fluid movement Welkin took the hilt of his sword down hard on the rodent’s right elbow and sent the arm snapping backwards. As the biker went down on one knee with a painful shout Welkin sent his knee upward toward the lowered head. With a swift knock the rat was downed.

Just as Sotsu turned around he was met by the cold gaze of Fury Gear’s pistol. The coyote pulled the trigger as the rounds blasted fourth toward the echidna. Sotsu arced his tail and thrust himself into a sideways flip off toward his right as the large bolts tossed up dirt about him. As Sotsu came down and landed he hoisteled his pistols; then as he rolled to the side again he flicked his fingers toward Fury Gear. The coyote dove backward as half a set of shadow needles passed over him. 

Fury Gear quickly sprawled up as Sotsu charged forward with his bo in his hands, the wooden shaft chambered back and ready to strike. Fury Gear ripped a grenade from his coat and quickly pulled the pin and flung the explosive forward. Sotsu reeled back as the green fragmentation device sped toward him, Fury Gear leveled his sight and pulled the trigger, sending a round into the heart of the grenade and detonating it right in front of the echidna. As the blast erupted forth Sotsu jammed the butt of the bo into the ground and pole-vaulted himself over the blast, releasing the weapon at the top and landing gracefully in front of Fury Gear.

As Fury Gear brought about his aim Sotsu jammed his left hand into Fury Gear’s right, preventing him from bring over his pistol; then thrust his right fist toward his opponent’s face, knocking him unconscious. Seeing as Fury Gear had been dispatched Sotsu looked about, seeing Shekaru and Gray dispatching the few remaining Neo Guilty Blades. 


Sotsu, Gray, Carmen, Shekaru and Welkin all meet together amidst the torn field. The ones that fought breathed heavily and perspired some. 

"Who are they?" Welkin asked as he seethed his sword.

"That’s what I’d like to know," Gray stated.

"They’re part of a large group known as the Neo Guilty Blades. They’re Hunters," Sotsu replied, his tone holding serious.

"Then why are they after you?" Gray asked sounding shocked.

"They think that I’m suppose to become a Legend," Sotsu simply replied.

"Wait what’s going on? You’re suppose to be a Legend. Who are you?" Welkin interrupted.

"I’ll explain it later. Right now, I think we’d better get moving," Sotsu said as he began walking down the dirt path.

"Yeah Shekaru and I are coming with you Sotsu! I’m holding you responsible for what happened to my building! I’m expecting you to pay me back!" Welkin shot as he and Shekaru began a steady pace to catch up to the other two following the black echidna.

Gray quickly swooped down and reached into the thick blackened debris as he was heading to catch up to Sotsu. He scooped up the Chaos Blade. Next to it lay the little remains of Sotsu’s Dark Legion equipment bag and the Sword. Blow to bits scrap and small black patches of the bag, along with numerous pieces of several devices. He looked up to Sotsu and Carmen who had stopped to see what he had found. After a thanks and the blade’s exchange of hands the now group of five walked off down the dirt path. Leaving the havoc behind. 

It was a few hours later. Fury Gear walked from body to body of his comrades. He was now the only one of his squad left. Tears welled in his eyes, he howled in pain. 

"I’ll get you for this you damn echidna! You’ll pay!" with that Fury Gear collapsed on his knees and weeped hysterically into his hands, in the middle of the smoking destruction. Yet it was nothing compared to the havoc that broke free in his heart. He held abhor feelings toward the black echidna. He wished the worst of him. 

Fury Gear took his pistol into his hand. He took the remaining weapons of his fallen comrades and fastened them with hostels, belts and pouches. He was loaded down head to toe with knives, pistols, rifles and even explosives. He ripped free the signature Neo Guilty Blade patches from the corpses and sowed them into the left arm of his own coat. Then he took off on one of the remaining bikes. Not east, where Sotsu was heading, but north. 

Fury Gear bit down on his lip as he rode swiftly though the smooth fields, holding back tears of pain and hot fury. He could taste his own blood, but he hungered for Sotsu’s.

-Nicholas D. Wolfwood-