Chapter 3 Black Flames A week later after our hero Xak traveled into the vast empty desert, now a totally black hedgehog with no gear for it was torn and withered, so he had tossed it a few days ago. Now he suffers from hunger, and thirst as the hot sun beat down making him only come closer to collapsing, when suddenly Xak spots a black figure in the distance. He gathers all the energy he could muster, and runs towards the figure hoping is a person with water and food "HEY!" Xak shouted from a distance “hey! Hey! Hey!" he kept calling the closer he got when suddenly the black figure... was a shadow... of another creature that looked exactly like the other one that destroyed his home."You... you're not the same shadow man that took everything from me... but I bet you know something about him... don't you?" Xak stated and asked, as he felt too weak to attack but held himself up to show no weakness" "Oh you mean my brother... Mischief? Hm, hm yes I do know about him, as I just said he is my brother" the shadow explained "Mischief huh?" Xak said as his eyes showed anger when the name was spoken, and his fists wrapped tight. "Then who are you?" Xak asked "My name? Hm good sir, I would be... Mephiles, Mephiles the Dark! But! You may only--" "Mephiles... tell me where Mischief is!" Xak demanded, as his legs started to twinge from hunger, and his stomach growled... "Hmhm... that's something for you find out... for now..." Mephiles conjured a big Apple, ripe, and juicy "Take this... Hero... hmhm it'll help regains strength." Mephiles said as he tossed the apple to Xak, "I imagine from the severe hunger you're in, you haven't eaten in months... which is a surprise, sense you Mortals, can only live 5 weeks without food or water... you're a neat one... Mr. Xak..."Mephiles explained. Xak held the fruit in his hands... temptation called to him "eat it" his stomach said "don't eat it, it's tainted!" his Mind said "but you must live to find Ophilia!" his heart said! "What about Ophilia?" Xak asked "Oh the Purple haired girl? She's fine... we haven't done anything to her... hm hmhm... yet..."Mephiles said as he sunk into shadows leaving Xak all alone in the desert "NO! DON'T YOU TOUCH HER!" Xak shouted as he tried to grab Mephiles before he totally sunk, but the sane was his rival in the matter, Mephiles got away, and Xak face down lying in the hot sand, "Damn it!.. Why is this happening!?" Xak shouted to himself, he took a look at the apple he had been given... and crushed it in his hands" I won't trust you Mephiles... I won't give in; I'll find her just you wait! And Mischief.. I’ll kill you..." He mumbled to himself and tossed the crushed apple away, got up on his feet again, and marched on through the desert. (Hours Later) Xak had collapsed from extreme hunger, and thirst “I can't give in now... she needs me!" Xak said in a dry voice "she needs me..." he repeated over and over and over until... he passed out. He woke up... staggering, and finding it difficult to stand, for a moment, still hungry, and thirsty as hell. "Where am I?" he said, as he noticed he wasn’t in the desert anymore? But in a forest likes setting. "How did I--" Xak had stopped his line when he noticed a ham basket, tied to a stick with a note attached, he picked up the note find that it read, "Dear black hedgehog... I found you lying in the desert... by the way what the hell where you doing out there? Anyway... I rescued you and left you in shade, and gathered food for you... hope you're hungry... I imagine so. Enjoy and hope we meet again when you're not unconscious." "Well whoever did this was a really nice person-- wait this was that Mephiles guy again wasn't it? I don't want you're tainted food!" Xak shouted as he was about stomp on it when suddenly his ear raised, and he heard noises... fighting noises, he quickly took off in the directing, he started to hear it louder, and more effect like a shadowy water-ish sloshing noise and Thunder strikes... deeper into the forest he ran, still hungry and tired, was so curious He suddenly heard voices “why- won't- you-bastards- quit!" Xak heard as he charged still "Muwaahahahahaa" Xak heard as the laugh sounded like Mischief’s, he knew now that he needs to find out what’s going on, he finally made it to the scene to find an small army of black shadowy Monsters, attacking a Yellow hedgehog Xak witness a moment of the fight, and suddenly he charged in. meeting the yellow hedgehog in the center of the crowd, as he took quite a few monsters on the way "What the hell are you?" the yellow hedgehog asked in confusion "My name is Xak, and I'm here to help you!" Xak shouted back wondering how he's gunna pull this off with no energy to even hold himself up "Well Xak, I appreciate the offer, but I got this--" suddenly in the yellow hedgehog's cocky mutter a monster snuck in and took a shot at him from behind. Xak quickly countered after the hit to the yellow hedgehog, and grabbed the monster by the arm and used it like a weapon spinning around knocking monster after monster down in a circle "Huh well I guess you could stay and watch..." the yellow hedgehog said still in his cocky banter as he started punching, kicking, and performing combos like a champ, on his foes before him, as Xak had done the same. Xak suddenly felt burning in his chest... he then felt his hands as if they were on fire, at first Xak thought one of the monsters shot him or something... but then he fingers lit... then his whole hand, they lit ablaze in black flames, in front of his very eyes, he thoughts he was on fire, but realized the flames did not burn him.. He then realized that this was a power... not a debilitation. Xak smiled confidently his no found powers, were going to be a blast for him to try out, the monsters still surrounding them looked at Xak like something weird as about to happen "alright.. You punks want to tangle? Then let’s tie a knot!" Xak punned, as he unleashed his new powers on the enemy mowing them down like a lawn before a mower, as the yellow hedgehog noticed the Xak wiping them out like they were nothing while he broke somewhat of a sweat. Both finishing off the last of the monster, that collapsed from exhaustion "hehe so neat trick you go there pal, uh... what was your name again?" the yellow hedgehog asked as he panted heavily, lying on his back "I'm Xak... Xak the hedgehog... but Just call me Xak... and what about you?" Xak replied "Heh! I'm Shocram, the Lightning Lord, god of thunder, master of light! The champ--" "Alright, I got it... so Shocram... if you can use lightning like you so claim why didn't you use it in the fight?" Xak asked as also panted lying on the ground. "Oh well that’s because... My powers are... really powerful... so I try not to use them unless I really need to... that wasn't even fight for me that was a scrap!" Shocram explained confidently "Humph... I guess it makes sense, so Mister Lightning Lord... where is you from?" Xak asked as he stood up on his feet "Me? I'm from a small town not far from here...by the way, if you're gunna start knocking me for my title then you need one too so I can knock on you! Fair is fair, pal" Shocram Exclaimed "A title? Well I don't know... I was a Prince but--" "Wow, wow, wow! A Prince? ...wait a second, are you the same prince from the grass Plains?" Shocram questioned "Umm.. Yeah," Xak looks away in pain "yeah that’s me..." "Wooooow... man everyone in my village heard about the Kingdom falling.. My town went up in an uproar about it.... with leadership sense there is no king... and la-de-dah crap!" Shocram said as he noticed Xak wanting to cry suddenly "Oh but... I don't mean any disrespect, I mean the kingdom fell but I'm sure the king and queen are fine... right? Right?!" Shocram said trying to make Xak feel better "No... They were murdered... in front of me... and my girlfriend was kidnaper... my entire... home, family, and love were taken from me in the blink of an eye... because that monster..." Xak growled in hate as his eyes began to tear up "I... I'm sorry... I sometimes don't know when to keep my big mouth shut... sorry, Xak..." Shocram said feeling the deep sadness from Xak "It’s fine... because when I find that bastard Mischief! I'll make him pay!" Xak said as his tears turned to rage, and his sorrow turned to hatred "Well that’s what I call a spark! Well you and I ain't so different' you're left all alone, and I'm an outcast, let’s set sails together!" Shocram said exclaimed happily. "I suppose... we could team up, but I thought you lived in a town near here? Why would you leave?" Xak asked "It’s a long story... and to put it short I have no one left, in the town. My only family, my big brother, is dead... because of some dumb leadership; fight... a month ago... I say screw leaders, let’s just be a free world... but everyone looks at me like an Idiot... and I was banned from the village... I've been wondering ever sense..." "I see..." Xak said "well then lets!--" suddenly a growling noise came from both of them "Are you hungry too?" Xak asked "Yeah... Hungry enough to eat a horse!" Shocram replied when suddenly somebody stood over a rock above them "Hey fellas! And I see the black hedgehog woke up!" said the unknown voice Xak and Shocram looked up, and stood in fighting position ready for him "Relax guys I'm not a bad guy, my name is Syclone the wolf, but Syclone is what I prefer, please!" he said as he leapt down from the rock "Did you enjoy my basket of treats, Mr. Black hedgehog?" Syclone asked "Basket? Oh! I um... kinda--" suddenly the basket was shoved in his face "Nope, no you didn't, you know, you should take what others offer out of kindness, and not be such a stuck up Snob" "HEY I'M NOT STUCK UP!! I just had been through some crap ...and I didn't eat the food because... forget it... I'm sorry... I should've that first before my paranoia clouded my judgment" Xak said in disappointment with himself "You’re damned, right you shouldn’t, what ever happened to you, is not my fault, not shut up and eat!" Syclone said "and you yellow one... you think something is cute about my right eye?" Syclone shouted "AH! Uhh... n-no sorry... I’m just curious is all," Shocram said "Yeah well shut up, and follow me, if you haven't notices it's gunna rain soon, you can stay at my Place for the night... but tomorrow, you hit the road got it?" Syclone explained "GOT IT!" Xak and Shocram both replied as they traveled with Syclone (The next day) Xak and Shocram awoke with a loud yawn, and a stretch, as they found themselves waking up in a cave... "Man that was rough last night... how does anyone sleep in a cave?" Shocram Complained "Yeah well... it could have been worse... let’s getting going, like he said too...." Xak replied "Yeah alright... he's kind of Pushy isn’t he?" Shocram stated "A little... but I would too if I lived in a cave" Xak replied as they both turned around towards the outside as Syclone was standing out front waiting for them... "Uh... I didn't mean it, I mean.... HE SAID NOT ME!?" Shocram said pointing fingers at Xak "HEY! You’re the one talking about how mean he was!" Xak replied pointing fingers at Shocram "Guys, relax... here take this, and get out of here!" Syclone said handing them a basket of fruit and vegetables "make it last, because I'm not a damn Store!" he said vulgarly Xak and Shocram took the basket and headed off, as they came to a road with arrows and names "Huh... if we go right? Then we'll be heading to a town called Lathian, sounds weird... and to the right is--" "Wolice, that’s where I came from, before here, so we don't want that way" Xak said interrupting Shocram "Well alright, to Lathian, we go!” Shocram stated ecstatically as they both walked side by side next to each other marching down the road, with belly full, and destination in gear! "Hey so about you're title?" Shocram brought up "Yeah?" Xak replied "What do you think about...? DARK FIRE! Or the Dark Lord! Or maybe Black flame!” Shocram said, energetically "Eh... not really my style... I just recently found out about these powers... so I'm kind getting used to it" Xak replied "Hmm don't worry, Pal! I'll think of something" Shocram said confidently "Hehe" Xak chuckled in annoyance. (To be continued)