*Gadget POV 3rd person They weren’t kidding when they said the trail to the jackal village was long. Already, the group had been walking for over an hour, and while none of them were bothered yet, Gadget couldn’t help but to wonder when exactly they would get there. All of them were relatively quiet as Zero took the lead while Ben and Gervais took up the rear, and the rest of them shifted around here and there on positions in the middle. At the moment, Tails and Knuckles were near the rear by the other two jackals. Somehow, the young fox and the jackal intelligence officer began speaking awhile back and seemed to be getting along quite well. That was good if they hoped for a smooth discussion period with the jackals. They should all try to be on friendly terms with them. Knuckles however, was silent along with Ben. Then there was Shadow and Sonic, who were more in the middle of everyone. The two were talking about random subjects; or more Sonic was talking and Shadow was rolling his eyes at him. It was amusing when he had been watching, but now the wolf was unable to witness the antics as he near the front at the moment; almost walking side by side with Zero. Gadget wasn’t sure how he’d gotten up there, for he had started in the rear, but it seemed fate wanted to put him in the most awkward place possible. Being near this jackal made him feel slightly on edge, and he wasn’t sure why. The only guess Gadget could formulate was when the guide stared right at him so intensely. Not really sure what to make of any of it, and hoping he was only letting his imagination get the best of him, amber eyes took to gazing around at the different trees, and the scenery in general. The genius wouldn’t say he was overly enthusiastic for nature or anything, but he could admire its beauty when bathed in it. The nature was lush and bright green; perfectly healthy with fresh air to accompany it. Lips tugged upward as the red canine enjoyed the walk along the path. “Gadget right?” Blinking, the inquisitive voice disrupted his thoughts as he looked to his right to see he was walking beside Zero by accident. However, only a curious gaze was directed at the wolf, and Gadget realized he’d asked a question. “Y-Yeah, it’s Gadget.” Damn it! Why’d he have to stutter? The stammer wasn’t missed as a humored glint was seen in the jackal’s eyes, making the timid wolf suddenly feel even more anxious. “It’s nice to meet you,” Zero offered, sounding sincere, but still clearly looking amused, “And you don’t need to be nervous. We will be working together for awhile, so we may as well…” Pausing, Zero gave a wide grin before speaking lowly so only the shorter canine could hear, “Get comfortable.” Gold spheres stared at him for a moment in puzzlement. Comfortable? Sure, they should all get along, but why did that sound...more suggestive? And what did he mean by working together for awhile? Wasn’t Zero only the guide for them? Or did he play another role in the jackal village? “Zero,” their conversation was thankfully interrupted by the intelligence officer for the jackals, Gervais. “We still have half an hour to forty-five minutes before arriving. Crystal Lake is nearby. Did you want to stop for a rest or anything?” “Hm…” the guide hummed, before his shifty eyes glanced at the wolf, making him look confused by the sudden stare. Zero then gave a small smirk. “Sure. We can stop for a break. It’s not like we’re in a rush by any means.” What the fuck did that mean?! Doesn’t he want to get this started and over with? Somehow, Gadget thought jackals were more territorial. The fact that the jackals wanted the deal here with only a small team was so they could feel as if they have more control. Of course that was never directly said by either party, but it was assumed. So wouldn’t they want to get Sonic and his team out faster? However, there was a lot about jackals that no one knew about, including himself… “Very well,” Gervais responded in monotone before turning to face the group, “Everyone!” All Mobians halted as they waited to Gervais’ next words. “We will be taking a short water break. There is a lake nearby called Crystal Lake and it holds perfectly clean water. We use it as our main water source so you won’t have to worry about getting sick or anything.” “Alright, sounds good!” Sonic gave a thumbs up. As the message was relayed to the group, the wolf stealthily shifted his eyes to the side of him towards the guide, only to see Zero staring at him as well. Flinching in surprise, he hastily averted his gaze while hearing a quiet chuckle from the other. This was going to be an odd experience, and Gadget had no clue what to make of any of this. ------- The view by the lake was absolutely gorgeous. The water was crystal clear while soft waves moved to and fro. The sun was shining brightly and light shimmered on the ripples in the body of water. The plants all around helped give the atmosphere a calm, gentle feel as Gadget took in a happy breath. “Like it?” Jumping slightly in shock, Gadget hadn’t expected anyone near him as he saw all of this team by the lake getting a drink while he had been standing further back and taking in the scenery. Sharply turning around, he saw Zero behind him; obviously trying to hold back a snort. Those words hadn’t been loud when spoken, and the wolf realized that the guide was a little...too close for comfort. Taking a step away from him, Gadget answered, “Yes, it’s beautiful out here.” Holding an amused grin, Zero took a small step forward, recovering some of the lost space, “This has been used as our watering source for generations. While it’s primary usage is for drinking, and sometimes fishing, there are other customs that have come about from this lake as well.” Tilting his head in curiosity, and forgetting his discomfort at the moment, the wolf inquired, “Really?” “Yes, some say throwing a gemstone into the lake will give good luck, and two will grant a wish. I believe Mobians in society have something similar?” Nodding, Gadget confirmed, “Yeah, but it’s with money coins instead of gemstones.” “Mhm...There is also the superstition that if you come here on the night of a full moon, and kiss the love of your life, that you will both remain together for eternity; even after death.” ….. Why was Zero telling him this? Not that he minded small talk, but somehow, Gadget got the feeling that this was going somewhere. “Do you believe in superstitions Zero?” “Usually, no,” grinning wickedly, he suddenly bent down to where he was very much in Gadget’s personal space; making those amber eyes widen considerably, “But I figured, if I did find someone, that I wouldn’t mind trying it. It doesn’t hurt to give yourself more chances at happiness after all, now does it?” What the hell was going on!? He didn’t know, and quite frankly, he didn’t want to know. Taking several steps back, Gadget stammered out, “I-I’m going to get some water!” And he ran off towards the lake; missing the humored smirk the jackal held on his white lips while watching him scamper away. ------- The rest of the walk was uneventful, which Gadget was extremely grateful for. He chose to stay towards the back of the group this time as a means of avoiding any possible conversations with Zero. He knew he couldn’t run away forever, especially if what the guide said was true and they would be working together. But, he needed some time to process what had happened. The wolf had no clue what was going through the other’s head, and for some reason, Zero made him feel a combination of anxiety and just plain strange. He wasn’t sure how to explain it. Thoughts halted as they group rounded a corner of trees and saw the village in sight. Excitement filled the genius canine; happy they all made it there in one piece and with no issues. Feet led them into the village. Yellow eyes glanced around as he saw the makeshift huts made of dirt and stone. It really reminded him of ancient times before building structures updated to brick and other more sturdy materials. Fascination took over the wolf’s muzzle as he then examined the residents; men wearing no clothes while women wore simple cloth dresses. Their clothes and accessories weren’t heavily colorful or anything and neither were their homes. This place interested Gadget greatly as he was a major history buff and this village had that kind of feel to it. They group trekked along until making it to what he assumed as the middle of the village. There were several wooden tables and chairs organized nicely along with a small makeshift stage further back. This was probably where public town announcements were made. Stopping in front of the area, Zero turned to them. “Welcome to Andamaina Village. This is our main headquarters and location for jackals. We used to have several pockets of jackals in various other parts of the world, but after the war with the hyenas, we came together, and now all of the jackal villages lie in this forest, but this location is the largest and was chosen as the jackal capital as you might put it.” “Wow,” Tails quietly breathed in awe beside Gadget, “This is so neat.” Nodding, Gadget whispered, “It is. I’m excited to learn more about this place and the jackals.” The young fox gave a grin in agreement before then hearing Gervais speak up. “We have a place prepared for you all for lunch. It is located where you all will be staying during your time here. If you will follow us, we will take you there.” Obediently, everyone once more followed Zero and now Gervais as they took a left from the public area. It was a bit of a walk, but they arrived at a nicely sized hut on the edge of the town. The view of the forest outside the village could easily be seen. “This is where you will be staying while we make the treaty,” Zero explained, “I hope you do not mind being so close to the edge of the village. It is very custom to put guests here.” “Guests?” Shadow asked with a raised brow, wondering what guests they could possibly have since jackals tend to keep to themselves. “Guests from other jackal villages,” the guide clarified, “For jackals, it is a welcoming gesture to provide a place if any guests are expected to stay more than a day, while also having that place on the edge of town. Almost like, helping the guests feel a little closer to home by being near the forest while also being a part of the village at the same time.” The genius’ wolf’s eyes lit up considerably from that information. It was so interesting and he liked how thought out something as simple as where guests would stay was. Everyone moved up to the hut before entering. Inside was simple as the walls were dark from the stone but light shined in from the open windows. Lamps were in all corners of the rooms, and one was hung from the ceiling in the center of the main area; most likely for night time purposes. There was a large table in the center of the main area where prepared food was already waiting for them. “I hope you enjoy your stay here.” Zero welcomed sincerely. Knuckles spoke up, “How long is this negotiation gonna be? I can’t imagine it’ll be short if you’re all letting us stay here.” “We cannot be sure,” Gervais answered, “Since we jackals have never done anything like this before, we figured this could take more time. That is why we wanted the best set up for you.” Knuckles looked unimpressed. Gadget filled in, “Keep in mind Knuckles that a lot goes into this stuff. There’s a lot to discuss, and sometimes negotiations can take weeks, or even months, to figure out depending on the severity of it.” “Weeks or months?!” “You really didn’t think this through when you decided to come, eh Knucklehead?” Sonic chuckled which earned him a harsh glare from the echidna. “If it comes to where this takes a long time and we need to postpone, we can always do that,” the guide spoke to Knuckles’ concerns, “We do understand this may take awhile, so if you ever need to leave, do not feel like you have to stay. We can always pick back up at a later date. This is for peace after all. The last thing we want is to cause issues or discomfort because of this.” “It’s no trouble,” Sonic disagreed, “We want to work with you. We wouldn’t be here if we didn’t.” “That’s true,” Tails chimed in while Shadow and Knuckles gave agreeing nods. “We want things to work out too,” Gadget spoke up, “We want to do our best to work with you. So, if you need anything during this time, you can talk with us as well. We don’t want to cause you any trouble either.” Smiling, he looked over them all, before his heterochromia gaze fell on the wolf, Zero replied warmly, “Thank you.” And Gadget couldn’t help the heat that rose up in his cheeks from the gratitude displayed. ———- Lunch consisted of fish cooked over an open flame and fruit. The meat was tender and well seasoned while the fruit was ripe and fresh. Everyone was extremely satisfied after the delicious, filling meal. When finished, everyone went and decided what rooms they wanted. There were four bedrooms total in the hut, which was a huge surprise to the group. They debated on what to do, and decided that everyone would cycle on who would sleep on the could so that the same person didn’t have to sleep on it every night. Currently, the jackals were gone. They had left so the guests could have lunch and settle in. It was nice to have the break, and now they all just relaxed while waiting for them to return. Sonic and Shadow were sitting out in the main area while playing a card game, and Tails and Knuckles were in their personal bedrooms. Gadget thought of going to his bedroom as well, but after lunch, he felt too congested in the hut. Walking up to the wooden door, he exited the stone house and immediately got some fresh air blown through his fur. It was feeling a little stuffy in there, so it was nice to be outside, despite the heat. He gave a relieved sigh as he enjoyed the breeze. He didn’t plan to go anywhere because he was an outsider, and didn’t know if it was currently a good idea, but Gadget figured just standing outside should be fine. “Is everything alright?” “Huh?” Turning to the voice, Gadget saw it was Gervais and Ben walking up to the hut and approaching him. Not seeing Zero made Gadget feel strange somehow. Like he should be relieved, but… Pushing the thought to the back of his mind, the wolf answered, “Yes, I just decided to get some fresh air.” “I am glad you did not go into the village,” Gervais replied once again with no emotion, “You have not had a tour after all.” “That’s true. I wasn’t sure how the people here would feel about us walking around either so I thought I’d just stay put.” “That’s nothing to concern yourself with. Everyone is aware of your presence.” “Ah, I see,” Gadget replied with an awkward laugh, not really sure how to interact with Gervais since he’s always so serious. “Anyway, Zero will be here shortly. He had something come up.” “Something come up?” “Do not concern yourself with it.” “Oh...alright.” “Let's head in. We had something to discuss with you. We can go ahead and get started until Zero comes.” Nodding, the wolf answered, “Okay.” And the three went inside.