Chapter Text
The Elder's Hall always gave Silver a sense of comfort.
The aged wood, the countless bookshelves, the strong marble pillars, everything about it was breathtaking. The Elder's hall was a symbol of strength and security that made Silver feel grounded when nothing else in the world did. The fact that it was open to even the lowest level Guards when not in use allowed him to spend ample time there. He would relax in the cozy couches and read books, drinking elderberry wine and brushing up on his knowledge. It was perfect.
Yet today things felt…slightly less perfect.
According to what he was told by his peers, the Savior of the Guard was missing. Nobody had given him a reason why and rumors were spreading throughout the Guard like wildfire. Silver didn't pay the idle gossip any mind though. A good Guard reserved judgement until they knew the truth of the matter after all.
Early that morning the Elders clergy had called the highest ranked Guards in headquarters to assemble in the hall for a meeting. As an apprentice to the highest ranked member of the Guardsmen, Silver had the privilege of tagging along with his Superior. A sense of pride welled in his chest at the idea of being one of the few allowed in on such an important affair, and Silver promised himself to make the most of it.
Silver arrived at the Elder's Hall twenty minutes early and spent his time lounging on one of the plush couches nearby. Anxiety squirmed in his chest at the thought of what was going to happen at the meeting. Would the Elders dispel the rumors? Would they explain where the Savior went? No matter the outcome, he felt excited just to be included.
“Hey.”
Silver blinked his eyes open and sat up straight on the couch. Embarrassment burned under his fur at the realization he had almost fallen asleep. He saluted whoever it was that woke him up, eyes turned down to the floor to avoid their gaze.
“Hello! Guard-006 here!”
“Relax. It's just me.”
Silver glanced up, relieved to see it was only his superior in the room. His shoulders sagged forward and he smiled.
“Heh, oh it's just you, Infinite.” Silver laughed.
“I was worried for a sec there.”
“You should be.” Infinite retorted. Blue and yellow eyes narrowed on him in irritation.
“Catching you asleep in the Elder's Hall before an important meeting is unacceptable. You're lucky it was me and not one of the Elders themselves.”
“Of course.” Silver nodded. He couldn't argue with that. As comfortable as the Hall was, it was still a place of decorum and respect.
“My bad. I was just waiting for the meeting and got a little tired, that's all. I'm awake now though!”
“Yes, I can see that.”
“So, uh, sir…” Silver tilted his head.
“It's your shift for monitor duty, right? If you're here, who's guarding the–”
“He will be fine for a few minutes by himself. I made sure of that.” Infinite reached into his cloak and pulled out a key, neatly hanging from a chain around his neck.
“In any case, we have significantly more important matters to attend to right now.”
“You mean the Savior's disappearance, right? So it's true? He's missing right now?”
“I wasn't here last night, so I don't know. But the Elder's will tell us what happened to Shadow soon enough.”
A moment later the doors to the hall creaked open. Silver and Infinite turned, both men standing at attention once they set eyes on the Elders. Seven well-dressed clergy members filed out down the hallway one by one. At the front of the line was Father Gerald, walking further ahead of the other members.
As the Elders made their way to their conference table, more Guards filed in behind them at a distance. Infinite gestured for Silver to follow him and the two men quickly took their place with the other Guardsmen. Silver had memorized where he was supposed to stand when addressing the Elders and quickly got into position just behind Infinite on his left side.
The other Guards and their apprentices stood side by side behind them, each one taking a knee and settling their eyes to the floor waiting to be addressed. Silver glanced back at the others and wondered if he was supposed to do the same. Infinite nudged him and shook his head.
“Keep facing forward,” he whispered.
“You are my apprentice and you stand with me.”
“Yes sir.”
Once the Elders had taken their seats and were settled, Father Gerald turned his attention to the Guards. Silver felt himself stiffen under the man's gaze but held his position. He glanced over at Infinite; the jackal simply stared straight ahead with a bored expression on his face. The meeting was going to be about the Savior and it was obvious he was not looking forward to it.
“Guards you may stand.”
At Gerald's command the other Guards behind Silver stood up one by one with practiced ease. He folded his hands behind his back and waited for all of them to rise before continuing.
“As you may have heard, last night the Savior went missing.” Gerald started.
“According to eye witnesses, the Demon followed the Savior back to headquarters and broke into his sleeping quarters. He then kidnapped my granddaughter and former Guardsman Maria. The Savior was seen pursuing them according to fellow Guards that tried to keep up with them. Neither the Savior or Maria have been seen since last night.”
Silver blinked in disbelief. He knew the Demon was dangerous but he never would have imagined that he would actually be bold enough to break into headquarters. Let alone kidnap a vulnerable Guardsman.
“Now, you may be wondering why we called you all here. The main reason was to dispel any rumors that have arisen due to the incident last night. For the Guard to be strong, we must all be on the same page and share information honestly and openly. I implore you all to relay this information to the lower ranks to settle any misunderstandings.”
“Yes, Father Gerald.” Infinite nodded, answering for the crowd.
“We will make sure all Guards know the facts of the incident properly.”
“Good.” He sighed and closed his eyes.
“The second reason I called all of you here is to give you all the remaining missions the Savior will be unable to complete. I can only entrust these special missions to the most experienced and skilled Guardsmen, and each of you have your missions picked out by Elder Ariem based on your abilities and where you are stationed. Now, Elder Ariem if you–”
“Excuse me, Father Gerald.”
Silver flinched at the sound of Infinite's voice. The room went silent. Father Gerald looked down his nose at the jackal but said nothing in reply.
“You called us here simply to pick up Shadow's unfinished work?” Infinite asked.
“Are we not going after him to help him capture the Demon?”
“No.”
“No?”
“The Savior can handle the situation on his own. He must handle the situation on his own. It is his destiny, and he must prove himself worthy of it.”
“Forgive me Father, but it seems unwise to not send me at least.” Infinite replied incredulously.
“I am the top Guard. Would it not make sense to send me in as backup in case Shadow fails?”
“He will not fail.”
“Father–”
“You would do well to remember your place, Guard-017. You are Commander of the Guardsmen. You are not a ‘backup Savior’, and to think of yourself as such is not only arrogant but blasphemy as well.”
Silver noticed Infinite's eye twitch but the jackal did not move.
“Yes Father Gerald.” He said quietly.
“You all have your orders. Elder Ariem will send messengers to your barracks to give you your assigned missions. As a reminder, these are the Savior's targets, so they are quite dangerous. Be sure to plan accordingly. You are all dismissed. Glory to Apollo's Guard.”
“Glory to Apollo's Guard!” the room echoed with the sounds of their fellow Guardsmen repeating their oath. Silver chanted with them as well, pride surging through him every time they spoke as one.
He noticed with dismay that Infinite did not join in.
As the Guardsmen and Elders filed out of the room one by one Silver waited patiently by his superior's side. Infinite went in the opposite direction and opted to sit at one of the couches nearby. Bi-colored eyes narrowed as he watched them leave, brooding with an expression Silver couldn't quite read. He sat down on the couch as well, quietly wondering what was on his superior's mind.
Once the room was empty he decided to finally ask.
“Are you okay?”
“Father Gerald is a fool.” Infinite spat.
“Trusting something so important as killing the Demon to a single man is ridiculous.”
Silver flinched. He had never heard his superior speak of any Elder that way before, let alone Father Gerald.
“But it isn't just any man, it's the Savior.” Silver replied.
“Our prophecy states that the Savior is supposed to defeat the Demon and that's exactly what he's out there doing.”
“It never said that he has to go alone. Look at what happened the first time he had the Demon in his grasp. He fumbled it after weeks of tracking him down. If any of us had lost a target after that long, we would have lost a rank as well. Father Gerald shows favoritism to Shadow and believes he can do no wrong. ”
“That's not true.” Silver shook his head.
“The Savior is on a whole different level than we are, sir. We don't know what he's doing or what he has to go through. The world is on his shoulders and he's just one guy, after all.”
“All the more reason to have a backup plan when and if he fails. I am just as capable of capturing the Demon as he is. I should be out there tracking them down and putting an end to it.” Infinite scoffed.
“ ‘Proving himself worthy of his destiny'? If it's his destiny he shouldn't need to prove it. He should never fail. Relying entirely on one man is foolish, especially if he can fuck it up at any moment, putting the fate of the world at risk.”
“Sir–”
“Forget it.” Infinite stood up from the couch and waved him off.
“I shouldn't be talking to you about this. It's bad for morale.”
“Sir, we're partners. You can talk to me about anything.” Silver stood up with him and put his hand over his chest.
“Not everyone is going to agree with everything. It's okay to vent frustrations sometimes. The important thing is we don't let it get in the way of our duties.”
Infinite shrugged, unconvinced.
“I still feel like I should be doing something. I feel like if I were out there the Demon would be dead already.”
“The Savior will do what he's supposed to do, sir. You just have to have faith.”
“I have faith. I believe in the power of the Guard to stop the apocalypse. Not just Shadow. In any case, it doesn't matter. What's done is done and we have our orders.” He sighed and put a hand on Silver's shoulder.
“Go and retrieve our mission from the barracks. A messenger has likely put the letter in my room by now. I'm going back to my post.”
“Yes sir.” Silver replied. He gave Infinite a friendly salute.
“And don't worry. Everything will work out just fine. I know it will.”
“Mmm. Whatever you say, rookie.” Infinite growled in irritation.
“Whatever you say.”
Just as Infinite had said, a letter was delivered outside of his door in the barracks. Silver picked it up as he passed by on his way to his own room. Curiosity pulled at him about what their next mission would be but Silver decided to wait until it was properly handed over to his superior instead of checking for himself. He stuffed the letter in his pocket and made his way back out of the barracks, eager to deliver the letter to Infinite.
Once he was back in headquarters, Silver took his time as he walked the halls. He spent most of his time out in the field or in the Elder's Hall, so having an excuse to see the rest of the building was always a treat to him. Beautiful stained glass windows depicting the Gods towered over him as he went, their colors swirling on the polished wood floors. Trophies and memorabilia of past Guardsmen were hung up on the other side of the walls, each one belonging to a notable figure in their history.
A broken shield in particular always caught Silver's eye, its beautiful ornate design cut through by a slash down the side. He walked up to it and ran his fingers across the scarred surface. He hoped one day to have his own weaponry displayed on the building's walls for other Guards to admire as well.
“Maybe one of the Savior's missions could be my chance to do something great.” Silver whispered to the shield.
“I'm an apprentice, but I'm still a Guard. This is the perfect opportunity to make Infinite proud.”
Eager to prove himself, Silver quickly made his way downstairs to find his superior. If he remembered correctly, the holding cells would have less security at that hour. Infinite was usually by himself and that would give the two of them ample time to talk about their mission.
The door to the holding cells was unguarded as usual due to having high security locks. He flashed his Guard badge at the scanner and waited patiently for the door to process his clearance. Anxiety gnawed at his belly at the realization of something important; he had never actually seen their prisoner before.
He had never seen any vampire up close before. Not alive at least. Apprentices were usually in charge of body disposal and cleanup, so they rarely saw action until their first official mission. Infinite had countless solo missions on his own, so Silver was often called simply to clean up whatever mess his superior left behind.
This would be his first encounter with a living, breathing vampire.
A small beep sounded from the scanner, prompting the metal door to pry itself open. Silver held his breath and slowly walked inside.
White bricked walls lined with individual cells greeted him, each one equipped with thick, impenetrable bars. The tiled white floor and overhead lights gave the entire area a sterile atmosphere and Silver felt a shiver creep up his spine.
He walked further down the hall, following the cells until they veered to the left. Immediately he noticed his superior standing in front of one of the cells. Relief washed over him and Silver jogged up to Infinite, letter in hand.
“Infinite, sir!”
The jackal whipped around to him, eyes narrowed in confusion.
“What are you doing down here?”
“I came to bring you our mission letter.”
“Oh.” Infinite waved him off.
“You didn't need to come all the way down here for that.”
“I know but I was kind of excited to get started and I didn't want to open it without your permission.”
A dark chuckle floated in the air and Silver froze. Infinite rolled his eyes and turned around to a creature crouched in the corner of the cell.
“What are you laughing at?”
“Your apprentice. Such a loyal little dog isn't he?”
Silver blinked. He had hardly noticed the figure behind the bars, their form camouflaged by the dark corner of the walls. They slowly rose from their position on the floor and walked out of the shadows. The prisoner had smokey grey quills and a cheshire smile, the expression captivating yet frightening. Green eyes locked onto Silver immediately and he flinched, their gaze unnatural. The vampire chuckled at his reaction.
“Quite the timid one as well.”
“Who…are you?”
“That's Mephiles. Ignore him. All he does is talk nonsense.” Infinite sighed.
“He's simply a vampire we are using for information on the Demon.”
“Information you seek in futility.” Mephiles said quietly. His voice was silky and dark, slithering into Silver's mind like a hungry snake.
“He's lying as usual. Pay him no mind.”
“That's a little difficult…” Silver muttered.
“A-anyway about the mission?”
“Oh, right. Hand it over.”
Infinite took the envelope and sliced it open with one of his claws. He flipped out the paper inside and scanned it, rolling his eyes before handing over to Silver once again.
“What is it?”
“It's a mission to kill a particularly powerful vampire in the next town over. It would take a few days but it's nothing you can't handle.”
“You mean you're going to take me with you this time, right?”
A frown made its way onto Infinite's muzzle, but he nodded anyway.
“Of course. We will set out tomorrow, so I advise you to get to bed early tonight.”
“Yes sir.”
Another chuckle slipped through the iron bars.
“What are you laughing at now?”
“Oh…nothing.” Mephiles sat on the bench in the cell and tilted his head, smiling. Silver watched his every move, entranced by the vampire's strange aura.
“Its just interesting, the things you tell your apprentice.”
“Oh, be quiet.” Infinite snapped over his shoulder.
“Anyway, Silver, that's all for now. Dinner should be starting soon. Get yourself something to eat and head to bed as soon as possible.”
“Are you not coming?”
“I have some paperwork to fill out about this freak.” nodded to Mephiles.
“Of course, sir. I'll leave you to it, then.” Silver replied. He saluted his superior and turned away, heading back the way he came.
Unease struck him as he ascended the stairs back to the main hall. Something about the vampire's words swam around in Silver's mind, curling around his every thought. Were all vampires like that? If that was the case, he understood how the everyday civilian would be seduced into their traps.
Silver shook his head and tried to clear his mind. He was stronger than that. He had to be.
He picked up the pace and briskly walked back to the barracks, leaving the strange vampire and his alluring voice behind.
That evening things were particularly strange. Silver went to the Mess Hall for dinner but to his surprise Infinite did not come to join him as usual. Not wanting to disobey his superior, Silver did as he was told and ate dinner alone. He waited for a few minutes after he finished his meal but once the other Guards began to clear out he decided to leave as well.
The Mess Hall was open 24-hours and it was not uncommon to spot Guards late at night grabbing snacks after missing dinnertime. He assumed Infinite would just eat later.
Silver walked back to the barracks alone as well. He walked past Infinite's room and paused at the door. Maybe his superior had simply gone to bed? Gently he tried the door, relieved to see that it was locked. That usually meant someone was inside. Infinite had likely gone straight to his quarters during dinner. There was something rather odd about him telling Silver to make sure he had a meal before bed only to skip out on it himself, but he figured maybe Infinite just wasn't hungry.
“I'll remind him to eat in the morning before we leave.”
Satisfied with finding his superior, Silver did as he was told and headed to his room to go to bed. He opened the door and found a folded note placed on the nightstand. Curious, he picked it up, surprised to find a familiar looking key taped to the inside. Silver removed it and inspected it closely. He blinked.
It was the key to Mephiles' cell.
“What the…?”
He looked back at the note, its short message causing a pit to open up in his stomach.
‘I am going after the Demon. Mephiles is in your hands until I return. Do not disappoint me.’
Frantically Silver flipped the note around trying to see if anything more was left behind. To his disappointment the only thing he found was a hastily written schedule of Mephiles’ monitoring hours and feeding times. He ran a hand through his quills in frustration.
“I don't understand…” Silver mumbled to himself.
“Why would he– we don't even know where– what is he thinking??”
Panic began to set in. What was he supposed to do now? Did he tell someone about Infinite's disappearance? He looked at the note again.
‘Do not disappoint me.’
Silver closed his eyes and forced himself to calm down. He had to think carefully about this. Infinite was assigned to a mission out of town and he told Silver it would take several days to complete. That meant him being missing from headquarters would not arouse suspicion. Infinite was smart; it was likely the reason he decided to leave now in the first place.
“I…don't have to do anything.” Silver said slowly.
“Infinite will be back soon. I don't have to tell anyone the real reason he's gone.”
He felt torn. Father Gerald had explicitly told them to stay out of the Savior's business. As loyal Guardsmen they were supposed to follow orders and report anything and anyone that stepped out of line. Yet Infinite was his superior and he had always been good to him. Not only that, Silver knew that Infinite was simply trying to do what he saw was right. He understood his way of thinking and couldn't fault him for being frustrated.
His superior was desperate to prove himself; Silver could absolutely relate to that.
He turned the key over in his hands and sighed. The idea of going back down into the holding cells made his skin crawl, but someone had to do it. And as a Guardsman he couldn't avoid vampires simply because they made him uncomfortable.
Silver looked at the back of the note and noticed with dismay that Mephiles' feeding time was coming up soon. He didn't have a lot of time to sort himself out before meeting him again.
Stealing his courage, Silver tucked the key into his shirt and quickly left the barracks.
The lights of the holding cells were dimmed when Silver finally made his way back. Although he knew it was likely to help prisoners sleep during the night, he couldn't help but feel as if fate did it to make his visit even more unsettling. He slowly rounded the corner and spotted the cell at the end of the far wall. Shadows kept him from seeing what was inside. From this distance it almost looked empty. But he knew better.
Silver walked down to the cell and stopped a few feet away.
“Mephiles. Are you awake?”
Something stirred in the corner and the dark hedgehog materialized out of the shadows. Green eyes widened slightly and Silver forced himself to stay still under their gaze.
“Ah. I've been expecting you.” Mephiles drawled.
“Since you're here, your master has already left to look for that other vampire, I presume?”
Silver glared at him.
“How do you know that?”
“Before he left, he interrogated me for all the information I had on ‘the Demon’ as you call him.” Mephiles snorted.
“Honestly you give Sonic too much credit, calling him that.”
“...You knew. You knew Infinite was leaving. That he was lying to me. That's what you were laughing about earlier.”
“I did, yes. I found it rather amusing.” he walked closer to the bars.
“I've met and killed many Hunters in my time, but you Guardsmen are a unique breed. Preaching loyalty and justice only to succumb to your deepest desires just like everyone else. Your master desires to prove himself better than your Savior and broke your rules just to do it.” Mephiles smiled.
“And you, ever the loyal dog, are doing exactly what you are told despite it all. How noble of you.”
“Be quiet.” Silver growled.
“Infinite was right. All you do is talk nonsense.”
“Heh. Your defiance is adorable. I find you much more pleasant than that wretched jackal already.”
“Whatever. I'm just here to feed you and I– oh.” Silver stopped short, realizing he forgot to actually go to the Mess Hall and get food.
“Shit. I'll be right back.”
“There's no need. I won't eat it anyway.” Mephiles said quietly.
“Why not?”
“It's not food I hunger for. Nor do I need it to sustain me.”
Silver blinked.
“Okay then, I guess I'll save myself the effort of doing that. But you have to eat something. I can't have you dying in here while he's gone.”
“What I require is simple. Give me your blood.”
“Uh, no way. It would be insane to let you bite me on purpose.”
“I can make it painless for you.”
“That's not the problem.”
“Ah,” Green eyes sharpened.
“You are afraid of me.”
“I'm not afraid. I'm wary. There's a difference.”
“There is. But that's not what I see in your eyes. You fear me.”
“Try again. If I was afraid of getting killed by a vampire I wouldn't have joined Apollo's Guard.” Silver crossed his arms.
“I never said you were afraid to die.”
“What?”
“The way you look at me is unmistakable. I interest you. You are fascinated by me.”
“What are you talking about now??”
“I have been around for three hundred years. I've met countless mortals and caught many eyes. I know what curiosity looks like.” He gripped the bars and leaned in close.
“Tell me, little one. What do you wish to find in me?”
Silver backed away from the cell. Something about Mephiles’ voice began to worm its way into his brain, tugging something to the surface that Silver didn't want to face. He shoved down the temptation and shook his head.
“You're not worth talking to. If you don't want to eat right now that's fine. You'll get hungry eventually.” he said tightly.
“I'll be back tomorrow morning with your breakfast. If you're smart you'll take it.”
Without another word Silver turned on his heel and left the holding cells. Dark laughter echoed through the hall as he went, Mephiles’ voice ringing out all around him.
“Run away if you want. I am a patient man.” The vampire called from his cell.
“And the curious ones always come back for more.”