Till The Night Falls

~4~

Nothing to say.

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Why did that fishhead talk? Nox wondered to himself. It shouldn't be possible. Chicken bodies can function without the head, but the head can't work without the body. And fish don't even fit into that category. So how? ...maybe it was a robot? But why did these people go to such lengths to scare us if it was just a robot? A slam shook him out of his thoughts and his claws slid out defensively. The Russian woman from earlier thankfully wasn't looking at him, or she'd have noticed the glinting needle-thin spikes. Nox breathed out sharply, forcing his claws to sheath, and finally turned his attention to what she'd set down. It was a bowl with a big purple-ish-pink thing (Is that a tongue??? Eeeewww!!!) in it, floating in a yellow-tinted clear fluid. Nox couldn't take his eyes away, half-disgusted-half-fascinated. That does NOT look like beef stew. Tails took one look and quietly gagged, poking out his tongue slightly.

He held up his translator, looking up at the woman. "Uh, I'm sorry, but I asked for the beef stew." The translator chewed up the words and spat them back out, but something didn't seem right. The woman's expression changed and she looked very offended, putting her hands on her hips and her tone turning angry. She demanded something in Russian, glaring down at the small yellow fox. Tails blinked, unsure of what she said, but sensed from the tone of her voice that something wasn't right. "Uhhh..." The lady called, gesturing with her arms, and everyone started gathering around the small table. Nox hunched up his shoulders, leaning down to whisper in Tails' ear. "Panic now?" Sonic looked around at the sudden crowd, worried. "Uh, what's going on?" Tails pressed a few buttons on his translator gadget, his voice wavering as he responded. "Maybe they think it's my birthday?" The crowd just stood there, waiting for something. "Don't worry, I'll take care of this," Sonic said, standing up and clambering onto the table. "Okay everybody, take it easy, I'm sure there's a perfectly good explanation for whatever my friend said or did." He said, gesturing placatingly. 

Nox sighed, looking at the ceiling. "Sonic, they don't speak English. This is Siberia for heaven's sake." Sonic opened his mouth to respond, but Tails' translator spat something else out, causing the crowd to all cringe back, expressions of disgust appearing. Three burly guys reached forward and ripped off the parkas and hats and ski goggles in one fast movement, revealing the appearance of the three to everyone there. Sonic desperately tried to save the situation, his voice cracking nervously midway through. "Uhhh, meOw?" Nox's face went from defensive to deadpan as he looked at Sonic. "Seriously?" Sonic lifted his hands in a shrug, then somebody yelled something angry-sounding, causing Nox to narrow his eyes. "Wait a sec. I recognized that word. Hey! Watch it!" He hissed angrily as he was unexpectedly picked up by someone, wriggling and writhing as he was carried along with Sonic and Tails. "Oh no no no no no, no no no, c'mon guys, take it easy, let's talk this through!" Sonic babbled in a panic, waving his arms. "Let's talk this through!" Nox sighed again, going limp to weigh his abductors down, to no avail. "Again, Sonic, they don't understand you." They were carried in front of an open fireplace, then the people started swinging them and chanting. Nox's eyes went wide. "Oh. Now I remember that word. Fire. They're going to throw us into the fire."

Tails was furiously tapping at his gadget. "C'mon, c'mon, scanning Siberian customs..." He muttered, frantically searching the small screen for some miracle that could save them. "Remember, I still have a mega-slice backup plan. Say the word, and I can get us out of here." Nox put in, causing Sonic to shake his head in horror. "No no no no no, Nox, we don't want to hurt them!" Nox's ears went flat, and he curled his lip up, unsheathing his claws. "Dude, I don't want to either, but it's either they get hurt or we get killed. We're out of options, and almost out of time! It's not just us at stake, it's the universe!" Sonic frowned, furrowing his brow and turning to Tails. "Tails, whatever you're doing, do it fast!" At the exact moment that Nox was about to swipe at the hands holding him, Tails brightened and shouted a word in Russian. "Pivonka! Pivonka!!! PIVONKA!!!" When the crowd heard it, they froze, setting Tails, Sonic, and Nox down and clearing a path for a skinny-looking man in a red velvet shirt-jacket and pants. He stood, turned around, and walked a few steps, examining the trio, before nodding. "Da. PIVONKA!!!" He yelled, hyping up the crowd. The crowd started yelling excitedly, causing Sonic to lean down nervously. "Tails? What's a Pivonka?" Tails blinked, then looked down at his invention. "It's a Siberian custom to resolve disputes. If we win, they let us go. If we lose..." The fire flared brightly behind them, reminding them of the perilous position they were in.