Digital Strife

[Vn70072]

He Fights as One

---

Near Mustav Village, Northern Province, Kingdom of Chronus

“Maybe we shouldn’t be out at night, Zander,” Koro commented, the Hagurumon gliding gently along a worn path headed southeast out of the small village. “It’s cold and there’s bound to be wild Digimon on the loose.” His gear-hands clicked and twisted against his main frame in agitation, his eyes warily scanning the darkness.

“We’ll have to risk it,” Zander strode swiftly through the dark forest, straining his eyes against the darkness. Not one but both of the girls they had attempted to follow had eluded them. The polearm bearing brunette had disappeared as though into thin air at the edge of the village. She had rounded a corner around a watch tower and when the trio had followed, there had been no sign of her anywhere.

The other girl, the one with the eccentrically done hair and make-up, had left a trail that seemed easy enough to follow along the path Zander, Koro, and Colin now followed. Her sneakers had left distinct prints amid the others on the trail that Colin had homed in on easily, but no matter their pace the girl seemed to hover just out of sight.

“You sure these are fresh prints, Colin?” Zander asked, rubbing his hands together as they paused at a fork in the road. “I want to know where she is now, not where she went yesterday.” His arms then folded, instinctively burying the cooled flesh in the layers and folds of his coat.

“Positive,” Colin bent down, carefully picking out the familiar oval shape and tread pattern and then looking where one of the forks lead. The forest split open in that direction, yielding to a gurgling stream. “I grew up on a farm, did hunting and tracking too.” He straightened and exhaled a deep breath, the mist sparkling in the faint light of the moon rays peaking through the trees. “But what the heck is she doing travelling at this hour?”

Zander’s only reply was a shrug and a grunt as he headed the direction Colin had indicated, Koro following dutifully behind him. “I want to talk to her,” he said between heavy breaths to sustain his increasing pace. “And find out what else she knows that could help me.” There was an almost hungry look in his silver eyes, while his face was a mask of intensity.

“Maybe she doesn’t want to be followed?” Koro wondered, his eyes scanning up and down both sides of the path as he did his best to keep a look out for any trouble while the two boys focused on their quarry.

“Then she’s gonna have to try harder,” Colin said with tones of faint amusement. Though he stayed a few paces behind Zander and to the side, as his breaths steadily sent mist into the air, he seemed rather unbothered by their pace. “Is it really so bad to just want a few tips?”

“Least she can’t eat you like some Digimon would…” As if to punctuate Koro’s remark, there was a rumbling rustle from somewhere in the distance of the forest, followed by a primal roar.

“You had to open your mouth,” Zander said, pausing and looking warily toward the source of the disturbance. It might have sounded like a ways out, but that was no reason to be cautious. But as the minutes ticked by in apparent silence, the silver-haired young man beckoned to his comrades and marched on again. “Probably just a Digimon getting a midnight snack.”

“Better whatever it found than us,” Colin said fervently, looking faintly nervous now. Nonetheless, he had a solid fix on the tracks of mystery girl number one. “She’s just heading down the road. I doubt she even knows we’re here.”

“Fine by me,” said Zander, pausing to breathe warmth onto his hands again before cursing the cold under his breath. “I’m getting tired of this chase.” Leaving Colin to watch the tracks, he instead pulled his D-Vector out. Sure enough, the money screen had been easily found. He idly probed the other buttons, reminded of a cell phone. There were buttons for navigating menus, and others seemed to be for entering data. If only he could find a function that was helpful now.

Another bellow rent the crisp night air, this time much closer, and it was enough to make Koro jump slightly. “That doesn’t sound good,” he said, pausing again. “I can hear something coming, Zander. It’s big, whatever it is!”

“And probably not friendly,” Zander turned on the spot, his coat furling out briefly behind him as he turned toward the disturbance. “Think you can handle it?”

“Maybe we should run for it?” suggested Colin. “We’d catch that girl and get away from… whatever it is all at the same time.” He took several bandy steps up the path as though waiting only for his companions to agree. “Guys?” Sounds of rustling leaves and snapping branches grew closer and closer, until something big was visible heading their way.

The screen of Zander’s D-Vector flashed, and information scrawled across the screen. It seemed to have identified the oncoming target as a Kuwagamon, displaying the related information on the Digimon as well as a picture of a large insect with a red and black shell, four arms, two wings, and massive pincers framing its head.

The Kuwagamon passed through a shaft of moonlight, its shell glistening as its mouth opened wide. A roar reverberated from its massive jaws as they spread wide, the green flesh set with a large number of exceedingly large teeth.

A tree branch impeded the beast’s path as it lumbered toward the trio. As its head glanced off the stout wood and bark, a clawed hand came up and cleaved through the obstruction. Watching the insect cleave through an obstruction the thickness of a man’s torso with ease caused Colin to take a step back.

“Koro, attack!” barked Zander. He steadied himself as the beast drew closer, coming out of the woods and onto the worn dirt road and.

“Darkness Gear!” Koro’s black metal faceplate briefly split open down the middle, the two sides retracting until there was a gap several inches down the center of his face. A gear similar to one of his cog hands blasted out from within, shooting at Kuwagamon like some razor-edged throwing knife.

Kuwagamon swatted aside the attack as though it was some nuisance insect, his thick legs propelling him forward toward his prey. Two of his four hands reached forward hungrily, and as though at some signal, Colin, Zander, and Koro all turned and ran.

They pounded their way up the path with Kuwagamon in close pursuit, each of his footfalls like a small rumble of thunder. His massive exoskeletal frame bashed and crashed through the low-hanging branches and the trees too close to the paths, occasionally aided by a swing of his wickedly-clawed arms.

“Darkness Gear!” Koro spun in place again, his face splitting as he fired. The attack struck Kuwagamon, but glanced harmlessly off his exoskeleton. The machine Digimon had barely enough time to get moving again before one of Kuwagamon’s arms cleaved through the air he’d just vacated. A geyser of dirt shot into the air as the attack missed, and Kuwagamon continued his pursuit.

It came at a price, but as Colin looked ahead, he saw one benefit to their increased pace. A familiar silhouette stood just inside the shade of a large tree, with spiky hair and a lumpy shoulder. “Hey!” he yelled out, waving a frantic hand. “Over here! Help!”

Zander gave a sharp whistle to get the girl’s attention, and soon enough she turned in place. She shifted slightly as though in surprise as the three neared her. She said something, but her words were lost in the noisy night.

Breaking into a run, she headed not away from the Kuwagamon, but directly toward it. A dark purple light flared from her hand, and the Wormmon she’d called Arcsinh jumped down from her shoulder.

“Sticky Net!” the greenish insect’s mouthparts spread wide, something gelatinous spraying from within. The substance quickly widened as it passed over Zander, Colin, and Koro, turning into a net that enveloped Kuwagamon’s left side.

The insect howled in confusion as it stumbled, the thick resin binding the leg and both arms. A right arm reached around to cut itself free, but with the cry of “Entangle!” Koro’s face split open again. Rather than shooting dark gears, a myriad of computer cables shot out and wrapped around the arm. Koro tried to pull back on the hand and keep the Kuwagamon trapped, but he wasn’t able to stop the insect’s other right arm from tearing into the webbing instead. “No fair…” bemoaned the robot as the sticky net was torn away.

Before Koro could let go of the arm, Kuwagamon gave it a fierce jerk. Like a fish on the end of a line, Koro was yanked forward, flying toward the Kuwagamon. Orange light flared around its claws, and the insect swatted Koro back down. A fierce screech rang through the air as claws met metal, before there was a dull thud as Koro crashed to the ground.

His binding coils feebly unwrapped themselves from Kuwagamon’s arm, withdrawing back into the Hagurumon. He managed to sputter his way back upright again, narrowly dodging a foot as Kuwgamon tried to step on him.

The girl stood behind Colin and Zander, her arms folded over her chest while her heterochromatic eyes watched her partner harass Kuwagamon with a series of shots of a needle-thin silk. “You two again, huh?” she said derisively.

Zander sent a glowering look in her direction at the remark, but she either didn’t notice or didn’t care. Her auburn eyebrows had dipped close, but it couldn’t be said for sure whether it was an intense focus on the battle, or an intense irritation that she had been followed.

Kuwagamon pounced on Arcsinh, but the Wormmon smartly rolled into a ball and shot out from under the attack. Like a ludicrous game of life-sized pinball the furled insect ricocheted off a tree and blasted at Kuwagamon, striking the massive insect in the leg.

That briefly buckled Kuwagamon, and a follow-up shot had the Wormmon strike him in the side. The massive insect gave a wheezing noise, but on the third bounce it suddenly twisted its head. The massive pincers framing its broad head snapped shut on Archsinh like a trap, and were just as thorough at pinning the Wormmon.

“No!” yelled Koro, shooting forward and blasting Kuwagamon’s thick exoskeleton with several Darkness Gears. But each in turn bounced off, and with a sudden blow the Hagurumon was sent flying back into a tree. There was a sickening crack and Koro fell to the ground, unmoving.

At the same time Kuwagamon tightened even further on Archsinh, leaving the smaller insect without leverage and pinned in his rolled-up form by the large, spiked pincers. To his credit, the outmatched Digimon did not cry in pain even as he was finally released, only to be repeatedly slashed at by two of Kuwagamon’s arms as he fell.

“No!” the girl yelled, taking half a step forward. Blue or brown it didn’t matter, red flashed in her eyes as she raised her D-Vector. The flickering purple light returned to her hand, dancing erratically like a windswept flame.

But before she could finish whatever she was attempting, Kuwagamon lumbered forward and extended his arms as though hoping to give the three tamers a very uncomfortable hug. Zander bolted to the side, and Colin was left to grab the mysterious girl around the shoulders and roll both of them out of the way of the attack.

They tumbled to a stop in the dirt, but Kuwagamon wasn’t done with them. It ignored Zander as he stepped to the side around the massive insect, instead bearing down on the two prone tamers. Colin was up first, his eyes jerking about and seeing that both the child-level guardians were still struggling to rise. Meanwhile Kuwagamon stalked the remaining distance toward them, moving more slowly as if savoring what was to come.

Bracing his legs against the ground, Colin forced himself upright. His hands balled into fists as he prepared to fight any way he could, but a light suddenly flared from near his waist. The brilliant radiance of the D-Vector shone through even the thick fabric of the jacket pocket.

The light grew until it had surrounded Colin completely in a miniature sun, before it seemed to condense into a new form. The boy was encased now in what seemed like a cocoon made of pure white feathers that gave off a subtle light, causing Zander, the girl, and even Kuwagamon to give him a wide berth.

Then with a flurry of motion the feathers burst wide. The slender farmboy was gone, in its place a tall and angelic creature that had to have been a Digimon. A long curtain of auburn hair extended from under a metal helmet, while the feathers appeared to be from the two wings upon his back. His form was mostly clad in white, save for errant leather belts, gold ornamentation, and striking cherry cloth draped from his waist.

Wind swept through the battlefield before the angelic warrior had even taken flight, his hands raising a mighty golden staff. “Thou art I,” Colin’s voice rang out loudly and clearly, yet it sounded almost mystical in nature, echoing and mysterious. “And I am thou.” His two hands took a fierce grip on the staff, and in the blink of an eye, he charged.

His wind wake fiercely pounded the girl as she rose unsteadily back to her feet, while the angelic warrior lashed out with his staff. With a crack the rod impacted one of Kuwagamon’s legs, cracking the exoskeleton.

By the time the Kuwagamon could turn however, Colin had already wheeled about and was ready to attack again. “Fire Feather!” he pulled a single feather from one of his wings, the item glowing orange as he suddenly threw it like a knife. The feather burst into a fireball midflight, striking Kuwagamon in the chest.

Smoke and fire erupted around the insect as he stumbled backwards, and Pidmon did not let up. He hurtled at Kuwagamon, and visible as little more than a blur, he lashed out repeatedly with his staff. Leg, arm, torso, torso, leg, arm, pincher, head, until the battered insect keeled over backwards. The staff rose high like a sword before the fatal blow, and plunged straight into Kuwagamon’s core.

The beast gave a final agonized howl as its cohesion broke down and data particles scattered into the air, while Pidmon slumped over, breathing heavily from his exertions. A final heavy breath was exhaled, and the form of the angel melted and wavered, leaving Colin standing in the spot it had vacated.

As each recovered from the battle in their own way, Zander, Koro, Archsinh and the girl all stared in awe at Colin, who looked himself up and down with equal amazement. “That power,” murmured Zander, glancing down as Koro returned unsteadily to his side. “You alright, buddy?” he asked. His partner nodded, appearing to bow as much as anything, his anatomy not meant for precision mimicry of human gestures.

“Now,” Zander said firmly, looking to the strange girl. Her battered partner scuttled back up to her shoulder, and Zander strode up to her. “Miss Know-it-all. You can start by telling me who you are, and what the hell,” he jerked his head over his shoulder at Colin. “He just did.”

[Vn70072]

Dawn Over a New World

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Bank of the Seras River, Northern Province, Kingdom of Chronus

The final smattering of the fallen Kuwagamon’s data particles drifted away on the wind. The wild Digimon had succeeded in defeating the Digimon partners that stood against it, but had succumbed to the power and awesome speed of what seemed to be the least of the tamers. Assuming the holy mantle of Pidmon, Colin had dispatched the insect in a brutal but exhausting show of power. Now the tamer slumped heavily against a tree, trying to catch his breath while his companion Zander and the strange girl they had tried to follow spoke to one another.

“Who am I?” the girl said in clipped tones, hardly bothering to glance at Zander. “I’m Katsumura Sugiyama. This Digimon,” her head twitched to the side, and the stiff locks of hair that brushed against the shelled side of her partner’s head didn’t budge at the contact. “Is my partner Arcsinh. I’ve been in the Digital World for just under one week. I haven’t the foggiest idea what your friend did,” her mismatched eyes flickered to Colin. “Though I wouldn’t mind figuring it out, it’s a neat trick.”

Her tone remained unusual, a faint and veiled smolder of distaste alloyed with a sort of chilly indifference. There were definite traces of what seemed to be an English accent in the way she spoke, but her lexicon seemed broader. “Thanks for the lovely conversation, and I’ll be going now. Take care.” She had spoken near nonstop without giving either of the boys a chance to interject, comment, or ask further questions, and punctuated herself with a sarcastic salute.

Colin pushed himself upright, catching a querying glance from Zander. The girl’s oddness clearly wasn’t some skin-deep following, or divergence from, a fad. “I don’t think so,” said Zander, standing in the girl’s path as she made to continue down the path. “I’ve got more questions.”

From the scowl that quickly formed on Katsumura’s face, she wasn’t in the mood to take back her earlier statements and answer Zander. “It’s nothing personal,” the teenage girl grunted. “But I’m going. Get out of my way.” She fixed Zander with a hard stare and seemed on the verge of going further, but Colin interrupted.

“We’re not lookin’ for trouble,” he said, slowly approaching Katsumura as diplomatically as possible. “We’re just new around here, and we’re looking for a few pointers, that’s all. Now, you’ve said you don’t want us around, and I’m inclined to leave you to it, but,” he waved a hand to the shadowy warren of wood all around them. “Is it really a good idea for any of us to travel alone right now? We’ve already been attacked once. We’re worn out. Aren’t we better off sticking together, at least until the next town?”

Katsumura calmly regarded Colin, arms folded and her D-Vector dangling near her waist from the wrist strap. “Katsu? Please?” It took the others a moment to realize the soft-spoken speaker was Arcsinh, having not heard the Wormmon speak before. “I can try to protect you myself, but it would be easier having help.”

The girl sighed, clearly sensing defeat when even her own partner was all for it. “Fine. I was heading to the next town,” she pointed through Zander.

“In the middle of the night?” Zander asked, rubbing his hands together before puffing on them to try and ward off the cold.

Katsumura strode passed him with a shrug. “It’s a place called Moonbrook. It’s a small trading settlement, you should be able to pick up some Drivers there.”

“Drivers?” Colin asked, but Katsumura gave a grunt and a shrug. She was already on her way down the path again. Arcsinh turned his bulbous head and looked back toward them.

“Come on,” he said in the same quiet tone. “We’ll… ah, explain everything later.”

---

Town of Moonbrook, Northern Province, Kingdom of Chronus

“So this is it, huh?” murmured Colin as he strode into town a few yards behind Katsumura. The place reminded him a lot of the last village they’d stopped in, but it was larger and a little more active. The horizon was a dazzling smear of color as the sun slowly rose over the landscape, casting rays of light that danced through the windswept forest.

As they had travelled southeast, the largely coniferous forests had given way to a more equal blend of evergreen and seasonal trees. Apparently it was what passed for summer in the Digital World, although with the fine layer of dew covering many things it might have hard to know.

“I heard about this place,” Zander said, scrutinizing every little detail from the buildings of the town to those who inhabited it as he moved. Koro hovered at his side, briefly eying the contents of a merchant stall that was one of many set up along the main thoroughfare through town. This one in particular sold everything a machine Digimon could need to sustain itself, from oil to anti-freeze to scrap metal.

“The barman at the last town mentioned something about a supposed bandit base near here,” Zander said, following Katsumura as she walked toward a particular merchant stall. It was presided over by what appeared to be a brown and white feline of some kind, curiously wearing a pair of goggles. Despite the appearances of an overly large Earth animal, he seemed quite happy to see the three tamers approach his shop and beckoned them closer to do business.

“This is the place where Katsu bought most of her equipment,” Arcsinh explained studiously. “I believe she’s already shown you the money feature.”

The Mikemon, or so Colin’s D-Vector called it, carried a little bit of everything crammed onto the thin and narrow shelves of what space he had. Each boy was given a chip to be loaded into their D-Vector, what their companions had mentioned earlier. Colin politely declined to make any further purchases, but Zander left the booth with a shiny new sword strapped to his back.


Despite the fact that the sun was now out in full force, none of the tamers seemed up for much activity except for perhaps Katsumura. They had settled in a small recreational area near the center of town, ao park of sorts with a little patch of extra greenery and a bunch of wooden benches scattered around a gently gurgling fountain.

At the fountain’s center was a statue of Ranamon, the mermaid-esque Digimon standing with a bubbly expression on her face. Carved eyes of stone stared down at the little Otamamon and Pukamon statues in positions of frolic in the water, and the whole spectacle earned a glare from Katsumura.

The rest were content to settle in and relax. Colin laid down against a tree and dozed in a rather carefree way, while Zander seated himself on a bench. Though he slumped back in fatigue, his eyes remained sharp and her murmured indistinctly under his breath as he studied the drivers that had been loaded onto his D-Vector.

“If you won’t be needing me,” Koro hovered near the bench. “I’ll shut down for awhile. My circuits need a recharge.” Zander nodded absentmindedly, and the gear-faced cyborg slumped over slightly. Though his hovering system remained active, his eyes went blank and Koro grew still.

Eventually though the silver-haired tamer turned his matching eyes toward Katsumura, studying her as she studied their surroundings. For that’s exactly what she was doing, not seeking conversation with either of the boys.

“You’re sure you don’t have any idea what power it is that Colin has?” Zander asked, rising slightly from the bench.

“Search me,” Katsumura gave a slightly shrug. “I don’t know everything about this world… yet.” She extended an idle hand, running it along the glossy, hard shell of her partner.

“We were staying at one of the inns in town,” Arcsinh explained, scuttling up a little higher where he clung to Katsumura’s blouse, the jacket having been discarded in the warmer daytime. “And happened to be visiting Mustav when you stopped in.”

“So, are there bandit problems in this area?” Zander repeated his question from before. He stretched in an almost casual way, but almost as if by developing reflex, his hand drifted toward the hilt of his new sword. As he spoke, Koro stirred faintly in his sleep mode.

“Some, yes,” explained Arcsinh, while Katsumura’s attention already seemed to slide away from the prospects of conversation and onto a bird that flew high overhead like a commercial airliner. Its burgundy wings were spread wide, riding the warm updrafts of air. “They’re fond of picking off the trade convoys that pass through this area on their way to and from the eastern frontiers.”

There was a spark in Zander’s eyes, and lips were slightly twisted by the slightest of smirks. “I don’t suppose there are bounties on them?”

Arcsinh’s foremost set of legs moved as if in a shrug. “Yes. The Excalibur, that is to say, the kingdom’s army is currently stretched too thin battling the Dark Army. Monetary rewards are often used to encourage those intrepid and daring enough to assist the kingdom in dealing with outlaws. Many have set off to claim such bounties without returning.”

Zander’s arms leisurely stretched up as he slouched back on the bench, and then laid his arms across the top and back of it. “So what’s this about a Dark Army now?” Well, Zander had been right. Catching up to the girl had meant a wealth of information. Even if said information was coming from her partner rather than from Katsumura, who was now fiddling with her D-Vector.

Arcsinh relayed what he knew, about how the dark Digimon always spilling out of the east had been an increasing threat to the Kingdom. They had even established some footholds on the very outreaches of the kingdom, and were a threat to every law-abiding citizen throughout Chronus. “And there’s more,” Arcsinh continued. “The Dark Army recently attacked a border fortress called Arcwater. It is perhaps two days’ hard travel southeast of here.”

The news seemed to startle Zander, yet at the same time intrigue him as his eyes narrowed. “What happened in the battle?”

“The dark army was repulsed,” Archsinh said slowly. “But the Excalibur suffered losses.” The Wormmon tilted his head. “According to what a Bakumon told us, there were even several tamers present during the battle. He may have had a little too much ale, but I do believe him. And should you care to know, the tamers and their partners fought for the Excalibur.”

“Partners,” murmured Zander, glancing at Colin. The young farmboy stirred, eyes opening. He sat up and stretched, before stifling a yawn with one hand.

“Ah, that did it,” he said cheerfully, pushing his way up the tree and standing. “Sure you don’t want to catch some Zs, Zander?” Colin asked, while Arcsinh chuckled. “You look exhausted.”

“I’ll be fine,” Zander shrugged. “I’m no stranger staying up for long periods.” He turned his attention back toward Arcsinh. “One more question, little guy. Who was that other girl we saw at the tavern?”

“Um, well,” Arcsinh scuttled slightly sideways as Katsumura tugged a pair of headphones onto her head. A wire lead down to the D-Vector, and soon the muffled sounds of music pulsing from the ear-mounted speakers could be heard by the rest of the group as well. “I’m not sure,” Arcsinh admitted. “I was curious, especially since she was partnerless like you,” Arcsinh nodded politely to Colin. “But Katsu wasn’t interested in talking to her.”

“Yeah, I get that from her,” Zander muttered under his breath, probably hoping that Katsumura would miss it through the tunes blasting close to her ears. He shrugged and stood. “You said there’s an Inn near here?” He glanced at Colin. “We should probably get rooms there until we decide what to do with ourselves…”

---

The two boys had ended up with a room at the inn next to Katsumura’s, furnished with two double beds, a dresser, a window overlooking the street below, and a small bathroom. Other than the different décor and more primitive construction, it could have passed for a Terrestrial hotel room.

Colin fiddled with his D-Vector before glancing over at Zander. The silver-haired young man had finally given up and was sleeping on the bed, his trenchcoat slung on the rack near the door. Koro hovered in vigil at the window, while Colin lay on his back.

He chewed a sandwich as he stared at the display, frowning a bit as he pushed various buttons on the device. “I never was much good with computers or those fancier phones.” He sighed and turned to stare out the window. Dusk was rolling in.

Sitting up, Colin took a sip of water and set aside the D-Vector. He glanced up at Koro when the Hagurumon suddenly spoke up. “Something’s happening,” the cyborg spun in place. “Zander, wake up! Trouble!”

Colin sprang up from the bed and bounded across to the window. He looked down from the second floor window, and sure enough there was something happening out on the main road. The Digimon that meandered through the town seemed to scatter in all directions, disappearing into alleyways or taking refuge in buildings.

Putting his face against the glass and peering to the side, Colin had a good idea why. Just like some terrestrial old American west flick, when the outlaws came to town, everyone ran for cover. The two Digimon barreling up the street certainly fit the description.

The first was a large, flightless avian. Powerful four-toed, scaly feet ending in wicked claws tore up the dirt road as the Digimon barreled into the town’s midst. The bird’s plumage was largely white, with red accents tipping the feathers of the large fanlike tail and vestigial wings. A crest of feathers adorned the head like a Mohawk, and the beak was large and lined with teeth. Colin’s D-Vector identified it as Akatorimon.

Following a few steps behind the Akatorimon was a creature that seemed straight out of mythology. Four hooves ran along the ground, giving way to a horselike body. Yet instead of a head, a human form had been fused on to it. Its body was covered in short brown fur with odd purple plates like armor growing in multiple spots. Several robotic metal features had been added as well, at the shoulder, hands, and the head. A single red eye burned inside the helmet.

Several canvas sacks were strapped along the Centarumon’s horseback, but it seemed he also had an additional passenger – in the form of a young human male about Zander or Colin’s age. He was slumped unconscious against the back of Centarumon’s torso, his hands and feet wrapped around the Adult’s abdomen and bound by rope. His long black hair was pulled into a ponytail, his attire a casual American mix of blue jean shorts and a t-shirt.

The reason for their haste became apparent as a third Digimon raced in the wake of the first two. A short and spindly, bipedal wolfish creature ran in their wake. The Strabimon’s attire seemed paramilitary, and fierce green eyes were locked on her target. The Strabimon yelled something at her prey that Colin couldn’t hear, and kept after them.

“Let’s go,” said Zander, appearing beside Colin at the window, and watching the action below.

“Go?” echoed Colin, looking at Zander in confusion.

“Yeah,” the older boy said impatiently. “Something’s going on down there, and I’m not about to sit it out.” He spun on his heel and ran for the door, Koro following dutifully behind him. After a moment’s hesitation, Colin followed suit.

---

“Hey Scratch,” puffed the Centarumon, struggling to keep up with his avian cohort. “Why don’t we just take her out?” He glanced over his shoulder as they ran near the park, seeing that the Strabimon hounding them was gaining ground.

“And end up like Torque?” squawked Scratch. “I don’t think so, Grinder! Keep running.” She yelled back, leaping over a Chibimon that had tripped in all the chaos. Grinder simply plowed over the hapless Digimon, crushing the baby II back into data beneath his hooves.

“To hell with this,” growled the Centarumon. Electricity coursed along his right arm, as the fins that composed the gun extended and slid into place. A piercing whine filled the air as a charge built within the weapon, until it was leveled on target and fired.

“Hunting Cannon!” a stream of brilliant yellow energy erupted from the tips of the weapon, lashing out at the pursuing Strabimon, known to her partner and friends as Artemis. A nimble jump however sent the lupine warrior sailing into the air, and leaving the blast of energy to gouge a furrow in the street.

“Fine,” growled Scratch, still running for dear life. “If you have to shoot, don’t aim at her. Shoot people! Buildings! Make her have to play hero instead of chase us!”

“Huh?” grunted Grinder, still loping along the road with his unwilling passenger on his back. “Oh, right!” he said, what was visible of his face lighting up as though the idea had been some sort of major epiphany. “Hunting Cannon!” he yelled, firing over his shoulder without caring what he hit.

The beam struck a tree, forcing the Hawkmon that had taken refuge in it to dive for cover before the heat of the attack caused the tree to explode. Another attack was fired, this one striking a small hobby shop. Flames erupted from the front of the building, but still Artemis pressed on.

“Hey, no fair!” growled Scratch, craning her head around and seemingly irritated that their pursuer remained focus even as they tried to distract her. Suddenly she dug her claws into the ground and skidded around, bringing herself to face Artemis.

“Scar Red Eye!” she shrieked, and two jets of flame lanced from her eyes toward their pursuer. Grinder barely side-stepped in time to avoid being cooked by the periphery of the attack, while Artemis had no such luck.

She was scorched in several places and sent reeling by the rushing tide of fire. The Strabimon fell over backwards but almost as quickly rose again, in time to see the fires of the Akatorimon’s attack fading away.

Unfortunately the attack had stalled her just long enough for Cyrus’s captors to get a lead on Artemis that she knew she could not close. The two fleeing Digimon ran out of sight at the far edge of the village, and Artemis scowled. She did not like to fail, though many would say she just had. Fortunately, there were always other options.

A quivering ear heard the approach of three coming up behind her, and as she turned in place, the Strabimon saw two human males and a gear-like Hagurumon coming up behind her. “Hey!” called out the shorter of the two, a boy with brown hair, waving as he jogged over. “Are you alright there, uh, Strabimon?”

[Vn70072]

Dusk and Midnight

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Lake Epiphany, Eastern Province, Kingdom of Chronus

Sayori Alexis Tashimi stood on a small spit of land jutting out into the cool midst of a large, kidney-shaped lake. The waters gently lapped at strip of rocks and dirt upon which she was poised, while various aquatic Digimon played in the azure depths.

The late afternoon soon drifted slowly, inexorably toward the horizon. Night would soon come, but the sun’s influence was not petering out just yet. Alexis allowed herself to bask in the warmth, feeling it soak through the metal and leather with which she was garbed.

The warmth was almost soothing, until a cold fist clenched around her heart. The chill spread, and she fought a shiver. “What do you want?” she asked, voice strained as the cold became painful. Out of the corner of a purple eye, the brunette saw that familiar shape.

The form was tall and female, profound in figure and clad mostly in black leather. There were also belts and chains strung across her body in various ornamental ways, while her already formidable height was further enhanced by the spiky high heel boots she wore. Tattered wings trailed from her back along with a silken sheet of pure white hair, while one of her arms was noticeably larger than the other and tipped in wicked crimson claws.

“McNeil approaches,” The Lady Devimon explained, fixing Lexi in a harsh stare. “When you meet up with her, head after the next target.”

“I know,” Lexi took a shuddering breath, willing the goose bumps to fade from her arms. To any observer, she would have appeared to be talking to herself. The Lady Devimon that she saw was a mere projection of what she harbored. Kera, a handmaiden of the dark sovereign Vakner, possessed a rather uncommon power among Digimon. She could merge her form with that of a human, gifting that human with all the powers the Lady Devimon herself possessed, but also subjecting them to her influence. While Kera couldn’t actually make Lexi’s body do anything, she still had ways of twisting her host around her finger and putting the their combined power to getting the job done.

It hadn’t been a voluntary arrangement, and the price to be paid was steep as Kera ordered her about and even went as far as insisting the girl’s clothing be as utilitarian as it was. The naginata on her back had been Lexi’s choice, but a weapon in general was Kera’s insistence – even though Lexi could easily project any of Lady Devimon’s attacks through her own body.

Lexi’s head perked up, and her eyes tracked across the sky. “Here she comes,” she said quietly. There was a distant and subtle rumble like continuous thunder, and a tiny black and gold object appeared over a nearby mountain range. In just a few seconds the object had travelled from the distant line of jagged spires to just over the far shore of the lake. By the time Lexi had straightened herself for arrival and finished attempting to brush her hair out with her gloved fingers, her comrade had arrived.

The D-Vector strapped to her wrist chimed as it identified the oncoming Digimon, but Lexi already knew it well. Kaiser Leomon, looking like an animated ornamental statue of a grand lion. Gold details adorned obsidian armor, a broad head framed by mane-like plates and two cannons. The Kaiser Leomon’s tail whipped back and forth behind it as the near house-sized Digimon came in for a landing.

There was the briefest of flashes of golden light, and suddenly the leonine’s armored form was receding in on itself. The plates drew themselves into a smaller form, and a much lighter figure flipped once through the air and landed brazenly on the rocks in front of Lexi.

“Hey Kera, how’s it going?” the voice was spunky and energetic, yet alloyed with a cold, determined steel. The speaker was a teenage girl, probably close to Lexi herself in age. Bubblegum pink hair, cropped neat and close, framed her face. Her eyes were the same shade. She was generally slender but not slim, and was a little thick in the middle and didn’t have much muscle on her frame. She wore a black spaghetti-strap tank-top, and a pair of short shorts of a typical forest camouflage pattern. Leather combat boots came up to her knees, and the skin that was left exposed had been tanned by exposure to the sun.

The final feature of note carried by the pink-haired girl was the large gun dangling from a shoulder strap. The bulky weapon was largely black with some pink highlights, with a grip near the back of the gun and a second near the front of it.

“I’m here too, you know,” Lexi’s protest was nonetheless in rather subdued tones as she looked the other girl up and down. She stiffened slightly as crimson stirred in her eyes. “Report, Led,” she said in a more authoritative tone.

“I’ve destroyed both the bridges,” Led said, caressing the large gun hanging from her shoulder. “No resistance,” she smirked. “It’s almost too easy. I guess we’re just too good for them to keep up.”

“Be silent,” Lexi gave another crimson-eyed shudder, feeling the great weight and irritation of Kera pressing down upon her mind. “You’re paid, handsomely I might add, to fight, not talk. With the three I destroyed, that just leaves the one bridge over the Seras near Moonbrook, and the primary land routes out of the Eastern Province will be cut off.”

“What about the air routes?” Led said, cocking an eyebrow and fixing Lexi with a piercing look. “If our net has holes, our prey might get away.” The look on her face made it very apparent she didn’t like the idea of such an outcome.

Lexi frowned. Why did Led always have to be like this? If she’d just shut up and let Lexi, and by proxy, Kera, explain, they would already be on their way. “Do you really think no one has thought of that?” Lexi said disdainfully. Somehow or another, it always felt good to be able to put someone else in their place , instead of being on the receiving end from Kera. “There’s a Birdramon that runs an air taxi service not far from here. She’s our target.”

Led’s face lit up and was slashed by an evil smirk. “Perfect. Live targets.” She turned eagerly toward the horizon where the sun was slipping lower still, with night looming in the distance. “And then who’s next? That bunch of Goblimon with the Zeppelin?”

“Yes,” Lexi nodded. A sudden chill emanated from her body, causing a squawk of protest from Led. Lexi’s booted feet lifted off the ground, and she floated there in midair. “Ready?”

“Ready,” Led said grudgingly, tapping several buttons on a control panel recessed into her rifle. “I’ve got to figure out how to do that one of these days…” she muttered, her pink eyes watching Lexi hover freely.

“It’s not worth it. Trust me,” Lexi said, fully prepared for the mental hot poker that Kera shoved through her skull for the remark. Saying it had still been worth it, and as Led was engulfed in golden light, Lexi took to the skies.

Not far behind her, the form of Kaiser Leomon rose into the air. The two dark warriors flew up one of the rivers that fed the shimmering lake. As they headed east, trees rushed by on either side of the river’s banks. The few Digimon that inhabited the region all knew to stay away from beings exuding such dark power. Those that didn’t, were probably already dead.

The river wound this way and that through the forests, until it finally reached the base of a rocky cliff. With a heavy thud and the sound of mechanisms shifting, Led landed her Beast Spirit upon the ground. “What’s the plan?” she asked, through the growling undertone of her beast spirit.

Lexi drifted down beside her, and twisted gracefully in the air as though weightless. Stopping her spin, she came to look at Led. “That’s her nest/office up there,” a slender, leather-covered index finger traced up a path that lead from the ground to a small shack surrounded by a tangle of branches midway up the cliff face. “Hammer and anvil,” she said simply. “Let’s do it.” Her voice contained traces of what might have been enthusiasm.

Without further ado, one of her hands slipped around the shaft of her polearm and tugged the mighty weapon from its sling. Sunlight sparkled along its blue and orange surfaces, and Lexi shot up into the air.

“Sure thing, spice girl,” grunted Led, bracing against the ground and leaping up after her. With a whine, Kaiser Leomon’s thrusters fired again and the dark tamer moved into position below Lexi. The tamer still veiled in humanity now hovered high above the nest, lurking near the cliffs. That left Led below, and with the aim of drawing Birdramon’s attention.

“Black Thunder!” The Beast roared, energy coalescing in its mouth. Then it burst forth, dropping the Kaiser Leomon several meters even as it sailed up toward the cliffside. The meteor of energy struck the side of the cliff above the nest, and sent tremors through the surrounding landscape.

Led then angled her shoulder guns up and raked the construct with repeated bursts of gunfire, fully set on provoking the bird to come out where she could be dispatched. “Come on out, you coward!” she taunted loudly.

There was a sudden boom and a streak of orange flashed through the sky. Led slid aside, barely in time to avoid Birdramon ramming headlong into her. The bird rolled and climbed again, subsonic this time, before finally looping and coming to hover over Led.

Birdramon’s orange feathers coursed and flickered as though the bird was actively ablaze. The flat, bill-like snout of the bird opened wide, revealing large teeth. “Meteor – “ Birdramon’s attack cry was cut off with a strangled yell, and the reason behind it was soon revealed.

Lexi braced both hands along the shaft of her naginata, driving the blade deeper and deeper into Birdramon’s neck. Kera’s dark power coursed through Lexi’s muscles, until the blade breached through their target’s throat.

Birdramon’s body gave a painful spasm as data particles eroded from her form and leaked out through the deep wound. She coughed and gasped, and then Lexi wrenched the polearm out.

A devilish smile came to Lexi’s face as she swept the naginata back, and rested it on her shoulder. She watched as Birdramon gave a shuddering hack and tumbled toward the ground, with more data leaking out of the stricken avian. Lexi’s boots floated free in the air once more, and her smile wavered slightly.

There was no doubt in her mind that Kera was responsible for the feelings of vicious, vindictive delight throbbing in her mind. Lexi had tried to resist such feelings initially, but after weeks of being a host to the dark handmaiden, it seemed easier to just play along and try to enjoy the better moments. There were some days when it felt like that was all Lexi could do to stop herself from spiraling into despair and depression.

Lexi gazed toward the fading embers of the sun scattering across the horizon, before descending toward Led. “The Zeppelin base is due south of us,” she said, drifting downward until she landed lightly on Kaiser Leomon’s back. Led balked briefly, but seemed to know better than buck Lexi off. “Let’s go,” Lexi crouched down between the leonine’s shoulders, bracing for the wind.

The Kaiser Leomon rocketed off, skimming low and fast along the treetops. In the increasing darkness, the black of Led’s armor hid itself from casual sight, though the gold still glinted in the growing starlight. It was to that speckled spectacle in the velvety night sky that Lexi’s eyes were drawn, while her hair whipped out behind her.

“You saw that girl in action at Arcwater, right?” Lexi asked, speaking over the wind to Led.

“Not really,” she said back in tones distorted by the beast spirit. “She was there, but I didn’t see her fight.”

“That they fought off Gigadramon must say something.”

“I’m not disagreeing,” Led said hastily. “I heard the reports from one of our spies about what happened in Primary Village too.”

Lexi nodded. The energy necessary to channel into a Digisoul to trounce an adversary with a newly-evolved Digimon was nothing to scoff at. She hated to admit it, but even Lexi wasn’t sure she could have pulled it off. And the girl had been a newly arrived tamer. “It was the power of a digisoul that sealed our master away,” Lexi stated. “It is our hope that the same power can free him from his bonds, and awaken him once more.”

“Then Arcwater wasn’t a total loss for us after all,” the memory seemed to anger Led, and she plowed headlong through a tall tree as she flew. Wood was no match for hardened armor, and splintered in a shower of wood and leaves.

“Yep,” said Lexi. “We couldn’t have anticipated that Excalibur would conscript a tamer with the power we need and drag them into our midst, but now that this girl is in the Eastern Province, we may have our chance. Our master’s influence is greater here than anywhere else, and if we can block as many avenues of escape as possible, her power will be ours!” Lexi’s face brightened.

“What makes you think you’ll be able to get her to free V – Lord Vakner?”

Lexi gave a bitter laugh, one she knew came from the depths of caged little bird that was her heart, yearning for freedom yet hopelessly trapped. “My only concern is whether she’s strong enough to cut his bonds, where the other tamers that have been found, even together, could not.” She frowned, rankled by the memory of her failure. “Persuading her to try,” she ran the fingers of a hand through her hair as it coursed in the wind. “Will be the easy part.”

“Right,” Led said dryly. “So once we’ve got the province’s main routes blocked, we’ll pursue her directly?” In the distance she spotted the smaller lake by which they knew the Zeppelin base rested. A feral growl emanated from Kaiser Leomon’s throat, and it was with great reluctance that she set down on the riverbank rather than immediately attacking.

“That is Kera’s order, yes,” Lexi stated simply, and she stepped off Led’s back. The twenty foot drop meant nothing to her, and the leather and metal clad tamer stood once more as she drew her weapon. She swung the weapon boldly out to her side. “Come,” she commanded to Led, and the other tamer followed grudgingly. Lexi’s slow stride was almost too slow for the Kaiser Leomon’s much larger form, until the girl burst into a run. Her body was again aided by the enhancement Kera provided, and even approaching on foot, they would be there within moments…

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Feel free to ask questions, people. ^^ While there are some things I have intentionally obscured and will not clarify, there are other things I admit I don't have an outsider's view on to ensure that my meanings are complete.

I'll also be posting the concept drawings of the D-Vector, as well as the general map of Chronus and the surrounding lands once I get around to scanning them in.

[Aqua-chan]

I shall be the first to ask questions. =D

First off, I wanna say...I LOVE how Lexi is turning out in your story *.* She's so much tougher and darker than she is in Digital Dreams. And the fact that she's more of less a host for a Lady Devimon just makes her even more amazing. I love it! =D

Now for the questions:

1. Can I please do a doll of Led? I must after reading her description. ^.^

2. How did Kera come to use Lexi as a host? In fact, how did Lexi even come to the Digital World for that matter?

3. Does Lexi have a digimon partner here or is she playing solo for now?

4. Will you be doing sneak previews like Fangren did for his story? I kinda hope you do.

[AoRyuha]

Yummo, Veee. More deliciousness, it makes me want the next one even more, and the next one after that, and so on. My only other wish is that I had something productive or enlightening to say about it ^^;

[Vn70072]

1) By all means. I look forward to it.

2) I imagine most tamers ended up in the Digital World in the same way - that they got an e-mail inviting them to endless wonder, accepted, and found themselves pulled into one place or another in the Digital World and equipped to face the things to come.

3) Kera is the closest thing that Lexi has to a partner right now.

4) I'd like to, but my chapter titles, aside from being less informative, are not planned out on a complete list. Perhaps I'll allow one semi-spoiler question per chapter posted or something similar. Along with posting concept art or things like that. ^^

[Gachapon]

Veeanne, you draw? o.o

[Vn70072]

Over the Seras

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Aneda Forests, Eastern Province, Kingdom of Chronus

“It’s getting late,” mused Kyoko, checking her D-Vector and finding it to be late afternoon. The remaining trio had remained camped near the riverbank, awaiting the return of Artemis. The Strabimon had not shown her lupine face since departing to search for Cyrus and Hang, who had disappeared in the chaotic aftermath of the battle of Arcwater.

She reclined against the rough-hewn trunk of a large tree, while Bolter snoozed in her lap and Jeanette sat next to her, likewise leaning against the tree. “Net-chan?” she asked, turning to look at the other girl, only to find her having joined Bolter in slumber.

A sad little sigh fluttered from Kyoko’s lips. It wasn’t the loneliness of the moment that plagued her. No, it was clearly something else. She popped open her D-Vector, and accessed the control that displayed the full, holographic keyboard. Resting the purple and orange device on one hip, she tapped at the keyboard and slowly input a journal entry.

I know we all had to try at Arcwater. I didn’t want Net-chan getting hurt, that’s why I thought it was such a bad idea for us to fight… I, I care about her. She told me about her adoptive father, how horrible he was, about her Narcolepsy and everything. It hurts my heart to think about what she’s gone through, she’s such a nice girl. If only I knew for sure…

The Lopmon stirred in her lap, and Kyoko hastily hit the button to archive the entry. Those personal words disappeared from the screen, and Kyoko set the device aside.

“Any sign of Princess cheer yet?” Bolter grunted, rolling over onto his back and letting his large brown ears flop against his partner’s legs. His eyes at last popped open, as he looked into the upside-down face of his tamer.

“Nu-uh,” Kyoko shook her head slightly, nibbling on a candy bar from her pack. “I’m getting kind of worried…”

“Yeah,” Bolter sat upright, his little arms folded as he frowned in thought. “Thinking whatever got Cyrus and Hang got Arty too?”

“Hai,” murmured Kyoko, rocking slightly in place and stealing another look at the serene expression on Jeanette’s sleeping face. “I never know whether to wake her up or let her sleep,” she murmured sadly, leaning closer. She reached up with the utmost care and removed Jeanette’s glasses, before holding them up to her own face.

The glasses were slender and silver, the frames probably titanium and nigh-indestructible for normal wear and tear. Even looking through the lenses clearly skewed Kyoko’s vision, and actually wearing them was a muddy mess tolerable for only a few seconds before they were removed again.

“Having fun?” Bolter smirked teasingly, breaking from his depth of thought. “If we go look for them, they may come back and not find us. If they are in trouble, one of us going to look isn’t going to fair any better. If we sit on our tails, trouble might get worse.”

Kyoko nodded before folding Jeanette’s glasses and tucking one stem into the collar of her top. “Maybe we can leave them a trail of breadcrumbs, like the story Hansel and Grettle…”

“Horusmon and Grottomon?” Bolter tilted his head, a blank look on his face. “Never heard of that one…”

“No, silly,” Kyoko poked Bolter square in his three-horned forehead. “Hansel and Grettle. They left breadcrumbs as they travelled into the forest so they could find their way back. It’s a story my mother used to tell me before bed when she wasn’t travelling.”

“Leave them a trail so they can find us?” Bolter frowned. “And what if someone else picks it up?”

“We ask them politely to not eat or enslave us?” Kyoko said impatiently, standing up. “Anything’s better than staying around here, just waiting. C’mon.” She set Bolter down on the ground, and then leaned over and jiggled Jeanette. “Wake up,” she urged quietly. “Jeanette?” A firmer shake, and the youth’s head lolled to the side while she still slept on.

“Is she okay?” Bolter said sharply, waddling closer to the sleeping girl.

Kyoko leaned close. “She seems to be okay,” she murmured with evident relief. “She must just be exhausted. Are there any towns nearby? Maybe we could rent a room.”

“I’m not sure,” Bolter scuttled up her back, plucking the D-Vector from where it was clipped at his tamer’s waist. His small digits manipulated the controls, until a map of the region appeared on the screen. “Hmm, there’s a town northwest of here. It’s called Moonbrook.”

“How far?”

“Maybe five miles – hey!” Kyoko plucked back her D-Vector, and promptly shrugged the Lopmon off her back. His ears opened like a parachute to break his fall. “What gives?” As he turned around, Kyoko had already knelt in front of Jeanette and was in the midst of lifting the blond onto her back. Draping Jeanette’s arms over her shoulders, Kyoko wrapped her arms around Jeanette’s legs and carefully stood.

“Sheesh,” the Japanese youth muttered, swaying precariously. “And I thought you needed a diet, Bolt-kun.” She took a steadying breath and stood as best she could with the weight of her friend and both packs. They wouldn’t get very far very fast, but Kyoko quietly vowed to press on.

---

East side of the Seras River, Northern/Eastern Province Border, Kingdom of Chronus

Jeanette stirred faintly, her mind reconnecting to a body still inert. Three senses flooded her mind, the smells of sharp pine and mellow wood, the faint sounds of rushing water, and steady footsteps that seemed to match the way she felt her body sway.

Her arms tensed slightly, and she felt someone warm and close. Her mind continued to lumber slowly toward full wakefulness, and she finally cracked an eye open. The blue iris and its black pupil settled first upon the sky streaked with the dark blues, purples, and blacks of twilight, and then drifted downward. Much closer was a bleary and indistinct pattern of browns and greens, and then closer still was a clearer and more familiar sheet of auburn.

“Kyoko?” she murmured, her other eye flickering open as well.

“I’m here,” came that familiar voice. “You okay, sleepyhead?”

“Mm-hm,” she stirred further, picking her head up. Blinking several times and squinting did little to clear the blurriness of her vision. Her glasses were missing. “Where are we?”

“Walking to a town,” Kyoko explained in strained tones, while panting heavily. The swaying stopped as Kyoko did. “Can you walk, Net-chan?”

“Yes,” Jeanette felt Kyoko’s arms slacken, and she carefully slid from the back of the taller teen. Her sneakers touched solid ground, and she stepped carefully away.

“Woo, that was tiring,” Kyoko said, puffing for a minute and then retrieving Jeanette’s glasses for her. “Here you go,” she said, unfolding them and slipping them back onto their owner’s face. “Better?”

The world slid back into focus, and Jeanette smiled, an expression that was soon mirrored back at her. “Where are Cyrus and ‘ang? And what about Artemis?”

“Oh, don’t mind me,” muttered Bolter from near both girls’ ankles. “I’m just chopped liver. You can eat me later if you’re hungry.”

“We don’t know what happened to them,” Kyoko rested her hands on her hips. “Artemis hasn’t come back yet.” She turned around, glancing up the dirt road and along the sturdy wooden bridge. It ran over a river her D-Vector’s map identified as the Seras. That meant that Moonbrook wasn’t that much farther now. “I wanted to get us to a town where we could rest and eat.”

“Oh, that sounds good,” Jeanette nudged her glasses up, rubbing sleep from her eye. “But why didn’t you wake me up?”

“I tried,” Kyoko said sheepishly. “I figured you were exhausted after the battle last night when I couldn’t, so I carried you instead.” Finally seeming to catch her breath, she straightened up and let her arms fall to her sides. “Man, I’m beat.”

“Have Jeanette carry you,” Bolter replied as the group slowly moved on. “It’s only fair.” Jeanette’s stunned look was the foil of Kyoko’s blooming grin.

“He’s right, Net-chan,” Kyoko said teasingly, edging closer to Jeanette as they started across the bridge. She held the grin as Jeanette flushed scarlet and mumbled out acquiesce, before it finally cracked and she burst out laughing. Bolter joined in, and Jeanette’s flush deepened.

“We’re just kidding, Jeanette,” Kyoko leaned a little as their feet formed a steady rhythm on the bridge’s planks. “Lighten up. You could cook an egg on your face right now.” As they walked, Bolter abandoned his position on the ground between the two girls and instead clambered up Jeanette’s back until he reached her shoulders.

Jeanette paused and looked out onto the river flowing swiftly below them between its two rocky walls, listening to the serene hiss of the water’s constant flow. “Um,” she said quietly, her timid voice nearly lost in the river’s surge. “Kyoko?”

“Nani-sorry, what?” Kyoko said, turning her head to look at Jeanette.

“Thanks,” she seemed to get even quieter, and her pale cheeks flushed a little again. She managed a small smile and bowed slightly at the waist.

“You’re welcome,” Kyoko replied kindly, grinning. “Call me Kyo-chan, mkay?”

Jeanette turned from the river, following Kyoko toward the other side of the bridge. “Kyo-chan?”

“Mm-hm. It’s Japanese. I’ll explain.”

---

Town of Moonbrook, Northern Province, Kingdom of Chronus

Jeanette stifled a yawn behind one hand as she pushed the door to the inn open. She stepped inside with Kyoko on her heels, the brunette rubbing her arms due to the evening chill. The entry room took the form of a tavern, occupied by a fair crowd at the hour, warmed by the roaring fireplace set on the far side of a spacious room dotted by tables.

Bolter craned his neck, muttering to himself in apparent distaste of his current carrier. No doubt he was missing Kyoko’s extra height and her absence of long hair. “Well, at least we can get a room for the night here. This place isn’t large enough to have apartments for –“

“Artemis!” Jeanette bolted across the room, reaching a corner with a very familiar green-eyed Strabimon.

“Jeanette,” the child-level Digimon answered in the same familiar, level voice. The Strabimon rose from where she was seated at a table in the corner. “I am glad to see you are well.” She moved gingerly, apparently recovering from her prior injuries.

Jeanette bent down slightly, hugging her shorter partner. The Strabimon briefly started, but it seemed Jeanette hadn’t intended to hold it for long as she broke away. Turning around, Kyoko had caught up to her.

“Where are Cyrus and Hang?” Kyoko asked, while prying Bolter from Jeanette’s back before transferring him to her own.

“Captured by a pair of bandits,” Artemis explained coolly, fixing her eyes on Jeanette. “I attempted to pursue them, but was injured and lost them.”

“Injured?” Jeanette said worriedly. “Are you okay?”

“I am,” the Strabimon inclined her head.

“So,” said a voice as someone with silver hair and clad in a dark coat rose from the same table Artemis had been sitting at. “You’re her partner?” The young man fixed his eyes, also silver, on Jeanette.

“Um, yes?”

A floating, gear-like Digimon floated up beside the boy. Jeanette’s D-Vector chimed, and it identified the creature as Hagururmon.

“Howdy,” said a warmer, male voice as another tamer rose from the table. “These here are Zander and Koro,” he nodded to each. “Our other friends, Katsumura and Arcsinh, are upstairs. And I’m Colin, Colin Summers,” he touched his brow as though tipping a hat he did not wear to Kyoko and Jeanette. “If you’re looking for rooms for the night, this place has plenty.”

“Friends?” Zander echoed skeptically, turning to look at Colin with a raised eyebrow. “I don’t know about you, but my friends will at least talk to me.”

Kyoko completed the round of introductions for the rest of their group, while Bolter ambled off to take care of the room arrangements. “Is there any way we can track where they’ve taken Cyrus and Hang?” she asked, looking at Artemis. The Strabimon’s silence was enough of an answer.

“Uh, excuse me,” Colin said. “I don’t know where they’ve taken you friends either, but I’ve heard about a bandit base that’s supposed to be in this area. If anyone knows where it is, it would be Katsumura.”

“Where is –“ Jeanette began, but Kyoko silenced her with a hand on her shoulder.

“Thank you,” Kyoko said. “It’ll have to wait until morning. We all need to rest.” Jeanette opened her mouth to object, but Kyoko fixed her with an eye. “That way we’ll be ready for whatever happens once we go looking.”

Sensing defeat, Jeanette sighed. “Okay. How about dinner? We’ve barely ‘ad a chance to eat.”

“Well then,” said Colin, gathering a few empty chairs from nearby tables and adding them to the one they had already been seated at. “Come on and take a load off. I’m sure we can find something on the menu for you young ladies.” He helped both girls into their seats before he and Zander in turn sat down again themselves.

The food was good, the air cozy, the company pleasant as the seven lounged around the table, talking, eating, laughing, chatting, and joking as the wall-mounted Clockmon statue clock steadily chimed the hours away...

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Yes, as a matter of fact I do *wiggles the interests section on his profile*

[Zander Steele]

I haven't had much of a chance to read all of this, with all of my problems with college, but I must say I am intensly interested in what you have done with this so far. The characters are nice and detailed, the setting and background i silid and defined, and the plot is slowly unwinding into whatever you have planned. I will definitely spend more time looking over this.

[Gachapon]

Dad, you should get some art up quick. XD

[Vn70072]

Dragging the Net

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Aneda Forests, Eastern Province, Kingdom of Chronus

The two dark warriors did little to hide their approach as they neared the large clearing in which the Goblimon had set up shop. They were part of a group that ran their airships all across the Kingdom, moving personnel and cargo without particular preference as long as the right amount of money changed hands. And they had to be destroyed for it, lest the quarry Led and Lexi sought escape aboard one of their zeppelins.

The fact stabbed a spike of bitterness in Lexi’s heart, another nail in her coffin of resentment for what she was made to do. The deaths were only a means to an end, an end that Lexi knew would inflict equal or greater pain on another. But maybe I’ll get to see him again… She mused, while her legs pumped out an impressive rate to close the distance.

Led, in her Beast Spirit form of Kaiser Leomon, plowed through the woods along behind her, caring little for the disturbance her armored form caused in the forest as leaves whirled about and trees were broken into toothpicks and splinters. “Let’s get ‘em,” she growled. “Go in there guns blazing and take them out.”

Lexi sighed and rolled her eyes at her comrade’s exceedingly direct approach, but she had to admit subterfuge would serve little point here. At last they rounded a rocky hill, and the clearing came into view. A cluster of primitive dwellings dotted the far end, and between them were three zeppelins. Thick ropes bound the cylindrical bladders of warm air to the ground while the cabins hung below, being loaded and unloaded as necessary by the squat green creatures milling about the docks.

The Goblimon did most of the grunt work, while a few of their larger cousins were scattered around the perimeter as guards. Their muscles and clubs may have been larger, but as tones of crude jokes and drunken belly laughs reached the female duo, it seemed apparent the Ogremons’ brains had paid the price.

“Remain here,” Lexi said, looking up at Led and continuing to speak over her look of outrage. “Give me thirty seconds to get closer, and then open fire. Understood?” Led growled, but didn’t answer. “Understood?” Lexi repeated, injecting as much venom into the question as she could.

She then turned and ran, figuring Led would know better than to actively disobey her. Another perk of her dark bondage was being only a few rungs from the top of the ladder. The Naginata swung out to her side as she hugged the treeline, counting the seconds until Led opened fire as she drew closer.

The distance closed, and there was a sudden burst of noise and a flash of light. “Black Thunder!” Lexi also heard the faint roar of Kaiser Leomon’s machine guns, raking the camp with an inaccurate barrage that nonetheless drew their attention as the black and gold armored lion barreled toward the encampment.

Cries of alarm went up through the encampment as one of the huts was blasted apart, and two of the Ogremon lumbered off to engage the disturbance. Lexi strode casually up toward the zeppelins, with most of the guards running to engage the obvious threat, and the Goblimon split between fighting fires and running for cover.

Lexi had already walked up the rickety wooden dock platform and had reached the nearest blimp before a Goblimon finally noticed her. “What the?” he grunted stupidly, but then his face contorted as a simple circuit in his brain closed. “Gobli – “ He swung his club, but suddenly found it shorn down to the handle.

“Out of my way,” Lexi hissed, steadying her Naginata as the remainder of the club clattered to the ground. But her attempt at mercy earned an icy punch in the gut, and in an oppressive moment, Lexi knew exactly what she was to do to relieve the pressure. The bladed weapon cleaved through the air again, leaving nothing but a cloud of scattering data particles in its wake. The pain still lingered as a reminder, and Lexi set her sights on completing the mission.

A hand swung dramatically through the air, and her fingers spread wide. “Darkness Wave!” she cried. With a variety of chittering, flapping, and squawking noises, a wave of vampiric bats materialized at her call and swarmed over the zeppelin. What they lacked in size or strength they made up for in numbers and tenacity, laying into the blimp like a thousand tiny buzzsaws.

The gas bag was the first to go, hissing loudly and sagging as it was breached in a dozen places while more night raiders tore into the cabin below. One down, two to go Lexi thought. They would also need to destroy the rest of the facility as well, to ensure other zeppelins couldn’t still dock.

“Bone Rod!” A chill flickered through Lexi as she heard the bellow, and rather than wasting time to look, she flipped aside. Her hands launched her up again off the dock, and she landed minus her Naginata as an Ogremon’s bone cudgel cleaved into the dock.

The beast gapped at her, and then tried to jerk its club out, only to find the weapon stuck. No doubt it thought it would have a few spare moments as Lexi would have to retrieve her weapon. He was mistaken. “Darkness Spear!” Lexi cried, feeling the hideous feeling as her arm twisted and elongated until it was a pointed black lance. With a push she drove it home, striking Ogremon square in his core. A quick death was a meager mercy, but it was all she could do at this point.

She jerked the arm out of his fading form and suppressed a shudder as it returned to normal. Looking up, she saw her night raiders had destroyed the first blimp. A quick check showed the Led was currently tearing her way through the resistance sent to stop her, and so Lexi focused on completing their mission.

“Darkness Wave!” The power of her captor expressed itself through Lexi’s body, and another wave of night raiders besieged the next blimp in line. It broke and fell like the other, catching flame and spreading the destructive radiance around the dock.

Lexi strode toward the final blimp, her retrieved Naginata cleaving through several Goblimon that either got too close or tried to stop her. Before she could reach her last main target, it suddenly exploded in a large fireball. She ducked back, shielding herself with a forearm and glancing sideways.

Led had dispensed with her spirit form altogether, and now wielded her large gun in both hands. Her hands were steady on the grips, and the stock of the bulky weapon was braced against her slender shoulder. As she squeezed the trigger, a trio of yellow energy bursts leapt from the barrel, striking the already-burning remains of the last zeppelin.

Even from this distance, Lexi could hear the girl’s cackling laughter and easily imagined a deranged grin upon her face. For her own safety at this point it was best to withdraw and let Led finish blasting the facility to bits.

Leaping down from the dock, she ran through the night even as the growing fires licked at her heels. The destruction would no doubt be visible for miles, and it wasn’t completely impossible for the Excalibur to scramble a squad to stop them.

As Lexi neared Led’s position, the girl was still strafing the camp. The smart few had already fled, and anything left was being blown apart by increasingly-large charges from Led’s gun. But Lexi heard a chirp from her D-Vector, and felt a chill in her gut she knew had nothing to do with Kera’s meddling. “Yes?” Lexi said, keying the device.

“One of our spies has located your target,” said the familiar voice of Lady Erya. “In the town of Moonbrook, just over the border between Provinces. She’s staying at the inn.”

Lexi mentally cursed, but the discontent was surrounded by gleaming, icy glee. So her target had escaped their attempt to blockade her in. That was some quick travelling considering the battle at Arcwater had concluded only that morning, but now Lexi had a solid fix. Her prey would not outrun her now. Her eyes gleam red. “We will go and capture her. Tashimi, out.” She lowered the d-ban and took a deep, steadying breath.

“Hey, hotshot,” she said, jogging over to Led. “I’ve got a fix on my target. Finish here,” she jerked her head toward the blaze that was the encampment, while speaking over the racket of repeated discharges. “And await further orders.”

Led groaned and rolled her eyes, the barrel of her weapon dipping slightly as her face took on the pout of a spoiled preteen girl. “Why do you get to have all the fun?” She gave a dramatic sigh, and then resumed firing. A Goblimon trying to make a run for it was obliterated by her first shot. Murder and bloodshed. Nice coping mechanism.

It was Lexi’s turn to roll her eyes, but she didn’t indulge Led any further. Instead she slung the Naginata onto her back, and shot into the sky like a cork from champagne before disappearing into the night sky.

---

Town of Moonbrook, Northern Province, Kingdom of Chronus

Lexi strode casually through the unmoving night, with Digimon and Human alike asleep at this late hour. The steady sound of her boots in the dirt and the faint clinking of her chainmail were the only real signs of activity, with the streets nearly bereft of even the wind. Not even the taverns showed much activity now.

The itch of horrible anticipation welled within her as the inn loomed over her, and Lexi scanned the building. Though dimly lit by human standards, her body’s senses also benefited somewhat from Kera’s presence. Lifting from the ground with the light grace of a feather, she levitated up and peered in through the second floor windows in search of her quarry.

Her nose wrinkled at the sight of the vigorous shadows in the first room, and so she steadily floated sideways, completely oblivious to what a spectacle she was to anyone who might have been watching. The next room was still lit by a lamp on the desk, where a figure sat hunched over some article of interest and was oblivious to their observer. The occupants of the third room were already fast asleep, and though she felt a faint stirring in her chest, Lexi grew impatient with her search.

It was at the fourth window that the stirring creature awoke. An intense wave of feelings washed over Lexi like the tides, hunger, thirst, desire, and more. Her lips pulled back, revealing that her eyeteeth had elongated into pointed fangs. Her eyes pulsed read and Lexi licked her lips, before taking a deep breath to steady herself. It wouldn’t do to become distracted now, not by herself or by Kera.

She could sense the target just beyond the pane of glass, the faint corona of a Digisoul even when it was inactive. That she could sense it at all was of note, that the tamer had, by reports, arrived in the Digital World mere days ago, was all the explanation necessary for why several of the dark army’s most valuable agents had been tasked with her capture. It was weeks stretching into months since Lexi had entered the Digital World herself, and this other girl was nearly her equal in raw power.

Lexi raised her D-Vector, pressing several buttons and allowing it to scan the emanations even though she already knew there was no mistaking them. She drifted closer while she waited, gazing upon this tamer that could supposedly solve all their problems. Frowning as she looked upon the other girl’s sleeping form, Lexi thought she didn’t look like much. She was blond, had glasses on the bedside table, and was not particularly tall or athletic. Then again, a few had misjudged her as such, and gotten a Darkness Spear for their trouble.

“Sticky Net!” Lexi mentally cursed her inattention on her surroundings from focusing on the target, and barely had time to twist aside in the air to avoid being enveloped in a sticky, spreading web of a resilient silk-like substance. As it was the attack still clipped her, succeeding in wrapping around her left arm and pinning it to the side of the building.

Lexi gave a ragged hiss, a feral look sharpening her purple eyes as she set them on her attacker. A Wormmon scuttled sideways toward her on the wall, his face set. “It’s you again,” the Wormmon said, splitting his mouthparts open to attack.

“Darkness Spear!” the trapped arm suddenly turned back into the sharp weapon, which Lexi promptly tore free of the webbing. Another spray had already been discharged in her direction, but Lexi then exhaled a cloud of vile violet vapor. It billowed out, dissolving the webbing on contact and continuing toward the Wormmon.

The Wormmon let go the wall and dropped, but caught himself with strand of silk just before he hit the ground. “Arcsinh?” barked a female voice, as a spiky-haired head stuck out of an opened window. “Bloody hell,” grunted Katsumura, grabbing for her D-Vector. “I don’t know what you are,” she fixed her mismatched eyes on Lexi, an odd uncertainty in them. “But I doubt it’s natural.”

Lexi’s eyes flickered. Not natural? Don’t tell me this girl knows. but she glanced at her arm, still twisted and elongated into the black lance below the elbow. Probably a bit of a giveaway. She reacted with similar alarm and disbelief the first time Kera’s powers had manifested through her body for such a display.

She felt a sudden shudder in her body as it was suddenly wreathed in pink light. Her body suddenly felt heavier, wavering where it hung in midair as a breath seemed to abruptly leave her lungs. Looking up, she saw dark purple light flaring from the interloping human’s hand.

Lexi’s bared her teeth, vaguely fanglike once again. “Don’t play games with me, little girl! Darkness wave!” She leveled a hand, and a screeching wave of ravenous bats heeded her call and rose to harass the girl.

“Leave her be! Random roll!” Arcsinh cut his thread and curled into a ball as he dropped toward the ground, before shooting up at Lexi like a professional fastball. He slammed into the girl’s abdomen, her armor only partially ablating the force of impact.

“Binta!” Lexi cried, slamming an open-handed strike hard into the Wormmon. It sent the still-furled Digimon flying, but the shape helped him bounce on impact with the ground and lessen the blow. She looked up to see that Katsumura was sufficiently occupied. She’d shut her window again and was taking a thick book to the few Night Raiders that had gotten inside.

Unfortunately, the lights in her target room had come on. Two tamers plus two Digimon added to the fight. That was more than Lexi felt like dealing with, and that was just the tip of the iceberg. Others would come to see what the ruckus was about, and she would be overwhelmed by sheer numbers. Muttering a string of obscenities, she realized this was not her moment. She would have to retreat to a safe distance and wait for another opening.

“Darkness Wave!” she pirouette in midair, a massive cloud of bats emerging from her hand. They swarmed about, obscuring their mistress’s form and buffeting any source of light or sound as she made her hasty escape.

It was only when the town was left behind, a deck of cards amid the forests, grasslands, and mountains below that Lexi slowed from her breakneck ascent. She sucked in a breath of frigid air, feeling the bite along her throat and lungs before she slowly let out a misty breath. That had been a close call. As if to drive the point home, the phantasmal Lady Devimon appeared again.

“That was most unwise,” hissed Kera, catching Lexi in her bloody gaze. Knowing it was an illusion didn’t lessen its intensity, and it was hard for her not to flinch. “You have failed. Now they will be on their guard, and next time will be harder. They have already escaped the attempts to cordon them in the Eastern province –“

“Shut up,” said Lexi rubbing her temple while one eye squeezed shut. Despite the pain, her tone remained strong and commanding. “We have them under our noses now. Sooner or later their guard will lapse, and I will strike. Then you can have your rotten new host.”

“Ahhh,” Kera said silkily, drifting closer. “What makes you think you will be allowed to go free even after I have moved on to, ah, more useful accommodations?”

Lexi gritted her teeth and tried not to think about it too much, it was the only way she was ever able to shield her thoughts or emotions from Kera – to hide them under something else that was stronger or more noticeable. “I’ll call Led McNeil. She will assist… us.”

“Indeed,” breathed Kera, floating in a lazy circle around Lexi. “There is something else on your mind, is there not?”

“There is,” said Lexi, pursing her lips in curious thought. “That girl, the one with the crazy hair and Wormmon.”

“Yes,” murmured Kera. “Ordinarily I might lay blame with your ineptitude at stealth and subterfuge,” she smirked nastily. “Yet she could not have noticed us in the shadows…”

“Then how did she know I was there?” Lexi crossed her arms in ire. “And she seemed like she knew I was more than human inside…”

The projection of Kera turned away and was long in answering. “It was before my time,” she began at last. “But there were legends of humans during the First War with similar capabilities, the ability to sense imminent ambush, or to communicate with their partner with a thought.”

“Great,” Lexi said dryly, fingering the cool hilt of her Naginata. “Is there anything else I should know about? Perhaps any beast spirits the girl I’m supposed to capture might have? Or will she be able to snap our collective necks at a thought?” The remark earned her a slap on the face from the project of Kera, and Lexi could’ve sworn it felt real as she recoiled and put a hand to the stinging flesh.

“The other girl was a complication,” said Kera. “Finish your mission without any more, and I may just yet grant your freedom.”

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