It was the heat that finally did him in. Fatigue he could handle, hunger and thirst he could ignore. But this damned heat was more than he could bear.

And then there was the sun.

A Digimon of his nature loathed the sun on his best day. Today was far from his best day, in fact it might just be his worst. He was starving, he ached to the very core of his being, and worse than anything else he was lost. For miles he carried on by willpower alone, but inevitably this failed him. He collapsed, sucking in ragged breathes only to choke on the dust and debris that swarmed so thickly in the air. His throat burned, parched lips cracked and bloody. He gave one last feeble effort to stand, scrawny arms and legs straining before giving out. With a soft thud he collapsed again, face down in the sands.

Hours passed-or maybe days, he couldn't tell-as Wizardmon slid in and out of his bleary half consciousness. He heard a voice, but could not make out the words, nor was he entirely certain if it were real or the concoction of his fevered mind. The voice drew closer. Something….someone lifted his face from the sand and for an instant he saw a flash of pure white. Then nothing.

He was surely dead.

Wizardmon did not know what to expect when he opened his eyes again, or if he ever would. Yet there it was, clear as water, the night sky stretched high above him. He looked up at the stars and wrestled with the possibility that he may in fact be alive. Impossible. His fingers twitched and he became aware them, then of his hands, arms, legs, and so on. Everything ached.

He brought his hands into view-gloved hands. So he was still alive. Still Wizardmon.

''You're awake.''

Wizardmon propped himself up on his elbows and saw that he was not alone. Only a few feet away was a small Digimon seated beside a crackling fire. The creature was unmistakably of a feline breed; tall tufted ears, a stripped tale, and stark white fur.

White fur…

''You saved me?''

The feline looked at him with a dour expression.

''It wasn't all that noble.'' It drawled, looking back to the fire, ''I just couldn't leave you lying there.''

''Well...thank you.'' Leaning on his staff, Wizardmon struggled to his feet. ''I'll be on my way now.''

''You aren't strong enough yet.''

She wasn't wrong. Every fiber of his body quaked in protest as he willed himself not to collapse again. If not for his staff, he'd not have made it off the ground.

''I am grateful for your help...but I have nothing to give you in return.''

The cat's eyes were fixed on him now. He stared back. It was scarce he made eye contact with anyone, even briefly, but he would allow it here. This creature had saved his life, and he had neither money nor provisions to offer in return. He could at least have the decency to make eye contact.

A heavy silence lingered between them, unsettled only by the crackle and murmur of the fire. Wizardmon found himself growing anxious; he felt he ought to have broken contact by now, but something compelled him otherwise. Those blue eyes were searching him, but for what he did not know.

At last, the feline spoke.

''I see…You must be very lonely.''

''What?''

There was something almost like a sigh from the feline, then it's eyes turned to the fire again.

''When you've been alone for too long, your heart becomes hard. Your eyes grow cold. Your eyes are like mine.''

Lonely?

Well wasn't it so? Wizardmon had made no time for companions. It had seemed out of the question to waste time making friends with his quest incomplete. He'd never spent more than a day in any given place, so why bother? He would only be gone when the morning came. It was rare that he so much as said a word to anyone else, let alone shared a conversation with them. Time was of the essence, thus friendship was a luxury he could ill afford. He had long since come to terms with this.

So why did it pain him all of a sudden?

He couldn't dwell on it long, as the conversation was suddenly shifted elsewhere.

''You need food.'' Said the feline, standing to approach him.

Wizardmon withdrew slightly as it came near, but did not protest when the feline took his arm and led him closer to the fire. He was told to sit and wait, and thought it wise to obey. Though she-by now he had assumed the being was female-was a rather petite digimon, there was an air of authority about her. He did not doubt that her size belied a fearsome inner strength.

Saying little else, the cat left him in search of food. Once she was out of sight, Wizardmon considered that he could try to sneak away, but thought better of it. He was starving, and would only make it so far on his own before collapsing again. He couldn't count on another benevolent soul to save him next time.

As he waited, Wizardmon's thoughts dwelled on what the cat had said to him. Eyes like mine she'd said. Then she must be lonely, too. He wondered why someone with a heart as hard as she claimed hers to be would bother with him. Why help a total stranger and ask for nothing in return?

The feline returned with a small arm full of desert flora: weeds, root, cactus fruits. They were all of them tasteless but it was food, and Wizardmon ate nonetheless. The cat watched him fixedly, occasionally nibbling on a morsel herself, but said nothing. It was some time before she broke the silence and introduced herself as Gatomon.

''I'm Wizardmon.'' He replied.

''I've never seen your kind before, you must have travelled a long way to come here.''

''I have.''

He'd travelled for years, though by now he'd forgotten exactly how many they numbered.

''What brings you here?''

''Just passing through. You could say I'm a wanderer, I suppose.''

''So you just wandered into the desert with no food or water?'' Said Gatomon, openly derisive.

Wizardmon cringed and let out a nervous half chuckle. ''What about you?'' He asked, ''I've never seen another like you.''

There was a pause as Gatomon seemed to consider whether his question was worth answering.

''I'm just following orders.''

This piqued his interest.

''Following orders?''

The cat narrowed her eyes ever so slightly at this, and Wizardmon worried that he might have overstepped his bounds.

''I'm sorry.'' He offered hastily, ''It's none of my business.''

''You don't have to apologize.'' Said Gatomon, her tone neither venomous nor kind. ''Curiosity never killed the wizard.''

He smiled at that, even chuckled. It seemed Gatomon had a sense of humor, albeit a very dry one.

When morning came, Wizardmon awoke to find Gatomon had already risen. She sat by the cinders of the previous night's fire, skinning a small rodent for their first meal of the day. There was a moist ripping sound as she jerked her arm violently to tear skin and meat from one another. Wizardmon averted his eyes. While he appreciated the effort she'd gone through to hunt down a good meal for him, this was a sight he found difficult to stomach.

''And how are you this morning?'' Gatomon peered over her shoulder at him.

Again, Wizardmon stood with the help of his staff. He was still somewhat weak, and his body ached, but it was a dull pain now. His muscles no longer screamed when made to exert themselves.

''Much better.'' He said, carefully shifting his weight from the staff to see whether he might be able to stand without it. Though he was able, he decided it better not to strain himself. He hadn't yet healed properly, disrupting the recovery would only cause him more trouble later on.

''Glad to hear it. You were so still I thought you might have died in your sleep.''

Despite the even tone, Wizardmon recognized that dry wit of hers surfacing once more, and for a second time he smiled at her.

Gatomon patted the ground beside her, inviting him to sit. He obliged. Then she tore a leg from the hunk of meat and bone that was once an animal and offered it to him, still raw.

''Eat this.'' She said, ''Plant life is all well and good but you need meat to get your strength back.''

Wizardmon stared for a moment, trying not to let his distaste show through. He hadn't eaten raw meat before; as he understood it, raw meat could make you sick. But Gatomon was watching him and he could not turn down her generosity-however bizarre.

The meat was somewhat tasteless, but easy enough to swallow. Gatomon took a leg for herself, then offered a flank to her companion. Again, Wizardmon could not bring himself to deny her. She was doing this to help him.

When the bones were licked clean, Gatomon stood and began to walk.

''Come with me.''

Wizardmon hurried to catch up. She was small, Gatomon, but kept a brisk pace.

''Where are we going?''

''Back to the village.'' Gatomon answered, ''There's something I need to find there. And besides, you need water.''

When they reached the village, Gatomon led them to a run down saloon. Within was a dusty, dimly lit space cluttered with old, termite-bitten tables. The floorboards creaked dismally underfoot, and the combined stench of musk and tobacco hung thick in the murky air. Scattered about the place where its patrons, many of them in varying stages of intoxication despite the early hour. A few of them looked up from their drinks and regarded the two interlopers with malignant stares.

Wizardmon instinctively moved closer to Gatomon, who remained unfazed by their distasteful surroundings. She made a direct path to the bar and gestured for Wizardmon to be seated. He hesitated, but inevitably obeyed. Otherwise occupied with his back turned to them was the bartender, a mange ridden Gazimon with torn ears. He busied himself with something behind the counter until Gatomon cleared her throat to catch his attention.

The Gazimon looked over his shoulder with a snarl.

''Yeah, what-''

His manner changed the instant he laid eyes on Gatomon. His ears flattened; all sourness gave way to dread.

''G-Gatomon!'' He stuttered, ''What are you-I mean how lovely to see you!''

''Water for this one.'' Said Gatomon, nodding to her companion.

''Yes, of course! Whatever you want, Ma'am!''

The Gazimon made haste, hands trembling as he fetched the largest glass he could find and filled it to the brim. He hefted it onto the counted and pushed it toward Wizardmon.

''There you are, Sir! Enjoy!'' He visibly strained to keep the smile on his face.

Wizardmon sat bewildered, not entirely certain what had transpired.

Gatomon spoke up again.

''Now if you don't mind, I'll be needing to speak to him.''

Again the bartender was painfully eager to oblige. He led her behind the counter to a door, and before he could make heads or tails of the situation, Wizardmon was alone again.

He sat in anxious silence, looking over his shoulder now and then whenever he felt an unkind gaze fall upon him. The same eyes that had followed him upon entering still watched him now, their intentions unknown.

Despite his own mistrust, and the palpable tension in the air, Wizardmon could only put off his thirst for so long. Very carefully, he tilted the large glass so that its brim touched his lips and tasted it's contents. Only when he was sure that it was safe did he allow himself to drink. It was little sips at first, but before long he'd taken to gulping down as much of it as he could. Water had been scarce to him for so long.

The glass was more than half empty before Wizardmon set it down. He took only a short respite before going back for a second draught, but before he was able, a large hand grabbed him roughly by the shoulder and jerked him backward. Wizardmon hit the floorboards with a yelp. Looking up, he saw the hideous bulk of a Vilemon looming over him.

''Ya' got some nerve comin here!'' It slurred, the stench of alcohol unmistakable on it's pungent breath. ''I thought we'd made it awful clear we didn't want yer kind skulkin around on our turf!''

''I...Excuse me?'' Wizardmon had to fight the urge not to wretch. ''I think there's been some mistake-''

''Don't play stupid with me, runt!'' The brute snatched him by the collar and hoisted him into the air with terrifying ease. ''I saw ye with that little stooge a' his!''

He could only assume the thing was referring to Gatomon.

''Please,'' Wizardmon tried fruitlessly to wrest himself from the monster's grip, ''If you'll just put me down I think we can settle this like civilized Digimon.''

''SETTLE THIS!''

With little other warning, the Vilemon hurled him backward. His landing came with an upturned table, several spilled drinks, and a ruined game of cards. The three Digimon who'd been occupying the table surged to their feet with shouts and snarls. Two of them lunged at Vilemon and from there it became an all out brawl. Plates were smashed, fists were thrown, and even a chair was hurled as more and more patrons were drawn into the chaos.

Wizardmon scrambled for the door. He'd nearly made it when something struck him hard between the shoulderblades, throwing him off balance. A moment later he was being dragged across the floorboards.

''Yer not going anywhere, runt!'' Came the familiar growl of Vilemon.

The brute flung Wizardmon back into the fray like a ragdoll. This time when he landed his skull cracked against the floor so hard he saw a flash of stars explode across his vision. An instant later Vilemon's foot came crashing down on his chest, squashing the air from his lungs and pinning him to the floor.

''Now listen here, runt.'' Vilemon growled, pressing his face in so close Wizardmon could make out the cracks in it's yellowed teeth. ''This territory belongs to Lord Devimon! I'll make sure you leave this place in tiny little pieces!''

Vilemon raised one of its massive fists into the air to make good on his threat. Too weak for magic, Wizardmon strained an arm toward his staff but it lay too far out of reach. He was done for. Yet as Vilemon roared its ear-splitting battle cry, something struck it between the eyes. Vilemon stumbled back with a yowl, hands clapped over the offended area.

Wizardmon felt himself hauled onto his feet by someone behind him. He looked over his shoulder and saw Gatomon.

''WHAT IN TARNATION IS THIS!''

A voice boomed over the ruckus. All at once the rowdy patrons froze, their eyes turned to the back of the saloon where a tall and garishly orange digimon fumed with his hands at his hips. Wizardmon heard terrified murmurs of ''Etemon'' from among the startled patrons.

''They started it!'' Cried a Goblimon from across the room, jabbing his finger toward the offending duo.

The one called Etemon sneered in Wizardmon's direction.

''That true, little man?''

Before the wizard could speak up to defend himself, Vilemon snarled in outrage.

''These runts have no right to be here!'' The brute gestured crudely to Wizardmon and Gatomon. ''This desert belongs to Lord Devimon! They've come to steal it!''

Wizardmon was at a total loss for words. Evidently he'd stumbled into the middle of a turf war without realizing it.

''What was that!'' Etemon hollered and leapt toward Vilemon. He grabbed one of the fiend's winged ears and roughly twisted it. ''This is my desert, understand! If anybody has no right to be here it's my say so!''

To drive the point home, Etemon rammed his foot into the monster's chest and knocked him backward.

''Now listen all of you!'' Etemon addressed the whole saloon now. ''Everyone and everything in this desert belongs to me! You wreck this place, you wreck my property, and that does not make for a happy Etemon! No sir!' Now clean this place up before I really lose my temper!''

As the saloon goers scrambled to obey, Etemon shifted his attention to Gatomon and made a sudden heel turn from furious to genteel.

''Sorry 'bout that little lady.'' He crooned, crouching to be at eye level with her. ''Some people got no class, I tell ya. Now here,'' Etemon slipped a sealed envelope to the feline, ''This is for that boss a'yers.''

Gatomon tucked the envelope into her glove and regarded Etemon with a curt bow.

''Much appreciated.'' She purred, ''I shall give Lord Myotismon your regards.''

''Attagirl!'' Etemon canted his head as though in a wink, but with his eyes hidden behind dark sunglasses the gesture went unseen. Then with a great flourish he spun around, swiped a drink from the nearest table, and disappeared through the door from whence he'd emerged.

Wordlessly, Gatomon strode for the door, trailed after by a dazed looking wizard. As the saloon door swung closed behind them, Wizardmon expected to hear Gatomon launch into an explanation of what had occurred, but this was not the case. She simply pressed on in silence. Inevitably, he broached the subject himself.

''What exactly happened in there?''

''It's none of your concern.'' Said Gatomon.

''Considering I was attacked for being seen with you, I think it's very much my concern.''

Gatomon stopped and looked back at him. She had that same narrow-eyed look of calculation as the night before.

''If you're worried for your safety, then maybe it's best we part ways.'' She offered coldly.

As she turned her back to him, Wizardmon felt something twist violently at the pit of his stomach. For the first time since he could remember, he'd spent more than a few wasted moments in the company of another. She'd fed him, made him laugh,even saved his life-and now this? Move on and forget?

"Wait!" He hadn't meant to sound so desperate. Wizardmon took a moment to regroup, then began again. "I'm truly sorry if I offended you. I wasn't trying to imply that what happened back there was your fault."

"Oh, but it was." Gatomon purred, almost proudly. "I have quite a few enemies you see, and powerful ones, too. If you value your life, you'd be a fool not to run."

"Then...I suppose a fool is what I am!" Declared Wizardmon. "I owe you a debt, Gatomon, and danger or no danger I intend to repay it. This is a matter of honor."

"Honor?" The feline made a sound halfway between a scoff and a chortle. "I didn't know such a thing existed in the Digital World. If this is about paying debts then you can put your mind at ease, you don't owe me anything."

"That's not true." Emboldened by a sudden sense of conviction, Wizardmon dared a step forward. "I'd be dead now if you hadn't shown up. That's no small favor, Gatomon, you saved my life."

The cat sighed, shoulders slumping in what anyone else by might take for defeat. Wizardmon knew better. Gatomon had simply decided it was not worth the time or effort to argue any further. Her opponent was too damn stubborn.

"Do whatever you want, I won't stop you. But you've been warned, so don't complain when things get nasty. And they will. That's a certainty."

Wizardmon placed a hand over his heart.

"You have my word."

The reply was a hum and cynical quirk of the lips. Gatomon faced away from him once more and started out towards the horizon. With little pause, the wizard followed.