Disclaimer: I claim no ownership of Digimon, any of its characters, or the movie Agora
Introduction: The other day, I came across the DVD for this so-so movie. I recognized right away where this story was coming from: a book written by one of those types who discuss authoritatively subjects that are out of their particular areas of expertise as if they knew what they were talking about, and whose approach to history is to not allow facts get in the way of a good story.
While watching mediocre movies, I tend to day dream, and so I did. Here's the end result of that.
Agora Meet Digimon"Strip her naked!", the leader of the parabolani gang ordered, as they threw her to the floor before the altar. She heard the fabric of her luxurious robes ripping, felt hands on her body as the shredded clothing was pulled away, leaving her completely naked within but a few seconds. One grabbed her by the hair, yanked her to her feet facing the carved marble altar.
"That's right: face God in all your shame, whore".
"The Prefect's whore", another added.
"Have you nothing to say? The whore has no shame".
"She'll scream, alright, when we skin her alive. Does anyone have a knife?"
"No, m'lord, we are an unarmed order, you know that".
"Then get stones, broken ceramics, anything. Make it quick; there are still enemies out there loyal to Orestes".
With that, thirteen of the parabolani left, leaving one behind as a guard. It was hardly necessary: there was no where to run. Hypatia tried to suppress her tears; she wouldn't give them that satisfaction. She knew what was coming, the terror of pain worse than the fear of death. How could the followers of a man who had been so tormented so easily repeat that horror? What did the "love" of this new god mean if those who claimed him could do such a thing? Her long time friend and student, the prefect of Alexandria, had promised her that he would somehow defeat the archbishop, Cyril, but she knew it was too late. "Cyril has already won", she told him at their last meeting less than an hour ago. She never expected that Cyril would go to this extreme to prove his power over Orestes.
She dropped to her knees, then curled into a ball, and wept as she heard footsteps as the parabolani returned to flay and stone her. Her body stiffened as she awaited a hail of blows and jagged edges slicing through her flesh she was sure was to come any second now.
Hypatia heard an accent she'd never heard before, not even in a city like Alexandria where a great many accents and languages were heard every day. It sounded something like "koyous", then... nothing. The first blow was never struck. The sudden quiet, the voices and foot falls silenced, as unnerving as it was inexplicable. What had happened? Was it over already? Was she dead? Hypatia certainly felt as physical as always. She opened an eye. A foot filled her field of vision. It was a furry foot, of purest white, three toes that terminated in sharp, black claws. Slowly, she lifted her eyes, white digitigrade ankles, then bright yellow fur starting just below the knees, a strange purple symbol at mid-thigh...
It was also female, and completely naked, but for long purple fingerless gloves reaching to the elbows. Thick, bright yellow fur, except for the white chest, belly, and a ruff of fur below the throat extending down the chest covered her body. Three tufts of yellow fur stuck out from each shoulder. A long tail trailed behind her. The almond shaped face terminating in a small black nose. The bluest sapphire eyes set against the blackest black looked down at her. A purple zig-zag just below each eye. She opened her delicate mouth and spoke fluent Greek.
"My name is Renamon. Do not be afraid: I will let no harm come to you". The accent strange, but the voice gentle and compassionate. The creature calling herself "Renamon" extended her right hand, also with three fingers and sharp, black claws. "Come", she invited. Hypatia didn't know what to feel, gratitude for deliverance of being stoned and flayed alive? Certainly. Curiosity about the one who'd delivered her? Absolutely. Hypatia ran quickly through all the stories her father, Theon, had told her as a little girl. Lots of tales of strange creatures, but weren't these just myths, legends, and fanciful stories to entertain children? Hypatia wasn't so sure anymore. It was a confusion of feelings. She reached for Renamon's extended hand. Did she have any other choice? Renamon was a head taller.
"Let us leave this place", Renamon said as she turned towards the door. An involuntary gasp escaped Hypatia's lips. For the first time, she saw why she was not attacked. A parabolani lay on his back, a gaping hole where his chest should have been, his eyes still open, looking sightlessly at the ceiling, a pool of dark blood still slowly spreading out from his dead body. The rest of the men lay in other grotesque positions in pools of their own blood that were spreading and intermingling. There were blood splatters on the wall, next to the open doors. Hypatia involuntarily wretched, but managed to somehow not vomit. One was still alive, turned to them and reached out a hand. He tried to speak, but his mouth could not form words, just a hissing sound as a pinkish mist sprayed from around what looked like a jagged piece of clear glass protruding from his throat.
Renamon paused briefly: "Ask your god to save you", she said as she turned away and passed him by.
"We can't go out there!", Hypatia complained.
"Why not?"
"The rest of Cyril's followers will stone us".
"I see no other way out. Do not worry, if they fail to behave in a civil manner, then, I will just have to teach them a lesson in manners".
"The witch lives!", came a call as they appeared at the open doors.
"And she summoned a demon!"
Another raised a hand holding a stone. Faster than the eye could follow, Renamon placed herself in front of Hypatia. She heard rocks clattering against the walls behind her, and the sickening thud of stones striking Renamon's body. The crowd screamed out curses as a hail storm of stones flew at them, surely, Renamon must be badly hurt.
Hypatia watched in disbelief as Renamon was not only unharmed, she leaped higher than the roof of Cyril's church. She pulled up both legs, bent over sharply at the waist, tail erect to fully expose her bare, furry buttocks, as she crossed her arms in front of her. Suddenly, a bright green reticule appeared before her. "Koyousetsu!", Renamon called out as she straightened her spine, extended her right leg, flung her arms wide in one fluid motion. Hundreds of sharp, jagged crystals rained down on the crowd, sliced through bodies that involuntarily twitched and jerked briefly before crumpling to the ground. It happened so fast no one had time to run - or even scream. Renamon landed lightly on her feet. Fifty or more of Cyril's followers lay dead or dying where they dropped. There was not a mark on Renamon's body.
"How..."
"Later. Now, tell me who is responsible for this?"
"Cyril: the archbishop of Alexandria..."
"Is he the ruler?"
"Orestes is the Prefect... Orestes had one of Cyril's monks executed for attempted assassination, that's why they wanted to kill me".
"Take me to this Orestes..."
"I... not like this".
"Very well", Renamon sighed. Renamon approached one of the crowd she hadn't struck, one of the monks from a desert monastery.
He had been too terrified by what he'd just seen to even run. As Renamon approached, he recovered his voice: "Stay away from me!", he pleaded, eyes wide with terror.
Renamon grabbed him by his robe, pulling him eye to eye: "I am that of which you are most afraid", she calmly informed him. She tore the crucifix from his neck, bent it and threw it to the ground. "I require your clothes".
"T... T... Take my robe..." Renamon choked off any remaining words.
"Do not try my patience. I will not ask you again". The terrified man stripped naked, handed over his clothes. Renamon sniffed, made a face, then turned to Hypatia: "Are you sure you want to wear this?", she asked, as she handed the garments to Hypatia.
It was better than nothing, and Hypatia slipped on the heavy, wool robe. The monk's rough shoes were too big and uncomfortable, not at all like the luxurious slippers she was more accustomed to, but would have to do.
Then Renamon turned to the frightened, naked man: "I want you to pay close attention. Go to this archbishop of yours and tell him that Renamon and Hypatia send him our regards, and that I apologize for the mess I made. If he wants to discuss it, we will be at the Prefect's. Do you understand?"
He nodded, but just stood there.
"I said move!", Renamon barked, as she raised a hand to strike him. He ran.
Hypatia offered the monk's undergarment: "This looks like it would fit you".
"Maybe, but I'm not going to put that filthy thing on".
"At least tie it around your waist to cover your womanhood..."
"I have all the accessories I need..."
"Stripping a woman naked is the most humiliating thing you can do to her. That's why they...", Hypatia held back a sob.
"I understand that, but I'm not like you. If I wore anything like that", Renamon pointed out the woolen robe, "I would over heat, and this climate is hot enough already. Besides, it would limit my freedom of movement, slow me down, and it looks just plain uncomfortable, as it wasn't cut to fit my form. I must decline your offer".
"Even the barbarian women..."
"I am neither a woman, nor a barbarian, whatever that is".
"Being seen naked, you do not care?"
"No, not at all. Now, we need to get to this Orestes friend of yours. Cyril is sure to show up there now, and we need to get there first, if I am to protect him".
Hypatia walked side-by-side with Renamon. People cleared the street, as Hypatia wondered how it was possible for her new friend and saviour to radiate such menace, and yet be so caring and gentle at the same time. She had seen Renamon cause more carnage in a few minutes than it would take a dozen soldiers an hour. And she did it with what looked like complete indifference. She had not addressed the crowd, made no attempt to reason with them. She just attacked and killed them all. Yet there was no denying the compassion Renamon had demonstrated back there in the church, as she clearly saw it in those sapphire eyes.
Hypatia finally worked up the courage to ask the question: "What... are you?"
"I am a digimon", Renamon replied as if that explained everything. Perhaps it did: could all those fantastic creatures - centaurs, minotaurs, harpies - of myth and legend have actually been digimon? May be these stories weren't just made up?
"What is a 'digimon'?", she was certain she had never heard that word before.
"We digimon inhabit the Digi...", Renamon paused, remembering where she was. "...a land far away..."
"Across the great sea?"
"Yes, exactly", Renamon lied. "I was passing through your curious land when I came across you and what looked like a very odd ceremony. At first, I thought nothing of it - there are so many strange and unfamiliar ways and customs I have seen - until I sensed your fear. I figured something was not adding up. You were so sad, so afraid, so... lost. I knew something was very wrong. After hearing what they were saying, seeing how they were acting, I knew they were not your friends. I acted in the manner of digimon, and I deleted the enemy".
"You killed all those men, this does not bother you?"
"When you make friends with a digimon, you have our undivided loyalty. I will protect you even at the cost of my own life if necessary. Your friends are my friends; your enemies are my enemies. I delete your enemies. They tried to harm both of us. I gave them the justice they had earned. I waste no sympathy on them".
"What do you intend to do about Cyril, then?"
"I will destroy him. He and his men tried to harm us, therefore, he is my opponent".
"It's just that... you take it so casually, and yet you seem so caring".
"It is the way of digimon: I care for my friends; I delete my enemies".
"Uhhh, Renamon?"
"Yes".
"Are you a natural philosopher? You mentioned exploring, and I am also an explorer of the heavens and Earth".
"I suppose you could call me that. I am many things". Hypatia described for Renamon her investigations.
"Is that so? It is a rare gift even for digimon: being able to make understandable complex concepts".
"What is... koy... koy..."
"Koyousetsu", Renamon completed the pronunciation of the unfamiliar term.
"Is it magic?"
"No, it is not".
"Then science? Can you explain?"
"I can not. I mean no offense, but you do not even have the words to understand. You are a brilliant natural philosopher, but you have just barely begun. I realize that now, and I should never have come here. You are not ready for us, but now I have a duty to perform that I must complete on my honor as a digimon warrior".
"Tell me, then, what do you think of Ptolemy's system?"
Renamon stopped in the street, and looked at her companion: "I really should not be discussing this, but the damage has already been done. As a mathematical model for predicting the future positions of the 'wanderers', it is excellent. For that purpose, it makes no difference if you put the Sun in the center, or the Earth, or you place the datum at some other arbitrary point in space. As a description of the 'heavens', it is rubbish".
"Then Aristarchus was right all along?"
"You have everything you need to figure it out for yourself. Nature provides every answer right there in plain sight. It is a matter of asking the right questions. I have said all I have to say, and I said too much already".
There was no more time for discussion, as they'd arrived at the Prefect's palace. The guards at the gate were highly disciplined soldiers of the legion, and that was the only thing that prevented the expected reaction.
"My lady Hypatia...", one started to ask. He had seen her leave wearing bright red robes, now she arrived in a rough, smelly robe of a monk. "What..."
"Something has happened", she cut him off. "I must see the Prefect at once".
The guards opened the gate, and the one led the way. He could not help shooting furtive little glances back at the strange companion of the Prefect's closest friend and most trusted adviser.
They were announced. Orestes stood in the center of the room, looking completely lost. He was expecting the worst, steeling himself for the bad news he was sure he was about to receive. Upon hearing the name of his beloved, the announcement that she had returned, he looked up, then smiled with relief. He was too preoccupied to notice Renamon, as he swept the woman in his arms and hugged her tight.
"Hypatia! You are well! I heard that Cyril's men..."
Then it dawned on him that something was not right. He looked past Hypatia's shoulder at the strange apparition.
"What...", he began.
"Orestes, this is my friend, Renamon. She is a digimon. It was she who saved me".
"Pleased to make your acquaintance, Prefect. Hypatia's friends are my friends", she said as soon as he made eye contact.
"You speak the language of civilization, and yet you stand before me in shameless indecency..."
"This is the second time today I heard that", Renamon replied.
"Orestes, she comes from a far land, and her ways are not our ways. If she says she is a friend, you can believe her... I believe her".
"If that is so, then kneel before me and swear your loyalty", Orestes said.
"I kneel before no one", Renamon replied. "If my word is good enough for you, your handshake is good enough for me", with that, Renamon offered her right hand. Orestes shook hands the Roman way, gripping her wrist. Renamon wrapped her two outer fingers around his wrist, center finger resting along his arm. Orestes' muscles flexed, then bulged. Renamon's hand remained immovable. Finally, he released her.
"You are strong, even for a man, let alone a woman".
"I am not a woman", she reminded him.
"You have my gratitude for returning Hypatia to me... whoever you are".
Renamon and Hypatia filled the prefect in concerning these recent events.
"What have you done!", Orestes complained. "Cyril will be certain to attack now, and he has most of the city behind him, desert monks have already infiltrated the city, and they are fanatically loyal. I don't have enough men to fight an army of that size, and I can't even depend on all my legionnaires... This is just the provocation he has been waiting for!"
"Do not worry so", Renamon said in a manner too confident for the situation. "I will defeat and destroy Cyril for you".
"I doubt you understand the magnitude of the disaster that is about to befall us".
"No, Prefect, you do not understand. I need five of your men, and your trust, nothing more".
"You and five men against a thousand of Cyril's followers? You are mad!"
"If you are right, then what has changed?", Renamon asked, "You lose everything. If you are not, then what do you stand to gain? You do not know what I am capable of. How many digimon have you met lately?"
"Guard!", Orestes called out. "Get four of your most reliable men. Your orders come from the..."
"Digimon", Renamon said.
"...the digimon known as Renamon. She speaks with my voice". He figured he had no choice now. He knew he needed a miracle, and it was miracles that this strange anthrovixen was promising. He could do nothing else.
"Yes, sir"
Another palace slave ran into the room: "They come!", he called out in panic.
Renamon, Orestes, and the five legionnaries ran to the gates of the palace. The crowd was indeed coming, and it was large.
"I did not realize there would be so many. How will I recognize this Cyril?"
"He will be the one in the robes of an archbishop, and he will be carrying a staff".
"Open the gate. You and your men stay here, keep alert, and watch for your chance to take Cyril prisoner. Do not harm him".
They watched as this Renamon casually strode into the street, indifferent to Cyril's army of rioters, fanatics, low class rabble, monks, and street scum, as they sang hymns, shouted curses, waved pikes, spears, swords and clubs. There must've been over a thousand. They marched in a file at least 200 cubits deep. They would be upon her within minutes.
"What is she doing?", someone asked. Was she going to try to reason with this crowd?
Renamon spread her legs wide, thrust out both arms with balled fists at about waist height:
"Renamon shinka!" ...
... KYUUBIMON!
Twelve wide eyes, and six slack jaws looked on. Where there was a humanoid figure, there now stood a fox. Only this one was canary yellow, the size of a large horse, and a peculiar symbol that looked like a half-white, half-black circle divided by a curved line decorated her shoulders and flanks. With, not one, but nine tails. Blue fire tipped each tail, and surrounded her feet, but did not burn her fur. She wore a heavy, woolen rope, white and maroon striped, tied around her neck in a large bow, each end tipped with a large brass ball.
Kyuubimon casually stepped forward, spread her tails, closed her eyes in concentration for a second or two: "Onibidama!" she called out, as she flicked her tails, launching nine fireballs at the crowd. The fireballs burned through the bodies of the head of the column and kept going. Bodies fell like dominoes. Panic set in, scattering the mob. Kyuubimon's fireballs actually chased after the fleeing rioters, as if they knew what they were doing. More bodies fell to the ground. Finally, the fireballs burnt themselves out.
Kyuubimon ran forward, leaped: "Koenryuu!" She tucked herself into a ball as she began to spin, faster and faster, until her whole body dissolved into a uniform blue glow. A dragon-like head emerged as it attacked. Flesh burned from bone on contact. The blue glow chased down and destroyed most of what was left of Cyril's "army". The few remaining survivors ran in all directions, forgetting all about the heavenly rewards for doing God's work that Cyril had promised them.
(They were the unlucky ones, as word of Cyril's defeat spread rapidly through Alexandria. What was left of he hated parabolani were hunted down like animals, and slaughtered in the streets by everyone they had persecuted: Jews, Pagans, the "heretical" Nestorians.)
Through both attacks, Cyril remained untouched, and Orestes' guards rushed forward to capture him, but barely in time, as they were distracted by the sight of a crowd of over a thousand routed and destroyed with a rapidity they could never have imagined.
Kyuubimon walked towards the palace gates. The same Light of Evolution they had seen before surrounded her again. Without missing a step, Renamon reappeared.
The guards and Prefect instinctively backed away from the approaching anthrovixen. Behind her, bodies still smoking, lay six or seven deep. Skeletons, burned completely free of flesh lay scattered about. The sickly scent of searing flesh filled the air. The carnage Kyuubimon caused in minutes would take days to clean up. Battle hardened legionnaires were horrified at the sight. One was on his hands and knees, throwing up.
"I see you have the prisoner. You have done well", she complimented the soldiers.
Orestes ran to Hypatia, grabbed her, turned her back to the scene: "Don't look", he ordered, "Go back to my quarters. Don't look back".
"Renamon?", she asked.
"Renamon...", he was about to say, "turned into some monster", but caught himself, "...is well. It's all over. Now go, please".
Renamon took Cyril's staff, the symbol of his office. She bent it over her knee until it snapped, and threw it at Cyril's feet: "Your god has betrayed you". Cyril looked with horror at this sacrilege. (Which was Renamon's intent.) She next turned her attention to the book he also carried. He resisted, until she backhanded him. If she struck him any harder, bone would have shattered.
"How dare you defile the Word of God with your filthy paws!", Cyril complained.
"Bring him", Renamon said as she turned to go back into the palace, the book tucked under her arm. Upon returning to Orestes' quarters where they first met: "Leave us", she ordered.
Renamon seated herself, placed one knee over the other, the leather bound volume in her lap. She flipped through each page, briefly scanning one after the other. About a half hour later, she closed the book. The only sound was that of Renamon's claws clicking against the cover. Orestes found that gaze, those blue eyes that he could not get a read from, unnerving. Finally, she spoke:
"Would you call yourself an honest man, Orestes?"
"I would like to think so, as honest as a man can be"
"Would you call this Jesus character I just read about an honest man?"
"You read the whole New Testament that fast?"
"Your information storage media are quite crude and inefficient. Please excuse me for taking up so much of your time..."
"Jesus Christ is the son of God, and a more honest man never lived, or will ever live".
"I understand that you and Cyril share the same religion".
"I am a Christian, yes".
"I see. The actions of Cyril are at odds with the teachings of this Jesus Christ. Explain".
"I... don't know where to begin. Men are imperfect, and many say one thing while doing something else. We call it 'hypocrisy', and, unfortunately, there are all too many hypocrites in our church. Like Cyril, they twist the meaning of the words to suit their purposes. They see what they want to see, and ignore that which is inconvenient. They keep their followers in ignorance. In truth, they are no better than the Pagans when it comes to robbing the ignorant through religion. It's unfortunate, and keeps all too many, like Hypatia, for example, from the grace of salvation in Christ. People like Cyril will have a lot to answer for in the judgment to come. It didn't have to be that way. There is much in these teachings that could have improved the lives of many in a great many ways. So much good that could have been done for so many... so much potential wasted. The things done in Jesus' name crucify our Lord all over again.
I don't know if you can understand..."
"I understand just fine. This Jesus Christ sounds a lot like Lucemon, who taught us many of the same lessons that ended the constant wars between anthroform and zooform digimon that was destroying our world. He brought us the peace, stability, and prosperity all digimon now enjoy. It is indeed tragic that he could not have enjoyed Lucemon's success.
Tell the others to come in". Orestes did so, and Cyril, Hypatia, and the guards entered the room.
Renamon walked over to Cyril: "I will make you a deal", as she handed over the book. "If you can quote for us the passage that says that your God would be pleased with the torture and murder of an innocent party for your political gain, I will let you live".
He frantically flipped through the pages. "Have you nothing to say?", Renamon finally asked, as she took the book from his hands.
"I have a passage I want to quote: 'Let he who is without sin cast the first stone'. You recall the story of the adulteress who was brought before Jesus for judgment? You have an inordinate fondness for casting stones. Are you without sin Cyril?"
"I..."
"I thought as much. You failed to live up to your end of the bargain, and now I shall keep mine. Behold: the instrument of your doom".
Renamon held out her hand: "Gate of Destiny!", she called out. A pink ring formed in midair. It filled in, revealing a circular gate that spun a few revolutions, coming to rest. Digicode symbols surrounded its periphery, and an intricate pattern covered its surface. It split along a broken line, dividing the doors roughly in half. These slid open. They could see what was behind the gate, but as through rippling water.
She grabbed Cyril by his extravagant robes, and began pulling him towards the gate.
"Renamon! No!", Orestes called out.
She stopped, and turned to him: "Didn't you learn anything from the book you just read..."
"I am digimon; I destroy my enemies - and he is also your enemy. Have you forgotten already?"
"No, I haven't forgotten", Orestes replied softly. "Digimon... human... what difference does it make? We are all God's children. If you have learned nothing else, the core of our new faith is forgiveness. 'Father, forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who have trespassed against us'. It also says that. Search your heart, Renamon, find it within you to forgive".
"How do you know he won't do the same again the first chance he gets?"
"I don't. There are no guarantees".
Renamon's hands dropped from Cyril's robes. She reached forward: "Gate of Destiny: close!", she called out. The doors slid shut, the Gate of Destiny began to revolve as its diameter reduced, until it burst into golden particles of data.
"I forgive you Cyril. However, it is not I who you need to worry about. Here is something else I found:
'Many will say to me on that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name? And in your name have cast out devils? And in your name done many wonderful works? And then will I say to them, I never knew you: depart from me, you who work iniquity'.
It sounds like he had you in mind when he said that. You call yourself an 'archbishop', but you serve a filthy, corrupt institution and have become corrupt yourself. Based on other sayings, you should have taken your chances with the Gate of Destiny".
Turning to Orestes, Renamon said: "I have done as promised. You are the undisputed ruler of Alexandria... for now. Use this time wisely".
"Thank you, Renamon. For everything".
"Don't thank me. If you are as honorable as you claim, you will find that tellers of uncomfortable truths are less popular than those who tell pleasant lies. I did you no favor.
As for you, Hypatia, you are going in the right direction. However, you need to free your mind of superstition, open your eyes, and see what is truly there in the heavens, not what you think you should see.
As for me, I have completed my duty... Digiport open!"