Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon.
Chapter One
They say it is just a fairy tale. Something to send the children off to sleep with so that they can dream of finding it. The fabled sword that, supposedly, can save this blighted land. Supposedly. There are many whom believe that it doesn't exist, and some, like myself, whom think that although it might not be a complete fairy tale, still believe that much of what is told about this sword cannot be true. But then, I'm one of the small number of people in this city whom believe that there must be something out there, somewhere, that can get rid of the shadow hanging over our city.
The rickety cart jolted slowly along, making it extremely painful for the two young adults sitting up on the hard wooden seat.
"Do you possibly think it's too much to ask that maybe you could give the potholes a miss for once?" One enquired, acidly.
"Maybe if they weren't all over the road, I could," The driver retorted. "But seeing as they're not, then no, I can't."
The young woman winced as they went over a rather large one, shot her companion a glare, and contented herself with a huff, folding her arms across her chest and staring glumly off down the winding, dusty road that was little more than a very wide track.
"Have they never heard of paving stones around here?" She muttered, more to herself than the driver, but he still manged to overhear her, even above all the creaking and groaning of the cart.
"What's this? A young Knight like you, complaining like a servant? That will never do!"
"Be quiet, you!" The young woman retorted. "When I want your views, I shall ask for them. Until then, keep your mouth shut!"
She was unprepared for the sudden way that the young man hauled the two powerful horses to a halt, and would have fallen off her seat had he not grabbed the back of her tunic to stop her from doing so.
"Would you please warn me before doing something like that? Why'd we stop anyway?"
"Crossroads."
"So, follow the sign post."
"What sign post?"
She stared at him, one eyebrow raised in polite incredulous amazement. "The sign post that's meant to lead us to where we're supposed to be."
He gave her a flat stare, before sighing, and explaining, in an overly patient tone. "I realise that. But what I was going to say, before you so rudely interrupted me, was that there isn't a sign post. Or if there is, then it's hiding from us."
She blinked at him, then turned her attention to the road in front of them. "Oh rubbish! I bet you're just not looking properly, Taichi. I'm telling you, I'll bet you a beer that there…isn't a sign post."
Her squire smirked. "I'll be having a pint when we get to a taven."
"Don't get too cocky just cause you were right this one time…" The young woman muttered, frowning. "But that's odd. Why wouldn't there be a sign post here? Unless we've come the wrong way?"
"Are you doubting my directional navigation?"
"Well…if you're going to put it that way…yes, I am."
"Wha…oh ho! So you want to play that way do you? Who was it whom found a way out of those swamps? And whom was it whom manged to get us away from those mountains?"
"…Those were flukes! My brain wasn't in gear at the time."
"Sora….you know perfectly well it was me. You just don't want to admit it because you don't like the thought of your squire having saved your hide about twenty odd times!"
"Fine! I'll admit it! Now, where's the map?"
"What map?"
"The map that I gave you. You know, that piece of paper with pictures inked on it?"
Taichi shifted on his seat, looking very uncomfortable. Sora narrowed her amber eyes, giving him the impression that she was about to eat him.
"Taichi…I'm going to give you ten minutes to explain what you did with it. If, by the time the ten minutes are up, you haven't come up with a suitable explanation, you are going to find sitting down very uncomfortable!"
He was going to die, he just knew it.
Two figures rode on through the downpour that had suddenly decided to unleash itself out of a seemly peaceful, if overcast sky. One of them, on a large steel grey stallion irritably flicked at his blond hair covering one eye, before turning to the other.
"Are you all right?"
The other, a slim young woman wrapped in a overly-large traveling cloak gave him an incredulous stare.
"Do I look all right?" She demanded. "I was quite happy to stay at home, where it was nice and warm, but no! You had to go and drag me out on this…this ridiculous quest!"
"It is not ridiculous! Look, Mimi, don't you believe in the legends?"
She narrowed her lips, compressing them into a thin line, a frown marring her narrow face before replying, "No. And I do not see why you should either."
He halted his mount with a sharp tug to the reins, turning in the saddle so he looked down at her.
"You don't see why I should either," he echoed slowly, voice unemotional. "And, pray tell, why do you think that?"
"It is just a story that is told to children. A simple fairy tale. Besides, there simply isn't an ounce of truth in it. I mean, why would someone hide a sword in a desert? Wouldn't it be better to have hidden it in, say, a cave?"
The young man gritted his teeth, but didin't say anything in reply, instead choosing to urge his horse on again, forcing the young woman to trot for a few steps to keep up.
"Or perhaps a church." She continued, just as if he had spoken. "If you think about it, a church would be a better hiding place."
He ignored her.
"A church has wall hangings that you could easily hide a weapon behind, or secret nooks and crannies. Do you not think it would have been better to hide the sword in a church? If it ever existed, of course."
"My Lady", he muttered, formally, and trying very hard not to lose his temper. "It does exist, and it is not hidden inside a church. And, for your information, caves do in fact, occur in deserts."
She huffed, but otherwise made no reply, and they rode on in silence.
"I still believe that this quest of yours is not necessary." She muttered at last.
"If you think that, then why did you come?" Was his instant reply. "Why'd you sneak out like a thief? Rather than stay at home where it is nice and warm?"
She had been around him long enough to know when he was mocking her, and now she scowled as she caught the tone in his voice.
"I came because you need someone to keep an eye on you. Oh! Why could we not have brought a few knights or something? I'm sure that bandits will be able to sneak up on us out here!"
"If we do," and he stressed the first word, "then I will be well able to hold them off. Just as well as any knights!"
Mimi sniffed, then looked on ahead. "Is that a cart, or something?" She asked, pointing.
He squinted in the direction she'd indicated. "Looks like it. Shall we go see if they have need of assistance?"
"Why don't we?" Yamato agreed.
Sora huffed, folding her arms and staring at Taichi's back as the young squire knelt in the mud to take a look at the damaged wheel.
"Well?" She questioned.
"Stuck fast," he grunted, standing upright again, and glancing round at her. "We'll have to haul it out."
"We?"
"Both of us. You know, us two?"
"That wasn't necessary, Taichi."
"Don't ask such stupid questions then, my Lady."
Sora was about to retort when the sound of hoofbeats made her twist round to regard the two riders just coming to a halt.
The tall blond dismounted, and giving the reins to his companion to hold, returned her gaze.
"Do you need some help?" he enquired.
She was about to reply, but Taichi cut her off.
"We can handle it. But thank you for asking."
"Are you sure? The mud round these parts is pretty sticky. It will take more than two to move that wheel, and I doubt your companion would be able to lift it, seeing as she's fairly…skinny."
Taichi somehow managed to keep his expression straight, despite the fact that he could feel Sora trembling with anger at the comment.
"As I said before, thank you for the offer, but w-I will probably be able to move it, Sir…?"
"Yamato, and the woman on the horse is Lady Mimi."
Taichi bowed to the slim young woman, who offered him a slight smile in return. "Tell me, my Lord," she asked, "You wouldn't happen to know where we'd be able to get a hold of ten or so knights?"
Sora's trembling increased, while Taichi just had to fight to keep the smile that was twitching at his lips from showing.
"Ah," he demurred instead, "No, I'm afraid not , M' Lady. But err…my mistress might know."
Mimi's eyebrows shot up as she took in the bedraggled young woman standing beside Taichi.
"Your mistress? You mean, you are bound to do this woman's wishes?"
"Not exactly like that…though I suppose you could put it that way…" Taichi replied, trying to keep from laughing.
Yamato had been eyeing Sora closely. Something about this young woman seemed oddly familiar…her pose looked much like…he frowned, confused.
"If it isn't too rude of me," he said suddenly, addressing Taichi, "but, might we have the pleasure of her name?"
"Oh of course. How rude of me not to introduce her. My Lord, m' Lady, this is Sir Sora Takenouchi, the only woman to have reached knighthood."