Dawn Over a New World


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?"


Credit for Katsumura Sugiyama goes to Schmegkopf

Credit for Zander Steele and Koro goes to Neocorruption