The Ivani Chronicles : Book 1- Evacuation : Chapter 3- Ready or Not
Kari
slept much more peacefully as she rested from her previous ordeal.
Lost in her dream world, she could finally relax. However, if Kari
knew what the events of the next day would bring, she would have
stayed asleep for as long as possible.
Unfortunately for her,
Kari did not have a crystal ball and was going to have to take the
events on in full. There was to be neither comfort nor protection
from knowing the outcome of the future events.
Kari awoke in the evening of that second day. Ivan and Maddie were still awake, now sitting and eating. This meal resembled rice and tofu, but had a most unusual coloration. The rice was colored violet, and she was sure that the tofu was glowing. By now it scared her less, after having two meals of the strangely colored food. She also noticed a third person had joined them. When she awoke with her bleary eyes, she had thought it was Houndramon. But after looking closely, she realized that who it was.
"TK!" Kari exclaimed at finally seeing her best friend conscious. The three people looked up, all smiling at Kari. Ivan quickly got another dish of the rice and tofu, while Maddie helped Kari over to the makeshift table made of something similar to cardboard."Welcome back," Maddie said as she sat down on Kari's right, with TK on Kari's left. "Your friend here has been very curious about what has happened, and we filled him on the last twenty-four hours."
"It was all very interesting," TK commented, having another square of the florescent tofu. "But I was really worried about you. I think I heard you scream at one point. Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I think so," Kari replied, rubbing her sore arm. "I think that was when your doppelganger, Filmaramon had jumped up and gotten blown away by that robot thing. I was really worried about you, you had been asleep for so long. Your legs were in such bad condition that they looked like jelly," Kari shook her head to furtively dismiss her emotion. "Are they any better?"
"Yeah, I think I'll be able to walk soon," He answered, displaying one of his legs. They were still badly damaged, making Kari want to cry. They did look better however, so she focused on his recuperation. "Don't worry. I'd never leave you. You know I care too much about you to leave you." He put his arm on her shoulder, making Kari blush slightly.
"I hope you can walk tomorrow, 'cause we can't hang around here anymore," Ivan said, placing a dish of food in front of Kari and taking his seat across from her. "It's getting too dangerous here. They know we're here, and if we don't leave by tomorrow morning, they'll attack again with far greater force. With your legs still in their condition, I think we'll have to take the long path through the woods and across the river to Secondary Village. It's a sixty-mile hike along a windy road through the wilderness, but we should have effective cover from our pursuers. Estimating that we cover about ten miles a day, with respectable breaks and rests along the way, the journey should take about a week."
"But couldn't you and Maddie just fly us there?" Kari interjected. "Why don't you just airlift us over the forest to the village?"
"Well, that would work if we could carry your weight for a sustained amount of time," Ivan answered. "The suits do enhance our strength, but the flight engines have little stamina with added weight. That distance is too great to cover with the two of you and our digimon. Also, our flight engines create incredible heat, and being too near it will burn you quite badly. Our suits have flame shields, but you do not. I'm sorry, but we'll have to travel on foot for this trip."
"What about supplies?" TK asked on behalf of his stomach.
"The forest will supply us with proper shelter and food," Maddie replied. "Ivan is an expert at finding food, only bested by Sera. Shelter will be easy enough, for the forest contains more than enough clearings and hollowed trees we could utilize. Water flows through a river that cuts across our path at the far side. It can be purified via boiling it, so our supplies will be all around us. No worries there. Any other questions?" She asked, presently helping Ivan clear the dishes.
"Will there be any dangers in the forest?" Kari inquired.
"As with all journeys we will encounter our share of dangers," Ivan answered. "I think that there may be some natural enemies in there, such as Giant Spiders, Wolf-Lions – the works. Also, there are many pitfalls, cliffs, and chasms in the forest. However, our main problem will be with drones."
"With what?" Kari and TK said at the same time.
"Drones are bio-mechanical killers; equipped with razor sharp blades and built of an alloy native to this world, they are incredibly effective and powerful," Ivan answered. "Many are even installed with a cloaking device, making infrared vision a necessity when fighting them. All four Dragoon helmets have infrared and x-ray vision capabilities, so they are not difficult for us to fight, but they are quite hard to terminate. They have lightning reflexes and great strength, making them extremely fast and agile.
"These robotic nightmares were created as a force to combat the robots that we are fighting," Ivan continued, unable to resist giving another explanation. "It was an epic battle, one that no digimon will ever forget. The two forces were very closely matched: the drones with their small size and speed, while the robots had their great size and strength. Many robots fell in the valleys, and the hilltops are now covered with destroyed manufacturing facilities. The fields, once peaceful and green, are now smoldering and dead, littered with the wreckage of hundreds of drones and robots. In the end, the drones made a fatal mistake. They allowed infiltration units created by the robots into the HQ of the drones. With a quick assassination, the drone leader fell and the drones were instantly deactivated. They had been controlled through a psychic connection by the leader. Many drones stood idly around the world for a long time. Recently, though, they have been repowered.
"The robot leader, whoever he or she is, built an amazing device. It was able to play messages across the same wavelength that had previously powered the drones. He soon collected a large army of drones to his side. He then commanded them to destroy the digimon's villages across the Digital World. Now digimon had a really big danger on their hands. Not only had the drones stopped attacking the robots, but they were aiding them. It was time for us to come in.
"For over a month now we have been fighting against the large array of mechanical demon machines, but they keep coming. It seems that the drones have even started to repopulate. The robot leader must have built a drone factory somewhere. Although we fight hard and win our battles, we seem to be fighting a quickly faltering war. It won't be long before we lose all of our chances of stemming the enemy's advance, losing all hope of rescuing this world. The four of us refuse to believe in such odds and constantly strive to tear down the robots and their drone accomplices." Ivan concluded his explanation, now standing and pacing.
"We'll get them," Maddie said. She stopped his pacing with a hand on his shoulder. "There's no way we can lose, we just have to find the right front to attack them on. Don't despair, you're the Guardian of Hope, you can't lose Hope."
"I know, but it just seems pointless," Ivan said lowly. "We try and we try, but we never get anywhere."
"So, keep trying." TK said, standing next to Maddie. "I know what it's like to lose hope, but I've always found that it's there. I just ended up missing something the first time through. I never can find something right in front of me, even if I look everywhere."
"TK's right, and I should know," Kari added, also standing. "After all, his locker couldn't be messier, but all of his stuff is in an obvious place." TK blinked, flushing red.
"Yeah, yeah," TK mumbled, glancing down. "That's what I mean though," TK continued with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Just keep looking. You'll find the answer soon enough; it has to be there. The four of you are fighting for the entire Digital World. Every digimon across the face of the planet is backing you up."
"They're right, Ivan," Maddie said, walking around behind the brown-haired boy to his other shoulder. "The answer's there, and we'll find it. There's a solution to everything and we will find it soon enough. However, I think getting TK and Kari back home is a more pressing matter. Who knows? Maybe we'll find the key along the way."
"Alright, you've convinced me; I'm back," Ivan said, losing his low tone for a more energetic one.
"Oh yay, what a relief," Maddie said sarcastically.
"Never a moment's rest from your taunts, eh Maddie?" Ivan asked teasingly, sitting back down.
"Nope!" she answered brightly. The rest of the group sat down, ready to continue the discussion.
"What else will we be facing again?" TK asked, wanting to make sure he knew all that he could ahead of time.
"Well, there will be some large beasts and creatures that will want us for dinner, some pitfalls and dikes that want to swallow us up and biodegrade us into fertilizer, and a bunch of stealthy drones lurking around waiting for the perfect time to dash in and behead us." Maddie answered him, sounding rather excited. "No problem for a couple experienced Dragoons like us."
"I wouldn't worry about it guys; the dangers will have respectable distance between each other," Ivan assured the Digidestined. "And as Maddie says, we are experienced in this area, so it won't be too risky for either of you. Just stay together and be sure to follow us since the forest isn't too big on keeping its paths straight. It likes to move them from time to time. No worries, though; we know our way," He added at the sight of their surprised and scared faces.
"Well, not exactly," Maddie corrected. "We're going to need Houndramon's-"
"Yes?" came the growling voice of Houndramon as he entered the room to better overhear the conversation. "You're gonna be depending on my what?" He asked.
"Your sense of smell and direction," Maddie continued, now speaking to Houndramon. "Dogs have great extrasensory perception, so you should be a worthy guide to get us from one side of the forest to the other.
"Oh; okay," Houndramon replied. "Just remember, I'm not a dog. I'm a digi-dog." His voice was flared with pride.
"Right," Maddie said slowly, rolling her eyes.
"It'll be no problem," Houndramon consented. "I've been through there many times. I think I might even have a few robotic bones in there that I scrounged up from the battlefields. I wonder if anything happened to them. Not that metal decays, but those are no ordinary trees."
"What exactly is the difference between him and a real dog?" Kari whispered in TK's ear in a joking manner. "I mean, really: robot bones? I think he's just faking the whole digimon thing."
"We'll see tomorrow," TK replied, also whispering. "I'm curious about what he means by 'those are no ordinary trees.' I hope that they don't pose too much of a threat."
"They didn't mention it in their list of dangers, did they?" Kari said, trying to reassure him.
"True," TK replied uncertainly. His gaze fell back to the makeshift table.
"I think I'll take this sorry bag of fur for a walk, preferably down to a big lake," Ivan announced.
"Why?" Kari asked.
"He need's to get his mouth cleaned out and is in serious need of a mind wash," Ivan replied with a smirk at his friend.
"Hey, there's nothing wrong with my head," Houndramon said defensively. "I just get fuzzy, doggy impulses every now and then. Burying bones, for example: I don't even like bones. It just kinda happens. As for my mouth, it has a mind of its own."
"Whatever; I need to wash the dishes anyway," Ivan answered. "Maddie, want to come along? I could use some real company aside from this ranting fleabag."
After laughing at Ivan's joke, Maddie agreed, and together the two of them carried the dishes out of the cave. Houndramon followed, now talking rapidly about bones and his other doggy impulses, still oblivious of the fact that no one cared.
"That's quite the cast of characters," TK commented as the trio left the room, leaving Kari and TK alone in the cave with three unconscious digimon. "It's kinda scary to think that dog-digimon is the one guarding the Digital World when we're not around."
"Yeah," Kari said quietly. Thereafter, in the dearth of their companions, silence crept upon the pair with skillful subtlety. Kari wanted to ask TK something, but was unable to word it in a way she had wanted. As the pause extended, she realized that the silence would only make thought harder. She broke the uneasy silence by asking, "TK, I have a question that I'd like to ask."
"What is it? Is something wrong?" Concern was noticeable in TK's voice as he spoke.
"No, it's just a bit personal," Kari admitted slowly.
"I see," TK said. Truthfully however he was even more confused. He had no idea what she was talking about, but then again could not bear to be rude to his friend, either. "Ask away."
"Alright," She replied uneasily, still not sure exactly how to phrase her question in a way that was polite and made sense. After a brief pause, she continued, "Back when you said you wouldn't leave me, what did you mean?"
"Well, I meant what I said," TK said slowly, not understanding what Kari was getting to. "I'd never leave you as long as I could help it; I always like being with you." He hoped that this would reassure Kari, not sure if he wanted to admit any deeper feelings, even if they were bursting to come out. Not only did his better judgment urge against it, but also he was sure his father and brother would be strongly opposed to his feelings for Kari or any other girl at such a young age.
"Good, 'cause I like being with you," Kari answered him, resting her head on his shoulder. Being locked in the Digital World had roused feelings that were new to Kari. She had the impulse to keep asking questions, although she knew she should stop. Approval of such emotions was something she doubted she would get from her family. In the end, however, her desires won over her morals, and she continued to question TK. "But when you say you like being with me, what do you mean? Do you mean in terms of being just the two of us, or with the rest of the group, like Yolei and Cody?" She excluded Davis from her question, knowing that TK did not like spending time with him.
"This is going a little too far," TK said silently to himself, realizing what Kari was getting at. To make things more difficult, Kari was sending mixed signals. She had brought up this issue time and again as a way to aggravate Davis. "Uh, I guess I like to be with you, regardless of who we're with," he answered, trying to stay as neutral as possible without betraying his own feelings.
Kari thought about what TK had said. She couldn't tell what he meant by it. She tried to think of another question to get an answer she wanted. "Well, we've been friends for over 6 years now, right?"
"Yeah," TK answered with certainty. Facts were easier for him to deal with than analyzing emotions.
"Well, have you ever thought of us as maybe ever being more than friends?" Kari said, using all her willpower to get the words passed the lump in her throat that had materialized a moment ago. Her delivery had slurred together far more than she would have liked. "Say yes, please let him say yes,' Her mind pleaded.
"Err," TK stalled, unsure of how to continue. He had thought of he and Kari as more than friends, it was true. TK didn't want to ruin his relationship with Kari over something so hypothetical, and the growing pressure she applied was making TK nearly forget the warnings of his conscience. Finally, he concluded to stall her again, hoping to get her to give away her motives more. "I don't know. Perhaps, but I've never given it any real thought. Why do you ask?"
Kari felt her chance dissipate almost instantly at his neutral words. "Just wondering," She answered, her voice losing some of its energy as she spoke. A slightly dejected look slid over her eyes.
"Hey, wait," TK leapt to elaborate. "Don't think that this means I don't care about you." TK realized his error. He tried desperately to right it, but he realized that, as he spoke, his mistake could not be repaired. "It's just I've never really had those kinds of feelings for anyone; I'm not sure if I'm even old enough to," TK continued, putting an arm around her shoulders.
"This is way too hard, I don't know what Matt would do if I were to go through with this. And then there's Tai. And even Davis. What about him?" TK's mind raced, completely lost. He refused to let it show however and did what he could to make Kari understand what he knew he felt for her. "You mean more than anyone else to me, Kari, and I truly care about you. But, if you're talking about what I think you're talking about, I'm not sure. At least, not yet." His voice trailed off, feeling that he had let out some of what had been fighting to get out at last.
Kari was still for a moment, transfixed with what she had heard. "Did he leave anything out?" she asked herself, "What does he mean 'not yet?' Why didn't I just tell him outright?" After pondering things for a moment, she slowly pulled away from TK, who regretfully released her.
"No, why'd I say that?" TK's brain shouted at the sudden realization of a second erring. "That's not what I meant. I do love you, Kari. I really do. Oh, why can't I admit it? Great. Now I not only crushed our chance of being together, but I killed our friendship with the same shot. Why doesn't anything ever go the way I hope it will?"
It
was too late; Kari wouldn't give him a chance now; he was sure of it.
"Next thing I know, I'll see her with Davis at the next school
dance." He shuddered at the thought.
"Damn; it
didn't work," Ivan sighed silently as he returned with Maddie
and Houndramon from the lake. "TK's afraid of what might happen
if she doesn't return his feelings, and Kari's in the same position.
What I wouldn't give for them to see a mind reader now. That'd let
them see the truth. Now they're in a worse position than before.
That's the last time I try to play matchmaker." Ivan had
previously explained to Maddie that TK and Kari were somehow linked
unlike the other Digidestined, or so Azulongmon said. He wanted to
try and help show them that link and to get them to admit their
feelings, but his plan had backfired. He then thought for a moment
before deciding on how to enter and act like he hadn't seen the last
few minutes. Maddie and Houndramon waited beside him, curious as to
what he was doing but not wanting to disturb him. Ivan decided upon a
plan a moment later.
"Jeez, Houndramon, watch it!"
Ivan yelled, to alert TK and Kari that he was coming in. "You're
gonna make me drop the dishes if you do that again."
TK
and Kari quickly moved further apart, returning to their original
positions as Ivan entered with a large stack of clean plates and
bowls, while Maddie and Houndramon followed.
"Hey, guys,"
Maddie said cheerily to TK and Kari, taking her seat at the table.
"Did you find something interesting to talk about while we were
out? Sorry we took so long. We would have been back sooner if
Houndramon hadn't splashed us." Maddie said these last words as
she fixed Houndramon with a toying glare.
Kari and TK started
to become a slight shade of crimson. "Let's just say we had a
little catching up to do," TK forced out, sounding slightly
guilty and dejected.
"That's good, because I think its
time to get to sleep." Ivan said, walking back to the table,
picking it up, and folding it down into a tiny square of cardboard.
He continued to pack up his traveling equipment as Maddie pitched in
and Houndramon continually managed to get in the way. "No naps
tomorrow. We're going to have a full day ahead of us and we won't be
able to stop if we want to get you guys out of here. Your digimon
were up earlier; they're ready to go, but are very tired. They may
want to be carried for a little while."
"I want to
be carried," Houndramon pleaded.
"Well, lose some
weight and I'll consider it." Ivan said with inflection that he
never intended to carry the large furry dog under any
circumstances.
Houndramon receded to a corner, sulking, as the
others finished storing everything in a duffel bag that had been
retrieved when Kari was unconscious. It seemed to have an infinite
amount of space within it; every implement fit inside.
"Houndramon
went and picked this up for us earlier, thinking that it would come
in handy with our traveling plans," Ivan explained.
"See,
I'm helpful!" Houndramon said perking up.
"It still
won't get you a lift," Ivan replied, looking down at the black
animal. "Besides, you're gonna need your feet. You're leading
us, remember?"
"Oh, yeah, I can't wait,"
Houndramon said sarcastically. "I'm sure that my paws will just
love the strain of a ten mile walk every day." He continued in a
softer tone, as if to himself, "Why, oh why did I agree to
this?"
"Ignore those two," Maddie said softly
to TK and Kari. "They're just trying to keep us entertained.
They're not bad at it, but they can get annoying after a while."
TK and Kari nodded silently. "Now then!" Maddie continued
in a much louder voice, "I think it's time for the little ones
to turn in."
"And I suppose 'little ones' refers to
anyone who is more than a week younger than you?" Ivan replied
incredulously.
"Yep," Maddie said brightly, her eyes
sparkling with delight over seeing Ivan complain. She waved her hand
at him. "To bed with you."
"Don't plan on
staying up all night; you need sleep too," Ivan answered her,
grabbing her arm gently. "Come on."
"You don't
let me have any authority," Maddie said jokingly.
"Age
does not bring maturity," Ivan told her slyly. "Besides,
you need your beauty sleep. We don't want you to turn nasty on
us."
"You know I never would," Maddie said with
a slanted smile.
"I
know; I doubt it's possible for you to be, " Ivan said quietly
to her, releasing her arm. He then continued, in a louder voice,
"Okay, come on; everyone in bed. Yes, that includes me," He
added upon seeing Maddie's initial reaction.
"Alright,"
The room resounded, letting their annoyance and fatigue finally come
through.
Ivan helped TK down onto his bed, and then rested
Kari on her bed.
"Where are the two of you going to
sleep?" TK asked, doing his best to get comfortable on the thin
leaf mattress with his aggravated injuries.
"We will be
staying right above you," Maddie replied. "We'll be back
down before you wake up, and Houndramon will stay down here to
protect you. We enjoy a bit of privacy, so Ivan made another cave
above here so we could have a separate changing room tomorrow."
"The
two beds are all ready," Ivan reported. "Call Madina, if
you please."
The two teens recited a short phrase, each
with different lyrics, and were subsequently engulfed in bright
light. As the light dimmed, the two robotic Dragoons, Madina and
Ivani, stood in front of the Digidestined.
"See you all
in the morning; make sure to get some sleep," Madina advised as
she jumped out the mouth of the cave.
"Sleep tight and
don't worry – you are completely safe," Ivani commented as he
walked away. He followed Madina out and up to the second
cave.
"Those two sure are a strange pair," TK
commented, stifling a yawn. "Very queer, but very cute. They
kinda remind me of Davis and Yolei."
"Yeah,"
Kari replied, chuckling at the thought, then becoming homesick about
the thought of her friends. "Do you think they've come to look
for us?"
"I don't know, Kari," TK admitted. He
had been wondering the same thing, but had not wanted to worry her.
"Don't dwell on it; everything will be okay. Those two don't
look like they're gonna let anyone hurt us and they seem determined
to get us back home."
"I hope so," Kari
mumbled, getting very sleepy in this horizontal position. "I
think I'm gonna turn in, TK; see you in the morning."
"G'night
Kari," TK responded, gazing over at her. He longed to hold her
hand, but had lost that chance, and now had only the hope of someday
rebuilding his friendship with her. "See you in the
morning."
Kari drifted back into sleep for the third time
that day. She didn't feel ready to take on the challenges that
tomorrow would bring, but hoped that her two guardians had been
exaggerating the dangers of the mission ahead.
"Morning, Kari!" Maddie's voice came, yelling over the clatter the boys were making. Turning around, Kari saw Maddie had another plate of strange food in her hand, offering it to Kari. "Eat, you'll need your strength today. Oh, yeah, TK wanted to be able to be of some use, so Ivan decided to give him a few lessons. You can never have too many fighters in those woods. The trees there are dense, too, making any large digivolution impossible. We'll be leaving soon, I suggest you eat quickly."
Taking Maddie's advice, Kari ate the unique yet familiar, delicious food quickly with the fencing lesson as entertainment. She only then realized that Gatomon and Patamon were also watching in awe, while Filmaramon, who was in the form of a mouse, rested on Maddie's shoulder. After sharing quick greetings with the former and having Gatomon run around her, Kari turned to Maddie. "Maddie?"
"Yes, Kari?"
"What about TK's legs, I thought they were still weak."
"Exceptional healing rates, even by my standards," Maddie said with an air of astonishment. "Not as lucky for you, I'm sorry to say. That arm will still cause some trouble for a while."
"Just my luck," Kari replied, adding her now empty dish to the small pile.
"Ready for a change of clothes?" Maddie asked, kneeling next to Kari. Kari gave her a quizzical look. "Don't worry, we've got some for you and TK. Didn't you see? He's already changed."
Kari then turned again to observe TK. Everyone, save the digimon, had changed. Maddie now had on a deep crimson T-shirt and black jeans. Her shoes had not changed, nor her hairstyle, but she seemed refreshed. She appeared once again full of energy. Her amulet, orange and red in color with the impressions of the crest of her brother and Sora, mirrored her energy with bright, periodic pulses.
Ivan, on the other hand, looked nearly inverted. He sported a gray shirt, a pair of dark blue cargo pants, and his black fleece was now tied around his waist. His hair had been groomed to some degree, but it fell into disarray as he fought. He still had that same defensive and defiant aura around him. His yellow and pink amulet, emblazoned with the crests of Hope and Light, glowed brightly against his chest as he sparred with the other boy.TK, too, looked refreshed. He presently wore a deep, forest green T-shirt, darkly tinted, beige cargo pants, and a new pair of brown hiking boots on. His hair remained the same, unkempt mess beneath his bucket hat. She remembered with a smirk that he had owned the cap for four years. "I still like him," She thought as she beheld him, striving against his opponent in their mock-battle. "Even if he doesn't like me, I can't help being crazy about him. I hope his mind will change someday. Someday."
"Kari," Maddie called over her shoulder, shaking the younger girl from her daydream. Coming back to the present, she saw that Gatomon and Maddie were now at the cave's entrance and TK and Ivan were resting and talking softly, most likely on how to hone TK's skills. Quickly rising, Kari ran over to the mouth of the cave.
Once
she reached the two girls, Maddie pointed up. "All your gear is up
there," Maddie informed her.
"And I get up to there
how?" Kari asked, looking up at the second hole in the cliff
face.
"I believe that Gatomon has that answer,"
Maddie replied, staring down at the cat-like digimon.
"Oh,
right; it's been so long since I've even thought of digivolution,"
Kari said after thinking for a short while. She moved to retrieve her
digivice from her pocket.
"Actually," Gatomon said
quickly, stopping Kari, "I was hoping for a more feline
transformation, if you catch my drift."
"Ok,"
Kari said questioningly before it dawned on her. "Oh, jeez, I'm
slow this morning. Sorry." She replaced her digivice and got her
D-terminal. With the now well-overused phrase: "Digi-Armor
Energize!" Gatomon was engulfed in light. When the luminescence
passed, it left a fearsome sphinx digimon before Kari. The new
creature flew in a loop as it recited its name:
"Nefertimon!"
"Welcome back," Kari said,
climbing onto her large digimon's back.
"Great to be
back," The creature replied, reaching her destination in a few
seconds and dropping Kari off at the second level.
"There's
a box labeled 'KARI' up there," Maddie shouted up as the large
flying cat landed next to her. "It has clothes that should fit.
If you need anything, let me know!"
"Got it,"
She shouted back, moving into the cave. There were four boxes along
one wall. The three opened boxes were labeled: "TK,"
"IVAN," and "MADDIE." The one remaining box,
indeed, had her name on it in big bold letters. Opening it, she found
quite an interesting wardrobe, all in her size. A few options were
available, and she finalized upon a light pink sleeveless shirt with
a pair of light blue pants. Although she got the notion from the
other three that it would be cool in the forest, sleeves had never
been her style. She did, however, get a light green vest for TK. "If
I'm lucky, he'll give it to me if I'm cold," she whispered as
she pulled the garment from the box. Kari knew her thoughts were
selfish and childish, but her emotions won out in the decision.
Grabbing two pink gloves made to match the shirt, she went back to
the mouth of the upper cave. Calling for Nefertimon, she saw the rest
of the group was ready to depart.
"We'll
come back on our own for the clothes after you two are safely home,"
Maddie said when Kari asked about the fate of the remaining clothes.
"I doubt any digimon is going to steal articles of clothing that
they would have no use for."
"TK, here," Kari
said, trying to keep her voice as even as possible and handing him
the vest. "It seems like this is going to be a cold trip; the
others have coats so I thought you could use one, too,"
"Thanks,
Kari, but what about you?" TK said, concern in his voice, as he
threw the vest on.
"Oh, I'll be fine; I never was one for
sleeves," she said in return, saving her true reason for
later.
"Uh, guys?" came a voice. Both turned quickly
to see their six companions a good distance towards the forest. "Are
you coming, or are we just going on a pleasure hike, here?" Ivan
called.
"Yes, we're coming!" Kari called back,
dashing off to them, TK following quickly behind. It crossed her mind
then, as she ran, that the two dragoons created a strong frame around
the edge of the woods in the distance.
"Alright,
equipment check:" Ivan said to the group. "Camp and cooking
materials, check. Sword, check. Amulet, check. TK's got his staff,
his D- terminal, and D3, correct?"
"All present and
accounted for," TK replied, twirling his staff once in
place.
"Maddie has our medical supplies, her amulet, and
her gauntlet, right?"
"Indeed I do," She said,
securing a red and gold gauntlet on her right arm.
"And
Kari has her D-terminal, her D3, and is to watch our little digimon,
save Houndramon, who will be leading," Ivan concluded.
"Fair
enough," she said, tapping her pockets to reassure herself that
she had her D-terminal and D3. Not knowing what help she could
provide, she was surprised that she had been assigned a job, but
understood that everyone must pull his or her own weight for the
journey.
"All right, anything I forgot? All digimon are
present, the caves are emptied of all necessary equipment – let's
go!" Ivan decided, brandishing his sword. "Onward!"
"And
they call me eccentric," Maddie whispered to Kari, causing the
latter girl to giggle and nod in response. She then remembered that a
question had cropped up during their item check.
"Maddie,
what does that gauntlet do?" Kari asked.
"It's a
magical gauntlet that is the center of my offensive spectrum,"
Maddie informed the younger girl. "I choose not to fight in
melee combat and although a bow was an idea, I've always felt awkward
holding one. Therefore, I decided to try magic. It has worked like a
charm. A stave would be the normal device issued to augment spell
casting, but I found no affinity with any offered to me. Kilvaramon
then decided on this gauntlet, which has power equivalent to that of
an enchanted staff and isn't the least bit cumbersome for me to
wield. Its elemental basis, as the color suggests, is fire, but I do
have the ability to cast other spells of different elements."
"You mean that you're a real live wizard?" Kari asked in awe.
"In
a way, yes. I have little power without a stave and I can't pull
rabbits out of hats. I only manipulate the elements of nature, using
them to my aid. It is this ability that also lends power to my
healing techniques."
"Interesting." Kari said,
lost for words. The dragoons, it seemed, were very well equipped for
battle, even if they themselves felt little need for such
fighting.
With Houndramon rounding to the lead and Ivan at his
flank, the troop of companions set off from the cliff face and down
into the forest's edge, which was several miles across. Their true
journey had now begun. Only one of the eight would ever return to
those caves; the other seven now had other fates locked into place.
Houndramon, however, knew that their luck was to be short-lived. "The path's changing," The dog stated a few moments later with abrupt severity. "Get close, this feels like a big one."
He was right. The dirt path that they had been following, seemingly by its own accord, slowly started to turn. Each grain of sand and earth started to roll, acting as if it were picked up by the wind. The dirt stayed together, moving as a single mass as far ahead of them as they could see. As the dirt neared a tree, the dirt parted, swerving around the obstruction, and then rejoined. While the two elder children and their digital companions seemed unimpressed, Kari and TK were astounded. Mouths agape, they watched as the path continued to move.
It
halted after turning about forty degrees. "There's a nice big
delay. A good two miles have just been added if the path doesn't
decide to turn again. If it does, that could be good or bad,
depending on its direction. This, however, leads us away from the
river. Ivan, make the call."
"What call?" The
brown-haired boy asked.
"We can either continue down this
path, hoping that our luck changes and that we get back near the
river soon, or you get that sword of yours out and carve a path for
us," Houndramon told him.
"I see." Ivan said
simply, and looked down to ponder for a minute. The path would be
easier to traverse, but could lead them too far off course, possibly
to their death. The off-road path would be more difficult and would
remove their hope of avoiding ambush by any creatures. Pitfalls and
other obstacles were much more common among the trees than on the
normal path, too. However, he felt that emphasis should not be placed
on luck, but rather on his own abilities. Drawing his sword, he
called to the rest of the group. "This may lead to more physical
harm, but I feel that such is less likely to end us than following a
path that leads from the river, our only source of water."
The
group nodded in response. None wanted to die of dehydration. They
pulled together a bit, straightening into more of a line than before.
Ivan, now in front of Houndramon, brought his weapon down with a
grunt upon the branches before him. Working forwards, he started to
cleave through the low- lying branches and underbrush with his long
blade. The crude path he cut was only a few feet across and about
twice as tall, but sufficient for all of his comrades to fit through.
Most startling to Kari was that the path disappeared behind them. The
trees regrew the chopped limbs a minute or two after losing them. She
remembered Houndramon's words, "Those are no ordinary trees."
The phrase now made sense.
Behind the impromptu guides Ivan
and Houndramon, Maddie strolled along slowly. She was whistling a
jubilant tune. Looking as though she had no cares in the world, she
petted Filmaramon on her shoulder with the opposite hand. Always
having a great love for the wilderness, she felt safe – at home.
Her only concerns lay upon the darker, less inhabited part of the
forest that they had yet to encounter. They had refrained from
mentioning that the forest was divided roughly into two levels. The
outer ring, several miles thick on all sides, and that which they
were presently in, was fairly safe and held few unknown dangers. The
large center of this ring, spanning about forty miles in diameter,
was different. That was where all of their hardships would come, and
all of their skills would be put to the test. Maddie, however,
refused to let such things bother her, making the most of the
relaxing time that she had.
Following close behind her was
Gatomon. Her thoughts were on the future at the time, curious about
what was to happen next. It was her first time ever entering this
forest, to the best of her recollection. She and Patamon had not been
giving a briefing on their journey as Kari and TK had. They hadn't
been awake long enough to get one, not to mention that they lacked
the mental capabilities to care for one. She would take events as
they came, not needing any forewarning. All digimon that she had ever
faced had given themselves away long before attacking, so she would
be digivolved and ready to fight before they reached Kari. Therefore
she worried not of the danger, but of her partner's condition. Kari
had been distant lately, and her attitude was making Gatomon uneasy.
Something in the back of her head wanted to find out what was wrong
with Kari, but she did not want to disturb her friend. She also knew
that she would learn what she needed to know in due time. Doing her
best to mimic Maddie, Gatomon tried to forget her cares and to enjoy
their lush surroundings.
TK, with Patamon perched upon his
head, walked a bit behind the small cat digimon and in front of Kari.
Patamon had fallen asleep a while back, missing the path movement,
but was otherwise the same as always. TK was using his staff as a
walking stick, the long, uneven ground of some two or three miles
making his legs ache from their recent injuries. He struggled on,
doing his best to act strong in front of Kari. "I have to make
her care about me again, I have to make her see that I made a
mistake. Please, Kari, see that I'm sorry, I really am." TK,
lost in his silent speech, hit his head into one particularly low
hanging branch. The collision sent Patamon over the branch and into
Gatomon. Kari, startled, quickly caught TK and checked his
forehead.
"Are you OK? You're going to knock yourself
unconscious doing that." Feeling no injuries on TK's forehead,
she righted him.
"Yeah, I'm good. I was just a little too
lost in thought to check where I'm going. Thanks, Kari." TK's
last words came with much more feeling and meaning, but he was cut
off from continuing by Gatomon's cry.
"Watch it, Patamon!
What happened? I thought you were with TK." The cat- digimon
said gruffly.
"I was, but I think he hit something,"
Patamon replied, looking around sleepily for TK. "Sorry."
Patamon took flight with his droopy wings, landing roughly on TK's
head. "Can you watch the path next time? I really would like to
get some sleep, I kept waking up last night."
"Sorry,
Patamon; it won't happen again," TK assured his friend. TK
continued to speak, but only to himself: "Great, now I've done
it. Not only does she not love me now, she thinks I'm a clumsy
daydreamer. It just keeps getting worse." Doing his best to hide
his pouting, TK turned to start off again, only to run into another
branch. This time he only hit it lightly, causing only a sudden
shock. All of the branches, TK noted as he looked about him, had now
recuperated from Ivan's severing sword, leaving the four in a jail of
wood.
"Uh, this isn't good, is it?" Kari's scared
and concerned voice echoed in their small prison.
"Let me
take a shot at this," a confident Gatomon said, baring her
claws. In a flurry of fists, the cat digimon cleared a small,
partially complete path a few feet forward. Her claws being shorter
and less powerful than Ivan's sword, the work was slow and less
effective. A few branches were left hanging. After a few minutes,
they came upon Ivan, Houndramon, Maddie, and Filmaramon.
"There
you are," Ivan said, relieved. "Don't go wandering off,
this forest is too dangerous to get separated in. Maddie, would you
mind taking the rear to make sure that we are all together?"
"No
problem," Maddie replied, "but I don't think we'll need to
have a back for long, I saw something up ahead."
Another
hundred paces revealed Maddie's point. A gorge two hundred feet deep
and half as wide cut across their path. "Joyous; what fun this
shall be to scale," Houndramon said with as much sarcasm as
possible, staring down to the bottom of the gorge. There were no
obvious crossings anywhere nearby, and no tree in the nearby forest
could cover the distance, the dog observed. "Any ideas? No rope,
no magic flight, no bridge, no big ladders or trees." He trailed
off.
"Could one of Ivani's shields work as a path?"
TK asked, looking to Ivan for advice.
"I doubt it, but I
spy a path across. Even now it is being used." Ivan stared up
the gorge, watching something that none of the others could see. His
eyes hardened, losing their friendly glow. One who met him in his
current state would have found him dangerous, intimidating, and very
threatening. Houndramon, meanwhile, smelt the invaders.
"Why
are they so far out? This is bad, very bad. There too?"
Houndramon looked around wildly, fear in his eyes and his claws
grinding into the ground. He then noticed that Ivan had no intention
of running, and took on a similar stance. He came to the forefront on
Ivan's right. Ivan gave his sword a single spin before quickly
swiping through the air. The shriek of metal impacting metal rang.
A
small blade, hilt now separated from it, glinted in the sun at Ivan's
feet. Staring up and horrified from the projectile that had come so
close to her, Kari saw vague blurs in the space before them. Slowly,
each disturbance fizzled and warped in and out of focus. Their
assailants then faded into view. Four tall, robotic men stood before
them. They had no outer coverings, looking like gaunt, wiry skeletons
of metal. Nonetheless, the machines wielded an air of disaster about
them. Three of the androids held a long sword in their hands.
Meanwhile the fourth and foremost carried a dagger identical to the
shattered one on the ground in his left hand and a flamberge in his
right hand. These were stealth drones.
"On your ready,
Houndramon," Ivan whispered to the dog standing behind him. The
drones had made an effective pincer attack, with the thick and
tangled forest on one side and the sheer cliff on the other. Combat
was inevitable.
With a roar comparable to that of Garurumon,
Houndramon lunged the rightmost of their oppressors, rending its
right arm from the body. Simultaneously, Ivan rolled under the dagger
thrown from the leader and drove upward upon its leftmost ally with a
quick and effective stroke. The assaulted drone, unprepared, suffered
critical damage and fell limp upon the boy's blade. Hoisting up the
inactive drone like a shield, Ivan deflected the leader's sword with
its comrade's body. A quick back-flip gave Ivan the opportunity to
kick the downed drone with full force from his sword, as well as an
escape from the leader's next offense. To Ivan's slight surprise the
leader didn't dodge its companion. Knocking into one another, the
drones nearly fell off the cliff. Taking the free moment to move into
a more defensive position of his allies, Ivan readied for the
commander's counter.
Houndramon, however, was not so lucky.
Although one of his enemies was now somewhat disabled, they were both
very quick and accurate with their swords. Normally this would not be
much of a threat, but he had little room in which to use his best
skill, that of agility, with a cliff and dense forest hemming him in.
His fur gave him some protection, but Houndramon was not immune to
the opponents' swords and was therefore cut multiple times. One
particularly painful attack came across his right shoulder and left a
long gash. He then realized that a large red flame had appeared and,
jumping to avoid getting scorched, saw Maddie release a fiery inferno
upon the drones. The result caused the swords of the drones to soften
and the drones' bodies to melt from the quick yet intense exposure.
Landing on the edge of the cliff was not Houndramon's smartest move,
however, for the ground gave way on impact from his leap. Lightning
reflexes were Houndramon's only save from a distant fall. With
renewed vigor, he tore through at his now partially melted opponents,
rending limbs with his claws and teeth in frenzy. When he landed next
to a tree, little was left of the once stealthy and deadly
assailants.
The drone commander was now enraged at the loss of
his minion. Severing the link to its master, it charged at the one it
determined most dangerous, the figure registering on the blue
spectrum. Thrusting its fallen ally aside, it moved quickly and
cautiously to engage its opponent. Unknown to it, its other
colleagues were now smoldering wrecks.
Ivan, having recovered
and gained a restful breath as his enemy faltered, was ready to fend
off the drone's charge. But upon the initial clash of metal, Ivan's
opponent put great strength into his curved blade. Ivan was strong
for someone his age, but such a mechanical demon had much greater
power. He was forced back roughly. Parrying the drone's second swipe
and rolling to the side, Ivan made a hard swipe at its legs. His
blade was knocked from his hand. Ivan cursed under his breath. He
knew these machines were incredibly fast, that there was no way to
catch the leader off guard. Now he faced the challenge unarmed,
something that was not in Ivan's best interest. Or, it would have
been if he were not a dragoon.
Ivan quickly jumped back to
avoid a thrust, trying to find a way to stop his threat. He bumped
into a tree. He paused, reaching behind himself and pressing his
palms into the bark. A plan formulated rapidly in his mind. Readying
himself, he watched his opponent prepare to strike the final blow, a
sideswipe through Ivan's neck. Looking at the green glowing bar that
resided on the drone where a person's eyes would normally be, Ivan
gave a smirk. He could feel the drone's sense of victory over its
unarmed adversary.
Had the drone thrust with its vile sword
instead, or had it not put so much strength into its close attack, it
might have been able to recover more quickly. But it had not done
these things and when Ivan jumped to the side, the drone was left
with its sword embedded deep into a tree. Worse still, Ivan then
continued with a hard kick to its back, jostling the drone's energy
capacitors. One of the wires being severed in the process, control of
the right arm was suddenly lost.
His opponent temporarily
incapacitated, Ivan made a dive for his sword. He grabbed it in
mid-roll as he passed over it, and then rounded on his target. The
drone had recovered and was in the process of freeing its cruel
flamberge from the massive tree. Then the drone underwent repeated
strikes against its one functioning arm. Its head rotated in place to
see another boy, wearing dark green clothing and wielding a great
battle staff, beating against it. Dropping its grip on the sword, the
drone aggressively sent a fist at TK.
TK surprised even
himself with the luck of his dodge, and then countered by throwing
his staff like a javelin straight at the drone leader's head. With
amazing force, the staff collided with the ocular systems housed
within the head. The former threat was now a distraught and vengeful
mass of faltering mechanics, charging wildly at TK. Charging, that
is, until a clean swipe through its middle cleft the upper and lower
body, and two successive strikes sent the upper body, appendages and
all, flying down the gorge and knocked the legs to the ground. Ivan
performed one more spin and threw his free hand down into the dirt to
slow his body as he recovered from his spiraling attack. His sword
held lightly in his left hand, Ivan stared at the ground for a moment
and let out a sigh of relief. Ivan's normal, friendly demeanor slowly
descended back upon the boy as he stood up straight.
"Not
bad, TK, not bad," Ivan congratulated the younger boy, walking
over to the blond-haired boy.
"True enough," Ivan said, kindly accepting TK's jest. "I think that we fared better than our friends on the other side," Turning his attention to Maddie and Houndramon, he ran over to his digimon friend. "Hey, you alright?" He asked of the furry companion, who was now partially limping.
"I've been better," Houndramon answered, trying to sound normal and not let the sharp pains resonating through him become too noticeable. "Damn drone had to get me across the shoulder. I'll be back to normal in a bit; don't worry about that. Let's just try to keep to open areas next go round, okay?"
"I'll do my best," Ivan replied with a shake of his head, kneeling down and giving the dog a few pats on the head. "Is everyone else okay?" he asked, looking up at the two girls.
"Just shaken, nothing too bad," Maddie told him, checking over the digimon and Kari. "Would have been much worse if that second dagger hadn't hit the tree before TK. But all's well; no one is hurt, save you three fearless warriors." The mocking tone in Maddie's last words were not accepted well by any of the three referred to, but was a good laugh for the other four and herself. It was further enhanced by the annoyed and flustered looks on Ivan, TK, and Houndramon's faces.
"Alright," Ivan said loudly, hoping to rally the group. "We have gotten passed obstacle number one, but we may not have such luck next time. We have lost more than half the day, and have only come a few miles. To keep on average, six more miles must be covered. But, lunch would be an acceptable option now, too. Fighting does take energy. I see a pleasant clearing over there, on the other side of this ditch, so crossing should be our next goal." With this conclusion, he turned and dashed off along the edge of the cliff edge. Halting a few hundred feet further away, he hailed the group and gathered up some surrounding dirt and soil. Throwing it into the fault, he observed it carefully. Repeating this action a few times, he was satisfied and again hailed his friends. They remained firmly in place, watching him as if he were insane.
"Come on," Ivan called, doing his best to reassure them. "I found the bridge, it's right here! Don't worry; I'm still sane. Just get down here." Houndramon slowly trotted to him, followed by Maddie, TK, and soon the entire group.
"Ok, we're down here; how do we cross?" Houndramon asked doubtfully, eyeing the large gap.
"Simple, just follow me," Ivan said confidently in reply. Turning to face the gorge, he then stepped forward and dropped down. Dropped, that is, until his foot hit what looked like normal air. "It's a bridge, but someone put a stealth device on it at the opposite side. I noticed a slight disturbance in the air here earlier. That's how I knew the drones were coming. Now, would you like to make the 'walk of faith,' or wait until I deactivate the stealth device?"
No one moved.
"Cowards," Ivan muttered, turning again and walking carefully forward. The bits of dirt that Ivan had thrown were also suspended on the bridge and acted as guides for him to cross by. Cautiously, he made his way across. Then, on the opposite side, he drew his sword and sliced down into a tree stump. The stump sparked wildly at the open incision made, and then gave out. Its facade crumpled to the ground, revealing a small metallic device with wires attached to the now-revealed bridge. The group cheered and crossed over the gorge, joining Ivan at the small clearing adjacent to the bridge.
"Things are rarely what they appear to be in this world," Ivan reminded the others. "Now that we're all safely across," he went on, "I believe that replenishing our energy is next on our 'to do' list." The statement was met with the most joyful applause of the day.
"I'm sorry it's not my best meal, but quick movement means quick cooking," Ivan said sheepishly to the rest of the crew, none of whom had enjoyed their midday meal as much as they had hoped. "Dinner will be better, though, count on that." The prospect of more, hopefully decent tasting food brought back morale. "In any case, I believe that we should strike out now, before all hope of covering decent ground is lost." Grudgingly, the others complied, packing up what little they had unpacked and readying for another long hike.The trees around them were much less dense, more like a true forest rather than the jungle-like vegetation that made the barrier around the elliptical forest. Still without a path, navigation was based on the river that ran lengthwise alongside them. Ivan's sword was of no use, with nothing impeding their movement save a few dense clumps of trees. Another noticeable change in surroundings was that these trees were more in alignment with Earth evergreen trees, rather than the supernatural deciduous trees they encountered earlier. Without the movement difficulty, and with food in their stomachs, the squadron covered distance at nearly double pace: Houndramon set the pace, surprisingly, since he had already recovered enough to resume his job as navigation officer. He trotted along with his nose to the ground.
However, as though planned by more powerful forces, their luck did not last. The trees became more and more common while the few small digimon that had been watching them from afar were now gone. Ivan knew that they had nearly passed through the outer ring and would be entering the central oval soon. Once again removing his sword from its sheath, he prepared to chop through more trees.
But trees were not the next obstacles, for now they were still thin. Rather, new things were appearing. Large rocks and boulders formed small hills and blockades, making the group scale the obstructions rather than hack through them. Maddie gave Kari and TK a hand when climbing over some sheer surfaces, being the closest thing to an expert rock climber. Meanwhile Ivan did his best to make it as easy to traverse as possible, forcing certain rocks out of the way and thus causing those on top to fall down. Greatly impeded, the platoon of people and digimon worked for about two hours to cover a mile through the grand rock sculptures. Their efforts were not in vain, for they soon came once again to forested land.
Tired, Ivan noted the sun lowering in the sky. A camp would be necessary soon, he knew. He decided that the next clearing should work. The trees were still not too dense, so a clearing was likely to come along soon. He scanned the surrounding vegetation for suitable food sources. His gaze came to a very large evergreen tree, nearly twice as tall as the average trees around it. Not only was the tree tall, but also it was abnormally stout. A growl sounded from beside Ivan. Looking down, he saw Houndramon baring his fangs at the large tree, growling through his teeth.
"Houndramon?" Ivan asked hesitantly, "What's wrong?"
"Transform," Houndramon said gruffly, slowly sidestepping around the tree. "He's clever, but I can smell him. Show yourself!"
Ivan, now understanding their plight, converted into Ivani Light flashed and surrounded his body in seamless armor. He and raised his left arm. "Ivani Cannon!" he called, releasing his mighty barrage of energy blades. Upon connecting with the large tree, the bark tore off in sheets, revealing mechanical instruments. The tree then came to life and turned on its assailant, revealing its face and four large, clubbed arms that improvised as branches. Aiming carefully, the now-exposed robot fired its arms like rockets on strings. Evading three of the attacks, the fourth connected hard with Ivani's right shoulder. A surge of pain went through the pilot. Still he held his ground, giving a thankful prayer for Ivani's armor plating.
"Run, get out of here!" Houndramon yelled to TK, Kari, and their digimon before dashing at the tree and fiercely clawing into its rear plating. The other four heeded his call, while Maddie ran across the battlefield to a tree on the far side of the fight. Filmaramon, converting into a spinning saw blade, shot through the gargantuan robot and left a long, thin hole through its interior. Their opponent, however, gave no sign of taking significant damage.
Flailing at its oppressors, the huge machine was lucky enough to hit Filmaramon into a tree, but she had been prepared. She became a spring, and then a hilt-less sword as she flew back through the enemy. Houndramon dodged above and below the many swinging attacks of the branches, but was unable to counter with an attack of his own. Ivani had drawn his iridescent sword and was now doing his best to distract the robot while watching Maddie out of the corner of his eye. She had a plan, he knew; her squinting expression gave it away.
Maddie then waved her arms to Ivani. He nodded, and then dove through the robot, hewing one of the robot's arms as he passed. He took up a defensive position between the two Digidestined and the robot as he waited. Houndramon saw the sudden movement and followed Ivan's lead as Filmaramon doubled back and shot herself once again at the enemy, this time as a spinning axe. Upon completing her third pass, she hit a tree, but made no effort to revert for a fourth attack. She knew Maddie was preparing to attack. With the area free of her friends, Maddie made her move.
Darting out from behind a tree, Maddie let loose an incredible wave of fire, her gauntlet acting as the focal point for her energies. Its remaining imitation foliage quickly caught on fire and added to the blaze. It was fully engulfed – a pyre of robotics. Emitting a mechanical shriek, the burning robot swung madly with its three remaining arms, one of which drove directly at the evoker of the fire.