(Author's Notes: Part Two of Chapter 76 is here! Enjoy and let me know what you think!)
Chapter 76: Rebirth (Part II)
The dungeon doors unlocked with a series of metal clicks and clacks.
The reinforced, metal doors creaked open loudly, pushed apart by the castle guards on duty in the Royal Knights' dungeons.
"He's in the seventh cell on the left, Sir," said a Knightmon guard. "And the Wizardmon's just on the right here."
Alphamon nodded and stepped inside the dimly lit dungeon. He felt the fleeting heat of some nearby torches and took in the musty aroma of stone and metal. "Thank you. I will speak to Wizardmon first," he responded.
He walked into the mouth of the dungeon and turned to the nearest cell on the right. The door to the cell was unlocked and open on Alphamon's permission. Inside the cell, seated on his bed, was Wizardmon.
Wizardmon looked up from his book. Rather than reacting with fear upon seeing the black knight, Wizardmon's face melted into relief. "Alphamon…" he spoke, hopping off of his bed and standing up.
"Wizardmon," Alphamon greeted with a slight smile. "I apologise for making you stay down here, but for the moment, I have asked you to be placed on restricted access. You may leave the dungeons, but under guard. Everything is a bit uncertain at the moment, so I hope you understand the precautions."
"It's alright," Wizardmon insisted genuinely. "To be perfectly honest, I feel safer down here. I'm just glad to be anywhere else…"
"You are in safe hands here," he assured him, nodding. It seemed that the mage was in high spirits. "So… What made you decide to leave?"
"Well… you did," Wizardmon responded sheepishly, looking down and fidgeting his gloved hands."After we spoke in New Terminal… I thought long and hard about what you said. I am partially to blame for everything, so I have a responsibility to do the right thing. I was scared, but I wanted to help…" Wizardmon gazed down at his hands. "…But I had to leave. Beelzebumon suspects me, I think… It was only a matter of time before Bagramon would too. I'm not a good liar… If I waited around, I would have been found out."
"It's alright, Wizardmon. I don't begrudge you for leaving," Alphamon explained. "The information that you gave us about Bagramon's intentions was more than enough."
Wizardmon's looked up at Alphamon with fear and worry in his eyes. "I have learned more since writing that letter… I have more that I need to tell you," he explained, his voice becoming dire. "…Bagramon attacked the Arcane Ruins in order to find the location of the Kernel. He told me he wants to use the Orb of Yang to destabilize the Digital World and make it easier to penetrate the Kernel's security. He means to invade the Kernel…"
After a few moments of silence, Alphamon brought his hand to his chin, frowning deeply with thought. "I see. Yggdrasil was correct… of course. Bagramon wishes to attack the Kernel…"
"He did not tell me what he intends to do if he succeeds, but one could probably assume his intentions are not good," Wizardmon hesitantly added.
"Yes…" Alphamon replied heavily. "The pieces have slowly been coming together. Now, it is quite clear to me what Bagramon's intentions are."
Wizardmon sighed and readjusted his mage's cap, looking down guiltily. "…I should have known not to get involved with him," he meekly spoke.
"How did you get involved with him?" Alphamon wondered.
Wizardmon winced at the memory. "When I first came to this world, I had nobody… I had nothing but my intellectual endeavours. I barely scraped together a living, and in my free time, I studied the rift in Dusk Forest that I came across during my travels," he explained.
Alphamon blinked with shock, having felt like Wizardmon casually skipped over a notable piece of information as if it was nothing. "…Pardon? 'When you first came to this world'?" he inquired.
At this gaff, Wizardmon's eyes widened and he blushed. "Oh… Um… Did I not mention?" he awkwardly asked as he pulled his collar up a little. "I come from another world… A place known as Witchelny."
"Witchelny…" Alphamon repeated, staring at Wizardmon with interest. "Well, aren't you full of surprises?"
"Er… M-Maybe I shouldn't have said that to the leader of the group in charge of Network Security…" Wizardmon said with dawning fear, beginning to panic. "I-I didn't mean to fall through that portal! I was investigating it and I sort of… slipped…" He winced with shame and pulled his hat down over his face. "I'm not in t-trouble, am I…?
Alphamon watched Wizardmon's panic and embarrassment and he couldn't help but take a little amusement out of the situation while also feeling bad for him. "It's alright, Wizardmon… I deem that you are not a threat to Network Security," he reassured him. "Even if you are a little too curious and naïve for your own good."
Wizardmon breathed a big sigh of relief and he twiddled his fingers sheepishly. "Th-Thank you…" He smiled a little. "I guess I do have a habit of getting myself into trouble, don't I?"
"So it would seem," Alphamon said with a slight chuckle. "Please, continue."
"Well, after the incident in Dusk Forest with the Darkdramon, that rift was sealed off, so I left," Wizardmon explained. "After about a month of searching, I came across another one and began studying it. It wasn't long after that that Bagramon approached me."
Wizardmon sat back down, gazing down at his lap with guilt. "When Bagramon approached me about dimensional rifts, I should have assumed that he was asking for some nefarious purpose and not merely scientific curiosity, but… he was so charming… and knowledgeable. He seemed so genuinely interested in me and my work… So, when he offered me a substantial grant to fund my research, I was all too happy to accept without asking questions. All he asked in return was to keep him updated on my findings and that I would agree to help him with his own project. I was so excited that I didn't ask any questions."
"…But then, he wanted to release the Demon Lords from the Dark Area…" Wizardmon continued grimly. "Everything changed after that. He changed… or I thought he did. Bagramon had always been kind… curious… He seemed like a scholar like myself. If I'm honest, he was still kind to me, but… I began to notice something in him… a darkness… like an unrelenting drive. Ever since the siege, I've felt like I've been trapped, in a device of my own making…"
"I see…" Alphamon replied, nodding with understanding.
Wizardmon sighed. "…I know I'll have hurt Bagramon by leaving, but… I couldn't stay there any longer. Not just because I was scared, but… I couldn't support what he was doing any more."
Alphamon placed his hand on Wizardmon's shoulder, squeezing it gently. "For what it's worth, I think you made the right decision, Wizardmon," he encouraged him. "I know it can't have been an easy one, turning your back on somebody that you care about."
Wizardmon gazed at the ground sadly, softly nodding his head.
A wistful silence emerged between the two Digimon. Alphamon's brows dipped softly and he found himself staring down the dungeon corridor.
He saw SkullKnightmon's cell waiting for him. Although Wizardmon had been a welcome distraction, Alphamon knew that he could not delay seeing him any longer. As much as he would rather stay there, stalling by shooting the breeze with Wizardmon, Alphamon had made a decision and he reminded himself that he needed to see it through.
Alphamon drew in a soft breath, trying to quell the uneasy stirring in his heart. Then, he backed out of the cell and into the corridor. "Excuse me, Wizardmon, but I have other business that I must attend to," he informed him.
"Alright. I understand," Wizardmon replied.
"If there is anything that you need, just ask the guards and they will be happy to comply," Alphamon told him. "Although, I ask that you do not converse with our prisoner."
"Alright. Thank you, Alphamon," Wizardmon said with a small, gentle, but sincere smile. "For everything… If it weren't for you…"
Alphamon smiled a bit. "You're the one who made the decision to leave, Wizardmon. You should credit yourself as well."
"Still…"
"You will be fine now, Wizardmon," Alphamon assured him. "Farewell, for now."
With that, Alphamon gave him a polite nod farewell and turned away. He focused in on the distant dungeon cell that was beckoning to him. Then, Alphamon steeled himself and began walking towards it.
The leader of the Royal Knights strode down the dark, torch-lit corridor, passing by the various empty cells. The clamour of his rattling, black armour and his fluttering cape announced his approach. As he neared the cell, his stomach began to tighten.
Alphamon rounded the corner of the cell and stopped in front of the bars. He looked inside the dungeon cell uneasily, but he was immediately disarmed at the sight.
SkullKnightmon was sitting on the side of his bed, his legs swaying idly over the edge as he munched on a piece of cake. His arm-mounted lances had been removed, and there was a tray of food on his lap, most of which had been eaten.
Noticing the black silhouette approaching his cell, SkullKnightmon looked over, gazing up at the Royal Knight that stopped at the other side of the metal bars.
"Oh. Hello again," SkullKnightmon chipperly greeted. "Alphamon, isn't it?"
There was a pang in Alphamon's heart as he set his sights on the Digimon who was so familiar, yet so different. Although the innocent question stung, the slight softening of his eyes was all that he allowed to show on his face.
"Yes, that's right," Alphamon answered, putting on a slight smile. "Hello, SkullKnightmon. How are you doing?"
"Very well, thank you," SkullKnightmon answered enthusiastically. He raised the empty tray of food in his black, gauntleted hands, revealing only crumbs on the plate. "I must thank you for this delicious meal. I have not eaten for a couple days, so I was rather famished. Why, I don't think I have ever eaten such delectable food in my entire life! I must compliment whoever made this – especially the cake."
At the Digimon's sincere praise, Alphamon couldn't help but feel his hesitant, artificial smile morph into a genuine one. "I'm glad that you enjoyed it… Was your sleep alright?" he wondered.
"Yes, this cell is actually quite cozy compared to some of the other places that I have slept on my travels," SkullKnightmon explained, placing his tray on the nearby table and patting the bed.
"Good…" Alphamon answered, his voice lingering uncertainly. "…Would it be alright if I asked you some more questions now?"
"Not at all, Alphamon. I shall do my best to answer them," SkullKnightmon agreed, standing up so that he could face Alphamon directly.
Alphamon paused as he gazed back at SkullKnightmon. Those piercing yellow eyes… Although they were filled with wonder, the unflinching way that they looked directly at him caused nostalgia to wash over him.
"…Alphamon?" SkullKnightmon wondered.
Alphamon caught himself, pulled from his deep and brooding thoughts. "Yes, my apologies," he sheepishly replied. "Very well, I'll start. You seem very intelligent for someone of your age, SkullKnightmon. Has that always been the case?"
"The care workers at the Village of Beginnings said that my learning was very advanced for someone so young, yes," SkullKnightmon confirmed. "They guessed that it had something to do with my accelerated evolutionary growth. I also love to read. Whenever I would reach a new town, I would buy or barter for a couple new books, and then read them while I travelled to my next destination. I enjoy learning new things."
"I see…" Alphamon replied with a small smile. "I love to read as well."
"You do?" SkullKnightmon eagerly asked. "In that case, may I ask you a favour? Would I be able to have some books to read while I stay here? I prefer non-fiction, if possible, if there are any that you recommend."
"Yes, that can be arranged…" the black knight agreed. Alphamon stepped a little bit closer to the bars. "You said that you have been travelling. Do you have a specific destination in mind?"
"Not specifically… In the short-term, I just travel from one place to the next, wherever the wind takes me…" the SkullKnightmon answered, frowning a little bit. "As for the long term, it is not so much that I am looking for one location specifically…"
The nuanced yet non-descript response struck Alphamon as curious, causing him to wonder what exactly he meant. "I see…" the black paladin responded acceptingly. "Then, for what purpose are you travelling?"
SkullKnightmon paused again, looking down with a soft frown. The blithe atmosphere around the skull-themed knight suddenly faded, becoming replaced by what could only be described as a solemn wistfulness. SkullKnightmon's brows furrowed with thought and he hesitantly looked back up at Alphamon.
"…I am trying to find my brother…"
Alphamon went quiet. He didn't say a word in response to the bombshell, but his shoulders slowly tensed. His stomach seemed to drop, and the worried ache in its pit worsened. The tense aura hanging over him intensified. The implication of SkullKnightmon's words had the potential to devastating.
"Your… brother…" Alphamon repeated, trying not to let his unease show. If this meant what he thought it meant, then not only did this mean that he remembered something in spite of the reformatting, but the person that he remembered had to be none other than the very Digimon that Alphamon was trying to stop.
"Why are you trying to find your brother?" Alphamon asked. He had to know, as the answer dictated just how much of a threat this SkullKnightmon was.
SkullKnightmon looked at Alphamon quizzically. "I don't know… I just feel that I should. I don't know where he is, after all," he plainly responded.
Alphamon studied SkullKnightmon with a concerned expression. All of his responses were vague and uncertain. He needed to know more. There was one more line of questioning that he knew he should take.
"SkullKnightmon…" Alphamon tentatively addressed him. "…Who is your brother?"
The probing question that Alphamon posed had an effect on SkullKnightmon. He blinked with confusion as he thought about it, and a troubled frown formed on SkullKnightmon's face.
"I… I don't know…" he admitted as his perturbed eyes drifted to the ground. His metal boot scuffed at the ground. "I can't remember… I only know that I have one. I've never met him… I just know he exists, somehow, if that makes any sense…"
"I… see..." Alphamon's brows furrowed deeply. "Do you remember anything at all about him? A physical description? A name?"
SkullKnightmon shook his head slowly, almost as if ashamed. "No… I'm afraid not…" he answered in a subdued voice. "I know it must seem odd… saying that I have a brother when I cannot tell you anything about him. It has made my search rather difficult. It is just a nagging feeling that I have in my heart… one that I cannot put at ease. I just feel as though something is missing…"
Alphamon gazed through the bars, mulling his words. This was all becoming stranger by the minute. He had so many questions, but he was beginning to realise that SkullKnightmon likely wouldn't be able to provide the answers. "So, you've been travelling for the past two years searching for your brother," he stated.
"Correct. I have been travelling all over the world," SkullKnightmon confirmed.
"How did you end up here?" Alphamon wondered.
"I was passing through the area when I saw the castle in the distance," SkullKnightmon explained matter-of-factly. "It was so striking that I suppose I couldn't help but be drawn to it…"
"When you say you 'were drawn to it'…" Alphamon wondered.
SkullKnightmon nodded. "…It felt important… I wanted to know who lived inside," he innocently explained.
"'It felt important'…" Alphamon repeated with a sigh, bringing a hand up and rubbing his temples. "And… has anything changed? Now that you know that we are the Royal Knights, I mean."
"I'm not sure… The Royal Knights do sound familiar, come to think of it…" SkullKnightmon pondered. "Perhaps I have heard of you in passing? It sounds as though you are quite renowned."
Alphamon frowned, staring through the bars and into SkullKnightmon's eyes. The answers were still too ambiguous. He needed to be direct.
"…Do you remember me?" Alphamon questioned.
SkullKnightmon stared up at Alphamon candidly. "I don't think so… You're Alphamon, aren't you? I can't remember any Alphamon… Then again, I can't remember my brother either…"
Alphamon's gazed at him with a mixture of unease and sympathy. His heart began to ache for him. He felt bad for SkullKnightmon; it must have been hard travelling all alone, without any memories or loved ones, searching for the ghost of a memory.
Another feeling twisted in his heart… one of guilt. He knew that he could answer SkullKnightmon's questions about his brother right then and there. The more he heard, the more confident that he was that he was right about his assumptions.
However… he was afraid to. He worried that, by doing so, he would somehow awaken SkullKnightmon's past darkness, or that he would set him on a course to reunite with Bagramon. He didn't feel that he could risk that. He didn't want to corrupt him once again… Yet, at the same time, he felt like a bad Digimon for willingly keeping this lost and lonely Digimon in the dark. It was clear that he wasn't the same Digimon that DarkKnightmon was. To deny him information about his brother… It felt like it went against his core values.
Alphamon winced bitterly, bowing his head a little as he could no longer look SkullKnightmon in the eyes.
SkullKnightmon, seeing the subtle movements in Alphamon's response, suddenly looked down with a troubled frown. "…I'm sorry… Should I know you?" he wondered guiltily. "I… can't remember much. Are we supposed to know each other, Alphamon? I'm sorry… I don't mean any offence…"
Alphamon clenched his fists tightly. His heart began to tear in his chest. Watching SkullKnightmon, so innocent and lost, struggling to piece together the missing pieces was difficult to bear. Alphamon knew that he was responsible for this. He had been the one to kill DarkKnightmon. It was because of him that SkullKnightmon wandered alone, without his memories, searching blindly for something that he couldn't place his finger on...
And, it wasn't just that…
This SkullKnightmon… so full of hope and wonder… so full of curiosity for life… This wasn't the same Digimon that he used to know. This wasn't the same Digimon that he had intimately called his friend… nor was he the same Digimon who called him his enemy. This was not the Digimon that he had estranged and he was not the Digimon who had rebelled against him.
It was all too clear to him… this was not the Digimon who he killed… or the one who he wept over as he died in his arms…
For better and for worse, this was not his DarkKnightmon…
"Alphamon…? Why do you look so sad?"
Alphamon blinked and looked up, unable to hide the pained grimace on his face. He saw SkullKnightmon gazing at him with a sad look in his confused eyes.
"I…" Alphamon stalled and closed his eyes, taking a moment to center himself. "I apologise… You remind me of somebody who I used to know…" he calmly explained, opening his eyes with a small, resigned smile.
"…'DarkKnightmon', you mean," SkullKnightmon hesitantly replied.
Alphamon blinked with surprise. "How did you…?"
"Your friend mentioned that name when I arrived at the castle," SkullKnightmon explained. "And I heard some of the guards talking about him too… They all seem to think that I am him… Is that true? That is the reason why I am here, isn't it?"
The wince on Alphamon's face was enough to keep him from even considering lying. Although naïve in some ways, SkullKnightmon appeared more perceptive than he had given him credit for. He didn't want to insult his intelligence… and he wasn't sure that he could bring himself to lie to him anyways.
"…Yes," Alphamon temperately responded.
"Who was this DarkKnightmon?" SkullKnightmon wondered. "He seems to have made quite the impression on everyone around here."
Alphamon turned his head a little. "…I think it would be better if you do not know, SkullKnightmon," he informed him with cool disquiet.
SkullKnightmon frowned with confusion. "…Was he a bad Digimon?" he inquired uneasily.
The straightforward and innocent question caused Alphamon to pause. As simple of a question as it was, there was not a simple answer. He wanted to say one thing, but his heart made him want to say another. In reality, Alphamon knew that it was much more complicated than a simple 'yes' or 'no'. Most things were.
"…No… not exactly," Alphamon hesitantly replied. He looked back towards SkullKnightmon with soft eyes. "He did some bad things, yes… but I don't believe he was a truly bad Digimon in his heart." Alphamon's gaze trailed down with wistful memory. "…He had very strong beliefs… ideals that he would not waver from. They contrasted sharply with my own… and we often came to disagreement over them. He had one view of how things should be… and I had another."
SkullKnightmon nodded a little, although the thoughtful frown remained on his face. "I see… May I ask you one more thing?"
Alphamon simply nodded.
SkullKnightmon gazed up at the knight with searching eyes.
"Who was this DarkKnightmon to you?"
Alphamon grimaced a little as he gazed back down at SkullKnightmon. The pain inside him lingered as he struggled to parse the complicated feelings, trying to wring them out of the swirling mess of his heart. He hesitated, the words catching in his throat as, again, he wanted to say one thing, only to be interrupted by another thought. There was no easy answer… DarkKnightmon always knew how to ask him the hardest questions.
"…DarkKnightmon was my…" Alphamon hesitated uncertainly, his tongue sticking in his mouth. There was another soft pang in his heart as he was unable to get the words that he wanted out. "…He was… someone very dear to me…"
SkullKnightmon watched quietly as the expression on Alphamon's face became faintly wistful. "I see… Does my presence here make you sad…?" he wondered.
Alphamon paused for a moment before a sad smile appeared on his face. "…You are not DarkKnightmon, SkullKnightmon. You need not feel guilty," he assured him, downplaying the complicated and unresolved feelings that he had. "I do not blame you… Things are just very complicated at the moment."
SkullKnightmon nodded his head thoughtfully. "I understand… I apologise if I have caused you any distress."
Alphamon smiled a little more, shaking his head. "There is no need, but thank you."
For a few moments, SkullKnightmon went quiet with thought before broaching his next question. He glanced up at Alphamon quizzically. "…Did this DarkKnightmon have a brother?" he innocently questioned.
Alphamon hesitated once more. The instinct to lie was strong… but he dissuaded himself from doing so. He told himself that he didn't want to make any more decisions based on fear.
"…Yes, he did," Alphamon answered with a weighty sigh. "His name is Bagramon."
"Bagramon…" SkullKnightmon repeated, testing the name out on his lips. "…No, that doesn't sound familiar."
Hearing SkullKnightmon's befuddlement caused Alphamon to relax a little bit. "That doesn't surprise me. The two of them were estranged…" he explained.
"I see…" SkullKnightmon walked back to his bed and sat down on it, facing the black knight. "How long do you think that I will need to stay here?"
"Until we figure out what to do, but it won't be forever. There are still some discussions that I must have with some people," Alphamon informed him. He offered SkullKnightmon a reassuring smile. "However, this has talk been very helpful. I feel a little better about the current state of affairs now. Thank you for your honesty, SkullKnightmon."
SkullKnightmon nodded a little and he gazed at Alphamon, his glowing, yellow eyes soft and mellow.
"…You are very kind, Alphamon."
Alphamon blinked with surprise. "Am I? No more than the average Digimon, I shouldn't think…"
"In the two years that I have been travelling I have met many Digimon… some nice and some not…" SkullKnightmon informed him. "You are one of the nicer ones… I appreciate that about you."
The black knight's surprise shifted into a soft frown. It was then, more than ever, that he was certain that this couldn't be DarkKnightmon… Reformatted or not, he was a different Digimon. He wasn't sure how to feel about that…
"I see…" Alphamon neutrally responded. "Well… I must go now, SkullKnightmon. If you have any needs or requests, please put them to the guards. I will ensure that they come to me. I will have someone take that plate, and I will bring a few books for you."
"Thank you, Alphamon. I do appreciate that," SkullKnightmon replied, settling comfortably again.
Alphamon's eyes lingered on the short knight for a few more moments before he wordlessly turned away. He began walking down the dungeon corridor, his cape flapping behind him as he strode.
The black knight closed his eyes and grew further and further away from the vestige of his old adversary. Although some of his worries were put at ease, he could not shake the pervasive sense of melancholy that clung to his heart. There were too many memories… too many unhealed wounds…
Alphamon made straight for the dungeon exit, giving only short nods to the guards and Wizardmon as he neared. He wasn't in the mood for pleasantries.
He breathed a tired sigh and neared the locked exit, gesturing to the guard that he was finished. He only just began to notice the muffled noises coming from outside.
"DarkKnightmon… things are never simple with you, are they?"
"What do you mean I can't go in?!"
Ouryumon's jagged teeth clenched and his glare tightened sharply. His swords hung from the belt around his hips, their honed edges shimmering in the torch light.
Ouryumon stood in front of the dungeon doors, which were being blocked by a pair of castle guards. Standing upright, Ouryumon towered over the pair of guards and fought back an angry snarl as he glared down at the Mystimon and Andromon guards, both of whom were beginning to look rather nervous.
"I apologise, Sir, but we have direct orders from Sir Alphamon," the Andromon guard attempted to explain. "Nobody is to enter the dungeons without his expressed permission."
"I'm the Captain of the Strike Forces," Ouryumon forcefully impressed upon them.
"S-Sorry, Captain," the Mystimon nervously insisted. "Sir Alphamon made it clear that entry is restricted only to those with Royal Knight-level clearance…"
"What…?" Ouryumon balked with disbelief, his eye twitching. "Even for me?"
"He was very clear with us, Sir," the Andromon asserted. "He said the prisoner should receive no visitors without his say-so. He said it was a matter of the utmost security… We mean no disrespect, Captain, but we have our orders."
Ouryumon scowled and hissed softly with frustration, but he reluctantly relented, realising that the guards were just doing their jobs. "Fine…"
"Sir Alphamon's in there now if you want to wait for him," the Mystimon offered in an attempt to assuage the angry serpent. "Maybe you can talk to him about it, Sir."
Ouryumon blinked with shock. "Wait… Alphamon's in there? Already? Talking to him alone?" he incredulously inquired. "Isn't anybody with him?!"
"There are four other guards stationed on the inside," the Andromon insisted. "SkullKnightmon is safely behind bars, Sir."
Before Ouryumon could further protest, the sound of beeping interrupted him.
The Andromon guard turned and activated the intercom panel that was located on the wall right next to the electronic security terminal. "It's Andromon. What is it?" he asked.
"Opening the door. Sir Alphamon's coming out," the Knightmon guard on the inside said.
"It's a bit late for that," Ouryumon muttered under his breath.
Ouryumon looked on as the sound of numerous locks unlatching caused the floor beneath him to rumble. The heavy metal locks were systematically unlocked and the heavy, reinforced door was opened. Appearing from the dungeon's darkness was the familiar form of a black paladin.
Alphamon stepped out of the dungeon and stopped at the entrance, immediately setting his eyes on Ouryumon and the two guards. "I thought I heard shouting. What is going on here, Ouryumon?" he asked, his cool, gold eyes immediately sizing up the tense and agitated deportment of the dragon.
"Alphamon!" Ouryumon exclaimed in protest, stepping forward forcefully. "What the hell's going on?! Why were you in there?! Why can't I go inside?!"
Alphamon remained calm and detached as Ouryumon marched up to him. He noticed the soft clamour of the Gairyu scimitars, eyeing them suspiciously as they hung from Ouryumon's waist. "…What reason could you have to go inside the dungeons?" he pointedly wondered.
Ouryumon frowned contentiously. He noticed a change in Alphamon's behaviour as well; the knight seemed cool and guarded, like how he'd get in the rare times that he became angry. "What do you mean?" he asked. "What else? I want to talk to him!"
Alphamon's eyes narrowed slightly as he gestured down to Ouryumon's belt. "Do you require your swords for that?"
Ouryumon scowled defensively at the insinuation in Alphamon's words. "Huh…? What are you getting at, Alphamon?" he demanded.
Alphamon turned to the nearby guards. "My orders stand. Is that clear?" he emphatically reminded them.
"Yes, Sir," the Andromon and Mystimon guards confirmed.
Alphamon nodded and briskly walked past Ouryumon, striding across the empty space in front of the dungeon and making for one of the corridors. "Come with me, Captain. We will talk about this somewhere private," he shortly commanded.
"…Should I call you 'Sir'?" Ouryumon sarcastically muttered under his breath, leering at Alphamon as the knight walked ahead.
The gold dragon glanced over his shoulder at the dungeon, watching as the guards on duty closed the doors behind Alphamon. Ouryumon let out a frustrated grunt and followed after Alphamon. "Where are we going?" he testily asked him.
"Somewhere where there are no soldiers to embarrass," Alphamon answered. "The chapel."
"Ugh, I hate it there," Ouryumon groaned, trudging along behind far enough that he wouldn't step on Alphamon's cape.
"Yes, you have mentioned," the black knight replied with weary sarcasm. "And anything to do with Yggdrasil, as I recall."
Ouryumon defensively folded his arms and glanced away huffily. "Tch. I never said that… Don't make me out to be some blasphemer like DarkKnightmon or the Demon Lords. I just don't get it, is all. I don't just automatically believe that it exists. I only believe in what's in front of me."
Alphamon glanced over his shoulder at Ouryumon. "I am right in front of you, Ouryumon," he mentioned. "Do you believe in me?"
"Tch. What kinda question is that?" Ouryumon grumpily replied. "Of course I believe in you, stupid. You're one of the few things I do believe in."
"Yet, I have said that I have met Yggdrasil and have been given direct commands by It," Alphamon informed him. "Do you doubt that? Do you believe that I am lying – or that I am being fooled?"
Ouryumon winced a little as Alphamon caught him with his words. "Th-That's not…" he stammered. "It's not like that. It's just that I've never seen him – it – so I can't really know for sure. Plus, I'm not sure I believe that everything in this world came from just one thing – er, entity – whatever. Like – what?- it's all-seeing, all-knowing, and all-powerful? Everything's predetermined?"
"Predetermined? No. We all make our own choices. Some good, some bad," Alphamon responded, continuing to walk ahead to the chapel. "As for Yggdrasil, I cannot speak to Its omniscience and omnipotence, but I do know that It operates on a far-greater plane of consciousness than either you or I. It sees and does what we cannot… I have told you before, Ouryumon, that I do not believe in things blindly. I believe in what I comprehend – I believe in reason. I am privileged enough to have the access to Yggdrasil that most Digimon do not. I would hope that you at least trust in that…"
"Yeah, alright. Fine… I believe you…" Ouryumon murmured as they reached the entrance to the basement chapel. "But I'd find it easier to believe if I was allowed to meet Yggdrasil myself."
"Only Yggdrasil grants access," Alphamon reminded him.
"Unless you're Bagramon," Ouryumon dryly quipped, earning him a look from the Aloof Hermit.
Alphamon sighed and walked inside the castle's chapel to Yggdrasil. The small, stone chapel was austere and quiet. Small, stone slits near the ceiling allowed small strands of light to filter in from the outside, but apart from that, the dimly lit chamber was lit only by a few glow forms. The chapel air was cool and tinged with a stony, earthy scent.
The sound of Alphamon's boots hitting the stone flooring echoed in the empty chamber. There was nobody but them in the place of quiet reflection.
Ouryumon walked in after Alphamon, arms folded and looking around uneasily. He stopped behind Alphamon, who came to a halt in the middle of the chapel. The sacred place was meditative and quiet… too much for his liking. It made him restless. He was already feeling edgy knowing what Alphamon had been doing and knowing that the knight now wanted to speak to him in private. His emotions were running high and his patience was running thin.
"So?" Ouryumon asked, eyeing the black knight. "What were you doing in there?"
Alphamon turned around in a single, smooth motion, his cape whirling against his legs. His golden eyes fixed firmly onto Ouryumon, addressing him directly.
"I could ask you that very question," Alphamon responded icily. "What were you doing there, Ouryumon?"
Ouryumon folded his arms insubordinately. "I asked first," he insisted with a little bit of petulance.
Alphamon raised a hand to rub his brow with frustration. "Very well. I was speaking to SkullKnightmon," he answered.
"Hah! I knew it!" Ouryumon triumphantly accused.
"I made no secret of it. It is my job, Ouryumon," Alphamon sternly reminded him. "I am attempting to get to the bottom of this whole situation. I was asking him what he remembered and what he was doing in order to see if he truly was the same SkullKnightmon that we knew." The black knight gazed at Ouryumon with a discontented frown. "Although, I don't know why I am explaining myself to you. Remember that I outrank you."
"Gee, how could I forget?" Ouryumon sarcastically replied. "You can't pull rank every time we have a disagreement. I was your best friend long before you were a Royal Knight!"
"And you cannot use our friendship to undermine me and disobey the orders that you disagree with," Alphamon countered. "I respect your opinions, Ouryumon, but when it comes to Order matters, I have authority."
"Fine…" Ouryumon grumbled, leering at him out of the corners of his eyes. "…Well? Does SkullKnightmon remember anything? Is he the same one?"
Alphamon signed and nodded. "…I am certain that SkullKnightmon is indeed the reformatted form of the same one that we knew," he grimly explained. "He is looking for his brother, who he doesn't remember, but is certain that he exists. He must mean Bagramon…"
Ouryumon's eyes widened before narrowing into a glower. "I knew it… I knew it had to be him! He looks just like the bastard," he bitterly hissed.
Alphamon watched with cool detachment as Ouryumon's hand subconsciously closed around the hilt of one his swords.
Ouryumon looked down at Alphamon ardently. "So? It's DarkKnightmon. What the hell are we gonna do about it?" he asked. "We've gotta deal with him somehow!"
"'Deal with him'?" Alphamon questioned, eyeing Ouryumon with suspicion. "How do you expect me to 'deal with him', Ouryumon? He is a reformatted Digimon. He is lost and confused."
"He's not just a reformatted Digimon, Alphamon," Ouryumon insisted with a frown. "He's DarkKnightmon! He tried to kill us! He tried to overthrow the Royal Knights and destroy Yggdrasil! He's dangerous!"
"He is not the same Digimon as DarkKnightmon, Ouryumon," Alphamon stonily asserted. "If you looked past your own prejudices, you would see that he is harmless. He is no threat to me or anybody. It isn't fair to judge him for the actions of his past form – and it is certainly unjust to punish him for that reason."
Ouryumon's eye twitched. "But you just said that he remembered!" he protested. "What if he remembers more? What if he remembers how he wanted to defeat us and overturn the order of the world? Or how we tried to kill him?"
Alphamon's eyes tightened like blades, digging into Ouryumon incisively."…Is that why you were there at the dungeon, Ouryumon?"
Ouryumon blinked. "What? What are you talking about?"
"…It's your turn, Ouryumon. What were you doing there?" Alphamon pointedly questioned.
"Huh?" Ouryumon wondered with a frown. "I wanted to talk to him."
"And is it necessary to 'talk' to him with your blades in hand?" Alphamon inquisitively wondered, gesturing to the two Gairyu scimitars hanging from Ouryumon's belt.
Ouryumon immediately glanced down at his swords and then back up at Alphamon's accusatorial eyes. He suddenly scowled defensively, the pang of insult in his heart. "Wait, what the hell are you suggesting, Alphamon?" he demanded. "You think I went there to kill him?!"
Alphamon frowned. "I don't know…"
Ouryumon's angry eyes broke for a moment before hardening again. "You do! You think I set out to kill him in cold blood!" he accused him.
"No, maybe not so intentionally," Alphamon evenly responded. "However, I know you hate DarkKnightmon, Ouryumon. You let your emotions get the better of you and you make impulsive decisions. You were there to confront him, and you do brash things when you're angry."
"What? So you think I would have busted into his cell and throttled him?" Ouryumon angrily demanded.
Alphamon eyed Ouryumon coolly and meditatively. "You're scared of him – of what he might become. You see him as a threat – you said so, yourself. Are you claiming that your first instinct is not to get rid of him?"
"How can you think that?!" Ouryumon demanded defensively, though not without traces of pain in his anger.
"Because, Ouryumon, you did that very same thing when you learned of DarkKnightmon's rebellion. In a moment of impulse, you tried to kill him," Alphamon reminded him, his voice and features cool as he spoke, although there was a flicker of pain his eyes.
"Oh…" Ouryumon answered in a weak growl, his face grimacing. "So… that's what this is about. You think I'd do it again. You still don't trust me, even after I've been trying so hard to change! That's why you wouldn't give me an answer before, huh?"
Alphamon winced a little, his cold façade breaking for a moment. "Ouryumon, you didn't trust me enough to tell me the truth about DarkKnightmon and what you did to him," he retorted.
"H-Hey! It wasn't like that!" Ouryumon protested. He levelled a toothy scowl at Alphamon and folded his arms . "And anyway! That's a little rich, coming from the guy who didn't trust his friends enough to tell them he's bisexual, isn't it?" he accused him, feeling hurt enough that he wanted to retaliate.
Alphamon grimaced as the cutting words struck him deep. "…That has nothing to do with this," he evenly responded. "I don't want you going anywhere near SkullKnightmon, is that understood?"
"Oh, yeah! I understand perfectly!" Ouryumon tetchily exclaimed. "I understand that you think I hate him so much that I'll cut him up into little, tiny pieces as soon as your back is turned! And I understand that you're taking his side – like you always do! Well, don't worry, because I won't go near the lying, shrimpy, little bastard, Sir."
Alphamon sighed and rubbed his brows with frustration. "Ouryumon, don't be childish…"
"Perish the thought! We can't all be as mature as you," Ouryumon venomously spat with a sarcastic roll of his eyes. "You're the perfect leader who always sees both sides, after all! Without a single ounce of bias. None whatsoever! Yup, that's for sure!"
Alphamon's fought back a defensive glower. "What are you suggesting?" he tersely asked.
"I just think it's funny. Even when I was your boyfriend, you made a big point about never showing me any favouritism. Absolutely none. Yet, you always seem to be so quick to excuse and apologise for DarkKnightmon's actions," Ouryumon pointedly stated. "When I do something wrong, it's always my fault, but whenever DarkKnightmon or Omegamon do something wrong, it's never their fault, you say it's your fault!"
Alphamon grimaced. "What…? What does Omegamon have to do with this?" he questioned, not exactly responding to Ouryumon's accusations.
"Tch," Ouryumon scoffed, looking away with a pained wince. "Just be honest, Alphamon! You have no intention of getting back together with me! You still can't forgive me for the stupid things that I did. I can just about accept that, but at least have the balls to put me out of my misery!"
Alphamon closed his eyes and brought his hand up to knead them wearily with his fingers. "Ouryumon…" he tentatively responded. It felt to him like too many issues were becoming muddled here in the heat of their argument. It was becoming hard for him to extract one from the others. "This isn't about that."
"It's all related, isn't it?!" Ouryumon fired back, looking at the black knight with a nervous glare. "The fact of the matter is that you trust somebody who betrayed you more than you trust me! Why? Because he's more sophisticated? Because he's less impulsive, less emotional? If he's plotting something, then that makes him even more dangerous! We can't take the chance!"
Alphamon leered steadily at Ouryumon, trying his best to remain calm. "Ouryumon… understand that SkullKnightmon is a reformatted Digimon who is in our care. I have a responsibility to him," he sternly and emphatically explained. "Not everything is about you, nor is it about me having designs on DarkKnightmon or Omegamon or whoever you think. None of any of this has to do about how I feel about you."
Ouryumon glared back at him. "Apart from the fact that you don't trust me around SkullKnightmon," he reminded the black knight. "I've always been nothing but loyal. He's the one who you should distrust."
The Aloof Hermit frowned reticently and took a calming breath. "…I have to say, Ouryumon, I don't like it when you act like this," Alphamon told him. "You said you were trying to be a better Digimon. You have to move on from your jealousy and your hatred of DarkKnightmon. The Digimon sitting in our dungeons is not the same Digimon, even if they share the same data. You cannot let your feelings cloud your perspective."
"Tch. Look who's talking," Ouryumon muttered under his breath.
"What?" Alphamon questioned.
"Nothing. Look, I'm sorry, but I don't trust him! And I know I can't be the only one!" Ouryumon exclaimed. "And you'd be an idiot to trust him after the tricks DarkKnightmon has pulled in the past. You can't know for sure he's telling the truth!"
Alphamon frowned deeply at the golden dragon. "You think me naïve and foolish then," he stated.
"I think you've got a blind spot where DarkKnightmon's concerned," Ouryumon retorted. "You're blinded by your guilt over him. For driving him to rebel against us, for killing him… Well, he's not exactly an innocent victim, Alphamon! He had agency and he chose to betray us!"
"Then what of my blind spot for you?" Alphamon murmured.
Ouryumon frowned. "What? What's that supposed to mean?" he demanded.
Alphamon sighed and shook his head. "Nothing…"
"No, come on. Let's hear it."
Alphamon paused. "…For all the time that we have been friends, I have overlooked some of the more unsavoury parts of your personality… your violent streak and your impulsiveness, for example," Alphamon explained. "Some might say that I was blind to it… and when we broke up, I found those aspects too hard to stomach at the time."
Ouryumon shrunk back a little, his eyes tightening into a sad wince.
Alphamon sighed and scratched his cheek with a finger. "…However… I know that you are a good Digimon at heart, even though you make bad and reckless decisions, sometimes," he continued. "If I'm being completely honest, yes, I did assume the worst when I saw you trying to get into the dungeon. And, I know that I hurt you by thinking that, so I am sorry for that."
"…With that being said, I also have given you the benefit of the doubt in many other circumstances. Not just you, but others as well. It is something that I like to try to do, because I believe in Digimons' ability to change," Alphamon explained calmly. "Is it sometimes to my detriment? Yes. Do I sometimes look naïve and foolish? I am sure that I do to some. However, is it wrong for me to give SkullKnightmon that same benefit of the doubt?"
Alphamon smiled a little and closed his eyes sagely. "There is a saying that claims, 'A Digimon's innocence survives only long enough for their first fang to grow'. Some believe that Digimon are evolutionarily predestined to fight, compete, and dominate," he considered. "However… I believe that a Digimon is a blank canvas, to be painted by experience. A Digimon is a creature of many colours, each of us accentuated by our own vibrant strokes and dark blemishes."
He opened his eyes and gazed at Ouryumon with a soft smile. "I want to believe that SkullKnightmon is capable of change," he explained to him. "…Maybe you are right about some things, Ouryumon. Maybe I am a little clouded by my guilt. Maybe I am being selfish… However, I also know that I cannot condemn SkullKnightmon for something he has done in the past, even if that link remains between them."
Ouryumon sighed and rubbed his head. "Damn it…" he muttered in concession. "You know I can't argue with you when you get all reasonable like that…"
Alphamon stepped towards him and placed his hand on Ouryumon's shoulder. "I'm sorry about being so hard on you," he told him. "I don't want us to fall out over DarkKnightmon again."
Ouryumon sighed and placed his hand on Alphamon's arm. "Me neither…" he agreed, looking at Alphamon with softening eyes. "Sorry for the stuff I said too… I just get worried about you. Still, I can't trust him completely. I know he's probably not the same as DarkKnightmon, but… I dunno. Anything's possible where he's concerned."
"I know," Alphamon reassured him. "I won't trust him entirely either. I'm not so idealistic to think that your concerns about him are impossible… My benefit of the doubt is merely that, not unwavering trust."
"Yeah… Yeah, I know," Ouryumon assured him with a sigh, sheepishly rubbing his neck. "Sorry, this SkullKnightmon stuff really just took me off-guard. A lot of those old feelings I thought I put to bed came rushing back, you know? I guess I didn't react great… I thought I'd be more mature about it now, but…"
"I cannot exactly blame you" Alphamon answered with a guilty smile. "Seeing SkullKnightmon before me again… It brought many emotions back for me as well. After I thought I had closure… well… let's just say this random event complicated everything. I haven't exactly reacted fairly to you either."
Ouryumon smirked a little. "Yeah, well… no hard feelings," he told him. "You know how I feel, but I promise I won't do anything stupid."
Alphamon grinned a little mischievously. "Such as blowing a hole through the side of the castle?" he asked. "Good. I'm not sure that the foundations could handle it."
Ouryumon chuckled and folded his arms. "Hey, I paid for the repairs."
Alphamon smiled before growing reflective for a moment. "…And, Ouryumon…" he tentatively broached, his words becoming tender. "About what we were speaking about before… about you and I…"
Ouryumon blinked with surprise. He honestly hadn't been expecting Alphamon to bring it up again, nor had he thought about it much since they were interrupted yesterday. "O-Oh," he nervously replied, his face heating up. "Uh, it's fine, Alphamon… You don't have to force it."
The black knight shook his head softly. "No… you deserve an answer," he explained, placing his hand on Ouryumon's arm. He looked gently into the golden dragon's widening eyes.
"…Ouryumon… despite everything that's happened, I do still love you," Alphamon softly spoke, though not without a wistful frown on his face. "However… I'm not ready to continue our relationship just yet." He sighed and gazed at Ouryumon honestly. "Ouryumon… Whatever my feelings towards Omegamon are, they are independent of the feelings between you and I. They are two separate matters. That isn't what this is about."
Ouryumon looked down at the half-admission, half-assurance, his own feelings on the matter complicated. "Right… So…"
Alphamon looked at Ouryumon sadly but tenderly. "The truth is… I'm not in the right place for a commitment right now. I haven't been since DarkKnightmon's uprising, if I'm honest… There are many different factors… Ever since he escaped, everything was turned upside down. So much has happened and I still have complicated feelings about many things that I must sort out for myself. Perhaps I will feel differently after… but not right now."
Ouryumon smiled a little, understandingly, though not without traces of both disappointment and relief as well. "I kinda figured…" he replied. "I don't blame you… I know things have been tough, for you especially."
"Even so… I think that is why I have been so distant these past couple years. I think on some level, I knew that you most likely sought to pick up where we left off, but… I wasn't ready for that, and I was worried that I would hurt you by telling you as much," Alphamon responded with a guilty sigh. "However, I just ended up hurting you by keeping you wondering. I should have just been honest from the beginning… I made that same mistake again."
Alphamon looked at Ouryumon with a distant yet not unreachable smile. "I'm sorry, Ouryumon. I was being a coward again, wasn't I?"
Ouryumon shook his head and smiled genuinely back at him and placed his hands on Alphamon's shoulders. "You're not a coward, Alphamon… You never have been," he assured him. "You're the strongest, bravest guy I know… You just worry too much about hurting people... and I know why you do, too…"
Ouryumon followed up by giving him a playful wink. "But… don't underestimate us; we can handle it more than you think," he advised him.
Alphamon smiled and nodded. "Yes… You're right," he agreed. "I should give you all more credit. I suppose old habits die hard, don't they?"
"Yeah, they do…" Ouryumon replied with a reflective grin. "Not just for you, either."
"I suppose evolution never really stops, even at the Ultimate level," Alphamon lightly mused, scratching his cheek. For a few seconds, the black knight stopped and reflected about his words, and what they might mean for another issue he was dealing with.
Before he could mull over the implications for too long, Ouryumon interrupted his train of thought. "So…" he tentatively initiated. "What happens now? With SkullKnightmon, I mean…"
"I must speak with the others about what I have learned, and, together, come up with a viable solution," Alphamon explained. "Tomorrow, when hopefully the wounded knights have had a chance to rest and recover a little." After a moment, the knight looked at Ouryumon meaningfully. "You are welcome to join us."
Ouryumon smiled a little wider in response, but he raised his hand and sheepishly scratched the back of his head. "Thanks, Alphamon… but I should be getting back to the Strike Forces. They need me," he replied. "I trust you to know what you're doing… You can all fill me in once you get to the front."
Alphamon's own smile grew a little more. He felt slightly more at ease upon hearing Ouryumon's mature response. "Thank you, Ouryumon. I appreciate you saying that."
"Just…" There was a beseeching look in Ouryumon's eyes. "be careful around him, okay? Don't let your guard down… Just be the practical and even-handed Alphamon that you always are."
Alphamon nodded with gentle smoothness and reconciled weight. "…I will, Ouryumon," he assured him. "Don't worry."
Ouryumon smiled at the black knight affectionately. "Good… I'll probably head out tomorrow morning. If I don't see you before then… be careful, Alphamon."
The Aloof Hermit smiled at the Captain warmly. "I will. I will see you off…" he assured him, placing his hand on Ouryumon's arm. "But even so… you take care, as well. Don't be reckless."
Ouryumon smirked. "No promises, but I'll try." The tall, serpentine captain glanced around the chapel to Yggdrasil a few times before looking back at Alphamon. "Anyways, I know you're really busy, so I'll leave you to it. I've gotta make some preparations myself."
Alphamon nodded and offered the orb of light at the end of the chapel a respectful half-bow before turning away and walking alongside Ouryumon out of the chapel.
Despite the stress and anxiety about SkullKnightmon's return, on balance, Ouryumon walked off with his heart feeling a little lighter. The tension and uncertainty – the air of unasked and unanswered questions that had wordlessly hung in the air between himself and Alphamon previously – was now gone. Although nothing at the present was ideal for him, he at least felt good that he knew where he stood – and that there was still some hope.
Alphamon, for his part, felt a little more relieved, although his worries were far from gone. Resolving the lingering tension between himself and Ouryumon felt good, though it was just one of the many problems that he had to address.
The black knight glanced over at the tall, hotheaded dragon beside him.
Still… it was good to see him smile.
The two exited the chapel side-by-side in a comfortable pace. Upon reaching the branching corridor, the two stopped, gave each other warm, respectful nods, and said their farewells. The knight and his sword proceeded to part, each moving in opposite directions to one another.
Still, the hope that they would end up at the same destination remained.
It was night over the Western Reaches.
A cool, midnight wind swept across the grassy hills, the crisp breeze causing them to ripple like waves. The sky was blanketed by clouds that were the colour of dull silver. They smothered the moons overhead, causing the coastal hills to be inundated with darkness.
In the far distance was Dark Point, the sleepless city. Its many lights flickered like beacons in the distance. Just by looking at it, one wouldn't have even known about the city's recent civil strife and conquest.
However, one Digimon knew. He had heard about it the moment that it started happening. After all, he had spies on the inside…
That one Digimon watched the city from behind the crest of the hill. His long, serpentine tail was coiled up beneath him, and his large, bat-like wings tucked against his back to minimize his silhouette. The black silhouette of a dragon could hardly be seen against the shadows of twilight.
Megidramon towered over his surroundings. His body was donned in fearsome, martial armour. It had seen so much use, that it shimmered only dully in the moonlight.
As he stared at Dark Point, the lips of his jagged, draconic snout pulled back into a fierce grin. Megidramon beheld the dark city with conquest in his covetous eyes. A soft chuckle escaped his throat, as hoarse and dark as the night wind.
"Lord-General," a voice dutifully spoke from behind him.
Megidramon half-turned and looked down. Behind him were two Digimon: a Slayerdramon and a Justimon, both of whom were standing at attention.
"Sky Marshal Slayerdramon, Land Marshal Justimon, what have you to report?" Megidramon asked in a low, rolling growl.
"As we predicted, there is little to no standing army in Dark Point. At most, there are a few hundred demon Digimon, but they are hardly mobilized," Justimon calmly informed the Great Dragon. "The city guard doesn't even appear to be active in manning the walls, and there are no patrols outside of the city. There are major gaps in their defences, Lord-General. They aren't expecting us at all."
Megidramon chuckled eagerly. "Good… We don't have to adjust our plans after all," he noted, before turning to the armoured dragon man. "Slayerdramon, are the Dramon Corps in place?"
"Sir!" Slayerdramon eagerly replied, puffing his chest up and saluting. "The Artillery Corps is in position. They are ready to commence bombardment on your orders. The Air Corps are waiting in the rear on stand-by. The Land Corps are nearly in position as we speak."
"First Brigade is moving into position to the northeast of the city, while Second Brigade has taken up position to the southeast of Dark Point," Justimon explained. "Third Brigade is ready to advance north from our positions here on your orders."
Megidramon smiled with satisfaction. "Good… We will attack one hour before dawn breaks… or whatever passes for dawn in this place," he told the two generals.
"Sir," Justimon addressed him, taking a tentative step forwards. "What about the Royal Knights? Shouldn't we inform them of our plans?"
"I don't see what purpose that would serve, Justimon," Megidramon dismissively replied. "They are busy in the north, are they not? We do not require their help nor their permission to capture a city of scoundrels."
"…A mere courtesy to our allies, Lord-General," Justimon carefully replied. "They might wonder about our intentions when they hear we suddenly attacked this independent city."
"This city was recently conquered by the Demon Lords, and is therefore a legitimate strategic target – hardly independent," Megidramon answered with a toothy grin. "If we send a messenger now, then we risk losing our momentum – or worse – that messenger being captured and our plans being leaked. If the Royal Knights wonder, then they will just have to wonder. They cannot object to us attacking their enemy, now can they?"
"No, of course not, Lord-General," Slayerdramon readily agreed.
"I suppose not, Sir," Justimon reluctantly conceded.
"Good…" Megidramon replied. "Tell the junior officers of the timetable. Ensure they are ready to act the moment I take a breath to speak."
"Lord-General!" Slayerdramon obeyed, saluting the huge dragon, as did Justimon.
As the two generals went off to address their officers, Megidramon was left alone on the hill.
Megidramon turned forwards and gazed back to the perpetually dark city that sat along the Delta Ocean.
His draconic eyes narrowed and his nostrils flared with smoke. An ambitious smirk crawled upon his face as he set his sights upon his prize.
"If the world is to be thrown into chaos, then I intend to be right there in the thick of it, taking a piece for myself," he murmured with a soft chuckle.
Megidramon breathed out a puff of smoke as embers gathered in his throat, ashes rising from his maw causing his eyes to glimmer a fiery orange. Grinning savagely, Megidramon turned away and flew back to his new, Dramon army.
"…It's time to remind the world what Dramon are capable of."