Chapter 22: Outcasted Wanderers

"The shadows hold a secret they say;
Strange ones, traitors to their start,
Cast away from all others
And left to wander alone.

Is it so strange that they cling to each other?
A single hope that they might know,
Acceptance amid loneliness."

Year: June 22, 2308
Location: Outcast Circle, Africaus Neutral

"Are you their leader then?"
Fang shifted her gaze to the angel digimon as he landed before them, a smirk touching her lips, "Hardly, you know we don't take authority well…I just happen to be the eldest, aside from the cursed ones of course…"
The strange tiger-neko beside her grunted, his striped white tail twitching as he studied the child that Lucemon had dropped. "So, this is the wing that has the gypsies in a fit? He hardly seems old enough…"
"Appearance is misleading, how old are you now Tora? I seem to recall the day you jumped between them and took that curse…" Lucemon bent over the collapsed child, checking his vitals and shifting mausumon into a safer position, "Regardless, he has been out of this world for a long time…I cannot be certain how the change will affect him…"
"Shut it Lucifer, I seem to remember you were the one that got me in that mess…regretting your past mistakes now?" Tora bent beside him a moment before hefting the child into his arms and turning back to Fang, "I assume you took care of the energy spike but we need to get him into cover…"
"Where would you be without me old friend?" Lucemon laughed as he took to the sky again, watching the cursed one and outcast as they headed back to their own camp, "Remember I'm not the only one with a debt to pay…"
Fang cast a glance back as the angel disappeared before approaching the barrier that encircled the outcasts' main camp, "I always love when you let him rile you up, I'll leave the child to you though…the twins are hardly the baby-sitting type and we outcasts will be moving soon…"
"You planned that from the beginning, you know I hate these human politics…" Tora sighed as he entered the small camp, leaning the child against a tree before claiming a seat by the fire, "Go do what you like, I'm already tired of you in my camp…"
"It's hardly yours…we share things remember…" The elder of the fox twins spoke up, her golden tail curled into her lap while her strange spirit fox lay on the ground beside her with one ear perked towards the conversation.
Fang took a seat across from the foxes as she scanned the circle around the fire, her eyes narrowed as she counted those present, "Where has Holly gone now? We're supposed to be discussing Pride's movements…"
"We're a small band, what did you expect Fang? I'm sure we all have our own agendas…not least of all you…" the youngest of the circle spoke up, her golden locks pushed to the side as she surveyed the former DarkDestined while her two partners sat on either side, "That aside, now that you've gone and brought the space-boy to us…we need to scatter again…"
"Scatter? We just got everyone together again… Oh whatever, I'll go keep tabs on Pride myself…" Fang jumped back to her feet and took off without another word, her leathery wings catching the upward drift of the barrier to gain altitude.
"You know how she is Sara, now's hardly the time to be making trouble…" The black fox followed the bat-hybrid's progress as Fang disappeared, a weary smile on her face.
"You're one to talk Kuzu, how much trouble have you made now?" Tora growled low as he too stood to leave.
"That was decades ago, come on I'm trying to be good…what about you Sakuya?" Kuzu glanced from the cursed-tiger to her sister and sighed, "Oh fine, at least we don't fight like we used to…maybe we can finally break this stupid curse…"
"Now you've done it Kuzu…" Sakuya sighed as she watched Tora walk away, his ears folded back in annoyance, "Be glad we can break our curse… I feel bad for him…"
Kuzu glanced back at where Tora had stopped to check on the child, now out of earshot of the fire, and cursed under her breath, "Sorry, sorry…I keep forgetting his is different…"

Year: August 1, 2308
Location: Equine Rest, Americanus North Pack

Zev bent low over garurumon's neck, scanning the horse plains to make sure none were out to challenge him as they raced past. The place was strangely empty for late afternoon, not even a normal animal was out grazing and it unnerved him.
Kudamon curled at his neck, his ears perked towards the distant forest as he shifted to a position he could see around them, "I do not like this, where are the equines and rodents? The pack would not abandon their land…"
"Unless something drove them out…faster Growl, I'd rather not meet them anyway…" Zev shifted his grip on the wolf digimon's fur as he scanned the plains again, wary of anyone popping up, "Remember where we're going…"
"I still do not think the other canines will help…that whole land will soon be a blood bath…" Kudamon dropped his head again and sighed, "The prophecy worries me…"
"Of course, it does, but we're still a long way from getting all the 'lights' together…and we do have allies among the other packs…"
"I do not like this destiny…let us speak with the watch keeper again, perhaps the path has changed?"
"You know he won't let us near that eye again, he's too worried about the 'best' outcome…" Zev sighed as the landscape changed, the wide green plains of the horse-lands giving way to the cold north as they neared the upper machine-lands.
Garurumon slowed as the stark grey of the machine-land rose before them, the darker and colder neutral land meeting them on their right. "We'll have to circle the machines to the north if we want to avoid the human waters, humans do not keep the climate as well…" the wolf digimon growled as he sniffed at the machine-land, his gaze trailing out across the strange world before them.
"Yes, remember the ice will help us cross…and you know what the machine waters are like…" Zev followed his partner's gaze to the tall skyscrapers that dotted the machine-land and shook his head, "Come on, there's no telling how much time we have…"