Chapter Nine: Journey to the Fortean Coast Part 1

The mountain air howled as the sun slipped above the horizon and appeared in the Eastern sky. The icy village was awakening as the sun warmed the air just enough to take the bite out of the breeze. Six slumbering humans stirred from their rest and rubbed their tired eyes quickly getting dressed in a set of new clothes Sorcerymon had provided. They were hardly fashionable, just browns and grays of different shades, simple shirts and pants like something out of a period piece. They stepped out of their tents into the chilly autumn air, the altitude meant it was even colder and they all went searching for their fur coats. Each wondered what was driving Sorcerymon's generosity in funding their expedition?

Thompson stretched and yawned soon finding his way to the market in an attempt to procure some breakfast. He saw Adlimon there, the icy blue dinosaur ambled toward him with a grin and handed him a small silver coin.

"It's no good here," Adlimon explained, "but maybe it will come in handy on the road ahead."

"You keep it," Thompson replied flipping the coin back to his reptilian friend.

"Where is Leomon?" Vera asked approaching Thompson with the others in tow.

"He's already gone," Haomon explained, "in the night they left for another village."

"Without so much as a goodbye," Xander mumbled.

"Well then," Solara said, "let's get this expedition underway."

"Uh-uh," Xander cawed, "I ain't going anywhere until I've had something to eat."

"We can stop at another village along the way," Solara insisted, "Sorcerymon gave us plenty of money."

"I don't do anything on an empty stomach." Xander stomped, "Who died and made you queen of the breakfast club?"

"It's like they're twelve," John laughed as Solara and Xander continued to argue.

"I think they have a crush on each other," Vera postulated.

"But I thought human affection was expressed in kisses," Dyrasmon said.

"Sometimes it is," John said, "and sometimes it's expressed in constant bickering."

"Humans are weird," Dyrasmon decided.

"You said it," Bogmon croaked hopping over to Xander, "come on Xander, let's just go, adventure awaits.

"Grrr- Okay… fine, I'll go, but I'm doing it because you want to Bogmon, not because she told me to."

"Whatever gets us moving," Solara sighed.

The troop packed up their things and prepared to move out making sure they had plenty of supplies of the road ahead and even coins to pay the ferry across the sea and buy anything they might need. Once they made it off the mountain the money would be accepted in most places in the Digital World where civilization had spread, however there were great expanses of wild land in the Digital World. They set out in the early morning making there way down the treacherous icy mountain paths and back into the forest singing a song as they went. The group moved in pairs, each a human and a Digimon with Solara at the front by herself. She was keeping both eyes wide open. Leomon had warned them of the dangers on Fortes Mountain on their way up. The area was wild with Digimon many of whom were now preparing for hibernation and might be in a less than friendly mood. Further danger was posed by Podramon and the Tulismon who served him. Because of this they took a separate path on their way down, one that Sorcerymon assured them was unknown to the bandits. Even so Solara was on the lookout.

Solara did take time to look back at the rest of the troop. Where once she saw them as Digimon and humans separately she now saw the pairs for what they were. Even Thompson had a Digimon friend now in the lizard Adlimon. Solara felt a wave of emptiness inside when she saw them talking together, laughing, and bonding. For some reason she felt her own purpose was apart from theirs and yet she too had felt the call in the rain, the electricity that had led them to the Digital World, to adventure.

They walked until they were in the forest and a pretty good ways down the mountains western slope before they stopped to eat. Each made sure they only ate the allotted food that was set aside for one meal. The trip would only work if their food lasted them until they reached the coast. After a hearty lunch that lifted their spirits they made great time stopping in a small village more than halfway down the mountain where Sorcerymon had told them to stop. The villagers were primarily Frigimon leaving the six humans a bit taken aback, not sure how to react to a whole town of Frosty. Night was coming on quick and so they set up their tents on the edge of town and built a fire that the Frigimon stayed pretty far away from for fear of melting.

"One step closer to figuring out our destiny," Anselm said taking a bite of his dinner.

"Not sure I believe in destiny," John admitted, "kinda ruins it if some things are set in stone."

"You mean you don't believe you and I were destined to fall in love?" Vera asked pouting playfully.

"Destined or not I'm glad we did," John said kissing her.

"Nice save," Haomon said with a wink as John's liplock with Vera continued, "High Five!"

"Where'd you learn to high five?" John asked when his lips had left Vera's.

"I taught him," Vera admitted pulling John into a second kiss.

"I think I'm losing my appetite," Xander joked.

"I'm so glad to be on this adventure," Adlimon said, "just to be out of that town to have a chance to fight."

"Slow down," Thompson told his new friend, "don't be so eager for violence."

"Easy for you to say, you're probably an expert fighter back in your world."

"Not exactly," Thompson assured him, "far from it in fact. I usually run from a fight."

"Not anymore though right?"

"Right."

"Did you guys hear that?" Xander asked.

"Very funny, this is no time for trying to be spooky," Solara said with a roll of her eyes.

"No, I mean it, listen."

The whole group quieted down suddenly the forest had come to life with the sound of screams.

"That sounds like its coming from the village," Haomon tilting his feline ears.

"Let's go!" Vera shouted.

The group rushed from their camp on the outskirts of town toward the village, finding it in chaos. Frigimon fled every which way while flames burnt in the distance. Screams split the crisp mountain air as the flames danced across rooftops and trees. Then they saw it, the dragon, a fiery bipedal form stalking through the village throwing crimson flames as it walked. The ground shook beneath them as it stepped into the light of the moon before them. It was horrifying, having no skin they could see, its body formed of purplish-crimson flame that danced in the mountain wind. Its face was covered in some kind of armor, a steel plate covering its head adorned with two horns made of fire.

"DarkLizarmon," Bogmon gasped, croaking in fear.

"What do you we do?" John asked, though with Vera quaking in fear beside him he tried to keep his own terror out of his tone of voice.

"We can't possibly fight that thing can we?" Xander asked, his breath visible in the chilly night air.

"We can't just let it kill those Frigimon," Dyrasmon lamented, "but I see no way for us to beat such a monster."

"Nonsense," Adlimon growled stomping toward the monster with his head held high, "this guy's a push over."

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" Thompson asked catching his reptilian friend by the shoulder.

"To save this village, to be brave," Adlimon snorted, pulling himself away from Thompson's grasp.

"Great, he's gonna get himself killed," Solara complained.

"Not if I can help it," Thompson said with his fists clenched, "you guys help get the Frigimon to safety."

"What are you gonna do?" Solara asked, concern for Thompson flashing in her fiery eyes.

"Stop Adlimon."

Thompson rushed forward into the town turning down several narrow alley ways until he saw Adlimon. But it wasn't Adlimon that had his attention now, it was the towering twenty foot tall monster made of fire that stood less than a hundred feet from him and less than thirty from Adlimon. Thompson cried out to his friend but Adlimon didn't even turn to regard him as the icy-skinned reptilian charged in with claws scratching. At first it didn't appear that Adlimon's efforts would even alert the dragon but soon enough DarkLizarmon took notice of his miniature opponent. Adlimon stepped back as though suddenly seeing the error in his ways but it was too late and the dragon reached down to swat him out of the way. Adlimon went flying across the snowy terrain landing face down in the ice forty feet from the monster.

"Adlimon, get up, he's coming!" Thompson screamed. It was no use though, in just two massive steps the great fiery lizard was upon Adlimon. Adlimon struggled to get to his feet, feeling the heat from the dragon's fiery skin as it drew near. Thompson was there then, standing next to Adlimon, standing right in the way of the DarkLizardmon's fiery claws as they bore down on him. This was it, Adlimon knew, he had gone to his death and taken his newest friend with him.

Then there was a flash… a bright streak of light that seemed to be emanating from, Thompson. Adlimon was floating then, wreathed in a blinding light that seemed to be holding DarkLizardmon at bay. He could feel energy all throughout his body and then he began to change. His body was growing, changing, evolving and a voice, a voice that he scarcely recognized, but was his nonetheless, resounding in the dark.

"Adlimon Digivolve to Glacadlimon!"

DarkLizardmon's claws finally struck then, but instead of striking down two tiny pitiful enemies the dragon was surprised to fine one of his foes was now at least half his size. Glacadlimon took the blow, steam pouring off as DarkLizardmon's hands were impaled against his icy quills. He was on all fours now, though still his skin was icy blue and had the appearance of crocodile flesh. He was at least twelve feet long and a few feet taller than Thompson who stood in awe of the transformation his friend had made to save their lives.

Thompson leapt out of the way as a second fiery claw crashed down, again impacting against Glacadlimon and causing his icy skin to steam and hiss. This time the attack was met with a powerful bite, one that brought with it a powerful burst of cold.

"ICE FANG!"

The cold nearly killed the flames on DarkLizardmon's hand but the dragon managed to pull away his infernal digits quickly recovering from the attack. The confidence the dragon had in itself seemed weakened, especially when Glacadlimon let out a deep and powerful roar.

Far from the village on a hilltop the others stood beside those Frigimon they were able to rescue. They watched from the ridge as the village below burnt up sending billows of smoke into the air. Now something more interesting had come to their attention, the dragon was contending with a new threat and though they were pretty far away from the carnage they were still able to make out that one of the combatants looked an awful lot like Adlimon.

"It couldn't be Adlimon," Xander declared denying his own eyes.

"It's not," Dyrasmon said, "not exactly."

"You think he's Digivolved?" Haomon inquired, thinking he'd guessed her reasoning.

"I'd say there's a pretty good chance," Dyrasmon replied.

"If that's a form of evolution it's a lot faster than back on Earth," John mused allowed.

"Do you think he'll be able to handle that big thing?" Vera asked, turning to Haomon her Digimon companion.

"Well, it's possible," Haomon admitted, "DarkLizardmon is only a champion level, though a powerful one to be sure."

"Champion Level?"

"Yes, we Digimon have certain labels… certain categories for our evolution. When we first hatch we are in a Baby form, most Digimon grow out of this, Digivolving to our rookie forms through eating and natural growth. But after that Digivolution is rare, requiring special circumstances. From Rookie we can become Champion Level, or in the same way as Yasyamon we might become an Armor Digimon. There are levels after that even though I am unsure what their names are."

"We can't just sit here can we?" Solara asked suddenly, "We can't just leave the village burn and sit here while our friends are in danger!"

"She's right," Vera said, surprising everyone with her sudden courage, "we should go help and at least try to put the fires out."

"But how can we hope to put that much fire out?" Xander whined.

"We can help," the Frigimon suddenly chimed in, "we can collect snow and drop it on the flames."

"Right," John said with a determined smile, "We've got ourselves a plan."

DarkLizardmon let out a piercing cry as Glacadlimon's powerful Tundra Breath hit him. A wave of cold threatened to blow the fire that fueled the dragon out in one big puff. Still, the dragon had fought many foes in its life, had slept in its cave and terrorized villages for over half a century. It held on, gritting through the pain and coming in for an attack. Glacadlimon was the next to get hit, a shockwave of fire burst from his enemy knocking him back against a nearby cottage. The walls, already degraded by fire, split, beams and splinters flying as Glacadlimon crashed through the cottage emerging on the other side with lines of blood trickling down his icy skin. With one leap the icy lizard stood before the fire lizard.

With a ghastly cry the dragon stamped its feet, another shockwave rolling off, but this time it was headed for Thompson, not Glacadlimon. Glacadlimon dived to get to Thompson but it was too late. Luckily Thompson had been smart enough to leap and his jump took him over the flames. Still the shockwave took him, hurling him across the snowy landscape until he landed with a painful thud. Barely conscious he struggled to find his feet, his vision blurred but still able to see that Glacadlimon had unleashed another wave of icy breath that had blasted DarkLizardmon back against the rocky mountain wall. Thompson saw something else then, his mind suddenly springing to crystal clarity as an avalanche of snow, knocked loose by DarkLizardmon's impact against the wall, came careening down on top of the dragon. The beast hissed and screamed as the snow hit his fiery flesh melted into vapor but stinging nonetheless.

As the avalanche came to a close it seemed as though the monster was seething with rage. Then more snow came, this time from all directions. Thompson, now on his feet, watched as his friends, and nearly three dozen Frigimon, began hurling snow at the dragon, keeping it at bay. Glacadlimon took in another deep breath, the icy burst pushing DarkLizardmon hard against the stone once more, weakened and in pain the beast collapsed.

"MERCY!" The dragon cried, in a voice almost too raspy to understand, though all knew it was a cry for a cease fire.

"Why should we show you mercy dragon?" Glacadlimon growled, "When you have killed and tormented the innocent, have burnt their homes to ash!"

"Please, please, I will go. I will return to my hoard of treasure and sleep there forever more. Just do not kill me!"

"I have a better idea," one of the Frigimon elders said, "give us your treasure dragon, and we shall let you live."

"My gold… NEVER! I," the beast stopped short when he saw Glacadlimon suck in another icy breath, "Fine… you shall have all my treasure, to help rebuild your lives."

"Good," Glacadlimon howled, "and if ever you terrorize anyone upon this mountain again I will find you and puff out your flames once and for all."

A cheer went up from around the town as the other Frigimon came out from their hiding places and went to work putting out the flames. Soon the village stopped burning, though the majority of the homes were destroyed only a few were killed in the attack. With the dragon's treasure at their disposal the Frigimon were sure their village would be rebuilt shortly and would be more prosperous than ever. As a reward for their help the Digi-Destined were given a share of the gold and jewels. Adlimon had returned to his Rookie form almost immediately and stood before Thompson now bruised and tired but with a smile as wide as his lizard lips would allow.

"You did well friend," Thompson said with a smile.

"I didn't do it alone," Adlimon said, "the power to Digivolve, I'm pretty sure that came from you and that device of yours."

"Just because it was glowing doesn't mean it was responsible," Thompson tried, but he could tell that Adlimon knew what he was saying, "It was the device then. Still, next time don't just rush into a fight like that."

"Yeah, I think I've had enough adventure… at least for a few days," Adlimon admitted gesturing to his bruises and moving his sore muscles.

The group stayed with the Frigimon the next day making sure that DarkLizardmon lived up to his promises and that the village could continue without their help. And so they set out down the mountain once again setting a pretty fast pace hoping to make up for the time they'd lost. Still, despite the fight and seeing the horrors of that destructive monster, everyone was in good spirits as they made their way down the mountain trails. It didn't take long for them to reach warmer areas at lower altitudes, but even lower on the mountain the autumn air told of an impending Winter. They would need to reach the coast before first snow.