Chapter Thirteen: Temple of Flame
The next day the twelve of them set out early in the morning. The air was crisp and cool here, even more chilly than it had been back in town but it was still a tolerable cool. With how much exercise they were getting the heat produced by their hike allowed them to continue on without jackets or coats. They stopped at a local village at lunch time buying a few food items in town and eating their fill before setting out on the road once again.
Solara led the way with Ayden walking alongside her pointing out the sights along the way. He'd been in the Digital World longer than any of them and he knew this area fairly well even knowing several of the villagers and farmers they came across. By afternoon it was fairly warm the sun overhead glowing and fluffy white clouds were floating lazily in the blue Digital Sky.
"So what exactly is this mission all about?" Ayden asked as they consulted the map to see which route to take ahead.
"Well basically Sorcerymon has sent us on this mission to find the Celestial Palace," Xander replied, "Because apparently we're some important group. Humans aren't exactly native to this world if you haven't noticed."
"You have no idea what the mission is about do you?" Ayden chuckled.
"Not really. We know that there are evil forces at work here though," Xander said.
"If we hadn't come here Podramon might well have found the relics," Haomon explained but his explanation seemed only to confuse Ayden.
"Relics?"
"The Digivices," Solara clarified, "they were found in a temple."
"And Podramon, he's that smelly dragon you told me about," Ayden remembered.
"If he had found the Digivices he would have Digivolved for sure," Patamon squeaked.
"So it's lucky we showed up isn't it Patamon?" Anselm said patting his orange little friend on the head.
"Such an odd bunch," Ayden said absentmindedly.
"You try being normal when you hang around with aliens from another world," Bogmon and Xander seemed to say at the same time.
"We've definitely rubbed off on each other," Anselm noted.
The group was now fully off the path down a forest trail. The trees had started our sparse but now were densely packed on each side of the small dirt road that grew more and more narrow with each step. Soon enough the path all but vanished into the underbrush of the great forest. The group was on edge as they made their way through the wood; in their experience the wilds of the Digital World were very dangerous. Even more pressing was the rapidly setting sun. Night was coming to the Digital World and with it danger.
The twelve made camp near an ancient stone circle, one marked as a landmark on Sorcerymon's map. They made a fire hoping to deter any hostile Digimon but managed to keep the smile small so as not to attract anyone either. They sat and ate recounting the stories of their journey thus far and of theirs lives back home which now seemed so distant. Xander told the story of how he had led his baseball team to victory at the regional finals and there was an uncharacteristic sparkle as he told it. Here in the Digital World he was out of his element and that was something he didn't like but with Bogmon at his side he'd grown accustomed and even fond of this newfound world even if he did have the habit of complaining. Haomon was next telling of a legend of a massive beastly monster called Grizzlymon who would swallow campers whole but Vera's protests nearly brought the story to a premature end and she was soon cuddling close to John out of fear. About three hours after sunset the exhausted group turned in knowing that at the first light of dawn they would have to get moving. There was electricity in the air though that kept each of them awake after they'd gone to their tents, a brimming excitement just beneath the surface of the world.
Thompson woke with a start. His eyes searched the darkness for the source of the sound that had woken him. It'd been loud, hopefully loud enough to wake the others but as he attuned his ears to the forest he could not make out any distinct noise. Neither his friends or whatever had made that loud crash were moving now. Then he detected a faint snapping and the sound of twigs and leaves crunching beneath feet. Thompson crawled forward toward the opening of his tent peering out into the dark. In the dim light of predawn he could make out the shapes between the trees, dark masses huddled. Whispers came to his ears next and he knew that these were not his friends. He low crawled out of his sleeping bag and toward the others slithering as silently as a snake.
"What the heck is going on?" Adlimon mumbled as Thompson shook him from sleep.
"We have company," Thompson replied, "keep your voice down."
Thompson and the icy lizard emerged from the tent to find the enemies upon them. They were hideous, wearing strange leather clothing stitched from the hide of some other Digimon and with four massive muscular arms that looked ridiculous on their rather small four and a half foot bodies. Adlimon stepped to the first one decking it in the face with a fisted hand, and then snapped his lizard-like jaws at another to keep the creature at bay. The commotion had woken the others and that fact bolstered Thompson to pick up arms. Thompson Amos wasn't much of a fighter but he was determined to become one taking up a knife they'd bought while in Harborhail and lunging at the creatures. At first it seemed his bravery would pay off as he landed a few hits creating gashes on one of the strange Digimon who now whooped and hollered loudly. Thompson recognized that call as a warcry, one that would undoubtedly attract more of the four armed brutes.
"What are these things?" Xander cried emerging from his tent, "I hate fighting before breakfast."
"Jakimon," Ayden answered, "I've fought these little bastards before."
"I love fighting before breakfast," Haomon said with a wink toward Xander cracking his knuckles in preparation. He speeded toward three of the Jakimon hitting the first two hard and fast then spinning around the third one and pushing him into the other two. The three Jakimon lost their balance and fell but sprung right back up hurling powerful punches that Haomon had to dance dazzlingly to avoid being hit by. Even with his fast feet and keen feline reflexes Haomon was in trouble, two more Jakimon joined the fight against him and his peripheral vision told him more were on their way into the fray. Bogmon hopped over then spitting black tar and blinding three of the five long enough to tackle them to the forest floor. Haomon had no time to think about helping his friend as four more Jakimon raced to face him. A blinding flash out of the corner of Haomon's eyes distracted his enemies long enough for him to go to work charging his fists with all the electricity he could muster so that his punches would count for double. He decked two of the Jakimon sending them sprawling to the ground twitching from the electricity. It seemed hopeless though as even more Jakimon were pouring in from every side of the camp.
Across the camp, unknown to Haomon, a new threat had joined the fight. The bright flash that had distracted the Jakimon had been Ayden's Spirit Evolution. Ayden no longer stood before them, Agunimon did, a seven foot tall towering warrior of flame armored from head to foot. Each punch landed with devastating force sending Jakimon flying away enveloped in flames. Dozens rose up to meet him and dozens were sent back flailing to the ground rolling about trying to suffocate the fire. Ayden, or Agunimon in his present form, shot out spheres of flame with each punch. Solara stood back in awe as did Vera, Dyrasmon and John. It seemed for a moment as though Agunimon would win the fight himself but then they felt the ground shape and saw the hulking forms of what appeared to be living trees.
"Woodmon," Dyrasmon cried out, "what are they doing allied with the Jakimon?"
"I'm guessing fire boy can handle them," John stated but he could see that Ayden had his hands full with the three dozen remaining Jakimon. He leaned over and gave Vera a kiss before charging into battle with Dyrasmon close behind, "You ready for a fight Dyrasmon?"
"It's been a while since Ogremon… I think I can control myself this time."
"I know you can," John said, holding his Digivice out and trying to figure out how to activate it, "come on you piece of junk. Do something. Help me help my friends," a bright flash lit the woods again as a beam of light enveloped Dyrasmon.
"Dyrasmon Digivolve to: Echodyrasmon."
"The tables have turned," John announced with a smirk picking up a nearby stick and swinging at the nearest Jakimon.
"It's not enough," Ayden said standing beside John.
"But you're doing so well," John protested, "and with Echodyrasmon-"
"No, I can't do much here without starting a forest fire. We need to get them out in the open so I can fight them."
"Fair enough," John agreed, "Guys! Listen up! We're running for it! Let's go! Follow Agunimon!"
Agunimon ran headlong through the trees trying to stay close enough to the trail that they could find it again but also keeping his eyes open in search of the tree line. They would need to find a clearing, a meadow of some kind where the danger of a forest fire would be lessened. It seemed like they ran forever. Ayden continued looking back over his shoulder to make sure the Jakimon had not caught and pummeled his friends. Echodyrasmon had stayed behind to handle that, holding off three Woodmon and a handful of Jakimon using her power of flight to elude their attacks. They came out of the forest to find a village but to their horror the Jakimon were already laying siege to the village and they were rushing into a crowd of hostiles. Agunimon stopped in his tracks making sure the others were safely behind before luring as many Jakimon as he could away from the village. Once they were at a safe enough distance he could unleash his fury.
"Pyro Tornado!"
He spun himself into a furious tornado of flame launching it and himself toward his enemies. The Jakimon tried to scatter to avoid the attack but it was too late, the twister scooped them from the grass and launched them every which way patting out the fire to avoid being badly burned as they crashed down to the dirt hard. Agunimon looked back toward the forest breathing a sigh of relief when he saw Echodyrasmon rocket above the tree line on her way to the village. His relief was even greater when he saw that the Jakimon were in full retreat thanks to a version of Adlimon he hardly recognized.
"Incredible," Ayden said approaching Glacadlimon, "I thought I was the toughest hombre this side of the Digital World."
"Not by a long shot," Glacadlimon growled before chasing a crowd of Jakimon back into the forest.
"They won't be messing with this village for a long while," Haomon said slapping his hands together.
"Great heroes," a voice called out and everyone turned to see an elderly Palmon coming down the lane, "you've saved our village from the Jakimon tribe."
"It was nothing," Xander admitted.
"It was everything," the Palmon corrected, "You fought valiantly Agunimon, Warrior of Flame."
"How do you know my name?" Ayden asked, reverting to his human form before the astounded Digimon's eyes.
"It cannot be, you are a human being!" the Palmon cried and his eyes went wide, "Why human beings have not set foot in the Digital World for at least a hundred years."
"How did you know about Agunimon?" Ayden asked following the old Palmon toward his home.
"The Spirits of Flame are known to me," Palmon explained, "a long time ago I was associated with a team of warriors using the Legendary spirits." I never thought I'd see another human in my life time let alone another who would harness the Spirits of Agunimon and BurningGreymon."
"BurningGreymon?"
"The Beast Spirit! Of course, you do not posses it because it remains at the Temple."
"You mean to tell me there is a second Spirit of Fire?" Ayden asked his eyes sparked by inner flame.
"Yes young one. Not far from here to the North and West. The Temple of Vritra, the Temple of Flame, sits there and within it the Beast Spirit, the key to your further evolution."
"Do you guys think we should go?" Ayden asked turning to the rest of the team with a beaming expression.
"I hate to squash your exuberance pal but we have a mission," Xander said but he realized that Solara was shooting him an angry glare.
"If it makes us more powerful I think we should go," Vera said, "I mean we've already encountered heavy opposition, any more fire power going forward would be good."
"Fire power!" Patamon agreed.
"It's settled then," John said standing, "we're headed for the Temple of Flame."
"Huzzah," the old Palmon proclaimed, "let me mark the Temple's location on the map."
"Is it dangerous? Will we face any opposition?" Haomon asked half hoping for a fight and half hoping to walk into the temple unopposed.
"Most of the Digimon around these woods stay clear of the Temple," the aged Palmon explained using a dab of ink to make a mark on the map that Sorcerymon had given them, "There is great power there."
The group set out soon after though they felt odd abandoning the Palmon village the village elder had assured them that the thrashing they'd given the Jakimon would keep the brutes at bay for a good long while. They headed north along an overgrown trail that the Palmon used to enter the forest. Dyrasmon walked along marveling at the exotic flowers and plants and row after row of rare fruit trees planet in an orchard style. The Dark Forest had been her home. She'd grown up around nature and around the beauty of foliage, flowers and vegetation of all kinds but even with her knowledge of plants she was awestruck by what the Palmon had created. She found herself entranced by the magic, the energy field that all living things gave off. As a fairy Digimon she was sensitive to the spiritual energies coursing through plants in particular and she found her heart singing as she hovered over the enchanted orchard.
John noted her happy humming and he was truly glad to see her happy again. After the incident with Ogremon he'd feared her innocence was smashed and that guilt would overwhelm her. To his eyes it appeared as if she had bounced back from that frightful fight in the Umbra Forest. He walked beside her smiling but also turning his attention to Vera, walking hand in hand with the girl he'd been dating for almost a year. She was truly beautiful, the way the sunlight struck her skin and made her sage eyes light up was truly incredible.
Eventually they left the orchard behind entering the full extent of the forest. There were no paths or trails here. There were no signs that any Digimon had been here in ages even the wilder Digimon who might have called such a forest home seemed absent as the twelve made their way toward the temple. The terrain was fairly difficult as well dominated by steep hills and valleys that they couldn't risk going around the long way. Luckily though the Palmon Elder's belief turned out to be correct, they would face no opposition in these woods in fact they saw no Digimon of any kind leaving an eerie feeling nesting in some of their minds.
"You know," Xander said wiping the sweat from his brow as the Temple, in all its glory, came into view, "this place might be cursed."
"Ever the optimist," Ayden remarked with a smirk.
"You've been in this group for two days," Xander retorted, "don't you think it's a bit soon to be making witty remarks?"
The Temple stood before them cast in tan stone, possibly sandstone though none knew enough of architecture to speculate on its composition. Massive columns that stretched at least fifty feet into the air held the massive roof and its intricate carvings in place. Two statues sat in decay at either side of the door one depicted Agunimon and the other a second Digimon breathing fire. They drew close clearing vines from the door that had grown all over the outer walls as though entombing the place forever.
"What about booby traps?" Anselm asked suddenly taking a step back.
"Better let Ayden go first," Xander agreed.
"Better let Agunimon go first," Ayden corrected getting out his Digivice, "Spirit Evolution: Agunimon! Now stand back!"
Agunimon heaved against the door but his impressive show of force was unnecessary. A seam of light burst from the cracks around all four sides of the stone door that blocked the entrance tracing a line around it. The stone creaked and groaned before slipping into the temple and being drawn to the side by some unseen force. Ayden let his eyes adjust, the light had been blinding and in the dim gloom of the temple he couldn't see much of anything. He took the first tentative step inside feeling a wave rush over his mind as though something was talking to him. The floor seemed to shake beneath his feet and the door behind him slammed shut with a great gust of air that nearly knocked him from his feet. The darkness grew to swallow him now and so he summoned a flame to light his way walking down a flight of stairs that hadn't been there before the door closed, leading down into the Digital World.
"Great," John growled, "now what do we do?"
"Should we try to get him out?" Dyrasmon suggested.
"Maybe it's supposed to do that," Thompson said thinking aloud.
"Well which one of us is going to break the door down?" Xander asked.
"Solara's already trying," Haomon noted.
They turned to Solara watching her fists pound against the stone portal in futility. She looked back over her shoulder, her eyes imploring them to join her, her igneous eyes now so filled with profound worry and sadness that she had just her knight in fiery armor. None of the remaining ten could deny her, she was, after all, their friend. They were all in this together. Haomon stepped to the door and the others followed one right after the other pushing their combined weight and all their strength against the unmoving ancient stone. There was nothing. The door wouldn't move or budge and no amount of prying could have undone the seal. It was as though the Temple of Flame had just swallowed their new friend whole.
Agunimon found himself in a deep catacomb filled with statues, depictions of fiery dragons and infernal warriors. Images seemed to flash before him bringing an aura of familiarity with them as though some part of him recognized them. He realized then that he was not just Ayden AS Agunimon but that Agunimon was every bit as alive as he was. The Spirit of Fire, of this ancient warrior, lived within him, aiding him and answering his beck and call but with a soul all its own. Somewhere these images, these ancient carvings covered in moss and vine, were burned into Agunimon's being and now they were entering Ayden's mind.
He felt Destiny tug at him, felt a thunder in his bones that made him shiver. Ayden could feel it drawing him closer. He darted down a side tunnel barely big enough for Agunimon to pass through entering a massive chamber, a cavernous room filled with fires burning in cauldron pots their smoke rising into a chimney. There in the center of the chamber sat an object shimmering in the firelight. Ayden came near the statuette, the peculiar idol at the center of the room. He'd found one like it before. As his hand reached out to touch it he felt himself become Ayden, merely human once more and saw the idol light up with a dazzling glow. The Spirit exited the idol then, dancing before his eyes before vanishing into his Digivice. He stood then, feeling a wave of recognition overwhelm him… BurningGreymon. Suddenly it made sense. This other side, this polar opposite of Agunimon was the second Spirit of Fire. He felt complete, he felt balance, he felt peace … and yet he felt fire burning within him.
Ayden turned back down the tunnel, his human eyes struggling to see in the dark. He was weakened too, his two evolutions into Agunimon in one day had left him drained and his feet could not carry him fast enough. The air was stagnant and old and he found himself gasping. Somehow he found the fire within to move on and he found the Spirits within him able to guide him to the exit, to the great stone door that might have been his gravestone. Solara watched as the brilliant white appeared around the door. Her eyes lit up with the sudden change. It'd been nearly an hour since the door had slammed behind Ayden and her own hopes had been dashed by consistent failure. Now the door opened, a great whoosh of air knocking her over as Ayden stepped out into the dying daylight squinting.
"We thought you were a goner," she whispered.
"So did you find the fire power?" Patamon asked.
"Yeah, I found it," Ayden said, "I'm not quite sure how to use it."
"What happened down there?" Solara asked hugging him suddenly but then pulling herself away with a look of embarrassment.
"I learned that Palmon was right… This Warrior of Fire thing isn't new to me. I'm the inheritor of a legacy that goes back centuries."
"Which means humans have been coming here for centuries," John postulated.
"We're definitely not the first," Ayden agreed.
"The sun is setting," Patamon noted, "we better get camp set up."
"Good," Ayden said as everyone made their way away from the temple toward a clearing they'd picked out to set up camp in, "I'm starving."
"Wait Ayden," Solara said grabbing Ayden by the arm and holding him back.
"Look I was only gone an hour you can't possibly have missed me that-" his words were cut short by a pair of fiery lips. She pulled back then, her hazel eyes piercing into his brilliant blue orbs filled with longing. She walked away toward the camp leaving the Warrior of Flame with more questions than answers. It occurred to Ayden then that questions were all he ever really got. Even the Temple of Flame had yielded its fair share of unsolved mysteries. He smiled for a moment assuring himself that one day it would all make sense, that his Destiny was upon him and that he was following in the footsteps of those who came before.