As the samurai's and the dragon's surroundings changed, the dryland's warm and dry climate gave way to cool and stale air.
Tactimon was no stranger to teleportation. Having traveled through Zones in a variety of ways, be it through Zone Transfer via Digital Space or more magical means, his body had gotten so used to fast-traveling methods that he believed the potential side effects that might come with them were well past him.
He was proven to be wrong. Being transported by Ophis had managed to make his insides lurch, but luckily he managed to hide it well, only needing to take one steadying step. His master on the meanwhile showed no signs of discomfort. Should he have a choice, Tactimon would keep magical transferences with her to a minimum and use alternate forms of travel.
Forcing the feeling of nausea down, Tactimon could see they had arrived inside a massive chamber in what he presumed was her base of operations.
Having his whole life revolved around warfare, seeing military bases and outposts teeming with troops was a sight he expected to see, were it to be training on the fields outside or readying themself to be led to different fronts. To witness messengers running in a hurry through the corridors with urgent news to the command, guards making their rounds and personnel unloading food and medicine to be stored and used, it all meant the base was alive and operational.
Tactimon could find none of it here, the place reminded more of a grave.
''Follow me,'' Wasting no time Ophis started walking, her footsteps making no sound.
Soon his boots could be heard trailing behind her, their echo making Tactimon feel like he was in a spotlight, even when there was no one but the two of them.
The chamber they had arrived in was a masterpiece of engineering. The circular metallic-blue concave roof was supported by curved pylons that hugged the walls, keeping the azure sky up. On the smooth drystone walls made of giant slabs of obsidian, engrained hieroglyphs emblazoned with gold glimmered as they passed them and Tactimon could feel powerful unknown magic radiating from the foreign symbols. Otherwise, the place seemed spartan; no monuments or statues showing the previous rulers' great exploits and accomplishments were greeting them and no fine fabrics with insignias telling what kingdom this place belonged to decorated the walls or floors. Only evenly spaced floating lanterns were giving light to the windowless space, their blue dim shine leaving dancing shadows on the many corners. Curiously enough, while the place seemed abandoned, there was no dust to be found on the floor as Tactimon observed.
''What exactly is this place?'' Tactimon asked his new Master.
''This palace was built by an unknown dynasty located in one of the many forgotten realms. It has been abandoned for eons but the magic that still lingers here is preserving the structures from the ravages of time. It also makes this place a little less noisy. I mostly reside here, waiting for the death of Great Red,'' Ophis explained.
''Is there anyone else here besides us?'' Tactimon inquired while walking at a slower pace, his step took two of Ophis'.
''Inside, no. There are few people outside the complex keeping watch and making sure no one comes here unexpectedly. This palace works as a neutral meeting ground. People are only allowed here when I summon them or have something important they wish to discuss, mostly requiring my snakes,'' came her reply.
Now, wasn't that an interesting tidbit of information, Tactimon thought. Many questions were plaguing his mind but he held his tongue for now, the time to ask them would come.
Beyond the chambers stood a pair of thick metal doors which Ophis pushed open with ease. The doors faintly creaked in protest, revealing a corridor that led to a stone staircase with high steps. Tactimon estimated the stairway to be around 50 meters in height.
After the climb, the two continued to exit yet another entrance (neither he nor Ophis needed to catch a breath) that had similar metal doors, this time left open and entered a moderate-sized throne room.
In the center of the room was a seat befitting that of a king on a raised platform, all made from one giant slab of the same obsidian as the walls. The black stone had been masterfully carved and polished, absorbing the meager illumination that the blue lanterns provided. Steps lead from the stone's foot onto the raised level where the throne itself was, the massive seat's back almost touching the ceiling, leaving a long descending shadow behind it.
Ascending the steps, Ophis sat on the throne and lowered her hands on the armrests. Her legs had to be pointed straight, for the throne's seating was too big to allow her to bend them.
Seeing Ophis take her rightful place, Tactimon kneeled, attentively waiting.
''I will tell you now about the organization that I am leading, the Khaos Brigade,'' Ophis announced while Tactimon prepared to take mental notes.
Letting an 'ehem' sound against her balled fist in what seemed to be an attempt to imitate clearing a throat, Ophis began, ''Khaos Brigade is a group composed of different factions loosely working together. In the past, Khaos Brigades' main objective was to oppose the current status quo that had taken place between the Three Factions. Not long ago, I met them and they asked me to become their leader. A pact was struck between us, the same which you and I have.''
In which you would gift them your power in exchange for finding the means to dispose of Great Red from the Dimensional Gap, Tactimon dutifully recited in his head.
Ophis continued unabated, ''The largest group is the True Satan faction, comprised of devils who support their old government. They lost a civil war a few hundred years ago and were driven to the outskirts of the Underworld. They are being led by three of the four descendants of the original Satans who ruled over devil-kind.
The second is Nirlem, a faction of wizards and witches who study magic. They have a ruling council from which chosen representatives contact me.
The last is the Hero Faction. They are humans, many of whom are descendants of heroes or possess powerful Artifacts in their bodies, led by Cao Cao. They defend humanity from the supernatural.''
At the mention of humans, Tactimon's glowed fingers twitched minutely.
''Those are the three main factions that make up the Khaos Brigade. There are other, smaller groups, who are working with us but they rarely come here,'' Ophis concluded her speech and took a breath for the first time since she started talking, seemingly satisfied with her explanation.
Alarms were ringing inside Tactimon, Ophis' revelations confirming his fears.
Neutral meeting ground, people keeping watch, it seemed that Khaos Brigade was even less united than he had initially assumed and the more he went over what had been said to him, the more Ophis' lair started to seem like a prison: a remote and secure place where she would be kept and unaware of her underling's doings, being only contacted when they needed her.
''Have they found anything worthy of your notice?'' Tactimon asked, his voice neutral.
''Nothing that would harm Great Red.''
Why am I not surprised? he cynically thought.
''I see. If it's not too much to ask of you Ophis, since I'm a stranger to this world, could you educate me on how the Khaos Brigade as an organization operates in finer detail and tell me more about its members? This, I believe, would help me greatly in getting up to speed on what I need to do,'' Tactimon's hunched frame had come close to hugging the floor voicing his request.
''I shall,'' Ophis simply stated.
Tactimon listened as Ophis told him more about the Khaos Brigade, speaking only when he wished to have something clarified from her succinct explanation.
Much of it was what he had deduced: every faction worked mostly by themself and rarely collaborated, their ideologies seemed to be too conflicting to form anything but alliances of convenience, something he could use to his advantage.
He also came to learn the names and some general descriptions of the powers and abilities the faction leaders possessed, like Devils using the power of imagination to cast magic instead of calculating which was new to him. The biggest pieces of information were that many members of Nirlem were former expelled associates of the Magician's Council (a worldwide organization representing and governing magicians), outlaws, or both, and the devils from the True Satan faction believed to be above all the other races and it was their birthright to rule the world.
While all this was appreciated, it was the finer details Tactimon wished to know Ophis lacked. There had to be quite an interesting dynamic going on between the groups since the Khaos Brigade hadn't already fallen apart. No doubt chicanery, conspiring, and back-stapping were taking place between the factions and it brought no satisfaction to Tactimon knowing he would become part of it. He was a general, for crying out loud! His home was on the battlefield or in a war room planning and preparing. Interpersonal affairs had been Lilithmon's specialty.
In conclusion: these were people Tactimon would only trust as far as he could throw them, if even that.
It was obvious that Khaos Brigade had sought out Ophis because of the power she possessed. The Ouroboros Dragon becoming the Khaos Brigade's 'leader' was a great boon for its members and without a doubt helped them drive their true goals. How convenient for them to just have a dragon of unimaginable strength at their disposal, to whom they could always ask for more power like Her Highness was just some tool to be used, Tactimon seethed.
Just thinking about it made him sick.
But here came the problem. He was just a newcomer and had nothing concrete to back up his suspicions, he only had his intuition which would not be fit for evidence. To voice his thoughts here and now would mean Tactimon questioned his master's ruling and it could also put Ophis and potentially this whole organization of hers in a precarious position should the other members get the wind of it.
No, If he wanted to get to the bottom of this, he would need to dig deep and be sure his suspicions were absolutely correct before making his move.
While it was not an ideal situation, in a war, there seldom was. He would overcome these obstacles and make sure his master's wish would come to fruition, with or without the other factions.
To Tactimon's small relief, Ophis did expect to have some reason why she would share additional power with her subjects. Another good news was he wouldn't need to be overly worried about his well-being here. It seemed Ophis and Great Red were the only outliers of this world and when Tactimon had asked how he would compare to other Khaos Brigade members, his Master had commented, ''You are a bit stronger than the others.'' How much 'a bit' meant for the Dragon God was anyone's guess.
There was one thing the disjointed sects had wholly agreed on with Ophis' approval. To ensure the Khaos Brigade's 'integrity' and 'stability', when a new individual or group wishes to become a part of or joined the organization, every leader would be informed as soon as possible. It seemed they wanted to ensure no outsider would get their dirty hands on their prized figurehead, something Tactimon agreed on, even if this worked against him for now.
When asked, Ophis told Tactimon that she would notify the others of his recruitment today, meaning his time under the radar would be very limited.
Grateful for her consultation on the subjects, Tactimon then asked what the Ouroboros Dragon knew of Great Red.
''He's a dragon born from Dreams and Illusions and is strong,'' was her plain answer.
''Do you believe it might have been an elaborate act on Great Red's part to have you find me?'' Tactimon inquired further.
''No. Great Red doesn't plan, he only likes to fly in the Dimensional Gap. I think he found you annoying and didn't want you in there,'' Ophis seemed to be speaking from experience.
''I see. Then I believe I should finally take my leave so I can start fulfilling my duty. Are there any private libraries or other places of study where I could go and learn about this world unperturbed?'' He had refrained from asking too much about subjects not concerning Khaos Brigade. He wouldn't want to waste Ophis time explaining things he could easily learn himself.
Ophis index finger pointed toward the left wall, ''There is an abandoned outpost at the edge of this world that no one knows about. I can bring everything you need there and no one will disturb you.''
''I couldn't possibly ask something like that from you Ophis,'' Tactimon hastily replied. He had already bothered her enough with his questions.
''I, insist,'' Ophis' wooden expression made it impossible for Tactimon to tell what she was thinking.
''Then I'll be in your care,'' Tactimon humbly accepted, his head touching the floor for a long moment before returning to kneeling.
Rising from her throne Ophis started her descent and came to a halt before Tactimon, their eyes level. Slowly, she reached out with her hand, taking hold of the spike in his shoulder plate and soon the samurai could feel the air starting to vibrate around them.
Please give me strength, Tactimon prayed, before he and Ophis disappeared.
This time the teleportation hadn't made his insides lurch nearly as much, Tactimon noted while he peered down a wide chasm that stretched as far he could see. The fall's other side was not visible, perhaps not even existing.
''Edge of the world indeed,'' he muttered and turned around.
Tactimon's boots crunched in the snow as he walked away from the bottomless pit and glanced again at the weathered outpost Ophis had brought him to. It was a single tower and a building surrounded by a stone wall, its sole entrance being blocked by a sturdy metal gate. The small complex was built at the end of a valley where a steep mountain range ended.
A good defensive position in his opinion.
Following their teleportation, Ophis had said she would go and get all the necessary materials for him. This had left Tactimon some time alone which the samurai used to inspect the outpost from potential traps and listening devices, mundane or magical, just in case. Nothing was found and he satisfiedly noted that some sort of magic was keeping coldness and moisture out of the stone building. After that, he had gone to survey the outpost's perimeter starting with the ravine from which he now continued toward a small forest where evergreens grew.
A lone rising moon shone in the starry night sky, its silver light illuminating the snowy terrain as Tactimon made his way past trees. Being left alone allowed him to finally catch up with the strange state of affairs that had become his life.
Ophis. A peculiar dragon for sure. She was ancient and seemed to know a great deal about the world, yet talking with her made her seem… not simpleminded, (he wouldn't dare to associate her with the word and would cut the heads of whoever would say so of the Ouroboros Dragon), a better word would be naïve-like. While it brought no joy thinking about such things of his master, Tactimon had to acknowledge that she seemed to be susceptible to others' influence.
Too susceptible.
Was that just a part of being a primordial being or something else, he didn't know. All the samurai could do was make sure no one would exploit his master any further.
Tactimon stopped and snow started to fall from the sky, slowly dyeing his cape white.
What was it that made him strike a pact with her? His decision was rushed, made on a scant amount of information. The short time he had known the dragon was nowhere adequate to form a full picture of her character, even if Tactimon had a hunch she would be a fair master. It was atypical of him so why did he do it?
Bagramon, Lilithmon, Blastmon… Tactimon was painfully aware everyone he knew and cared about had perished. What was there left for him?
''A future where even a stubborn soul like me can laugh freely, eh?'' Tactimon muttered.
It must have been that dragon Shoutmon and that dream of his that spurred him to choose this path. He wanted to scoff at the idea, but the longer he thought about it the more he was drawn to it.
Very well then, Tactimon finally concurred. He would continue to live and serve his new master to find out if a future like that could be achieved or not. To honor all Digimon who had given their life to see it happen.
A twig snapped in the distance, interrupting Tactimon's monologue. Turning towards where the noise had come from, he watched for movement before making his way.
He would dwell more on these matters later when he had time. For now, perimeters need to be secured.
The culprit had been soon found: a growing snow pile on one of the tree's boughs had reached a critical mass and broken off a branch. The rest of his sweep had been made in silence, Tactimon deciding to enjoy the moonlight rather than thinking about depressing things. Nothing out of the ordinary was found after which he returned to the outpost.
After what he had estimated to be a half hour had passed, Ophis returned, announcing her arrival to which she received Tactimon's courteous greetings.
Pointing her index finger forward, the indoors were filled with a puff of smoke as bookshelves, desks, chairs, and many more objects appeared, followed by a slam and a tremor that shook the whole building when the wooden furniture hit the ground. Thankfully, nothing was broken.
In the blink of an eye, the small building had been filled to the brim. Bookshelves stacked on top of each other, almost reaching the ceiling, leaving only small alleys to move through the impromptu study hall. Tactimon even spotted a computer on a far-away table.
One of the advantages Digimon had compared to humans was they weren't shackled by language barriers, their race could easily understand what was spoken to them and vice versa, just like Devils of this world, as Tactimon had learned from Ophis. The same could not be said about the written word and many denizens of the Digital Word had been illiterate. Tactimon himself could read Digimoji without a problem. While never having stepped foot in the Human World, he had educated himself to be proficient in some of the most common languages humans wrote, courtesy of his late master.
Inspecting the book covers, he could see some were in English, Chinese, German, and Japanese but the majority were written in languages unknown to him.
Ophis walked next to Tactimon, holding out an ornate lorgnette she had pulled from nowhere.
''These can translate most written languages,'' the Ouroboros Dragon explained as she held out the glasses.
''I am forever in your debt, Ophis,'' Thanking her for the trouble she had gone for him, Tactimon took her offering and held the lorgnettes before his eyes, the foreign words making sense now.
How useful, Tactimon beamed.
''Will this be enough?'' Ophis asked her servant who put the lorgnettes away.
''Yes, this is more than I could have asked for. I believe what you have brought here will provide me plenty of information to go through.''
''How much time do you need?''
Looking out of a window that managed to peek behind a bookshelf, Tactimon saw the silver moon had moved a little past its zenith.
''Six days. Give me six days and on the seventh, when the moon is at its highest, you shall have the beginning of the foundation that will bring Great Red down.''
''I'll be waiting,'' Ophis said as she turned to leave before adding, ''If you need me, call my name.''
Air vibrated around the Ouroboros Dragon before she disappeared, leaving Tactimon alone with a treasure trove of knowledge. Taking a row of books from a shelf, he walked toward an empty desk and where lowered his burden. His mission had finally started.
To whomever these once belonged I wonder? he thought and opened the first book while an invisible clock was ticking.