Chapter Three
Yuma had decided to sit down in the clearing with Shugo and Shiori along with the three Digimon, allowing the group to rest after their encounter with Vegiemon, everyone was more than a little tired. Shugo was the first one to break the silence they'd all fallen into while they'd allowed their adrenaline rushes from the fight to subside and catch their breath from everything that had happened.
"So, I guess introductions are in order to start with," he said. He had been leaning back with his arms out behind him to prop himself up, but now he sat up straight, adjusting his glasses back up his nose. "I'm Shugo Hasegawa. I've got no idea how I got to this place, I just kinda woke up in the forest and found Bulucomon here watching over me," he said, motioning to the ice dragon Digimon with one hand.
"It is a pleasure to meet you all," said Bulucomon, bowing his head.
"My name is Shiori Nakazawa, I'm the vice-captain of my school's archery club… oh, but maybe that doesn't matter so much right now," the pink-haired girl said, rubbing the back of her neck with a sheepish smile. "I don't know how I ended up here either, but I think Pomumon is really cute, and she's been guiding me through the forest until we ran into Shugo and Bulucomon."
For the moment, Pomumon had laid herself down in Shiori's lap and gone to sleep, so she didn't say anything after being introduced. Shiori simply smiled down at her, running a hand through her feathers.
"Ehehe, our turn now! I'm Veemon and this here's Yuma! I saved him from a KoDokugumon before we found you guys!" Veemon declared, jumping out in front of the blonde young man and throwing out a peace sign. Yuma sighed and palmed his face lightly, though he was smiling behind it.
"I'm Yuma Fujioka, it's nice to meet you all," he said, lowering his hand and bowing his head. "Like you guys I woke up here and I don't remember how I got here. Veemon wasn't there when I woke up though, he found me after I started walking around."
"I was just running a little late! If you'd stayed where you woke up, I totally would have found you there!" Veemon said, puffing his cheeks out. Yuma thought for a second on that before looking at the three Digimon one at a time and then speaking again.
"Do you think it was just luck that we all found these Digimon just after waking up here? I mean, it seems like there's plenty of dangerous ones around, but these guys all found us first."
"It's kinda weird that it happened for all three of us, right? Bulucomon scared the heck outta me when I first woke up and saw him, but he's totally chill," said Shugo, grinning a little at his own pun.
"I cannot speak for the others, but I had a feeling that I had to be here today. I followed that and found Shugo unconscious in the forest. When I saw him… I knew he was the reason I needed to come to Login Forest today. I knew his name just by looking at him, but I am unable to tell you how," Bulucomon explained, looking up at Shugo as he spoke. Veemon nodded along with his explanation.
"Yep, same here! I knew I had to come here and find Yuma! Even though he ran away from me, I knew I had to follow him."
"You ran away from Veemon?" asked Shiori, looking over to Yuma.
"Oh, uh, yeah. I could tell something was chasing me when I went walking in the forest. I didn't know what it was, and I ran. I ended up finding KoDokugumon who attacked me, I'm lucky Veemon showed up in time to save me or I'd be dead."
"Damn, you've been in two fights today then. You must be wiped out," said Shugo, shaking his head a little. He was tired enough just from running away from and then fighting with Vegiemon. "I guess we're real lucky we've got these guys to protect us," he said, looking between the three Digimon.
"Mmn. I won't let anyone hurt Shiori. Even the biggest Digimon will have to get through me first," Pomumon said, finally stirring from her nap, those green eyes flicking open. Shiori smiled and gave the little bird Digimon a few soft scratches. Veemon and Bulucomon seemed to nod their agreement to Pomumon's words, looking over to Shugo and Yuma.
"I appreciate that, Pomumon," said Shiori. "I think we should get out of this forest though. These guys took a beating protecting us from that Vegiemon thing and who knows how many more Digimon like that are in this place."
"I agree, we should get out of here," said Yuma.
"For sure, but uh… anyone actually know the way out? This whole damn forest looks exactly the same everywhere you go," Shugo pointed out, looking around. Yuma sighed. Other than the few clearings they'd come across and the more desolate part of the forest he'd wandered into before, Shugo was right.
"Hey, Veemon, didn't you say you knew the way out before we ran into these guys?" Yuma asked, looking down at the blue dragon who was still standing in front of him. Veemon closed his eyes and tipped his head to the side, thinking for a moment.
"Mm, I thought so. But I'm totally lost now too!" Veemon said with a little too much pride in his voice. Yuma groaned softly and palmed his face again, running his hand up through his blonde hair.
"I can find the way to Login Village for us," Pomumon said, finally hopping off Shiori's lap and shaking her small body. "This forest is my home, so I know the way."
"You really are the best, aren't you, Pomumon?" said Shiori with a laugh as she rose to her feet, stretching her arms up above her head. Yuma and Shugo stood up as well, Veemon and Bulucomon moving to stand at their sides. "Well, let's follow her and get out of this place."
The group of six began to walk in a line out of the clearing and into the forest proper once again. Pomumon took up the lead with Shiori walking right behind her. Behind them were Shugo and Bulucomon walking side by side and then Yuma brought up the rear of the line with Veemon at his side.
Yuma couldn't help smiling as he walked behind the others. He'd honestly been terrified of being in this strange place on his own, but now he had found two others in the same situation as him. Of course, that entire situation still had him worried and on edge, but it was amazing how much weight had been lifted just by encountering Shiori and Shugo. The addition of two extra Digimon willing to fight to protect them helped a lot as well. Now he was thinking the situation felt a little less hopeless.
As long as Pomumon could lead them out of Login Forest, then they could at least survive today. Whatever came next… they could deal with that when it happened.
Together they all walked for a long while, chatting about random things here and there as they went. Yuma's eyes wandered around the sea of trees every so often, expecting another Digimon to jump out and attack them at any moment, he saw Shugo doing the same now and then as well, while Shiori simply kept her gaze forward.
Eventually, the scenery finally began to change. The trees began to thin out, leaving more and more space between them as they went, letting in more rays of sunlight and turning the ground underfoot into a carpet of green grass. The blades folded under each step from the group, those untrodden waving in the breeze that found its way between the trees now.
There were still no signs of wildlife, but for the first time, everyone could see something in the distance instead of that strange fog. The trees ahead of them came to an end, opening their view to the first sign of civilization any of the three teenagers had seen since they'd arrived here.
A wooden wall stretched out to either side and looking to its ends, Yuma could see it curved away from them, giving just a peek at grassy hills beyond. Every few meters, the wall was broken up by stone pillars and every fifth one seemed to have a watchtower built into the top of it. Four wooden struts at the corners of the pillar that held up a conical roof, also made of wood. Yuma wondered if all of this was made from the trees of Login Forest.
Directly before the group was a gate. A tall entryway that arched at the top, reaching a meter or two above the rest of the wall. The gate in question was currently closed and had a lone figure standing in front of it. A Digimon, definitely not a human.
The Digimon was a little taller than the three humans and its body was roughly human shaped, though its flesh was a light green colour. Its feet were tipped with a single, dark green nail each and its arms, which hung down near its knees, grew thicker as they went down and had three fingers each that ended in points. A thin tail covered in small thorns rested on the ground behind it, but its head was what really drew the attention of all three humans. It was a large sunflower.
The plant Digimon turned its attention to the group, two large leaves on its back that looked like wings going rigid as it saw them. Its mouth showed an expression of panic and its two black eyes darted back and forth between Yuma, Shiori and Shugo. "Humans!" it squealed in a nasal voice before flapping its leaf wings and retreating over the gate.
"That was…," Yuma began.
"Totally weird," Shugo finished for him.
"That was Sunflowmon, he's one of the guards of Login Village along with his five brothers," Pomumon explained, turning to face the group now as they came to a stop. "I've never seen him panic like that before," she added, her tone growing concerned.
"His gaze did not fall to us even once, he seemed completely transfixed on the three of you," Bulucomon said, tipping his gaze up to the three humans.
"Yuma does look pretty cool; can you blame him?" Veemon added in with a wide grin.
"Do you think we're in danger being here? That guy seemed pretty freaked out to see humans, if a whole village attacks us, we'll be in trouble," Shiori said, turning to face the rest of the group now, the worry obvious on her face.
Shugo rubbed his chin a few times and gazed at the watchtowers lining the wall. "I dunno, but we've definitely got company…," he said, gesturing with a jerk of his thumb to where he was looking. The six watchtowers closest to the gate each had a face peering out from them now. Six almost identical sunflower faces.
"I guess he went and got his brothers," Yuma said, clenching his fists a little. He really didn't want to get into another fight. Veemon had said they'd be safe in the village after all. Had he been wrong? He looked between the watchtowers, noticing that none of the Sunflowmon, if they were all Sunflowmon, were making any move to attack them. The village guards were simply watching them.
"Maybe we should talk to 'em!" Veemon suggested, stepping forward with his chest puffed out. Yuma quickly looked down, concern filling his own chest. Should he let this happen? Veemon didn't seem very… diplomatic.
"Perhaps Pomumon should talk to them," Bulucomon said, putting a frozen claw in front of Veemon to stop him. "She is a denizen of the forest after all and is familiar with this village if I am not mistaken," he said, looking over to Pomumon for confirmation. Pomumon gave a nod, with her entire little body, and walked forward towards the gate.
"They're not paying any attention to her at all, they're just staring at us," Shiori pointed out, her eyes locked on the sentries at the top of the wall.
"If they attack us, we can run around the wall, I think. I can't see anything blocking our way," said Shugo, keeping an eye out to the sides of the group. Yuma could feel the tension between the three of them. They had all expected to be able to relax when they'd reached this village, none of them had even considered that it may be a source of danger for them. The Digimon hadn't even hesitated to bring them here after all.
"Let's believe in Pomumon for now," Yuma said, taking in a deep breath to try and calm his racing heart.
"You've got this," Shiori whispered, clutching at her chest as she focused her gaze on the little bird Digimon now.
"Sunflowmons, my friends and I would like to enter the village please! We promise not to cause any trouble. We were attacked by a Vegiemon in the forest and would like somewhere to rest. Could you please open the gate?" Pomumon called out. Yuma was a little surprised hearing such a loud voice come from such a small body.
The six Sunflowmon brothers all looked between each other before their faces disappeared from the watchtowers. Pomumon remained still, her eyes locked on the gate.
"Do you think they'll let us in?" Yuma asked.
Before anyone could answer, the village gate began to rumble open. It opened in the centre, pushing out towards them with a heavy scraping sound. Yuma and the others tensed up while Veemon moved to Pomumon's side along with Bulucomon.
Six Sunflowmon came through the gate, floating off the ground a little, their long bodies swaying as they moved. Yuma was surprised, they really did look identical. Did this mean there could maybe be more Veemon somewhere too?
The village guards came to a stop in a line, looking over the group of three humans and three Digimon before them. As their bodies swayed slowly while they hovered in place, they all kept smiles on their faces, staring down the group.
"Bloody hell those smiles are creepy…," Shugo muttered quiet enough that Yuma only just heard the comment.
Nobody moved for several seconds, nor did anyone say anything. Yuma could see Shiori watching Pomumon in front of them with the other Digimon, the fingers of her right hand digging into the leg of her shorts. She wanted to get her out of there.
Yuma's eyes shifted back to the line of Sunflowmon though as they finally began to move. They didn't go forward though, instead separating into two groups of three and floating out to the sides. Someone else was coming through the gate between them. Yuma took a moment to study them as they approached.
This Digimon had a mostly humanoid form and was quite tall. If Yuma had to guess, he'd say it was over six feet tall and its limbs were muscular, most of its skin being green except for its chest, the undersides of its arms and its jaw which were a tanned cream colour. Though it looked mostly human, it still had a few non-human traits. Its feet for a start, looked like they belonged to some sort of dinosaur, having three large claws for toes. Its hands were quite large and had long nails on the ends of its five fingers.
Yuma found it interesting that this particular Digimon was wearing clothes. It had purple pants that stopped halfway down its muscular calves and a brown belt held them up, a piece of yellow fabric hanging from the front of it with a brown insignia that looked tribal to him. The Digimon also wore brown arm bands that looked as though they were made of leather and covered its entire forearms. Atop its head, that looked a little small for its tall and muscular body, was a purple and blue feathered headband.
The final thing that drew Yuma's gaze, though they really should have been the first things, were the two large blades attached to the Digimon's armbands. Along with those, it held a large machete in it's left hand and had a massive sword strapped to its back that was almost as long as the Digimon was tall, the blade easily wider than its body.
"Oh, its Chief Dinohyumon," Pomumon said, turning her gaze back to her comrades briefly as she spoke. "He's the village leader."
"A chief huh? Yeah, I can see it," Shugo whispered, adjusting his glasses.
"Pomumon," Dinohyumon said as he came to a stop just ahead of the parted line of Sunflowmon. His voice was deep and carried far, a weight of authority upon it. "It has been some time since I have seen you here."
"Ah, I've been in the forest. You know me, I like the quiet there. But um, I found some friends and they're looking for a place to rest. Me too, of course!"
"Friends? You are aware these three are humans, no?"
Dinohyumon's eyes were staring straight at the three teenagers now. His gaze didn't seem threatening, but it wasn't a friendly gaze either. Yuma could feel his heart hammering in his chest. Something told him if that Digimon attacked, there was no way Veemon, and the others could beat him.
"I am. But… I think they're good humans. Especially Shiori, my heart led me to her after all!" Pomumon declared. Shiori gasped as she heard that. She was more than impressed that Pomumon could stand so confidently in this situation.
"Your heart… I see. So that is the situation then…," the Digimon chief murmured, lifting a hand to his chin. He turned his gaze down to Veemon and Bulucomon and spoke once more. "Do the two of you feel the same about these humans. Were you drawn to them as well?"
"Indeed. It simply felt natural to seek Shugo out within the forest," Bulucomon said without hesitating. Shugo smiled at that.
"Of course! Me and Yuma are pals, that's just the way it is!" Veemon said, throwing up a peace sign.
Yuma felt that strange feeling again. He still hardly knew Veemon, but hearing those words just felt… right. He felt a warmth run through him and his heart returned to a normal pace. There was an invisible connection between them. Yuma wasn't sure when, how or why it was there, but it simply was. The idea of Veemon being at his side felt like the most natural thing in the world to him. He wondered if Shugo and Shiori felt the same about the other Digimon, though he assumed from their reactions that they did.
Dinohyumon was silent for several long moments. There was still a tension in the air and the six Sunflowmon brothers were all watching their chief. Eventually, he sighed, and that muscular body relaxed ever so slightly.
"I see. If this is the way it is to be, then I am unable to protest, even if I may wish to," he said, turning his back on the group. Though he turned his head back their way right after. "It seems none of you are aware of the situation you have found yourselves in, human and Digimon alike. Night is on its way. You will be safe within the village walls. Follow me."
Without waiting for a reply, he strode back through the gate and into the village. Yuma, Shiori and Shugo all looked at each other, dumbfounded for a moment, and then nodded. They quickly ran after the village chief, the three smaller Digimon at their sides. Shugo took one glance behind them as the Sunflowmon brothers pulled the gates closed, sealing them within the village walls.
Yuma's eyes widened as he took in the sight of Login Village now that they were inside the gate. The first thing he saw was a massive tree in the centre of the village. It was far, far bigger than the pine trees that had made up Login Forest and its giant limbs formed a canopy that shaded the village while still letting the fading sunlight filter through. There were multiple buildings built on the trunk of the tree at various heights, wooden walkways and staircases connecting them to the ground and each other.
The village itself was spacious, encompassed completely in the wooden wall they had already seen part of. The barrier formed a large circle around everything, and the stone pillars and watchtowers also continued all the way around at the same intervals as the ones they had already seen. There were quite a few houses that Yuma could see from where they were, some on the ground while others were on small hills or attached to the sides of trees that were still large but seemed completely dwarfed by the monolithic one in the centre.
There were many eyes on the group as they followed Chief Dinohyumon. Presumably they were all Digimon. Some looked the same as others but there were a lot of different types watching them from their homes or the streets that wound through the buildings.
They didn't walk for long, arriving at a small, wooden hut after only a minute or so. Dinohyumon stopped at the front door and turned to face the group once more. Yuma glanced back, the gate they had entered through was still in view, they'd only gone just past it and to the right to reach this building.
"You may use this house for the night. I ask that you remain inside, for your own safety and for the peace of mind of the villagers. I will arrange for food to be brought to you and I will summon you when the sun rises. It seems I have much to explain to you all," Dinohyumon said, stepping aside so that they could access the front door.
"Thank you, Chief Dinohyumon, your kindness means a lot," Shiori said, bowing herself towards the Digimon. Yuma and Shugo did the same, adding their own thanks as well.
"I am simply fulfilling the task I have been given. If you cause any trouble, the three of you will not be spared the consequences," the Digimon warned before walking away.
"Soooo, we go inside, sit down and be quiet then?" Shugo asked nobody in particular as he stepped forward and opened the door, the hinges creaking softly as it swung.
"Looks that way, we're definitely getting stared at," Shiori said as she walked inside.
Yuma took one glance back, seeing one of the Sunflowmon brothers hovering over towards the hut with that same smile on his face. A guard for the night perhaps? "Thank you," he said to the plant Digimon before walking into the hut. It was more than obvious that even though Dinohyumon had allowed them into the village, they weren't particularly welcome here.
Shugo pulled the door closed once everyone was inside, the three Digimon included. Everyone took a few moments to look around the single room that made up the entire building.
They were in a simple square room with a window on the wall directly opposite the door and one on the wall to the left, both giving views out into the village. The ceiling was somewhat low, but none of the three teenagers were tall enough for it to be an issue, the Digimon definitely were not. Everything was made of wood, a pale timber with a grey hue to it. The planks that made up the floor were smooth and appeared clean at a glance.
As for furnishings, there were four beds along the far wall, a grey, rectangular rug with frayed edges in the centre of the floor and a small table in the right-hand corner closest to the door.
"Not much in here, but at least we have beds," Yuma said as he walked around the single room for the whole ten seconds that took. He heard a thud and turned to see Veemon sprawled out on the rug, his arms and legs stretched out to make himself look like a starfish. Yuma couldn't help smiling, the little guy had to be exhausted.
Shugo wasted no time kicking his shoes off and moving to the bed furthest to the right. Spinning on the spot one hundred and eighty degrees, he then fell backwards onto the bed and let out a long groan. "I know the Digimon did all the fighting, but I still feel exhausted…," he murmured, taking his glasses off and laying an arm over his eyes.
"You and me both," Shiori said as she sat on the edge of the bed to the far left of the line. "I'm glad Chief Dionhyumon gave us somewhere to stay. He definitely seemed wary of us though."
"Maybe he's had bad experiences with humans or something. Veemon said there are some others in this place, but they live far away," Yuma explained. He glanced at Veemon, who seemed like he might already be asleep, before moving to sit on the bed beside Shugo's to give Shiori her own space. "The other Digimon in the village were definitely staring at us too."
Shugo rolled over onto his side, facing Yuma and Shiori before he began to speak. "Guess we'll find out in the morning, he said he was gonna come get us after all." Shugo shifted onto his back now and stretched his arms and legs out. "Right now, though… I just wanna sleep…," he murmured, tiredness already creeping into his voice as his eyes began to close.
Bulucomon stood by the door, leaning against the frame of it as he looked over the three human teenagers. "The three of you should get some sleep while you are able. We have an opportunity to rest in safety and you should take it. I shall stand guard," he said, glancing at the sprawled out Veemon, and Pomumon who was already climbing up onto Shiori's bed with her.
Shugo's eyes opened when he heard that, and he frowned. "Nah man, that's not fair. You fought hard against Vegiemon just like Veemon and Pomumon. You need to rest too," he said, his tone serious. Yuma nodded in agreement.
"I saw one of those Sunflowmon coming over to the house when we came inside, I think they're guarding the door for us. You should rest like Shugo said, Bulucomon," Yuma said. The ice dragon sighed faintly and hung his head with a quiet "very well" and he moved to sit on the floor at the foot of Shugo's bed.
With that, the group devolved into quiet chatting for a while as they all got into bed and got themselves comfortable. As comfortable as they could all get in this strange village full of creatures who certainly didn't seem happy about their presence there. Still, the group of six were all tired from a weird and danger-filled day.
Yuma laid back, taking a moment to glance amongst his companions. Veemon was still laying on the rug, his chest rising and falling in time with his soft snoring. To his left, Shugo was laying on his side with his back to Yuma, he couldn't tell if he was asleep or not. To his right, on the bed against the far wall, Shiori lay with her eyes closed. Pomumon was under the covers with her, just her beak and eyes poking out and Shiori's arm draped over her.
Letting his head fall back onto the somewhat flat pillow, Yuma closed his own eyes as well. Finding himself in a strange place with no memory of how he got here. Getting attacked by two Digimon and almost killed. Plus, the tense encounter with Chief Dinohyumon that could have gone wrong at any moment. He was absolutely exhausted.
A silent, peaceful darkness swept over the village as the sun vanished from the sky and the moon took its place. The change marked the end of the first of many days for Yuma and the others in the strange place they had found themselves in. Tomorrow would be a new day for them all and there were none who knew what kind of challenges it would bring. They would find out when the sun rose and Dinohyumon summoned them as he had promised.
For now, though, they all enjoyed a dreamless sleep in a small hut within Login Village. None of the group of six stirring even when one of the village Digimon brought food to the door under the orders of the chief. Morning would arrive soon enough, and they needed all the rest they could get after the day they'd had.