(Author's Notes: Here's Part 1 of Chapter 10. I'll post Part 2 in a week. Enjoy!)
Chapter 10: Behind the Barrier (Part I)
Several days had passed since the attack on the Royal Knights' castle. By this time, Alphamon, Dynasmon, UlforceVeedramon, Gankoomon, Sleipmon, Grani, Ouryumon, and Paildramon had all returned from their respective travels. To say that they were shocked at what they found upon their return would be an understatement.
The weather outside was still grey. There were intermittent rain showers that wetted the stone buildings and the roads of the headquarters, adding a shimmering lustre to the area. The drops of morning rain pattered against the stained glass window of the council room.
Inside, all twelve Royal Knights were seated around the circular table. Captain Knightmon, Grani, Ouryumon, and Karatenmon stood behind them as well. Karatenmon's violet helmet was removed to accommodate the bandage wrapped around his forehead. Despite his wound, he insisted that he was now fine and able to perform his duties as normal.
There was a heavy atmosphere throughout the council room as the meeting took place.
"…And that's all we know about the attack," Craniamon stated.
Alphamon was leaning forward with his arms on the table. His brows were lowered with thought as he took all of the information in. "I see…" he responded grimly. "The evidence certainly does seem to point to the Metal Empire."
"I could kill them," Dynasmon said with a growl as he cracked his thick knuckles.
"They still haven't actually claimed responsibility for the attack, right?" Sleipmon asked aloud.
RhodoKnightmon shook his head. "Why would they? They wouldn't want to turn the other powers against them as well. Chaosdramon will probably deny the accusations we levelled against him," he observed.
Duftmon nodded with agreement. "Until we find whoever perpetrated the attack, it's his word against ours," the strategist added. "Chaosdramon may even say something ridiculous… such as that we faked the attack in order to have an excuse to go to war with them."
"You are right about one thing, Duftmon," Alphamon said, his deep voice echoing authoritatively. "We need to find the ones who carried out the attack." He turned his gaze to Zero ARMS: Grani, who floated behind Dukemon. "How is the search going, Grani?"
Grani, whose blue eyes were gazing at Karatenmon, slowly turned his attention to Alphamon. "Inconclusive," Grani informed him. "We have exhausted the search for tracks and trails, so now we are asking around the towns in Splendor's Reach and the adjacent Free Area provinces. The attack came from the west, so they may have approached from the United Dramonic Coalition as well."
"The Stealth Forces are helping out," Karatenmon spoke up.
Grani looked back over at the crow Digimon. "You should be resting, Karatenmon," he told his fellow captain calmly. "You still need to recover."
Karatenmon grinned at Grani out of the corners of his beak. "Are you worried about me, Grani?" he asked him teasingly. "That's unusual."
The crimson, avian dragon narrowed his eyes. "…No. I shouldn't bother, obviously. Seeing as your head is as hard as rock…" Grani spoke, his calm voice growing immediately irritated. "And you clearly must be fine if you are able to joke about it so freely."
Karatenmon winced subtly at Grani's displeased reaction. He rubbed the back of his neck in sheepishness. "I'll rest afterwards… but the Stealth Forces aren't going to stop functioning just because I've got a bump on the head," he responded. "Anyway… the spies are collecting information. It seems like the Metal Empire is preparing for something, but at this point, I really can't say when or what."
Omegamon looked over at Grani. "How did your visit to the Mamemon Kingdom go?"
Grani closed his eyes, growing calm and professional again. "Poorly. PrinceMamemon isn't taking visitors at the moment, apparently," he responded. "I also noticed an increased military presence in Haganemame City, particularly around the palace. I believe he knows what is going to happen, so he will be calling on us for help once he gets frightened."
Alphamon nodded. "That seems likely."
"And what about this attack against us?" Craniamon asked with a frown.
Dukemon looked around the table. "We all know that Chaosdramon and the D-Brigade were behind it. There's no doubt about that. What's important is that two of our soldiers have been deleted and two were wounded. What are we going to do about it?" he asked the Royal Knights.
Duftmon folded his arms and closed his eyes. "Doesn't something feel strange about the attack, though?" he asked aloud. "A single tank-type Digimon attacking the castle from the front? It's absurd."
"He must have had other Digimon with him," UlforceVeedramon pointed out. "The two guards weren't taken out by firepower or else there'd have been more damage."
"Even so…" Duftmon mused.
Magnamon was leaning back in his chair with his arms folded. "Even so, we can't let them get away with it," he said firmly, a glower not far from his lips.
Alphamon glanced over at Magnamon. "What do you suggest we should do, Magnamon?" he asked him. "You were opposed to going to war before."
Magnamon's eyes shot over to Alphamon. "I still am. I never mentioned war," the gold knight responded pointedly. "We should take the Metal Empire out at the top. Get rid of Chaosdramon and the leading D-Brigade officials. Delete them, as it's our duty to do so."
"That's easier said than done, Magna," Dynasmon responded. "Facture's got better security than Havelock Prison."
"I doubt they're easy to take down either," Gankoomon stated, folding his arms.
"That doesn't mean we shouldn't try," Craniamon responded.
"There's no guarantee that would change anything, though," Examon countered. "If the D-Brigade is so disciplined, wouldn't its lower officers just rise up and take their place and retaliate with a vengeance? Taking Chaosdramon down doesn't necessarily mean everything beneath him would crumble."
Duftmon folded his arms. "You aren't wrong." He looked over at Karatenmon. "What do you think of the JumboGamemon loyalists? Perhaps we could convince them to rise up in revolt and assist them in causing disorder in the Metal Empire."
"It's hard to say," Karatenmon responded. "If you're even suspected of being one, you could be imprisoned or worse. It's a climate of fear and suspicion over there. That makes it hard to organize resistance."
"Hold on," Alphamon said, raising his hand. "I don't think we should be the ones to declare war. At least, not without solid evidence."
"Are you saying we should do nothing?" Magnamon asked him incredulously.
RhodoKnightmon turned his head to Alphamon. "I'm not sure that now is the time to be giving them the benefit of the doubt."
"I'm not saying that," Alphamon responded. "However, I don't think we should act immediately." He gave Magnamon a meaningful look. "Emotions are still running high, and we might end up making a decision that we will later regret."
Magnamon grimaced and looked down at his lap.
"Let's wait a bit before we decide what to do," Alphamon said to the whole table, trying to be as diplomatic as possible.
"I agree," Karatenmon spoke up, surprising some of the attendees of the meeting.
"You do?" Gankoomon asked him, cocking an eyebrow. "Even though they nearly blew you up?"
The raven ninja nodded and tugged at the bandage on his head. "Right now we're baying for blood and oil," he explained. "We should wait and let our tempers settle. This attack might have been a provocation to get us to declare war on the Metal Empire. Maybe they want us to lose the moral high ground or coax us into attacking them. We don't want to play into their hands."
"I suppose we cannot rule out that possibility," Duftmon stated.
Grani glanced over at Karatenmon with subdued interest. "That's surprisingly reasonable for you. Are you recalling your ninja training?" he asked him.
Karatenmon smiled. "I was second to top of my class."
"I can believe that," the Zero ARMS dryly stated.
"I also think we should wait," Examon put forward.
"So do I," Omegamon agreed.
Magnamon frowned. "Waiting somehow feels like a failure…" the Knight of Miracles said, making his frustration clear.
"It isn't," Sleipmon assured him. "You know you'd typically agree to wait, under different circumstances…"
"You mean if they didn't try to kill Metallife?" Magnamon asked in retort.
Dynasmon looked over at him. "You've gotta admit it, Magna," he said to him.
Magnamon sighed and rubbed his eyes. "I suppose so…" he conceded. "Just as long as we don't forget about this because it's inconvenient."
"We won't, Magnamon," Alphamon reassured him. He looked around at the rest of the Royal Knights. "Should we put it to a vote or do we more or less have consensus?"
The table of Royal Knights looked around at each other.
"I don't like the idea of waiting," Dukemon spoke up, "but I realize that it's probably the best idea right now."
"I suppose," Craniamon said with a nod.
"Yeah…" Dynasmon agreed with a sigh.
The rest gave either vocal or tacit agreement as well.
"Sounds like you have your answer," Gankoomon said to Alphamon.
"This won't be the last we talk about this," Alphamon promised them. "I'm as angry as the rest of you about that attack."
Knightmon nodded. "Anyway… How did the meeting with the Council of Seven go?"
"Good," Alphamon replied. "We got them to agree to help us with the Dark Area. We'll have to meet again to work out the finer details."
"I suppose that's good, at least," RhodoKnightmon stated.
UlforceVeedramon smiled a bit. "Dynasmon got really close with Councillor Rosemon too," he added, smirking over at the violet dragon knight.
"That can't be good for diplomacy," Craniamon deadpanned. Gankoomon let out a laugh at this.
"Shut it," Dynasmon told them, although grinning as well.
"Anything else noteworthy?" Duftmon asked.
"Only personal matters," Alphamon replied. "But this meeting isn't the place for that. I'll talk about the finer details of the meeting in my report."
UlforceVeedramon leaned forwards onto the table and looked over at Gankoomon and Sleipmon. "How did the inspection go?"
"Routine," Gankoomon said with a flick of his hand. "Sleipmon spent half of the time on autographs."
Sleipmon smiled sheepishly. "He's exaggerating…" he insisted.
"Doubt it," UlforceVeedramon chuckled.
"Is there anything else we need to address?" Duftmon asked aloud.
"MetallifeKuwagamon is recovering. He still can't walk, but Duskmon says he might be able to in a week or so," Omegamon stated.
"We need to increase our castle security," Magnamon informed them.
Knightmon nodded. "We're already on it. The walls will be double-guarded during the night with increased shifts so that each guard has fresh eyes."
"We've also got stone masons coming in from Templeton to repair the damage to the castle," Dukemon explained.
"How much'll it cost?" Ouryumon asked.
"Not sure yet," Dukemon answered. "They'll have to look at the damage first."
Dynasmon rose to his feet and stretched his arms and wings. "Ngh… Anyway, I guess that's it?" he asked everyone.
Alphamon stood up as well. "Seems to be."
Right as the Royal Knights began to rise, there was a knock at the door of the council room.
"Enter," Dynasmon said, heading over to the door anyways.
The doors opened and a Hawkmon flew in. "Excuse me," he politely greeted them.
Grani turned around and looked at him. "Hawkmon?" he asked curiously,
"What's up?" Dynasmon asked him.
"Grani, Sir. Royal Knights," the Hawkmon said, flapping his wings so that he gently landed on the ground. He bowed formally. "The Scouts sent me to deliver a message."
"Go ahead," Alphamon told the small bird Digimon.
"A digital anomaly," the falcon messenger explained. "The DADAR's been giving off readings and a patrol in the area noticed a strong energy."
"Who sent you?" Grani asked him.
"Leftenant MailBirdramon, Sir," Hawkmon responded, referring to the Digimon who was in charge of the Scouting division of the Reconnaissance Forces.
Grani looked over to the Royal Knights. Alphamon nodded to him. The Zero ARMS nodded in return and turned to Hawkmon. "Fetch him and tell him to meet us in the war room. We will head there now," he told him.
"Yes, Sir," Hawkmon replied, nodding and flying back down the great hall at swift speeds.
"Shall the rest of us get back to our duties?" Captain Knightmon asked, gesturing to himself, Ouryumon, and Karatenmon."
Alphamon nodded. "Yes. We'll call for you if we need you, Captains," he informed them. "Thank you for attending."
Ouryumon began to lead the way out with Knightmon and Karatenmon. "Don't worry. We'll make sure that Karatenmon goes to rest," he said, placing his hand on the crow man's shoulder.
"That really isn't necessary," Karatenmon said sheepishly as he was pushed along.
"You would have to lock the door in order for him to obey you," Grani said with a sigh.
"Thanks, Grani," Karatenmon sarcastically mentioned over his shoulder as the three other Captains walked away.
Ten minutes had passed since the council meeting ended. The Royal Knights gathered on one side of the war room. Zero ARMS: Grani and MailBirdramon were perched on the other side of the room.
MailBirdramon was a large steel dragon Digimon slightly larger than Grani was, though the castle's corridors were wide enough for him to fit through them. He had a steel coat on his neck, chin, talons, and top side of his wings. His body was a smooth, cobalt hue everywhere else. His cool, yellow eyes gazed at the 3D map table.
Craniamon leaned against the wall with his arms folded. He waited for the technical stuff to be finished so they could get to whatever the problem was. He watched as Duftmon stood at the war table, typing in the coordinates that were taken from the DADAR readings.
"…And finally, mu eight," MailBirdramon told him, finishing reading off the coordinates.
"That brings us to the north west," Duftmon said as he finished typing. "To the north of the Republic of Node. The Autonomous Expanse."
"The wilds," Gankoomon stated, having travelled through there many times.
MailBirdramon nodded. "The stretch of land ruled over by nobody. Consisting of a few independent cities, many autonomous towns, and the untamed wild."
Craniamon's interest was piqued. He glanced over to the war table, to see Duftmon bring up vectors of a familiar landscape on the 3D map. When he saw the terrain, he stood up straight from the wall.
"The exact coordinates are a kilometer to the west of Caer Ygg," Grani stated from memory.
Dynasmon raised an eyebrow and looked over at Craniamon. "Hey, Craniamon, isn't that your hometown?" he asked him.
Craniamon turned his crimson eyes away from the map and looked ahead of him. He shrugged his shoulders. "I guess so," he answered noncommittally.
"What's the situation?" UlforceVeedramon asked MailBirdramon.
"I can only speculate at the moment," MailBirdramon replied calmly. "There was an abnormal spike in data on the DADAR. We zoomed in and found a small but steady influx of irregular data in that location."
"This is starting to sound like Dusk Forest again," Examon stated, folding his winged arms and glancing over at Craniamon.
MailBirdramon nodded his long-necked head. "It does sound like it could be a dark rift. It shows the signs. I don't know if it is new or if we just missed it."
"It's impossible to find every one," Magnamon mused with a thoughtful frown on his face. "There's too much land to go over, even using the DADAR system."
Sleipmon scratched his cheek with a finger. "It must be new," he stated. "If it's been around for awhile, somebody would have reported it to us by now, right, Craniamon?" He looked over at Craniamon for his affirmation.
Craniamon glanced away. "Digimon in the Autonomous Expanse prefer to do their own thing," he dismissively said. "There's a reason people call it the wilds."
"It's different in the cities and towns though," Dukemon reasoned. "I mean, Caer Ygg's your hometown after all. If there was something weird going on, you'd be the first to know, right?"
The violet Royal Knight shrugged. "Yeah, sure," he tersely responded. "I didn't hear anything."
Alphamon glanced at Craniamon but focused his attention onto Grani and MailBirdramon. "Do we think it could be a dark evolution?" he questioned.
"It's in the realm of possibility," Grani responded.
Omegamon narrowed his eyes. "We have to make sure," he stated purposefully. "We're all aware of the power of the dark evolution."
"I agree," Dukemon concurred, his gold eyes lingering on Omegamon before looking across the room. "MailBirdramon, you said you had a scout there?"
MailBirdramon half-nodded. "In the general area, Sir… He reported seeing an unusual aura in the forest, as well as a general feeling of nausea and uneasiness," the leader of the scouts explained. "However, he decided it was better to return here than to risk making visual confirmation."
"It's better to be safe in that situation," Dynasmon said. "That way, the message can get to us."
"Indeed," RhodoKnightmon replied as he crossed a leg over the other. "So, what should we do about it? Send a team from the Strike Forces to investigate?"
Dukemon frowned at the idea. "I don't know, Rhodo. What about the situation with the Metal Empire?" he asked.
Alphamon narrowed his eyes and rubbed his chin pensively. "…I can see where Dukemon's coming from," he stated. "I don't feel comfortable sending our military anywhere right now. It could be deliberately construed as a provocation. Or they could be attacked. I think it would be best to consolidate our defences here and keep up their training and preparations for the time being."
"Then what do we do?" Gankoomon asked, cocking his head to the side and folding his arms. "Can't just ignore it."
"May I suggest sending a team of two Royal Knights?" Duftmon put forward. "We would be able to move in secret, and we should have the power to put any potential dark evolution down. It makes the most sense, tactically and logistically."
"Can we afford to send two Royal Knights off at a time like this?" Sleipmon asked him.
"Ten Royal Knights at the headquarters is plenty," Duftmon insisted. "Besides, even if we were to decide to attack the Metal Empire, the two knights would likely be done before our forces even made it out of the Free Area. Simply speaking hypothetically…"
"Two knights it is," UlforceVeedramon stated. "Anybody want to go?"
Examon looked over at Craniamon. "We can assume Craniamon will be one of the two," he pointed out.
"No, we can't," Craniamon responded.
"…What?" Examon asked incredulously.
Craniamon shrugged. "I'm gonna pass on this one," he said as if it was no big deal.
A stunned silence swept over the war room and everybody turned to look at the violet Royal Knight with disbelief.
UlforceVeedramon walked up Craniamon and put his hands on his shoulders. He then shook him wildly. "Who are you and what have you done with the real Craniamon?!" he demanded.
"Guh!" Craniamon pushed UlforceVeedramon's hands away. "Cut it out," he said to him. The skull-themed knight looked around at everybody and saw their bewildered expressions. "…What?"
"…Are you feeling alright, Craniamon?" Alphamon asked him.
"I feel great," Craniamon responded defensively. "I don't want to take the mission. So what?"
"It's your hometown," Examon stated, blinking.
Craniamon rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I do know that, Examon," he sarcastically replied. "Does that mean I have to go?"
"It could be in danger," Sleipmon added.
"It's a hassle," the violet Royal Knight said, folding his arms. "Two of you can do it."
Dukemon scratched his cheek with a finger. "That's not even the weirdest part of all this…" he mentioned.
"I never thought I'd live to see the day that Craniamon turns down a mission," Magnamon said, his eyes wide with agreement.
"You're always talking about getting the top mission completion rate…" Omegamon said, staring in disbelief as well. "It's alright to admit you're not feeling well…"
"I'm feeling fine," Craniamon said with growing annoyance in his tone. "At least, I was…"
"Then why don't you want to go?" UlforceVeedramon questioned.
"Gah! Do I need a reason?" Craniamon said with frustration. "Quit piling on me."
Dynasmon folded his arms. "I'll go," he stated firmly.
Craniamon glanced away. "See? No big dea—"
"—And you're coming with me, Craniamon," Dynasmon added decisively.
The Royal Knight in question glared at him. "…What?" he coolly asked.
"Or are you seriously telling me that you, Craniamon, are turning down a mission?" Dynasmon questioned, giving him a level stare. "Can you handle it, knowing that you refused to take a mission? You're a Royal Knight. You have a responsibility to the Digital World, remember? Or don't you care about your responsibilities? Are you going to spit on your own personal oath, Craniamon?"
Craniamon winced and clenched his fists. "Fine!" he barked through his visor. "I'll go, if it means that much to all of you. What do I care…? Just shut up about it already."
Dukemon grinned and leaned over to Omegamon and Alphamon. "Dynasmon can be persuasive when he wants to be," he murmured to them.
"He certainly can," Alphamon responded, a bead of sweat gracing his head.
"I wonder what's with Craniamon, though," Omegamon mentioned.
Duftmon turned his attention back to the war map. "Good. So, Dynasmon and Craniamon are going. I trust you know the terrain well enough, Craniamon," the leopard knight said to them.
"I know it," Craniamon muttered, walking over to the table. "That's a glade in Iron Forest."
"That's not as bad as Dusk Forest, is it?" Examon asked him, remembering their last trip to a forest to investigate a similar situation.
"It's much more open. Less dense," Craniamon answered. "The tree trunks are as hard as iron though."
"I suppose that's something," Examon responded, recalling how hard it was for him to move around in Dusk Forest.
Dynasmon placed his hands on his hips. "So, Craniamon and me will—"
"'Craniamon and I will'," Duftmon corrected his grammar.
"—go up to Caer Ygg and look around," Dynasmon continued without missing a beat. "We'll find out what's going on."
"Be careful," Omegamon told them.
"We will, Megz," Dynasmon replied with a grin. "Right, Craniamon?"
Craniamon rolled his glowing eyes. He turned around and headed to the door. "If we're done, I'm going to go get ready," his deep voice informed them as he walked out of the room.
When the door closed behind him, UlforceVeedramon looked around. "What's with him?" he asked.
"Maybe he doesn't want to leave the castle after the attack," Magnamon suggested.
"Or maybe he's always grumpy like that," Gankoomon said with a shrug.
"He rarely ever willingly turns down missions though," Dukemon pointed out. "It's not like him."
"I'll see how he is once we're gone," Dynasmon assured them. "Think you guys can handle things while we're gone?"
"I'm sure we'll manage, Bull-face," Gankoomon told him with a grin. "You two go enjoy yourselves on your man date."
Dynasmon rolled his eyes. "It's a mission, Moustache, but if you're feeling jealous, you can go instead," he counter-teased.
Gankoomon smirked. "I'm good. Just as long as Wyvern makes sure you two behave."
"Is that your way of saying you're worried about us? How sweet," Dynasmon responded with a chuckle.
Alphamon decided to step in before their usual ribbing session got out of hand again. "So, how do you plan to get up there?" he asked Dynasmon.
Dynasmon turned and shrugged. "We'll probably take the Locomon Rail to New Terminal and then walk from there. I think that's fastest?"
"You know what to do if it's a dark rift," Alphamon said to him.
The white and violet Royal Knight nodded. "Don't worry, Alphamon. Just take care of things here."
Alphamon smiled. "Alright. We'll leave it to you two. Good luck, Dynasmon."
Dynasmon grinned and gave them a thumbs up. "Thanks. I'll go get ready."
With that, he walked out of the war room and left the other knights to finish up there. As Dynasmon headed to his room to pack, he wondered what exactly was up with Craniamon.
One Locomon ride later, the morning became midday, and after a few hours of brisk walking, the midday turned to the early afternoon. The two Royal Knights made their way up to the northwest of the Republic of Node.
The weather there was much different than the constant clouds and occasional rain currently affecting Splendor's Reach and other parts of the Free Area. It was mostly sunny with several low-hanging clouds. The temperature was warm, but only mildly so, and there was a soft breeze blowing down the grassy hills.
Craniamon strode down a wide, dirt path at a hurried walking pace. Dynasmon lingered behind him several meters, walking at a more relaxed pace. Around the dirt path were rolling fields of grass. The emerald blades of grass swayed back and forth in the breezed. In the distance were several hills which gave the landscape the resemblance of ocean waves at the height of a storm.
Dynasmon glanced at the violet Royal Knight ahead of him with a puzzled expression. Craniamon seemed impatient for some reason. He hardly slowed down the whole time, and he couldn't sit still at all while on the Locomon. This seemed contrary to his initial reactions to coming.
"Hey, Craniamon!" he called over to him. "Slow down. You'll tire yourself out. We're supposed to be regaining our energy before we start jogging again."
"I'm fine," Craniamon responded dismissively. He then thumbed to the nearby grassland. "Come on. Let's take a shortcut and go across the fields."
Dynasmon raised an eyebrow and kept walking along the path. "How is that a shortcut? Going up all those hills won't be faster; let's just keep taking the road to Falconhead. It'll only take a few more hours. Then we can stay there overnight and head north from there tomorrow."
"I bet my way is quicker," Craniamon urged him impatiently. "Come on, Dynasmon. We'll be there fast enough."
"Do you know the way to Caer Ygg from the middle of nowhere?" Dynasmon asked him sceptically. "I bet we'll get lost."
Craniamon rolled his eyes and muttered inside his helmet. "And wouldn't that be a shame?" he sarcastically murmured. "Don't be a wuss, Dynasmon. Let's go. I'll race you."
Dynasmon stared at him flatly. "I don't want to race. I'm getting tired of racing," he responded. He raised his arm and pointed down the road. "There's a vending machine up ahead. I want to stop there for a drink."
"Fine…" Craniamon spoke in response. "Race you there."
"Cr—" Before Dynasmon could respond, Craniamon bolted into a sprint. Instantly feeling a challenge to his masculinity, the dragon man released an annoyed curse under his breath and reluctantly ran after Craniamon. "Hey!"
"You need more than just muscle!" Craniamon called behind him, ripping down the road in full plate armour.
"You need more than hot air!" Dynasmon shouted back, beginning to close the gap between them.
Craniamon pushed himself harder, increasing his speed down the road. He could see the distant rectangle grow closer. He grinned behind his visor and sprinted for it.
Within a matter of seconds, he skidded to a stop on the road, kicking up dust and dirt as he decelerated. He turned around and folded his arms across his chest smugly. "You lose, Dynasmon," he told him with a subtle, victorious grin.
Dynasmon slowed down and walked up to him, rolling his eyes. "You had a head start."
"Sorry. Can't hear you over all that dust," he teased him.
Dynasmon gave him a light punch on the arm and walked up to the vending machine that stood by the side of the road. There was nothing else nearby – just the vending machine. It was the sole landmark as far as the eye could see. The vending machine seemed to be plugged into the ground, although they weren't even sure that there was a power source. It was just one of the many oddities in the Digital World that most Digimon took without a second thought.
Right next to the machine was a small, circular hole in the ground. It didn't appear to have a bottom – at least not a visible one. There was a sign behind it that read 'Thank you for recycling!' in digi-letters.
He inserted a few coins into the vending machine and looked over the possible options in the machine. It was mostly cans or bottles of drinks inside, but there were a few small snacks as well. "Hmm… What do you think I should get? Coco Cola or iced tea?"
Craniamon put a hand on the machine and leaned against it. "Neither are particularly healthy. Get juice or water or something," he advised him.
"I want something good," Dynasmon responded, pressing a few buttons to get a can of cola.
"Fine. Get me a water then," Craniamon told me.
"What happened to your money?" Dynasmon asked him light heartedly as he bent down to retrieve his drink.
"You lost the race. You're buying," the violet Royal Knight informed him.
Dynasmon gave him a sideways glance. "We never agreed to that," he muttered, although he bought Craniamon a bottle of water anyways. He stood up and tossed Craniamon the bottle, which the warrior caught handily. Dynasmon used the tip of claw to pop the cap of his drink, causing it to hiss and fizz. He took a quick drink from the can and then turned to Craniamon. "So… What's up?"
Craniamon opened his bottled water and tipped up his visor so that he could drink. "Huh?" he asked after a gulp of the thirst-quenching liquid.
"You've been edgy and impatient all day," Dynasmon observed, taking another drink.
Craniamon tipped up the bottle and began chugging all of the water down. Once the last drop was gone, he tossed the bottle into the recycling hole and folded his arms. "No, I haven't," he answered briskly.
"Yeah, you have," Dynasmon responded with a grin.
"I just want to get to Falconhead already," Craniamon told him offhandedly. "Are you done?"
Dynasmon rolled his eyes and glugged down the rest of his drink. "I am now," he told him, tossing the can in the nearby hole as well. "Let's get going if you're so eager."
"I was waiting for you," Craniamon told him. He turned around and walked down the road, away from Dynasmon and the vending machine.
Dynasmon sighed and jogged to catch up with him. He intended to find out what was wrong, one way or another.
It was several hours before Dynasmon and Craniamon reached their destination: Falconhead.
Falconhead was a major city in the Republic of Node. The city itself was built at the top of a steep, sturdy cliff in the northwest part of the Republic. Falconhead was built on a plateau that overlooked a deep valley hundreds of meters below. The walls of the cliff were dark and vertical. It offered residents a beautiful view as well as a natural defence from the north. On the south side was just a gradual – almost level - incline for kilometers, so accessing the city that way was fairly easy.
Like the city of Cloudspire, Falconhead was very aerial Digimon-friendly. A big part of its population consisted of avian, insect, and angel Digimon. The city itself seemed to open itself up to the sky, where Digimon could be seen flying around constantly. For those that wanted to go north into the valley, they would either have to fly down from the fenced cliff edge or take the cave network built into the plateau that comes out at the base of the cliff.
Since it was the evening by the time they arrived, Dynasmon and Craniamon decided to stay overnight and then head up to Craniamon's hometown in the early morning. They chose to stay at one of the inns in the city for the night.
The two Royal Knights found themselves in the bar portion of the inn. They sat in a booth against the wall, below a faded, translucent window. In front of each of them were empty plates with only juices, sauce and scraps of food remaining on them. They each held a large mug of frothing, golden ale in their hands.
Dynasmon brought his glass to his mouth and took a large swig of the strong, bubbly liquid. "Ahh! That sure hits the spot!" he exclaimed.
"Yeah…" Craniamon responded, taking a drink as well.
Both were feeling the effects of the potent liquid at this point.
Dynasmon grinned widely at the knight across from him. "Don't drink too much, okay? We've got to wake up early tomorrow," he reminded him.
Craniamon rolled his eyes. "Look who's talking…" he responded playfully. "Don't try to pick up any female Digimon here, while you're at it. You'll give us a bad name."
"I know my lovemaking skills are the best among the Royal Knights, but you don't have to worry about that," Dynasmon teased.
"Oh, don't flatter yourself," Craniamon answered, taking another swig of his beer.
Dynasmon smirked. "I knew getting a beer or two down you would help."
The violet Royal Knight glanced up at him. "What are you talking about?" he asked curiously.
"Well, you've been acting weird all day," the dragon knight pointed out.
Craniamon suddenly frowned and looked down at his bubbling drink. "No, I haven't…"
"Yes, you have," Dynasmon replied. He then grinned and thumbed at his shoulders. "Even Wyvern noticed."
"Well, you're both wrong," Craniamon tersely informed him.
Dynasmon leaned back in his seat and folded his arms with an unconvinced expression. "Come on, Craniamon. I know something's up. Just tell me."
Craniamon frowned more intensely, as if glaring into his drink. He didn't reply.
Dynasmon leaned forward on the table. "We're buddies aren't we? Spill already. Maybe I can help," he put forward.
"Tch," Craniamon scoffed, looking off to the side grimly. "Not likely." He took another drink from his beer.
The wyvern knight furrowed his brows. "Are you worried that the castle will be attacked while we're gone?" he asked him.
Craniamon sighed and shook his helmeted head. "It's not that…"
"Then what?"
Craniamon turned his red eyes back to Dynasmon and shot him an annoyed leer for the constant pestering. "I don't want to go to Caer Ygg," he finally conceded.
Dynasmon raised an eyebrow. "What? That's it?" he asked him incredulously. "You're putting up the whole 'frozen treatment' just because you don't want to go to your hometown?"
Craniamon gave him a frigid glare. "Maybe we should go to your hometown and see how you react," he retorted brusquely.
Dynasmon glanced down at his drink and there was a quick dance of blue on his shoulders as Wyvern protested the words. "…Hey, at least you still have a hometown," Dynasmon told him calmly. He quietly raised his mug of beer and took another drink.
The violet Royal Knight winced when he thought about what he just said. He immediately felt guilty when he realized the insensitive comment that he made; Craniamon forgot that Dynasmon's home had been destroyed a long time ago. He placed his drink down and rubbed his face sheepishly. "Sorry…" Craniamon apologized to him with a bit of heat in his face. "I wasn't thinking..."
Dynasmon gave him a small, reassuring smile. "Forget it... It's ancient history now," he insisted. He lowered his glass onto the table and ran his claw up and down the handle. "But it does make me confused. Why wouldn't you want to go to your hometown? …Come to think of it, I can't remember the last time you really talked about Caer Ygg."
Craniamon sighed and looked up at Dynasmon. "That's because I haven't returned home since I left."
The white-armoured Royal Knight tilted his head quizzically. "What do you mean 'since you left'? You mean…?"
"Since before I became a Royal Knight," Craniamon responded, leering down at his swirling beverage. "Several months after I evolved from Knightmon to Craniamon, I left and never went back."
Dynasmon rubbed the back of his neck. "…Why? Any particular reason?" he asked him, looking across the table at his comrade with both interest and consideration.
Craniamon raised his beer and sighed into the glass, inadvertently fogging it up before taking a drink of the liquid. After he swallowed, he put the empty mug down and looked at Dynasmon. "I don't know. Maybe. It wasn't like it was one single thing," he explained. His voice was agitated; he wasn't used to talking about himself. "When I hit my Ultimate form – felt more comfortable in myself – Caer Ygg didn't feel big enough for me anymore…"
"How do you mean?" Dynasmon questioned.
"It felt too small… too slow," Craniamon explained. "When I became a Ultimate, I felt this desire to go off and achieve something. I wanted to do something that challenged me and my power. I wanted to make a name for myself. I couldn't do that hanging around Caer Ygg. That's why I left and adventured all over the world. A lot of Ultimate-level Digimon feel like that, don't they?"
Dynasmon nodded. "Yeah, I guess a lot of them do. My situation was different, but I can definitely understand it," he said.
"So, that's the main reason. There really wasn't much for me there. I wanted to go off and be one of the best," Craniamon explained, a bit of sheepishness if his voice.
"How long after that until we first met?" Dynasmon asked him.
Craniamon thought for a few moments. "Years later. Can't remember," he informed him.
Dynasmon chuckled and remembered their meeting. "You were a selfish asshole. You still were when you joined the Order."
"Maybe…" Craniamon conceded, still feeling the buzz from his drink. "But I had the skills."
Dynasmon grinned and leaned back against his wings. "Well, it wasn't your winning personality that got you into the Order," he pointed out. "You got better as time when on, though. Got to be more of a team player and less of a loner. You got less arrogant too."
"Arrogant, huh…?" Craniamon mused.
"Yeah. You came off too confident in your abilities. Like you automatically deserved to be in the Order," Dynasmon mused, thinking back to how Craniamon used to be. "At least, until Alphamon served you that humble pie in that first sparring match."
Although flushing at the memory, Craniamon smiled faintly. "I remember it well… That was when I realized I still had a long way to go to get to the same level as the rest of you. It was a bitter pill to swallow at the time. Like maybe I really didn't deserve to be a Royal Knight," he stated, remembering.
Dynasmon smirked. "You pushed yourself hard after that. You impressed me with the effort you put in," he stated. "Though I could tell that you put a lot of a pressure on yourself to be in the same league as the rest of us. You put a lot of significance into the title of Royal Knight, didn't you?"
Craniamon simply shrugged. Dynasmon knew that that was one of his tacit yeses, but that things were getting too personal and intimate for him, even in his drunk state. The dragon knight decided to ease off his questions. "But anyways…"
"And you?" the black digizoid-armoured Royal Knight asked. "Was it as hard for you becoming part of the Order as it was for me?"
"It was a new, weird experience for all of us," Dynasmon responded, thinking back to all those years ago. "But yeah, I had trouble too…"
"How?" Craniamon questioned, eager to move the subject off himself.
"Hmm… It was hard being part of a group and it was really hard trying to settle down into a single place for a long time after being a mercenary for so long," he admitted.
Craniamon nodded.
Dynasmon frowned as he thought. "…It was also hard allowing myself to trust people again."
Craniamon looked up and stared across the table at Dynasmon. His glowing, red eyes observed him with a curious, pensive leer.
They were interrupted when a Fairimon waitress walked over to their table to collect their empty plates. "Can I get you two anything else?" she asked with a polite smile.
Dynasmon glanced over at Craniamon. "Want anything?"
"I'm fine," Craniamon answered.
"I think we'll pay up, then," Dynasmon said to the waitress.
The waitress collected their mugs as well. "Okay. I'll be right back with the bills."
Dynasmon looked at Craniamon. "We should have an early night if we want to get up early," he told him.
Craniamon nodded. "Yeah, might as well."
As the two Royal Knights waited for the bill, they each quietly thought to themselves. Craniamon thought about what Dynasmon said.
Meanwhile, Dynasmon still had more that he wanted to ask Craniamon. However, he decided it would be best to wait until tomorrow. He reminded himself to ask him before they made it to Caer Ygg.
As soon as dawn broke the next day, Dynasmon and Craniamon were already off. They set out from Falconhead and headed north into the valley. They continued north until they reached the Autonomous Expanse.
The terrain there was rugged and untamed – much like many of the Digimon residing in the territory itself. The Autonomous Expanse was by no means a homogeneous territory. It had varying types of landscapes depending on where in the Wilds you were. There were rocky, weathered wastelands, dense forests, raging rivers, craggy mountains, and sweeping plains. Most of these areas were rich with overgrown flora.
The two Royal Knights made their way across one of the plains. Its flat terrain was covered by a mixture of grass and blackish dirt. Over to their left was a small river that flowed from a small set of mountains in the far distance. They walked along a dirt road at a leisurely speed. About a kilometer ahead of them, at the end of the road, was a sizeable, citadel town built on top of a medium-sized hill. It was surrounded by a twenty meter high, stone wall. It somehow looked uninviting.
Dark grey clouds enveloped the sky, giving the landscape a forbidding atmosphere. After a few minutes, droplets of rain began to lightly fall from the sky. The clouds had been threatening showers for the past hour or so.
The two violet-themed knights meandered down the road. Dynasmon noted that Craniamon had been walking progressively slower as they drew closer. Suddenly, Dynasmon halted when a bead of water splashed down onto his white helmet. He outstretched his arm and opened up his palm to feel the sprinkle of raindrops.
"Looks like the rain caught up with us," Dynasmon remarked as he looked up at the sky.
"Great," Craniamon muttered to himself. He trudged down the path and glanced off to the side, coming to a stop once he caught up with Dynasmon. "Why don't we go around Caer Ygg? That's faster."
Dynasmon placed his hands on his hips and turned to face Craniamon directly. "You really don't want to go, do you?" he deduced.
Craniamon shrugged noncommittally. "No big deal to me," he insisted with forced indifference.
"Then let's go to the city first," Dynasmon said, intent on getting a response.
"It's a waste of time," Craniamon said forcefully.
"We need to see if this potential dark rift had any effect on the Digimon there," the dragon man reminded him. "You want to see for yourself, don't you?"
The royal purple knight glowered behind his helmet, which was starting to grow wet with drops of rain. "Fine. Whatever…" he said, trying to sound apathetic. He walked past Dynasmon and continued down the road towards the city.
Dynasmon raised an eyebrow and went to walk beside him. "I don't get you, Crania. Why don't you want to visit Caer Ygg? Okay, it's been a long time since you left. What's the big deal?" he questioned.
"You wouldn't get it," Craniamon responded, side-glancing at him.
Dynasmon folded his arms, ignoring the drops of rain peppering their bodies. "Try me."
Craniamon turned his glowing, red eyes away from Dynasmon, looking towards the river. "I told you. I haven't been here since just after I became a Ultimate-level. I haven't visited, I haven't dropped by while I was in the area, I haven't even written," he told him emphatically.
The dragon knight looked at him curiously. "Why not? I would have visited my hometown if I could."
Craniamon shrugged. "I don't know… When I became a Royal Knight, I was somebody different than who I was when I was younger. I was better. It was like a fresh start. I guess I wanted to put the past behind me or something…"
Dynasmon frowned. "You didn't even want to write? Don't you have people who care about you living here?"
Craniamon walked silently for a few steps. "…I'm not much of a writer," he responded after deliberation.
The white and violet dragon leered at his comrade out of the corner of his eyes. "It's pretty selfish to toss aside important people in your life just because you moved up in the world," Dynasmon told him pointedly.
The knight of black digizoid didn't respond. He just walked quietly and balled up his fists.
"You don't know how good you have it, Craniamon. You have a home and a family to go back to. Dukemon and I don't have that same luxury. But you act like it doesn't even matter," Dynasmon admonished him.
Craniamon glared at the road ahead of him. "My situation isn't the same as yours was, Dynasmon. Don't try to tell me how good I have it. And stop forcing your desires onto me," he responded coldly to the criticism.
Dynasmon scowled. "I'm trying to make you see how big an idiot you're being," he retorted sharply. "You're just acting like a coward."
A cold scowl formed behind Craniamon's helmet. "Think what you want," he dismissively muttered.
"I plan to!"
The conversation ended there. As the two Royal Knights continued down the road towards Caer Ygg, an awkward silence and a tense atmosphere washed over them. They still walked side-by-side, but neither spoke to the other as the rain continued to pelt their armoured bodies.
After about five minutes of uncomfortable walking, Dynasmon glanced over at Craniamon. "Were you planning to bring up your shield or anything? We're getting wet," he said to him, though there was still lingering irritation in his voice.
Craniamon silently placed his hand on his black digizoid chest armour and pulled the Avalon shield from it by accessing its data. He raised the large, black shield over their heads to shelter them from the rain.
The two continued to walk towards the walled city. They could see the gates ahead of them, as well as some Digimon on the walls looking at them suspiciously.
Several minutes later, they approached the opened gate and the base of the walls. As the two Royal Knights began to walk towards the gateway to pass through the walls, a guard came out to meet them. It was a giant, green dinosaur with massive horns protruding from his back. The Tuskmon took a few steps forwards and leered down at the two mega-level knights.
"Halt. Who goes there?" the dinosaur Digimon asked the Royal Knights.
"Dynasmon and Craniamon of the Order of the Royal Knights," Dynasmon informed him.
The Tuskmon blinked curiously at his response. His eyes rested on Craniamon and then looked back at Dynasmon. "Please state your business."
Dynasmon glanced at Craniamon enquiringly. However, the knight in question looked away.
"We're here to investigate a data anomaly in the nearby forest. Can we enter?" Dynasmon asked him.
The Tuskmon frowned and then looked over his shoulder. "I'd better ask… Please wait here," he responded. He turned around at a wide angle before tromping back inside the walled city to the nearby gatehouse.
Dynasmon looked over at Craniamon. "That was weird. Wasn't it?"
"Mm…" was Craniamon's only reply.
"They've gotta know who the Royal Knights are, right?" Dynasmon questioned.
Craniamon frowned in response.
The Tuskmon clomped back through the gate and strode over to them. "Sorry. Yeah. You two can enter…" he told them. "I guess you'll be wanting to see the mayor?"
The violet Royal Knight didn't respond.
"Yeah, please," Dynasmon answered instead.
The dinosaur guard nodded. "Need someone to take you there?" he asked them.
"Nah, we've got it covered," Dynasmon said, looking back at Craniamon.
"Okay. Back to guard duty then," the Tuskmon stated, letting them pass through.
Craniamon walked forwards silently, leading the way. He headed up a wide, stone road that went up the hill at a soft incline.
Dynasmon sighed and extended his hand, placing it on Craniamon's shoulder to stop him. "Look, Crania, sorry for being judgmental earlier... I just can't understand what the problem is."
Craniamon glanced over at him. "Forget it, Dynasmon," he assured him. "It's just… well, you'll probably see…"
The knight clad in white plate armour moved his hand off Craniamon's skull-themed spaulder. "If you say so…" he said, walking forward up the wide, stone road.
The violet paladin followed after a moment of hesitation. He walked up beside Dynasmon and continued using the Avalon as an umbrella for them. He had an ulterior motive in that the shield might conceal him as he walked through the city.
The main road leading up from the gate and further into the city was broad and long. It led up the sizeable hill of Caer Ygg to the small citadel at the apex of the hill, and then back down to the opposite side of the hill. The road wasn't steep; it was only inclined enough that the rain water could flow down the gutters of the road. On each side of the street were several shops, ateliers, inns, restaurants, and the like.
Several Digimon made their way up and down the street despite the rain, going from one place to another or in and out of shops. Some of the Digimon stopped and stared at the two Royal Knights as the pair headed up the road. Others glanced at them out of the corners of their eyes with looks of suspicion and unease.
Craniamon noticed the eyes gawking at them. He expected it, really. However, he still felt edgy and perturbed.
Dynasmon also picked up on the gazes. He looked around them with confusion. This wasn't the reception he was used to. Usually the Royal Knights were greeted with admiration and excitement, or, at the very least, respect. That didn't seem to be the case here.
As the two Digimon walked by, they were able to hear the murmurs between the onlookers.
"Aren't those the Royal Knights?" one whispered.
"What are they doing here?" another mumbled back.
"That's Craniamon, isn't it?"
"What's he doing back here?"
"Who's that guy he's with?"
"What do they want?"
The murmurings continued as Craniamon and Dynasmon kept walking. They saw more Digimon ahead of them stop and turn to look at the two outsiders.
Craniamon tried his best to ignore the gazes and the comments. He ducked his head just stared at the road ahead of him.
Meanwhile, Dynasmon frowned at the unusual reception and looked around at the nearby Digimon, many of whom averted their gazes when his eyes landed on them. The Royal Knight looked at Craniamon questioningly.
Craniamon pretended not to notice and just continued walking, past several more Digimon who eyed them and mumbled to one another.
"Didn't Craniamon used to live here?"
"I heard the mayor exiled him."
"Isn't he called the Demon Knight?"
Craniamon continued walking silently. He tried to focus on the road and the sound of the rain pelting the Avalon shield above him. He angled the shield slightly to further conceal his face. With his free hand, he balled up his fist tightly.
Dynasmon frowned harder and looked at Craniamon incredulously. "What's the deal, Craniamon?" he asked him.
"Nothing…" Craniamon responded simply, yet unconvincingly.
The Digimon continued to glance at him out of the corners of their eyes, still muttering.
"No, no. He's the Death Knight," one said in hushed voice. "I mean, look at him. Skulls everywhere."
"I heard he left because he killed somebody and his father disowned him."
"I doubt it. I just heard he and his father had a big fight."
"But he just looks evil, doesn't he?"
"I get shivers just being near him. Even his shield is scary. And those eyes…"
"His partner there looks as rough as he does."
"I don't know what he's doing back here. He thought he was too good for this place."
"How did he become one of the Royal Knights?"
Craniamon maintained his icy expression and proceeded forwards, up the hill.
Dynasmon scowled at the murmurs, rumours, and comments as they turned increasingly bitter and snide. Hearing people say malicious and hurtful things about his friend caused his blood to boil. He clenched his large fists and stormed ahead of Craniamon to make himself known.
"Do any of you have something you want to say?!" Dynasmon challenged them, looking around at all the Digimon in the near vicinity.
A shocked and embarrassed silence swept across the street. Nobody really wanted to face down a Royal Knight who just called them out.
Craniamon grimaced and lowered his shield, allowing the rain to fall on his body. He walked towards Dynasmon. "It's fine, Dynasmon. Forget it," he told him as he passed by the dragon knight.
Dynasmon stared at Craniamon as the violet knight walked ahead of him. "Tch," he scoffed, relaxing his arms and letting the issue drop. As he strode forwards to catch up with Craniamon, several of the Digimon released a breath of relief.
He broadened his violet wings out into the rain and stepped up beside his fellow Royal Knight. "You okay?" Dynasmon asked him.
"I'm fine," Craniamon insisted coolly. "Why wouldn't I be?"
Dynasmon eyed him sceptically. "You heard what they said back there…" he said to him, rubbing the back of his neck. "What the hell was that about? And don't tell me nothing - because I'm not an idiot."
Craniamon sighed. He knew there wasn't any point denying it anymore. "I was never expecting a warm welcome when I returned," he informed him. "It was a cold farewell..."
The wyvern knight's gaze softened. "But why?" he questioned.
Craniamon continued leading the way up the ascent, his armour rattling softly with every step. "One of them had it right; I did have an argument with my father when I left," he explained.
"About what?" Dynasmon persisted, knowing that he'd have to pry in order to get Craniamon to divulge more details.
He turned his head up towards the citadel at the apex of the hill. "Me leaving," Craniamon responded. "I wanted to carve a path in the world myself. He wanted to carve it for me. Simply put, I wanted to leave, and he wanted me to stay."
"It sounds like he was just worried about you," Dynasmon assumed.
Craniamon looked over at the dragon beside him. "It wasn't like that, Dynasmon. He was never that kind of father… I had my own plans, but they went against his plans for me. That's why he wouldn't let me leave."
"I see…" Dynasmon said with a frown. "Think he's still here?"
"Most likely," Craniamon answered. "We'll see..."
"Didn't you ever want to write to him after all these years?" the lavender blue Royal Knight asked. "Even just out of curiosity?"
Craniamon frowned as he scaled the hill. "I'm not… good at writing personal letters…" he muttered. "Besides, it's been too long…"
"Maybe long enough to put the past behind you two," Dynasmon suggested.
The violet warrior sighed with exasperation. "Dynasmon… Don't get any ideas about trying to patch things up between me and my father. I know you mean well, but…" he said, giving Dynasmon a meaningful glance.
"Hey, I'm just suggesting," Dynasmon responded, putting his hands up. "Don't dismiss it out of hand. You can see him after we're done and see how you feel then."
"Might see him sooner," Craniamon mumbled under his breath.
Both Royal Knights reached the top of the hill after ten more minutes of walking. At the zenith of the hill was a giant stone building that stood taller and wider than the rest. It was the citadel of Caer Ygg.
The town was built around the fort for protection from the dangers of the Wilds. At one time – and still, to a degree – the Wilds were plagued by bandits and fearsome Digimon. There were fights and skirmishes over territory, resources, food, money, and sometimes no real reason. Nobody controlled the harsh terrain of the Autonomous Expanse, they merely inhabited it.
The citadel itself was a massive building of thick stone. It was smaller than the Royal Knights' castle, but the building still towered over the rest of the structures in Caer Ygg. Each corner of the building had sturdy bastions. Rain washed down the rock walls, causing it to glisten. Standing by the large, double-doored entrance were two guards. One was a buff, bull-like body of a Minotaurmon, and the Centalmon adjacent to him had the body of a centaur. They stood inside the portico to avoid getting wet as the rain continued to drizzle.
Dynasmon and Craniamon walked up to them, prompting their attention.
"Can we help you?" the Minotaurmon guard asked the Royal Knights.
"We're here to see the mayor," Dynasmon said to them.
"It's a matter of security," Craniamon added.
The two guards exchanged looks. After a moment, the Centalmon turned towards the doors. "Follow me," he said, pushing the doors open and disappearing inside.
Dynasmon followed him inside while Craniamon hesitated for a moment before steeling himself and walking in as well.
The interior was stone and formal. The citadel was less a military keep than it was an administrative building. It was the mayor's place of work. In the lobby, there was a red carpet laid out for the Royal Knights to wipe their wet boots on.
The Centalmon led the two Digimon down a long, wide hallway. The atmosphere was cold and stiff somehow. It might have been due to the austere interior design that the building felt so unwelcoming.
Soon, the guard stopped in front of a door at the end of the hallway. He raised his hand and knocked.
"Yes?" a voice asked.
"There are two visitors here to see you," the Centalmon guard said through the door. "They say it's a matter of security."
"Send them in," the male voice told him.
The Centalmon guard opened the door and backed away. Dynasmon walked in first, followed by Craniamon.
The room was an administrative office. Along the walls were bookshelves full of organized books, scrolls, and maps. The air in the room had a stuffy, papery scent. On the opposite side of the room was a long desk covered with neatly arranged papers and things.
Behind the desk was a humanoid Digimon dressed in red garments. Over his chest, he wore ornate silver armour fitted with a violet cape. He had a human face with a white skin and brown hair. On top of the top half of his head was a cross between a crown and a pointed, purple, wizard hat. Beside him, on the desk, was a glowing gem that he used as a light source.
As the Mistymon rose from the desk, he suddenly froze upon seeing Craniamon and Dynasmon walk in. For a split second, his eyes widened, but he soon regained his composure and stood up straight.
Craniamon stopped upon entering the room and gazed at the Mistymon mayor. He took in a deep breath.
Dynasmon watched as the Mistymon began to walk around the desk so that he could approach them. He decided to speak up and introduce them formally. "Hello, Mayor," Dynasmon said to him. "I'm Dynasmon and this is Craniamon. We're members of the—"
"I know who you are," Mistymon responded, walking up to the pair of them unflappably. He turned his head and looked at the knight next to Dynasmon. "…Craniamon…"
Craniamon stared the Mistymon mayor in the eyes, making it a point to be as calm and collected as he is.
"…Father," he responded.
Dynasmon's eye twitched. He turned and stared at Craniamon incredulously. "W-What?!" he demanded. He looked at Mistymon. "You're Craniamon's dad?!"
"Indeed," Mistymon calmly responded. He looked Craniamon's form up and down, carefully scrutinizing him. "…You look bigger."
"I am," Craniamon responded.
"I see…"
"…"
"…"
After a few moments of silence, a bead of sweat dripped down Dynasmon's head. On top of the tense atmosphere, having two aloof, standoffish Digimon in the same room made the situation even worse. He felt like he was going to get frostbite.
Mistymon was the first one to break the silence. "…I had heard that you became one of the Royal Knights."
"Yes," Craniamon responded coolly. "I'm very happy with them."
The corners of the mayor's lips turned down. "I see," he responded frigidly.
"You're still the mayor?" Craniamon asked him in return.
"On and off. Occasionally I'm an advisor or a minister instead, but, currently, I'm the mayor once again," Mistymon replied. He folded his arms and observed Craniamon studiously. "And what brings you back to Caer Ygg? I thought you were never going to set foot inside this place again."
Craniamon glanced away. "…Yeah, well… I'm here for a job," he told him.
"Did you get kicked out?" Mistymon asked him acerbically. "I thought that working for me would be the last place you might come for a job. Behind magma mining. Or sewer maintenance."
Craniamon shot him a defiant glare. "I meant I'm here on a mission for the Royal Knights."
"Yeah," Dynasmon spoke up, deciding to get down to business before personal matters could cause an argument. "We came here to investigate a matter of security."
"Oh, you know about that," Mistymon mentioned, glancing at Dynasmon.
"Possibly. Has anything out of the ordinary been going on?" Dynasmon asked him.
"Yes," Mistymon stated plainly. "There has been a string of burglaries and attacks lately. It started a few days ago after a strange occurrence was reported in Iron Forest."
Footsteps echoed from behind Craniamon and Dynasmon, causing them to turn and look towards the door. A green, reptilian humanoid Digimon walked inside. "We sent a team into the forest yesterday to investigate, but they still haven't returned," the new arrival informed them.
"Who are you?" Craniamon asked him.
"This is Captain Dinohumon. He's in charge of Caer Ygg's law enforcement and security," the mayor explained.
"They still haven't returned, huh?" Dynasmon asked.
"We think that it might be a dark rift: a crack leading from the Dark Area," Craniamon added.
"We have it under control," Mistymon told them firmly. "Right, Captain?"
Dinohumon nodded and stepped up beside the mayor.
"It sounds like you just lost a squad of Digimon," Craniamon pointed out, folding his arms. "I wouldn't call that 'under control'…"
Mistymon shot him a stern look. "This is a local matter. With all due respect, you needn't worry yourselves. It's Caer Ygg's problem."
"These dark rifts have cropped up all over the Digital World," Dynasmon told him. "If this rift is new, like you seem to suggest, then it's important that we check it out. They're dangerous."
"I think you're jumping to conclusions, Royal Knight," Mistymon told him, oddly not intimidated by his title. "We don't know for a fact that it's one of these dark rifts you speak of. It could be brigands who set up a camp in the forest."
Dynasmon folded his arms. "We detected a flow of data on our DADAR system," he informed him. "We've seen this before. We're not jumping to conclusions."
"Nevertheless, Caer Ygg will handle it," Mistymon insisted. "It's our problem."
"Don't be ridiculous," Craniamon stated bluntly. "What do you guys know about dark rifts? Or the Dark Area, for that matter. This isn't just Caer Ygg's problem. It's a matter of network security – our jurisdiction."
Mistymon glanced at Craniamon. "I know you Royal Knights take care of network security, but we do things differently here in the Wilds. We take care of ourselves. Caer Ygg's priority is Caer Ygg," he answered unflappably.
"Yes. I know," Craniamon sarcastically answered. "You don't have to tell me that. I grew up here, remember?"
Mistymon narrowed his eyes slightly. "Yes. I do. That doesn't change the facts."
"What facts?" Craniamon retorted icily. "That you believe that this town should only look after itself? Don't you think it's selfish to think never look outside these walls? There's more to the Digital World than just Caer Ygg, Father."
"That seems to be your opinion in general, Craniamon," Mistymon said coolly. "Though you should look in a mirror before calling me selfish. The fact is that this town was never enough for you. You wanted the world." He levelled a stare at him. "And now that you are one of the Royal Knights, it seems like you've got it."
Craniamon returned the gaze. "Do you resent that I've been successful?" he asked him. "That I made something of myself? I'm one of the twelve Royal Knights… The best of the best. Is having ambition such a bad thing?"
"No. I'm happy for you," Mistymon told his son, although with resentment lacing his words. "I'm sure you believe that it was entirely worth abandoning your home for."
Craniamon balled up his fists at this. "You just can't stand that I wouldn't go along with your idea to sit in this stuffy citadel doing useless mayoral things forever. It's all about you and your responsibilities. It always has been."
"Okay, okay!" Dynasmon spoke up loudly, getting in between the quarrelling relatives and putting his hands up. "This is getting out of hand."
"Indeed," Mistymon agreed, relaxing his disposition and sitting down. "I don't want to argue."
"Tch," Craniamon scoffed under his breath, folding his arms and looking away. "We still need to investigate this rift."
"I suppose I can't stop either of you," Mistymon responded with a light sigh. "I suppose it would be appreciated if you could find out what happened to the team we sent into the Iron Forest. I don't want to risk more lives if something happened to them"
"We don't want that either," Dynasmon answered diplomatically. "We'll investigate the forest."
The mayor nodded, deciding that it was probably more practical to let the Royal Knights do this for them. "Two Ultimates have a better chance than a collection of Champions and Ultimates."
"Good that we can agree on something," Craniamon said.
"There's a chance that it could be a Ultimate level Digimon doing these attacks. Digimon corrupted by dark data are stronger than usual. They could even evolve," Dynasmon pointed out. "Just to be safe, don't send in anybody after us."
Both Mistymon and Dinohumon nodded.
Craniamon looked at Dynasmon and then back at his father. "We'll head out in an hour."
"Very well," Mistymon responded. After a moment, he glanced aside thoughtfully. "…Good luck," he added.
Craniamon frowned, nodded, and then turned around to leave. "Thanks," he muttered, barely loud enough for them to hear.
The Royal Knight walked out of the room and headed back down through the hallway.
Dynasmon followed him, his red eyes lingering on his friend. He felt like he underestimated Craniamon's reasons for not wanting to return here. He just hoped that they might be able to work things out after this.