Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ Digital Awakenings ❯ The Shrine of Courage ( Chapter 6 )

The attack on Sydney by MarineDaemon's forces was the most mysterious. After flooding the city, and killing anyone who fought back, MarineDaemon personally and systematically visited every building in Sydney, demanding to look at everyone within. Usually he left without doing anything, but sometimes he would grab one person and leave. Who was taken seemed to be completely at random.

The attack on London by a Digimon named Lichmon was dubbed the most horrific. The dead had risen from their graves and pressed through the streets of London. Lichmon didn't need to kill anyone to conquer the city. He just had trapped everybody in their homes, terrified to go out into the streets where undead walked.

The attack on New York by a Digimon named Daemon was called the most sudden. As one weeping witness had said; one minute they were having a fun night out on the town, the next half of them were dead and devils were swarming the streets.

The attack on Japan, by a Digimon named Nightdramon, was called the most fantastic. Monsters flew down from the sky, and other monsters came to challenge them. It all culminated in a battle between Nightdramon himself and one of the strange defenders, and the defender lost. Takeru recognized Omnimon; he hoped that Matt and Tai were doing better than he was.

Finally, the attack on Beijing by a Digimon named Pyrodramon was simply the most deadly. His forces didn't seem to be out to conquer the city, just to destroy it. Thousands upon thousands perished, and those that didn't fled the city, screaming. Almost all of Beijing had been burnt to the ground.

Takeru turned the TV off. He couldn't stand to see any more destruction. This was worse than anything they had ever fought as children. Even VenomMyotismon couldn't have killed over a hundred people (he had mostly hypnotized them instead, but that was still a better fate than what had been given to the people of the attacked cities.)

It turned out Sandy and her parents were members of a strange order that knew about the Digital World. They mostly seemed to be benevolent, although they mostly did experiments concerning Digimon and their world. Those must have been those Digimon futilely fighting off the Digimon invaders last night. They had said that if Takeru had lost his Digimon, he had to go to this order right away.

Takeru sighed and streched out on the couch. Something big was happening, and something told him that this was only the beggining. But right now he needed to get some sleep.

No sooner had the words "DarkKnightmon" escaped the sentry's lips than the camp was alive with activity. Countless creatures that looked exactly like Paladimon seemed to be preparing for battle. Lily and Kei watched it all with a detached fascination. Loremon stood by them, lost in thought.

Finally, Loremon spoke. "This is a predicament. The Shrine of Courage is said to frequently change locations, and we cannot let it fall out of our grasp. But how can we go to the Shrine if we must battle the DarkKnightmon?"

"If you don't mind me asking," Lily said. "What's so important about this shrine anyways?"

Loremon shook his head condenscingly. "You mean you do not know? It is said that a powerful artifact lays within the Shrine. This artifact has the power to let those whose hearts are courageous assume a more powerful form."

"So if one of you guys had it, you could become a lot more powerful?" Kei asked.

"Yes, that is correct," Loremon confirmed.

"Would it be enough to defeat the DarkKnightmon?" Kei asked, continuing his train of thought.

"It could possibly turn the flow of battle," Loremon admitted.

"Then what if," Kei started, "Me and Lily go and get it, and bring it to you guys to help you against the DarkKnightmon."

Loremon paused, thinking for a moment. "That would be a major boon to us. But I doubt you could get there fast enough. Besides, there are said to be many fierce beasts that guard the artifact."

Lily shrugged. "Then send a couple Paladimon with us. Surely a few couldn't make much of a difference?"

Loremon paused again. "There is truth in what you say. You will still be putting yourself in danger, though."

Kei nodded. "That's fine with me."

"You have true courage, young Humon," Loremon said. "May you have Azulongmon's own speed."

Reile and the other members of the Order were on the move again. Dusk had nearly fallen, and the heat already felt like it was boiling Reile in her own skin. Her throat felt as if it had been turned to dust, but they had little water and, though Kou had said that they should reach this mysterious artifact tonight, they had to save some rations in case something went wrong.

Of all of them, Noriko seemed to be taking the heat worse. She had overdressed, not knowing they were going to the desert, and was sweating waterfalls. Reile felt sorry for her, but still a bit irritated that she had come along. How was she supposed to help, without a Digimon partner? Still, Reile remembered the days when she herself had been partnerless. She was constantly restless, able to know what the Order was doing, but unable to assist.

"Salamander Flame!" Four fireballs streaked towards the group, snapping Reile out of her thoughts. The group scattered. When the fireballs hit the ground, they exploded into larger spheres of fire. Instantly, the Digimon who could digivolve began to glow, as did their partner's digivices.

"Hawkmon digivolve to...Aquilamon!" Hawkmon now took the form of a gigantic eagle with wickedly curved horns.

"SnowAgumon digivolve to...Mojyamon!" SnowAgumon had now become a haired, humanoid form wielding a bone club.

"ToyAgumon digivolve to...Clockmon!" ToyAgumon had become a large clock with robotic appendages. A humanoid shape came out of the clock's top, a symbiote with the Digimon.

Reile briefly wished that Illuomon could digivolve to Champion. Instead of digivolving, Illuomon, Salamon and Floramon immediately launched their attacks towards where the fireballs had come from. "Rainbow Beam!" Salamon shot a thin, rainbow energy beam from the eye shape on her forehead. It hit something, and exploded into a blast of light. Reile spotted for humanoid, slightly reptillian figures hiding on the sand dune.

"Puppy Howling!" All of the Order members knew enough to close their ears when Salamon launched her attack, but their attackers clearly did not from the way they clutched their ears. Still, the attack was merely an annoyance.

"Rain of Pollen!" The yellow powder came from Floramon's stem, and their attackers reeled back as it drifted into their eyes, momentairly blinding a couple.

By now, the Champions had finished digivolving and were ready to fight. "Blast Rings!" Rings of energy came from Aquilamon's horns, and slammed into the attacking Digimon.

"Time Buster!" Clockmon shouted, shooting a sphere of blue energy at the mystery attackers. They reeled back, as if in pain.

"Bone Boomerang!" Mojyamon cried, throwing his bone weapon in an arc, aiming to hit one of the humanoid figures.

"Salamander Flame!" Mojyamon's target responded, shooting a fireball at the boomerang. Deflected, the bone weapon crashed harmlessly into the sand dune. The four attacking Digimon stepped forward, revealing their features. They were all human-sized creatures covered in red scales. They had reptillian heads and claws.

"Those are Salamandramon," Kou said, sounding like he was reciting something from memory. "Reptillian Digimon who live in tribes in the desert. They're Champion level, and fight with their Salamander Flame attack."

"Salamander Flame!" Each of the Salamandramon said in unison, firing fireballs from their mouth. Two fireballs each struck Clockmon and Moyjamon, causing them both to revert to their Champion forms. Another barrage of fireballs took down Aquilamon.

Reile realized that they were completely vulnerable, having lost all of their Champions. Frozen in place with fear, she expected the Salamandramon to do anything but talk. But one of them hissed, "Why are you here?"

Kou recovered his wits first. "We are travelling to the Tower of Flame," he said.

The Salamandramon seemed to consider that for a moment. "You wish to see Efreetimon?"

"Um...sure, I guess," Kou replied.

The talking Salmandramon nodded. "We will take you there,"

"What?" Kou asked in disbelief. "But...you were just attacking us back there. Now you want to help us?"

"We only attacked because you were heading towards the village," the lead Salamandramon replied. "We have heard rumors, you see. Prophecies."

"Prophecies?" Ryan snorted. Then, seeming to remember that they could still roast him any minute. "Er, what sort of prophecies?"

"The prophets are saying," the lead Salamandramon hissed, his voice barely above a whisper. "They are saying that the Digimon from another world, Humons, they are saying that they will destroy the village. You see why we are cautious of you?"

"I guess," Kou admitted. "But why do you want to take us there?"

"To make sure that you are not lying to us," the Salamandramon said, shooting all of them a deadly look with his reptillian eyes.

"All right then," Kou responded, shivering. "You can come along." Reile glanced at Kou suspiciously. What was he doing? Did he really trust these creatures that had just been attacking them?

"Good," the lead Salamandramon said simply. "It woould be unwise for you to suggest otherwise."

As brave as he had been at the Knightmon camp, Kei was beggining to doubt their plan. Well, he had doubted it for a while now. What if they didn't make it to the shrine in time? What if it had already moved? What if they couldn't get past the guardians? What if the Knightmon had already lost? These questions and many others wove their way through Kei's mind, causing his grip to slack on the Knightmon's steed he was riding. He almost fell off, but managed to hoist himself back on.

And there it was. It stood out on the hillsy landscape, the reflective surface of the temple almost blinding Kei. He held up his arm to block the light, and he could see the temple better now. It was a small building made of shiny white stone. A set of large stone doors stood, the only entrnace to the shrine. Above them was a symbol engraved into the stone that looked a bit like a sun. "The crest of Courage," one of the Knightmon breathed.

The Knightmon trotted up to the temple and dismounted. Kei and Lily followed suit, sliding off their horses and facing a somewhat rough landing. One of the Knightmon was strokingn his mount comfortingly. "I'll only be gone for a couple minutes, okay?" Kei thought it somewhat funny to see such a noble and powerful creature act like that, but he didn't say anything. Moments later, that same Knightmon held up his sword to the sky. "Onward, to victory!"

The group-which amounted to Lily, Kei and about six Knightmon-walked through the stone doors. It was hot. Outside it had been an average temperature, but in here it was boiling. Kei imagined how hot it must be for the armour-wearing Knightmon. "Let us press onward," the Knightmon that seemed to be their leader said, and so they did.

There was a dark hallway ahead. Kei cautiously stepped forward. All of a sudden, there was a flash of orange light, and Kei was no longer there.

To be continued...

[AN:Sorry this one took so long to get out. I got stuck for a bit. Anyways, you'll probably be seeing some other fanfics from me-all AUs, pretty much. Well, that's just about it. See you soon, and please R + R.]