Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ Digital Prince ❯ Heir to the Sword ( Chapter 2 )

~~Digimon don't belong to me…the variations like "Viral/Digital" and the swords do, however. I hope I don't find out someone's been using them without permission. I'd be seriously put out.

But to end on a happy note, I hope you enjoy the fic. (that and if you *do* want to take the stuff I've invented, at least I know you *like* it enough to do so-but please don't!)

Onwards!

~*~ Ch. 2 ~*~

He woke up much later, cramped from falling asleep in a crouch, and looked around automatically. It was just past dawn, and everyone was up and pitching in to help break camp and move the last few leagues home. Daisuke could tell that they were excited to rejoin their families and origins.

~Wonder where Ken is,~ he yawned and slid off the wagon seat to stretch his sore protesting muscles. He caught sight of Hikari folding up bedding, despite the attempts from the guards to prevent her from doing so, and walked stiffly over to her, rubbing his neck. "Morning, Lady 'Kari."

"Good morning, Daisuke," she said with a small smile. "Ken went off to find the river. He wants to be…clean when he gets home..."

Daisuke grinned and thanked her, following her pointing finger. ~I think it's time I got clean too…and took a moment to talk to Veemon.~

~*~

The guards had gone back only under his order. He hated pulling rank on them, but it was the only way to get privacy, and for a bath…He'd rather not have anyone around. Ken sighed, and stretched, feeling a lot cleaner as he tugged the shirt back down. Tendrils of his wet hair clung to his neck with a wet chill, and he swiped absently at a lock of hair that insisted on falling in his face.

Time to be heading back, he surmised by the slant of the sunlight filtered by the trees, and hoisted his pack onto his shoulders. He knew the general direction of the camp, and it was rather far from the river, but it didn't bother him. There wasn't very much that could hurt him, or that he couldn't handle, as skilled in defense and protection as he was.

He was passing by a bush when he heard a child's giggle. Startled, he turned his head and looked around for what sounded like a child. "Hello?" he called softly.

"Hello?" something mimicked to his left, and very close. Perhaps underneath the bushes…

Ken crouched slowly, his hand outstretched to lift the somewhat heavy boughs. "Anyone in there?"

Something giggled, and the leaves he couldn't reach rustled. Ken realized he was smiling faintly, and crawled on his knees to get closer, ignoring the fact that his pants were getting dirty. "Hey…come out come out, whatever you are…"

Something indiscernible behind the leaves shifted slightly. It was too small to be a child. Stretching his arm as far as he could, Ken gathered the last branch in his fingers and pulled them away from the thing in the center.

~*~

"I was wondering when you'd show up."

The large blue creature with inscribed flames blinked. "Am I late?" Xveemon questioned as he shifted into a smaller and more familiar mode.

Daisuke opened one eye, leaning against a mossy aging tree. "Naw…Although I am curious why I'm being followed," he opened the other eye and fixed the blue creature with a level stare. "You know what this means to me."

"I know, Dai-chan," Veemon nodded. "But we've spotted several virals following your trail. We don't want them finding the human city."

"Which virals?" Daisuke frowned. "How close?"

"We…don't know." Veemon blushed faintly. "Lilymon insisted on coming…and…we had to take time out to prepare for her child."

"You let her come?! She delivered?! Here?! I thought I told you it was dangerous for the younglings to be born outside protection!" Daisuke shot to his feet. "Where's the child? What the hell were you thinking?"

"Regardless of what you think, Sire, we digitals have been having young without you…" a smooth lilting voice remarked. Daisuke looked up and saw the slender humanoid plant hovering. She smiled delicately and drifted to the ground. "I've hidden him for the time being."

Daisuke frowned, his eyes dark. "So explain why several of my best warriors and guards are out here, following me?" He waited in silence while Veemon snickered.

"Told you he'd sense you!" the dragon-digital called out.

Sheepishly, several familiar looking creatures popped their heads out of their respective hiding spots.

Garurumon shuffled his forelegs sheepishly beside his counterpart, Greymon, and ducked his head. "Sire…the virals following you…They are unknown to us…"

"We feared for you, M'Lord," Greymon finished for him, his voice a low growl. He too ducked his head.

Daisuke ran a hand through his hair. "It's okay…don't worry about it for now. They haven't done anything, yet, have they?"

"Oddly enough, Sire…they seem to be more centered on the nobleman than you," Lilymon returned. She examined her hands with faint concern, and glanced around. "He's a heir of Seran, you know. In direct line for a…a Runeblade."

"He's what?"

"The sword had chosen him, Sire." She ducked her head against the quick-flitting emotions across the human Prince, and smiled.

Daisuke groaned under his breath, covered his face with an arm and muttered, "This changes everything." ~Damn him!~

Then the thought struck him…

Ken was alone.

~*~

"What are you?"

The small green globe that had eyes blinked in alarm. "Leafmon," it trilled carefully.

Ken, heedless now of his garments getting stained, stretched full out upon his stomach and wiggled further inside the thick vegetation. "I won't hurt you," he smiled reassuringly, and stretched out his hands again.

"You're a human," the small Leafmon blinked shyly and ducked behind what appeared to be a leaf.

Ken slid his fingers carefully around the tiny warm body, his heart racing, and lifted it just as carefully from the mossy ground. "You're a digital!" he gasped, then.

"Yes…"

Ken tilted his head curiously. "I always thought Digitals would be bigger," he mused, and smiled again at the young thing. "What are you doing here, all alone?"

"My birth-mother laid me here…I'm hiding because I'm too young to protect the Prince."

"Young? How young? And what Prince? I didn't know Digital's had royalty…" Ken paused for breath and the small digital giggled.

"We are guarding him," he said. "But my birth-mother had to stop and prepare for my arrival-and there are virals about-" It paused, blinking. "I don't know if I'm supposed to talk to a human…"

Ken paused, curling up enough to rest the bundle on his upraised knees, and considered this information. "You're a newborn," he remarked. "Yet you speak as easily as an adult…you creatures are very strange…"

Leafmon giggled again. "I like you…Are you sure you're a human?"

"Of course I am!" Ken playfully tweaked the skin under the mouth. "Are you sure you're a digital?"

"Yes-"

The next moment something roared, too close-Ken clutched Leafmon to him in panic, gasping as he flinched deeper into the leaves-

Something stomped heavily onto the ground. Leaves quivered, and the small child-like digital squeaked in fear, burying his face into the smudged shirt. Ken opened his eyes wide, feeling like he was about to be eaten by something and held his breath.

Something was breathing nearby.

His mind supplied instantly, ~"And there are virals about-"~ and his breath froze in his lungs.

He had the feeling that a Viral Digital was a bad thing.

~*~

The wagon was still in the midst of its mid-morning preparations for departure when the first faint roar was sounded. Yamato, crouched near the perimeter, looked up sharply, then to the wagon.

~They're here,~ he thought.

"Everyone to the wagon!" Tai was already shouting. "Guardsmen, to me!"

The shrieking sound echoed through the forest again, birds rising in panic, and Yamato felt the first tremor of fear.

"Ken…" he whispered, remembering suddenly.

~*~

Daisuke whirled at the sound, paling. The river!-

Ken!

Then, as the mantra of Prince descended over him, he vaulted onto the Xveemon that suddenly appeared, and waved the others to the moving-box. "Greymon, Garurumon, guard the humans!" Xveemon crouched, preparing to rise. "And the rest of you follow me!*

Thunderclaps of sound met his ears at the others took off while Xveemon rose, beating his wings fiercely. *To the river* he thought to his k'raynth, his companion.

~Please don't let it be too late!~

~*~

Ken gasped again as the shriek started again, somehow seeming closer. Protectively, he wrapped an arm around Leafmon, determined to keep him safe, and tried to peer through the leaves at whatever was stalking him.

~Why is it after me?~ he thought, freezing into stillness as something large moved. He could sense it, rather than see it move, and wished desperately he was closer to the wagon.

A rumbling growl sounded, somewhere to his left. It took a step towards the water, making large sniffling sounds-

-"Come out, little human."-

Ken gasped at the sound of the voice, dark and somehow damaged. Leafmon quivered again.

-"I won't hurt you…"-

Ken squeezed his eyes shut, sensing something heavy and large swing up and scan the surroundings-

~Oh god…someone-!~

Leafmon inhaled shakily, and after a long moment where no sounds or movement caught Ken's attention he turned his face to Kens. "Go!" he whispered. "Run, now! He's not looking!"

Shooting him a panicky startled look, Ken slid his legs under him and gathered Leafmon under his shirt. "Not leaving you!" he whispered, and began to ease his way from the tangle of bushvines.

A twig snapped under his foot-

~*~

At the wagon, the only clue to whatever had made the awful noise was a large rumbling growl from somewhere near the river. Tai gripped his sword hilt nervously-whatever it was, he was determined to keep it away.

"Tai!" Yamato cried out as he neared him. "Ken went to bathe at the river-I don't know where he is!"

"What?!" He started to say something, more than likely a curse, when something crashed into the trees with horrible speed, sending crushed sections of the wood flying dangerously into the small milling crowd of guards.

Screams rose, as several people fell to the earth, battered, and a creature straight from his nightmares rose from the dust, shaking itself off. Tai swallowed, staring in shock, as many of the people behind him scattered. Dark and taller than a building, the thing looked somehow diseased, with patches of graying moldish skin stretched tight over a bony whipcord body. Malevolent red eyes glared out at them from between the broken canopies of the trees-somehow it began to laugh, showing sharp jagged teeth.

The tinny sounding roar, the distant one, sounded again…and somehow, Tai knew.

"…oh Lyr…" Tai whispered. "There's more than one…"

~*~

*How many?* he thought wildly, hanging on for dear life as Xveemon wove in and around the trees, slapping aside smaller branches and leaves with a fury as Daisuke leaned over his shoulder.

*I think only two,* the dragon-form digital replied. *One by the wagon, one by the river…*

*Dammit!* Daisuke ducked as Xveemon rolled under a thick spine-covered branch, and swiped away the droplets of blood from a shallow scratch.

~Ken…I can't believe I've been so stupid…~

~*~

In an all out desperate attempt, Ken shot a wild look behind him, glimpsing black-oddly painful looking flesh, and began to run.

~*~

The viral digital, standing in the middle of broken trees and furrows of plowed up dirt, pulled his head back to roar again, the sound blasting across the small vale. Then, laughing at the sound of the screams that followed his bellow, it began taking slow deliberate steps into the clearing. Half of their wagons and respective carts had been destroyed. People were hurt; a lot of them were gathered behind the damaged wagon or crouched behind the fallen shattered trees, the wounded tended quickly by fellow guards and dragged back behind shelter.

Tai gripped his sword tight, fear eating holes in his stomach, and stepped out in front of the wagon-~My duty,~ he thought-

And a second earsplitting bellow blasted into sound, like the roar of a wolf or tiger. Two blurring shapes vaulted into view-the viral whipped his head around, baring his teeth-and a large yellow dragon bowled into him, knocking him back as the cowled face snapped. Arms, bulging with muscle, slashed at the sinister body, grappling for a hold as the two exchanged blows and shrieks of rage.

The second blurring shape, blue and white, skidded to a stop in front of the wagons, it's eyes on the wrestling pair. As the dust cleared, Tai dropped his sword out of sheer panic, and stumbled back at the site of the over-large wolf, yet not a wolf, standing in front of him, too close for comfort.

~Digitals…?~ he thought faintly.

"Taichi!" a familiar voice cried; a hand grabbed his shoulder, and the brunette turned to see a pale frightened Yamato attached to his elbow. The blond pointed, suddenly, and screamed something while the fighting digitals shrieked out again, the smaller more compact yellow dragon somehow conjuring flame-Taichi felt his eyes drawn to the spectacle, too entranced by the fighting to notice that Yamato was trying to get his attention, until the man drew back and struck him a sharp blow across the cheek.

"Taichi! Look!" the blond yelled-

A thin slender shape, unmistakably Ken, was running out of the forest-

And a second Viral was close behind.

~*~

His heart thudded painfully against his chest, branches had scoured painful scratches along his arms and face-running from that thing was all that occupied his mind.

He was almost to the clearing, almost to the wagon-he could see it-

~There's more of them…~ he thought briefly, and pulled on his reserves to move his legs faster.

But the Viral shrieked out a sudden laugh-and Ken knew he was in trouble-

The next thing he knew he was flying forward, the breath knocked out of him, screaming soundlessly as something scorching hot grazed his back.

~*~

Hikari screamed, somewhere behind them, as the Viral snaked forward a fast curling clawed hand and sent the nobleborn sprawling several feet away. "Ken!"

Yamato had to grip Tai's arm to keep him from running out there-he dimly remembered screaming out a denial, as the Viral towered over the limp form.

The wolf opened his mouth, the fur standing on edge. "Stay back," he snapped, as Tai tried to push past him. "He'll be okay-the Prince will protect him!"

"It talks! Oh Lyr, it talks…" Tai babbled.

Yamato swallowed, and pulled Tai back to him as the ice-wolf peered at him with a knowing eye. ~I swear it's laughing at us,~ he thought. ~Even as it protects…~

A very human scream of rage shattered between the silence, the snarls of the two digitals-the yellow one was winning-

-And a large blue dragon, with a familiar form perched on a shoulder, slammed into the second Viral.

~*~

Ken opened his eyes into hell, his chest too painful to emit any sounds, much less a scream, as the foul breath of the Viral wafted over him. Inside his shirt, the small Leafmon quivered, whimpering, and instinctively, Ken wrapped his arms around the small form.

He looked up, as the mouth gaped with it's gleaming dagger-teeth, stared with as much defiance as he could muster, sprawled on the ground with horrendous pain overwhelming his mind. Out of the corner of his eyes he could see the wagon, what was left of it, still in the area he had left it earlier. A blue animal, another digital, was standing over it-he thought with despair that the virals had already eaten everyone-while the demonic beast clawed up rifts in the soft loamy soil of the forest. It was laughing, as he scrambled back on sore arms and battered heels, trying to get away with one arm still wrapped around his middle to secure Leafmon's position.

Howls and bellows were echoing around him, making it hard to hear-for a moment he heard Taichi screaming out something, while two of the other virals were fighting in the back, near the edge of the forest.

~Fighting over dinner,~ he thought inanely, and shrieked as the clawed hands sent him rolling over the ground.

~I'm dead…~ he thought, tasting dirt and blood as he slammed up against something hard-a tree, most likely-and wondered why the sky was falling. It was a pretty shade of blue, and as the world grayed out, he hoped that it wouldn't hurt to get sat on by the sky.

~*~

The viral hissed in outrage, knocked back several yards away from its victim as Xveemon slammed powerful punches into the rotted body. Lilymon fired her cannon, sending it screaming as it crashed to the ground-her attack was weakened, Daisuke knew, by her recent birth. He looked up, making sure that the two Angelic digitals, Angemon and Angewoman were near enough to protect her.

Xveemon would have to finish the SkullSatomon off himself.

*Finish him.* and leapt from the back of his partner.

~*~

"This doesn't make sense," Yamato whispered. Having dared enough to stand near the ice-and-blue wolf, he stared, stunned as the second battle began, the large blue dragon tearing into the demon-viral thing.

"Why would you save us? Why are they attacking, for that matter?"

Again, the deep blue eye turned to regard him with a hidden laugh. "We guard you at his order, human. Otherwise, we'd keep to ourselves. We are not viral-we do not hunt you humans."

Yamato stared at him, confused. "Daisuke ordered you to guard us?"

"What? Daisuke? Where is he?" Taichi cried. "He isn't out there, is he?"

"Of course he is," the wolf muttered as if that should have been obvious. "He's protecting that other human. He gave his word."

And Taichi leaned on Yamato, an arm slung over his shoulder as he peered past the wolf's head to see a shape crouched over the unconscious Ken, watching the battle only yards away with a sharp-eyed gaze. ~Daisuke…commanded them…~ his mind focused on that fact.

"Just who is he?"

~*~

It didn't take very long for the battle, unbalanced in the favor of the Prince's forces, to end. Disbelieving, the remaining humans watched as the slumped viral dissolved into dust, and then into nothing as the dragon roared out a promise to the others who would try to attack. A promise that even those unable to hear could understand.

Then, as the distant form of Daisuke bent over the young Lord, the digitals gathered close, and the four humans began to run.

"Ken!" Hikari cried out, her skirts gathered into one fist and sprinting without a care for the powerful looming creatures. "Brother, dear Lyr-" Takeru wasn't far behind, his staff clutched tight, and his face white.

"Wait-Takeru!" Yamato cried, and took a step after him.

Pain shot up his leg, and as he stumbled to the ground, he realized that several jagged gashes ran along the meaty part of his thigh. Blood caked his leg, scratches covered his arms and hands. ~Dammit,~ he thought, and looked up to see Taichi past his hearing, gaining on the younger two in his desperation.

"Problems?" the wolf seemed to regard him curiously. "You're bleeding," it said after a moment.

"Oh, really? I couldn't tell," Yamato hissed out as his hands began to squeeze shut the wounds. "It doesn't matter-I have to get to Ken…"

Then, unbelievably, the wolf knelt. "I am Garurumon. Here, allow me to carry you."

Staring, Yamato looked deep into the guileless eyes and found himself, just as unbelievably, trusting the large creature. With shaking hands, he knotted strips of cloth over his wound. "You'd…carry me?"

"I don't bite," the wolf smiled, baring teeth nearly as long as his hand.

"Right," Yamato half-smiled, and hesitantly put a hand on the muscled shoulder, feeling the thick wiry fur. "Thank you," he said, in a softer tone.

And then he was astride the back of the wolf digital, heart pounding and thrilled enough to feel dizzy. Garurumon lifted up carefully, then, with a rolled eye to make sure Yamato was seated securely, and began to lope.

~*~

"Shit…Ken…" Daisuke dropped his dagger in the dust and pulled at the shoulders. "Wake up!"

*The others are coming,* Xveemon commented. Protectively, he moved to stand over him, as the remaining digitals landed carefully in a semi-circle around him.

"Ken!"

He didn't look up. Scratches covered the fair skin of Ken's face, smudged and dirty. He was curled up, as if a the SkullSatomon had wounded himi in the stomach, and no matter how Daisuke tried, he couldn't get him to relax. "Ken…" he whispered, and settled for brushing back the hair from the forehead.

~*~

Hikari skidded to a stop, nearly falling over herself in doing so, and stared fearfully as the two winged creatures, two digitals that were taller than a man, turned to look at her just as guardedly. The dragon, merely glanced at the humans and returned its crimson gaze to where Daisuke-

-Daisuke, of all people!-

-was seated on the ground, cradling her brother close.

She muffled a sob between her hands, as Takeru pulled her back into his embrace, glaring at the digitals over her head. "Takeru, what if he's dead?"

"He's not," the blond reassured in a low tone. "He can't be…"

The larger male digital twitched his wings. "I'd forgotten how emotional humans can be," he remarked quietly to his female counterpart, who merely smiled faintly.

"Don't worry, little human, your Lord is alive," she said then, to Hikari. "We would not let him die-we are not viral."

"I don't understand," she whispered. "Why did those things attack my brother?"

"It's…hard to say. Perhaps they were after something else, and he was merely sport," the male said casually.

"Angemon!" Daisuke snapped, and finally looked up. "Do not insult them or Ken. It's not their fault."

With the shock of Daisuke's association adding to the entire situation, Takeru felt a flicker of annoyance. "Hey, wait a moment-did you know there were digitals around?" he snapped. "Did you know that they would attack?"

Daisuke met his gaze with silence, a strange sort of pain in his features. "No, Takeru. I did not know they would attack anyone, least of all Ken."

"You bastard-"

"Stop," a voice coughed, and Ken wearily opened his eyes to look up into the face of Daisuke. "We owe him our lives…" Then he stiffened, suddenly, and struggled to sit. "Leafmon!" he cried.

Lilymon gave a great wounded cry, and dropped to the ground. "My child! What have you done!"

Ken ignored her, leaning heavily on Daisuke as he tore against his shirt. "Leafmon-" And, as he pulled out the small round creature, huddled tightly against himself, Leafmon shivered, and opened his eyes. Ken smiled in relief, exhausted and nearly falling over, and hugged the small creature close.

*Xveemon…is this what I think it is?* Daisuke asked silently, and swallowed.

*They've…bonded…*

~I should have known this would happen…~

"Ken…" Daisuke whispered, and raised his hand to press against the forehead. "Heir to Te'Doryeth, I greet you."