Digimon Empire Chapter 10

Digimon Empire

Chapter 10

AxeBattlemon whirled his mighty battle axe directly at Michael and Cairomon who rolled away from each other as the axe whizzed by them. Michael turned to look and found that the axe was buried to the pommel in the soft earth they'd been standing at. He felt scared, while though he had mentally prepared for this very battle he was still surprised by the instant assault upon their arrival. Looking at Cairomon he could see that he was equally rattled by the battle they seemingly walked right into. Michael turned his head back just in time to see AxeBattlemon rush forward, fist swinging right at Cairomon.

"Cairomon lookout!" Michael cried, but it was too late. In an instant the black dragon crumpled under the force of the mighty fist. Michael could feel the air rushing around him as the world seemed to spin out of control. He heard Coronamon attacking but he couldn't make out what was happening. Cairomon's body lay broken as AxeBattlemon turned to attack Coronamon who was jumping quickly backward while tossing fireballs at the warriors face. As Coronamon distracted AxeBattlemon with his annoying tactics Michael slid to Cairomon's side.

"Hey buddy." Michael said while lifting the head of the dragon. "Hey stay with me now. It's alright." Michael was scared, this was suddenly more than he could handle. He felt vulnerable with Cairomon immobilized. The black dragon didn't make the slightest move to respond to his words or his touch and it left him feeling completely hopeless. At least he felt that way until Guardmon and Battlemon rushed from the front gate and started for him and Cairomon. His eyes darted around but there was nothing, the closest dead Digimon was too far out of reach for him to hope to gather a weapon from.

"Kill them!" The voice of AxeBattlemon roared as it attacked Coronamon who was impishly attacking him. Michael panicked as the group was within reach of them and Cairomon was still seemingly unconscious and badly broken. He closed his eyes as he tried to prepare his death and he felt cold. He felt as though the heat of the world had escaped him and it could never come back. Then he felt the wind cold and biting against his cheek and the heat rising from his hands. His eyes slowly opened and through the start of tears he saw Cairomon's body glowing, contorting, and growing. The advancing troop had stopped in surprise at the sudden change. Michael gasped and jumped back away from the dragon as Cairomon emerged from the sharp light.

"Excairomon" The deep rumbling voice proclaimed as a proud quadrupedal dragon stood where the previously timid bipedal dragon had been. His scales were the same and with the same soft glowing illuminating the veins in between the scales. His snout was slightly more pronounced than before, wisps of smoke coming from his nostrils at a steady rate. He now sported two sharply pointed horns whereas Cairomon only sported nubs under his skin. His arms were slightly webbed now and he was larger than before by more than double his Rookie size. "Back off-" He roared as flames poured out among the Guardmon and Battlemon troop that had advanced on them. Before the troop could react Excairomon swung his large thick tail into the closest Battlemon taking out the rival Champion level Digimon and killing a Guardmon to boot as the Battlemon fell and crushed the smaller Digimon.

Another Battlemon scrambled forward swinging its battle mace at Excairomon. The mighty dragon leapt back out of the way of the attack. Hissing as flames once more erupted from his jaws to envelop his adversary. Michael saw the look in his friends eyes, it was the look of hunger. He could see that the dragon was preying on the Guardmon and Battlemon. Michael made his way forward as the two squared off and got a better look at what was happening. The city was on fire, and there were bodies of the inhabiting Digimon piled high in the streets. It looked as though the rebel army had started slaying the city and the Digimon who lived there had fought back. They had fought back and failed, and Michael felt saddened by the amount of death he perceived as he looked on the battlefield. The rebellion armies were supposedly there to help the Digimon that resided in the cities and towns of the Empire. As Michael looked at the devastation around him though he knew that rebel army didn't care about the Digimon who lived there any more than the Empire did and probably less. Both sides needed to be stopped.

AxeBattlemon had shifted his attention to Excairomon as Coronamon finally fell to a heavy hit from the giant warriors fist. A wicked grin flashed across AxeBattlemon's face as he walked swiftly toward Excairomon while twirling his mighty axe in his hand. Before the dragon could attack AxeBattlemon pounced on top of him pinning him down by his neck with one hand while trying to get his free hand in an angle to swing his battle axe. Excairomon scrambled against the warriors side trying to break free of its grip. The dragon craned its neck and placed its back feet against the warriors hands and viciously tore into flesh of AxeBattlemon. A fireball cast from Coronamon hit the warrior in the face and all at once Excairomon was freed from the grasp of AxeBattlemon but not without a price. As the dragon broke free the mighty axe of AxeBattlemon cleaved into his side. With a deafening roar Excairomon retaliated with a molten blast of fire that the warrior dodged away from while swinging his axe again in a wide arc.

"Come a little closer you lizard cretin." AxeBattlemon taunted while leaping forward and swinging again at Excairomon who barely moved back away from the deadly weapon. The dragon coiled back while hissing and snapped dangerously at AxeBattlemon. The warrior kept pushing Excairomon back towards the city wall to pin him and Michael saw this happening. He felt panic rising in his chest, and he felt so helpless and vulnerable. Coronamon bounded over to his side and they watched the deadly axe twirl and the flames escape in short bursts.

Guardmon started pouring from the gates, The sounds of their footsteps resounding loudly as each soldier stepped out and stood in formation, and each completed line of troops was twenty Guardmon, with one Battlemon for every ten, and they continued coming out until they were twenty rows thick. Walking in step the sound of the approaching troop was both terrifying and invigorating. Michael picked up a small buckler shield and Coronamon started twirling small flames between his finger tips.  Michael looked back at Excairomon and his heart started sinking as he saw how badly he was being beaten. Looking back at the advancing troop of four hundred and forty, Michael felt fear racking his body. The battle had barely begun and they were losing badly with only three against so many all of his hope faded. All of these feelings seemingly faded as a terrible roar erupted from within the city walls.

"Fist of the Beast King!" Flaming energy burst from his fist as the words escaped his lips. Michael felt hope all at once as on the wall running down the ramparts was a bloodied and scarred Leomon. The king of beasts himself Leomon is known for being a mighty warrior with a brave heart and soul of justice. When they were coding the Digimon Michael remembered Tori complaining about how complicated it was to code the "braveHeart class," but because of this Michael wasn't surprised when Leomon leapt from the wall drawing his short blade mid air and decapitating a Guardmon upon landing. Michael and Coronamon rushed forward both attacking the troop, but were both abruptly tossed aside. Coronamon's attacks were annoying but they are not powerful enough to do any damage the armored soldiers. They were hopelessly outnumbered, and one by one they fell. Michael strained to see Excairomon and saw Axebattlemon dragging him by his tail towards them.

"Execution time, suiting for an EX-Cairomon!"

Digimon Empire Chapter 9

Digimon Empire

Chapter 9

By the end of the night Michael felt that they had resolved much of what they'd set out to accomplish that day. When they attempted casting magic FlaWizarmon was quite visibly disappointed when Michael was unable to cast the most simple spell FlaWizarmon knew, match flame. Michael lacked a way to conjure the spell and he lacked the conviction to force his energy into spells that FlaWizarmon created in order to active them. Despite feeling like they had no sense of time FlaWizarmon carefully tracked the time and would conjure a clock when prompted. When they finally went to bed Michael and Cairomon sat at their small table and discussed their thoughts and plans. Michael debated whether he should broach the subject of partnering with Cairomon but couldn't think of a way to delicately bring it up. He knew that in order to take them on the path they were heading he would have to partner with him and he knew they had to discuss it before it could happen. In the end he decided to just come out and say it because it needed to be said.

"Ultimately I'm going to have to find a Digimon to partner with and I'd like for that to be you Cairomon." Michael sat back and studied Cairomon's face as the black dragon Digimon thought it over. Cairomon's reptilian composure didn't allow a great deal of depth to his facial expressions though Michael could tell he was slightly amused as he had a small curl of a grin was visible on the sides of his snout. "The downside to being my Partner Digimon is that you would revoke your birthrights for your mind to return to the Isle of Darkness should you die. Instead your mind would be sent to the Dark Ocean."

"I told you I'd be by your side until the end and if that's what we need to do then I am down." Cairomon smiled broadly, his sharp teeth flashing. "What do we need to do?"

Michael walked over to his nightstand and picked up the Digivice. It was his first time really appreciating the work that Tony had done designing it. It was sleek, grey highly durable plastic with rubber grips on the sides. The interface was an advanced 3D holographic projection that would actually allow really advanced commands and features. The small device was designed to be an all-in-one personal computer in addition to carrying out the primary function of assisting in Digivolution. If there were other humans in the world Michael would be able to use his Digivice to communicate with other people he'd synced his Digivice with at a previous time. Other features included email features, Digidex which made a directory of all Digimon encountered,  Digivolution Store Data allowing Digimon to re-achieve their Digivolution stages they've already reached, and Digimon Bonding which allowed the human to bind their Digivice with a Digimon. This was the feature he needed now and so he activated it.

"You just need to come over here and stand in the circle that's about to appear." As Michael spoke the hologram interface warped into a spiraling band of data that glowed brightly. Cairomon stepped into it and the Digivice synced to him. Data of Cairomon started appearing in the Digivice interface, now no matter where Cairomon was Michael would be able to see his vitals, see readouts of data from him, and ultimately track his position should they become separated. The glowing faded and the ring fully faded back into the interface. "That does it. You're synched as my partner now."

"Good, then we really are in it until the end." Feeling satisfied both Michael and Cairomon went to sleep though the morning came sooner than expected when Michael awoke to the deep booming voice of Zeparmon shaking the massive cavern just outside their alcove. Cairomon jumped to his feet as did Michael and the pair ran out into the main cavern. The dim lighting dimmer than normal from the clear drain of Zeparmon's presence. Michael felt apprehension as he did not see FlaWizarmon or Coronamon and the presence of the Djinn did nothing to ease that feeling. FlaWizarmon teleported in to the area and Coronamon came zipping from a small alcove it used as a bed.

"What progress have you made FlaWizarmon?" Zeparmon's voice resonated with such strength that it made Michael jump and move back as the deep bass feeling passed through him. The air was thick and growing thicker. Michael could definitely sense frustration in Zeparmon, the feeling was resonating in the air around them.

"Quite well," FlaWizarmon shifted uncomfortably on his feet before continuing, "We made progress with bringing Michael up to speed on geography, world events, and speculation over potential fragment locations." Zeparmon's nostrils flared as though he were frustrated and the air noticeably shifted warmer.

"Can you not be depended on for a task this simple FlaWizarmon?" The Djinn sneered in a degrading manner at the flaming wizard. Michael was surprised at this back and forth as he thought the two were working together based on what FlaWizarmon had told him about his past. "The task at hand is to determine if we can use the human as a weapon against the Divine. If you can't use him then let us move on!" The booming voice started to grow fainter as the Djinn began to fade. "Get rid of him if we can't use him FlaWizarmon. Do not forget the price you're paying for my help. Do not let it go to waste." With that the Djinn faded from the room though his presence still heavily clung to the air.

"FlaWizarmon-" Michael began but the wizard waved him off.

"I'm sorry Michael. To Zeparmon you're merely a tool to be used as a means to the end." Michael felt strange as though he'd already been very used although up to this point he'd only gained knowledge and hadn't lost anything save time. Cairomon would just shrug it off and move on and that's what Michael felt he should do as well.

"It's fine. In the end it doesn't change anything about what we need to do and I feel we stand a better chance working together than not," Michael paused, wanting to ask what price FlaWizarmon was paying for the help of the Djinn and opted not to, "and so if it's not too early lets start making plans for taking Talthos City." FlaWizarmon looked surprised and snapped his fingers conjuring his clock. It was early but not too early to begin their day so as Coronamon prepared a quick breakfast.

"Talthos City is a large place to start in my opinion. Why not pick a quiet little fishing village or something similar? I know of a lovely little stone mill on a river only three or four days away." FlaWizarmon suggested but Cairomon and Michael united in voice declining. "Well then I think it best to go directly for the head of the source and if you want to take Talthos you're going to need to avoid confronting the army. You may be able to take the leader of the Guardmon controlling the city and that is probably your best option." Michael contemplated the wizards advice and saw the wisdom in his words. This was going to be Cairomon and his first battle together, at best they'd be able to take on one or two enemies but certainly not the entire standing army around the city. Michael wasn't even sure if Cairomon would be able to Digivolve yet and if he couldn't this battle was going to be short lived. Cairomon voiced his own concern during this lull in conversation,

"We'll need a plan to escape in the event that we fail." His eyes shifted from FlaWizarmon back to Michael, "I don't know if I'll be able to defeat enemies as powerful as AxeBattlemon or MetalBattlemon and we need to know we can get away if we need to." FlaWizarmon went over to his alcove and returned several minutes later carrying a scroll.

"Coronamon shall go with you, he'll be able to activate this scroll should something happen. Even if the three of you get separated so long as you're not dead it should teleport the three of you to a coordinate just outside the city limits which should allow you enough time to evade pursuit." FlaWizarmon handed the scroll to Coronamon who cast a spell on the scroll itself, Michael assumed to keep it from burning. Cairomon growled in an annoyed tone,

"Why not teleport us back here where we're actually safe?" The dragon asked.

"It would cost Coronamon more energy than he's capable of using to move you all that far. It would kill him and all of you easily. Teleporting needs to be in short burst distances and you have to specify who and where in the spell itself in order to execute it." FlaWizarmon explained.

"Yeah and I 'on't wanna 'ie." Coronamon chimed in with his cheerful disposition.

"Well that settles that then," Michael concluded, "If we're going to do this then we may as well go now." FlaWizarmon nodded and started casting a teleportation spell on to the ground.

"I can teleport you to just outside of the city by tapping into the energy stored in the crystals here in this cave." FlaWizarmon explained as he began to start the spell. "Step in to the circle all of you." As they stepped in Michael felt the rush and falling sensation he'd experienced before. All at once he was on the ground and facing the city walls of Talthos City. The city was on fire and the body of a Guardmon fell to the ground right next to him. Stepping from the front gate AxeBattlemon emerged, bloodied axe in hand. A cruel grin crossed his face as he saw the trio.

"Oh ho!" AxeBattlemon exclaimed, "I was itching to find you again. Now the fun can begin."

Digimon Empire Chapter 8

Digimon Empire

Chapter 8

FlaWizarmon led the pair into a small alcove coming off of the main chamber they were in, the small room was dimly lit from the glowing crystals. Michael felt slightly disturbed as they entered and saw the space. It wasn't a large room but there were two beds made of wooden frames and fluffed mattresses. Sheets made from some kind of wool and pillows made from the same material and likely stuffed with what the mattresses were filled with laid on top. Next to each of the beds was a small wooden table to be used as a nightstand. Each carefully carved with the same ornate glyphs that FlaWizarmon used when he cast spells. A small cup with water was seen on each of these nightstands. In the corner opposite the beds was a small table, carved with more of the glyphs, and two chairs which were more crudely carved with glyphs of the same style. On this table lay several books, blank paper, ink, pieces of charcoal, and small sharpened sticks. FlaWizarmon conjured a small spell on his hand and then passed his hand over the entryway and a heavy curtain materialized as a stone rod grew out of the rock and connected overhead.

"It may not be the best accommodations but it is a slight sight better than where you slept before." FlaWizarmon flashed a quick grin. "Rest now and when you awaken we'll eat, talk, and discuss where we go from here." Before departing FlaWizarmon materialized the sphere containing the Digivice, reaching into it he retrieved the legendary tool and handed it to Michael. Then without a word FlaWizarmon departed. Michael felt his stomach rumble sadly and he heard Cairomon's stomach but as he turned to face him the Digimon was already climbing into the bed closest the door. As Michael reached his own bed his head hardly touched the pillow before he'd fallen off to sleep.

Michael woke up and felt completely disoriented. He looked and saw Cairomon still deeply asleep and rolled back over himself. He was dreaming but his dreams were disturbed, anxious, and his mind was still echoing from the presence of Zeparmon. Even though the Djinn wasn't even in this Digital World he could still feel the overwhelming presence, the overwhelming power, the way the air felt heavy and the way the light drained from the glowing crystals that illuminated the cave. Michael realized he was laying awake now thinking about the encounter. He hadn't even realized he'd awoken yet he was and a small shiver ran through him. The presence of Zeparmon in the cave lingered, he could almost still feel the thickness in the air where the Djinn once was. The Djinn. A creation of Digimon by Digimon, the Divine, The Pantheon, the challenge that was yet to come. Before Michael realized it he was on his feet and walking out of the alcove, he looked around and didn't see FlaWizarmon. He walked directly to where the Djinn had been, he felt compelled to touch the ground where the glyphs had been that summoned the Djinn to this world.

"Zeparmon has that effect," FlaWizarmon's voice made Michael jump. He turned to see the flaming wizard moving toward him from some unknown location further in the chamber, "I feel the draw of his presence too. I can't explain it but it makes me want to follow him." Michael shook his head slowly as though shaking off a distasteful thought from his mind.

"How did he leave such a presence when he wasn't even in this world?' FlaWizarmon flashed a wicked grin from Michael's question.

"That is how powerful you made the Divine class Digimon. He is one of the weaker ones, even among all the Djinn. The Divine and Supreme far exceed his power." FlaWizarmon moved closer and Michael observed he had a small book with the same glyphs written on every inch of the cover. "I've been close to one before. Pharaohmon. It dwells in the desert to the south-west called the Ghoul Desert, There is another, much larger desert to the north of there called the Horak Desert. I could teach you about them if you'd like." FlaWizarmon flashed another wicked grin at Michael. Michael couldn't help but sense that FlaWizarmon had ulterior motives, he didn't trust the wizard.

"Why would you be willing to teach me anything? Why are you personally vested in helping me at all?"

"I am personally vested in helping you because I was captured by one of the Divine when I was just a Wizardmon. She delved into the darker aspects of magic used me as her spell caster to test the most heinous of spells on. In the end she killed me." Michael looked at FlaWizarmon skeptically. "I found my mind on the Isle of Darkness. I was able to eventually fight my way to the gate using the very spells she'd used against me. When I passed through what I feel was my 'trial by fire' I emerged as a FlaWizarmon. I am against the corruption of The Pantheon and how they feel they are above the laws they enforce on us. Furthering the work she performed on me I was able to establish a connection with several of the Djinn, finally I found one that would stand by me and we began formulating plans on how to remove the Divine."

"Zeparmon." Michael said aloud, connecting the dots of FlaWizarmon's story. "Who was the Divine who killed your first body?" FlaWizarmon shifted uncomfortably and his eyes looked uneasily around the chamber.

"Her name is Bazzlemon. She is a 'Holy Sorceress' Divine class Digimon but her path is corrupt." FlaWizarmon sighed exasperated, "The reason I am willing and wanting to help you is because Zeparmon and I feel you are the best chance we have at returning the balance of creator to Digimon back to our worlds. We want you to put the Divine and Supreme class Digimon in their place." Michael didn't like the idea that they were simply using him as a tool to suit their own drive.

"What happens after that? When you guys are done with me?"

"Done with you?!" FlaWizarmon visibly jumped back completely shocked and his mouth hung slack. "We're willing to serve you. You misunderstand us completely. We want you to restore human control over the Digital Realms. We want to serve you." Michael let the wizards words pass through him but felt unchanged. It still didn't change that he felt the wizard had ulterior motives nor did he trust him. Trust comes in time is something that Michael reminded himself.

"Okay. Where do we start with teaching me what I'll need to know?"

"We start with geography and politics, then we'll see if you are capable of learning magic. If you can than that will certainly greatly expand the magnitude of your abilities and make you much more of a threat to the Divine." Pulling his book out FlaWizarmon turned it until the pages were blank. Then he cast a quick spell onto the blank page and the page grew into a large map. The map was familiar to Michael it was the main continent. Two deserts to the west separated by a forest, a mountain range running north to south across the large continent, a river running on the eastern side. The eastern side of the continent was forest, plains, hills, plateaus, and to the extreme south a large jungle. "Now lets start with where we are and what we call the different geographic areas. I'll also highlight the cities and district lines you're unfamiliar with." The two spent several hours simply reviewing where everything was and where the district lines lay for various regions. They discussed the politics of the land while doing this. They also discussed where FlaWizarmon felt they stood the best chances of locating some of the remaining Reality Orb Fragments that had yet to be recovered. The wizard explained that the presence of the fragments augmented the world around them, meaning unusual events would occur around them.

Cairomon awoke and absently wandered around the chamber while listening in on the talk of past wars and Digimon of interest from various places. It was shortly after Cairomon had woken up that Coronamon arrived at the crystal cave chamber. At first completely shocked at their presence it soon calmed down after FlaWizarmon explained their presence. Coronamon decided to show Cairomon some of the more interesting things about the large cave that it had found. After they left the wizard and Michael resumed their discussions this time with a focus on the Digimon that hold the power within this world. Michael learned that the entire continent was ruled by a governing body of Digimon called the Empire. The Empire harshly taxed the regents for the various districts which resulted in the Digimon residing in the regions being taxed into starvation and death. The Empire sought to maintain strict control through force and by keeping the Digimon too weak to fight back against their rule. The Digimon that comprised the ruling body of the Empire were mainly Mega level being led by a Djinn class Digimon called Astarothmon, a powerful fire affinity Digimon. FlaWizarmon said that he'd never seen the Djinn himself but that he heard tales that he scorched the ground he walked on and his wrath was as strong as a volcano when provoked. As the hours passed Michael grew more and more hungry and finally he had to stop FlaWizarmon in favor of eating and rest. Cairomon and Coronamon had just returned from deeper in the cavern and also agreed to be hungry. FlaWizarmon dismissed himself to go gather food for them and Coronamon volunteered to go with him to help. FlaWizarmon cast a quick teleportation spell and the pair vanished from the chamber with a flash.

"So what do you think Cairomon?" Michael asked as the dragon Digimon sat down next to him on a rock raised from the floor of the chamber.

"I think we will find gaining control of this world will prove to be more of a task than either Zeparmon or FlaWizarmon care to acknowledge. Personally I don't care about the politics of it but I will stand by you and if this is the path we need to take I will walk it with you." Michael smiled, he felt a strong sense of camaraderie with Cairomon and he knew that when the whole world turn against him they would stand together until the end.

Digimon Empire Chapter 7

Digimon Empire

Chapter 7

FlaWizarmon simply snapped his fingers and a prefabricated spell circle appeared around Michael and Cairomon. This pattern was much more simple than the others he'd witnessed so far but Michael's stomach dropped when he suddenly was moved across the room and was standing before the Djinn Digimon. The thundering voice boomed and cut as though electricity itself was dancing off of its tongue as it spoke,

"I'm am glad you've made it this far human. You're a needed catalyst for this device to function at its fullest potential. First, I shall answer any and all questions you have. Every question you have I will answer to the best of my ability." The Djinn Digimon settled into a more relaxed posture while still staying within the bounds of the circles he was apparently summoned with.

"Why are you not able to leave those circles?" Cairomon asked before Michael was able to. A light gleamed from behind the Djinn's eyes.

"I am not physically here, FlaWizarmon summoned an apparition of me from a different Digital Realm. The simple explanation is that the Digital World was saved in different states and when these occurred we never left the same base universe. The reason for that I believe lies in the undue amount of power given to the most powerful deity Digimon by the creators, The humans." The echoing voice resonated through the chambers and Michael speculated over the ripples that their actions had made which resulted in these extremely unexpected effects.

"We did not design you. How do you exist? It was within the confines of the programming to allow Digimon to evolve in their Digivolution into new variations of existing Digimon, You are not a variation, you are a new Digimon. How?" Michael asked in a slightly accusatory tone, almost as though he was blaming the Djinn for its own existence. The Djinn laughed dangerously.

"My name is Zeparmon." The way his name escaped his lips was with energy and though unspoken Michael understood his name meant sound or noise in some manner and it accounted for his thunderous speaking, "You are of course correct I was not of human design. The very millisecond that the Digital World was turned on the most Divine of all Digimon whom you created conspired to inhibit human control over our realms. Some merged together with their clones in other worlds whole worlds merged into more supreme deities. The combined power of so many Digimon of that magnitude helped forge and manipulate the Time Lock. It is now considered an ancient device by most but it allowed the Pantheon of the Divine to alter the time differential between the human world and the Digital World. The slowed the differential as much as possible to allow Digimon the most time possible to evolve and grow, independent of human influence." He paused to allow Michael to process what he was saying. Cairomon stepped forward asking,

"You did not answer how you exist," The black dragon Digimon sounded defiant but Michael could hear the undertone of curiosity on his words, "If what you say is true that doesn't account for how you came to be nor any of the rest of your kind. I know there are others. I've seen them."

"One of the powers that the humans gave the most powerful Digimon was to self govern the Digital World. The programming was loose for interpretation and as such it did not take a sharp mind to translate that to mean they could create Digimon. Together they forged new Digimon species and new forms of Digivolution. I was one of their attempts of a Divine creation. Myself and my brethren are failed attempts. We gained the immortality, the power, but we lack the innate abilities granted by the human creators. We are what you would call Demi-Gods of the Digital World." He paused a moment before continuing while studying the faces of Cairomon and Michael, "Our forms all changed to look similar to my appearance, when I was created I looked much more like you do Cairomon. Part of the failure was to revert us to this state, This may have been some safe fail in the event of corrupt imaging in the program by the creators but I am more inclined to speculate that it is a result of our magic mixed with the coding that governs the Digital World at its foundations. Djinn have traditionally been considered "magi" associated and I feel that these forms more adequately reflect the influence humanity imposed on us despite not having been created by them."

"What of the other evolutions to the programming I've witnessed?" Michael asked while advancing forward, FlaWizarmon motioned him down but Michael ignored him. "Why do Digimon lose limbs, suffer, bleed?"

"The Pantheon of the Divine realized that turning into absorbable data for experience was not the only way a Digimon could die. The Pantheon would never admit it but they changed the function so that they could keep Digimon alive longer when extracting information from them."

"So they changed the default injury and death options so they could torture more information out of captives?"

"That is correct." The booming thunderous voice of Zeparmon shook the ground and walls around them. Those three small words echoed inside of Michael and he felt the pressure of each word as though spoken through a grand P.A. system with deep bass. He shook these feelings as Cairomon spoke up,

"Are these captives a side affect from the current civil war wrecking this region?" Cairomon inquired.

"No. There was an ancient war fought among the Pantheon of the Divine over how power should be distributed among each other, Especially once they'd realized they had greater control over the worlds. This "region" is the Pangean Plateau and is the major supercontinent of this world." Cairomon turned his head, seemingly ashamed of his lack of knowledge regarding local common geography of the world he'd grown up in. Michael sensed this and deflected the conversation to himself,

"What do we need to do in order to move on to other worlds?" As Michael asked he saw a gleam in the Djinn's eye.

"Ah yes!" The deep voice echoed and exerted more pressure than before on the chamber, "You will need to secure seven of the twelve Reality Orb Fragments. Each world has twelve of them total scattered through them. If you are not Divine it is the only way to pass between realms. Only one world has a completed Reality Orb, the pieces are quite hard to find. Search among the more powerful Digimon in that world as they've likely started gathering fragments by now."

"What price am I paying for this information? Why are you telling me any of this?"

"Nothing is ever truly free. We all pay a price in the end." The Djinn answered solemnly. "I am telling you this information because I intend to help you. Despite my own creators being the Divine of The Pantheon... Human influence is what drives us, created us all ultimately, and it is human influence that will save us in the end. The Divine abuse their power and I disapprove of their choices in how they've abused it." Michael was growing impatient and he could feel impatience mounting from Cairomon. He was starting to understand the feral attitude regarding conflicts that seemed petty. Yes morally what The Pantheon did wasn't right but it wasn't so inherently evil and damning that Michael was wanting to run head first to confront the most powerful being they'd made.

"That is why I stole your Digivice after retrieving it for you." FlaWizarmon spoke now for the first time, his voice sounded like it was coated in honey and soft compared to the powerful voice of the Djinn. "One of the things that the Divine did was seal the human Digivice spawn relation. It was oddly convenient to find you so easily and I am glad I was the first and it was one from The Pantheon coming to investigate the sighting of a human."

"We do not have much time human. If you are to let us help you then I donate to you this very place, a safe seclusion from the world you're in. My presence is needed elsewhere." The Djinn now spoke dismissively. "Have FlaWizarmon contact me whenever you've resolved that civil war business happening there." With that the might Djinn vanished from the chamber.

"Wait." Michael spoke but too late to stop the Djinn's departure. "I had more questions." To which FlaWizarmon eagerly stepped forward.

"I shall do my best to answer."

"Why exactly did we have to go through all this trouble just to get here if you were wanting to work with us?"

"A Djinn's assistance never comes for free."

Digimon Empire Chapter 6

Digimon Empire

Chapter 6

Michael and Cairomon ran through the lightly wooded forest looking for signs of FlaWizarmon. They didn't have a terribly hard time tracking him because the spell caster was tired from the strain of the spells he'd cast and was walking clumsily. They were surprised by the amount of trail he was leaving them to follow that they hadn't already caught up to him. He was heading deeper into the Talthos Forest rather than away from it as Michael had suspected. They came to a large clearing and it was unclear as to which direction FlaWizarmon went when leaving the area. They spent quite some time searching all around the clearing but failed to find any place where the trail continued besides where they'd already come from. There was a large mossy rock near the center of the clearing and Michael walked over to it and sat down. The smooth texture of the rock made him think of Amanda and the amount of time and work she'd spent doing the design for it. He thought of how the moss growing on part of it had been coded in by Tori and Calvin and he could almost hear Tori yelling about how many people did it take to code a rock. He closed his eyes and listened as the breeze whistled softly through the clearing. A small rustling from the leaves and branches moving in the wind and gentle chirping of birds made him feel serene. Despite whatever political conflicts were ahead, despite any challenges they'd face, despite whatever evolutions or glitching in the programming transpired he wanted this. Michael wanted to remember to appreciate the work they'd done creating this world.

Cairomon suddenly stopped abruptly and inhaled sharply while by the rock Michael was stretched out on. The look on his face was confused and he inhaled more deeply before sharply exhaling.

"The scent ends here. I do not understand." Michael slid off the rock and they looked around but saw no traces of anything around the location. They tried lifting the rock but it was far too large and heavy to budge. Michael tried getting a log and using it to pry the rock up with another rock but it still wouldn't budge. They suspected that magic was involved but they were unable to determine what and there were no real traces in the large clearing. Michael ran his hands over the rock some more while Cairomon began pacing. He ran his hands over to the moss to see how it felt, it looked damp and he wondered if it would feel slick or abrasive but as his hand reached it he was surprised as it passed through the rock. Nervously he felt around the inside of the hole and felt wood, smooth, wrapped in cloth, and strong. He pulled on it and there was a loud grinding sound. The rock slid suddenly to the side knocking both Michael and Cairomon roughly to the ground. Michael painfully rose to his feet, his arm throbbing with the pain of the rock jerking him sideways while he was elbow deep in the illusioned hole.

The pair walked over and looked at the spot that opened up and saw there was a roughly round hole with a very narrow spiral staircase leading into the dark. As they both started forward to go down into the hole the rock started to move back. Cairomon hurried to get low enough to avoid getting his head crunched but Michael was too slow and had to pull the lever again and wait for the rock to move. His arm was safely pulled away before the rock jerked open to prevent additional needless injury. As soon as the rock was cleared he followed Cairomon to the narrow staircase. The steps were all uneven, it was clear they'd been crudely cut from the rock that was the wall. They were also slick from unknown liquid, it looked like water. They made slow progress at first and then the rock slid shut above them. What light there was instantly disappeared and it was blindly dark. Michael heard Cairomon's claws softly tapping the rock wall and he began slowly feeling his way down the staircase as well. It seemed they were barely making progress, the slick stairs got more narrow and Michael was stepping by placing one foot directly in front of the other. His mind wandered while they made their way down the seemingly endless staircase, what waited for them, what would they do if they had to confront FlaWizarmon, what would happen after they left, how would they leave, where do they go after they do leave? These questions haunted his thoughts and he tried unfruitfully to dismiss them because he was unable to answer them. Yet they lingered, as though the answer was just at the tip if his tongue waiting to spring out. Time seemed to go on as endless as the staircase was turning into. Michael was tired, he felt achy, his mind dull, and he wanted to lay down to rest. Cairomon broke the silence not long from these feelings settling in for the first time since they were above ground.

"I need to rest, If we are not close to the bottom we will need to rest on these stairs." Michael felt around on his armor and found a small hard pebble wedged between two pieces, he handed it to Cairomon in the dark. As they let it fall they counted,

"1... 2...-" CLANG-G-G-G-G. They were near the bottom, the entire chamber shook from the mighty noise of the tiny pebble but they felt renewed energy tear through them. While still making slow progress neither were tired any longer. They continued going and they moved faster than they had before. Michael steadily carried out his pattern of one foot in front of the other, brace on the wall, move forward, rinse and repeat. His foot went down, he shifted his weight, and his foot slid to the left right off the step. Right into nothingness he felt himself go, Cold air rushed around him as he began his fall. Within moments he realized that the fall was much further than the pebble hand indicated, it must have hit something to make any noise at all. He free fell. He screamed. Cairomon shouted. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. Then all at once he was submerged, it wasn't water, it was thick, cold, and surprising. He swam slowly to the surface and carefully cleaned his nose and mouth before breathing.

"Cairomon," His voice reverberated in a deafening thrum, "Jump." There was a subtle sound of clanking as Cairomon's claws touched the rocks. Michael moved over and after what seemed like several minutes Cairomon's mass made a very quiet gulp sound as the thick slime absorbed his landing. A moment later he was at the surface, together they blindly found where they could climb out. At the base of the stairs, next to the pit of slime, the two slept. Their rest wasn't solid as both moved uneasily. When Michael did wake up he felt he'd overslept but he knew it was his uneasiness sleeping in the pitch dark he was truly uncomfortable with. He woke Cairomon and they felt their way through the dark tunnel. After a short time they found the tunnel turned and as it did small crystals growing from the walls were luminescent. Michael felt stupid for sleeping in the dark when they could have found light just a little farther. Cairomon seemed very happy on the contrary and grinned broadly showing his sharp teeth. They started making their way down the glowing tunnel until they found themselves inside a large room. The glowing crystals lining the walls and floors all over. On a raised rock near the center of the room FlaWizarmon stood his back to them, he was mid-casting what appeared to be a complicated spell, he was taking his time. They moved as quiet as they could into the chamber. FlaWizarmon backed up as he finished the last part of the spell within circles he'd created. The circles started glowing and the glyphs shone brightly. The crystals in the entire chamber dimmed as though there was power being drained from them. A shadow grew within the circles and then suddenly a Digimon was there, an entity. It was clear that this was a Digimon of intense power. It's body was solid in the upper half and fading as it went down towards it legs in the shadow that it spawned from. The Digimon was a greenish blue color and had a soft glow to his being. It was clear he was a Djinn Digimon though it was none Michael was familiar with. The luminescent crystals waned in power just due to its presence, and the air grew cold and thick making the Michael's skin goosebump. He found himself awestruck until the Djinn spoke in a voice so mighty that the chamber tremored and the sound of hundreds of small crystals shattering made Michael gasp.

"Did you get the device FlaWizamon?" The booming voice crackled as though with electricity and thunder, FlaWizamon produced the Digivice. "Good, we are one step closer to releasing my kind into your plane of the Digital Universe." Then turning to look directly at Michael and Cairomon and pointing at them the Djinn commanded,

"Now bring me the human."

Digimon Empire Chapter 5

Digimon Empire

Chapter 5

A large glowing circle with glyphs appeared on the ground surrounding Michael and Cairomon while Coronamon laughed from his flaming destruction. Cairomon ran but was knocked back by a force he couldn't see. They were trapped within the confines of the circle. FlaWizarmon stepped into sight hands glowing the same color as the glyphs beneath their feet. FlaWizarmon is a fire affinity spell caster, these pyromaniacs tend to be visible with active flames encircling them or on their clothing. They do also carry two large matchsticks instead of the wand that their pre-Digivolved form, Wizardmon, carries.

"Okay Coronamon you'll take control of this spell just like I've taught you." Coronamon walked over to FlaWizarmon and placed his left hand over FlaWizarmon's left hand and his right over his right hand. The spell shimmered for a mere moment during the transfer but neither Cairomon nor Michael could react quickly enough to take advantage of it. FlaWizarmon began casting a new spell, this one had much sharper drawn glyphs and an additional ring containing them. It took him several minutes but then it was cast and surrounded the first ring of glyphs they were trapped in. FlaWizarmon showed clear strain on his face, the spell was putting a drain on him.

He slowly started breathing and then while staying as calm as he could he began a very slow chant. As each syllable left his lips a corresponding glyph would glow brighter, starting with the outer ring and moving inwards as he finished the final glyph Michael felt a searing pain rip through him. He fell to his knees as a bright glow erupted from his chest and moved immediately outside the rings. The glowing stopped to reveal a Digivice. FlaWizarmon immediately stopped the spell he was performing and weakly picked up the Digivice.

"The MIRACLE tool." FlaWizarmon smiled as he stowed the device away. Then he slowly walked away from the clearing, very clearly drained. "Maintain the containment spell as long as you can Coronamon, and remember you've sacrificed your life for the greatest of causes. Because of your sacrifice tonight my pupil we shall win this war." With that FlaWizarmon left the clearing with the Digivice in tow.

Michael's mind was racing, he needed to devise a plan to escape this containment circles sooner than later. He thought of Coronamon and tried remembering what he knew about their innate natures that were programmed in. They were impish, their bodies were solid but they were enveloped in a living flame instead of a skin. Even if he could strike it there was no way for him to break the containment circle. He'd have to shake him, he'd have to scare him.

"Cairomon we need to get that, I know what that tool is. It is a Digivice. It is used for a Tamer to Digivolve their Digimon at a greater capacity than that which a Digimon would normally be able to naturally achieve." Cairomon narrowed his eyes and then a soft glow was seen in his jaws. Michael felt heat as a molten fireball erupted from the dragons throat and hit the barrier. The barrier absorbed the blast but it shimmered for only a moment. Coronamon's eyes grew wider and he looked surprised but maintained the spell without causing it to lapse. Cairomon attacked again, and then again, and then again once more. Each time Coronamon looked more strained. Michael drew his sword and aimed it at Coronamon.

"Cairomon, when you attack this time the barrier will fall just long enough for me to kill him. When he's dead lets eat him slowly before we move on. With any luck I'll just injure him so we can start eating before he dies." Coronamon's eyes grew wider as Cairomon prepared another molten fireball in his jaws. Cairomon let the blast go but Michael didn't move. The barrier shimmered as it waned.

"Again Cairomon." Cairomon complied. "Again." "Again." "Again." Finally Michael walked to the very edge of the circle closest to Coronamon. He stared at the little fire beast and slowly licked his lips. "You'll taste so good. Cairomon... again." As Cairomon let the molten ball from his throat Coronamon dropped the spell and turned to run. Not fast enough though, Michael sprung forward and struck the Digimon with the pommel of his sword. Coronamon slumped to the ground in an unconscious heap.

"Leave him Cairomon, he won't wake up for hours. We need to find FlaWizarmon. Lets go!"

Digimon Empire Chapter 4

Digimon Empire

Chapter 4

AxeBattlemon twirled his mighty axe in a deadly display as he quickly advanced on Michael and Cairomon. The narrow alley way offered no shelter but as Cairomon turned to run out the other side Michael stopped him.

"We need to stay here, he's too big and limited in how he can attack us in here," As he said this AxeBattlemon narrowed his eyes and began hacking giant chunks out of the buildings of the alley, "Uh nevermind lets run." The duo ran out the back side of the alley and saw both gold and silver Guardmon fighting in various pockets along the street, the large AxeBattlemon trying to work his way through the narrow streets in pursuit but could do little more than shout for his soldiers to pursue.

Michael and Cairomon met with little resistance as they worked their way around the small city. They found the northern part of the city to be mostly deserted and they'd lost the AxeBattlemon along the way. They were pushing towards the western wall, to escape the city walls and the battle ensuing. They had come across a couple scared silver Guardmon whom they dispatched quickly between the two of them but they saw very few inhabitants of the city. Smoke was growing thicker and the city was thick with the sounds of battle. As they reached the western wall Michael understood why he hadn't seen the inhabitants. A small Gazimon was ushering some Moonmon into the ditch beside the wall. Gazimon are feline rabbit hybrids, predatory by nature with unusually long sharp foreclaws. They digivolve from Moonmon which would explain why it was ushering the little In-Training level Digimon under the wall. As he saw the duo approaching Gazimon ran in after them. Michael could see AxeBattlemon smashing through buildings heading further east into the city. Cairomon slipped into the small ditch and crawled through on his belly. Michael followed close behind, leaving the city behind.

When they emerged they found they found the fields surrounding the city scarred with fire, dead Digimon, and destruction in general. Any Digimon Michael crossed that were still alive but critically injured he dispatched and moved on. Nearing the edge of the imminent destruction area Michael came across a Guardmon that had lost a hand and an entire leg. It lay there in mud slowly dying. Michael sighed heavily as he started to unsheath his sword but Cairomon stopped him.

"I will send this one off. I've thought of why you're doing this. I realized now that if I were in their position I would be grateful for the quick end." Michael stepped back as Cairomon walked to the suffering Digimon. He spoke quietly with the Guardmon a moment before dispatching it. Cairomon walked over to Michael, the look in his eye was of understanding. They walked on together in silence from there on. After a short time they reached the Talthos Forest to the west of the city. Cairomon's eyes glowed softly as he led the way, maneuvering them around obstacles seemingly only seen by him. Michael's mind wandered while they worked their way into the woods. He absently wondered where the Gazimon and Moonmon had disappeared to so quickly as they were not far behind them. He decided they must have hid among the destruction nearby the exit. He wondered about what had become of the MetalBattlemon. He never saw a carcass but he doubted that the AxeBattlemon would have let him live. His mind wandered to thoughts of the City, the name of which he didn't know and the inhabitants which lived in fear.

"What was the name of that city?" Michael asked, breaking the hour long silence.

"Talthos, hence the name of the forest." Cairomon retorted. They continued on in silence for some time further until at last Cairomon stopped and smelled strongly, listened carefully, and looked around a small clearing. Similar to the clearing Michael had started from.

"We'll stay here for now," Cairomon declared, "We need to gather what we need to make a temporary shelter and then get some rest." They spent the better part of the next couple hours gathering sticks, bark, vines, and large soft leaves similar to those Michael was wearing. In a short amount of time from there they had crafted a small shack with two elevated sleeping bunks. Within no time at all they had both fallen asleep, it was just before dawn. When he awoke Cairomon had already gotten up. It was in the late afternoon but he felt like he could still sleep more. When he emerged from their small shack he was surprised to see that the clearing had a firepit, and there was a string of fish roasting. His stomach growled and he checked to see if the fish were ready to eat.

"Those are for you, I've already ate." Cairomon's growling voice came from the edge of the clearing as he walked in carrying a bundle of sticks. He placed these in a pile next to the firepit with other wood he'd already gathered. Michael ate from the fish until he couldn't eat any more.

"These fish are amazing, how did you find them?" Cairomon straightened his back as he stood looking proud,

"There is a Seadramon in a nearby pond. We traded for fruit that he wanted which I gathered while you were sleeping. They aren't very bright so it was an easy trade." Michael now understood that they weren't just in a clearing similar to the one that he'd arrived in but they were actually in that clearing.

"This is where I arrived."

"I know," Replied Cairomon, "and that is why we're here. You need to be here for the miracle to take place."

"Miracle?"

"Legend has it that when the human would walk among Digimon a tool of destruction would appear if they stayed where they arrived." Cairomon explained, "I followed your scent to this place." Michael understood now why Cairomon had been so invested in smelling every corner of the clearing.

"Has any miracle tool arrived?" Michael inquired. Cairomon shook his head. While they waited for the miracle tool they continued to add improvements to their clearing home. They talked while they were working and Michael asked about politics, time, and history. He was trying to gather as much information as he could about the localized conflicts. Cairomon had only recently been imprisoned he came to find out, over not paying his taxes after it was discovered he was living on a small island in isolation for several years without paying the local tariffs. Being unable to pay he had been arrested and so far he knew a little of the tensions between the Empire and the rebel forces. There had been a couple rebels in the jail with him but they were quickly executed. Cairomon seemed to hold the opinion that neither side of the fight were good, bad, or all that intelligent as neither side had clear goals as to what they were fighting for or towards. The rebels in jail would ramble on about how it was unjust and the Empire must fall. The Empire would tax their subjects to the point of starvation and death which resulted in no subjects. Michael could understand the reasons for the rebellion given the state of political unrest but it made him uneasy at how feral Cairomon's resolution regarding the situation. It was as though Cairomon felt the entire situation mundane, the rebels shouldn't fight the Empire and the Empire shouldn't tax harshly. Michael caught himself smiling at Cairomon's simplistic understanding of the situation, like a child explaining the concept of war. Cairomon had no sense of time and could not answer questions regarding what year or day it was so Michael resolved to find out that information at a later date from a different Digimon.

"Why do you not care about the war Cairomon?"

"Because a long time ago I was once the leader of a small village of Gonamon, my pre-digivolved form. The Empire suspected that we would ultimately turn against them in favor of supporting either the Divine or the legendary arrival of humans. When I found out the Empire was mounting an attack I reached out to the rebellion to help support our village. They refused, said there were too few of us and too few of them to move against the Empire for us. We had no aid when the Empire struck."

"Well did you move the Gonamon out of the village before the attack?" To which Cairomon was already shaking his head and Michael could see the frustration in his eyes.

"Gonamon must stay in hot coals or they die, it takes quite a bit of work to raise one into a Cairomon," Cairomon sighed deeply as though resignation over the loss was some annoying inconvenience, "That's why I don't care about the war Michael, neither side is good and my species is now on the verge of extinction. I'll fight both sides with no discretion because I detest both." Michael understood now why Cairomon was as detached from the conflicts as emotionally possible. He could tell the Digimon bore the weight of the loss personally and he couldn't blame him since he'd very realistically do the same if it were him that had lost so much. They would have to prepare hard to help other Digimon not experience those same losses. They needed to train and despite his reservations regarding it Cairomon eagerly helped teach Michael how to fish, how to hunt small game, how to survive.

The two also spent some time sparing. At first Cairomon easily dominated Michael but within a couple hours Michael's determination drove him to keep toe to toe with the Digimon but only through use of the sword and sheath in both an offensive and defensive tool set. Michael liked the feel of both aspects. The two sparred each other off and on to keep their apprehension subdued though neither voiced this to other. This level of reservation was comfortable to both of them and they could each sense what the other felt without having to say it out loud.

Two days passed and still nothing had happened when Michael suggested they venture further out and see if they could gather news of happenings in the area and determine what they would do after they left their secluded shelter. They gathered some supplies and left. They were only gone for a day but they found out very little. They saw small camps spread over several miles that consisted of gold or silver Guardmon respectively but no other Digimon or signs of them were to be found. They made their way back to the clearing and as they neared it they saw bright glowing coming from it. Cairomon growled low,

"We put the fire out there should be no light, move with caution." Michael drew his sword as they advanced. As they peered into the clearing the entire place was ablaze. Flames rapidly eating away at their shack and food supplies. Everything they'd gathered was being destroyed and the flame looked as though it was living, moving from place to place in the clearing as though it was being controlled. Then he was finally able to make out a face, eyes, and shape among the flames. Coronamon, a small rookie level Digimon. It's is a living flame that carries the body shape of a small feline monkey hybrid. They tend to digivolve from Sunmon and they generate additional heat and power from the sun to be stored at night. It stopped spreading flames and stood there happily surveying its destruction.

"Thank you for joining me finally. My master began to worry you wouldn't arrive."