Chapter 69: The Cursed Woods

Thomas Kasuto

Deckerdramon’s Temple

Lotisea Province

 

Horusmon glared down at Statch and me; his red eyes were glowing, and it seemed as though he were peering into our souls. He was quite large and made an imposing first impression, with his muscular arms crossed across his broad chest. The two of us stared up and into his eyes, and I calmly placed a hand over my sword hilt, ready to fight.

“You have been freed, oh mighty Horusmon,” Sephyrus said.

“I am aware,” Horusmon said, his gaze never shifting from us. “Where is Lilithmon? There are things I must say to her.”

“She…could not make it here, I’m afraid.”

“Is that so…Tell me, are you two the ones responsible for the deaths of my brethren?” Horusmon asked.

“Yeah…that was us,” Statuedramon said. He spoke in a low voice, and I could see that he had taken a step back. I, too, was nervous, but I kept my ground. Horusmon grinned, which looked quite odd for one with a beak.

“It is a pleasure to meet the two of you.” Horusmon bent down on one knee before us. “Murdering my brethren…it must not have been an easy task.”

“Horusmon, what are you doing?!” BioBeelzemon asked. Kneeling before us, he was still taller than even I, but just barely. He looked deep into my eyes, and I could clearly see the honesty of his words.

“I want you to know…that I truly respect the two of you,” Horusmon said. “People like you…who fight with all your heart and soul to do what you believe is the right thing to do…I harbor no ill will against you. However, it seems as though that I will be forced to destroy you if I want freedom for not only myself, but my allies as well.”

“Yeah?! Just…just try and stop us!” Statuedramon said. On cue, I drew and brandished my sword at the tall Digimon, who jumped back to avoid being hit.

“I’ll do my best!” Emitting a loud, bird-like shriek, Horusmon opened his beak as he took flight, and a ball of black flames formed in his mouth. “Ebon Flames of Purgatory!” From the sphere, Horusmon unleashed a thick stream of black flames that filled the entire room and shrouded it in their darkness.

“Thomas, get behind me!” I did as I was told, knowing my partner was a better match against the Mega Digimon, and Statuedramon held up his shield, which absorbed some of the flames spewed by the Mega Digimon. “Sword of Dragon’s—” Suddenly, the flames came to an abrupt end, and Horusmon came soaring down close to us.

“Thunderous Judgment of Mighty Osiris!” Horusmon crossed his arms, and from the opening in the ceiling, a huge bolt of lightning descended towards us. I closed my eyes and breathed in, knowing what was coming next.

“Dimensional Shield!” Statch held up his shield, which absorbed the lightning bolt. “Sword of Dragon’s Soul!” Statch’s sword fired a yellow projection that directly struck Horusmon and completely enveloped his body in its electrical blast. Horusmon fell to the ground, his skin burned black and falling off, and the feathers on his wings ruffled up and spread across the room. “Wait…that did it?! Did we actually beat him already?!”

“Ha…not bad,” Horusmon wheezed. “But this…is far from over…”

“We’ll see about that!” Statuedramon shouted.

“Hathor’s Gentle Embrace!” A spectral pair of feminine arms, adorned with jewelry, wrapped themselves around Horusmon’s chest. The Mega Digimon became covered with a white light, and in a brief moment, his injuries disappeared, his skin returned to normal, and his feathers returned to their customary, sleek appearance.

“…Well…that sucks…” Statch said.

Horusmon turned his head toward the smaller Rookie. “While I am fighting for my friends, I will do whatever is necessary to ensure that our plans prevail! Ebon Flames of Purgatory!” Horusmon opened his beak once more, but before he could attack, JewelBeemon flew towards us and pulled us out of the way.

“JewelBeemon, what are you doing?” Statch asked.

“You should not have endangered yourself like that,” I said as the tall Ultimate set us down on the ground several feet away from Horusmon.

“I apologize…but I just couldn’t stand…just watching my friends fight anymore,” JewelBeemon wheezed. “But this time…I’ll fight alongside you, and there’s nothing you can say to me to change my mind!”

“Stubborn jackass,” Statch muttered.

“Admit it; he reminds you of someone, doesn’t he?” I asked, thinking of the Digimon I was addressing.

“Hmm…nope.”

“…Whatever. We appreciate your assistance, JewelBeemon,” I bowed.

“Thank you, Thomas.” JewelBeemon thrust his spear into the ground and glared at Horusmon. “You who rose from the depths of the Dark Area and defiles this honored sanctuary of light…You shall be purified! JewelBeemon Digivolve to, Zamielmon!”

“…The Wood-Spirit General,” Horusmon said calmly. “Interesting…even with an injury such as that, you still aim to fight?” Horusmon glanced down at Zamielmon’s blackened arm, which hung limply at the Digimon’s side.

“It doesn’t matter…because I will defeat you, demon! The World Shot!” Zamielmon fired an enormous arrow that seemed to dwarf even the tall Horusmon in size. Horusmon, however, did not even look up. He held up his left arm and stopped the arrow with a single finger.

“This is the coveted power of a Death General? Pathetic! Ebon Flames of Purgatory!” Before Horusmon could attack, the wall behind the king’s throne opened up, revealing itself to be a doorway. Bright beams of light burst out from the door, obscuring all from sight.

“Smokey Fang!” As Horusmon turned around to see what was happening, he was greeted with a faceful of missiles, all of which exploded on impact and created a dense, smoky cloud that filled the room. The sound of heavy footsteps resonated, and as the smoke cleared, I saw Horusmon flat on his back, alive but appearing to be unconscious. Standing above him was an enormous Digimon.

“Deckerdramon…is that you?” I asked.

“Thomas…Statuedramon…how good to see you two again,” Deckerdramon said. “What’s it been…two years? What brings you two back to Lotisea, my old friends?”

“This Digimon,” I pointed at Horusmon. “We’ve been trying to stop him and his evil buddies from being freed from the Dark Area.”

“Freed from the Dark Area? That sounds bad. Not to mention impossible,” Deckerdramon said. “But…if you two really are trying to do this, then it must really be true.”

“Hathor’s Gentle Embrace!” Horusmon began glowing once more, and in the blink of an eye, his injuries disappeared.

“And that’s why he’s not dead yet,” Statch said. “Man, I hate it when we have to fight enemies who can heal themselves!”

“You know, Statuedramon…the only way you can get around an ability like that,” Deckerdramon began. “Is to hit them so hard the first time, they don’t have the energy to do so. Observe; Crocodile Cannons!” From his back, Deckerdramon unleashed a barrage of missiles at the opposing Mega. Horusmon was instantly obliterated, and nothing was left of him when Deckerdramon’s attack ended, save for a few stray ebon feathers. “And that’s how it’s done.”

“Oh, sure; that may be easy for you to do, but for those of us that don’t have missiles everywhere on their body, I think that would be a little difficult, don’t you think?!” Statuedramon asked. Deckerdramon laughed.

“I suppose you make a fair point,” he said.

“Oh, and by the way, King Earh is dead,” Statch added.

“Earh? Who was that?” Deckerdramon asked. “I know every one of the royal family by name, and the name Earh is unfamiliar to me.”

“…Sephyrus was right,” I said. I glanced swiftly around the room as a dawning realization struck me. “Sephyrus! Damn it, they both got away! And they had the Mask, too!”

“That’s okay; we’ve still got a lot of the Horcruxes,” Statuedramon said.

“We only have the Stone! That means there’s only one left to find!” A thought suddenly came to mind. “Deckerdramon…do you know anything about Horcruxes?”

“Horcruxes? Not much; why do you ask?”

“That Digimon, Horusmon, was freed from one, and so were his other allies; we’ve been going around the continent stopping some bad people from freeing the Digimon whose souls are attached to them, but even after we’ve finished killing the Digimon that was freed, they still take the time to retrieve the Horcruxes. Do you know why they might do that?”

“It’s simple; even though the Digimon’s soul might no longer be bound to the Horcrux after they have been freed from the Dark Area, the traces of their soul still linger within the object. With that, the caster of the spell can use the soulless Horcruxes to open a gateway to the Dark Area. I…do not claim to know how that is done, but I do know that is the only reason why they would possibly still be collecting the Horcruxes after their target Digimon was freed.”

“A gate…to the Dark Area?!” Statch gasped.

“Yes; a gateway that will enable him or her to free the Digimon of the Dark Area,” Deckerdramon continued. “If something like this ever occurs…Arcadia may never know light again.”

“…We have to make sure they never get the Stone, and the Diadem if we can help it,” I said.

“I’m afraid that’s all the information I can give you on that subject,” Deckerdramon said. “However, if you need my help, do not hesitate to contact me; I will help you and Lachesis in any way I can.”

“Thank you, Deckerdramon,” I said.

“Count on…my support as well…” Zamielmon walked up to Deckerdramon, and turned back into JewelBeemon.

“JewelBeemon! Are you okay?!” I asked. “You shouldn’t be walking around!”

“I’m…fine,” JewelBeemon said. “It’s just…a minor injury…I’ll be fine in a day or so…

“No, you will not,” Deckerdramon said. “That injury…that burn…I’m afraid your arm may never move again.”

“Never move…again? But then…how will I…guard this place?” JewelBeemon asked.

“I’m afraid you cannot, in your condition,” Deckerdramon said. “You will be required to resign.”

“…Resign? But…”

“JewelBeemon…your life is more important than this job. Please…for your own safety…resign.”

“…All right. I…resign. But…that doesn’t mean I can’t help out. Thomas…Statuedramon…whenever you come to request for Deckerdramon’s help, expect some from me, too,” JewelBeemon said. “It’s…the least I can do…”

“JewelBeemon…” I began.

“We’ll see you again soon,” Statuedramon said.

“Uh…Excuse me…” A tall man dressed in yellow-green robes nervously walked up to us. He had long, silver hair, though in spite of its color, he looked quite youthful. “Is…has Earh been removed from the throne?”

“Yes, sir, he has,” I said. “He was killed in doing so, but he has been removed nonetheless.” The man bowed to me.

“You have my gratitude, sir,” the man said.

“You…aren’t you Lord Syra’an?” JewelBeemon asked. “Myrddin Syra’an? That is who you are, correct?”

“Yes, my friend,” the man said in a pleasant voice. “I am…the rightful king of this fair city. Unfortunately, Earh had been on the throne for as long as I can remember…he had even banished my family from ever visiting the temple. But now…he is gone…”

“I am pleased to have been of service to you, Milord,” I said, returning the man’s bow.

“No…it is I who is grateful,” King Myrddin said. “What are your names?”

“My name is Thomas Kasuto, and this is Statuedramon. We work for a mercenary guild known as Lachesis.”

“A guild, you say? That is very admirable,” King Myrddin said. “I am forever indebted to the two of you, and your guild, Lachesis. Please…if there ever comes I time when I can be of assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me. I will do everything in my power to help your group, and I shall ensure that each and every one of my descendants knows of this debt as well.”

“You are very gracious, Milord,” I said. “We gratefully accept your generous offer, but if you’ll excuse us, we must return home. Our guildmaster is expecting us.”

“Of course, of course,” Myrddin said politely. “I apologize to have kept you so long.”

Lotisea Jungle

3 Days

 

“Just a few more twists and turns on this path, and we should be home in just a few hours,” Statuedramon said.

“Our journey home is going by faster than our journey to the temple,” I noted. As accustomed as I was to long journeys on foot, the careful maneuvering around the intertwined roots of the trees of Lotisea made our trip much more tiring than usual.

“Yeah…I wonder why that is?” Statch asked. “Damn it, what’s with all of this fog?! It’s the middle of the day, but it seems like it’s getting thicker! And why does it look like its blue?!”

I stopped walking. It really is…blue! “Statuedramon…do you remember the last time we were here? With Ienzo?”

“Yeah, what about it?”

“Last time…you mentioned the rumor about this place?”

“You mean how the trees seem like they move around, and…oh. Oh. Oh, no…”

“Statuedramon…it seems that the rumors just might be true, after all,” I said, looking around uncomfortably. The fog grew thicker. The trees’ leaves rustled madly, and when the fog grew less thick, the trees looked as though they had, in fact, moved. None of them were in the same place as they had been.

“Thomas…you told me that this was only a rumor!” Statch said, his voice growing more and more panicked.

“Calm down.”

“You calm down! By the Goddess, we’re going to get lost here forever! We’re going to—”

“Statch, shut up!” I yelled. The fog was nearly gone by now and hung low to the forest floor.

“Who are you? Why do you disturb the forest’s slumber?!”

“Oh my god!”

“Statch, calm down!” I hissed. I think I know what Digimon this is…

“For disturbing the forest’s slumber, I shall subject you to—”

“Hold on just a minute…Cherrymon,” I said.

“…You know of me?”

“We did not come here to disturb anything,” I replied.

“My senses say otherwise.” The fog vanished completely, and before we knew it, a colossal Cherrymon stood before us. “The scent of the Dark Area lingers upon the two of you. For the past several days, all across the continent, I have sensed the darkness of the Dark Area growing ever larger…and ever closer to swallowing up the entire world,” Cherrymon said. “You two…are the ones responsible for the spread of darkness!”

“No, we’re not! We’re trying to stop the darkness from spreading!” Statch yelled.

“There are two Humans who turn into Digimon; they are the ones spreading the darkness,” I said.

“Humans turning into Digimon?!” Cherrymon gasped. “That…that can’t be…But with the spread of darkness…And you say you are fighting the darkness?”

“Several Digimon from the Dark Area have been called forth from the Dark Area, Cherrymon,” I said. “We were there for some of them. But also…we fought against them. We sent them back to the Dark Area.”

“…Do you speak the truth?” Cherrymon asked.

“Yes, sir.”

“…Very well. If it is as you say…then you may go,” Cherrymon said. “But know this; if you have lied to me, the Illusion Mist will grow thicker and thicker…and you will never be able to leave these woods. You will be doomed to wander here for the rest of your life…until you perish. The Cursed Woods…that is where you now tread. And those are its rules. If you can abide by them, and escape…then you win. And you shall never again be bothered by the rules if you are to win but once.” Fog surrounded Cherrymon once more, and he completely vanished from sight. Statuedramon looked up at me.

“…Well, now what do we do?” he asked.

“What do you mean?” I asked back. “We did not lie, so we’ve nothing to worry about. Let us be on our way back home.”

“Wait…are you sure about this?”

“Of course I am. You…believe that we’re doing the right thing, don’t you?” I asked.

“Well, yeah, but…I don’t know…” he looked down at the ground. “I know you are fighting back…but what about me? I can’t even Digivolve…I just get in the way…”

“Statuedramon, that is not true,” I whispered, bending down to look him in the eye. “There’s no other Digimon I’d rather have as my Partner. You know that. You’ve gotten me out of more predicaments than I care to remember. Remember what Apollomon told you; what’s important is not how well you fight, but why you fight.”

“…Yeah. Okay. Let’s go. Thanks, buddy.”

“Anytime, buddy.”