Chapter 20: Next to be Lost

Pheragas Danved

Outside Lachesis HQ

 

“We’re almost there, Pheragas,” Dianamon said.

“Dank you…Dianamon…” I had nearly lost consciousness as Dianamon half-carried and half-dragged me all the way back to the fortress. The severe burning pain in my chest was not as intense as it had been, but was still enough to labour my breathing and make it difficult to stay conscious.

“Hey, Apollomon, we’ve got a problem!” BlackGaomon shouted as he ran into the fort. Dianamon dragged my limp body over to the nearest couch and instantly set me down on it, and Apollomon was soon at my side.

“What happened? Is he okay?!” Apollomon asked.

“He’s fine; he just got hit in the chest by a fireball from Flamedramon!” BlackGaomon said.

“Fine?! That’s not fine! He’s lucky to still be alive!” Apollomon shouted. “Luna, go get him something to clean up that wound!”

“Yes sir!” I heard Luna run up the stairs of the fort as fast as she could.

“What happened? Where are Thomas and the others?” Saias asked.

“Thomas vas able to find Ienzo,” I said weakly. “Dey should be in Yew by now…looking for Irene…Flamedramon attacked dem, he…killed Garret…” An uncomfortable silence filled the room.

“Garret…is dead?” Apollomon whispered. I nodded slowly.

“He almost…killed dem…and me…Dianamon came just in time…Thomas and de oders vere able to escape in time…” 

“Apollomon!” Luna ran into the lounge, breathing heavily. “FIRE!”

“What?!” Apollomon looked toward the witch; her golden eyes were wide with panic.

“I tried…to put it out…but nothing worked! We have to get out of here — now!”

“Damn it, Flamedramon must’ve followed us!” Dianamon said. “I should’ve killed him when I had the chance!”

“Don’t worry about that now; everyone, get out!” Apollomon yelled. With a little help from Saias and Lector, I was able to get off the couch and run out with everyone else. Standing in front of the fort’s entrance was none other than Flamedramon.

“Who wants to die first?” Flamedramon asked. “Perhaps you would like to go first,” Flamedramon pointed at me. “I always like to finish whatever I start.”

“Nobody has to die today, Flamedramon,” Apollomon said. “We can talk about this if you’d—”

“The time for talking ended twenty years ago, Apollomon!” Flamedramon said. “Flame Fist!”

“Solblaster!” Apollomon opened up his palm toward the sky and created a flaming orb in the center of his hand. Flamedramon’s attack struck the orb, causing it to swell drastically and increase in size. Apollomon then launched the orb, which, at this point, had grown to be even bigger than Apollomon, at Flamedramon. With nowhere to run, Flamedramon stood and embraced the attack, the brightly shining flames enveloping his entire body.

“Hmph. Not bad…been quite a while since I’ve felt an attack from a Digimon quite as strong as this,” Flamedramon walked through the flames, completely unsinged, glaring at Apollomon. “You could’ve prevented this, Apollomon. If you had just done your job, someone like me would never have been born.”

“What are you talking about?!” Apollomon asked.

“Flame Fist!” Flamedramon unleashed a stream of flames from his claws; all of us ducked, and Flamedramon’s attack instead hit the fortress. The entire fort became wrapped in flames, forever disfigured by their glare and destructiveness as it crumpled to the ground in a burned-down heap.

“You bastard! Arrow of Apollo!”

“Fire Rocket!” Apollomon launched two flaming arrows from the jewels on his hands, which Flamedramon allowed to hit him as he became enveloped in his own flames before leaping through the air towards Apollomon.

“ENOUGH!” Saias shouted, stepping between Apollomon and Flamedramon. “If you want to fight someone, let it be me!” Flamedramon fell to the ground, landing on his feet.

“Saias…you’re no match for him!” Apollomon said.

“That’s not important,” Saias said. “It is the job of us knights to protect people. If we had just done our job right…maybe this could all have been avoided…” Saias brandished his large sword at Flamedramon, who began backing away from the knight.

“You…you are just like me,” Flamedramon whispered.

“What do you mean by that?!” Saias asked quickly. Flamedramon, however, began to walk away. “Hey, get back here!”

“There is no sense in fighting someone who is just like me,” Flamedramon said before vanishing from sight.

“Saias…what does he mean by that?” Lector asked.

“I don’t know…” Saias said. “But we should not worry about that right now. Apollomon…what are you going to do?” The Mega Digimon turned around to stare at the fortress; the flames had not yet dissipated, and they had already savagely destroyed the building.

“There’s…nothing much we can do,” Apollomon said softly. “This fortress has been destroyed. However, it was only a building for us to reside in; Lachesis is made out of its members, not their dwelling. Flamedramon…has accomplished nothing.”

“Except for making us all homeless,” BlackGaomon noted.

“You don’t have…anywhere else you can stay?” Saias asked.

“There is one place,” SlashAngemon said. “When I’m in Yew with Irene, we always notice this one house that everyone else seems to avoid going near; we’ve heard them say it’s been abandoned for years, and nobody wants to go near it. They seem to think it’s haunted. We could stay there for a little while.”

“I…suppose we don’t have any other choice,” Apollomon said.

“I know the house of which you speak, and I can assure you that it is not, in fact, haunted; after Lector and I return from Paeonia, perhaps we could visit you for…relocation purposes?” Saias asked.

“…What’s wrong with that house?” Apollomon asked.

“Nothing’s wrong with it; it’s just rather old, and it might not be large enough.”

“Very well; we accept your offer,” Apollomon said. “SlashAngemon, lead the way to that house.”

“Lector, we need to get going if we’re going to make it to Paeonia in time,” Saias said.

“I hope those kids were able to get Ienzo there without any problem,” Lector said.

“You have nothing to worry about,” Apollomon said. “All things considered, Thomas is probably the most dependable member of Lachesis there is. He may not be as strong as me or Pheragas, but in a battle, there’s no one I’d rather have at my side than him.”

Ienzo

Paeonia Town

Elphierr Territory

2 Days

 

The town Thomas and his friends had taken me to was rather small, but I immediately felt right at home. A further sense of relief washed over me when I realized that nobody here would be able to recognize me. I was exhausted from the nonstop walking through Cyprus Desert, and my clothes were covered in sand, as were the clothes of the others and Statuedramon’s armor. At the moment, I was simply thankful that I was being led through a hotel, apparently called the Eucalyptus Hotel, to my very own room.

“Saias and Lector have already taken care of the payment, so you don’t need to worry about money, and that includes the bar downstairs.”

There’s a bar downstairs?! Chick city, here I come!

“They should be here in a few hours, if I remember what they said correctly,” Irene said. Over the past two days, I noticed that she was talking quite a bit louder than she was when I first met her. I could tell she was beginning to feel less shy, but her face would immediately turn red, and she would try to hide it from sight whenever I attempted to flirt with her. The scoldings from Statuedramon were always worth it, though. The punches in the face, not so much, and the kicks in the groin, even less. I made a pass at Zelda once, but when Thomas began glaring daggers at me, I felt that my life was in danger, and I immediately stopped, figuring that the two might be a couple. I noticed the way they looked at each other when they thought the other wasn’t looking, and I didn’t want to interrupt anything that may or may not be occurring. I might be lecherous, but I wouldn’t ever try taking another man’s woman. At least, not on purpose…

“This hotel’s pretty nice for such a small town,” Statuedramon noted. We had to walk up three flights of stairs before we finally made it to my room. There were two large beds, and a single, short dresser with a lamp between them. A huge, glass window replaced the wall to our opposite side, and a glass door led to an outdoor balcony constructed of white stones.

“Thank you for all of this,” I said, looking at Irene, Thomas, Zelda, and Statuedramon. “You could have all just left me to die like I wanted, but instead you all worked hard to save my life. I…I don’t know what to say…”

“You don’t need to say anything,” Statuedramon said. “It’s all part of being a mercenary; we all help those in need!”

“A very simple, but very admirable philosophy,” I said. “If only the Valencian Knights had a similar one…besides Saias and Lector, of course.”

“Here’s the key to your room.” Irene handed me a small, bronze key. “If there’s anything you need to know, please don’t hesitate to contact us at Lachesis, okay?”

“Well, I’d hate to inconvenience you, especially after all that you’ve done, but if you’re offering, it would be rude of me to refuse, wouldn’t it?” I asked. We all said our goodbyes, and the four soon left and I made my way to my room and closed the door behind me. Then I sat down on the bed and looked up at the ceiling.

Hmm…What should I do while I’m waiting for Saias and Lector? An idea instantly popped into my head, and I sat up. “At a time like this, there’s but one thing to do; go to the bar downstairs and pick up some chicks!” I smiled at my own brilliance and left my room, walking back down all three flights of stairs and into the bar past the lobby. There were quite a few people there, including two or three Digimon, but not enough for it to be considered crowded. I ordered a small glass of wine from the friendly bartender, and looked around at my options. A young blonde woman in a blue midriff top, vaguely reminding me of Zelda, was walking by. Oh, goody! I just can’t say no to a bare midriff! I brushed my hair back just as she passed by, and to my astonishment, she ignored me, and continued walking by. After half a second of dejection, I noticed another young woman, clad in a very short and very tight red dress sitting close by. I smiled at her, but she walked away after paying the bartender. I sulked.

“Aw, don’t feel too bad, bud,” the rotund, mustached barkeep said with a smile. “You’ll find one soon; just don’t lose hope!”

“Heh. Thanks for that,” I laughed. “Though, I might need a few more of these if all doesn’t go well…”

“You got it, bud!” the barkeep set the bottle of blood-red wine nearby. I sighed. After a few minutes, another woman sat down on a stool to my left.

“You shouldn’t look so discouraged, you know,” she whispered into my ear. “You look much more handsome when you’re smiling.” I looked over my shoulder at her; long blonde hair, and garbed in a dark cape. Her eyes were red, but what caught my attention the most were here fairly large breasts emphasized by a low-cut top that revealed an ample amount of cleavage, in addition to her navel and a small portion of her midriff. It took every ounce of self-control to keep myself from…from grabbing her…from fondling her…

“See, what’d I tell ya?” I heard the barkeep whisper happily to himself.

“Would you care to tell me your name, love?” the woman asked.

“I…I’m…Ienzo…” She was so incredibly beautiful that I could barely speak. I continued looking at her. Her gray skirt fell to her mid-thighs, leaving the rest of her legs exposed. She wore red, open-toed high heels to complete the perfect visage of her magnificent beauty. I was in complete shock.

“Ienzo…such a lovely name,” she said. “My name is Abigail.”

“A…Abi…”

“Shhh…you don’t need to talk,” she whispered, placing a finger over my lips. Her fingernails had been filed into razor-sharp points, and resembled claws, and the one she placed over my mouth nearly cut my lip. “I can see that you’re scared, but you don’t need to worry. I know just how to deal with anxiety. Would you care to…show me your room?”

“F—For…what?” Abigail smiled. She slowly and seductively slid her hand down the side of her stomach and down to the waist of her skirt, which she pulled down ever so slightly. The black of her panties contrasted well with the light gray of her skirt and the pale skin of her belly. “I…seem to have gotten locked out of my room. Could you maybe…let me stay in your room for a while?”

“I…would be happy to,” I said breathlessly. I stood up, and instantly fell to the floor, making Abigail giggle in a very cute manner. I stood straight back up very stiffly. My legs were shaking, so to keep from falling down again, I had no choice but to walk without bending my knees. Up three flights of stairs. It was exhausting enough climbing those stairs while I was bending my knees, but not bending them made it a trying task to be sure. After what felt like an eternity, I finally lead Abigail into my room, and closed the door behind me. Abigail promptly plopped down on one of the beds, directly facing me. She smiled lovingly at me as she held her legs up in the air. I slowly and carefully removed her shoes, gently brushing my fingers across and through her toes as I did, an act which made her laugh gently.

“You are such a gentleman, Ienzo,” Abigail whispered as I removed my own shoes and socks. “And now that we’re up here…there’s something I need to tell you…It’s very naughty…” I swallowed nervously, and nearly choked.

“Y—Yes…? W—What is it?” Abigail’s lovely red lips twisted into a smile. I gasped when I saw what I thought was a fang protruding from her slightly parted lips. I leaped into the air when I heard the closed door behind my open with a loud bang. A tall and muscular young man barged into my room and quietly shut the door behind him.

“Pardon for the intrusion, Ienzo,” the man said. “The name’s Adrian.”

“Is there…anything I can do for you?” I asked. Abigail stood up and placed her bare feet over mine, interlacing her toes between mine. Her skin was soft and cool, and it was a very pleasant sensation, though not as comforting as the feeling of her cheek resting against mine, or the feeling of her fingers running through my hair.

“Yes, this is definitely him,” Adrian said. “You did a good job of findin’ him, Abigail.”

“I—I don’t understand,” I said.

“Aww, don’t worry,” Abigail cooed, brushing her hand against my face. “You are pleased to meet me, though, aren’t you? You should thank Flamedramon for our little union; I was ordered to follow him around when my master ordered me to tail after you.”

“Same with me,” Adrian said. “I was ordered to watch after those kids when I got the same order.”

“Those kids…you mean Thomas and the others?!” I asked. “Anyway, how do you know my name?!”

“Oh, silly me, have I said too much?” Abigail asked.

“What do you two want with me?!” I asked. Begrudgingly, I tore myself away from Abigail, who cast me a look of hurt. However, I was beginning to suspect that it was a feigned one.

“You know far too much about quintessence, pal,” Adrian shrugged. “If that information fell into the wrong hands…like, for example, Flamedramon…well, we’d be in a lot of trouble.”

“…Are you here to silence me?” I sat back down on my bed.

“Last we heard, you were praying that someone would come kill you,” Abigail said. “Come here…I’ll make it…pleasant for you.” Abigail sat down next to me. She gently placed her hand around the side of my neck and pulled me closer to her. Her lips came into contact with the side of my face. The feeling left me tingling, and yet, I forced myself to pull away again.

“You brought me up here so you could kill me?!” I yelled. “Where nobody would see…”

“Aw…you don’t want to die?” Abigail asked.

“A few days ago, I would’ve jumped at the chance, but after seeing all the trouble Thomas and the others went through to save my ass…” I shook my head. “I couldn’t…dishonor them like that…”

“Oh, it appears our future victim needs some convincing…” Once more, she slid her hand down the side of her stomach and pulled down the waist of her skirt to show me a glimpse of her panties. “Stand up, and I’ll show you a little more.” With her other hand, Abigail lowered the top of her shirt lower down her chest to further expose her ample cleavage. It was tempting; believe me, I wanted to see more. However, I remembered what I said earlier, and continued to sit on my bed, not moving an inch. “Well, now…this is quite boring; I’d heard rumors you were as lecherous as our comrade, Magnus, and here you are, resisting me? I haven’t lost my touch, have I, Adrian?”

“Hell, you’re making me want to stand up, and I’m already standing.” Adrian was gazing absorbedly at Abigail.

“Oh, well; I suppose we’ll just have to do this the old fashioned way,” Abigail said. “Shame; I hate working up a sweat.”

“You can always take a cold shower after this; a nice place like this is sure to have them.” Abigail turned to face me.

“Yes…just imagine me taking a nice, cold shower…” Abigail whispered into my ear. “Just imagine all that cold water running down my naked body…Imagine yourself lathering me up with soap…it’ll take your mind off the pain…” The next thing I knew, the room became filled with a blinding, white light, and after that, nothing.

Saias

Eucalyptus Hotel

Five Minutes

 

“This is a really nice hotel; we should look in to booking a room or two for us,” Lector said as we walked up the hotel’s sole staircase.

“Let’s see…room 398…that was Ienzo’s, right?” I asked.

“Yep; here’s a spare key to his room that I got from the concierge up front.” Lector handed me a key. We soon came to room 398, only to find the door slightly open. “What’s going on? Why is the door open?” Lector opened the door and as we walked in, we were greeted by the thick, irony smell of blood. I looked down at the floor, and gasped. There, lying on his back on the floor, was the lifeless body of Ienzo with a gaping hole in his chest. “W—what the hell happened?! Who did this?!” All I could do was shake my head.

“We’re too late…the other knights must’ve found him before we got here,” I said. “But how did they know? How could they have found out?” I fell to my knees next to Ienzo’s body. “Ienzo…this is all my fault. We were just trying to protect you…why did this have to happen to you when we were trying so hard to protect you?!”

“Commander Saias, what should we do?” Lector asked. His face had gone completely pale.

“I don’t know…we should at least give him a proper burial,” I said. Who could’ve done this?! What the hell is going on?! Is this some kind of a message left by the other knights? “…Let’s go…Lector. We need to bury him.”

“…Yeah…Damn it! And after those poor kids worked so hard to get him here, too!” Lector spat.