This is another chapter featuring my good bud  Kiya Drakon I worked hard on this chapter and I hope ya enjoy it bud :3

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Guardian of the west


Scavenger and Kiya walked through the plains uneventful. They split up from Jesse and RD after they made their way into this new world and probably would have been wondering aimlessly through this vast new digital world if not for their digivices.

"Oh! I think we finally made it." Scavenger pointed out excitedly, In the digital world he was a small Agumon that sported his orginal orange scales and blue belly, though being as small as he was he leapt up onto Kiya's back to get a better view, the latter having been transformed into a Green and yellow Dracomon.

"Despite your size you realize you're kinda heavy?" Kiya teased, looking ahead at the small village set out infront of them. Despite the joking, he was relieved they made it to their destination.

Scavenger stuck his tongue out, before leaping off his friend and started dashing for the village. "Come on, I'll race you! Besides the sooner we get in the village the sooner we can eat!"

Kiya was caught by surprise when his friend took off, but he started chasing after Scavenger with a laugh. "Your new form has made you sillier than you usually are!"

"Huh?" Scavenger stopped just outside of the village, looking around and noting the...lack of villagers. "Something doesn't look right...this is the Smithy village alright...but nobody seems to be around."

Stopping just inches from crashing into Scav, Kiya started scanning the area with a tilt of his head. "Is it usually this deserted?"

"No, that's the problem. This is a village full of Carpenters, Warriors and Blacksmiths. Usually you'd see this place bustling. Get your digivice ready, we may need it if the Darkness has invaded this small part of the digital world." Just as Scavenger said such, a feral looking lion leapt out of the shadows and narrowly missed Scavenger as he rolled to the side.Unlike your traditional lion, it had two tails at it's end and had four large rings decorating his ears, two on each ear.

Kiya had already pulled up his digivice just as the sudden attack began. "Liamon...A holy beast type digimon that's going extinct in the digital world. It's very existance is becoming a mere illusion to the rest of the digital world. I wonder what's got this one in such a frenzy!" Kiya's horns began to glow, before he shot out a powerful beam from his mouth aimed right at the Liamon, knocking it onto it's side. "G Shurenen!"

"Pepper breath!" Scavenger roared out, shooting a fireball into the Liamon's face, he nodded in satisfaction when it started putting out the flames over it's face. "Quickly! Touch it with your digivice!"

Kiya didn't have to be told twice, while the Liamon was incapacitated, the small dragon leapt onto it's back and pressed the digivice over the lion's right shoulder. A bright light enveloped the duo as the dark influence that was posessing Liamon was eliminated. Once the light faded, the Liamon slumped over on the ground, groaning in wearyness. "What...what happened?"

After Kiya leapt off the wounded Liamon, Scav took the time to explain. "It looks like you were being influenced by a being of darkness. Can you tell us where all of your fellow villagers are at the moment? The village looks empty."

Liamon glanced warily at Scavenger and Kiya, unsure if he could trust either one of them. "If it's empty then some emergency has befallen the village. But I can't tell you anything more until I know you're not intending to cause mischief. No offense, we tend not to be too trusting of outsiders."

"Understood." Scavenger nodded in approval, he snapped his claws together with a smile. "But considering we liberated your digi soul...Would it be too much to ask for something to eat?" He asked with a blush as his stomach started growling.

Raising an eyeridge, Liamon couldn't help but laugh as he pulled himself up with the help of Kiya. "Well, I don't understand anything that's been going on, my mind is one big blank but you DID help clear it so I suppose the least I can do is feed you. Follow me."

Scavenger moved to Liamon's side, helping the injured Lion navigate through the village. "So...where is Smithy at? I was under the impression that he worked and lived here."

"We're all Smithy's, it's our namesake but if you're talking about the Blacksmith then your guess is as good as mine. He lives in a house on the other side of the town, it was designed specifically for his job so that the flames at his forge wouldn't accidentally burn anything down. He's likely with the rest of the villagers at the emergency hideout." Liamon blurted out, pointing a clawed paw towards a small one story home, It looked expertly crafted if not for the gaping hole at it's side. "There's my place, don't mind the hole in the wall, my son can get carried away when he's at play."

Kiya snickered, looking at the hole in the wall and opened the front door for Liamon. Inside, the house looked as it would in the real world. There was furnishing, a kitchen, a couple bedrooms. the only thing the house was really missing was a television. "I take it television isn't that big in the digital world?" The Dracomon commented, smiling at the craftsmanship of the rest of the furniture. "Where do you get your furnishing?"

Liamon wiggled away from the two dragon type digimon and moved into the kitchen. He pulled out a few jars from the fridge and rolled them to Scav and Kiya. "What is television? As for the furniture I didn't GET it anywhere, I crafted each piece myself as well as the house."

That got Scavenger's attention, he began unscrewing the jar he was given to find that it was filled with a strange rock like candy. He took a few in his claws and tossed them in his mouth, murring at the interesting taste and texture from the strange snack. "So you're a carpenter then. You'd never guess it with you being a quadroped. Isn't it hard though? With your frame you could be a pretty tough warrior."

Liamon rolled his eyes, taking a jar of his own and dumping it's contents into a bowl so he could eat. "Our household name...our village itself is the Smithy's. We're known for working well with our hands in any profession, to be a warrior I'd have to carry a sword. Handling wood, stone, or fabric is no problem for me."

Kiya tilted his head, but began eating out of the jar with a smile, despite the density of the candy he was able to chomp right through it and wagged his tail. "That's still an impressive feat. So then, What's your first name then? I was under the impression digimon DIDN'T have first names."

Perking his ears, Liamon couldn't help but grin as he leaned down toward Kiya. "I'm surprised you caught on to that. Well unlike the rest of the digimon in the digital world, this village is bordering between real and digital, as such we're more organic than our cousins. Lyle is my first name. Lyle Smithy, What buisness do you two strangers have with our little village?"

Kiya turned his attention to Scav, he was wondering the same thing as Lyle, After a few more swallows, Scav patted his stomach and closed the lid of the jar. "Whew...that was a good snack! We actually had buisness with Mr.Smithy, We're close friends with his nephew Max and came to request his assistance in forging a specific weapon."

"Wait, Max Smithy? Is he in the digital world right now?!" Lyle asked, his voice dire.

"Well...yeah? He was brought here by his grandfather. Kiya, myself and six others were all brought to the digital world to help restore it." Scav explained, taking a deep breath as he put the jar back into the fridge. "Is there something I'm missing?"

Lyle nodded, picking both Kiya, and Scavenger off the ground and setting them onto his back. "Looks like I don't have any choice but to take you to the other villagers afterall. We knew Max would come to this world eventually, but we figured it wouldn't be till he reached adulthood."

Kiya yelped at being so suddenly jerked up, he dropped the jar of snacks on the floor and clutched at Lyle's fur as they sprinted out of the building. "Ack! Hey I was eating that bud!"

"You can catch something else to eat later! This is more important!" Lyle growled out as he zigzagged between houses. "I'm about to take the two of you some place outsiders would normally never be allowed to enter. But seeing as you're our only link to Max we don't have much choice."

"The situation couldn't be THAT bad in the digital world...could it?" Kiya asked, incredulous.

Lyle quickly ran past the village and was now meanuvering through a vast, thick forest that trailed the far side of their settlement. "When we get there, our Chief can explain everything. Least this explains why I was left alone in the village while everyone else evacuated..."

"Sure it wasn't because you were going all crazy?" Scav muttered, holding tight, though his curiosity piqed once he spotted the ruins buried deep within the forest. "What...is this place?"

With a snort, Lyle began stepping through the ruins, his tails flickering behind him. "Everything in this world happens for a reason, it's destiny and a very strange one if you ask me. But if I had not been influenced by the darkness I doubt I'd be here to guide you to our chief, and then we'd really be in a heap of trouble. As for your second question...This is the place every villager is made to come to in an emergency. It is the burial grounds of past chiefs and a temple to a very old and very powerful digimon. He is our guardian, however despite his power he is unable to leave these ruins."

"Wait a minute, are you saying you have a DEITY living in these ruins?" Kiya asked, not quite expecting that but he tried to keep his voice down, the fact that such a powerful digimon was in the vicinity was enough to keep the two dragons voices at a minimum.

Lyle's ears splayed back for a moment. He stepped into one of the more well kept caverns, eventually the three of them would find a group of Liamon, Liollmon, and Leomon, they all looked surprised to see Lyle but expressed concern when they spotted Scav and Kiya upon his back. "Where is the chief, I need to take these two to him at once. Also Mr. Smithy should be present as well."

"I'm already here." Smithy stepped over, crossing his arms as he eyed both Scavenger and Kiya, sizing them up. "I had a feeling one of Max's friends would show up. I'll take you to the village chief right away, he's talking to our guardian as we speak. Lyle, I think you should come with us too, just to make sure the Darkness has been purged completely from your body."

When Smithy turned, Lyle took that as the sign for him to follow behind. Both Kiya and Scav sharing a confused look as they were guided through the ruins but that look quickly changed to awe when they made their way into what looked to be the center of the ruins. Standing before them was an armored lion with a spiked mace like weapon as a tail, though more impressively was the massive HUNDRED foot tall masked tiger standing beside it. The massive beasts fur was patterned much like a Garurumon's with white fur and purple stripes. Both forepaws were decorated with purple vembraces while it's hind legs were both wrapped in spiked cuffs, The tail was similarly decorated with a single spiked ring around the tip. Three black spiked horns jutted out from the beasts back and shielding it's head was a purple helmet with spikes coming from the mouth guards pointed at it's back. "Scavenger, Kiya? I'd like you both to meet our Chief Len, the Loaderliomon, and the digimon Soverign Baihumon." Smithy spoke with an air of calm, kneeling before the Soverign and bowing to Len.

Scav's jaw remained open until Kiya closed it for him, with a blush he pulled out his digivice to get information on both Digimon. "Wow...I never expected us to be in the presence of a Deity..." Scav carefully climbed off Lyle's back, as did Kiya, both bowing to the massive tiger.

Baihumon chuckled, looking down at the two rookies. "Normally you wouldn't. But these aren't normal times I'm afraid. You two are aqaintences of Max Smithy? That makes things easier, I'm sure you're aware of the changes happening to the digital world?"

This time it was Kiya's turn to respond, he gave a short nod as he glanced in Scav's direction. "Scavenger gave the brief explaination. Because of a digimon known as Reapermon in the human world, this worlds all gone to hell. Digimon becoming corrupt and entire towns becoming influenced by the Darkness."

Len smacked his tail to the ground once, creating a small tremor. "That's only half of it. It would have been better if the Darkness remained in Reapermon's control. But now it's in the hands of an organization of digimon bent not on world domination but on merging the two worlds in Darkness. Recent reports have spotted digimon going beserk after an encounter with Myotismon. We believe he's one of this organizations ring leaders, but not the main threat. We already know who's behind this whole ordeal."

Baihumon took a deep breath and plucked one of the orbs from his back, placing it infront of the two dragons, the image of Belphemon showing up clear within the sphere. "That is one of the seven great demon lords, his name is Belphemon. Where he is basing his operations is unclear, I only know that it is he who controls the group of digimon seeking to join the two worlds. That's where you both come in. I'd rather have MAX be the one to do it, but given his inexperience...and his absense being a factor it'll just HAVE to be you. I'd like you both to travel to the four corners of the digital world, and get what intel you can from the other three digimon soverign. Piece together what you can from them and regroup with Max's team."

Scavenger was about to ask why Baihumon didn't have all the details himself, when Len stepped in. "Even if he is a soverign, his information is limited to what he can gleam from the western region of the digital world. If I weren't the village chief I'd do things myself. And Smithy is busy protecting our village, so it'll have to be the two of you."

Baihumon smiled, crushing the sphere under his paw, after which both Scav and Kiya were bathed in a warm light. "I have bestowed a small portion of my power to the two of you. Max's group as well as Jesse have their own task of taking down this organization bit by bit. But it'll be up to the both of you to unravel the mystery of Belphemon and what his real plot is. I imagine it to be quite a harrowing quest, one I'm sure the other digimon soverign will aid you in. Lyle will accompany you as far as the western border."

Lyle gave a short bow, smiling softly. "I will humbly accept this task, it's the least I can do for causing such a scene."

"Nonsense!" Baihumon roared out, bringing a cringe out of Lyle. "What you did was not of your doing. You have no need to redeem yourself. I know the type of person you are Lyle, you are not one that would hurt innocent people. Rather that hurt someone you would be sure to aid them. And that's what I expect you to do for Scavenger and Kiya here, build them a boat that will carry them safely through the western sea."

Taking a deep breath, Lyle lifted one paw in a salute and nodded. "I will build the best vessal I can!"

Nodding in satisfaction, Baihumon lifted himself back to his full height. "The three of you are dismissed."

Just as Scav and Kiya climbed back onto Lyle's back, Smithy walked up to Kiya and placed an egg in his lap. "Take care of this egg will you? It belongs to a dear friend and someone I consider to be a son to me. When you regroup with Max make sure he recieves it."

Kiya was stunned, he figured Smithy would have placed it in Scavengers care, but he nodded as the egg was digitized into his digivice. "I'll take good care of it sir, don't you worry!"

Smithy nodded, then backed away to let them go on in their quest. They would have to travel to every corner of the digital world, he just hoped Baihumon's decision was the wise one.

(To be continued)