Digimon Inheritance: A Heroic Lion's Turbulent Times (Finished)

Near the latter half of your first day the terrain takes a wild shift. Tall grass gives way to thickset vegetation and towering trees with interlocking branches thick enough to block out the sun. You're forced to claw your way through this particular area, but the silver-tipped war-gauntlets on your paws are admirably able to rip and tear through the tough plant-matter. In the evening, a tongue lashes out from the sky to snatch Mikemon away from the center of the group, but Galgomon orders the other party members there to stand down and goes back to looking at a large claw mark. At first you're infuriated over him just abandoning his comrade like that, but the hunter just laughs and brushes off your worries citing that his aide can take care of herself.

Half an hour later, the feline digimon comes back not only unharmed, but with the raw ingredients for that night's dinner. Which happens to be several tons worth of meat. You don't know how she managed to find that much, but with how tasty it all ends up being... well you don't really care.

Early during the next day, your path changes again. As upon exiting the forest, you're met by a bumpy series of hills covered in pure white. It takes you a few moments to realize that it's snow. It's something you haven't seen since your earliest days as a baby digimon. Beyond that, the rest of your squad hasn't seen it before or dealt with the extreme cold that comes with it. Your fluffy fur makes going through this trivial, but Pit's and Sparks's light clothing give them little resistance to the freezing wind.

In the end both of them find refuge in your fur, something Galgomon's aides decide to copy after a few minutes. Given how the snow is shin/forearm deep on you (and thus actually taller than Mikemon) you don't blame them for it. Though Sparks reverts to just stuttering once more. Beat struggles through on his lonesome despite Pit inviting him up (without asking your permission) but the Stingmon just glares at him and continues walking. Not a particularly surprising choice from the insect digimon really.

On the other end of the scale; Wendimon, Galgomon and Rinkmon seem perfectly suited to this terrain. The speedy blue digimon somehow manages to skate across it's surface without a single problem and you swear at some point she raised the middle finger of one hand towards your left side for some reason. Her superior officer meanwhile, just trudges though in a similar manner to you, though... the champion does from time to time lay down and rapidly wave his arms to create a singed figure in the snow. It like he's playing. Galgomon though, he just mutters something and summons a cloak made out of disturbingly familiar white and blue from a bag. From there he just wraps it around his body and continues jumping forward.

You examine the covering from afar and there's no mistaking it once you spot the feather-like pieces of fur on it's shoulders. That came from a Garurumon. Which is confusing in it's own right, digimon disperse upon deletion so... how would he have the pelt of one?

A curious thing indeed and something you have a feeling will be answered later on... which is unfortunately accurate. During that afternoon a small pack of Garurumon try their luck at attacking Rinkmon and after she's finished slicing all but one apart, Mikemon leaps from your back and hits it in the back of the head knocking it out. Surprisingly, the next thing she does is stab the unconscious champion in the back of the head with a long, tubular object. The wolf-digimon shudders at that then goes wholly stiff, the life having vanished from it's body. You catch sight of a trickle of data leaving the champion's chest, likely the mon's core but... its flesh doesn't disperse.

What happens next is something you never really expected to ever hear or see... and wish you could forget. She begins to butcher the deceased feral digimon, carefully slicing the pelt apart whilst packing the transformed meat into a bag. Pit throws up onto your fur, which isn't something you blame the angel for. It's a struggle to keep your own stomach contained. Rinkmon seems nearly as horrified, though she handles it better. And by that you mean she skated far away before throwing up. At least your column manages to leave the sight behind after a few minutes of hasty plodding.

The only thing this can mean is that the hearty meals you'd been enjoying came directly from other digimon. Even if they're just ferals... the idea is still very disconcerting. With that said, the Garurumon does end up tasting rather good, even if it's soured by the rather horrifying memory. Though, Sparks and Wendimon really don't seem to care about any of this. Personally you're... conflicted about the issue. The food bring presented are doubtlessly the highest quality meals you've ever experienced and is clearly imparting power upon you. But it's made from other digimon. Pit in particular is roused by this new information, but Weddingmon manages to calm him down via words and more (digimon free) cake. She explains that there's a very strict rule that this is only to be done on *feral* digimon, and that Bulwark actually has a "mortel punishment" (i.e. death penalty) on murdering and eating mon who can talk and reason.

In the end you console yourself by reasoning that these aren't fellow freely thinking *sapient* mon. Plus you're pretty sure if they tried something like this on say... an Angemon, Pit would riot. And you'd join him.

Thankfully the terrain changes again before the day is out, keeping your group from having to sleep in the snow. And this time there's several streams running through the hilly ground, so you get the frozen *waste* washed off rather quickly. However, seeing the clear line of change from snow to green grass brings something to the forefront of your mind.

Namely that this place's weather, terrain and vegetation is insane. It changes roughly every three score kilometers without rhyme or reason. When the next area happens to be a blisteringly hot place area filled with something Galgomon calls "sand" you nearly end up screaming up into the air about how little sense it all makes.

Your journey continues like this for three days, during which Galgomon is always doing odd things. Checking marks on trees, footprints and even… going through large piles of refuse. Which you eventually figure out to be the trail left by your quarry. Dinobeemon.

This all comes to an end on the fourth day when Galgomon calls the entire column to a halt inside a sparsely populated mountainous forest.

"Right, right. Our quarry is getting pretty darn close by now. Eh... say maybe a few hours away? We should be catching up to it in the next day or so. Just so all ya'll know what we're looking for. Dinobeemon is a big'un Ult big green, blue and big. Dude can fly, tear ya apart with his claws and even shoot stuff from like the Stingmon over there." He gestures towards Beat's spikes. "The bugger is fast too, hmm, I bet he could give Rinkmon a good run for her bits... ohohoho. Nice!"

You're a bit confused on why he laughed there, but nod along with the description. It sounds like a powerful opponent, one you'll relish being able to meet in battle.

"Yeah, yeah. So Mikemon start on the bait, use the slowing stuff whatever it's called."

"You got it hunter! Mehehe, that big bastard won't know what hit him, it'll be the best final meal he could ask for!"

"Yeah-huh. Now One-Arm, come over here."

"Mine name. Is Sparks."

"Sure, that. I'm gonna to start making traps and I bet yer magic stuff is gonna come in real handy... another one! Ohohoho. But yeah. You're coming with me. The rest of ya'll... Oh right, right. Mikemon give Pidmon and Stingmon the Preserving Rods."

Preserving Rods... it is just speculation but that sounds similar to the objec she used on that feral. Are they connected?

"Sure thing Galgomon, just gimme a second to... Aha! Free!" The feline digmion yanks her paw out of a bag, revealing a single ten foot rod of metal covered in digimoji and tipped with a long, thick metal point. Something clearly created just for stabbing. A few seconds later she brings out a second.

"As for the big Gryzmon... well buddy ya got three, uh. Two options."

"I'm listening." You look down to the hunter with a narrowed eye, waiting for his orders.

"Ya got big claws there tough stuff too. So when we fight Dinobeemon I want ya to either focus on crippling one'a the big guys limbs or keeping his attention focused so we can do our thing. Ya feel me? Gotta decided now though, we need a whole plan if this bugger is gonna be put down right, right."

=You: (Choose One)

[] Will draw the attention and be a shield. With Frame Reinforce and your own natural hardiness it should be possible to at least slow down the champion's onslaught, especially if it's already poisoned... even if you hate that last bit.

[] Are going to try and focus on the offense here. You have a number of spells and techniques that would work well in tandem to land crippling hits. Plus you do have the spell Muscle Burst to try out.

===Stats/Skills

• Strength: 3614.00->3663.00
• Fortitude: 2978.75->2985.00
• Endurance: 2840.00->2865.00
• Agility: 2572.00->2614.75
• Special: 2948.50->2986.00
• Spirit: 2475.25->2511.00

Basic High Programming: 88/180->91.75

Tandem Body Burst: 7/18->10/18

===Authors Notes: I really hope the whole *eating ferals* wasn't squicky for anyone. If it grossed anyone out then I apologize.