A shifters Tale

Story by vllad on SoFurry

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#2 of A Shifters Tale


the legal stuff first, i am not associated with the company that owns the digimon frachise and i do not own any rights to the renamon character, also this is the second part of my first story and i should tell you that i don't used the name renomon for the males because i consider it a fad and an insult to the species but this is my personal opinion please enjoy the second installment of my story and i am not going to label the chapters any more so don't ask me about it.

A Shifters Tale

chapter five

As i made my way threw the many streets of night city its sounds and smells assualted my senses and its many peoples swarmed around me, shop owners and street venders called out their wears and the sound of music and laughter could be heard drift out of bars and casino's along with the smell of liquer and food.

But to me it was mearly a strange scene showing me how these people had no knowledge of what really happened in the shadows of this place, as i walked the sounds and smells faded and the faces blurred together until they finally became another part of the landscape that held no place for the likes of me.

Eventually the city began to fall behind me as i made my way to the industral district and finally stopped leaving only the wind to keep me company as i walked down the road, i checked my watch and saw it was almost 1:30 in the morning. It had taken several hours for me to get from the apartment to the edge of the industrial district and from were i was i could see that all of the factories that dotted the area were shut down for the night.

It took another hour and a half to make my way to the back of the district to an old smelting plant that had been abandond by an old company after it had gone belly up a few years ago, As i made my way closer the smell of burnt metal and smoke filled my nose.

I heard the engine of a vehicle some half a mile away as it came closer so i ran to the old building and made my way up a fire escape waiting for it to see where it would go, not long after that i saw a beat up old van pull up next to the side of the building and two humans got out carrying bags.

the one that got out of the drivers seat looked like he had just stepped out of a muscle magazine, he was wearing a white tank top and ragged bluejeans that were cut off at the knees while the other one was small and weasily looking with a long pony tail of red hair.

He was wearing black jeans and a leather bikers jacket that was zipped up, the large one was argueing with his partner over something so i started recording and listened in.

"I just don't understand why we have to keep the bitch in a place like this zeek i mean it's to far from anywhere good and we can't have any fun, and besides ain't it kinda dangerous to even be doing this she is the daughter of the nightmare soldiers head family".

zeek looked at the body builder and spoke in i scratchy voice, "The reason we're here is because it's to hard for them to sniff us out, And if the boss don't get the ransom for the bitch then they'll have to pay the price for not complying and then you can have your fun with her but until then we do what the boss wants and we don't damage the goods anymore than you already have greg".

for some reason Greg looked down at the ground, "i said i was sorry zeek but she was trying to get away and i was only able to grab her tail, Its not my fault that she broke so easily".

zeek sighed and shook his head, "What every it all worked out in the end anyway, Them getting the bitches tail just let them know we're serious now come on and let's get inside".

they closed the doors on the van and walked to the wall, i turned off the recorder and watched as zeek fumbled with some keys then he unlocked a door and they went inside.

After they closed the door i climbed the fire escape to the top of the building and looked around, the roof was pretty bare except for some angled windows that were crusted over with dirt.

i did a quick scan of the area but there was nobody on the roof, *contact was right the girl is new at this otherwise they would have more security than this, they don't have anyone on the roof watching out for intruders and they're sloppy*

i made my way over to the sky lights and wiped off some fo the dirt and looked inside, the machinery that use to be set up had been moved around so a make shift space was cleared away and i saw the humans come into view.

they sat the bags down on a beat up old table and walked over to a ratty couch to sit down, greg started reading some magazine and zeek was looking at something that was blocked from my view by some left over pipes hanging from the roof.

i activated the thermal optics and saw two more warm bodies milling around the area not far from the two humans, i scanned the two new ones and they turned out to be an impmon and a demidevimon.

*strange the female isn't around.....they must be keeping her in another part of the factory, oh well this just means she won't be in the way when i take down this lot* i thought to myself.

Just then a new heat source came into view from somewhere, *or maybe she's closer than i thought*.

i turned off the thermal and looked around for an entrance, the only thing i found was a vent shaft that was to small for me to fit in.

I grimised as i looked around again, *unfortunatly there's no way in without alerting them, i guess i have no choice i'll have to use my other ability*.

i walked over to the vent and checked it over, i saw it wasn't bolted on so i grabbed the grill and pulled it off then set it on the ground.

i stepped back and closed my eyes and concentrated, the next thing i felt was the strange sinsation of my body spliting into pieces and when i opened them it was like i was looking threw a bunch of different eyes all at one time.

at first it threw me off but i quickly recovered and flew into the vent making my way inside.

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chapter six

The swarm of bats that made up my body flew threw the vents searching all the branch offs untill i found a point were i could exit, i made my way threw and reformed on a catwalk on the otherside of the factory so i wouldn't be discovered.

after i did i quietly made my way to a point were i could spy on the kidnappers, they were still in the cleared out area but now the digimon were eating on the table and the humans were doing the same on the couch.

Looking around some more i saw a blonde woman wearing a skintight green outfit that didn't leave much to the imagination and a set of brown wings cooming from her back leaning up against something large and thick, i realized it was an overturned smelting vat.

*that must be why i didn't pick up the female on my scan*

i looked down at my right hand and sent a command to it activating the taser, the prongs popped out and sent a small arch of electricity into the air then i quietly backed away and went to another part of the plant.

i could still hear them talking as i looked around for something to destract them with, finally i spotted a bucket with some tools in it setting on a convayer and knocked it over, after the noise stopped i moved away and listened.

"greg go check that out, we don't need any suprises before the boss gets here" it sounded like zeek.

i heard shuffling "but why do i have to do it?, isn't it her job to work security for us why don't you make her?".

"shut up and do it greg!"

it sounded like greg kicked some thing then i heard him walk in my direction, i turned on my thermal and saw him making his way around taking his time as he looked.

*stupid human, very stupid* i thought as i watched him.

finally he made his way over to where i was and saw the bucket, "damned rats".

he kicked the bucket and looked around then started back to the others, "It was just some rats zeek!".

as he started back i snuck up behind him and stuck the tazer right in the base of his skull, he grunted as his body went stiff then he collapsed.

i caught him before he hit the ground and layed him down gently, i took out a pair of restraints and tied him to the machinery.

after i was sure he wouldn't get loose i made my way over to the clearing staying behind the machinery until i got to a good possition to spy on the others, as i watched i noticed that the shifter was still leaning against the vat and their was an opening.

*the target must be in there*, i edged closer and noted the others were still focused on eating.

when i got up behind the female shifter i struck and hit her in the back of the neck with the tazer, as she went down i turned off the tazer function and stepped into full view of the others.

they all turned when they heard her hit the floor and looked at her then me, the didn't seem to know how to react so i did it for them and jumped at the other human and grabbed him by the head with my left hand then lifted him into the air.

as he finally began to struggle i looked at the digimon standing on the table, "By order of my client i am here to reclaim the female you have taken, tell me where she is or i will kill your humans".

they didn't seem to know what to do as they looked at me so i squeeze the human zeek hard and heard him scream, this seemed to put some fear into the impmon as he jumped off the table and looked at me "she's in the vat!, please just let my tamer go!".

i walked over to the impmon and dropped two pair of restraints on the ground, "tie up the other one then do yourself".

the impmon quickly took the restraints and tied the demidevimon up then started on himself, as it was doing that i activated my tazer again and punched the human in the stomach as i let go of his head.

he convulsed on the taser then i dropped him making sure to keep him alive, he hit the ground in a heep unable to move.

i heard the impmon start running and turned, i lashed out with my left leg and caught it right in the face. The force of the kick sent impmon flying back into demidevimon, they both fell over with their eyes closed "your fate is yet to come, stay there and i'll be back for you".

"No you won't....ugh...i don't know who you are but you made a big mistake coming here pal and now your going to pay for it", the voice was coming from behind me so i turned around and found the other shifter getting up from the ground.

"Hmm, you shouldn't be awake yet....i guess i'll have to turn up the voltage and hit you again miss hawk".

I saw the suprise on her face when i used her name then she grinned at me, "so my name's gotten around already has it?, i must be doing something right if someone like you came here" she said as she eyed me.

"on the contrary since i'm here that means your doing something wrong, you see my contact tells me i'm the best he's got but i'll tell you the real reason i'm here. i was hired by the targets associates to retrive her at all costs because i have never failed at my mission, the only reason i didn't kill you outright is because of the code and the fact that you are new to this city. And i will tell you this once and only once lady hawk, if you contiue to seek work in this city you will die".

i saw anger flash across her face when i said this then she made as if to punch me from where she was standing, but instead of her arm growing like i was expecting i was hit in the chest by something long that looked like a staff. as i flew threw the air from the force of the attack i heard her call out the name "Hand Of Fate".

I flew back and hit something behind me and felt something in my side pop, i slid to the ground and put my hand on my ribcage and realized that some of my ribs were fractured and out of place.

i slowly got up and looked at lady hawk as she spoke, "How dare you threaten me, you have no idea what i can do".

"True i seem to have under estemated you, but i should tell you something before i take you down", i said as i pulled one of my necro cards out of my deck.

she was to busy glaring at me to noticed the fact that i had pulled my right sleeve up to my elbow, "And just what could you possibly have to tell me?".

"This, Nerco modify, speed activate", i felt the power surge threw me and jumped forward then went left and got behind her.

"you have no place in the big leagues little girl so get lost before you get hurt", i guess she wasn't expecting me to do anything like this but as she turned around i could see the fear in her eyes.

this time i never gave her the chance to attack me as i activated my tazer function and amped up the volume, i punched her in the face and used my speed to get back in front of her then punched her in the stomach.

she looked like she was reacting in slow motion as i hit her three more times then just to be sure i planted a kick to her chest that sent her fly back to bounce off the large metal vat behind her.

she fell to the ground unconcious and i turned off my tazer, i used my foot and turned her over and searched for her cards.

After a few minutes of searching i realized just how new she was, "you really aren't ready for this town if you don't even have necro cards little girl" i said as i stood up.

i looked at the speed card in my hand then back to the girl then dropped it on the ground by her head, "consider this a gift woman, and a warning".

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chapter seven

i made my way way over to the vat and found the hole in the side and stepped threw, inside i found the target hanging from some kind of pully system and she was suspended off the ground i did a quick comparison of the code i had to her and found it to be a match.

i looked around and saw several strange devises set on the floor about half the size of my hand and they were pointing at her and humming softly, "who ever did this has connections".

I bent down and picked up one of the machines and looked it over carefully, "even the DPA doesn't have these yet".

Quickly i turned off the machines and put a couple in my pocket, then went out to find something to care the rest in. I found the bags that they had carried the food in and hurried back into the vat and loaded the rest of them in the bag, after i was done i put the bag outside and looked at the female renamon hanging in the air.

I extended a set of metal claws on my right hand and slashed the chains holding her up, as she fell i put out my other hand and caught her then i retracted them. I pulled her out of the vat and set her on the table then looked her over in the light to see how badly she was injured and found that the only thing wrong with her besides a few bruises was her missing tail, "let's get you back to your family so i can get paid".

i reached down and picked her up and was about to put her over my shoulder went she attacked, she bit into my shoulder and i felt her drag the claws on her hand over my chest then she went still.

carefully i put her back down and looked at her again as i pulled a card out of a seperate case from the others, "must have just been a reflex action".

she was growling and moaning on the table as i swiped my card threw my scanner, "necro modify, abysal skin activate".

i felt something thick and cold form on my skin then it solidified closing off the wounds, after i was sure that the patches were set i pulled out my last two restraints and tied up the target making sure to muzzle her.

after i was done i rounded up the humans and check their pockets to find the keys to the van, after i found them i loaded everyone but the shifter up in the back of the van and locked the door and used a couple of their nullifiers to keep them from causing trouble.

after everything was done i put the female in the passengers seat and got into the drivers seat then started the engine and pulled away from the building.

An hour after starting down the road the renamon in the passengers seat jerk and looked around then her eyes settled on me, she tried to speak but the restraints around her muzzle made that hard to do so she growled at me. After a few minutes i heard the others start up as well but i ignored them all and continued to drive down the road.

eventually i pulled up to the DPA station and got out then i opened the back doors and pulled the trust up packages out dropping them to the ground, "my clients told me that you should be given to the DPA so you could be given a proper trial for diginapping.....your lucky if it was up to me i would have let you get killed but this is the clients orders".

i pulled the bag and the nullifier i had used out of the van and dumped them on the ground along with the recording i had made of their conversation and got back into the van, as i pulled away i saw some officers come out of the building and look at them.

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chapter eight

We'd been on the road for several hours when i finally pulled into a gas station and pulled up to the pumps, i turned to the female and looked her over before speaking.

she was looking at me like she was trying to figure out if i could be trusted, "I'm going to take off you restraints now, but don't try anything or i'll make sure you don't cause trouble until we get to kitsune valley".

the look in her eyes told me she wouldn't be any trouble so i held up my right hand and extended one of my blades and cut them off, she rubbed her wrists and looked me over again.

"Who....are you?".

i looked at her for a second before answering, "merely a third party that saw you were in trouble....thats all".

i opened the door and got out making my way over to the pumps and started gassing up the van, as i was waiting the renamon got out of the van and walked over to me "why did you help me?".

i said nothing and waited for the tank to fill, when it was done we walked inside and then i looked at her "get something to eat before we get started again, i doubt your family wants to get you back starved to death".

i watched as she nodded and walked around the store looking at and picking up some things, as she did that i walked over to the freezer and pulled out two bottles of tea then made my way back to the counter.

the clerk was looking between us questioningly so i made something up to put him at ease and keep him from calling the DPA on us, "i'm her body guard, i was hired to get her back to the digital world".

"what happened to her tail?"

i looked back at her then the clerk, "We were attacked by some rogue digimon a few days ago and one of them bit it off".

the clerk seemed to but it and went about his business until she came back with an arm full of junk food and beef sandwitches and put them down.

after the clerk scanned the stuff i payed for it and we made our way back to the van, after we got back in i pulled out of the parking lot and started down the road again as we did i felt a dull throbbing in my side as the drugs began to wear off and i sliver of panic shot threw me but i kept it to myself.

as we drove i listened to the female as she tore into the food and ate, "so tell me what are you getting out of this rescue?" she asked.

i kept driving but didn't answer her.

"well?".

"i don't know yet.....that will be decided when i get you back to your family"

This seemed to shut her up and make her think, thankfully she didn't say anything else for some time.

eventually we came to the town around the shift gate and i pulled into the parking lot of a hotel, we went inside and i got a room for the night and we made our way up.

after we got into the room i dumped the rest of the food on the bed then took off my coat and and hung it up on the hook behind the door, after i was done i turned to find the female looking me over as she ate some beef jerky.

"you smell of blood shifter"

i made my way over to the second bed and started to take off my boots, "You attacked me when i was trying to get you away from there" i told her as i set my boots at the foot of the bed.

i could feel her eyes moving over my body checking me over, "you were not injured badly then?".

i took off my scarf and checked my ribs before talking, i could feel them pushing up against my skin like they were trying to get out so i hid them from her. "it's nothing i can't handle, besides i'm not the kind of thing you need to be worring about.....now if you don't mind i need to wash up and you need to get some rest we still have a ways to go before we reach the village".

I got up off the bed and went into the bathroom then turned on the water and took off my pants, i hit the button on my left leg and watched the compartment slip opened and check the bottles *damn the bottles are broken....must have been when i hit that equipment*.

i quickly pulled out the broken pieces and replaced the bottles with ones from my belt then i closed the compartment and threw the old ones away, after i did a quick check on the delivery system and found it to be running ok i got up and stepped into the shower and let the warm water slide over my body as i felt the drugs start to take effect again.

after about fifteen minutes the pain was gone again and i probed the broken ribs trying to find any other breaks and when i couldn't i braced myself and pushed hard.

even with the drug supressing the pain i still felt it when i reset my ribs and it was enough to make me grunt and fall to one knee, after i recovered i stood up and washed the dried blood from my body and turned off the water.

i dried my hair and put my pants back on and made my way back into the room to find the female already asleep in the first bed and a sandwitch and the other bottle of tea laying on mine, i made my way over to the bed and picked up the food and started eating as i looked her over.

something strange was tugging at the back of my mind begging for attention and as my eyes slid down her form i felt my heart start to beat faster in my chest, i quickly looked away and finished eating then threw the trash away and got into bed forcing myself to go to sleep.

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chapter nine

I woke up the next morning to find the female looking at me as she sat on her bed, i said nothing as i got up and dressed then i got my coat and opened the door.

"Come on we still have a while before we get to the village".

She studied me for a second before nodding and following me, after i turned in the keys we went back to the van and got in.

after we were set i started the van and made my way threw town and away from the station, this seemed to confuse the female because she turned to look at me.

"what are you doing?, the station is over their!"

"who ever took you from your family is well connected and theirs a chance that they have someone watching the station, not only that but we can't take the van with us threw the wall if we go threw there and i want to get to the village as soon as possible".

she fell silent again and let me drive for a while, about an hour after we left the town i pulled off the road and kept driving threw the countryside until we got to the wall.

as we pulled closer i slowed down and she turned to me again, "will we be able to go threw in this?".

i stopped the van some fifteen feet from the wall and looked at her, "i doubt it, besides i've never seen a vehicle in the digital world and they might be track this thing to so we're getting out here".

We got out of the van and walked up to the wall, the female touched it gingerly before looking at me "what is it like going threw?".

"It varies from person to person, each one says it's like moving threw something thick though"

after she looked back i stepped behind her and put my arms around her waist and walked forward.

"what are you doi....."

her yells of protest were soon drowned out as i pushed threw the walls and into the strange feeling of walking threw water.

as i walked threw i could feel her body pressed against mine and my heart started to beat faster again, then we stepped threw the otherside and i let go as soon as we were free.

she quickly turned around and slapped me hard but thanks to the pk's the only thing it did was turn my head to the side, i turned back to find her glaring at me.

"Do you have any idea of who i am?!, i am the daughter of the...."

"I don't know who you are and i don't care.....the only thing i want right now is to get you back to your family get paid and go on to my next mission" i said enterupting her.

Her mouth snapped shut and she looked me in the eye like she was trying to find something then she looked down at the ground and turned away.

"Fine.....let's get going we still have another two days of walking to do before we get to the village"

With that she started walking away, i on the other hand walked a little slower and started a full systems check on my delivery system trying to figure out why i had reacted to her they way i did.

As we walked the female looked around the area in wonder as if she had never been outside in her life.

as it started getting darker we finally stopped and made camp, i gathered wood for a fire and she went off into the woods and came back with some kind of tubers, i started the fire and she put the food next to the burning wood to cook.

i sat in silance leand up against a tree as she studied me and waited for the food to cook.

"is this what your life is like all the time?"

i glanced at her before speaking, "yes it is".

"you mean you travel from job to job by yourself?"

i looked her over carefully all the time watching the display as it fed me information for the systems check.

"this is the life i have chosen, and the only life i know and you would do well to remember the fact that i am a shifter"

she studied me for several minutes before speaking again, "do you not have a mate or someone to care for you when you are injured?"

"As a shifter i do not belong to either digimon or humans, i have been reject by both sides and as for a mate i don't have one....if your talking about someone to mate with i have arrangments with my supplier for a discount on my things"

i saw something in her face as i told her this then it vanished, "then no one has given you the chance to love?"

i got up and walked over to the fire and grabbed out the tubers from inside the coals that had fallen on them and handed her one.

"I have been taking a drug for the last three years to get rid of my emotions, they hold no place in me and they get in the way and have cost the lives of many a shifter because they clouded his or her judgment"

that said i walked back over to the tree and sat down to eat, all the time the renamon looked at me with something like pity in her eyes.

we ate in silents until i lay back against the tree and closed my eyes watching the display screen as it finished up the systems check, when it was done it told me that the system was fine.

*if they delivery system is fine then why did i react like that when i touched her?*

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chapter ten

i woke up early the next morning and got the renamon up after i kicked some dirt on the remains of the fire then we started walking.

as we did she stayed back and followed me, i could feel her eyes moving over me for most of the morning as we moved threw the woods.

about noon we came to a stream and took a break, i watched as the renamon walked into the stream and splashed around.

it took me a few minutes but i finally figured out that she was trying to catch the fish that were swimming around in the water (and doing a poor job of it), so i stood up and took of my coat then i walked into the stream till the water came up to the middle of my shins.

the renamon watched me from her place in the stream as i waited in the water completely still, then as one of the fish came close i stabbed out with my right hand and speared it on my finger. I did this several more times until i had six of them then i walked back to the shore and dropped them on the ground then gathered wood for a fire.

after i got the fire going i stuck some sticks threw the fish and jabbed them into the ground so they could cook, then i looked back at her "your food will be ready shortly"

i sat down on a rock by my coat and looked out over the landscape while she came back in from the stream and sat down by the fire.

the next thing i heard caught me off guard slightly, "Will you join me?".

i looked back at her and studied her face for a minute before answering, "No....you need the food more than me".

then i looked back out over the stream and tried to figure out why i had reacted like that the day before.

fifteen minutes later a cooked fish came into my vision breaking my focus then i heard the renamon speak, "as my protector you need to keep your streangth up as well so you will have enough energy to make sure i stay safe"

i looked at her from the corner of my eye then took the fish from her hand, she watched me as i pulled the scarf away from my mouth and ate.

"how did you lose your eye?"

after i fininshed the food i tossed the stick to the ground and answered her, "in my last mission i was contracted by a village of snailmon who were being harrassed by a dark Leomon and like i do in all of my fights i let him have one shot at me. He took out my eye while he was trying to take off my head"

"you let your opponants attack you first?!"

i nodded then answered her, "i let them do it because i use the scars to count the battles i've been in"

"so the scars on your body are you tropies?"

I nodded again and looked around then stood up, "we've spent enough time here we should get going".

With that i grabbed my coat and we started walking again.

It took most of the day walking before the renamon stopped me and said she wanted to make camp.

i didn't argue with her and started making preperations for a fire and she went out to find some food, when she got back i had already gotten the fire going and i saw here carrying two rabbits into the clearing with her.

I watched her prepare the food and put it on the fire to cook then she looked at me, "Tell me shifter when i attacked you how is it you servived and what is that black stuff on your chest?"

i pulled out my abysal skin necro card and showed it to her, "this card is something i had my supplier make, it is the only one of it's kind and i use it to patch up my wounds until i can get to a docter so i can get patched up. The black stuff you saw on my torso is like a temperary skin it keeps the wounds clean and stops the bleeding so i don't suffer from blood loss" then i put the card back in it's special carrier and waited for the food to finish.

When it was done we ate in silance and i could feel her looking at me but i ignored it and continued eating.

after we were done i lay back and closed my eyes trying to go to sleep but she had other questions for me, "Shifter....what is your name?".

"My code name is shadow"

"No i mean what is your real name?"

i opened my eyes and turned to look at her for a moment before closing them again, "Chad".

she stayed quiet for a few minutes then asked another question, "do you do anything besides battle?".

i stayed quiet and tried to go to sleep, unfortunatly she seemed to want an answer because she asked me again.

"Well do you?"

"i don't see what this has to do with my current mission of getting you to kitsune village so why do you want to know?"

"I....am curious about you"

That gave me pause for thought but i quickly crushed down any stray thought that popped up, "after each mission i play the violin".

"why" she asked.

"It...helps me to relax and get prepared for my next mission"

after that she stopped asking questions and i heard her lay down, finally i was able to drift into the welcoming blacknees of sleep.

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chapter eleven

I woke up the next morning to the feeling of her eyes on my face so i opened my eyes and looked at her, "come we still have a little more walking to do until we reach kistune valley".

With that i got up and kicked some dirt on the fire place and started walking again.

It took us until mid morning to to finally see the village that was our destination, as we stood at the top of the hill looking at the village i could feel her hesitation.

"come on"

this seemed to get her going again and we walked to threw the flieds surrounding the town.

Despite it looking so close it took us several more hours before we got to the front gate only to be met by the same guards from my first visit.

As we got closer i prepared myself for the same greeting but to my suprise the only thing that happened was the gates opened and the guards stepped aside to allow us entry, much like the first time i had come here the town seemed deserted like everyone was afraid to come out of their homes.

*I wonder if it's because of the female*

The absent towns people didn't bother me however as we made our way to the headmons house at the base of the cliff.

When we got there the soldiers saluted us as we entered the house, after we got inside i found the Male renamon waiting for us inside the front door. He bowed to the female then looked at me.

"Shifter the head of kitsune valley would like to thank you for returning her with the princess, if you would follow me i will lead you to him".

With that he bowed to the female again and turned away and started walking, we followed him threw the house until we came to the same room as before and again he bowed at the door and spoke to someone inside.

"my cheif, the shifter is here with the princess"

a few minutes later we heard a reply, "please show them in brother".

The renamon opened the sliding door and we stepped inside, as we did the first thing i noticed was the elder standing in the center of the room instead of sitting st the table in front of him.

As we drew closer he bowed to her and looked at me, "Thank you shifter i am relieved to see that our princess is safe, after i heard you were taken from the palace i feared the worst my lady"

The female bowed to the taomon and sat down then motiioned for use to do the same, as we sat she spoke to the taomon.

"indeed my father must be worried about me as well as my mother, although i find it hard to belive that they would not send someone after me" as she said this last part she glared at the taomon who got a fearfull look on his face.

The taomon started pouring tea into some cups, before handing them to us and talking again, "Please forgive us princess but when you were taken they left a ransom letter addressed to you parent's that said if he sent anyone after you that you would be deleted".

as he spoke to the princess i scanned the cup in my hand and found something strange mixed in with it, immediatly me left hand shot out between the renamons lips and the cup she was raising to them in the process i felt her mouth come in contact with the back of my hand and my heart started pumping harder until i felt her pull away.

i was looking at the taomon as i felt her eyes search my face, the look in the taomons eyes was that of sheer rage.

"Disgusting filth!!!, how dare you think you are worthy of being so closed to the princess!"

the rage and malice dripping in his voice would have been enough to strick fear into the hearts of most but i only looked at him calmly as i addressed him and took the cup from the female sitting at my left and set it on the ground before me, "tell me something taomon why is it you have added something to this tea?".

i saw the look in his eyes faulter for a split second before it returned, "what are you talking about filth?!!!".

"why is there something in this tea, it is a very simple question from my scan i can tell that there are herbs mixed in that would either kill us or put us to sleep tell me why that is?".

Out of the corner of my eye i saw the female turn to look at the taomon who was looking at me with pure hatred in his eyes, "i under estimated you shifter, yes i drugged the tea and i was going to kill you but the princess was going to be put to sleep and hidden along with your dead body, and tonight you would have stolen her away leaving nothing behind but anger directed at your kind".

i studied the taomon for a second before talking again, "i suppose that you were the one responsable for taking the princess from her house as well as sending her tail to the council as well"

I saw a small grin spread over the taomons face as i said this, "indeed your smarter than i gave you credit for shifter, you see if you disappeared with the princess so soon after bringing her here the leader of the nightmare soldiers would have been forced to call an emergancy meeting of the elders. At that time i would have been able to take out everyone and with your dead body to provide the evidance i would have been named leader then can you guess what would have happened?"

I nodded before speaking, "as a show of streangth you would have declared all out war with the shifters and with the sheer numbers of the nightmare soldiers you would be able to wipe them out in a relitivley short amount of time, atleast anyone on this side of the wall anyhow but i'm assuming that you would have also had a way into the ring so you could kill the rest of my kind as well".

The grin on the taomons face grew wider as i said this, "Indeed shifter you really are to smart for your own good".

as the taomon sat back i slipped my hand to my cards and pulled out one from the seperate case next to the abysal skin card and worked the sleeve of my coat up to my elbow, but before i could get it all the way up the taomon threw its hand at me and his brush shot out of his sleeve.

i had just enough time to get out of the way as the brush flew past my head hitting my ear as it passed by, i quickly tore the sleeve of my coat open and slid my card down the scanner.

"nerco modify, Sakuyamon's spear activate" i threw my right hand up as the spear shot forward and i watched as the blade sank into the taomons throat then push threw and out the back of his neck.

Blood streamed out of the hole around the blade of the spear, he gurgled threw the blood in his throat as i got up and grabbed the shaft then used my streangth to push it out the side of his neck.

As the blade broke free a spray of blood shot out of the torn vessels and splattered me in the face, the taomon elder let out one last wheezing gurgle before he fell to the floor dead.

we both watched as he turned into data before our eyes then to my suprise the female absorb it.

i looked at here as the last bits of red light floated to her then dissappeared, then she slowly turned to me with a sad look in here eyes, "I am sorry Chad but i must confess something to you, you see my father knew about the schemes of the elder taomon before he made his move for the throne, however i didn't think that he would go this far just to get the chance to destroy you and your kind".

I tilted my head head as i looked at her, "so you purposely went along with your fathers plan just to get the chance to take him out is that it?".

The renamon nodded, "yes but i never thought that he would go so far to throw off suspision that he would hire you.....or that you would be the one to kill him".

I felt the spear in my hand evaporate as i released the power and slid the card back into its carrier, "so i was a wild card in this whole thing".

She nodded again and i heard the door at the back of the room open, i looked to find several renamon wearing gold guantlets charging into the room then surround me pointing spears and swords at me.

out of instinct i pulled several cards out of my deck and readied them as i studied the new threat, "so this is how it ends for me is it female?, my part in your play is over so your puppets are here to show me off the stage?".

the renamon got up off the pillow she had been setting on and looked at me threw the soldiers, "You were never suppose to be involved in this Chad and i'm sorry".

"Fine but you know that this will only end in the taking of your puppets lives", i started to swipe the first card as the soldiers sprang at me but just as my card made contact with the scanner something stopped us all in our tracks.

"ENOUGH!"

the spears and swords stopped inches from my face as the booming voice echoed threw the room, even with the drugs in my system the power in it made my body shake.

The whole scene seem like someone had hit the pause button on a dvd player just seconds before a battle, then i heard someone walking up from behind me then the voice spoke again.

"Stand down"

And just like that the weapons disappeared from view along with the renamon holding them, i slowly turned to address the new threat with my cards at the ready.

what i saw sent a chill down my spine, before me stood to sakuyamon both holding spears with glowing runes on them. One looked like a cage fighter with all the muscles covering his body and the other looked like a supermodel her form was so supple but both had an aura of undeniable power coming from their eight foot tall bodies.

And they were both looking directly at me.....

to be continued......