Episode Two: The Point of Absolute Zero

*Roatha does just that.*
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*Aroma watches enviously, then jumps slightly when Euryale looks her way.*

E"So you had a Digimon? This whole time?"

A"Umm, yes! She's, uh, right here!"

*She lifts Lalamon slightly. Lalamon covers her face with her stubby arms.*

Taiyo: "How come you didn't say something sooner? Or um...have we been introduced?"

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Some branches break easily, others not so much. It's some time before they have a respectable stack of shitty branches each and snow where it shouldn't be.

Azuma: "Should last the night."

Azuma begins heading back to the cave, following their tracks.

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A cloaked figure enters the ice palace, a Diatrymon approaches the intruder while a sheet of ice seals up the entrance.

They reach into their robe with a white gloved hand and produce a broadsword, a spade on the pommel. The great bird backs down upon seeing the sword and allows them to pass.

Within the walls are the frozen remains of various Digimon the terror still frozen on their face. A Palmon's eyes follow the figure as it disappears down a hallway. A wall opens up revealing another path until they climb a flight of stairs upto a great hall.

The castle's lord constantly changes the paths, so no one hallway ever leads to the same room twice. A cheap parlor trick for the robed character. But perhaps it may baffle those who had just arrived to this world.

Another set of shifting halls and passing the lords minions until it ascends the spiral staircase to the throne room.

*Eve follows, carrying the sticks*
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*Lunamon jumps out of Kylie's lap onto Aroma's*

<Are you cold?>

A"Um...no, I don't think so. My name is Aroma."

*Lunamon just falls off as Lalamon is occupying it. Also, Dorumon is curled around them.*

E"She's kinda shy."

*She blushes furiously.*

A"I...um...uh...."

"Uh, how long do you think you can keep that flame up?" Hibiki asks BlackAgumon.

"How long do you think?" he retorts dryly.

"Right..."

The trio return. The moonlight not reaching all the way into the cave, it looks like a bunch of monsters are standing at the mouth of the cave. One monster speaks.

Azuma: "Everyone still alive?"

Salamon: "Obviously."

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From a distance, an angel appears to be sitting on the throne. When the cloaked figure approaches, what is really sitting on the throne is what may have been an angel during a time long forgotten.

IceDevimon: "And what do you want?"

The figure pulls there hood down exposing themself to be a clown. A set of broadsword crossed on its back with a heart and club on the pommel.

Piedmon: "I wished to pay the resident double agent a visit. I'm not interupting anything, am I?"

IceDevimon: "Cut the foreplay, Piedmon. What do you want?"

Piedmon: "As you and your other benefactor know, the Chosen Children have arrived. I'm here to make certain you deal with them in accordance to Millenniummon's agenda as opposed to that so called God's."

IceDevimon: "If Millenniummon's power was as great as you're led to believe they wouldn't be in this world. The Sinful Priest has already begun to make its move."

Piedmon: "Do not bore me with the minor details. Wisemon's book has already catalogued its past and present endevors. Its future is already being written. As is yours. It is not Dagomon who keeps Murmuskusmon and Myotismon ending your reign on this insignifigant island, it is Millenniummon. Your purpose is to maintain the freeze on the Village of Beginnings, nothing more."

Piedmon sinks into a portal that opens up beneath it. IceDevimon growls.

IceDevimon: "I have found a higher calling. The leader of the Dark Masters is merely a puppet for another."

*Roatha presumably sets about arranging the sticks in some kind of makeshift fire pit, then produces his lighter & tries to light them.*

It eventually does catch although the flame is pretty weak. Impatiant not liking the idea of Taiyo freezing any longer, Renamon sticks a hand in the pit, blue flames enveloping her hand and eventually igniting the kindling. If it hurts or not, she's not showing any sign.

When the fire rises, they can see some signs of the cave having once been inhabited quite awhile ago. A frozen, rotten apple core is present as is the petrified remains of another campfire.

Taiyo sticks her legs out a bit, so the heat can reach them.

Azuma: "Now we just need a game plan."

R"Why didn't you just do that from--never mind."

*He holds out his hand, wearing an expression of "what the fuck," but shakes it off. Euryale also stretches out her legs.*

E"Can we get that map big enough to show the whole tundra?"

Azuma: "Could try."

After some fiddling around with his Digivice, he gets the map up although nothing indicates he can make it bigger he does manage to make it transition to another section of the forest near a valley that exits at a beach.

Azuma: "Maybe it's just weirdo geography, but often is a tundra located near a beach?"

Taiyo: "A beach would nice to be at right now."

"The digital world's weird like that. I came from a huge canyon area with all these bones everywhere." Blackagumon says feeling a little better thanks to the fire.

"Enlightening. Maybe we shouldn't stick around here too long and head towards that beach asap."

E"At least we have a route OUT."

Azuma: "How 'bout right now? While it's dark and colder than it would be during the day?"

Azuma flickers through other nearby locations up until the map gets all staticy and shuts off.

Azuma: "Weird."

E"Useless piece of junk...do you think we'll be able to find that route again tomorrow?"

Eve:<Let's just hope a blizzard doesn't come.>

*Kylie and Lunamon inch towards the fire*

Azuma: "Didn't seem too far from here. If we went further into the woods we may have found it. Or fell off the cliff."

Taiyo yawns and leans her head on Euryale's shoulder.

Cameron:<Good. We can make the trip tomorrow then.>

"Sounds like a plan. Though we should take turns keeping watch. No telling what other sorts of nasty digimon are out there."

"You said it Hibiki."

E"Sounds like a good idea. I'll take first watch."

R"Shouldn't we do it in teams?"

E"Great, thanks for volunteering!"

Eve:<I'll take first as well.>

Azuma: "Three people, really? W'ever."

Azuma sits against a wall, trying to get comfortable as Patamon sits in his lap.

Taiyo had fallen asleep.

*Kylie, with Lunamon on her lap, lean against Biyomon, and drift off to into a light sleep. Cameron leans against the wall next to them*

Cameron:<We'll take second watch then.>

*Eve nods and stares into the fire*

*Roatha pulls out his own blanket, since Dorumon is busy sleeping curled up around the sleeping Aroma, who is using the sleeping Lalamon as a pillow.*

R"So, you watch into the outside, & I watch into the back of the cave?"

E"Looks that way."

The cave not being too deep, all Roatha really sees at the back is the rear wall and Hitomi who eventually moves closer to the fire, carrying Salamon.

Outside the cave, the moon is covered up by the clouds obscuring the far off forest. Some snow blows in with the wind. Outside of the fire beginning to die down and Taiyo shifting in her sleep, nothing eventful occurs in what could be hours.

*Eve leans against a wall and switches between staring in and out of the cave. Terriermon sits drowsily in her lap*