Zephyr's Ascent

Vinous smiled at Talvi's question, "Don't concern yourself with matters beyond your comprehension. You'll be returning to the other side soon." His calm demeanor hid an intelligence that outclassed Costts, he would not reveal anything that may come back and endanger them in the future. He watched enough of Talvi to get an idea on her ability to pick up on even the smallest of details. Costt had clenched his fist, it was killing him inside that since Vinous showed up, Vital and Talvi were distressed enough to openly give them a part of the wind spirit. "Give me a break...." Costt said, Vinous attention quickly shifted to the volatile Costt. "You expect me to just let you waltz in here and make me look like a fool!?" Costt yelled, his body quickly flared up increasing the flow of heat. "This bitch tried to make a fool of me and you expect me to just happily leave!? No! An example must be made! Screw your offer, I'm doing this MY way!" Costt said and launched forward at Vital. Vinous glared at Costt and ran in front of Vital. "Stop. Do not harm them, they've already given up." Vinous said. "Get the hell out of my way!!!" Costt threw a punch at Vinous who was sent flying to the side.

Vital was surprised at Costt's sudden outburst, "You still continue to fight? Wind Seeker!" She yelled launching her attack that did not matter as Costt broke through it with relative ease. Vital attempted to take off but her talon was grabbed by Costt and slammed into the ground. At any point Talvi would try to get in the way, he'd swat her away like a bug. Costt pulled Vital towards him and grabbed her face, he repeatedly smashed the back of her head against the ground. Vital would make sounds of pain and her body would jerk until the twentith or so repetition where she stopped moving all together. After she seemed like a rag doll no longer making a noise, Costt lifted her up into the air by her face "You should have just listened to me in the very beginning and not have fought back." Costt ignited the palm of his hand and Vital began to kick her legs frantically and flap her wings wildly as she screamed out in intense agony. "Let this be a lesson to you, don't you EVER disrespect me again!" Costt said. Just then a dark brooding figure flew towards Costt, grabbing his arm Costt looked at this new digimon slightly surprised but then realized it was Vinous in his spirit evolution. "Neo Devimon eh? What did Bagramon do to you?" Costt said chuckling. "Release her Costt, I will not ask so nicely again." Vinous gripped Costts arm indicating he would rip it off. Costt smiled, "The thought of fighting you seems fun....but....I've already filled my need to hurt others so I'll just do as you say and let her go." Costt created a fireball and blasted it into Vitals face sending her flying and sliding a few feet from the group.

Vital's soul form was badly damaged, her face black beyond recognition. Her body looked twisted as if the joints would have been destroyed, she lay there motionless but conscious looking up at the sky. Vinous looked at Costt gripping his arm tighter, Costt smiled "Don't you just hate it when things don't go your way?" He said chuckling to Vinous. Vinous was enraged and gripped tighter, "You gonna ask me to marry you, or are you going to let go? Cause I have what we came for." Vinous was furious but he knew fighting Costt would lead to serious problems and so he released Costts arm. Costt turned his arm around and opened his palm revealing a feather, "Time to go." Costt began walking and placed his hand on Vinous shoulder talking to his ear, "Remember this, as Fire Hybrid I am the leader of our band of jolly cooperation. I make the final decisions, your plans do not concern me and I simply do not care. It is either my way or out of my way. I will never take orders from you, if you intend on sticking around. Remember that I own the hybrids." Costt laughed as he continued walking until a dark portal opened up and he walked through.

Vinous clenched his fist tightly, his hand shaking at the rage he felt for Costt. He turned to Talvi wherever she may be, "For what it's worth.....I'm sorry. The spell will release in a couple of minutes. You'll have ten minutes to absorb Vital and leave the test." Vinous then disappeared in darkness as well leaving just Vital and Talvi in the frozen space.

"Don't concern yourself with matters beyond your comprehension. You'll be returning to the other side soon." At least she had gotten the name Lord Bagramon. it was something. "Give me a break...." Talvi glared as Costt. "You expect me to just let you waltz in here and make me look like a fool!?" Talvi stood and tensed up. "This bitch tried to make a fool of me and you expect me to just happily leave!? No! An example must be made! Screw your offer, I'm doing this MY way!" Talvi watched as Vinous intervened. "Stop. Do not harm them, they've already given up." Vinous said. "Get the hell out of my way!!!" Vinous was sent off to the side.

"You still continue to fight? Wind Seeker!" Costt made his way to the harpymon and began to bet her. Talvi was angry at his brutality and lept upon his back. She held on for dear life until he grabbed and threw her. The landed with a hefty thud some ways away. "You should have just listened to me in the very beginning and not have fought back." Talvi rose staring as he burnt at harpymons face. "Let this be a lesson to you, don't you EVER disrespect me again!" Oh Talvi would disrespect him again and again til he was dead. "Neo Devimon eh? What did Bagramon do to you?" Costt said chuckling. "Release her Costt, I will not ask so nicely again." Talvi was ready to leap on him again. She slowly approached. "The thought of fighting you seems fun....but....I've already filled my need to hurt others so I'll just do as you say and let her go." Talvi silently cursed and shot daggers with her eyes into the back of his head.

"Don't you just hate it when things don't go your way?" She walked by him not sparing him a glance. "You gonna ask me to marry you, or are you going to let go? Cause I have what we came for." Talvi knelt by the harpymon and kept casting them glances. "Time to go." She watched them waiting for Costt to attack again. He was brutal. She couldn't hear what was a said but his laugh sent a chill down her side.

"For what it's worth.....I'm sorry. The spell will release in a couple of minutes. You'll have ten minutes to absorb Vital and leave the test." Talvi met his gaze. "Be careful Vineous. he will lead you to distruction." Talvi warned as he vanished.

She looked to the harpymon and placed her hands on her shoulders. "It will be over soon. Don't worry....just rest." She concentrated on their connection until the blue light appeared connecting them.

The connection was made and the absorption began anew, Vital lay there watching the face of Talvi as she was absorbed. "I am happy.....I can exist....inside you." Vital said as she closed her eyes as the last bit of her went inside of Talvi. The time stop spell had already been released and behind Talvi a bright light shone through leading to the world of the living. Talvi had passed the trial as she already felt Vital's warm heart inside of her. Anubismon would be waiting on the other side when she woke in her body. Anubismon would let her get her bearings before speaking, "The test went well I see. I had no doubt you would pass the exam, now we just wait on your friend to pass hers." He said looking back to the crystal, his ethereal body still burning brightly.

"I am happy.....I can exist....inside you." Talvi smiled as she disappeared. She then sat back on her heels til she noticed the light. She frowned at it but got up an approached. She felt like she was falling a second the jerked up. The crystal being the first thing she saw. "The test went well I see. I had no doubt you would pass the exam, now we just wait on your friend to pass hers." She looked to Anubismon as he spoke her gaze reining on him even as he looked away.

"You did not see enough I imagine." she says sourly. She speaks again after a moment. "Who is Lord Bagramon? And these 'true' spirits?" A name was all she had for now. She desired more her nature refused to allowed the unknown to remain so when it could be answered. She worried not for Samantha...for if her trial and their goal was any indication then she would face the same dilemma.

Anubismon quickly turned his head at the name Bagramon. "How do you know that name?" Anubismon roared. "I did not sense any disturbances during your trial. I was a fool to think that....in any case I did not expect Bagramon to be involved. He's supposed to be lost to time." Anubismon said seemingly thinking allowed.

"You must tell me what happened to you. Samantha may be in similar peril." Anubismon cautioned. He was unintentionally avoiding Talvi's questions. Bagramon's name troubled him enough to cause him to lose his calm majestic demeanor.

"How do you know that name?" Anubismon roared and Talvi flinched slightly. She was starting to get a headache. It seems the trial had taken its toll. "I did not sense any disturbances during your trial. I was a fool to think that....in any case I did not expect Bagramon to be involved. He's supposed to be lost to time."

"You must tell me what happened to you. Samantha may be in similar peril." Talvi was still left without an answer. However his reaction was enough to let her know he was powerful.

"I had started to absorb my spirit when the first one appeared. A hot head named Costt. We battled him together to no avail. So we kept our distance as I attempted to absorbed her again. We were almost one when another appeared. By the name of Vinous, it was he who mentioned Lord Bagramons 'displeasure' at Costt nearly failing. They did not seem to like one another. He also mentioned a spell to freeze time so the trial could last until they got what they wanted......we stood no chance so they left with a feather." She said relaying her story. It took a lot of effort to speak that much. Her throat felt scratchy so she made herself salivate a little.

"I do not know what is going on Anubismon....I do know this however. It is very dangerous and it will only get more so." She looked Anubismon in the eyes as she said this. It didn't take a genius to know.

Anubismon listened to Talvi's words, "Could it be the vampire and the sage are in league? Why would the Sage of Death appear now after such a long time in limbo?" Anubismon pondered, he looked to Talvi "They will likely make a second wind spirit not unlike the Costt and Vinous you saw. I do not know what the reason is for them to be but I will attempt to find out. I cannot promise things will get easier Talvi, so long as you are a Hybrid those that plan in the dark will come for you. The only way you will survive this is to band with the other Hybrids. They're the only ones who can defeat the false hybrids. You're mentally worn however, you should rest now and regain your strength." Anubismon said. "You must not worry about Bagramon for now. He would not dare directly involve himself with the land of the living for it is forbidden by law." Anubismon had hoped it would calm Talvi's nerves.

"Could it be the vampire and the sage are in league? Why would the Sage of Death appear now after such a long time in limbo?" Talvi gave him a wary but questioning glance. "They will likely make a second wind spirit not unlike the Costt and Vinous you saw. I do not know what the reason is for them to be but I will attempt to find out. I cannot promise things will get easier Talvi, so long as you are a Hybrid those that plan in the dark will come for you. The only way you will survive this is to band with the other Hybrids. They're the only ones who can defeat the false hybrids. You're mentally worn however, you should rest now and regain your strength." She was wary but she fought it. "You must not worry about Bagramon for now. He would not dare directly involve himself with the land of the living for it is forbidden by law." By law? Talvi suddenly had another question.

She laid back looking at the ceiling her eyes following the creases. "These laws what are they? Who enforces them?" She questioned. She had calmed down but her wariness was still there. To make a copy of her....it was a terrible thought. If it acted anything like her copy in the spirit realm....then...she shivered at the thought.

Anubismon took notice of Talvi's inquisitive mind. He did not meet a human besides Sanji that showed such a thirst for understanding. His flames seemed to have quelled if only for a moment in response. "The laws are even older then I, from the dawn the world was crafted after the first war ended. Yggdrasil put in place several laws to protect the dead and living. Neither allowed to interfere with the other. Unfortunately, the growth of the dark area was beyond our comprehension. The Dark Area was to be a place of purgatory for all those souls who were stained with intentional evil. To remain deceased to better the Digital World." Anubismon lifted his ethereal hand and the rooms torches went out and a light appeared in the center of the room expanding quickly to every corner revealing images from the past, displayed on the ceiling of which Talvi looked.

The images showed the earliest of times when the earth was still bountiful and green. She saw the ancient heroes whose predecessors had passed during the war and the evil beings they felled from the Dark Masters to the D-Reaper, to from Belphemon to Bagramon himself, not that she knew what Bagramon looked like

"I was created to judge the souls of the dead by their choices in life and grant them paradise or purgatory. Unfortunately, my power as strong as I am pales in comparison to the residents of the dark area and they occasionally escape into the world of the living." Anubismon waved his hand and the room darkened as he continued to speak.

"Several thousands of years ago, the goddess Yggdrasil ordered the Royal Knights to summon some of the Digital Worlds most powerful beings. I was among them. She summoned us to the server tree which exists on a separate plane. Among the summoned besides me was the Knights, the Demon Lords, the Sovereigns, the Sage of Death Bagramon; who had decided to side with humans after a boy named Taiki convinced him of a humans worth, GranDracmon the Lord of the Dark Area and finally the hybrid Susanoomon. The most powerful of us all." As Anubismon explained he revealed each Digimon and then showed them all meeting within the server tree, that looked not unlike the trails testing area. Only it had several bright lights racing across the room.

"We called it Heaven's Summit. Gathering heaven and hell together was dangerous as obvious prides and egos clashed. None would dare fight however. To make a long story short, Yggdrasil declared those of us that lived in the spirit world may never interfere with the living again or face divine judgement. Permanent eradication of body and soul." Anubismon did not show the full Summit just flashed images. Yggdrasil was hidden in all of them.

"She chose us as the protectors and up holders of this law. As a devout follower I have kept this law. However, time has worn the minds. Most of the digimon at this summit are either dead or missing. Susanoomon has ignored the world since Yggdrasil went into homeostasis. He only distributed his power in small portions granting life to new hybrids. You being one of them." Anubismon returned the room to normal.

"Now I fear the only other ones who know the law are actively acting against it. They have grown complacent that they will be spared the rod. So far, just the fear that Susanoomon may still be watching, is keeping the law obeyed outside of the trials. The dark ones have been pushing the envelope but have not taken any strides to break it. I will see what I can do to ensure this matter gets resolved." Anubismon had finished explaining.

"Did that suffice?" Anubismon asked.

"The laws are even older then I, from the dawn the world was crafted after the first war ended. Yggdrasil put in place several laws to protect the dead and living. Neither allowed to interfere with the other. Unfortunately, the growth of the dark area was beyond our comprehension. The Dark Area was to be a place of purgatory for all those souls who were stained with intentional evil. To remain deceased to better the Digital World." Talvi watched the images in awe her fatigue forgotten. The beings shown to her were foreign to her but their presence was great.

"I was created to judge the souls of the dead by their choices in life and grant them paradise or purgatory. Unfortunately, my power as strong as I am pales in comparison to the residents of the dark area and they occasionally escape into the world of the living." She looked to Anubismon as the lights dimmed again.

"Several thousands of years ago, the goddess Yggdrasil ordered the Royal Knights to summon some of the Digital Worlds most powerful beings. I was among them. She summoned us to the server tree which exists on a separate plane. Among the summoned besides me was the Knights, the Demon Lords, the Sovereigns, the Sage of Death Bagramon; who had decided to side with humans after a boy named Taiki convinced him of a humans worth, GranDracmon the Lord of the Dark Area and finally the hybrid Susanoomon. The most powerful of us all." Talvi commited the names and images to memory. Though they went by a little fast. A human changed Bagramons mind? Could it be done again she mused.

"We called it Heaven's Summit. Gathering heaven and hell together was dangerous as obvious prides and egos clashed. None would dare fight however. To make a long story short, Yggdrasil declared those of us that lived in the spirit world may never interfere with the living again or face divine judgement. Permanent eradication of body and soul." Her eyes were drawn to the black area where something was suppose to be. She pursed her lips trying to find something that wasn't there.

"She chose us as the protectors and up holders of this law. As a devout follower I have kept this law. However, time has worn the minds. Most of the digimon at this summit are either dead or missing. Susanoomon has ignored the world since Yggdrasil went into homeostasis. He only distributed his power in small portions granting life to new hybrids. You being one of them." So Susanoomon was the one to thank for her spirit. The fact several were dead perturbed her....then again she had no idea how long ago this was.

"Now I fear the only other ones who know the law are actively acting against it. They have grown complacent that they will be spared the rod. So far, just the fear that Susanoomon may still be watching, is keeping the law obeyed outside of the trials. The dark ones have been pushing the envelope but have not taken any strides to break it. I will see what I can do to ensure this matter gets resolved." So they were working their way through a loop hole. A terrible thought....then again for good to exist so to must evil.

"Did that suffice?" Anubismon asked.


"For now." she says smiling. "I know so little. So with each answer comes a thousand questions. I can never expect to learn it all..." being a human is quite troublesome. If she had the form of immortality Anubismon did she wouldn't stop asking til she knew it all. Her life was short so she had to live in the here and now. Learning only what was important to the life she was living.

Anubismon returned his attention to the crystal, "Talking to you has brought back a familiar feeling, one I tried to throw away. When humans caused pointless and countless deaths of my kind during the war, I became bitter with hatred. I wonder, if Sanji; your founder, had not shown up and instilled me with hope would I have sided with the ones who seek your destruction? You instill in me the same hopefulness that he did. It is refreshing." Anubismon sounded relieved. "In any case, nothing is happening in the Earth trial that shouldn't be. I shall remain alert." He said.

"Talking to you has brought back a familiar feeling, one I tried to throw away. When humans caused pointless and countless deaths of my kind during the war, I became bitter with hatred. I wonder, if Sanji; your founder, had not shown up and instilled me with hope would I have sided with the ones who seek your destruction? You instill in me the same hopefulness that he did. It is refreshing." Talvi smiled at this. Hope was always a good thing to have. She wondered how many things would feel refreshing to him now. With as long as he's lived; no doubt many things had grown boring. "In any case, nothing is happening in the Earth trial that shouldn't be. I shall remain alert." So Samantha was okay for now.

"If you ever want to remissness...or talk to someone I'd be willing to listen." She says after a long moment of silence.

Anubismon slighlty cocked his head so that he could see Talvi, "I'd.......I'd like that." Anubismon said he eyed for a time and then returned his gaze to the crystal. He began to feel an unusual feeling, there was something about Talvi's presence and way of speech that resonated with Anubismon. Though he would not dwell on it, not while the earth trial was in danger. "Now rest Talvi. I shall watch the earth trial closely." Anubismon ordered.

MISSION COMPLETE!

EXPERIENCE GAINED:

Quest Exp: --

Battle Exp:
Rank Experience: Human Spirit = 200 exp
Exp for winning: 50 exp
Level Difference: 100 exp
Performance: Great!: 40 exp

Total Exp Gained: 390 exp, Items Gained: Human Spirit of Wind.