Guild Master Gordon Scarsborough's Office

(Continued from The Fire Pit)

When Dasuke arrived at the doors to the Guild Master's chambers, a Lillymon was standing there behind a desk. Dasuke figured her for some kind of secretary. "I am here to speak with Guild Master Scarsborough. My name is Dasuke Moto. He is expecting me," Dasuke informed the Lillymon. She produced a spreadsheet from her desk and looked it over.

"Moto....Moto.....ah. There you are. You are five minutes early. Go on in. He's ready for you," the Lillymon said, smiling. She pressed a button hidden below her desktop and the doors opened. Inside, Dasuke found himself in a massive ornate room. In the center of the room, sitting at a desk bearing the W.A.D.A. and Crimson Rider's crests, was a man and a Tentomon. Dasuke was in awe. It was Guild Master Gordon Scarsborough himself, and his partner Caleb. Dasuke found himself bowing at the pair.

"There is no need for such formality. Please, relax," Guild Master Scarsborough said. "Welcome to the Crimson Riders. As you no doubt have guessed, I am Guild Master Gordon Scarsborough, and this is my long time partner and friend, Caleb. We wanted to greet you personally, as I strive to do with all my new recruits."

Dasuke was star-struck, but finally worked up the energy to speak. "Hello, sirs. It's an honor to meet you both. I am Dasuke Moto, and I am thrilled to be here. Thank you for allowing me to join your ranks."

"But of course," Scarsborough said. "You proved yourself to be quite the go-getter in your previous role, that I felt you deserved a new challenge. Therefore, I will now end this meeting. Please, go back down the hall to your dormitory. Make yourself comfortable. Take all the time you need to get settled. When you are ready, go review the Quest Board and see what catches your fancy. If you'd prefer, you are free to head straight to the Transportation Deck and they will send you whatever area of the Digital World you'd like to go. The choice is yours. For now, I must bid you adieu." With that, Scarsborough rose, gave Dasuke a nod, and turned to go through a door behind him, no doubt his office and living quarters. Caleb hovered after him without a word.

(Dasuke's story continues in Crimson Riders > Dasuke's Room)

(Continued from The Fire Pit)

Sparks arrived at the desk of the Lillymon secretary abruptly. The Lillymon at the desk hadn't noticed him approach and gave a small yelp when she looked up and saw him.

"My goodness. You gave me a start there, young man. How can I help you?" she asked, catching her breath.

"My name is Scott Foreman. I am here to see the Guild Master and join the Hybrid ranks. I do not have an appointment," Scott said, with no emotion in his words. He was cold and to the point.

"No appointment. Well, according to his schedule, Master Scarsborough is not busy at the moment. He may be able to see you. Go ahead in," Lillymon said, pressing the button beneath her desk and opening the doors. Scott went inside without another word or glance at the receptionist. As he entered the large room and the doors closed behind him, he found an old man sitting at a desk in the middle of the room, reading something on a computer monitor in front of him. A Tentomon was off in the corner watching a monitor displaying scenes of Matrix Lake. "My name is Scott....." he began, but was interrupted as the man raised his hand.

"I know who you are, Mr. Foreman. I must say, I didn't expect you to be so quick to come visit me, as I make it a point to meet all recruits in an orderly fashion. Your file said you were a bit of a fireball, but I haven't had someone barge into my office like this in a long time. Very bold," Gordon said. The Tentomon had buzzed over and landed on the desk beside him when he heard his partner speak. "This one is going to be one to watch," he said. "Behave yourself, Caleb. The boy is simply eager," the Guild Master responded.

"I'm pleased that you know who I am, sir. Then you must also know why I am here. I wish to join the Hybrid ranks of the Crimson Riders and earn my first spirit. I am curious to discover which element lies within me, and I will use whatever it is to bring peace to both worlds," Scott said confidently.

"Ah, yes. I will send a personal quest file to your D.I.G. and it will also appear on the Quest Board until you clear it. Go to the Transport Deck and speak with Amano. She will arrange for you to be transported to the Tundra, and from there you will go to the Temple of Elements and await further instructions. Inside it's ancient halls, you will be tested to see which element resonates within your heart. Now go. Your Spirit awaits," Gordon explained. He returned his attention to the monitor on his desk and said no more. Caleb gave a small wave to Scott as Scott turned and exited the room, bound for the Transport Deck and his Spirit. The faces of his lost friends flashed in his mind. This is for you, guys. I won't let you down again, he thought.

(Scott's story continues at the Quest Counter)

THIS POST WAS ORIGINALLY WRITTEN BY INORI.

Sayuri approched the receptionist's desk quietly. Once acquiring the attention of the receptionist, she gave a respectful bow.

"I hopefully have not arrived too early. I am here to see the Guild Master. I am uncertain if the appointment is in father's name still or not." Sayuri paused. "It would be either Ginko, Sayuri or Ginko, Kaito."

Truth be told, Sayuri was quite early. She considered for a moment before adding: "I am content to wait until the proper time if my timing is inconvenient."

Lillymon looked up from her desk at the young girl that approached and listened to her speak. She began to look over her spreadsheet for the name given.

"Ah. Here it is. Kaito Ginko, being replaced by his daughter, Sayuri. You are on the list, however, Guild Master Scarsborough is out on business at the moment. If you'd be so kind, feel free to mill about the hall and I shall notify you through your D.I.G. upon his return," Lillymon then went to sit down and return to work.

"No need for that, Lillymon," said a male voice from behind Sayuri. If she turned around, she would see Gordon approaching with Caleb in tow, once more in his Tentomon form. "My meeting ended a bit earlier than expected, so I am more than happy to meet with this young lady now. Thank you for your assistance, my friend." Lillymon smiled at her Guild Master and nodded.

"Of course, sir. Welcome back." As she spoke, she pressed the button at her desk and opened the door. Caleb wasted no time flying through and waiting at Gordon's desk in the next room.

"After you, my dear," Gordon said to Sayuri, he held the door open for her and waited for her to enter with a smile. Once she entered the room, he would close the door behind her and sit at his desk.

THIS POST WAS ORIGINALLY WRITTEN BY INORI.


Sayuri bowed quickly to Lillymon in thanks before entering the room as directed. She would remain standing until otherwise directed.

"My father requested I relay his deepest apologies that he himself could not be here. He hopes for your understanding his decision." Sayuri stated calmly. "I hope I will be a suitable replacement."

The woman fell silent now, waiting for the guild leader to respond.

Gordon looked at the girl before him as she explained why she was there. "No need for apologies. I can think of no better reason to stay behind than to help those in need. That's exactly what we do here. There is nothing to be sorry for, young one. As it were, I have heard much of your father and your family. While I did not personally know your father, his reputation precedes him. If he recommends you to take his place among our ranks, I see no reason to doubt that decision. Welcome to the Crimson Riders."

"Yes. We're glad that you chose to join us. We don't have many females in our ranks. It's refreshing," Caleb said from his position perched on top of Gordon's desk. His face would have been smiling if he had a properly suited mouth.

"Caleb, it's more than just that. Be nice," Gordon said to his partner, then turned his attention back to Sayuri. "And you don't need to stand on my account. We are pretty relaxed around here. Please, you may be seated if you wish, whatever makes you most comfortable," Gordon added, gesturing to the chair opposite him. Now, as I understand it, you have not been given any immediate assignments or instructions. Seeing as how you just arrived, do you have any questions before you begin your journey?" Gordon folded his hands in front of him and looked at Sayuri with a warm expression.

THIS POST WAS ORIGINALLY WRITTEN BY INORI.

"Thank you. You are most kind." She stated to the guild leader. She offered Caleb curious look at his comment about there being so few females, but said nothing on the matter. At the invitation to sit however, she did state her thanks and take a seat.

"I do not believe I have many questions at the moment. Should I come up with any, would you prefer I bring them to you or is there another I should speak with first?" She inquired, with a very slight tilt of her head.

Gordon smiled at the girl. "Any questions you have, don't feel shy about bringing to me. It is my sworn duty to help in any way I can. However, should you encounter any other Crimson Riders along the way, they know most of what to do around here, too. They can be useful. The choice is yours." Gordon took a look at the computer on his desk and clicked a few items before turning back to Sayuri.

"You are now free to travel as you please. Our Quest Board downstairs has every active quest in our records available on it to claim as your own. However, none of them are time sensitive, so no rush. You may roam around the Tartarus however you wish, or even travel to the Digital World for leisure. If at any time you wish to change whatever it is you're doing, simply activate the GPS on your D.I.G. or proceed to the nearest W.A.D.A. Embassy for transport to wherever you need to go. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have other business to attend to. Once more, welcome to the Crimson Riders!" Gordon stood up his final welcome and would remain standing until Sayuri began to leave, at which point he and Caleb would retreat to the doors on the far side of the room opposite the entrance.

THIS POST WAS ORIGINALLY WRITTEN BY INORI.

Sayuri stood and bowed once more before turning and taking her leave from the room. She would offer the Lillymon a quick nod before taking her leave. The usual no-nonsense look on her face made it seem like she really had somewhere to be, and not much was going to stop her from getting there.

(Continued from The Fire Pit, after the departure of Sol)

Dasuke approached the door to Guild Master Scarsborough's office. As expected, the Lillymon receptionist was seated at the desk outside, clacking away at her computer and rifling through some paperwork. She looked up when she heard Dasuke approach and smile. "Agent Moto. Welcome back. We received word that you had returned to the Tartarus from Amano. Go on in. Guild Master Scarsborough is waiting for you." she said, and pressed the button at her desk that buzzed the doors open. Dasuke gave a small bow and entered, closing the door behind him.

As Dasuke entered the room, he found his Guild Master seated at his desk looking up at him. Caleb was there at his side, in his Tentomon form once more. They both seemed pleased to see him. "Hello again, Dasuke. Welcome home. How did your mission go? We heard from Amano that you had returned, but she didn't say much else. Just that you had brought a rare Digimon with you. I must admit, I was quite confused to hear that. Gazimon aren't exactly rare and I couldn't understand why you'd bring one back. So please tell me. What happened down there?" Gordon asked politely.

"Yes, Agent Moto. We are both very curious as to just what's going on," Caleb chimed in from his perch on Gordon's desk. Dasuke looked at the pair and gave a sigh. This was quite the tale they are about to hear. Dasuke was a bit nervous having to relive the whole thing again so soon. Might as well get it over with.

"You see, Guild Master, the quest I took earlier was to simply reprimand some rowdy Gazimon that were causing trouble and send them home with a warning. I wasn't even planning on arresting anyone. They were just kids, after all. I went out to the Binary Meadows, found the digimon in question, and began my interview with them. One of them didn't want to get into trouble and was about to tell me everything, but his two friends were holding him back. They were a bit edgy. They were up to something. But before I could find out what it was, a wild Guilmon appeared out of nowhere. For some reason, seeing the Gazimon enraged him and he attacked. He killed two of them in an instant and the third ran to me for protection. I called for backup, but no Agents were available. Instead, headquarters sent this bow and arrow instead," Dasuke turned to the side so that the pair could see the bow and quiver mounted on his back. "I engaged the Guilmon in battle, and discovered that he was very confused. He thought I was a man called Magus and had killed his friend Lea. Apparently, there were Gazimon present during that event, which is why he reacted so violently to seeing the species. When Guilmon realized that I was not Magus, he immediately calmed down and had no memory of what he had just done. I then determined that he was suffering from some form of psychosis and requested a med-evac. Instead of being transported to the primary medical facility on board, the transporter was redirected to the private offices of Dr. Daisuke Ichi, who took over the situation." As soon as Dasuke mentioned Ichi's name, Gordon and Caleb visibly tensed up. Dasuke, however, did not make much of it, assuming that they were reacting to the gruesome nature of the story.

"Dr. Ichi went on to evaluate the Guilmon's condition, and we determined the Guilmon's name was Sol. I explained the situation to him, and warned him what triggers not to use. He then did exactly what I told him not to do. He set off Sol's rage, which resulted in Sol ripping one of Ichi's nurses in half in a bloody mess on the floor. I went to protect Ichi by firing an arrow at Sol, but it never made contact. That man reacted so fast and so powerfully that he launched a kick and sent Sol flying across the room and he smashed into a wall and lay unconscious. I've never seen such power. And it turned out that those nurses are reanimated corpses. Ichi had his Parasimon partner rebuild the destroyed body." At this point, Gordon and Caleb look visibly concerned, for more reasons than Dasuke knew. "He then sent me out of the room and gave Sol a full physical and mental evaluation. His conclusion is that this Guilmon was the result of a misfiring of a transporter that occurred during the construction of the Tartarus. He was merely a reflection of a real Guilmon in a different dimension. That's why his mind is so messed up. Ichi's advice was that he be terminated. I couldn't do it. At my refusal, Ichi seemed to harness the power of multiple Digimon partners stored in his D.I.G. to do some weird mind meld with Sol. I don't know what it was, but the result seemed to be the sealing away of Sol's rage. I then sent him back to the Meadows. I hope he can lead a normal life out there now." And that's all I have, sir.

Gordon and Caleb looked at each other with a solemn expression. They were silent for a few minutes. Then Gordon looked over at Dasuke. "Well, Agent. That's quite the story. I'm sorry your first assignment turned out to be so bloody. I shall inform Ino of the situation. That is all for now, Agent Moto. Take this time to rest. Relax. I'm sure you need it. Thank you." Gordon then stood up and turned his back to Dasuke. Caleb flew over and waited by the back door of the office, no doubt that was Gordon's living quarters. Dasuke gave a bow, then left the room, bound for his dorm.

(Dasuke's story continues in Crimson Riders > Dasuke's Room)

(Gordon's story continues in Crimson Riders > Gordon Scarsborough's Living Quarters)

As Vent walked up to Lilymon he would try to be a little nice trying to be nice.
"Hi I'm Vent Saitou here to meet mister Scarsborough." He finished with a forced smile then gave up on it with a sigh scratching his head a little embarrassed for even trying.

Lillymon looked up from her desk and stopped typing on her keyboard. The young man standing before her was a bit odd and seemed uncomfortable.

"Well, I do believe that Guild Master Scarsborough is in at the moment. Please, go on in." Lillymon pressed a button on her desk, and the lock on the office door disengaged, swinging open just a bit. She motioned for Vent to step in, then went about her work.

As Vent walked in he would look around in surprise. Seeing so many large T.Vs Vent hadn't expected that. Then again he knew nothing about his new guild master other than he was very high ranking. He then started heading to the guild masters desk.