Defender's Keep- II

Raven silently crept through the woods. Eavesdropping may not be socially correct but he had stopped caring a long time ago.

"I don't like him." Matt said with a flash of anger.

"We're dangerously close to agreeing." Tai murmured distantly.

"He's not evil." Kari said, shocking the group with her straight forward declaration.

"How do you know?" Tai snapped.

"I just do." She replied spreading her hands helplessly. In the shadows, Raven arched an eyebrow, mildly surprised at her vehemence. She had never been so absolutely certain of anything before and probably never would be again, but here and now she knew this.

"Well he wouldn't be so?so?" Mimi faltered.

"Unnervingly frightening?" Joe supplied.

"Well, uh, I guess he is at that. But if he just wore something other than black it'd be a step in the right direction."

"I dunno." Sora said quietly. "I don't think he wants to hurt us. There's something about him I just can't place?"

"He seems so sad." T.K. murmured. "Like he's been carrying something heavy a long time."

"Longer than anyone should have to." Izzy agreed thinking about several of his own secret burdens.

"What is this, the psychic friends network?" Tai added with his smug sense of sarcasm hitting the bulls eye.

"Well, O fearless one," Izzy said coolly. "what do you suggest we do?"

"We still have time to make our own camp. We don't need this guy." Matt insisted stubbornly

"No Matt." Gabumon said, His gentle voice patiently carrying the full force of his argument. "We agreed to stay the night. We shall honor our word."

"Very well, we stay until first light." Matt agreed grudgingly.

"A wise decision." Raven said stepping into the firelight circle. "This forest can be an unpleasant place."

"How long have you been there?" Matt snarled spinning around.

"Does it matter?" Raven replied, arching an eyebrow.

"I'm going to bathe in the ocean." Sora said not only to derail the upcoming argument, but also to let the others know her whereabouts.

Now I have her. The unseen presence gloated merrily from the darkness of a far world more distant than this one.

"That beach can be dangerous after dark, Sora." Raven said calmly. "Shadowmon, take Sora and Biyomon to the hot springs and mark the way back here."

"Oh, I don't want to impose." She said politely.

"I insist." He said with a deadly cool finality, as he continued to gaze not at her, but past her.

 "Well okay." Sora said uncertainly rubbing her arms to rid herself of the unearthly chill those ebony eyes caused. But they're warm and caring at the same time. She thought. I don't understand how, but they are.  "Lead the way Shadowmon."

"Wait." Raven said pulling his eyes away from Sora long enough to pull a homemade torch from behind a tree. "It'll be dark by the time you get there. Shadowmon can light this before she returns."

"Um, thanks." Sora said starting off after Shadowmon.

You can't protect her forever.  The presence snarled angrily as the wind gusted nearly blowing out the fire.

?And you can't hunt her forever." Raven said, communicating on his adversary's level. "Let's see which of us tires first, shall we?" He queried absently moving his lips out of habit.

You dare insult me by using the Once Speech? The voice raged. Raven nodded as another gust of wind marked the exodus of the malevolent presence. So nice when unwanted guests leave. He thought to himself.

"What was that?" Kari asked looking pale.

"What was what?" Tai asked refocusing suddenly. "Are you feeling well?"

"Didn't you hear that?" Kari asked looking perplexed.

"Didn't hear a thing." Tai said starting to move toward Kari. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm sure I heard something." She almost whimpered, certain she had heard something, but doubting her own sanity.

"She's fine Tai." Raven said. Tai was about to say something when Raven cut him off. "Trust me. I'm far more familiar with Death than any living being has a right to be, and when I say Kari will live, she will live."

Tai glared at Raven who may as well have been made of marble for all the effect it had on him, then went back to staring into the flickering fiery flames.

"I know I heard something." She mumbled sinking into a funk.

"You did, little one. This is the Once Speech, a language born at the dawn of time."  Raven said quietly as his soft words found their ways to Kari's ears alone.

Kari nearly fell off her log as Raven dropped her a conspiratorial wink.

"Somethin' bugging you Kari?" Tai asked absently.

"No. I thought I heard something." Kari said looking right at Raven. "Guess I was wrong."

How droll.  Raven thought. A girl who can hear the speech. What next? He mused taking a seat between Joe and Agumon.

"Oh darn." Joe said dropping his glasses.

As Raven and Joe both went for them their hands touched and Raven got a flashing image of an ulcer slowly eating Joe alive.

"You okay, Joe?" He asked quietly. Joe nodded and despite the obvious lie, Raven let it go.

"Sora and Biyomon are all right." Shadowmon said dropping silently into the clearing to perch on Raven's shoulder. "And there's a clear path back carved on the trees."

"Wonderful." Raven carefully dislodging wood chips from among the deadly sharp feathers.

"I'm hungry." Kari said. "What's to eat?" The other 'destined silently echoed her sentiments.

"Let's see, roasted fish, digipotatoes, digidream berry juice, and sugar cane." Raven said setting up a turning spit over the fire.

"Sounds great." Gatomon said. "Need any help?"

"No, I'm okay." He said retreating into the shadows.

"I wish he wouldn't do that." Mimi murmured absently twisting on a lock of hair. "It creeps me out worse than a mall detective."

"I won't follow you around just because you dress funny. Oh, by the way, the potatoes are in the foil packages behind Palmon." Raven's voice drifted out of the shadows. "Help yourselves. You can cook them on the coals."

"Very eerie." Izzy commented grabbing potatoes.

Twenty minutes later Raven returned with a string full of fish in one hand and a large canteen in the other.

"Hey Raven." Sora said at least attempting to be friendly with their gracious if self-serving host. "Those hot springs were great. Thanks."

"Glad you liked them." He said, dismissively placing the fish on the spit. Soon the sound and smell of cooked fire flared into their noses. The Chosen children all agreed, it had been too long since they had a good hot meal.

"Oh no! My hat!" Mimi yelled as a gust of blew it off.

"Got it!" Raven called, moving with the same inhuman speed he had exhibited earlier to snag it out of the air.

As his hand touched it, an image flashed into his mind of something hitting Mimi in the neck, sending her into violent convulsions, her face contorted in pain.

"Mimi, look out!" He shouted her knocking her aside with a flying tackle as something embedded itself in his upper arm. In the
darkness, leaves rustled as something attempted to escape. "Shad! Find 'em and roast 'em!"

"On it." She said silently winging into the night.

"What's the matter with you!" Matt shouted. "Are you crazy!"

"On the contrary." Raven said helping Mimi to her feet and setting her hat on her head. "I just saved her life."

"What do you mean?" Mimi asked, he bewildered eyes begging for an answer.

"This," He said pulling the dart out of his arm and breaking it open to smell the contents. "is vipermon venom. Very potent, very fast, and very deadly. It was meant for you Mimi."

"Is something wrong Izzy?" T.K. said.

"No T.K.." Izzy said paling. It was happening. Not to him this time but the circumstances were unmistakable

"Will you be all right?" Mimi asked placing a hand on his shoulder. "Ah! You're burning up!"

"I said it was fast." Raven shrugged. "If my body survives the stress, I'll be fine."

"I doubt that will be a problem." Tai said coldly as he finally came to a decision.

"Tai, what is your problem? He just poisoned himself saving Mimi!" Sora snapped.

"Tell me Raven," Tai queried striding up to him and grabbing his cape. "What are you?"

"I don't know what you mean, Tai." He said as nonchalantly as possible as tried to brush Tai away.

"Perhaps this will help." Tai snapped pulling off the black cape, which drifted to the ground in a magnificent ripple only to be
ignored.

Everyone was awestruck by the two gray feathery wings hanging sedately from Raven's back.

"What are you?" Tai asked.