Dream Gate

Chapter 2: Roadtrip

Chapter 2: Roadtrip

RenPOV

"Touhakken!" He slashed down as if the chain were a sword and it cut right through the bug like a knife. As it split and burst into particles, he turned to me with a look of exhaustion on his face. "Let's go." I stared at his hand before grabbing it and allowing him to lift me to my feet. How did he learn Touhakken without training, even more so to augment it through a chain? He walked me out of the wrecked house, my mother closely following. "Thank you, Jake! I'm quite sure we wouldn't have survived-" "Please Ms.Tao, I'm only helping." He turned to me and asked if I could walk. I nodded but as soon as I let go, my body seized up and started to fall forward. He grabbed me before I could hit the ground. Jake held me, smiling at me. "Look whose being carried now." I hid my face in my paws in embarrassment but Jake pulled them away. "Hey. It's alright. We all fall down sometimes. We just gotta get back up and keep going." I smiled at him as he let me down and supported me while he lowered me to the ground. Jake had started to examine my leg, where it had been cut open. I didn't remember getting hit by anything. I must of scraped my leg across some debris. He took something out of his pocket and laid it on the ground. Jake opened it up to reveal combat gauze, a stitch kit and a bottle of some kind of liquid. He took a piece of gauze and doused it with the liquid. "Now, I have to put this on your wound and it's gonna sting but only for a few seconds." I gave him a confused look. " I'm a battle trained warrior, a little sting-" "Alright then." He pressed it to my wound before I could finish. The pain that coursed through my leg can't be described. "Ssss Ouch! A little warning next time!" He just smirked. Jake reached for the stitch kit and grabbed a needle already threaded with stitching thread. He closed his eyes as if concentrating and the thread lit with blue flame. He stitched the wound and as soon as he had tied the end, it faded into my skin, the wound fully healed and closed up. I stared at him in amazement. "You haven't had any training! How could you be so advanced already?" He smiled at me and explained. "I don't have a processing code, so anything I learn is instantaneous. I don't need repetition." I quietly laughed. "I've not known you for a day yet and you're already surprising me." He simply smiled and lifted me to my feet and this time I was steady.

We walked to the middle of the clearing to find that the village was totaled. I heard my mother gasp behind us. Everything was gone. I went to comfort her while Jake searched for supplies among the wreckage. "It'll be alright Mom. We can rebuild the village for when the others regenerate! We-" "Honey, please just... stop. Rebuilding will take too long and just because they'll regenerate doesn't necessarily mean they'll find their way back. I want you and Jake to leave the village and find a way to the real world." "Mom we'll never make it that far! At least let me take you with me!" "Ren, my time here is done. Please. Go." She started to fade but I wouldn't have it. I lit my paws and held her, preventing her from dispersing but she broke apart anyways. When she was gone I removed my arms to find the tail ends of her robe. I hugged them, then tucked them away and went to find Jake.

JakePOV

While Renamon and Tao talked I went to find supplies for our trip. I grabbed a satchel and stopped by the training grounds. I grabbed medical supplies and some spare chains in case my old one broke. I also stopped by some shops that were left standing. The bugs apparently here to attack the tribe itself rather then their supplies. It was a barbaric tactic, though fitting for they were barbaric. I had filled the bag the rest of the way with food and blankets. I started to walk back when I passed the book stand. I stopped and picked up the only book there, a guide to the moves Renamon knew. It must have been a handbook for students. I put it in my pocket and headed back to Renamon. As I walked up to her she stood and turned to me slowly. She opened her arms to reveal the cloth of Tao's robe. I saw Tao nowhere and assumed the worst. " I'm so sorry Renamon. I should have been here to help." She shook her head and wiped her eyes. " No Jake. She knew we couldn't help. It was her time." I couldn't think of anything to say to comfort her, so I did that I did best. I hugged her and held her tightly to me. She seemed surprised but eventually hugged back. When we let go I looked straight in the eyes. " We're gonna get through this together, alright?" She smiled and nodded. I turned and open the handbook, which luckily had a map of the eastern digital world. I tapped a spot on the map and showed it to Renamon. " What's this place?" She looked at it and grinned widely. "Only the largest city in eastern Digi, Central Techon! I've always wanted to go there but I've never been outside of the general area of my town!" I smiled at her and started walking in the direction of the city. "Well we're going there first since it's the largest center of intelligence in Digi." She jumped with excitement and took off. "Well let's go!" I walked alongside her on the way. We stopped by so many locations. There was a cart we passed and I bought us some spice pops. I wolfed mine down but she just held hers and stared at it like it would grow legs and walk away if she blinked. I chuckled. "Um, Renamon, what are you doing?" She looked up. " What's wrong with this thing? I can't absorb it!" I laughed. " Renamon, it's food not data! You have to suck on it! It's like a lollipop but spicy!" She looked confused. " I...have to...eat it? That's new. And what's spicy?" I just shrugged. "Just try it." She looked at it once more before opening her mouth and placing it inside. As we walked she looked deep in thought. " This isn't all that bad. What did you mean by spicy?" I grinned. "Just wait." I watched as her expression go from thoughtful to fear. "Wha- what's in my mouth?! There's little bugs in this pop and their biting my tongue! Ah, now their crawling down my throat! Jake, help!" I just stood there and laughed as she wiped at her tongue trying to remove the "bugs".