IC: La Bienvenida Sangriente

[Ganryu]

~La Bienvenida Sangriente~
​

An area of Hueco Mundo where the outlying Dangai is thinnest, allowing even weak hollows to open gargantas into this area. Because of this, this area tends to be teeming with newcomers to the sands. This area's activity waxes and wanes like the moon. At it's worst, the outpouring of hollows into Hueco Mundo devolves into a feeding frenzy. This event only occurs about once every 28 days. Still, the frenzies have died the sands here permanently red. 

 

[Red Thunder]

Two days they had been going. A rogue Hollow here, a pair of hunting Hollows there, but the trio of the Lost that had chosen to head this direction had found little in the way of shelter. Perhaps that wasn't entirely fair, nor in fact perfectly true: Reilly had in fact stumbled across a particularly deep cave with a yawning, gapping mouth like the maw of a Menos. The Shinigami had regrettably lacked the common sense or in fact training to wait for his fellows to join him, despite the year in Hueco Mundo, and he had run inside with a laugh of joy. He'd immediately turned right around and sprinted out, followed by a stream of Hollows, each bellowing for fresh blood. Daisuke and Ryuuko had to pull him to a safe hiding place as the pack rushed past; Reilly got an earful from his former teacher for that blunder. 


That was the second day into their journey. It was now the beginning of the third. The moon, days away from achieving a full face, hung as ever against the black sky, like a beacon hoping desperately to be seen. To be rescued. Or perhaps like some baleful eye, watching the Shinigami's every move. The trio had camped in the shadow of a tall pillar, it's wide yellow surface creating a kind of break against the harsh and bitter wind that would occasionally stream across the sands and throw the red grains into the air and into their eyes. With a new day comes new adventures and new discoveries. But not all adventures or discoveries end well...

***
​

~Reilly Kusenagi~
​

The tall Death God lay on his bed roll, staring blankly at the equally blank sky. His right hand cradled the back of his head, cushioning it against the hard sandy surface that somehow even the thickest roll couldn't soften. His left hand was draped across his chest. Absentmindedly his fingers spun his wedding ring about his ring finger. On several occasions as the trio had traveled, Reilly could have sworn he'd felt more than the customary faint pulse of the ring's kido against his finger, but in each case, it had seemed to have been his imagination. It was in fact what inspired his sprint into that cave the day before, and despite all evidence to the contrary, he couldn't shake the feeling that his dear Rhiannon was getting closer, as much as anything could be considered to be 'closer' in this infinite expanse. 


Suddenly it pulsed: once; twice. There was a pause, and Reilly felt his spirit crash as low as it had risen. But suddenly he felt a strong, undeniable beat. It was her! Her heart beat, which meant she was alive! Not only that, but somewhere near, too! Like a spring he jumped to his feet. 


"Ryuuko! Daisuke! Get up! Rhiannon's nearby, and we must help her!" 


As he spoke, Reilly was already rolling his bed roll and preparing to leave. And he would do so, regardless of what the others said or did. 


@KageYuuki @Nada

 

[KageYuuki]

[SIZE= 26px]Ryuuko Chikanari[/SIZE]
​

Setting out with Daisuke and Reilly, the first few days of their journey had been fairly uneventful. A couple scuffles with some weak hollows but nothing that proved all that difficult. They'd grown stronger in their year trapped in hollows' home world, that much was certain. Really the most excitement they'd had so far was the little mishap involving a potential new home and a horde of hungry hollows. A rather excited Reilly had rushed inside without telling them . . .


The hungered cries of the horde alerted Daisuke and Ryuuko to the trouble. Ryuuko managed to snag the hapless shinigami with Hourin and pull him out of the way and back to where she stood. Still restrained by the Kidou spell he received a swift strike to the head and quite the scolding. "Honestly, you should know better . . ." she muttered while releasing the spell. 


"Gods it's quiet tonight," the white haired shinigami muttered with a yawn. She'd elected to keep watch over their little camp while the other two rested.


[SIZE= 14px]'Since when did you gripe about it being quiet?'[/SIZE]


"There's normally something roaring in the distance." She kept her voice low, barely audible to the others so not to bother them. "It's just . . . dead out there right now."


"Ryuuko! Daisuke! Get up! Rhiannon's nearby, and we must help her!" 


She'd be lying if she said she didn't jump at the sudden shout. "Calm down a moment Reilly," Ryuuko called while tucking Ketsuga back into her obi. "Blindly charging off isn't going to help her. Can you get a feel for the direction?" Rhiannon . . . that was a name she hadn't heard in a while. A highly skilled user of Kidou and Reilly's wife, she'd met her on a couple occasions prior to the attack on the Seireitei. If it really was her out there, could there be others with her? More survivors could help their own chances out in this endless desert. If they were out there, perhaps they had a shelter or knew of a safe place to move to.


Of course it was all still one big 'if'.

 

[Nada]

Daisuke Daigoro
​

 
​

Daisuke had initially thought that the menos would be the least of their worries for a while. But he soon learned that a far more fearsome foe had appeared at their main camp while they were away. The group had decided to abandon their base just to hide from this new enemy. Daisuke, having not seen the enemy himself, felt a little shameful to know they were fleeing some wretched creature he knew nothing of. But he was a soldier, and he wasn'g going to pitch a fit over the group's decision. In the time spent since they left the caves, Daisuke had put effort into correcting the flaw that had gotten him injured earlier. He was no longer the big old slug he used to be. Though it remained ot be seen if he would be quite as fast as the nastier hollows in this forsaken world. Progress was progress though.


Daisuke had volunteered to travel with Ryuuko and Reilly to the east, in search of somewhere to take shelter once more. Daisuke grew to regret this decision. Reilly was impulsive and undisciplined, and he had lead them into danger on one notable occasion. It was a good thing they had Ryuuko on hand, or Daisuke would have been worried the daft fool would get himself injured while they were far from the others. With luck, they would get through this scouting mission just fine, and Daisuke was at least confident in himself and Ryuuko to get the job done.


On the third day of their journey, Daisuke awoke to the noise of Reilly making a fuss. It seemed his wife was supposed to be nearby. Daisuke didn't relish the idea of putting of their main objective like this, but Rhiannon was a shinigami as much as they all were, and rescuing a fellow soldier was as important as any other duty. He did worry that the fact it was Reilly's significant other would make him even more prone to charge into danger than ever, but he would have to deal with that when it came. For now, he just got to his feet and silently signaled that he was ready to head out.


@Red Thunder@KageYuuki

 

[Red Thunder]

~Reilly Kusenagi~
​

 
​

Ryuuko's question caught him off guard. He paused, his mat half rolled and forgotten. Well, no; he couldn't feel which direction Rhiannon might be. The Kido spell allowed for a feeling of presence only. To add more spell power than that to such a small ring would have overwhelmed the fragile integrity it had. The momentary confusion that had filled his face was quickly replaced by determination as he bent back down to finish packing his roll. 


"She's close; that's the important part. I just have to find her." Tying it to his pack, he hoisted it into his shoulders. He picked Tsume from off the red ground and glanced at his companions. "I appreciate the concern, Ryuuko, I do. But she's out here, somewhere, and I have to find her. Come if you want; I won't demand everyone drop the goal of the mission for me."


Shoving the scabbard into his belt, Reilly turned and sprinted off further into the Bloody Plains. 


As was the case before, the sands were unending. Red was everywhere, and by virtue of the sand it stained, it covered everything. Reilly crested a particularly tall dune, slipping and sliding as he tried to get his footing in the unforgiving Red. Finally he achieved it, only to pause, eyes wide. There in the distance, perhaps two miles to the east, squared a set of low hills. The five were arranged in an almost star like pattern, and the valley between them was hidden by their small height. Reilly's expression brightened, and he laughed cheerfully. 


"She has to be there! She's gotta be!"


Tsume only rolled his eyes. 


But unknown to the Shinigami, they were being watched. Atop a towering pinnacle of putrid green some three miles south of the dune, sat a silhouetted figure, short and gaunt and laughing. And all about them, the sky began to splinter....


@KageYuuki @Nada

 

[KageYuuki]

[SIZE= 26px]Ryuuko Chikanari[/SIZE]
​

"Close is good, if you give me a moment I can pinpoint-" The Shinigami's voice trailed off as Reilly scrambled up the nearest dune. She sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose, "Dammit . . . " Shaking her head she withdrew a small pouch filled with sand she'd prepared, there was more than enough for a few different spells before she'd need to make more. "Daisuke, if you could keep him from charging off and doing something stupid for just a minute I can at least get a better idea for where she is."


The white haired shinigami didn't wait for a response before kneeling in the sand and opening the small pouch. Even if Daisuke didn't go after him, there weren't any hollows too close by. Spreading the fine black sand in a small circle she started the incantation, "Heart of the South, eye of the North, finger of the West, foot of the East." The circle was split in four, each quadrant given a number, "arrive with the wind and depart with the rain." Ryuuko placed her hands on the circle causing it to glow a bright blue, "Bakudou 58: Kakushitsuijaku."


If anyone were to look over her shoulder, all they would see was a blue disk on the ground. Only the one casting the sell would be able to see what Ryuuko currently did. "Got it, she's a little over two miles to the East." Coincidentally, that just happened to be the same direction Reilly had taken off in.


Ryuuko caught up to her hopeful teammate just as he told himself (And probably Tsume) that Rhiannon had to be in those hills in the distance. "You sure that ring doesn't have a tracking spell in it? Because that's where we need to go."


@Red Thunder@Nada

 

[Nada]

Daisuke Daigoro
​

 
​

Daisuke rolled his eyes as Reilly sprinted out alone into the wastes. Of course he was going to take this opportunity to blunder off into the dunes without so much as a plan or even a thought. Ryuuko asked for him to go after Reilly and save him from his own stupidity. "I'll get right to it." He said, before leaving in pursuit of Reilly. But it was easier said than done. Even now, Daisuke wasn't the fastest, and Reilly was energized by the thought of his wife being nearby. It was almost a stroke of good luck when he tripped over himself trying to mount a nearby dune. Daisuke managed to close the gap between them at that moment.


It was not long before the three of them were all back together and knew where they were going. At least they knew that much, and weren't going to have to poke around this bleak wasteland in hope of stumbling over a shinigami. "Right then, let's get going." He said, making his way forwards towards the hills. "But let's try not to run directly into a hollow's maw, shall we?" He shot a disapproving glance at Reilly as he spoke. He really needed to get his act together. At this rate, they might find Rhiannon only to have Reilly lose his head.


@Red Thunder@KageYuuki

 

[Red Thunder]

~Reilly Kusenagi~
​

 
​

He turned to Ryuuko, considering. If the ring had some kind of tracking spell, Rhiannon had certainly never mentioned it to him. "I don't think so. But then, I don't know a thing about kido; I wouldn't recognize it if it punched me in the face." At Daisuke's chiding, Reilly glanced at him, brow furrowed."No promises."


His left hand on his sword hilt, he turned and sprinted off, careful to not outpace his companions but nevertheless driven by his longing to see his wife safe and sound. Another small crest rose to greet them, and he climbed the hill without much thought or care. At the top, he pulled up quickly, muttering a curse. As the others joined him, it became very obvious as to what was upsetting him.


The five hills had drawn somewhat nearer, their uniform peaks shining in the bright light of a moon nearing full. Now closer, smaller details were obvious: strange constructions, not unlike altars, littered the hillsides, and the stone of each hill was dyed as red as the sands that surrounded them, though thus far mountains and the like had been stark white.


But none of that interested Reilly at the moment. At the foot of the dune upon which they now stood, some 100 yards off, moved a group of what looked to be about fifteen to twenty Hollows. Slowly, as if they hadn't yet noticed the Shinigami, they stalked up the dune towards the trio. Reilly dropped to a crouch and began easing back, eyebrows furrowed. They looked to be Hollows alright, but they didn't feel like Hollows. They felt more like...Shinigami? And ever the pulse of his ring grew stronger. And faster...


@KageYuuki @Nada

 

[Nada]

Daisuke Daigoro
​

 
​

Daisuke wasn't pleased to here Reilly dismiss his words so casually, but at least he seemed to be keeping pace with them rather than rushing recklessly like he had before. It wasn't long before they all came to a stop, however, as Reilly clearly saw something that disagreed witb him. Reaching the top of the hill himself, Daisuke could see what he was concerned by. A whole slew of hollows lay within sight. At first, Daisuke was worried. But then, he remembered he had already faced down a menos grande, and the others had stood against a horde back at the old base. Maybe they should just show a little courage and get them out of the way? Then he sensed it. That strange sensation, as though the creatures before them were in fact shinigami. Daisuke's senses were at odds with themselves. It was very important to Daisuke that he figured out what exactly he was facing. Hollows were the enemy, and shinigami were his comrades. He couldn't rightly attack his allies.


"Uh, anyone else getting that weird feeling?" He asked. Surely they had to have sensed it by now. "Should we, I dunno, try talking to them? Maybe?" He wasn't confident in what he had suggested. He could sense shinigami, but he could still see hollows. His instincts were urging him to go on the offensive. He was hoping somebody else would have a better idea of how to approach this.


@Red Thunder@KageYuuki

 

[KageYuuki]

[SIZE= 26px]Ryuuko Chikanari[/SIZE]
​

At Reilly's comment the white haired shinigami couldn't help but roll her eyes. "I keep offering to help you with Kidou," she muttered while following after the pair. When it came to high speed movements such as Shunpo, Ryuuko would admit that her skills were more than a little lacking. While not hopeless in the art, she was admittedly the slowest out of the Lost. At least her partners were considerate enough not to just take off with Shunpo.


Skidding to a stop at the top of the hill, Ryuuko growled under her breath and unlocked Ketsuga from his sheathe. There was no missing the group of Hollows making their way up the dune towards them. While between the three of them a group this size could be taken down with little difficulty something felt off about them. Unlike the Arrancar she'd faced only a few days ago who looked like a shinigami but felt like a hollow, these were the exact opposite. "Yeah," Ryuuko murmured, "I feel shinigami too."


[SIZE= 14px]What the hell are they?[/SIZE]


'I don't know,'  Ketsuga muttered. She could feel the spirit tensing at the potential threat. 'I'm not sure they're friendly though...'


Ryuuko shook her head, "Even if they do feel like Shinigami I don't think we should just waltz up to them." She was careful to keep her voice low. "I might be able to restrain them with Kidou, but I can't guarantee I'll get all of them in a single spell." Restraining such a large group required a rather high level spell, one she still needed to use the incantation for. Though she could probably catch any stragglers with spells she'd completely mastered. Ones that no longer needed the incantation to be cast.


@Nada@Red Thunder

 

[Red Thunder]

~Reilly Kusenagi~
​

 
​

Reilly had listened silently to the others, anxious and eager to peek over the crest of the hill but knowing that doing so would likely mean that their position was given away. If in fact it hadn't already been. In his mind, he felt Tsume stir from his rest. 


You're aggitated. 


'Of course I am! Close to twenty Hollows coming toward us! I can't feel their strength. All I can feel is-'


-That they're Shinigami. Come now, Reilly. This isn't that difficult. Talk it over with your friends; surely one of them will have figured it out. I'm going back to sleep.


'Now listen here, you lazy-'


But the zanpakuto's snores filled his mind's ear, and Reilly knew his sword would give him nothing more. Grimacing, he turned to his companions. 


"You both have more experience than I. Back home, had there been any reports of Hollows like this, that could maybe pretend to be Shinigami?" He paused a moment, listening. "Because this is damn weird, and I don't like it."


There was a few moments of brief silence, during which time one of the others might seek to correct their tall friend's naïveté. But it didn't last. With a suddenness of movement that the three hadn't seen since leaving the Soul Society, Hollows began encircling them. Thirteen, fourteen, there were seventeen in total, and each one was from the small pack that the Lost had spotted just moments before. They were beasts of every shape imaginable, all roughly human sized, but all horrible to see. If one were to play close attention, one might see a small chip in the bottom of each Hollow's mask. Each one stood perfectly still and perfectly quiet, neither advancing nor retreating nor threatening. Just watching. 


Finally one stepped forward. It was a larger Hollow, standing perhaps seven feet tall. Powerful arms hung by its side, providing a strange contrast to the small almost useless wings that hung from its back. Its mask was a mass of tentacles that clung to a blank slate of a face. It peered down at the companions. 


"You'll be a good meal, for the right Hollow," it rumbled, though with less depth of voice than the mass of its body might have otherwise suggested. "You're lost. Aren't you?"


It was more a statement of fact, as if it knew more than it was letting on. And around them, the other Hollows didn't make a move. Reilly stayed as he was, virtually frozen in fear and indecision. They'd never taught him how to survive an ambush like this in the Academy. 


Attack! While you've the chance! 


He shook his head; that wasn't Tsume's voice. 


@Nada @KageYuuki

 

[KageYuuki]

[SIZE= 26px]Ryuuko Chikanari[/SIZE]
​

Before Ryuuko had the chance to begin her incantation, Reilly spoke up with another question. She frowned, slowly shaking her head. "No. At least, if there were ever any cases like this then the Captains were keeping it secret from us." But of course, that did little good for any of them at the moment. They were facing unknown and likely dangerous enemies. Could these hollows be like the one that attacked their camp and forced the Lost from their attempt at carving out a home in this world?


In a display of speed that outmatched all the stranded shinigami, the trio of Lost found themselves surrounded. Ryuuko's eyes narrowed up at the hollow that spoke to them. "I suppose you could call us that," Her voice was surprisingly calm despite being surrounded by hollows. "Being shinigami in the home world of hollows." Given none of the creatures moved to attack she had yet to draw Ketsuga, not looking to provoke a fight given her current position. But the moment any of them moved, the hollow would find their vision blocked by Sekienton. If only I could use Hyapporankan without the incantation...


'I don't like this,' Ketsuga murmured. 'They're too calm for hollows...'


'Plus they seem to know something.' But for now all they could do was watch and wait if they didn't want to risk making things worse than they already were.

 

[Nada]

Daisuke Daigoro
​

 
​

Daisuke didn't know what to feel about Ryuuko's suggestion. While restraining them would give them the advantage, that would mean attacking what might be their allies. How would they explain that to them? That they thought they might be hollows, so they attacked them just to be sure? At the same time, he couldn't deny it was the smart thing to do. Reilly raised the possibility that they might be disguising themselves as shinigami, asking if they'd ever heard of such a thing. Ryuuko said no, and Daisuke nodded his head in agreement. He had never heard of such a thing either. He didn't know why she chose to add that bit about the captains though, as he didn't think they would ever keep secrets like that. Surely they would have nothing to gain from not informing the rank and file that there were hollows capable of impersonating shinigami? Daisuke had faith that their commanders would do right by them.


As they stood there puzzling over the situation, they found themselves surrounded by the very subject of their discussion. As far as Daisuke was concerned, this confirmed they were no allies of theirs. Fellow shinigami wouldn't have any reason to surround them and make ominous talk of hollows eating them. They had yet to attack, but Daisuke was convinced they did not mean them well. As Ryuuko finished her retort, Daisuke chose to step up and be direct. "What's your game? If you have a reason for surrounding us, then make it clear." While Daisuke had made up his mind these weren't their friends, he didn't plan on being the one to start the fight. If these hollows kept talking, they gave them more time to prepare. If not, then at least they could put all this weird double speak to rest and fight it out.


@Red Thunder @KageYuuki

 

[Red Thunder]

~Reilly Kusenagi~
​

 
​

"Our...game?" The Hollow paused, slowly tilting his head. It regarded them thoughtfully with its empty, lightless eyes. Still all around them, its companions remained stock still. "Our 'game', as you put it so eloquently, little 'Shinigami', if that's what you actually are, is to prevent you from harming my kind."


Reilly tensed, the grip on his sword hilt tightening. Prevent us from harming... It meant to attack. It, or one of its allies, would attack them soon; he knew it! This was likely it, then; they had no way of fighting off such fast Hollows. The heartbeat of the ring on his finger was so fast, now; his wife was in fear, not too far away, and yet there was nothing to be done.


Beat them down! Do it! 


Dammit. That voice again. Another Hollow stepped up, standing maybe 4'10". Twisting thorns encircled its body, and its mandables stuck out threateningly. 


"If they are actually Shinigami," it whined, its high voice oddly femanine. "More likely they're arrancar, hiding their masks and holes. More importantly they're in His territory, and you know how He feels about arrancar."


The big Hollow didn't answer, instead merely staring at the Lost blankly. The other Hollow scoffed. 


"Come on, Mitsa; as if any Shinigami could have survived in such a small group."


A howl, high and piercing and empty of any feeling but blind feral lust, echoed across the bloody sands. It seemed to come from back toward the five hills, and a few of the Hollows shifted nervously. 


@KageYuuki @Nada

 

[Nada]

Daisuke Daigoro
​

 
​

Their words confirmed they did not mean them well, and yet, in spite of them making their intentions clear, they still had yet to attack. Now it seemed they were debating among themselves as to whether they were even shinigami. All of a sudden, they had brought up the possibility that they were actually something called an arrancar. It was as though in a bizarre twist of fate, Reilly's suggestion that hollows could be impersonating shinigami had been turned around on them. The hollowish beings before them were openly discussing that they might be impersonating shinigami themselves. Itwas beyond belief. In the middle of all this baffling talk, some great roar rang out from far away. Daisuke would have paid it no heed, but it clearly got the attention of the hollows. Perhaps there was something out there that even they were afraid of?


Choosing to take the initiative, Daisuke followed up on their speculations. "You think we can't be shinigami? Do you doubt your own eyes? Perhaps you need a demonstration?" He then raised his zanpakuto and said "Punish, Kiritsu." The zanpakuto transformed as would be expected. "Can these arran-whatsits you speak of do this? I don't think so." He was aware at this point that he was probably provoking them, but a large part of him preferred to just get to the damn point. These half hollows had been reluctant to attack them, and Daisuke couldn't figrue out why. If they didn't want to attack first, then Daisuke would just have to push them until he hit their limit.


@Red Thunder@KageYuuki

 

[Red Thunder]

~Reilly Kusenagi~


"You think Shinigami are unique?" The Hollow referred to as Mitsa raised his voice, his deep tone stern and harsh. "You think it makes them special?"


A pinpoint of light, emanating from the cut at the bottom of the mask, flashed to life. It traced a thin precise line straight down the creature's torso, ending where its legs met. With a disconcerting squelch, the Hollow's skin fell backwards, revealing of all things a Shinigami. At least in appearance; he was clad in the proper attire, showing no signs of a Hollow's hole, and a zanpakuto sheath was secured on his hip. In his hand, he casually held a khopesh of fair size, and he lifted the blade to rest upon his shoulder. Standing at least seven feet in height, he cut the impressive figure. All the more so with green dreadlocks that spilled across his brow. He frowned. 


"Still not convinced? Here: Open their eyes, Uso-Tsumi."


As he spoke, Mitsa raised his sword into the air. For a brief instant it flashed a brilliant golden light, blinding everyone momentarily. When the light had faded, far fewer than the seventeen initial Hollows remained. Now there were only five, six counting the skin Mitsa had shed. A light traced it way down the belly of each, as Mitsa's Hollow had done moments before, and soon six figures stood surrounding the Lost, each wearing a Shinigami's shihauksho and bearing on their hip a sheathed zanpakuto. Mitsa lowered his sword as one of them, the small woman who stepped out of the thorned Hollow that had spoken before, ran up to him.


"Are you insane?" she chided, the blonde bangs doing little to disguise her furrowed brow. "What if they're just pulling the same stunt we do? What if there's more of them? This could get us killed!" She spared a glance at the Lost, distrust and paranoia clearly evident in her expression. "Do you want Rhi to die in vain?" 


"Patience, Sakura. I have a good feeling."


"You and your damn feelings," Sakura grumbled. But she stepped back all the same. Mitsa shifted his zanpakuto to his left hand and offered his right in greeting. 


"I'm sorry for the apprehension. Safety first and all that. I'm Mitsa, 3rd Seat of Squad Two."


 


@KageYuuki @Nada

 

[KageYuuki]

[SIZE= 26px]Ryuuko Chikanari[/SIZE]
​

Again with the standoff as the hollows seemed to argue with one another over whether or not they were even Shinigami. The entire situation felt surreal; to the point Ryuuko even briefly questioned whether or not she had fallen asleep during her watch. Of course in just the past few days they had encountered hollows that looked like shinigami, she couldn't exactly doubt the possibility of the reverse happening.


Then that howl shattered the tension. A shriek of primal bloodlust that somehow made the roars of many hollows seem almost tame. It made her hair stand on end as she instinctively reached for her zanpakutou. The only reason Ryuuko hadn't drawn Ketsuga was the fact she didn't want to provoke these hollows or whatever they were into attacking.


[SIZE= 14px]"You think we can't be shinigami? Do you doubt your own eyes? Perhaps you need a demonstration?"[/SIZE]


. . . Dammit.


Much to her shock the hollow's form fell away to reveal that of a shinigami. Complete with a zanpakutou clearly in its shikai state. Ryuuko's grip remained on Ketsuga's hilt, sure he may have looked like the shinigami he felt like but she wasn't keen on relaxing just yet. Though only a moment later they were surrounded by shinigami instead of hollows. An illusion type zanpakutou... She'd only heard of them before, the potential of their power was immense according to the old books back at the academy.


It was then Mitsa properly introduced himself that the pieces started falling in place. The Second Division was known for its command of the Onmitsukidou, specialists in spying and assassination they were the ones sent to track and take care of rogue shinigami. Whether that meant simply apprehending them or killing them. While her left hand remained on the sheathe of her weapon, Ryuuko offered a polite bow. "Ryuuko Chikanari of the Eigth Division."  She couldn't blindly trust them no matter how much she wanted to. A thought that Ketsuga agreed with.

 

[Nada]

Daisuke Daigoro
​

 
​

Daisuke was all too eager to retort to the hollow's dismissal of the zanpakuto, but then, of all the possibilities, the hollow chose to reveal it was not a hollow at all. It seemed as though they were dealing with a shinigami in hollow's clothing. Not only that, but they were a whole lot fewer in number than it first appeared. Daisuke was blown away by the revelation. Now he was very glad that Ryuuko had not gone ahead and used kido to restrain them. How on earth would they have explained to them they weren't the enemy if they had attacked first? But it didn't matter now, because it seemed they had just found something far more important than a new cave to hide inside. They had found shinigami allies in this forsaken world, and perhaps allies that had a far keener way to stay safe than squatting in tunnels in hope the hollows never peeked inside.


But then, as Daisuke listened to the words of the one called Sakura, he reconsidered his initial enhusiasm. As much as what she said could be applied to them, he realised it could be applied to this new lot as well. Maybe this was all just a trick? Maybe they had set this up just to confuse them and lure them into a false sense of security? Maybe they really were just really clever hollows and they would be eaten when they turned their back? Daisuke internally cursed all this uncertainty. He would have rather had to duke it out with 20 hollows than sit here guessing at whether their own eyes could be trusted. He would just have to press on and trust in Kiritsu to get the job done if it came down to force of arms.


"Daisuke Daigoro, Eighth Division." He replied after Ryuuko, shaking Mitsa's hand. "Now, if you don't mind, would you share your story with us?" He could guess they were stranded like them, but that would still be just a guess. If today was Daisuke's lucky day, maybe they would turn out to be a rescue team sent by the Seireitei. He highly doubted it somehow.


@Red Thunder@KageYuuki

 

[Red Thunder]

~Reilly Kusenagi~
​

 
​

"I suspect it's like your own, Mr. Daigoro." Mitsa's face grew grim, and his brow furrowed deeply. "It was so odd. There was an attack on the Seireitei. Hollows, somehow, were streaming through a huge garganta. We'd beaten them back, but-"


"Us, too!" Reilly jumped up, his suspicions put to rest. They had experienced the same thing, so they had to be trust worthy! 


Right?


"Indeed! I thought as much." Mitsa smiled amiably, extending a hand. "I don't believe I've had the pleasure?"


Reilly grimaced and shook it with his own. "Oh, Reilly. Reilly Kusenagi."


At his name, Mitsa's brow furrowed again, and around them the other Shinigami muttered amongst themselves. For her part, Sakura's eyes narrowed. 


"And I guess you just happened to be in the area? Awfully convenient, don't you think, Mitsa?" 


The impromptu leader of the Survivors suddenly smiled, opening his free hand in a welcoming gesture. 


"Only convenient for them! If you are refugees like we, you must be strong to have survived for so long! Come; our hideout isn't too far. I'm sure you could use the rest. And we would besides be safer there than to stand out here in the open sand."


As if to punctuate his assertion, the cry from before echoed out from the Hills. At its call, both Sakura and another as yet unnamed Shinigami glanced back toward it, their faces filled with deep regret. The others merely shifted uneasily, clearly eager to be going. Reilly shivered; almost at the exact moment of the cry, the ring's heartbeat increased in tempo yet again. He began stepping toward the Hills, clearly intent on running ahead. 


"Shit. I'm...I'm sorry. But I have to go. My wife...she...I think she's in danger."


Sakura's head cocked in confusion, and Mitsa grabbed the man's arm. 


"You shouldn't. We have...an agreement."


"One that some of us hate!" Sakura spat. "You talk with the rest of your companions before you agree to anything with a damned Hollow!"


Reilly yanked his arm free, anger in his look at Mitsa. 


"I won't blame you if you go with him," he told his friends. "I might do the same, any other time. But I'm not staying a minute longer." 


He sprang away, sprinting for the Hills with everything he had. Face twisted in internal debate, Sakura glanced at the Survivor who had shared her earlier glance backward. With a nod, he sped after Reilly, gaining on him. Mitsa stared after Reilly, frustration in his face, muttering It'll kill him, anyway under his breath. But Sakura turned to the Lost, shaking her head. 


"We call that place the Cess Pit. It's the favorite spot of an especially nasty Hollow: the Host. It feeds on other Hollows, draining them of just enough reiatsu to not kill them. And it implants a parasite when it does, making its prey always want to come back when it's hungry." Her face fell. "But sometimes, sometimes it wants fresher meat. So Mitsa here made a deal: we leave one of our own in the Cess Pit every four months on the full moon, and it ensures that the other hundreds of Hollows roaming the area don't kill us. 


"The damn thing is, it's been working out. But I don't know...I don't know if..."


She trailed off, a small sob shaking her chest. 


@KageYuuki @Nada

 

[Nada]

Daisuke Daigoro
​

 
​

It was just as Daisuke had expected, though it gave him some measure of comfort to hear it anyway. Even if they weren't an instant ticket out of this hellhole, they had clearly survived as long as they had, and even had some clever tricks up their sleeves. With the revelation that they had a hideout, Daisuke was practically elated. Not only had they found new allies, but they might just have found somewhere they could all stay, which had always been their original goal in coming out this way. This was the discovery of a lifetime. Surely nothing could shatter the good mood right now?


But as though some cruel god had decided Daisuke was just too happy right now, he discovered all this good fortune was tainted. It all started when Reilly reacted to a noise that echoed across the sands. He seemed to think the noise was his wife. Daisuke had completely forgotten about Rhiannon by this point, between the confrontation with what may have been a batch of 20 hollows and the revelation that there was a whole new group of shinigami that might just have the answer to their porblems. But the worst was yet to come, as their new friends quickly revealed there was something more sinister afoot here. It was only after Reilly sprinted off after the source of the noise that they learned the truth of the matter. Rhiannon had been one of this lot's number, and this Mitsa had left her to be a meal for some wretched beast called "The Host".


"Unbelievable..." Daisuke began. "You decided to leave your own people to a horrible fate to save your own skin!?" His words were aimed squarely at Mitsa. Even if the others seemed to have let it go on, Daisuke wasn't inclined to blame them right now. "You dishonorable worm! Crawl back to your hideout in shame, I'll have nothing to do with you!" Wasting no time, and eager to leave Mitsa behind, Daisuke rocketed off after Reilly. They had a comrade to save. Daisuke couldn't care less if he was about to charge to his death, he had his honor to think about, and he would sooner die than leave any shinigami to suffer at the hands of some foul beast.


@Red Thunder@KageYuuki

 

[KageYuuki]

[SIZE= 26px]Ryuuko Chikanari[/SIZE]
​

Ryuuko would have been lying if she said she wasn't surprised by the fact these Shinigami were in a very similar situation to their own. If they were lying and trying to trick them then they were doing a damn good job of it. They were even offering to show the trio where they had made their home for the time being. Ryuuko still couldn't shake the feeling of suspicion she had about them, but was still willing to give them a chance.


It was then that the roar from before tore through the air once again and Reilly took off running. Rhiannon was still nearby and must have been dealing with whatever the source of the sound was.


If only . . .


If only things were that simple. That if Rhiannon and maybe others had stayed behind in an attempt to buy their group time to get away or even just regroup for another attack. But no instead they found out she'd been sacrificed by them. Just abandoned to the mercy of some twisted hollow. The very thought made Ryuuko's blood boil. "Damn it," she growled, reaching for her blade. "Drink, Ketsuga," the shinigami commanded as she drew her Zanpakutou. "I don't know your circumstances and right now I don't think  I care." Ryuuko's voice was level despite her anger. "If you want to leave, then go. I have my squad mates to look after." Casting a cold look at Mitsa, she started after Reilly and Daisuke.

 

[Red Thunder]

~Reilly Kusenagi~
​

 
​

Landon clutched his side. Up ahead of him, the tall brunette sprinted on, as if consumed by some overwhelming desire to make his goal. For all the quickness that he and his companions were capable of to surprise the Lost, Landon was having trouble maintaining this full out run. It might have made more sense for Sakura to follow the giant herself; she was far and away the better runner. But the make shift lieutenant had ordered, so he did. She at least had the right idea; the concept of sacrifice to prolong their assuredly short lives had never sat well with the blonde man, even if it was through a lottery, so the chance to fight against the expectation was at least a relief on his heart. 


A howl shook the air, all too familiar in its hunger. Pushing his lengthy hair from his eyes, as well as clearing the sweat of anxiety and exhaustion from his forehead, the young shinigami looked around. Of course; the Host was nearing poor Rhi. Probably toying with her first, as per the usual. He yanked his zanpakuto from its sheath, turned, and swept it behind him with a Blow them away, Harikén! There was the sound of whooshing wind, and Landon was thrust forward suddenly, propelled by the force of rushing air. The red sand filled the space behind him as it was thrown upwards. In the man's hand was a fan, perhaps three feet across, and on its face was painted in exquisite detail the the personification of the East Wind. Ahead of him, Reilly never even turned. Good; he was utterly focused on the goal. As he slowed, Landon's feet made impact on the sand once again, and he sprinted on. 

***
​

"See, Mitsa? Now I'm the majority. And I'll be damned if I'm going to let anything else happen to Shinigami while I'm alive."


Her face twisted in anger, and turning after Daisuke and Ryuuko, Sakura sprinted after them. Her eyes narrowed at the sound of the Host's call; this would not be easy. The small woman caught up to Ryuuko first. 


"You have yours to look after, and I have mine. It's good that you've released your Shikai; the Host is not strong per se, but he is persuasive of others of his kind." Up ahead, Sakura could see Landon activating his own Shikai. She smiled; that boy had a great deal of potential, and until their banishment to this god forsaken hell, she had enjoyed watching his progress. Mastering Shikai after only five years was no small feat, even if it had only happened just before the banishment. But he might never progress further if she didn't focus. Clutching her scabbard tightly just under the sword holy, she pushed the zanpakuto free of its sheath an inch with her thumb. Her mouth right, she run the pad of her thumb against the sharp rough edge. Her blood seeped out from the broken skin, but as soon as it touched the metal of the blade, it evaporated. "Clad me well, Teppeki, for we go to face the enemy." 


Her voice dropped, deadly somber, as she activated her Shikai. Beginning with her thumb and crawling its way up her hand, a suit of iron armor began enveloping her left arm. It only stopped when it reached the middle of her chest, ending in a solid looking chest plate over her heart. Her zanpakuto was gone, leaving only an empty scabbard. She glanced at Ryuuko. 


"Come on," Sakura commanded, not allowing for discussion, as she placed her armored hand on the white haired Shinigami's shoulder. "I can't catch us up to the front runners, but we can at least join your closer friend." 


Grabbing a fistful of cloth, she leaped forward, catching up to Daisuke with frightening speed. She released Ryuuko and gasped. 


"Hell. Haven't done that in some time. You," she addressed their new running companion with the same authority she'd just spoken to Ryuuko with, "Activate your Shikai. This is going to be a messy confrontation; the Host isn't going to be the only issue."

***
​

Back at the meeting place, Mitsa could only shake his head as the others ran off. 


"It worked, didn't it?" He spoke out loud, ensuring his three remaining companions could hear him but not really speaking to anyone in particular. "We lost far more to the hordes the Host brought with him than we ever did sacrificing ourselves in our deal. The Lottery works, right? Right?!" 


The look ol he gave the others was full of anger and uncertainty, and they cowered. 


"Of course, Captain Mitsa! Of course it works! It's the best thing to do!"


"Damn right it is." With a last bitter, if vaguely sorrowful glance toward his former companions and the trio of losers they now ran with, Mitsa turned away. "Let's return home; I want no part of this."

***
​

Rhiannon. Rhiannon. Get to Rhiannon. Save Rhiannon. 


Reilly could only think about her, could only visualize her. He was driven by his desire to see her safe, to save her from the damned Hollow that kept screeching up ahead. 


Odd, that there have been so few of them. 


Tsume's thought invaded his own, and Reilly scowled dismissively. But the zanpakuto was right; save for the repeated call of the one ahead of them, there had been absolutely no sign of the monsters. It should have troubled him; if he'd been thinking clearly, it would have. But he wasn't, so it didn't. All Reilly could do was focus on finding his wife. 


The sand crunched as a figure landed beside him, and Reilly almost whipped Tsume from its sheath. But it was only another Shinigami catching up to him. Landon grabbed his shoulder. 


"Friend! Stop! We must wait for the others! We are too near as it is."


Reilly stopped to shout at the man, but the words caught in his mouth. Sure enough, they were perhaps 100 feet off from the path that led into the Cess Pit. On his finger, the beat was fast now, so fast, and he could have sworn he heard a woman scream. Behind them he saw the other three quickly gaining ground. But that wasn't all he saw. 


Between the trio and the horizon, at a multitude of points across the sanguine sand, the bone white of Hollow masks could be seen, forcing their way up through the ground. They were countless, far more than they'd faced at their old home, and Reilly felt his stomach drop. Gasping, Sakura pulled up, Ryuuko and Daisuke is tow. 


"We don't have long," she breathed. "The Host himself isn't that strong, though he is intelligent. But he will try to delay us so reinforcements can arrive. I don't need to tell you what happens after that."


To the side, Landon nodded. 


"Rhi told us that she was in the Kido Corps. They don't let just anyone into that. If we can find a way to free her from the anti-kido bonds the Host demands we place his sacrifices in, she should be able to help us a great deal."


Reilly scowled but nodded his head in acknowledgement. Even this pause to form a rudimentary plan was taking too long for him, and he had to hold himself back from merely sprinting on ahead again. 


@KageYuuki @Nada

 

[KageYuuki]

[SIZE= 26px]Ryuuko Chikanari[/SIZE]
​

Ryuuko would admit she was surprised by the other shinigami appearing to help. Not that she wasn't thankful, they were likely going to need all the help they could get at this point. She nodded slightly at Sakura's words, "The intelligent hollows are always the most difficult to deal with." She muttered before glancing over at Sakura's shikai. It was certainly impressive, no doubt having saved the shinigami's life on more than one occasion. Had they not heard Ryuuko give the release command, no one would be able to tell at first glance that Ketsuga was in his shikai state.


"Gah!" She couldn't help but give a surprised yell at Sakura suddenly dragged her along in catching up to Daisuke. It took a moment but Ryuuko recovered from practically being launched over to her companion. "She's right, this is a hollow that can command others from the sounds of it. We're going to need Shikai to stand a better chance." Skidding to a stop near Reilly and Landon, she took a moment to catch her breath. At least enough she could speak clearly once more.


Reinforcements are already on the way it seems too, Ketsuga mused, coaxing Ryuuko to glance back over her shoulder and curse. There were far too many for her to even try and restrain with kidou.


"My Kidou pales in comparison to hers, but I should be able to restrain the Host long enough for you to at least get Rhiannon out of there. She'll at least have an idea on how to break those restraints." Ryuuko's icy hues glanced between the four other shinigami, "Sound alright?"

 

[Nada]

Daisuke Daigoro
​

 
​

Daisuke was glad to see that Sakura had chosen to abandon Mitsa. There was honor among there lost comrades yet. Between her and the other one that had joined Reilly, they had at five people. That was one more person than they had when Daisuke had to face down that menos grande. They might just stand a chance of succeeding here yet. But that hopeful feeling was dashed when they arrived at the crest of the cess pit. There were a whoe lot of hollows billowing up out of the ground, more than Daisuke had ever seen before. This wasn't going to be easy. But if Daisuke had feared annihilation, he would have crawled away with that coward Mitsa. Daisuke had already made up his mind to face this with all the courage in his heart.


The others seemed to have a plan of attack, which was probably better than just charging on in there. It was making sense to him too, so Daisuke was inclined to go along with it. Daisuke was no slouch at kido, but he wasn't nearly as good as Ryuuko, and clearly not as good as a member of the kido corps. "Sounds good to me." Daisuke replied to Ryuuko's addition. "I'll do my best to keep everything and anything out of our way, so you guys make a beeline for Rhiannon." If there was one thing Daisuke was really good at, it was smacking things around with raw force. He was ready to do everything he had to to clear the way for the others.


@Red Thunder@KageYuuki

 

[Red Thunder]

~Reilly Kusenagi~
​

"Actually, your own Kido should do the trick." Sakura answered Ryuuko's assessment with her own, surety in her tone. "The bonds are designed to keep those restrained from casting Kido; it's not like it's make of sekkiseki."


A howl, louder and more hungry than any thus far, echoed out from the hills. Landon whirled, bringing his released weapon to bear. Cursing loudly, Sakura turned to face the hills, apparently making ready to move. But Reilly beat her to it.


"The hell with this." He pulled his zanpakuto from its scabbard and bellowed as loud as he could. "Slash, Nagai Tsume!" With a flash, the sword changed, widening and lengthening to its Shikai state. He looked back, fear and rage all over his face. "You can stay here and plot; I'm rescuing my wife."


Strengthened by desperation and sword in hand, the Shinigami bolted forward down the path and was soon lost in the curve of the hills. Sakura cursed again. "Looks like we'll work with what we've got! Let's go!"

***
​

As was characteristic of the entire realm of Hueco Mundo, the hills were stark white, empty of landmark. Ok both sides of Reilly were steep, nearly sheer, bone white walls; the blood that had colored the sands of the Blood Plains from centuries of slaughter had evidentially not stained the rocky slopes. Behind him, he could hear his companions following him. It would have been wiser to slow down so as to travel together, but even Tsume pressed him on. Reilly could feel his zanpakuto's anxiety, and it only spurred him on. The ring on his finger beat harder now, as if it might snap the bone in two. Breathing hard, he made the final turn of the path. 


The Host sat on its haunches in a flat open area reminiscent of a graveyard, for slabs of stone stood up from the sands at odd angles, and the area was littered with broken masks and bones picked clean. Of less than human size, the Host was this and wiry, barely more than a skeleton. Its hands were small but its fingers long and grasping, and its powerful if short legs ended in wicked digging claws. White strands like ribbons traced their way across its body, originating from the edges of the thin mask that covered its face and ended in a short stabbing point. There was no mouth, but rather a needle akin to that of a mosquito. One hand was on the ground, fingers splayed as if entrapping something against the sand. Between the thumb and first finger was a humanoid shape: a woman of flaming red hair, matted and distressed and cut short to the jawline. Her eyes were closed, and she was crying. 


"You give me your strength, you lazy old bear," Reilly pled with Tsume. Raising the blade, he leapt into the air as high as he might, directly at the Hollow, and brought his sword down with a flash. And the Host turned its cold eyes to regard him. 


As the others caught up, Landon turned to face the way they'd just come. 


"Go! I'll ensure we have a way of retreat! It wouldn't do to get trapped here," he called over his shoulder, and sprinted back up the path. Nodding, Sakura pressed on, finally rounding that last corner. As she did, there was the muffled sound of shifting sand. Up ahead was the Host, holding Rhiannon against the ground, and Reilly was charging recklessly, completely disregarding his surroundings. 


He should have. From the left and right of the path, two hulking Hollows suddenly stepped out from the shadows there. Huge fists like clubs raised and then lowered, aimed directly at the on coming Shinigami. 


(for narrative consideration: the next GM post will concern leaving the Cess Pit, so feel free to end the two Hollows on the paths. And hell, if you really wanna, feel free to include other Hollows for Ryuuko and Daisuke to fight as well. Just be aware of setting up for the retreat.)


@KageYuuki @Nada