"Wow." Grimmjow couldn't help but grin as Ichigo stuck his head out the carriage window. "I just… wow. Grimmjow, how big is it?" Szayel was smiling benignly, amused by the teen's awe.

"We won't reach it 'til sundown, so really fuckin' big." Grimmjow said, highly entertained by Ichigo's reactions. Thankfully, Szayel's potion had left Ichigo with no memory of that day, and Grimmjow had made sure it wouldn't happen again. He checked the teen's food thoroughly now. "Humans an' elves built it together. Nice eh?"

"Oooo." Ichigo murmured and Szayel actually poked his head through the other window, taking a look. Grimmjow wasn't even tempted to join them. He was older, and he'd seen it all before plenty of times.

They were coming up on the Zaratur. That was the name of the castle that served as the Royal seat, and it was remarkable. Built into the living stone of a massive escarpment, it towered over the land and commanded the respect and awe of everyone who viewed it for the first time. Grimmjow still remembered the first time he'd seen it. He'd been with his pappy, going for the funeral of a distant cousin who'd died in the King's service. It had been an amazing moment and Ichigo's wide eyed stare brought him back.

But he couldn't enjoy the teen's reactions fully, not now. It wasn't the old King and his court they were going to see, it was the Dark King, and that was an entirely different kettle of fish. No Royal court was ever safe, but when the King fed on pain and misery, things could get very unsafe indeed.

Then Ichigo sat back in his seat and Grimmjow caught the preoccupied, almost scared expression on the boy's face. He reached over to take his hand, giving him a gentle squeeze. He knew what Ichigo had picked up. He could sense the evil already, the miasma that would only grow more intense the closer they got to the Zaratur. Ichigo wasn't good at power sensing, but he didn't need to be for this. The darkness would try to stain his soul.

Grimmjow wanted to take Ichigo in his arms, cuddle him close and tell him it would be alright. But he couldn't allow that weakness in front of Szayel, and besides, it would be a lie. He wasn't sure anything was going to be alright, now that they were within the King's reach.

He would just have to see.

"Wow." Ichigo murmured to himself as he looked at the elven court.

He hadn't expected to be joining Grimmjow and Feralina at court, but apparently, it was expected for a concubine to attend to his lord at things like this. Perhaps a quarter of the people in the room were human, and most were concubines or servants. He was wearing one of Grimmjow's formal sets, dark green elven silks that actually went very well with his hair. So, for the first time, he was getting to see the full glory of the Royal court.

And it was glorious. The walls of the great ballroom were a work of art. Gilded and inlaid with semi-precious stones, they formed lovely mosaics that depicted the beauties of nature. Ichigo thought he detected elven work in some of them, but only some. Most of it had been done by human hands. The ceiling of the room was, if anything, more impressive. Ichigo glanced up, admiring the incredible geometric designs. There was more gilding there, of course, as well as sky blue paint work.

But as beautiful as the surroundings were, they didn't hold a candle to the elves. Ichigo could have spent an entire day just people watching. Few of the elves were as dangerous and exotic as Grimmjow and Feralina, but they were still remarkable. Ichigo had to struggle to avoid staring at a few of them. One who really caught his attention was a young elf with long black hair and the most elegant features he'd ever seen on anyone. Then he blinked as he realized that man was coming towards them. There was an elven woman beside him and Ichigo's breath caught as he looked at her. Her expression was mild and she wore a serene smile, but he could still see a vague hint of Feralina and Renji in the shape of her face. It was harder to see Grimmjow, but that was only because he took after his father so thoroughly.

"Byakuya, I didn't think t' see you here." Grimmjow said gracefully, offering his father in law a hand. Byakuya took it with a small smile, giving him a quick hand clasp. Then Grimmjow embraced his mother, patting her long, purplish braid of hair. "Mamma, y'should have said you was comin'. Renji went off t' see you." He said with a bit of reproach, and Ichigo watched as his mother laughed.

"We didn't know we were coming. It was a very… abrupt summons. I will have to make special time for Renji when I get back." She said and then smiled at Ichigo. Her expression was kindly and he felt a deep sense of peace as he met her sea green eyes. "Hello. My son doesn't take lovers casually, so you must be dear to him. I'm sorry, but I don't know your name." She offered him a hand and Ichigo took it, brushing a kiss on her knuckles the way Grimmjow had taught him. He knew, vaguely, that the woman he was looking at was much older than Grimmjow but it was hard to keep in mind. She felt far less powerful than her son, and she reminded him almost irresistibly of Orihime.

"I'm Kurosaki Ichigo. I'm sorry, but I don't know your name either… unless you don't mind me calling you mamma." He said with a smile, certain she wouldn't take offense. He was right about that, and she laughed, a sweet, liquid sound. Ichigo was enchanted and vaguely wondered how she'd managed to spawn someone like Feralina. Speaking of which…

"Mamma!" They both winced at the piercing shriek. It drew the attention of half the ballroom, and then Feralina was hugging her mother. "It's been forever! Hey, you have a baby bump!" Ichigo blinked, looking down and seeing that Feralina was correct. Her mother was clearly pregnant, although early on in the process. "That's… great!" Feralina said with slightly forced happiness, and her mother gently patted her on the shoulder.

"It is, isn't it?" The elven lady said with a smile before turning her attention back to Ichigo for a moment. "I'm Lady Garana. But you can call me mamma, if you wish." Ichigo blushed as Feralina laughed. Fortunately, it wasn't her hyena in heat laugh. Ichigo glanced over at Grimmjow and saw he was deep in a quiet conversation with Byakuya, leaving them to their own devices.

Then Ichigo shivered, sidling closer to Feralina as the aura in the room changed. He'd been managing to adapt to the miasma of evil that hung over the Zaratur, but this was no miasma. Dark power swept through the room and he held his aura tightly closed, letting the retaining collar protect him from the oppressive darkness. That was something he hadn't known, until Grimmjow had told him… the retaining collar did more than keep his own power under control. It also kept malign influences out. Right now, that was extremely welcome. There was a silence from the elves, then the conversations started again, more brittle and self-aware as the Dark King took his throne.

"Don't look into his eyes." Ichigo nodded at Garana's almost inaudible whisper. He had no intention of looking at the Dark King at all, if he could help it. Although what little he'd seen was surprisingly normal. He looked like a rather handsome, human man with carefully styled brown hair.

Unfortunately, they were not going to be able to avoid the Dark King for long. Ichigo wasn't certain of the signals involved, but ever so often an elf would stand in front of the throne and engage the King in conversation for a moment. Ichigo listened to Feralina and Garana quietly conversing, and then looked over as Grimmjow gently touched his shoulder.

"Follow behind me an' don't say nothin' if you can help it." He said quietly and Ichigo nodded, then swallowed as the elf made his way towards the throne. He could see the tension in Grimmjow's back and knew this was the last thing he wanted to do. But he followed obediently, bowing just a heartbeat behind Grimmjow as the elven lord reached the throne. "Your Majesty. Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, come t' court as ordered." Grimmjow said and Ichigo winced to himself. Even with those few words, you could have cut Grimmjow's accent with a knife. He kept his gaze on the floor as the Dark King spoke.

"It's been too long since I last saw you, Grimmjow." The warmth in the King's voice was a surprise to Ichigo, and he would have been happier if he thought it meant anything. Unfortunately, the aura of evil was more oppressive than ever. "And your concubine. Intriguing. Look at me, boy." Ichigo froze for a moment before lifting his gaze, struggling not to meet the man's eyes while still obeying the command. He failed, and met the Dark King's gaze for just a moment. His breath froze in his chest and he fought back panic as he met eyes that were pinpricks of purple light in the middle of pure darkness. Then he tore his gaze away, shivering uncontrollably in revulsion. "Quite an innocent, Grimmjow." Ichigo kept his gaze on the Dark King's clothing, not quite daring to look away. He could feel Grimmjow's tension beside him. "Very… pure." That did not sound like a compliment and Ichigo's fear went up a notch as he prayed the retaining collar was at least concealing his talent. He was doing his best to help, keeping it under control with all his willpower. "I'll expect you to meet me for supper tomorrow, Grimmjow." That was a clear dismissal and Grimmjow bowed, before taking Ichigo's elbow and pulling him back into the crowd.

"That coulda gone worse." Grimmjow breathed in his ear and Ichigo swallowed.

"Really?" He whispered and felt a bit of relief as Grimmjow gave him a crooked grin.

"Yeah, really. You could be dead. C'mon, let's eat." Ichigo blinked, wondering if he'd be able to eat at all now. But he followed Grimmjow's lead and took some pastries from a human slave. He waited for Grimmjow's flicker of talent before biting into the flakey crust. It was delicious, and the taste vaguely reminded him of liver. But this was silky smooth and far more subtle than chicken or venison liver.

His teenage appetite kicked in then, and Ichigo found it easy to eat, despite the itchy feeling between his shoulder blades. He listened as Grimmjow talked quietly with several other elves, including an amazing looking woman wearing a dress made out of silver plaques laid over silk. He wondered if it could function as armor, and suspected it could.

Dessert was remarkable, and Ichigo got to try some strange and exotic fruits. He'd had strawberries, blueberries, apples and raspberries but that was about it. For the first time, he tried pear compote over cheese and a candied mango. But then he glanced towards the throne, and shivered to himself.

The food at the palace might be excellent, but it was definitely not worth the cost.

The next day.

Grimmjow took a deep breath, pausing to look at himself in a mirror for a moment. There were plenty of mirrors in the palace.

He was perfectly turned out. The white clothing was ancient, and had belonged to his father. The enchantments on it ensured it would never take any stain or collect any dust, but Grimmjow was careful not to test them too much. This was formal clothing, not meant for any hardship. It was old fashioned, but that couldn't be helped. At least the fabric was rich, delicately threaded with gossamer spider silk. It lent the clothing an almost iridescent look.

His jewelry was perfect, too. All family heirlooms, of course, and only semi-precious stones and silver. But silver suited him and the slim, silver diadem set with turquoise was very flattering. So were the slender silver necklace and the silver heart locket he was wearing. They had belonged to his father, and there was a picture of his mother in the locket.

Stop lolly-gaggin'. Bein' late won't help a damn thing. Grimmjow took a deep breath, resting a hand on the hilt of his sword for a moment. It wouldn't do a damn bit of good, but he still took comfort in the feel of Pantera. Swallowing his fears, Grimmjow walked to the audience room.

It was a private audience, and his stomach clenched as he saw the food set out. A private, intimate dinner, and there was no way for him to avoid it. Forcing a smile to his lips, he took a seat across from the Dark King. He avoided the man's purple, inhuman eyes, fixing his gaze on his cheeks. He simply couldn't look into those orbs for long, but then, no one could. Not even the most corrupted elves could stand them for long.

"You do me too much honor, Your Majesty." He actually managed to sound humble, but it was hard. The Dark King laughed, and Grimmjow noticed he was also wearing white. His clothing was every bit as fine as the ancient elven silks he was wearing, and just as simple. As if he'd anticipated what Grimmjow would wear. Well, I only have like four formal sets, and this is the best one. He probably did.

"Not at all. You are my most capable of vassals." He said, his voice warm and caressing. The elf across from him swallowed, understanding the double edged nature of that compliment. Capable was not necessarily what the Dark King wanted, and loyalty hadn't been mentioned at all. "Please, eat." The Dark King gestured and the harpist in the corner began to play. Grimmjow sneaked a glance at her and noticed she was a slave, wearing a collar much smaller than the one Ichigo wore. But it was gold, studded in diamonds, and he doubted it was filled with iron like the retaining collar. How many people could that little bauble feed?

As if he'd care about that. Grimmjow grimly applied himself to the food. It was very good, and as far as he could tell it wasn't poisoned or tampered with in any way. No wait, he does care. He wants as many people to starve as he can get. He distracted himself from that horrible and completely accurate thought by breaking open his bread and buttering it. He absolutely loathed the creature across from him, but he couldn't show it for a moment.

"Tell me, Grimmjow. I get reports, of course, but papers are so dry. How have things been going on your estates?" The Dark King asked and his tone was warm and kindly. If you could ignore the eyes, he might pass as a nice uncle. But one look into those eyes and everyone knew better.

"Not too bad, Your Majesty. We've worked hard t' keep things t'gether." Grimmjow couldn't help the accent, although he dearly wished he could. He had a horrible feeling the Dark King liked his guttersnip way of talking. "S'hard, though. The people are hungry." Hungry, but not starving. He hoped the Dark King would content himself with that. He very briefly met purple eyes before dropping his own to his food again, feeling his soul shudder in revulsion at that brief contact.

"Yes, you do always work so hard to avoid placing any burdens on your people." The Dark King said with a smile. As far as compliments went, that was even worse than the earlier one. Grimmjow entertained himself with the brief vision of throwing a roll in the bastard's face.

The rest of the meal didn't go much better, with small talk that went places Grimmjow would much rather have never touched. And the aura of evil surrounding him was almost physically painful, making it difficult to eat. He could feel that dreadful power pressing on him, caressing him, trying anything it could to get him to open his aura and accept it into himself. Grimmjow was afraid to let up his guard for even the slightest moment. It only took a brush to let that thing in, and then he would be feeling violated for days until he could get rid of the taint.

"Grimmjow, I think we should discuss why I really invited you here." The Dark King finally said, and Grimmjow desperately wished he wouldn't. This was a place he absolutely did not want to go. "I've really been quite patient with you. We both know you're the eldest and most powerful surviving ranger." Grimmjow met purple eyes for a moment before glancing down, unable to think of a thing to say. "So I will be blunt. Either you accept my power into your soul, and join me in my bed tonight, or you will have to die. Which will it be?"

"I would rather die than have anything of you inside me." Grimmjow responded instantly, without even a moment of thought. Although even if he had agonized about it for days, it wouldn't have mattered. His body, he could defile, but not his soul. That was a line that could not be crossed.

The blow came so fast and powerfully that he hardly felt the pain as he was knocked out his chair. Blood flew from his mouth in little droplets and he heard the harpist cry out softly as he lay on the floor, gasping for breath. His whole face felt numb from the open handed slap, and something wet slid down his cheek. Then a hand gripped him by the back of his neck, lifting him up. Grimmjow couldn't resist as a black collar was snapped into place around his neck. The dark force in the room was choking now, pinning him in place as easily as if he were nothing but a helpless kitten.

"The execution will be at noon, tomorrow. Go." The Dark King ordered. Grimmjow swallowed, hard, as he was shoved towards the door. But he paused in the doorway and glanced back, letting his hatred show. There was no point in pretending now.

"Yes, Your Majesty." His tone made the words a curse and he stepped out before the Dark King could react. Although he would probably only laugh.

He fed on pain, and tomorrow would give him a fine feast.

Ichigo watched Feralina, wishing she would sit down.

Ever since Grimmjow had gone to his private audience with the Dark King, she had been pacing. There were no jokes, nothing but strained silence as the elven woman refused to stop moving. Ichigo wanted to yell at her, to tell her she was driving him insane, but he held it back. Because her face was tight with fear and something close to rage.

Ichigo looked down at the book in his hands, and tried again to read it. But his eyes wouldn't seem to focus on the page, and he knew it was because Feralina's behavior was unnerving him. She was acting like Grimmjow was going to be killed, despite his assurances that he would be fine. And that made Ichigo wonder if maybe Feralina was the one who –

The door clicked open, but it was the sound Feralina made that pulled his head up and sent ice down his spine. He'd never heard anyone make a sound like that before, and it made him think of a wounded animal. He looked at Grimmjow, seeing the crooked smile and the bruise on his cheek. It was already turning red and purple, and Ichigo could see the imprint of fingers on the pale flesh. Then his gaze dropped and his breath froze as he saw the black collar around Grimmjow's neck.

"No. No." Feralina said, her voice breaking as she gripped her brother's shirt. Ichigo vaguely noticed that the white silks were stained with droplets of blood. "No!" Grimmjow folded her into his arms, cuddling her close to his chest as his sister sobbed.

"Shh Fera. Shh. S'alright. You gotta be strong sis. You gotta be strong." He whispered softly and Ichigo felt like his world was crumbling around him. A black rag, worn around the neck, was the sign of a condemned man. "You and Ichigo have t' take care of each other. You do that and you'll be fine."

"Who cares about us? You daft bastard! You… you…" Feralina dissolved into sobs again and Ichigo felt tears building in his eyes. This couldn't be happening. It just couldn't.

"Why?" He asked, stepping closer to them both. "What… what happened?" What had made the King go from inviting Grimmjow to a meal, to this? Grimmjow shifted Feralina so she was cradled in one of his arms, and offered Ichigo the other. Ichigo drew a shuddering breath before taking the invitation, settling against his lover and putting his arms around them both.

"He said I could either take him into my soul and between my legs, or I could die." Ichigo's heart clenched as he looked into Grimmjow's calm, green blue eyes. "An' I could let him fuck me, but I never could take him into my soul. I'm sorry, Ichigo. Sorry, Fera." Even now, Grimmjow was worrying about the two of them. It made him want to scream, but instead he just held the elf close.

Give him comfort, but do not give up hope, Ichigo. Ichigo blinked at that voice in his mind. He'd never heard his sword speak until now, but his soul knew that it was Zangetsu. We will talk again later. Ichigo bit his lip, wondering what Zangetsu thought they could do. The Dark King would have so many guards watching them right now…

"You stupid bastard." Feralina's voice was muffled as she buried her face against her brother's face. "Pappy'd be proud o' you." That made Grimmjow chuckle, weakly, and Fera lifted her head with a sniff. "What'm I gonna do though? He won't let me have th' manor." She sounded wounded and lost. Grimmjow's arm around her tightened for a moment.

"You gotta get married, Fera." He said gently and Ichigo winced as he felt Feralina stiffen beside him. "You just gotta. There ain't no time left an' if you let him pick, you might be married to Szayel. You gotta find someone who'll take care o' you and Ichigo."

"I can take care o' myself!" Feralina flared, then grimaced. "Least, I could if that bastard would let me." She added in a low voice and Grimmjow patted her back.

"And he won't, so you gotta find someone good t' marry. You're pretty an' half the court knows you ain't as bad as you act. Do it for me, Feralina." He said softly and Feralina started to cry again, this time soft, slow weeping. "Oh Fera, I'm so fucking sorry."

"S-Stop sayin' that. You… you go spend some time with Ichigo. You know you want to." She stepped back, rubbing her face with one hand before giving Grimmjow a gentle shove. "You both go. I'll… I'll be fine." They both knew she wouldn't be, but Grimmjow nodded anyway as he looked into Ichigo's face. Ichigo swallowed, then hugged him tightly as his heart clenched in his chest. Zangetsu had said not to give up hope, but it was hard to see what hope they had.

"It's gonna be at noon tomorrow." Grimmjow said quietly and Feralina made a small, sobbing sound. "So we can talk in the mornin' for a bit. You're right, I do want t' spend some time with Ichigo."

"Then you go. Don't worry about me." She said resolutely and Grimmjow hesitated a moment before nodding. Ichigo went with him, knowing what the elf lord wanted. Love, and comfort that he could not begin to ask Feralina for. He was too used to protecting his baby sister to burden her with his pain.

"Ichigo." Ichigo gasped as Grimmjow suddenly pressed him against the bedroom wall, lips catching him in an intense, almost bruising kiss. He was vaguely aware of Feralina shutting the door, but he didn't care. All his attention was on Grimmjow and the pain in his eyes. "I love you Ichigo." He whispered as they parted and Ichigo felt a tear fall onto his shoulder. He reached up to gently cup Grimmjow's cheek, feeling tears starting to well up in his own eyes.

Don't lose hope. Zangetsu quietly repeated and Ichigo drew a deep, shaking breath as he looked into his lover's face. He gently kissed the bruised flesh, infusing Grimmjow with healing power to soothe the pain away.

"I love you too, Grimmjow." He whispered back and saw the elf close his eyes in pain. "Make love to me, please." If Zangetsu's plans failed, he wanted Grimmjow to have this moment.

Grimmjow's touch was very tender as he slowly undid his shirt, spreading the fabric away so he could explore Ichigo's skin. The redhead decided to take a more active part this time, working on Grimmjow's shirt and gently tweaking his nipples, making the elf gasp in surprise. Clothing fell away, and Ichigo pushing Grimmjow back towards the bed. He hadn't given the elf this kind of pleasure yet, and wanted to try it. Grimmjow lay willing down on the bed, tilting his head as Ichigo began to nuzzle the inside of his thighs.

"What're you – oh!" Grimmjow's head fell back as the warm cavern of Ichigo's mouth enveloped his member. "D-Damn…" The elf moaned softly as Ichigo slowly sucked, running his tongue along the firm, hot flesh in his mouth. Grimmjow smelled and tasted good, primal and musky. "Didn't know… you knew how t' do that…"

"I've had a good teacher." Ichigo freed himself long enough to say, before returning to his self-appointed task. Grimmjow was making soft, wanton sounds that touched him to the core. But Ichigo ignored his own desire, concentrating on pleasing his lover. He kept a hand on Grimmjow's base, trying to hold back his release. Just like before, he did not want this to end too soon.

It didn't take long before Grimmjow was trying to thrust up into his mouth, desperate for more. Ichigo paused in his sucking, pulling away and waiting until Grimmjow had calmed slightly. Then he hesitated, swallowing.

"Grimmjow? Do you… do you want me inside you?" He asked quietly. He wanted to experience that, but not if it was not what Grimmjow wanted. And it would be his first time inside the elf's body. What if he wasn't very good at it? But the desire in Grimmjow's voice wiped the concerns from his mind.

"Oh fuck yes. Cream's on the bedstand." Ichigo blushed and nodded, quickly getting the cream before going back to his lover. Grimmjow had spread his legs and was waiting, a real smile on his face. "You do all the work, Ichi. I'll just sit back an' relax."

"Oh pfft. You'll do plenty." Ichigo retorted. He knew Grimmjow, and knew there was almost no chance he would just passively take his attentions. No, there would be love bits and nibbles and… Ichigo had to swallow at the thought, his lust almost overwhelming. Grimmjow chuckled then gasped as Ichigo began to explore him with the cream, running one hand over his erection as the other gently teased open his entrance.

"Damn!" Grimmjow arched into his touch, hands digging into the blankets and eyes half-closed. "That feels so damn good Ichi… mm…" His head fell back, exposing his pale throat as Ichigo explored him from the inside out "Y'know… I think…" Ichigo blinked as Grimmjow pulled away from him, turning around and sitting on his hands and knees. "I want it like this." Ichigo frowned to himself. That was a… less intimate position. But he gently kissed the elf's back, trailing kisses down the soft skin.

"You don't have to hide your feelings from me." He whispered and from the faint wince that went through his lover, Ichigo knew he had guessed right. Grimmjow didn't want him to see how much this was hurting him. "But if that's what you want." He wasn't going to distress Grimmjow by insisting on anything the elf didn't want. He went back to opening him, nuzzling the soft skin of his back as Grimmjow panted softly.

"Sh-Shit… Ichigo, please, take me…" Ichigo groaned at that plea, unable to resist any longer. He used the cream to coat himself, then carefully eased inside, molding himself to Grimmjow's perfect back. Ichigo rested his hands over Grimmjow's, where they were resting on the bed, twining their fingers together as he sank into that hot, tight heat.

"I love you." Ichigo whispered the words into Grimmjow's ear, before lowering his face to his neck, catching and nipping the soft skin. A small shudder went through the elf's body and Ichigo freed one of his hands to reach under him, finding his throbbing length. Grimmjow moaned as he stroked him in time with their movements. Ichigo speeded his pace, his mind going blank with pleasure as Grimmjow tightened around him, gasping out his name. "Grimmjow." He couldn't hold back his moan, and didn't try as he felt the elf's length twitch in his hand, releasing thick lines of creamy fluid onto the bed. "Grimmjow!"

"Ichigo!" That roar sent him over the edge and Ichigo plunged into the body under him with abandon, giving himself entirely to the pleasure. Then he was keening his own release and felt that amazing rush of power again, sliding between the two of them. Ichigo caught and held the blue power, feeling tears burning in his eyes. Would this be the last time he would feel it? No. I will not let him die. Ichigo took a deep breath, feeling the certainty of that in his soul. Zangetsu had told him not to lose hope, and he would not give up.

They lay together on the bed, spent and exhausted. Ichigo curled up behind Grimmjow, resting his hand over the elf's and just holding him close. There was nothing more to be said. Grimmjow would try to stop him if he knew what Ichigo intended, and they had said and done everything that was important. So he watched and waited until Grimmjow's breathing evened into sleep, before very carefully pulling away.

"You were going to tell me something?" He said quietly to Zangetsu, pulling on a robe and slipping out into the main room. Feralina was asleep on the couch, unwilling to go back to her own room when her brother had so little time left.

Yes. Ichigo, I know the palace, intimately. Ichigo blinked as memories suddenly bubbled up in his mind. They were very odd, since they came from Scar via Zangetsu. But it seemed that Scar had known every inch of the Zaratur. Including some knowledge of the dungeons that Ichigo could have done without. He was a guest there for a time. Grimmjow would not know – his father calmed considerably after having children – but he was even wilder than Feralina in his youth. His mother often told him his children were the fate's revenge on him. But you see what can be done?

"Yes." Ichigo murmured, sorting through the information. With this knowledge, he could easily steal a carriage and interrupt the execution. He knew where everything was and exactly what to do. Scar had already done it for him, once, and Zangetsu supplied those memories as well. "Was he insane?" Ichigo wondered as he realized Scar had once climbed the walls of the Zaratur. He felt Zangetsu's shrug.

In the same way that you are. Awaken Feralina. She will need to know what to do. Ichigo nodded before gently resting a hand on Feralina's shoulder, shaking her awake. He had no doubt the elven woman would agree to his plan.

She would do anything to keep her brother safe.