Chapter 13: The Lion

Hisana stood squarely before the gate leading to the first Rukon district. Her breast poked out as she inhaled a deep breath. She rolled back her shoulders, and she lifted her head. The sheer size of the structure always stopped her dead in her tracks. It was a true testament to the resources of Seireitei. No other district had anything remotely similar to the gate that circled that little oasis.

Turning to her companions, she smiled brightly. "Are we ready?" she called, as if they were going for a summery day at the beach instead of marching to their imminent deaths.

Kaien reciprocated her enthusiasm.

Gin was always smiling so it was hard to discern where he stood on the matter.

Byakuya lifted his head, but his emotions were locked away as he neared her. He paused at her side and regarded her with a gentle glance. "Miss Hisana," he began, his voice low and soft, "let me unburden you." Before she could protest his kindness, his fingers peeled the straps of her bags from her shoulders. In a smooth gesture, he shrugged her parcels over his arm.

Her lips smacked close, and her mouth thinned into a small half-smile. "Thank you," she said, bowing politely. The blood ran to her cheeks, staining them a faint pink.

"Yeah, thanks, Byakuya, for offering," Kaien's voice boomed over them. It was rich and tawny, much like its master. In an unbroken movement, he had unloaded his bags onto the young noble's shoulders.

"Thank ye," Gin teased, following suit. He slipped his provisions off his back and tossed the straps back onto Byakuya.

Byakuya's eyes widened. He was clearly stricken by their impertinence, but, before he could throw a biting retort their direction, Kaien interrupted him with a breezy, "You being a greenhorn are off to a good start!" Turning to Hisana, he elbowed her, "What do you think, Vice Captain Hisana?" The implication was clear: Byakuya had to earn his newly minted title of Vice Captain. Neither Kaien nor Gin was going to overlook his lack of experience.

Hisana's eyelids drooped down, and she gave a long shake of her head. "Vice Captain Shiba," she sighed under her breath.

"I think he is doing a bang up job," Gin purred, glimpsing the weighed down noble over his shoulder.

The muscles around Byakuya's eyes tightened until they twitched. He, however, steeled his tongue-for the moment-as Hisana dropped back to accompany him. She lowered her head and gave him a consolatory stare. "Thank you," she mouthed to him.

"Oh, Hisana, don't take pity on him!" Kaien called to her without bothering to look back. He knew she was smoothing over Byakuya's wounded pride. He could feel it. And, Byakuya's strange silence only confirmed his suspicions. "He wouldn't pity you if the opposite was the case."

"Presumptuous," Byakuya snapped back. He would take great umbrage if his fellow colleagues made Hisana the resident pack mule.

Kaien grinned. "Is that so?" he asked as they crossed into the First District. "She can't take it because she's a girl?" He reveled in harassing the young noble. It was so easy, too easy to push Byakuya off kilter.

Gin watched the exchange with a look of quasi-amusement before turning his attention to Hisana.

She quirked a brow. Oh, what had she gotten herself into? She wondered grimly. A fine band of rivals she had assembled: Kaien and Byakuya had a turbulent relationship that spanned several centuries. Their bonds were tangled yet surprisingly tight. As much as Kaien would loathe to admit it, he criticized Byakuya because he cared. He cared about Ginrei and the late Sojun, and, because he respected the elder Kuchiki lords, he was mildly invested in how Byakuya turned out. He (along with the rest of Soul Society) had a stake in the fate of the next head of the Kuchiki House, and, if he had to knock the sense into Byakuya singlehandedly, he would. Byakuya, while quick to resent Kaien's censoriousness, respected the Vice Captain. Kaien was a fierce warrior, a kind-hearted commander, and a paragon of candor.

Gin and Hisana watched the two bicker quietly, trading furtive glances. Perhaps, they had bonds, too, that spanned close to a century in length. Both hailed from the depths of Rukongai. Neither of them felt quite at home in Seireitei. Discomfort was a constant companion for them both. Neither could shake the feeling that they didn't really belong, and they both struggled to hide their resentment. They didn't really understand all the rules, all the politics. The nobles didn't take the time to understand the adversity that had hardened the peasants, but they were quick to scrutinize the foreigners—careful to keep them stuffed down in their places. The plebeians, however, kept close to one another, sensing and seeking the comfort of knowing they were not alone. Their bonds were forged in despair and solidified with silent understanding.

Onward they went at a steady clip.

Kaien and Byakuya continued to trade barbed lines as the four advanced into the First's marketplace. The market was a chirpy but polite space with pleasant merchants, well-behaved children, and civilized discourse emanating from the town square. Everything seemed just as it was in Seireitei. No hunger. No poverty. No desolation. The roads were well-laid and well-managed. The streets were clean. The citizenry was calm and unassuming.

"Hey, Hisana, do you remember the time when the Twelfth decided placing cameras all over Seireitei was a good idea?" Kaien asked, leaning back to catch her glance. His bright green eyes captured her gaze, and he shot her a boyish grin.

She lifted her head, smiling. "I think so. What happened with the project?"

Byakuya glared at Kaien, willing him to silence his mouth with an excoriating stare. His look could have melted marble, but it did not appear to dissuade Kaien. Seething, a rebuke seared through Byakuya's head, rose up in his throat, but he swallowed it. For Hisana.

Gin flinched as he descried Byakuya. His smile widened at the noble's blustery expression. "I remember," he called, all too eager to reminisce with Kaien. He never missed the chance to stir the pot. His caprice could be subtle, but no one denied its existence.

"Well, I don't know what happened to the project, but I can tell you what happened to the cameras outside the Second's squads," Kaien continued. His eyes flicked skyward as his mind pulled the story from storage.

Hisana cocked a brow, silently encouraging Kaien to continue.

"Well, Byakuya was-"

"That is enough, Shiba," Byakuya interrupted Kaien with a dark look and an even darker intonation.

Kaien bristled at Byakuya's hubris. His eyebrows shot up as he observed Byakuya with amusement. Readying a biting retort, Kaien's lips quivered before smacking shut. Hisana's silently plea stifled his voice. She gave a slow long shake of her head, her lips drew to the side, and she gave Kaien a quiet, pleading stare.

"Byakuya destroyed the entire front entrance of the Second, right?" Gin finished the memory, glancing up and to the left as he recalled the incident.

"The entire front entrance?" Kaien smirked, knowingly. "Try the entire front half of the Second."

Hisana pressed her lips together, choking back the chuckle, that scratched at her throat, before it escaped her lips. She bowed her head and hid her amusement behind a swinging sleeve. She remembered vaguely hearing about prolonged restoration and renovation at the Second. She had attributed the constant construction to some of the wealthier nobles that operated out of the division.

"Spilled milk, eh?" Gin said, seemingly referencing something that was said about the event.

"Spilled milk," Kaien echoed, shaking his head ironically at Byakuya.

Hisana shot Kaien a playful but disapproving glance. It reminded him briefly of his wife's motherly stares. Too sweet to be menacing, but just enough to elicit a modicum of guilt. In this case, a very minute modicum of guilt—a mere trace—because it was Byakuya they were teasing. He was perfectly capable of standing up for himself.

"Do you remember the avalanche?" Gin asked, bending his head toward Kaien.

Kaien chuckled. "I do. Hey, Hisana, do you remember the avalanche that occurred about 30 years ago?"

She shook her head. "No," she lied through a gentle smile. She remembered. All too well. It was in the paper for weeks. Yamamoto had been so angry, flaming mad. The Kuchiki family had donated a large sum of money to make amends.

Byakuya glared at the two men.

"Well, you see there is this-" Kaien began only for the sound of chirpy screams to drown out his voice.

In a flash, a sea of children swarmed the group. Their voices, loud and squeaky, filled the market. A kinetic ball of energy, they circled Hisana and Kaien. Eager, mud-stained faces beamed up at the two Vice Captains.

"Miss Hisana!" they called, "Sir Shiba!" Their voices were so large for their relative sizes. Vibrantly, they buzzed at Hisana's hemlines, tugging on her sleeves and reaching up for her to pick them up. A million questions pelted the two. "Do you have candy?" "Will you help me pick flowers?" "Can you stay and play?"

She bent down, sorting through every question. No, she could not help pick flowers today. While she would ordinarily love to play, she had an adventure already set. Of course she had candy! She reached into her pocket, withdrawing many hard colorful pieces. The children greedily took the sweets, each throwing their arms around her in a show of gratitude for her meager gifts.

Byakuya watched her, enamored. She was so kind, so gentle, so loved. And, she never broke her smile. Not once as she wiped away soot from faces and ironed down wild strands of hair.

Kaien, too, had bent down into the pool of children. Quick, snappy words were shared, and he handed out a few brightly colored pieces of candy.

"When are you coming back?" one the children, the smallest, cried up at Hisana. The child threw open her arms, imploring Hisana to cradle her.

Hisana kneeled down, making firm eye contact with the girl. "I will be gone for a while," she said sweetly. She pushed a golden tress of the girl's hair behind her ear, and she mustered a placating smile.

"Like a few hours?" the girl asked, not quite understanding what "a while" entailed.

Hisana shook her head, exaggerating her expression as she answered the girl's question. "A really long time."

The girl frowned before burying her face against the curve of Hisana's neck. "Come back safe," she cried into Hisana's hair. "Daiyu is sick, and she will need your help."

Concern lit Hisana's eyes and creased her brow. "Daiyu is ill?"

The little girl gave a long nod of her head.

Hisana glanced up to her companions. With a look, she asked for their permission to take a detour. Kaien folded his arms in front of his chest, but he was reticent to refuse her silent request. Neither Gin nor Byakuya was going to issue a protest, for different reasons, but the effect was the same.

"Where is Daiyu?" Hisana asked calmly, placing a conciliatory hand on the girl's shoulder.

"She is resting in the forest."

"Could you take me to her?"

The girl nodded. "Don't be mad, Miss Hisana," she pleaded as they began toward the thicket.

"Mad?" Hisana would never be mad because of a child's illness.

"Yeah, Daiyu and Fuu were playing in the Third District."

Hisana's eyes widened. "How did they get all the way there?"

"They were racing each other, and that's where they wound up. A big lion got Daiyu, but Fuu escaped unharmed."

"A big lion?" Hisana repeated, glancing up at Kaien. Kaien was familiar with the Third District, having explored the mountains of that region.

"There are no lions in Three unless they were in the mountains," he replied. The observation that went unspoken was, 'How could two little kids make it all the way from the First to the Third's mountains?'

"Were they in the mountains?" Hisana asked, her bright blue eyes studying the child as they pressed forward.

The little girl tucked her chin to her neck, and she cringed. "I don't know," she said meekly. It was a lie. The child's strained words and tense posture belied the mendacity sparking in her apprehensive gaze.

Hisana's brows furrowed, but she kept her thoughts sealed behind her lips. No use. The girls were likely playing on one of the low bluffs when they encountered the predator.

Silently, they followed the child deep into the forest until they reached a small thatched hut. "Miss Hisana!" Daiyu's adoptive mother cried upon seeing Hisana at her doorstep. "You came?" A mixture of worry and relief played across the woman's face.

Without a second thought, she flung back the door to her guests.

"Vice Captain Shiba!" Daiyu's mother exclaimed, instantly recognizing Kaien.

Kaien smiled politely. "Good afternoon, Miss Tomomi."

The woman then turned to Gin and Byakuya as they crossed the threshold. She studied them for a few brief moments. Her keen eyes did not sparkle when she examined Gin, but one look at Byakuya and she blanched. Her words completely failed her.

"Pardon our intrusion," Hisana said, moving to the large wooden table supporting Daiyu's tiny body. "These are Vice Captains Ichimaru and Kuchiki." Hisana gestured vaguely to the two, her mind was too focused on Daiyu to issue a proper introduction. The small girl was deep in a heated sleep. Her breathing was short and shallow. Her little chest struggled to move air. Wheezes, deep and raspy, escaped her parted lips.

Tenderly, Hisana bent down the corner of the blanket covering the girl's body. Blood, wet and warm, seeped through the makeshift bandages, staining the girl's simple blue kimono. Deft fingers unknotted the garment's ties, and she peeled the fabric from the skin, sticky from blood and perspiration. "Vice Captain Kuchiki," she murmured softly, "would you mind bringing me my case?"

Once he neared, she quickly threw back the strap to her medical kit. Withdrawing a pair of scissors, she cut the bandages loose and removed them without disturbing the angry claw marks besmirching the girl's chest and abdomen.

"Those wounds were not made by any animal," Kaien observed, studying the three gaping lacerations extending from the dip between the girl's clavicles down to the lower right quadrant of her abdomen.

"I am afraid not," Hisana murmured, tracing the damage. Her fingertips hovered over the marks. The skin was hot, inflamed, and streaked with red lines. "Signs of infection," she muttered to herself.

"Is there anything we can do?" the woman asked desperately.

Hisana dipped her hands inside her medical bag. Bending low to make out the items in the darkness of her bag, she pulled out a syringe and two vials of clear liquid. Wordlessly, she tipped the vials upside down, removed the cap to the needle before inserting the tip, and drew back the plunger. Quick deft fingers mixed the liquid in the vials. "This will help with infection," she said, angling the needle into the girl's arm.

"Can you use kido to heal it?" the mother asked, hopeful that Hisana could restore her daughter. She had seen Hisana's brand of magic before. In fact, the entire First knew Hisana and her abilities intimately. She was constantly sought out for her medical acumen, and she had a habit of never turning anyone away who needed help.

Reflexively, Hisana's fingers stretched out. The familiar warmth of healing kido crackled against her palms, but Byakuya's gentle touch stopped her. His hand pressed lightly against hers, and he stared down into her face. "Hisana," he said evenly.

Hisana lowered her head. He was right. She couldn't, if she tried to use her skills, the men were instructed to shackle her with a bracer that would prevent her from accessing her powers. It was the bargain she had struck with the Powers That Be, but that knowledge did not tide the wave of sorrow that hammered her heart. "Of course," she muttered to herself. In an instant, her fingers curled into fists. "I am afraid that I am unable at this moment." The words stung her, leaving an acerbic taste on her tongue.

Kaien tilted his head to the side as he considered a solution. "I will send the local healer," he said helpfully.

"I understand," Tomomi said, but her visage betrayed her. Frantic wild eyes searched Hisana. In her grief, the mother could not fathom why the Vice Captain had become so cold and unfeeling toward Daiyu. Why then? Now of all times? But she did not speak the heated questions ripping through her heart.

A heavy silence settled over Hisana as she reached into her bag of tricks for another tool. Her hands pulled out a fresh roll of bandages, and, in a flick of her wrist, she unraveled the ends. "Keep an eye on her," Hisana said after wrapping the flesh tone bandage.

"She is strong," Kaien said soothingly to the mother. "Chances she will bounce back in a few days."

"Thank you, Vice Captains." Tomomi bowed deeply.

"Tell me, Miss Tomomi, where did Daiyu receive these wounds?" Kaien asked.

"She was playing with her friend in the North Third. In the mountains, I believe."

Hisana shut and fastened her medical chest. "Take this," she said, handing the mother a small pot, "it is medicinal honey. Apply it generously to the injuries. It should keep it free from bacteria."

Bowing deeply, the woman took the offering. "Thank you so much, Vice Captain Hisana. We are grateful for your aid."

Hisana bowed low. "It is my pleasure."

With heavy heart and furrowed brow, Hisana left the sobbing mother, knowing that Daiyu's condition would worsen, knowing that, in all likelihood, that Daiyu would be lying lifeless in a few hours. These thoughts tortured her, kept her tongue still in her mouth, and numbed her poor fractured mind. Helplessness, an old friend, cloaked her as she continued toward the Second. The group halted only once, when Kaien—true to his word—scrambled to fetch the local healer and apothecary.

Not a sliver of youthful exuberance remained in her heart. Only bitter contrition enervated her muscles and occupied her thoughts. Hisana kept her gaze dark and low, seeing what she needed to see and only that.

Byakuya remained at her side. Silence crested over him as he watched her. He had never seen her don such a sullen expression. She was a perpetual and unwavering beacon of hope. Yet, then, she was lost, wading deep in a sea of misery.

The sojourners crossed into the thick deciduous forest that ran through the Second District. The trek was taken in silence. A mutual sort of silence for Kaien, Hisana, and Byakuya. Gin, on the other hand, appeared intensely bored. His mind seemed to be generating some sort of game that he, and only he, knew the rules to.

Reaching the Third District, the four scattered like petals on the wind when they entered the market. Hunger gnawed at them, and, feeling desiccated, thirst parched their throats.

Hisana purchased some seeds and dried fruit, and she filled her small water bladder. Stuffing the change from her items into a small breast pocket, she turned to find Kaien standing a stone's throw away at a kiosk. He wasn't browsing or purchasing items. No, he seemed preoccupied. His brows lowered and knitted together over a penetrating gaze.

'How had I missed it?' she upbraided herself. The small beating of the hell butterfly's wings captured her attention. 'What happened? It must be bad. They wouldn't interrupt this mission with a transmission unless…' Her thoughts trailed off into nothingness as she picked up her pace. "Vice Captain Shiba?" she called, pulling his gaze to her. "What was that?"

His expression hardened. "Come," he said, jerking his chin in the direct of a small restaurant.

Trying her best to match his long stride, Hisana shuffled quickly behind him. "What is it?" The words had barely left her tongue before holy hell broke loose.

A loud din thundered over them, sending shockwaves across the ground and reverberations throughout their bodies. "What?" Hisana cried, staring into the crowd that surged toward them. Men, women, children, and small animals stampeded into the center of the market.

Hisana could smell blood. Its pungent metallic odor filled her nostrils and quickened her breathing. She pressed into the crowd that swarmed past her. Kaien was not too far from her, moving, like she was, toward the danger.

"Shinigami!" a potbellied man yelped, throwing a downed woman over his shoulder. The trademark black and white Shihakusho adorned her motionless body, and Kaien trailed after the man as he made his way toward a rickety shanty.

Hisana stopped, surveying the commotion. The surge of bodies had begun to thin out. A group of stragglers, carrying another beaten and bloodied Shinigami, rushed past her. "Sirs!" Hisana cried after them, diverting her direction. "What happened?"

They gave her a sharp look before thrusting their heads toward a dilapidated structure. "C'mere!" If she wanted to know, she was going have to follow their lead. It was only then, as she glanced down at the material of her kimono constraining her natural cadence, that she realized that she was not garbed in the raiment of authority. She wore a simple pink kimono.

In fact, all of them were dressed in plain clothing. Their badges, tucked fast and hard against their chests, were the only symbols of their power.

Yanking her into the structure by her arm, the men locked the door behind them. One of them swiftly cleared a large wooden table with a wave of his arm. Another man dropped the body on the table in a heap. Hisana drew to the Shinigami's side. Her gaze was keen and piercing. "A member of the Second," she mumbled to herself, taking note of the modified uniform.

Hisana pressed her hand against the soldier's forehead. His skin was damp from sweat, and his color was quickly fading. Helpless, Hisana patted down her breast and sides, realizing that her medical kit was with Byakuya. "Do we have a light?" she asked, turning to the men. "Scissors? A knife? A heat source?" Her questions were clipped and pointed as she searched their confused expressions.

"Why? You a doctor?" one of them asked.

"Yes," she snapped.

His eyes widened to the size of saucers. "Oh! Yes!" The realization sent him and another scurrying toward what Hisana could only assume was the kitchen.

"What happened?" she asked, eyes trained on another male.

He shook his head, blanching under her intense gaze.

"These Shinigami were near the base of the mountain. A loud noise sounded, and then there was an avalanche of rocks. The houses at the base of the mountain were destroyed. We thought the rockslide would extend into the market, but it stopped," another man panted, bracing his hands against his knees as he tried to catch his breath.

"What caused the disturbance?" Hisana asked, bending slightly to look the man in the eye.

"That lion, of course!" he said as if she had gone stupid.

"Lion?" Her brows furrowed questioningly.

"Yeah, that fucking lion. It has been killing men for a month now. They must've sent some Shinigami to kill it."

'Impossible. The Second wouldn't send a unit out to down a lion,' her inner-pragmatist groaned in her head. 'What if…' Hisana's eyes widened, and her breath caught cold in her chest as realization slapped her across the cheek. The Second had sent four groups of men and women to clear the area for them. 'Oh, please, no,' she pleaded with herself. 'Not that.'

. . . .

Kaien, Byakuya, and Gin lined a long banquet table. Serendipity had reunited them. Each man had followed the first team of villagers carrying a fallen solider. The woman was decidedly dead. Cold and motionless, she rested against the thick oak tabletop.

Staring into the woman's face, Gin asked the obvious question, "Where is Hisana?" His gaze never shifted from the decedent's visage; her features were contorted, bloodied, and torn. Vaguely, he remembered her—a Shinigami from the Second.

Kaien and Byakuya exchanged heated glances. "Weren't you supposed to be watching her?" Byakuya reproached Kaien.

Kaien averted his gaze to the dead woman. "I lost her in the crowd."

"Ye think she's fine, right?" Gin asked, eyes glued to the corpse. The wounds were severe. Half of her torso was missing, chewed up and bloodied like shredded animal meat. "Sure hate it if we lost her now."

Byakuya's pale austere features veiled his disgust well. His eyes lingered on the woman's arm. A stubborn tendon kept it attached, dangling. What remained of it, at least. "She is from the Second," he noted nonchalantly. What was left of her uniform gave her away.

Kaien's gaze drifted to her face. Her mandible had been ripped off. He grimaced. Not one for the macabre, Kaien turned his attention to the door. "She was a member of one of the units sent to sweep the area ahead of us," he said softly.

Byakuya's eyes widened.

"Well, not anymore," Gin smirked smugly as he folded his arms across his chest.

"I received a transmission from the squad before it fell," Kaien stated matter-of-factly. "'A lion in the mountains,' was all it read."

Byakuya lifted his head, recalling a similar description from hours ago in the First District. "I wonder if they are connected?"

"I hate to belabor a point," Gin began, eyes darting to the door as it slid back. He didn't finish. He didn't have to.

"Come," Hisana said, breathless and covered in blood. She beckoned them with a small wave of her hand.

Byakuya and Kaien gaped at her in mortification. Only Gin obliged her soft command. Confidently, he neared her at the door before turning back. His unwavering smile lengthened at Byakuya and Kaien's expressions.

Hisana tilted her head to the side, unsure of why the two were hesitant to move. Glancing down, realization dawned on her. Blood soaked the hems of her sleeves, her obi, all the way down to her legs. "It's not mine," she assured them. "I'm well."

"Did you murder someone?" Gin asked, eyes twinkling in the dim lamplight.

Hisana inhaled a breath and shook her head. "One of the Shinigami survives," she said in a hushed voice, the instant Kaien and Byakuya neared the door. "He is dosing in and out of consciousness," she continued as they followed her. "It's the lion."

"Does he know anything about it?" Kaien asked, taking to her right side.

Hisana nodded her head. Quietly, she led them to the small dilapidated structure that contained the injured man. She threw back the door and crossed the threshold like she owned the house. "These are my friends," she said, waving away the presence of three strange men with a bat of her hand.

"Some friends you got there," one of the strangers observed, incredulous.

She forced a smile before bending over the wounded Shinigami. "Hello," she murmured, stroking the man's hair.

Bleary-eyed, his one good eye tracked her. "Miss Hisana," his lips moved, but his voice came out in pieces.

She nodded her head. "You are doing very well," she comforted him with a gentle smile and a tender touch against his hand. "Tell my companions what you told me."

Struggling to fight back the blackness that pooled behind his eyelids, he dropped his head to the side. "Near the base of the mountain," he strained to speak. His breaths were heavy, eclipsing some of his syllables. "There is a large hollow that assumes the form of a lion. Your swords, maybe they are stronger than ours… we can't pierce it." The muscles in his face tensed as a searing pain flashed across his body. "Be careful," he sputtered before succumbing to the darkness of his mind.

Hisana flashed an easy smile up at Byakuya as she fished inside her medical chest. The very chest that swayed from a buckle against his broad shoulder. He shot her a penetrating stare. The lines of his face were smooth, but she knew some closely held emotion pierced him.

Withdrawing a syringe and a vial of liquid, she drew the medicine into the syringe before plunging it into the man's thigh. His body jolted up against the swell of chemicals before sinking down on the table.

She disposed of the needle and replaced the vial. "What shall we do?" she asked serenely.

"We must go to the mountain," Kaien said resolutely.

A corner of her mouth curled into a grin. Just as she had anticipated. The danger was too potent, and the challenge, too tempting. Her gaze flitted to Byakuya.

"I will stay with Hisana," he said. His slate gray eyes trailed to Kaien and Gin.

Kaien cocked a brow and smirked. "C'mon, Vice Captain Ichimaru," he said, hand gripped fast against the hilt of his Zanpakuto. "Let's go."

"After you," Gin murmured. He took a small side-step from the door, allowing Kaien to take point. The two men disappeared into the stark brightness of the day. The door slid into place as they crossed over the threshold.

Hisana gulped down a breath. Her hackles rose, and the delicate musculature of her throat tightened. The change was sudden, and not totally expected.

She lowered her head, "Lord Kuchiki." She refused to acknowledge him, feeling him move to her back.

"Hisana," he stated coldly. Too coldly. He had never spoken her name with such apathy, with such indifference.

She lifted her head and averted her gaze to the men lingering near the door to the kitchen. Realizing that she required privacy, the villagers sprang to their feet and stumbled toward the kitchen. Horror blackened their features the moment Byakuya's reiatsu rushed into the room.

Hisana refused him. She felt wisps of his essence lick against her, trying to pull the strings of her attention to him. She refused, and the more she refused, the more his reiatsu washed over her. The more impatient he became. The more he wanted her to turn to him so that he could speak the words that simmered against his tongue.

"Lord Kuchiki," she exhaled his name, relenting against him. Slowly, she turned. Her eyes were wide, but her gaze was conflicted. A silent apology lingered on her face, but it never found its way to her lips.

"You healed him," Byakuya observed distantly.

Her eyes dropped to the floor. A tacit confession that she had not restrained herself. She couldn't. Such was not her nature.

A flash of tension set his muscles. His jaws clenched, his brows lowered, and the muscles around his eyes tightened. "Hisana," he said. His voice was dark and warning.

She hadn't seen him move. He had been swift to seize her arm. His grasp was warm and surprisingly gentle as he clamped the bracer against the top of her arm.

A wise choice, she thought to herself. Her arms were small, smaller than average. To have attached the standard restraint to her forearm would have resulted in it slipping off in a few days, if not a few hours. The boney width of her elbow would keep the bracer in place longer.

Thoughtfully, he eased her pink sleeve, stiff with dried blood, over the bracer. "Your life is important."

She nodded her head. "Yes, Lord Kuchiki."

'To me,' he thought so loudly that he wondered if she had heard him.

She had not.

. . . .

Following the signs of rubble, Kaien and Gin navigated the mountain with relative ease. The rockslide had devastated only a small area, and it was not so vast or so steep as to prevent them passage with a simple flash-step. Upon reaching the second ridge, the two identified the presence of a hollow.

"It's in the cave," Kaien murmured quietly, careful to suppress his spiritual pressure so as not to bring the beast into the open. He could tell by the hollow's energy that it was aggravated and bellicose. It would not take much to provoke the already enflamed lion.

Gin folded his arms against his chest, and, leaning his torso forward, he scanned the surrounding area. "Two entrances," he noted in voice that was much less quiet and much less concerned than Kaien's.

Kaien shot Gin a hardened stare. "We should split up," he said, seemingly reading Gin's thoughts.

"Very well," Gin shrugged, taking the farthest entrance. Despite his nonchalance, Gin's footfalls were silent, and his spiritual pressure was restrained. A bloodthirsty look glinted in his eyes as he parted ways.

Kaien inhaled a deep breath as he watched Gin's slender form disappear into the darkness of the cave. He quickly followed suit. The area was capacious, and, despite the inky black shade, there was a strange refraction of light. Stalactites hung from the ceiling like icicles; the strange earthy minerals glistened in the light with the radiance of a thousand diamonds. If Kaien had been wandering on his own time, he would have relished the natural splendor, but, then, at that moment, he observed the landscape of the cave with a reserved wariness. The stalactites were not a glittering piece of nature's wonder, but, rather, they were a hazard. Mordantly, he considered whether they could fall and skewer him at a moment's notice.

Carefully, he navigated around the potential death trap and moved deeper into the cave, following the swell of energy that spewed forth.

Light and careful, he rounded the corner of one of the many sprawling passageways. His footing was soft and tentative. Not a single sound. Holding his breath, he angled his head to get a good look of the area before proceeding forward.

Nothing.

No sound.

No movement.

Everything went dead, radio-silence. Even the hollow's spiritual pressure—once so biting and strong—stopped. All Kaien heard was the tinkle of water droplets hitting a nearby puddle. The air was stale and thick but undisturbed.

His heart sank, and he breathed a sigh. 'Great…' he thought ruefully to himself. He had lost it. He was sure.

'Maybe Gin?' Hope crested in his chest as he considered the possibility. 'Can't be. I would have felt Gin's reiatsu. I would have felt an explosion of energy, surely?' He pressed his lips together and exhaled a long breath.

Grimly, he took a few steps. His footfalls became heavier now, his breathing less regulated, and his heart strummed a hard chord in his chest. All the tension in his muscles melted as a feeling of defeat crashed over him.

At that point, he would have embraced the lion ambushing him. Anything to get this mission done and over with. They were losing precious time, after all.

Then, he stopped cold. His feet and legs had sensed what his mind was only beginning to process. His breath caught in his throat, and his heart started. A strange muffled sound grabbed his attention and seemingly shook him by his shoulders. 'What?' he wondered loudly in his head. His brows furrowed, and he crouched down slightly. Every thread in his body tightened, like taught steel cables being pulled at both ends.

'Crying?' He listened closely at what he thought were the sounds of heaving and sobbing. 'A woman?' Immediately, his body sprang forward, and he bounded across the slick viscous floor.

It was as he had suspected: A woman, lean and thin, laid on her side. She wept, grasping one of her knees as if it was broken. "Please?" she sobbed, lifting her head and staring into the dark dank depths of the cave. Her back was to Kaien so he was certain that she was not directing her cries for help to him.

"Please!" she called again, more desperately than before. Her voice cracked, and the plea became strangled as it left her lips.

He slowly approached her, wondering what or whom it was that she saw.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

The woman stirred before turning to the sound of his voice. Her face was veiled in darkness. "Please," she choked, reaching out to him. Her fingers trembled as she stretched her hand out. "Please!"

Cautiously, he neared her. There was something strange, something not quite right about her. He could sense an ominous aura; it was disorienting and suffocating, bearing down on him with greater intensity with each new footstep.

In an instant, he halted—a cold refusal. Wide-eyed and feeling as if his heart had lodged in his throat, he watched her transformation. His initial instincts had been correct. This was not what it initially appeared to be. This was a ruse.

Adroitly, his deft hands unsheathed his Zanpakutō. Its silvery blade shone in the dim light, casting a light beam in front of him. The shard of light provoked the hollow, and it charged forward. Kaien, however, was quicker, nimbler, not impeded by a great lumbering body. His attack was clean and precise, but the lion was immune. Again, Kaien made another pass, and again his efforts were futile.

"The hollow's hide cannot be pierced."

Kaien landed softly a few meters from the hollow, and he turned quickly to the sound of the voice. It was instinctual at first. His brain, clouded with attack patterns, took a moment to place the tenor to a possessor. "Is that so?" he asked, somewhat amused and somewhat frustrated.

Gin Ichimaru sat perched on a small ledge. His chin was planted in his hands as he watched Kaien labor to vanquish the lion-hollow. An amused expression painted his pale features, and his unbreakable smile only widened as he sensed Kaien's irritation. "Only a guess," he said brightly.

Kaien shot Gin a teasing but aggravated glare before releasing his Zanpakutō. "Good thing that Nejibana can do more than pierce." It did not take long for the hollow to succumb to the crashing waves of Kaien's shikai. Beaten by the raging water, the hollow crumbled to the floor, where Kaien finished it with a clean stroke.

Slightly winded, Kaien turned to Gin and shook his head. "You ready?"

Gin hopped down from the ledge and pulled his arms into his sleeves. "I know a short cut," he said helpfully.

"Good."

Author's Notes:

Thanks for reading! I appreciate it so much! This chapter has been on the bubble for a while, which is mostly due to the fact that I write non-linearly and have the ending written and plotted out before the rest of the chapters.

Nosono Takako: Thanks so much! Hopefully, the reveal will be an interesting one!

Sunev.31: Aw, thanks so much! (I think Ginrei is going to have a few conversations with Byakuya when the latter returns.)