Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.
A/N: Okay, I enjoyed all of your reviews from the last chapter and you guys gave me some good ideas for naming a new dragon, but that's not the name of this dragon. I guess I didn't describe him as well as I thought (I wanted to keep it a surprise).
Who is the dragon? Let's look at his description:
Black all over
Shield over eyes (kinda like sunglasses)
Wings that fold over backwards (reminding of a cape)
What character in Bleach? Answer: Zangetsu
Everyone gets a tree of cookies for all of your reviews!
Toushiro rode on Winter Storm as they ran deeper into the forest. Toushiro was looking around the woods; he was searching for any signs of Karin. Growling in frustration, he pushed Winter further on riding up to the clearing.
Toushiro ran into the clearing and took a good look around. The clearing was about a few hundred feet in diameter with what looked to be a pile of rocks and some felled trees on the other side of the clearing. Toushiro hopped off Winter and walked to the center.
"This is where that ivy grows, I'm sure of that." Toushiro looked around and sure enough close to where Winter was standing there were branches pushed in and some ivy torn from the tree.
"Karin was definitely here." Toushiro exclaimed then he continued looking through the clearing. He walked up to the center and observed a pile of rocks, turning one of the rocks over he noticed it crumbled. The rubble was sitting in the center with nothing near it except for a large hole just in front of the rubble with what could only be called teeth marks in the ground. Toushiro sifted through the debris trying to figure out how a pile of rocks found their way in the center of this clearing. As his hand sifted through the dirt, his fingers brushed up against a thin wood object, grasping it he stared at the object in his hands: an arrow.
"Okay, so there is an arrow in this pile of rocks. This could have been a boulder and this arrow demolished it." Toushiro mused out loud and Winter answered with an annoyed snort.
"I agree, that sounds crazy no matter how you think about it. There is no way that a simple arrow could destroy a boulder or whatever was made out of rocks." Toushiro heaved a great sigh as he continued to look around the clearing.
Approaching the far side, he observed a tree that was broken in the center of the trunk and had fallen over. He ran to the broken tree and walked around to where it had fallen to the ground. Bending down he could feel a small dent in the earth where someone or something landed very hard. Next to the depression lay a quiver of arrows and a bow just beyond that. The quiver only had four arrows left and the bow was in pretty good shape when Toushiro tested it; he furrowed his brow noting the bow was tense and could fire an arrow a good distance.
"Well, someone was here recently that could fire an arrow. The wood is not deformed or misshapen in anyway. This has to belong to Karin." Toushiro's sense of urgency raised several notches when he realized two important facts: 1) Karin was out in the woods injured and alone, and 2) she had no weapon to defend herself.
"WINTER! LET'S GO!" Toushiro called for his horse. Winter obediently trotted up to his master and knelt on the ground for Toushiro to jump on, once secure in the saddle Winter rose and galloped out of the forest to continue searching for Karin.
"Karin, I hope you're still alive." Toushiro whispered to the empty woods, Winter began running harder sensing his master's worry and urgency.
…………………
The black dragon continued walking with his wings draped across his back shielding an unconscious Karin. She started to drift awake noticing she was swaying back and forth. Her senses became fully alert when she heard a deep gravelly voice somewhere above her.
"What am I going to tell Hyourinmaru?" The deep voice whispered amid deep growls.
"He will not be pleased when I appear with this human." The dragon continued to exclaim his musings, unaware that Karin was waking up.
Karin started to breathe deeper forcing herself more awake, and tried to sit up but she knocked her head on the folded black wings. The swaying stopped and she saw one of the wings shift; quickly she lay back down before the wings fully unfolded and the head of the black dragon loomed closer to Karin as she pretended to sleep. She felt the dragon sniff her form as two strong puffs of warm wind poured over her body. The dragon finished inspecting her, refolded its wings into the shelter and Karin felt the swaying continue. Karin let out a small sigh of relief, relaxing on the shining black scales Karin thought that she heard some deep humming under her ear. It wasn't a melody or rhyme but it eased Karin into a calm slumber.
The dragon continued to hum the chord deep in his chest until he felt Karin's breaths puff on his sensitive scales in a steady and deep rhythm.
'She went to sleep.' The dragon thought, pleased that he was able to calm the girl.
'I still don't know what to tell Hyourinmaru. Oh well, something will come to me.' The dragon finished the conversation in his mind as it continued walking through the forest.
The dragon was heading toward a large mountain cave which sported several levels of ledges – some short, some long, some wide and some thin. On these ledges, the dragon could see several thin lizard tails in a myriad of colors draped over the ledge. As the dragon emerged from the trees he cautiously paused before he entered the cavern. Taking a quick peek along his back and rearranging his wings into a more secure cocoon, the dragon slowly entered. Upon entering, he overheard two voices he recognized.
"You are so barbaric, Hozukimaru." A beige dragon with red and blue feathers adorning its folded wings complained to a deep red dragon with several horns evenly spaced along the long nose from tip to the center of the eyes. The red dragon was scratching its face with one of his massive hind legs, the short curved claws scraping along the spaces between the horns.
"What are you talking about, Ruri'iro Kujaku?" The red dragon asked in annoyance as it began to chew on the hind paw to clean it from the shed scales.
"Ugh! That is what I'm talking about!" Ruri'iro Kujaku shrieked in annoyance and disgust watching Hozukimaru clean the paw with his teeth.
"It's completely natural." Hozukimaru defended his action removing his foot and stretching on the wide ledge that he was currently lounging on. After giving a big yawn, showing off his sharp teeth Hozukimaru settled on his back while his blood red wings acted as a balance to keep him from tilting to the left or right.
"It is disgusting!" Ruri'iro huffed in disgust.
"If you want to clean your face like a noble dragon then you should use the rocks along the wall as so," Ruri'iro demonstrated rubbing his long nose and neck along the wall, scratching and cleaning the dead scales from his face and neck. Ruri'iro had long feathers lining the base of his skull and the first few inches of his thick neck.
"You are a strange dragon, Fuji Kujaku." Hozukimaru teased, Ruri'iro hissed in defiance slowly turning his orange eyes toward the lounging dragon.
"What did you call me?" The angered dragon slowly asked, Hozukimaru glanced at his fellow dragon with lazy eyes.
"I called you Fuji Kujaku. Is something wrong?" Hozukimaru asked and became slightly surprised when Ruri'iro became angry.
"YOU KNOW I HATE THAT NAME!" Ruri'iro snarled tackling the red dragon off of the ledge as the pair fell to the rock floor with a loud thud in a tangle of legs and wings.
"Some lookouts you two are." The black dragon entering the cave commented to the squabbling dragons. Each dragon paused in their fight turning their heads toward the black dragon in unison.
"Zangetsu! You came back!" Hozukimaru exclaimed in joy throwing Ruri'iro off his body and went to his feet in a flurry of wings and dust. Ruri'iro flapped his wings righting himself on the rock and leaning against the wall.
"Yes, I came back. But, did I miss something?" Zangetsu playfully asked, his question was answered with a toothy grin from Hozukimaru and an annoyed huff from Ruri'iro.
"I got Kujaku angry again." Hozukimaru grinned glancing at the still annoyed dragon.
"Well, can't you annoy each other when you're NOT on guard duty?" Zangetsu queried, the dragons flew back up to their post this time they each took separate ledges on opposite walls.
"He started it!" Kujaku blamed with a wing extended in Hozukimaru's direction.
"You just can't take a joke." Hozukimaru answered earning a deep snarl from Kujaku. Before another fight could break out, the trio of dragons were interrupted by a feminine squeal of a white dragon running from inside the cave.
"ZANGETSU!" The silver dragon trotted down the cavern toward Zangetsu. The female dragon was silver all over with thin translucent wings, the bones and tendons could be seen lining the bat-like wing; her body was thin and long with perfectly ice-like scales. Her small head was adorned with the mark of a shell on her forehead above her crystal blue eyes, smiling up at Zangetsu.
"I missed you." The female dragon rubbed her neck against Zangetsu who mimicked the gesture.
"And I missed you, Sode no Shirauki." Zangetsu greeted the female dragon as she stepped back and gazed at him.
"I was so afraid that you wouldn't return." Sode no Shirayuki whispered making Zangetsu touch his forehead to hers in comfort.
"I will always return to you." Zangetsu purred the sound rumbling from deep in his chest.
"Do you know where I can find Hyourinmaru?" Zangetsu asked the silver dragon, she looked a little cross for a second.
"That's all you came back for?" Sode no Shirayuki asked slightly annoyed.
"No, but this is a matter of critical importance. Sode, you know that I would not request a meeting if it were not of the utmost importance." Zangetsu explained causing the silver dragon to sigh in acceptance.
"I know. Hyourinmaru is in a meeting with Senbonzakura and Suzumebachi." Sode explained, Zangetsu thanked her with a bow of his head.
Sode moved to the side allowing Zangetsu to continue into the cavern watching him disappear in the expanding cave. Zangetsu walked on in a more hurried pace still making sure to keep his wings folded closed. He noticed a black lizard scurry along the wall and leap in front of him. Zangetsu was greeted with a long black dragon with stubby legs sporting pointed red-tipped spikes along the spine and tip of his tail; his had wings with curled claws along the wing joint and wing tip. The small dragon looked up at the taller dragon, his cold white eyes glaring up and glancing all over the dragon.
"Zangetsu! I never thought I'd see your hide again." The short dragon weaved to the side getting another good look at the bigger one.
"Hello, Kazeshini. I wish I could say I missed you too, but that would be a lie." Zangetsu replied keeping his face neutral to hide his secret. He had to speak with Hyourinmaru first and Kazeshini was the last dragon he wanted to see.
Kazeshini smiled, his curled lip revealing jagged teeth lining his upper and lower jaw, his nose was longer than most dragons making his sense of smell especially keen. Kazeshini sat back on his hind legs so he was staring Zangetsu in the face. Out of habit, Zangetsu craned his neck away from Kazeshini making the dragon laugh a crazy, lunatic kind of laugh. This laugh always made Zangetsu's skin crawl in revulsion. Kazeshini finally stopped laughing and gasped in deep breaths trying to calm from his laughing. He paused and sniffed the air slowly and deeply. Kazeshini took in more deep breaths smelling the air around Zangetsu, the crazy smile had returned.
"Zangetsu, you smell like a human." Kazeshini whispered, Zangetsu could see the dark dragon salivate at the thought.
"Of course I smell like a human I was close to that human village for the past few months. What did you think I'd smell like: a bed of roses?" Zangetsu answered pushing Kazeshini out of the way with a long muscular fore arm as he continued down the cave.
"But, that smell is too strong for it to be days old. No," Kazeshini sniffed over Zangetsu's back smiling in triumph.
"You smell like you have a human right now." Kazeshini sniffed closer to Zangetsu's folded wings. Zangetsu snarled a long and deep snarl as a warning for Kazeshini to stay away. Kazeshini ignored the warning instead focusing on Zangetsu's back. Without any warning, Kazeshini launched forward with his red claws extended and his mouth open. Before Kazeshini could land, Zangetsu extended his wings leaping into the air while Kazeshini leaped to the opposite cave wall clinging as it watched a small form fall from Zangetsu's back.
The sudden upward movement had jolted Karin awake at the same time, causing her to fall from Zangetsu's back. Karin saw a long, short dragon smile with dangerous teeth staring at her as she fell. Zangetsu stopped her fall by gently grasping her in his mouth and placed her on the platform of a lone standing column. The column was taller than the short dragon's head so it could not reach Karin. It didn't really matter since it couldn't dodge Zangetsu's razor-shart teeth snapping at the short dragon guiding him farther from the column with loud roars and snarls.
Karin stared at the two dragons in a fight when she heard a massive roar coming from deeper in the cave along with a wave of ice freezing the cavern walls, up the column and encased Karin's feet in a block of ice. She didn't mind that it was severely cold but she did mind the fact she was trapped in the open surrounded by dragons.
Karin tried to pry her legs out of the ice but stopped when another large roar erupted from the cave this time much closer and much deeper. All of the dragons seemed to stop their actions as they watched a white dragon fly into view stopping in front of the column. Karin was still staring at her trapped feet and listening to the deep breaths of the dragon towering over her.
"What is going on here?" The white dragon commanded through the cave. Karin looked around, she heard a voice but she didn't know where it was coming from.
"Hyourinmaru, Zangetsu brought a human here!" Kazeshini pointed a claw at the taller dragon. Zangetsu faced Hyourinmaru and took a small bow while the ice blue eyes of the long and powerful ice dragon looked on.
"Is this true, Zangetsu?" Hyourinmaru asked.
"Yes, it is." Zangetsu looked up at Hyourinmaru who sighed, a deep rush of cold air escaping his nostrils.
"Why?" Hyourinmaru began to ask, noticing Kazeshini inch toward the column and slinking up the wall.
"There are some things that need to be explained and I believe this young girl can answer them." Zangetsu explained, ignoring Kazeshini as it continued to slink up the wall until it was at the same height as Karin. Hyourinmaru clearly saw the drool escape Kazeshini's watering mouth. Just as Kazeshini prepared to leap toward Karin he was blasted into the wall by a sheet of ice freezing him to the spot. Kazeshini easily broke the ice by erecting his spikes causing the ice to sprinkle on the ground, but the black dragon huddled in a corner as it tried to warm up his body.
"That was cold, Hyourinmaru." Kazeshini complained.
"Then, imagine how cold it will be when I bite you." Hyourinmaru showed his long fangs as saliva dropped down freezing in mid air and shattering into dust on the ground. With a yelp, Kazeshini dashed along the cave toward the mouth of the cave. Karin watched this entire exchange before she finally had enough courage to look up in front of her.
Karin stood up and stared at a long serpentine like dragon that was white with great bat like wings and long, slender arms extending from his body just under his wings. The dragon head was wider and stunted as compared to the other dragons which were sleek and long. The white dragon also had a mane of white fur surrounding the base of his skull. Staring at the full sight of the white dragon, Karin sat back down in stunned surprise.
"Why did you bring a human here, Zangetsu?" Hyourinmaru asked the black dragon sitting behind Karin so his head was at the same level as Hyourinmaru.
"I watched this young child destroy two gargoyles." Zangetsu explained, Karin blinked in surprise for the first time noticing she could understand every word the dragons said.
"Are you for certain?" Hyourinmaru asked, Zangetsu nodded his head in a fluid motion.
"Yes, I was surprised as well. She destroyed the gargoyles by infusing her arrow with a Kido spell. I was surprised myself at seeing the destructive power. Not only did I witness it, but I was affected by it." Zangetsu showed the right joint of his wing revealing the red wound that had not completely healed.
"Zangetsu, that human hurt you?" Sode no Shirayuki ran up to her knocking Ruri'iro Kujaku and Hozukimaru out of the way in order to get a better look at Zangetsu's wound.
"There is not much damage it is only the skin that is burned off. I'll be fine, Sode." Zangetsu calmed her. Karin blinked at the new silver dragon.
A new dragon head appeared in her line of vision as this one appeared to be the same size as the silver one but this dragon was a burnt orange with tall wide set triangular ears that stood up and fell back along the head. The orange dragon also had a smooth face with turquoise eyes and red fur running from the forehead down the long neck.
"Is she a wizard?" The orange dragon asked the gathering.
"I don't know. All I know is that she, as well as several more humans, is able to recite Kido spells and produce a large amount of power." Zangetsu finished his explanation.
Karin looked around from one dragon to the next and finally became fed up.
"HOLD IT! HOW IS IT THAT I CAN UNDERSTAND YOU DRAGONS?" Karin yelled at the top of her lungs. The sudden noise caused the orange dragon to jump back and rub her ears with slender claws in annoyance.
"She is definitely not a wizard." Sode no Shirayuki exclaimed shaking her head from side to side.
"Do you know nothing, Child?" Hyourinmaru asked as Karin turned back to face him. "Every wizard knows if you are in contact with any dragon or with the dragon's power then that person is able to understand a dragon's speech. How can anyone not know?"
"Look all I know is that I was attacked by that black dragon behind me-"
"Hey, you are the one who attacked me, remember?" Zangetsu growled.
"Well, I'm sure you were going to attack me like you attacked and killed the other villagers in Karakura." Karin's words made all dragons pause and stare at the human girl as if she grew another head.
"And, there is that." Zangetsu paused, "The child believes a dragon killed her mother."
"That is preposterous." Sode huffed in annoyance at this girl's accusation.
"Everyone knows a dragon would not lower itself by killing an ugly human." Ruri'iro spoke up from the back of the group.
"Aren't you two supposed to be guarding the entrance?" The orange dragon hissed at the feathered dragon and the red one standing next to it.
"Calm down, Haineko, Kazeshini is watching the entrance." Hozukimaru answered.
"That's more dangerous than the two of you guarding the cave." Haineko pointed a claw at the two.
"HOLD ON! YOU'RE saying that dragons don't kill humans." Karin asked in disbelief.
"That is correct, Child." Hyourinmaru stated drawing her attention back in front of her.
"No dragon would waste the time or energy to kill a human we have better things to do with our time." Hyourinmaru continued to explain.
"Yes, such as destroying those gargoyles." Haineko echoed Hyourinmaru's words.
"What are gargoyles?" Karin asked.
"You destroyed a gargoyle and you don't know what it is?" Hozukimaru asked from the back, Karin nodded her head and the red dragon fell on his side laughing so hard tears began falling from his eyes.
"What's so funny?" Karin asked in annoyance, if her feet weren't encased in ice she just might have gone up to that dragon and kicked it for laughing at her.
"Gargoyles are creatures that are meant to guard castles when the humans sleep at night. They are meant to wake at sunset and sleep at sunrise." Hyourinmaru paused while Karin turned her attention back to him.
"But, recently the gargoyles have abandoned their positions as guardians to the humans and started attacking them. At first, they only attacked during the night but recently they have been awake during the day and they hunt attacking whatever gets in the way."
"What do they hunt?" Karin asked; she was hoping the dragon would not tell her what she felt in her gut.
"They hunt humans." Hyourinmaru stated.
"Yes, you should look to the gargoyles if your people are being killed, Child." Sode spoke with venom dripping off her words.
"We have been sending dragons to investigate where the gargoyles were originating, however all the dragons we sent never returned." Hyourinmaru sadly exclaimed.
"Except for Zangetsu and he even brought you back with him." Hozukimaru exclaimed sprawled on the floor lounging on the cool rock.
"Indeed, your kind has killed several of my allies and friends." Hyourinmaru growled at Karin. Karin simply stared down at her feet since she didn't know what to believe.
"WHY SHOULD I BELIEVE YOU?" Karin yelled up pointing her childish finger up at the dragon. The other dragons in the room seemed to ease further away as the cold dragon drew his massive head closer to Karin until his cold nose was pointed at her chest.
"I will show you our history." Hyourinmaru explained. He touched his nose to her chest and she felt her body grow very cold. Closing her eyes at the pain, her eyes shot open when a bright light appeared in her mind.
A/N: Alright you guys, I bet you didn't see that coming. Well, I like writing this story and I'm so happy that everyone likes reading it. It seems like almost everyone that reviews adds this story as one of their favorites. That makes me so happy.
:)
I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and please review.