Clues Among the Sand (JT, Shikitsuhiko and Aurora)

[Shikitsuhiko Isayama]

OOC: Training for CTP

The sands of Hueco Mundo stirred and swayed in the wind as the moon bathed the desolate landscape. The sound of footsteps danced in the wind just before two Arrancar became visible under the moonlight. "We are growing closer to our destination." Shikitsuhiko said softly. He and Aurora were crossing the desert sands with a specific purpose, but both were unsure of what they would find. Would they uncover any clues or would this simply prove useless? What kind of clues await them and will conflict accompany what they may find? So much was unclear for both of them.

Shikitsuhiko would need to rely on instinct as there seemed to be very little known about the matters in which they were send to investigate. Someone had been capturing, trafficking, and using hollows to commit crimes in the world of the living. Who was capable of accomplishing such a task? So many pieces were missing. What concerned Shikitsuhiko the most was not who, but how. How could they manipulate hollows in such a manner. If they could manage to control something untamable it meant certain danger for even those who had evolved beyond mere lower hollows. The technology could advance an threaten all of Hueco Mundo. Eventually it could threaten Las Noches.

"Further ahead we will come across the dunes, many as large as mountains. Within the contours of those dunes lies dense pockets of hollows at every stage of evolution. It is an epicenter for hollow activity and the perfect location for hunters to trap and transport their prey. We must keep our senses sharp so not to miss even the smallest of clues. I suspect they are not directly transporting captured hollows to the human world. They are taking them elsewhere. More importantly, the hollows within this area will have a sense for the crimes committed here. You would need to capture them all in order to eliminate witnesses, which is nearly impossible considering how many exist here."

[Aurora Guerrero]

OOC: Training for CTP as well

IC:
Aurora Guerrero had come to the meeting that she was called for, but was surprised to see that Sargon wasn't there. He was in the Top 3 of the Esapda and he didn't show up?! Sounded pretty fishy to her. When Kouhai mentioned that she shouldn't come before him like that again, she threw the Hollow leg to the side and wiped her hands on her jacket, trying to look a bit more presentable. She could feel his strength and knew that she should at least try to be on her best behavior.

When she was given the task to go with the Cuarta Espada to look around the sands of Las Noches to see what was going on, she smiled. She was hoping for something like that. When they were dismissed, she glared slightly at the Esapda he wanted her to work with. He was the newest Espada and was able to obtain a fairly high rank. She hadn't met this Fraccion that he had, but was surprised that he would show up without her. She had assumed that most Espada with Fraccion would bring them with them.

She then left the meeting room and went back to her room next to the Tercera's personal rooms. She walked into the main area again and still, he was nowhere to be found. He had been gone for weeks, maybe even months, with no word. Aurora was getting angry about it. He told her that he was going to make her more powerful, but had really barely done anything and was now missing. Since he left and now didn't show up for an important meeting, she had made up her mind. After this mission, she was leaving his employ.

A message was given to her to meet the Cuarta near the entrance of Los Noches to start their patrol in finding the people that could be doing this. She had already packed everything she owned, ready to leave when she was done. She met up with him as she was asked and then they started off, heading into the sands. It was slightly troubling that someone or something could control Hollows when she didn't think it was possible.

He told her when they were getting closer to their destination and she looked ahead to see if she could really see anything. The sands never really changed, just dunes as far as the eye can see. He then told her the details of what they were going to find. An epicenter of Hollows made her eyes light up. Unlike most Arrancar, her hunger had never really let up. She didn't hunt as much as she used to, but she still hunted far more regularly than every other Arrancar that she knew. Knowing now of a huge Hollow activity area, it would be easier for her to catch some food.

So, they were here to keep their eyes and ears open to see if they could find any clues when it came to capturing and transporting Hollows. This was a really good idea on the Espada's part, and she was rather curious as to what they would find there. She listened, nodding along with him. "Sounds like a plan, Cuarta. By the way, my name is Aurora Guerrero. What's yours? You haven't seen the Tercera have you? I haven't seen Sargon in weeks, fucking lazy ass." She growled lightly afterward, sticking her hand out in a somewhat greeting, hoping he would shake her hand. But, then again, he was an Espada.

[Shikitsuhiko Isayama]

Shikitsuhiko was still as he peered into the distance. He gazed forward with a sight sourced from the depths of his body. He was sightless, but not blind. He could see the vast dimensions that create the complex world around him and Aurora. He could feel the echoes of the world around him. The vibrations beneath his feet, the reverberations in the air, the scent of blood, and trills of hunger. This was not uncommon for Shikitsuhiko. He had a tendency to become hyper-focused. He was listening and processing her words but choosing to ignore them. It was a socially disruptive habit, and one he was not eager to dismiss. 

After a moment of silence, he simply said, without moving his body, "My name is Shikitsuhiko Isayama. Let us proceed forward, Aurora." He began to walk toward, his hands swinging slightly by his sides. He suddenly bent his knees and began sliding down the sand. His frame was so large that his feet were able to simulate a flat-enough surface that he could ski down the mountain of sand. There had to be some reason for this. Why did he choose this method for descending into the sandy ravines? He slowly knelt down, bending his knees, and touching the sand with his fingers as he slid down the steep slope. What was he doing? It seemed too specific to be for mere enjoyment.

As his speed increased, he slowly dipped his fingers deeper into the sand. He was fully engaged in the task as his body felt the sand beneath his body. Sensations were absorbed into his body and observed by his mind. Suddenly he lifted his body and leapt into the air before land firmly on the ground. "Hm." He uttered softly. If Aurora had followed she would not be far behind. Could she surf the landscape as he did? Would she even make the effort? It didn't concern him. He was concerned with all that he was observing. "I imagine you're puzzled by my actions." He said stonily. 

He lifted his foot and stomped it into the ground, feeling the vibrations pass along the sand. "The majority of those I meet assume my sightlessness is a weakness, but it has truly evolved into a magnificent gift. It allows me to see the world around me with such acuity that vision pales by comparison. Housed beneath the mountainous dunes are a series of intricate tunnels. I cannot be certain just yet, but their overall shape feels unnatural. What better way to ensnare and traffic hollows. It is possible that I am misinterpreting these tunnels, but we should try and find the entrance. Before doing so, we must try and obtain information from local hollows. Those of them that can actually properly communicate."

"Tell me," he said placidly, "do you, by chance, excel in the area of energy sensory?" He wondered if he could rely on her ability to peer into the minds of hollows nearby. It was one thing to inquire with those capable of proper speech and interrogate the uncooperative, but another if one of them had the gift of visions into the mind. The soul speaks truth when lips choose to hide them. Such a gift could come in handy, but unfortunately it was not one he possessed. It would make things convenient if she was in possession of that level of energy sensory skill. 

[Aurora Guerrero]

Aurora waited with her hand outstretched, trying to be nice for once. For a moment, he did nothing, just kinda stared at something. She almost started to tap her foot before he introduced himself and started to walk. She glared at him as he walked by and immediately flipped him off once his back was to her.This Arrancar was testing her patience. She was trying to be actually polite and introduce herself and he just blew her off.

Oh, she was going to be getting more snippy now. She growled at his back as they walked, annoyed that she was brushed off. When she watched him slide down the sand dunes, she cocked her head slightly. Who in the hell does that?! This guy was weird. But, she followed as best she could, which was pretty much her running/jumping down the dunes, growling happily as she went. It reminded her of the hunt, which always brought a smile to her face.

He started to speak and she rolled her eyes when he started talking. Why should she listen to the prick that ignored one of her questions and then brushed her off? At least she showed up to the meeting! Where in the hell was his Fraccion? NOWHERE! She was shirking something that was actually serious, so obviously he had chosen a bad Fraccion. But, when he mentioned being sightless, she smirked slightly.

The reason was that A. he didn't see her flip him off, so she did it again, since he couldn't really see, and B. that must be the reason his Fraccion wasn't there. Maybe he picked someone that just didn't show up or was a little odd. Not being able to see well could've messed up his decision. When he said he could still see around him, she was slightly confused, but she still flipped him off. She only stopped when he mentioned tunnels underground.

Tunnels? She immediately thought of the Hollows traveling through them and he said the same thing. He then asked if she could sense energy. She could, but should she tell him the truth? He wasn't really her favorite person right now, but he was one of the top Espada. She had seen Sargon's strength and knew that higher Espada weren't to be trifled with. She didn't want to piss him off so bad that he was going to beat her to show her her place.

Begrudgingly, she answered. "I can kind of sense energy. I can't tell very specific locations but I can tell general areas. But! I have a question for YOU! Why the fuck did you ignore one of my questions when we met? I think having the TERCERA ESPADA not around during this time is a bit of an issue. And since you're the CUARTA, you SHOULD know something. Or am I assuming too much from the CUARTA ESPADA?!" She spat out her last statements, wondering how he would react. Would it be the same as Sargon or different?

[Shikitsuhiko Isayama]

Shikitsuhiko knelt down and touched the sand, sifting his hands through it. He ground it his palm before letting it strain between his fingers. Even with the glimpse he had provided Aurora into his sensory abilities, she still lacked any depth of imagination or understanding. She believed herself safe from his gaze simply because he lacked sight. No matter where she stands he can sense her and decipher her actions. He could hear her muffled growls and changing tone, he could observe the shifts resulting from her sympathetic nervous system, and glean information from images pieces together from vibrations.

Despite this her behavior and subsequent actions were of little concern to him. He had larger matters to allocate her energy and time toward. "I see. You are adept with energy sensory, as am I, but lack the greater sophistication to peer into the souls of others. Our inability to access that gift will complicate our search, but not enough to dissuade us." He replied with a degree of assurance. Even though it would have simplified their search, he was not willing to belabor the point. He had already moved on. Unlike other arrancar, he had no interest or investment in portraying himself as anything but what he was. His humility and honesty was rather refreshing, though Aurora was much too preoccupied with his perceived slight.

Truthfully, he had not intended to ignore her. He was simply focused and felt that discussing Sargon was irrelevant to their objective. He was not interested in idle gossip. Such activities occupied the time of less useful and more adolescent Arrancar. The whispers contained within the halls of Las Noches were seldom useful and even less of a concern of his. "The matters of the Tercera do not concern me. I do not wish to disparage him or indulge in petty gossip. He chose to disobey Lord Kouhai by failing to appear and report. Unless stated otherwise by Lord Kouhai it is neither of our concern. He will receive whatever punishment he sees fit to administer. " Shikitsuhiko replied stolidly. 

"You would be wise to curb behaviors you might share with Sargon. Many unsavory traits led to his absence. Petulance and obdurateness are truly terribly qualities, especially when directed toward one's superiors. Only fortune can be used to explain how someone with a total absence of reverence and compliance." He said unflappably. He then proceeded forward and turned his head as if to adjust himself like an antenna. It appears we're heading in the right direction. He took several steps forward and allowed himself to tower over a nearby Adjuchas. "How long have you dwelled within the dunes?" Shikitsuhiko was attempting to establish a timeline. If the hollow had been here throughout his many evolutions it would improve their chances of him either knowing or having observed something of potential value. 

The Adjuchas bashfully looked up at him. It wasn't common for arrancar to be slumbing it with hollows or especially asking for information. "Whats it to you?" He said grouchily. "Rather important, otherwise I wouldn't bother asking, of course." He then stepped closer as if to intimate the adjuchas. "Well..." He said before trailing off. "I, ugh, have been here nearly a century." Shikitsuhiko tilted his head. "I see. Have you seen anything suspicious in our time here? Over the last year or so?" 

"A lot of what goes on here is suspicious." He said with a growl. "Perhaps, but there is threatening and suspicious. I'm seeking the latter." The Adjuchas chuckled. "Riddles don't sit well with me." Shikitsuhiko was becoming impatient but decided to ask another question. "How often do you travel the tunnels?" The Adjuchas stared quizzically at Shikitsuhiko. "Tunnels? I haven't been to the menos forest in decades. Too crowded." As he finished his response Shikitsuhiko smacked him across the face with the back of his hand. The force of his strike shattered a large portion of his mask and sent him hurtling into the distance. He chose not to kill him, instead halt his evolution as punishment for his insolent tone. It was an indirect message to Aurora of Shikitsuhiko's waning patience. He was a rather tolerant Arrancar, considering how intolerant his peers were, but he was not immune to irritation and violence. On the other hand, Shikitsuhiko was beginning to confirm his suspicions that the tunnels present beneath the dunes were no made by hollows, and were used for other purposes. He abruptly turned to Aurora. "What do you make of a system of tunnels beneath these dunes?"

[Aurora Guerrero]

Aurora smiled to herself while she was going through with her actions. She assumed, not being able to see was something she could exploit with actions that he couldn't see. But, she growled slightly again when he didn't answer the question that she had asked TWICE now. It seemed that neither of them was good with energy sensory but she just said blah, blah, blah in her head and rolled her eyes when he talked about it.

When he spoke about Sargon however, it made her pause. He said that they shouldn't concern themselves with him, since he made the decision not to show. Kouhai would be the one to give him the punishment he deserved. But then, she thought on the other Espada that didn't show up. Where was the 5th? The 2nd? And most importantly, where was the Primera Espada? Shouldn't they all have shown up? But then again, by his standards, they would all get their proper punishments. So, she just shrugged and continued to listen.

He broke out a lot of big words that she cocked her head at slightly. He was trying to tell her to not act like Sargon, she thought. She didn't know the o word he used but knew of the other one. It seemed that her 'attitude' towards him was a bad thing, since he was a superior. She was just expecting him to lash out at her angrily like Sargon did. But, he just talked to her and walked on.

She blinked a few times. ......what?! That was it?! Well, that was definitely different. She followed him and saw the Adjuchas. She saw it and involuntarily, her stomach growled slightly. Her mouth watered a bit and she bit her lip. This was the first one they met. There was something about this Espada's demeanor, the say-it-like-it-is attitude that she actually liked. She HATED people that beat around the bush and Sargon liked to speak like that. His speech was rather....nice.

They spoke while she was fighting the urge to kill him and eat all the juicy, meaty parts of him. She wrung her hands, her leather gloves squeaking slightly as she did so. If she had her tail, it would be flicking from side to side rather quickly. Wanting to see him actually talk to the Adjuchas, she stepped off to Shiki's left. She was so focused on control that she hadn't listened to what was said.

It wasn't until she saw him smack the Adjuchas that she even thought he was angry. With that one smack, he broke part of his mask and she involuntarily inhaled a bit of breath. She knew what that meant. The Adjuchas wouldn't be able to evolve further with an injury like that. She knew at that point he was angry, but he said nothing. He just smacked him, the only different thing she had seen from him. Because of this small change, she wouldn't really know when he got angry until it was too late.

Staring at him, he turned around and asked her about the tunnels under the sands. She blinked again, shook her head slightly and thought about what he said. "I didn't even know that there were tunnels under the sands. I usually just stay above them and hunt Hollows to eat. If the Adjuchas didn't know about them and had been here that long, I would assume that either something else made them or he was too much of a coward to go down there. But since you have the 'special vision,' did you see anything about the tunnels?"

[Shikitsuhiko Isayama]

Shikitsuhiko nodded in agreement. "I was thinking quite similarly." He paused and thought to himself for a moment before beginning to walk forward. "I merely saw the tunnels, but sensed no activity within them. If hollows were responsible there would be more present. We must search the tunnels, but first find an appropriate entrance." As he walked forward he calmed his mind and focused his senses. He fell silent, examining his surroundings carefully. "Something is obscuring my ability to sense the entrance to the tunnels. They are blocked by something."

He stepped forward and passed between several hollows. "If you examine the area closely there should be something that simply doesn't seem right. I can't determine if an object is blocking the entrance or a device is camouflaging it. Based on the tunnels I saw earlier it should be ahead by approximately 24 meters. Look for anything suspicious. We need to try and procure more information, too. These hollows must know something. They would notice if their own were taken, especially because trapping a hollow is no easy task." He said.

"Your hunger might prove problematic if you choose to consume a hollow before questioning it. It might be useful if you look for an entrance." He turned and approached a nearby vasto lorde. "Your intelligence seems intact. How long have you lived here?" He asked. The vasto lorde looked over and bowed graciously before answering. "An emissary of Las Noches. Welcome. I have lived here for more than a century. What may I help you with?" He asked generously. "I have but one simple request: Tell me if you have seen anything unusual?" 

The vasto frowned and nodded. "The disappearances. At first we thought it was simply a stealthier hollower or an exodus of some kind. It seems to simply happen and not much is known about it." Shikitsuhiko's lips turned downward in displeasure. "I see. Odd circumstances and yet no one has observed anything of value." The vasto lorde backed-up. "I mean, it isn't so odd, I guess. Hollows go missing all the time. I'll consume a number of them and no one will notice." Shikitsuhiko shook his head slowly. "Indeed. They must be retreating underground like you said." 

The vasto lorde nodded emphatically. "Yes. Hanging out in the tunnels." The vasto lorde paused and allowed his eyes to moved upward toward Shikitsuhiko's face. Before he could react Shikitsuhiko had grabbed him by the throat. "Fortune has smiled upon me, so it seems. I did not anticipate running into such a lead so quickly. Then again, finding someone of your caliber around here isn't entirely inconspicuous. What do you know traitor?" The hollow attempted to speak as Shikitsuhiko squeezed tighter. "I...I..."

He struggled to speak, but Shikitsuhiko was unyielding. "Traders...I helped them wrangle hollows. I don't....I don't know what they wanted them for." He said. "Traders? Who are they?" He demanded. "I don't know. I only know of them as 'traders.' They want hollows. They collect them. I don't know why or for what. I just help and they offer me a bundle of non-hollow souls. I didn't think it was bad. They are likely just killing them or something." He said before Shikitsuhiko tightened his grip.

He drew him closer and spoke softly. "You're a fool. You betray your kind and offer them up to be slaves." He tossed him to the side and stepped over his body. "I was considering trying to tame her hunger, but you deserve this fate." He gestured toward Aurora, signaling her to devour the vasto lorde in a most gruesomefashion. That would be his punishment, to be shredded by Aurora's insatiable hunger. "Once you've finished with him we definitely need to find an entrance to the tunnel."

[Aurora Guerrero]

Aurora watched the Espada while he walked and talked. They needed to find the entrance to these tunnels, which was an obvious answer. He then told her to examine their surroundings carefully to see if they could find this entrance, since there had to be one somewhere. He then said that it was about twenty-four meters away from their current location, so they needed to look fairly hard. She nodded in agreement.

Then, she fully took a look around the area. There were hollow EVERYWHERE. She was trying her best to fight the urges that she was feeling. She glared at all the hollows around her, some cowering just from her looking at them. Once the Espada walked off, he looked at the first hollow she found. She stomped towards it, yelled her question and when it shook its head no, she ripped an arm off and roared in its face. It ran away screaming.

This happened to the next few lower level hollows that she met until she came face to face with another Adjuchas. It stood its ground better than the others she met and she threw the newest arm she was chewing off to the side. She walked up and smirked at it. "So, Adjuchas, do you know how to get to the tunnels underneath the dunes?" It looked at her confused. "Tunnels? What are you talking about?" "YOU HEARD ME ADJUCHAS! WHERE IS THE ENTRANCE TO THE FUCKING TUNNELS UNDERNEATH THE DUNES?!"

She was sure that people were looking at her when she screamed her question, the Adjuchas wincing at the loud noise. "Um...I don't know what these tunnels are that you speak of, but you're an Arrancar! Why don't you just shoot your way in?" She put a finger to her chin, thinking then looked back at it. She ripped both of its arms off and growled at it. "I think you should maybe help me look. Go look and see if you can find anything. If you don't come back soon....I will find you and devour the rest of you."

Thankfully for the Adjuchas, he had another set of arms. It looked up at her in fear, nodding quickly and ran off towards where she currently pointed, the direction that the Espada had given her. It was at this point, she heard the tail end of what he was saying and saw the Vasto Lorde fall to the ground. Shiki gestured towards him and what he spoke of next, she grinned ear to ear.

Walking over, she threw the two arms away and glared at the Vasto Lorde. She hadn't eaten one of these in a very, VERY long time. She would enjoy this. She pinned him down to the ground and started to open his midsection. When the screams got too annoying, she broke its neck so she could enjoy her meal. When she was asked about finding the entrance to the tunnels after being finished with him, she looked up.

"I found an Adjuchas that I 'persuaded' to help us look for the tunnel entrance. Its looking right now. But, a point was brought up. Why don't we just Cero our way into the tunnels? I believe you said that the tunnels were empty right now, so what would it hurt? Also, give me about another five to ten minutes and I'll be done with this one." She turned back to her kill and started to eat faster than before.

[Shikitsuhiko Isayama]

Shikitsuhiko remained still as his appeared to gaze into the distance. "That would certainly be an effective strategy, but one we should not rely on quite yet. Despite the tunnels being uninhabited, I worry that too much commotion would cause certain areas to collapse. There is potential for destroying valuable clues if we enter without the proper care." He took a couple steps forward and leaned down to touch the sand. "Asking a random hollow to reveal the whereabouts of the tunnels might not be advantageous." He rose and adjusted his posture. 

He began walking forward. His gait was steady, but slow. He wanted to proceed but was feeling generous and offered more time for Aurora to indulge. He did not acknowledge any of the hollows near him. He simply passed by them without concern or fear. They wouldn't dare attack an Arrancar of his or Aurora's caliber. It would prove lethal. They had been fortunate so far. They discovered a hollow who had knowledge of those responsible for the tunnels. He had even met with them covertly. Who were they? What were they?  To enslave hollows meant they needed sophisticated technology. That was logical. But where were they storing these hollows? If he could follow their proverbial bread crumbs, it might reveal their identity. 

"Who among you knows of the 'traders?'" He knew many had knowledge of what transpired here. They weren't simply sheep. Many were just as involved as the previous vasto lorde. What better way to escape being captured than to offer their services. It was survival. Albeit traitorous to their own race. Suddenly a large plume of smoke wafted into the area. It filled the contours of the dunes and make it nearly impossible to see. The hollows bumped against one another and carnage and chaos ensued. This is precisely what the person responsible wanted. Hollows began quickly cannibalizing one another just before a cero burst through the smoke and struck the ground nearby Aurora. "Let's go!" Shikitsuhiko insisted coldly.

He darted toward, his speed allowing him to bulldoze the hollows in his path. Like a wrecking ball he moved forward, knocking down anything in his path. Avoiding them would have wasted more time than necessary and he was after someone specific. The hollow responsible for this was fast and quickly moving in the direction he originally believed to be the location of the tunnel entrance. Unbeknownst to the hollow it was leading him directly to his desired destination. He ran swiftly across the sand, leaping over and through groups of hollows. He didn't need to see to move, he could feel everything through his vibrations sense and hear their movements. 

The hollow he was chasing was impressively fast. Not nearly as fast as it needed to be. He appeared beside the hollow as it glanced over at him in fear. "You seem to be going somewhere in a hurry." He said plainly. They were moving swiftly across the ground, but no matter how fast the vasto lorde moved it was unable to outrun Shikitsuhiko. The female vasto lorde veered to the left and began heading toward a wall of sand. She abruptly stopped and turned to face Shikitsuhiko. She pointed her hand and a cero fired toward him. He merely used his hand to redirect it with a quick motion. 

"Your power doesn't pose a threat. You were heading toward the entrance to the tunnels, weren't you? Hoping to escape, but where to, I wonder." He used sonido to appear before her and grab threw her against the wall, but she passed through the wall of sand like it were water. He placed his hand on the sand and it similarly passed through. "Oh, I see. How clever. Aurora, follow me." He passed through the sand portal and was now within the tunnels. The vasto lorde was running, but he quickly grabbed her and threw her against the wall. "I suspect you were helping them wrangle hollows?"

She looked at him angrily. "I didn't do anything any other hollow wouldn't do." Shikitsuhiko tilted his head to the side curiously. "It sounds rather uncomplicated then." With that he grabbed her hand and broke it effortlessly. The crack of her bones echoed in the tunnel. "Let's further uncomplicate things by you telling me who it was that contracted you to help them." She glared at him while also trying to hide her agony. "I never saw their faces. They kept them hidden. They had these collars or bracelets they used to latch around hollows they caught. I never asked what they were for or what they did. I simply took the..." Shikitushiko abruptly interrupted. "Souls they provided as payment. Interesting exchange. They were offering artificial souls in exchange for your services. You imagined this was  a simpler task than consuming souls yourself. These souls were purer, albeit synthetic. They also possessed greater power, didn't they?"

"Aurora...do you have any questions for her? If not, I can't see much use for her." Shikitsuhiko released her and walked further into the tunnels. "Where do these tunnels lead?" He asked. The vasto lorde examined Aurora before answering his question. "They have multiple entrances all throughout the dunes. I have always wondered if they lead even farther into the meno forest. The traders used to visit this location a few times a week, but I haven't seen or heard from then in nearly two weeks. They didn't tell any of us anything more than their desired hollow count. I don't know where they went or why they haven't returned." Shikitsuhiko with his back to her responded. "Oh, so you are are unable to take us to them. That's a shame." 

[Aurora Guerrero]

Aurora was happily eating the Vasto Lorde. She had been content on eating regular hollows and hadn't eaten someone this powerful since before she broke her own mask. It was a nice change of pace to be sure. She was completely focused on her meal, but did notice when the Espada started to leave her little area to keep asking questions. He asked if anyone knew of the 'traders,' since he didn't want to blast in yet.

It was then that she smelled something off. She was almost done with the juiciest parts of this Vasto Lorde when she felt the Cero coming her way. She slid to the side, head still in the Vasto when she heard the call. It was time to go. She grabbed the last good part of the Vasto and started to run. All around her the hollows were starting to cannibalize. She sneered and put the juicy part in her mouth, eating it as quick as she could.

Running after Shiki, she plowed through the hollows. When it struck her fancy, she would rip apart some in her way, making it easier for other hollows to take hold of them. It was survival of the fittest after all. She kept up with him, running as quick as she could behind him. She was smiling and running, blood around her mouth from her fresh meal. It seemed like he found another Vasto Lorde. Hopefully, she could eat that one too.

She didn't listen to what he was saying, she was more focused on keeping up with him. He was definitely stronger than her and his speed was greater as well. It wasn't until he stopped that she had a hope of actually catching up to him. Once she did catch up to him, he just told her to follow him in. But...there was a sand dune in front of them. They were going to walk through sand? It didn't make sense until she saw Shiki walk in.

OH! It was one of those 'illusions.' Once he walked through, she ran after him. When she ran in, she watched as Shiki already had a grip on her. She smirked and listened to what was being said. It seemed that she was also involved with these weird people. Shiki broke her hand and Aurora smiled bigger. The fear on her face was great. It seemed that they used collars and bracelets to get the hollows. She then tried to picture Hollows with bracelets and that was a weird picture.

This Vasto Lorde also didn't know anything about these people except the hollow count they wanted. But, all the entrances had her intrigued. So, when Shiki told her that if she didn't have any questions for her that there was no more use for her. She got closer to the woman, staring straight into her eyes. "I do have one question for her. Can you tell us where all these other entrances are?

Well, I guess I'm being too nice. Tell us where the entrances are. If you don't....I will be inclined to eat you. I'm unlike most other Arrancar because I still have a hunger. The hunger has lessened over the years, but it is still much stronger than the Cuarta's here. I've already eaten one of your comrades. Tell me and maybe I'll let you off easy with just a slight maim instead of ending your life." She growled loudly in her face, something like a half roar. What would this woman do?

[Shikitsuhiko Isayama]

With his back to Aurora and the female vasto lorde, Shikitsuhiko place his hand on the wall of the tunnel. He continued forward as his hands slid across the rocky surface. He examined the contours and texture, hoping for clues. He remained silent while Aurora demanded further answers. He was concentrating his senses hoping to smell something, hear something, or feel something. "These tunnels were made using technology." He said. Who possessed such technology? The length and breadth of these tunnels would require very sophisticated technology. It wasn't bore into using spiritual energy. That might have been used to fuel the device, but they used something more human.

The grooves left behind in the sandstone were made by a rather large drill bit. They resemble a spiral design. Where do these tunnels lead? It wouldn't make sense to construct tunnels only to keep the hollows here. There must be something nearby. Unless the doorway was closed, which means tracing it will be nearly impossible. He thought regrettably. Upon returning from deep thought, he heard the hollow explaining that each tunnel was used to transport hollows from different locations around Hueco Mundo and each ended up leaving the same way. The vasto lorde stopped, however. She grinned. "If you want more, you'll need to let me go." As she said that Shikitsuhiko fired a small bala from his finger which pierces her head like a bullet. 

He body slumped over and slid down the wall until it reached the ground. "Enough of her nonsense. Do you sense that Aurora?" He asked earnestly of Sargon's fraccion. He felt something familiar yet distant as if to be buried in the recesses of his mind. He paused for a moment before walking further into the tunnels. He continued to walk deeper into the winding tunnels. Did he know where he was going? No. That wasn't it. He was following something. That strange feeling. It wasn't quite a scent and yet it was. It wasn't quite a sensation and yet it was. It pulled on his instincts, which had not been stimulated in many decades. It was beginning to return to him. The sensation of hunger, but it was unable to control him as it did before his evolution. 

He was in absolute control, but this begged an even bigger question: Where was this coming from? Who was responsible? To be struck with such a familiar, but forgotten sensation left him feeling uneasy. What could be priming his former instincts in such a way? It felt like the primitive hollow dwelling within him was clawing its way out. If he was left feeling this way, what would it mean for Aurora whose hunger was notable even before? "Aurora...." He said abruptly with a somewhat shaky tone. "Can you feel this? If so, I need you to try and control yourself." What would this sensation do to Aurora? Would she seek it out like a hound hunting for its master? Like a snake seeking the sent of its prey? Would it drive her crazy? Would she make a mad dash for whatever and wherever it was? 

[Aurora Guerrero]

Aurora was pushing against the Vasto Lorde, growling into her face and almost roaring outright. It seemed that Shiki was busy looking at the tunnels while Aurora could do what she wanted with the Vasto Lorde. When he mentioned that the tunnels could be created by technology, she immediately thought of Soul Society. She hadn't been outside of Las Noches much, if at all. She didn't see the real need and Sargon never really sent her out on missions outside of their own area.

There was that one time she was in the human world with that blue skinned guy, which was a bit weird, but that was pretty much it. So, Shiki was thinking while Aurora growled. When the female Vasto Lorde said that she had to be let go before she would do anything else, Aurora smirked. She tightened her grip on the female, wanting to crush her throat and end it, but Shiki beat her to it.

Before she had the chance to do it, he shot a Bala through her head. Aurora immediately frowned as he spoke of not wanting to hear her nonsense anymore. "But I wanted to do that..." she said as she trailed off towards the end. When he mentioned sensing something, Aurora stopped her instinct to immediately attack the dead Vasto Lorde. She thought on it a moment and tried to feel something.

Nothing seemed too wrong to her, but since he wasn't waiting for her, she grabbed the dead female and started to walk off after him. She ripped off her right arm and started to eat it. But, the more she walked, the more she felt a tug. She ate the arm faster and ripped off the left arm. She still had the urge to eat, much more than a normal Arrancar, but this hunger felt...different. It was a much stronger feeling.

It seemed like this was a stronger hunger than normal, which was a weird thing to think about since she ate fairly regularly. So, Shiki was finally starting to feel a strong hunger and it seemed he was slightly worried that she would go after him. But, she had a freshly killed Vasto Lorde with her. She made quick work of the arm and moved to the legs. She ripped one off and ate it the fastest she had eaten since before she became an Arrancar.

When that was done, she ate the other leg. This was the easiest way to control the hunger. After about ten more minutes of walking, all that was left was the head, which she ripped every piece of meat that she could off of it. Once it was done, she threw the skull to the side and now felt a strong gnawing in the pit of her stomach. So, something was making her hungry. She had enough sense not to try to go after the Espada. She didn't have a death wish.

Sniffing the air, she tried to see if there was anymore prey in her vicinity. She figured if they were using these tunnels to move hollows, there had to be at least a few stragglers in these tunnels that she could devour to try to satiate this hunger. Assuming that they would be driven to go after this sensation, she would roar loudly in the tunnel and run straight towards what she felt like was the core of it, curious to see what she would find there.

[Shikitsuhiko Isayama]

Shikitsuhiko remained still as Aurora darted past him. At first he was inclined to shake his head in disappointment. He could tell that whatever had piqued his sense was acting upon her more heavily, enhancing her hunger. He soon realized that such a thing might not be an entirely bad thing. As she distanced herself in the tunnels he merely turned around and began walking forward, working his way into the cavernous underground. These are quite elaborate, as the hollow suggested. This was quite the venture. The complexity of these tunnels is likely indicative not only of their hunt for quantity but quality. He thought.

He wondered further about the technology they used to manipulate hollows. He knew it had to be something incredibly sophisticated. Even so, could they control those who had advanced beyond a lesser hollow? Could they control Gillian whose minds are cluttered with voices and the will of many?  Was their technology enough to arrest the mind of Adjuchas? Certainly they couldn't control Vasto Lorde otherwise the previous two would have not been here to die with stain of treachery upon their lips. This hypothesis calmed the storm that had begun forming within his mind. As Aurora explored further, her body likely gripped by this sensation, he wondered if this was truly useful. Something of this nature was unrelated. This was a waste of time. 

His mind began to clear, but after having been deep in thought she had advanced much further than he originally anticipated. He had to return her mind to the task at hand. Did this sensation cloud his own mind or was his instinct correct? He began walking faster and faster before he was running at full speed, feeling the vibrations reverberating within the tunnels. The vibrations splashed along the walls before he absorbed them into his body. He A fork in the path was approaching, but he knew she had turned right. He veered down the dimly lit tunnel. These tunnels had been used recently. He could smell the smell of smoke. This was tobacco. An indulgence of humans. Aurora would be unable to find her way through the tunnels unless there was an adequate source of light, which means these tunnels were most recently used. If they had been long abandoned there would not be sufficient resources to guide her way even if she was following the scent of this awful hunger. He said to himself.

Shikitsuhiko worried even with his senses that he'd be unable to find their way back, which was important. He had been carefully detailing his experience, but wanted to be certain of everything. He would need to report back but provide enough detail so Kouhai could launch a closer investigation of these tunnels. He quickly drew his blade and stabbed it into the wall. As he ran he allowed his blade to make a trail as it sliced through the porous sandstone. He was trailing Aurora, but soon realized the sensation had grown even stronger. Even more alarming was the energy he was perceiving. The energy was palpable. 

His lip bent downward in displeasure, noticing that someone was using some sort of technology to mimic a garganta. Such audacity. He thought. Right beneath their noses someone was trafficking hollows within these tunnels and using a garganta to exit Hueco Mundo. To make matters worse, this garganta seemed to be perpetually open. The tear in the fabric of reality was giving off a lot of spiritual radiation as it had been present for quite some time. He wondered how long it had been open and how many hollows they had smuggled through here. Where would it lead? Well, it appeared following Aurora appeared more useful than he thought it would. His instincts were certainly worth trusting.

He used sonido to appear in front of Aurora, placing his hand on the opening. "This garganta has been here for quite some time. How troublesome." He said disapprovingly. "Aurora, your senses are sharp even if they were more easily overcome by peculiar force resonating from within the garganta. We must follow it." He slowly walked through the garganta and shortly after emerged in the human world. The light of the moon shined down on the grassy  pasture. He could he the howling of the wind as it made the leaves dance in the trees. The shifting of the branches and leaves were not the only thing he was able to perceive. 

The smell of blood lingered in the breeze, clinging to the air. A number of people had died here recently. The scent of hollow flesh was equally as ripe, if not more potent. These sensations bombarded his body but none of which were able to eclipse the spiritual energy resonating from nearby. It felt unfamiliar, but the force that acted upon Aurora did not. The pull felt even stronger. Aurora would likely feel it, too. However, he was far more concerned. Whatever had happened here resulted in the death of hollow and others. As he walked across the ground the vibrations rolled over the bodies littering the ground. He shook his head as he began to piece together the events that had transpired here.

"This is becoming quite the elaborate puzzle." He said curiously. "What do you see, Aurora?" He wanted to know what she saw, but worried about the presence he sensed nearby. He could feel whatever it was was not far. The vibrations were very close. It was formidable. That was clear even without the evidence lying beside his feet. He leaned down and felt around. He touched blood and began rubbing it into his fingers. He sniffed it before walking over to another corpse, this time a hollow. He touched the body, examining it for any wounds. Touch was his method for examination. Without proper sight he could not see but could certainly peer into the past using his other senses. "Torn to pieces..." He said before trailing off. 

He felt across the hollow body and soon discovered a device of unknown origins. "We must confiscate all of these devices and return then to Lord Kouhai. He will want to examine them himself most likely. Even so, we cannot allow anyone to salvage them despite their condition. Clearly there was a miscalculation, though I'm not entirely sure how this happened." He rose to his feet and peered into the distance. "I sense you just as you likely sense us." He remarked to the body responsible for the unknown force. It was response, if not partially, for whatever happened here. At the very least it had seen something. The piece were slowly piecing themselves together. Shikitsuhiko was beginning to see patterns and images within the various clues. 

[Aurora Guerrero]

Aurora ran forward, not really paying attention to her surroundings but following the pull she felt. She was single focused on it but knew that the Esapda could keep up with her. She did think that it was odd that there were tunnels here. With the amount of time she spent out in the sands and the forest, she figured that she would've found these tunnels or noticed them before now. Maybe they were new?

Once she arrived at the end, she saw a garganta. What?! She didn't think that anyone besides Arrancar could make those. Where there other beings out there that could make those? Were Arrancar working with these people? Before she could make any move towards it, Shiki appeared behind her, placing his hand on her shoulder. She looked down at it for a second. He was touching her shoulder? This was weird.

This Espada was so different from what she was used to. With Sargon, he tried to make himself 'mysterious,' not really doing much with her. All he did was send her on 'missions' and fought with her. If he didn't fight her, he sent weird things to fight her. They never really talked and when they did, he talked about making her 'stronger.' It was just a weird and odd relationship with him and he just pissed her off on a regular basis.

With Shiki, however, it was completely different. He spoke his mind, being extremely straightforward. He didn't beat around the bush with anything and he knew a lot more than he let on with others. Oddly, he was able to put her in her place without screaming at her and sending weird things on her to fight. She had NEVER met anyone like that since becoming an Arrancar. There was Zegram...but he was old news now, since he was never around.

Because of the way he acted, she honestly couldn't even bring out her rage. He squashed it pretty much every time he spoke. She wasn't forced to do what he wanted even though he was the superior on this little 'mission.' He pretty much talked to her as an equal, which was rather refreshing. Since he was being somewhat respectful, she didn't feel the need to be on the defensive, she could just be herself.

It was one of the most freeing moments of her life. She listened in somewhat awe of the man, saying that the garganta had been there for some time and they needed to go through. She walked through after him, trying to hone in on anything that they might run into on the other side of the garganta. Immediately, she felt the moon shine down on them. She looked away slightly, not used to such a bright light in her face from the moon. But, when she did that, she saw what was on the ground.

Bodies. There were bodies everywhere. She sniffed to try to figure out how old these bodies were, but there were too many for her to tell. She then glanced around and then noticed that they were more than likely in the Human World. This place didn't feel like Hueco Mundo and it didn't feel like she pictured Soul Society to feel like, since it was made from reisi. There was green all around them and the smell of blood hung in the air.

She salivated slightly, the blood making her hunger act up. She had never seen these many bodies around before, at least as far as she could remember. There was a pull again. The Hollow bodies around her made her get slightly hungry and she followed the pull slightly. But, when Shiki spoke, she shook her head to clear it. She was getting too focused on all the bodies around her. She took a deep breath and started to sense around her.

The bodies were the most distracting, torn to shreds strewn all over the place. Then, she felt it. There was a HUGE presence she felt that was somewhat nearby. She didn't know if she could take him alone, but maybe with Shiki? But, looking at the bodies, this thing definitely had to be the one that killed all these people/hollows. It made her think about the bodies around here and what the connection could be. There are torn up....

"Well, there is a HUGE presence nearby that I think had something to do with. But, the first thing that I think of is that maybe these 'people' are working with a specific Hollow and making it eat all of these other Hollows and people to make it stronger. They could be trying to make themselves their own Vasto Lorde or maybe even their own Arrancar. Or, it's Hollows that are actually doing this. I just can't picture humans doing this...."

It seemed then that Shiki noticed things on the dead bodies. He then told her they need to take off all the devices and bring them to Kouhai. While he spoke, she nodded and went to the closest body. She noticed on this body that there was a collar around its neck, smooth and silver. She looked around the collar, pulling at it randomly. Through some dumb luck, she was able to open the collar. She didn't notice anything odd about it, put left it open.

Going through the entire group, she started to remove all the collars. Some had the collars on their wrists like bracelets, so she removed those as well. When she was done, she had several open collars/bracelets in her hands. She heard what Shiki said to the force that was close by. Turning to him, she spoke. "I collected all of the collars and bracelets, Cuarta. I don't see anything else around here, besides that huge energy.

I know you wanted to go back to our leader so he can look it over, but would it do better to try to find whatever that thing is? I don't know how well I would do against something like that in a fight, but you're an Espada. I would assume that you would be able to handle yourself quite well. Also, can I call you Shiki? You're name is really hard to remember and pronounce." She looked down at one of the open collars in her hands.

She had collected the others around her belt, so this was the last one open. Bringing it close to her face, she looked it all over to try to figure out what was going on with this thing. "Looking at this thing, I can't visibly see anything on it. There aren't really any bumps or blemishes. Maybe whoever made these put some kind of controller inside the collar while it was made? Or maybe the metal is special....." She started to sniff it.

Sniffing over the entire surface, she couldn't really smell anything wrong with it either. All she could smell was the blood in the air and the dead bodies around them. She would outstretch her hand towards the Espada, offering him to look at the collar if he wanted. If he didn't take the collar, she would lock it on her belt with the others. She glanced towards the presence, then back towards the portal.

"I think we've grabbed just about everything in this area. Unless you think we need to fight that presence over there, I think now would be a good time to head back. Maybe we could explore the tunnels more to see if we can find more Hollows and maybe shut down this garganta as well, making them lose one of their entrances into Hueco Mundo." If Shiki didn't stop her, she would turn and walk back through the portal, entering the tunnels again.

[Shikitsuhiko Isayama]

Shikitsuhiko listened carefully to Aurora and she shared her analysis of the situation. He directed his attention to the figure he sensed in the distance. He shook his head in disagreement as he knelt down and gently passed his fingers over the body of unknown victim. "Look carefully, Aurora." He said calmly. "These individuals were slaughtered by the hollows, which is visible by the abrasions and lacerations on their bodies." He felt around the body, allowing his hands to provide him more information. "Teeth marks ended this one's life. Pierced internal organs. Hollows can be mindless, but they wouldn't attack indiscriminately and then leave the body intact. These individuals were all thrashed around and succumbed to pierced organs and internal trauma. They attacked them and had their attention drawn to something more appetizing in the immediate area."

He dipped his fingers into the body and felt around. It was a grotesque inspection, but without proper sight he needed to rely on his other senses. "Pierced the lungs. He drowned in his own blood more than likely." He leaned over and touched the body of a hollow. Its body felt broken and it was missing limbs. "These hollows were brutalized." Lifting himself from the ground he began walked forward before he struck an item on the ground with his foot. He kicked one of the bodies to the side, revealing another collar. He leaned down an grabbed it, using both hands to feel its surface. He rotated it in his hands to feel every inch of it. He face tensed up as the pieces began to piece together what had transpired, though it remained blurry and fragmented. 

The bodies of all the hollows who had their collars removed suddenly vanished into black. Shikitsuhiko immediately turned having since the absence of their bodies. He reached out just as the black dust passed across his fingers and vanished. "You're correct about one important detail, Aurora, these collars were made so the hollows could be controlled from a distance. It makes me wonder why the traders were with them in the first place. Perhaps they were drawn here just as you and I were. The hollows came here and ended up killing those that captured them even with collars on. Hm." He allowed himself to trail off.

He remained silent before he looked into the distance. "These collars don't simply subjugate the mind but the soul. That would explain why their bodies did not dissolve until after you took them off."He handed the collar he held in his hand to Aurora. "If the collar is removed and the hollow killed their body will disintegrate. That explains why this collar was here without a body. Humans seem poorly equipped to accomplish this task alone, I agree, but no hollow would use humans to round up hollows. Certainly not in such a way. What need would there be to subjugate hollows if their sole purpose was to nourish another. They could simply capture them by other means. This technology is far too sophisticated to be used as a food service." 

"Don't you agree that this amount of complexity is unable to be explained by coincidence alone? If so, then you'd agree that whatever exists in the distance has answers or is, if not indirectly, responsible for what happened here." He lowered his head for a moment before he clenched his fist. "That is no hollow. I sense something entirely different. Whatever it is has answers and I want them." He began walking toward the location of whatever he and Aurora had been sensing. He was far too focused and it allowed Aurora's question to escape him. "I cannot return until I find something more meaningful. What we have now is beneficial, but there is more. If you can find a way to close that perpetual garganta that would wise. I suspect others have sensed this area like we did. Be on your guard. I must deal with whatever is up ahead." Using sonido he vanished into the distance. What would Aurora do?