Adult-FanFiction.org : Bleach

Prize of Victory 2
By : NovaAlexandria
Category: Bleach > General
Views: 56251 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 5
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach nor make a profit from this story
Chapter List
- 46
- 47
- 48
Frozen Flight

�Are you sure this is a good idea?� Szayel hesitantly spoke up as he followed in Karin�s wake as she stormed down the corridors. Her answer wasn�t exactly a surprise, but at least it was honest.

�No, but it�s the only thing I can think of to do right now. We�ve tried everything else.�

�Don�t bother. If I can�t get her to change her mind, than you sure as fuck ain�t gonna. Besides, I like this plan. If the bastard shows up I can rip parts of his body off, slowly, until he tells us what he did with them,� Grimmjow growled behind Szayel, cracking his knuckles as he did so.

She�d gotten over her mental breakdown and Karin had a new set of goals that didn�t involve crying. The first was to get Ajuga and Diaemus back in one piece, respectively. The second involved killing Aizen. After that, everyone was going to live happily-ever-after if they knew what was good for them. She gritted her teeth as she thought about each separate item on that list. The sooner she put a check mark next to each one, the better. There would be no more battles against giant, soul-consuming, acid-spitting bugs. There would be no more vexing mind games with Aizen, trying to keep Szayel safe. There would be no more need to hide who and what she was. This shit would end, even if she had to kick everyone�s asses herself and park her own on the Spirit King�s Throne� after they put Aizen�s corpse six feet underground.

�Easy,� she mentally scolded herself. �Don�t get too hot-headed and pull the trigger too early. Better take things one step at a time.�

The first and most important thing she had to accomplish involved taking back the kids, or at least, finding out if they were alright. Doing so was important, lest anyone think to delve into the possible reasons why the Swarm might want Ajuga. Ironically, the Swarm�s abduction of Diaemus along with her daughter worked in their favour. That the Swarm had made off with both muddied the waters for an observer trying to deduce the General�s sudden interest in the Human/Hollow hybrids.

That was why she was on her way to visit Mushi. She hoped that the insects would still be open to negotiation and not just toss her clueless daughter on the Spirit King�s Throne. Karin didn�t even want to consider what Aizen would do to them all in such a worst-case scenario.

They reached the holding chamber and Karin forced herself to take a deep breath. It wouldn�t do to go into the pen ranting and raving. It wasn�t Mushi�s fault that the General had attacked her daughter. The Scarab had done nothing more than pass on a message for a meeting that she had wanted. Mushi was very much like a child� a large, armoured child, and it would be unfair to attack the Portal Scarab for an outcome over which it had no control. She would not behave like Aizen.

Szayel and Grimmjow continued up to the observation deck and once there, buzzed her through. As if knowing something had happened, Mushi didn�t come running up to her chittering excitedly the way she usually did. If anything, the Scarab seemed deeply depressed and huddled in a corner. It issued a �chirp� in place of its usual greeting, but even that was subdued. Had Karin been furious with the creature, there was no way she could have stayed that way once she saw the dejected looking thing.

She supposed that the silver lining in all of this was she now knew Mushi understood her, and could both translate and communicate for her with her fellows. Karin�s initial meeting with �Zee� would never have taken place if that hadn�t been the case.

�Mushi,� she called gently, holding a hand out coaxingly, fixing what she hoped was a forgiving look on her features.

After a moment of hesitation, Mushi moved forward and rested her head against Karin�s palm, chittering softly. Karin suspected there was an apology in there somewhere and she briefly rubbed the smooth chitinous plate below her palm in a soothing fashion before proceeding.

�I need to know, is my daughter safe? Are they both okay?� Karin asked.

Mushi gave a bright chirp, one that could only mean affirmation, and Karin let out a long breath she hadn�t realized she�d been holding in. Through her link with Grimmjow, she felt his relief as well. She knew he was upset, but she wasn�t certain how much of their joint despair had actually been his until now. He might be a tough son of a bitch on the outside, but on the inside he loved and cared for his family deeply.

�They will be kept safe, held as collateral until I fulfill my end of our agreement. Is this right?� she inquired, trying to find out if, unbeknownst to her, Zee had changed the rules now that he had Ajuga.

Another cheerful chirp and Karin felt most of her apprehension slip away. In fact, in a roundabout way, this development was almost for the better. Ajuga and Diaemus would now be a very safe distance away from the fighting when the revolt happened. In addition, the way things were coming together, that uprising would happen much sooner than they originally intended. The only detail left to be hammered out involved enrolling the Escapees in their scheme. Hopefully, Yoruichi would be by soon as she really didn�t want to wait until late summer when Nel came to refresh Renji�s Claim. That was far too long for the children to remain in the Swarm�s hands. Furthermore, the longer they held off on their plans, the more likely it was Aizen would discover those plans, or something would happen to throw a major wrench into them.

�Alright. I am still pissed that my daughter was taken, but as long as she is safe I won�t pound Zee into a large pile of ichor for betraying my trust like that so quickly,� she grumbled and scowled.

She swore Mushi actually chuckled at her venom. Perhaps Zee had quite the reputation amongst the rest of the Swarm�s �troops� and the lowly minion thought the prospect of seeing the arrogant General getting his ass kicked was funny.

Had she been in Zee�s place, well� Karin wouldn�t have taken anyone hostage, since that wasn�t her nature. However, she had no doubt that Szayel wouldn�t have hesitated if it meant he�d get what he wanted out of the act, nor would several others. That included her mate. After all, Grimmjow had originally taken her to use as bait to lure her brother to the Seireitei. Karin also admitted that she had no idea what kind of conditions the Swarm were coping with in their particular �heaven� or in the Living Realm to which that heaven was attached. If it was anything like the damage in the Living World, thanks to the imbalances created by Aizen�s selfish and insane actions, she could see why Zee might be tempted to find a shortcut as far as fixing the problem.

�I will let you know the moment I see Yoruichi and get the last part of the plan together with those who are still free. Will you pass all that onto Zee?� she requested.

That earned Karin some more happy-sounding chittering and a few satisfied �clicks� that she swore might have the equivalent of a salute.

�Okay,� she breathed, feeling infinitely better. She couldn�t wait to share the news with Orihime. Her friend would be relieved to know their children were safe and sound, and that would probably help bring Ulquiorra further into their circle of conspirators, as well as give him some peace of mind.

Karin had thought about demanding the children�s release, but she already knew Zee would never agree to such terms. Patting Mushi one more time, she turned to leave. It was enough to know her daughter and Diaemus were safe, at least for now. She had nearly reached the door when Mushi started complaining loudly, but Karin ignored the Portal Scarab. There were a million plans they needed to put into motion and they had delayed long enough. The sooner they could dispose of Aizen, the sooner they could start rescuing those that were being tortured. Yammy�s name sat near the top of her hit list, right after Aizen.

The door closed behind her, shutting out Mushi�s increasingly frantic chittering. They had a revolution to plan and a tyrant�s life to end.

The first thing Ajuga noticed when she regained consciousness was that she was ridiculously cold. Freezing her fur covered ass off would have been a better description.

The second thing she noticed was the pain.

Her entire left side, depending on how she shifted, alternated between tingling numbness and sharp, shooting pain. However, nothing compared to the throbbing coming from her broken arm. The cold made the pain worse, even as it kept the inflammation down. Her entire body shivered thanks to the freezing air and those tiny, involuntary movements didn�t help her injuries. Forcing her eyes open, she saw a nondescript, frost-glazed, grey wall that looked as if something had tunnelled it out of rock. The same sort of rock made up the floor on which she lay. There was enough light to see by, but Ajuga had no idea where it came from, other than somewhere overhead.

For a long while, staring at the wall was all she could manage. The sub-zero temperature didn�t help. In fact, all she wanted to do was to drift off, to go back to sleep again. Doing so while she was this cold was dangerous, so she forced her eyes to stay open. Eventually, the confusion slowly dribbled away and she began to remember each occurrence that lead up to her capture. Blinking her eyes furiously to get the last of the fuzziness out of her vision, she slowly did a more thorough inventory of her injuries.

She already knew about her broken arm. No one had bothered to set it. The back of her head still throbbed slightly from the blow the General had landed on her. Ajuga supposed that any strike strong enough to knock her unconscious wasn�t one from which she would quickly recover. She had no idea how long she had been down and she definitely had no idea where she was now. At present, all she could deduce was that she was in a frigid cell, dug out of rock. Maybe that meant they were far to the North, and underground if the rock around them was bedrock. There was something heavy attached to both of her ankles and when she looked down she took note of a thick metal chain connecting to two metal shackles on her legs. Those, she thought sourly, would make walking and escaping very difficult.

Ajuga also discovered that she wasn�t alone.

Diaemus lay in a heap, not far away. His wings were still horribly twisted and missing a chunk from where he had been forced to remove the membrane or risk being eaten alive by acid. He sported the same shackle-and-chain device on his ankles as well. There was no sign of Hana and Ajuga spared a moment to hope that her Shinigami friend was safe. With his head turned to the side, she had no idea if he was awake or not.

�Please be alright� please be alright�� she prayed silently.

�Diaemus,� she called weakly, forcing herself to move towards him, ignoring how much the shuffling jarred her injuries. The chains clanked as she crawled across the floor to reach his side.

Diaemus let out a soft groan but didn�t stir otherwise. The only other noise in the cell was that of their teeth chattering. Steam coated her face as she laboured in the chilled air. Looking closer, she saw that a similar cloud popped into existence as Diaemus shallowly exhaled, a sure sign he was alive. That made all of the pain she felt as she inched her way closer worth it.

Once Ajuga made it to him, she reached her good arm out to give his shoulder a shake, calling his name once more while studying the cell they were in, looking for any weaknesses to use as a means of escape. She saw nothing on first glance, but that didn�t mean there might not be a hidden weakness and two sets of eyes were better than one.

Diaemus finally cracked open an eye, letting out a groan as he shifted. That groan quickly turned into a sharp cry of pain when he moved in such a way that put weight on his heavily-damaged wings. The resulting jolt to his system also jerked him fully awake and Ajuga backed off as much as she could. Her instincts told her to give him some space, at least until he was able to recognize who she was and that she was no danger to him.

�Ajuga? Where are we?� Diaemus gasped once he settled down. Ajuga went from being worried about him to being mildly irritated that getting his initial reaction under control took him all of fifteen seconds.

�The Swarm took us, but I don�t know where or why. I guess this is some sort of cell,� she answered, casting her gaze about the bare room once more as if expecting something about it to have changed in the last few minutes. The walls and floor remained as they were.

�So they learned the truth,� Diaemus whispered softly, almost too softly for even her sharper hearing to pick up. Clearly, he hadn�t intended her to hear what he said.

Confused, Ajuga peered closer at him.

�What truth?� she demanded, when he didn�t seem like he was going to expound on his odd statement.

Diaemus ignored her and began an examination of his wings. Her eyes narrowed further. She got the impression that he busied himself with them not because he wanted to see the extent of the damage, but because he didn�t want to look at or talk to her.

�Diaemus, what the hell do you mean �about the truth�?� she growled dangerously.

Diaemus gave up on his mangled wings with a resigned sigh, although Ajuga wasn�t sure how much of it was because she�d pressured him to answer the question and how much of it was because of his injuries.

�It is not my place to say anything,� he declared firmly, perhaps with a hint of apology as well.

Ajuga felt like wringing his neck with his own tail, but if it was not his place to speak than it was not his place to speak, and Ajuga had enough respect for Diaemus that she wouldn�t force the issue, at least, not right now.

�What is your status?� Diaemus asked, changing the subject. She winced.

�My arm is horribly broken and hurts like a fucking bitch. The back of my neck hurts where that bastard hit me, and I am bloody well freezing,� she answered sharply, trying to ignore how her teeth chattered as she gave him her personal damage report. �You?�

�My wings are broken far beyond use and, like you, I find it rather cold in here,� he answered. �It�s interesting though��

�What do you mean, �interesting?��

Diaemus sounded thoughtful, which told Ajuga he�d noticed something important, despite his pained expression. Reaching up, he combed his tangled coppery hair back and away from his face with his fingers.

�Normally, our Hierros would protect us from feeling such undue cold, which means that we�re either in an artificially cooled place for some reason, such as a freezer chamber or a refrigerator, or��

�Or what?� Ajuga prompted.

��or we�re far to the north, much farther north than anyone�s searched at any rate, and the temperature is much lower than what we�re used to dealing with. If we�re in the former, there will be cold air coming from outside of the cell. Maybe��

��we can find the entry point. It�s an automatic weak spot. Good thinking!� she finished, glad to have something to do other than concentrate on her injuries.

They sat in silence for a while, both of them quietly examining the cell�s barren interior. Whoever had made it knew what they were doing. Ajuga couldn�t even locate the door. There simply had to be one, she reasoned. After all, someone would have had to use it to dump them in here. Unfortunately, the seams and hinges that would have given away the location of a possible exit route blended into the walls� rough texture. She couldn�t detect any air movement either, which scuttled Diaemus�s first theory about the Swarm stashing them in an icebox, or worse, a meat locker. That, oddly, made her feel a little better. She didn�t relish the notion that the Swarm had secreted them away as a snack for later.

Ajuga hugged her knees to her chest with one arm, trying to conserve what body heat she could and not aggravate her throbbing, broken arm. She nearly jumped out of her mask and fur when Diaemus scooted to sit beside her.

�What are you doing?� she rasped out suspiciously, doing her best to ignore how badly her teeth clicked together when she tried to speak.

�It would be prudent in this situation to pool what meagre resources we have,� he replied, as if it ought to be obvious what he was doing in her personal space.

She stared at him.

He sighed.

�It would be best if we were to combine body heat and thus, use up less energy,� he explained, a hint of exasperation in his voice.

Her first thought was a resounding, �Hell No!� but it didn�t last long as she continued to shiver and her teeth and jaw started to ache. Besides, judging by the barely-concealed distaste on his face, the thought of cuddling with her was just as repulsive to him as it was to her. Still, she reluctantly admitted he had a point. It wasn�t like there was anyone around to see them do it and if they ever got out of this, she didn�t think she�d have to work too hard to get him to keep quiet about it and thus preserve both of their dignities.

�Fine,� she agreed reluctantly. �But I swear if you breathe a word of this to anyone, not even my mother will be able to find your remains.�

Maybe there was just a touch too much vehemence in her words, but Diaemus didn�t seem to put much stock in the threat. He nodded in agreement and finished closing the distance between them until they were nestled side by side with one of his busted wings draped around her, the other coming around him to make a sort of tent. It took a while, but eventually it did warm up enough in their little shelter to give her teeth a rest. Her shivering subsided somewhat as well.

�So, what do you think they want with us?� Ajuga asked this later when the silence between them finally reached the point where it started to feel oppressive.

Diaemus didn�t answer her question and when she glanced his way, she saw he�d closed his eyes and his breathing was deep and even. She shouldn�t be surprised he�d fallen asleep. It would take a great deal of rest to heal his trashed wings.

�Either that or a lot of reiatsu and blood,� she thought dryly.

She didn�t know when she fell asleep herself, only that when she awoke she found herself laying on top of one of Diaemus� wings with him curled around her and his other wing folded over them. She might have jerked away from him, but two things made her reconsider. First, it was much warmer with him at her back and with his wing spread over her like a much-needed blanket, and second, he was still fast asleep. Considering their situation, and how tightly he had pressed himself against her, she decided to let him continue to rest. Besides, moving around roughly would serve to injure him further and she was surprised he let her rest on top of one of his wings as it was. He eventually stirred some time later and pulled her closer against him in a semi-dazed state as he tried to keep them both warm.

�You know, I can just hear Hana-chan laughing at us,� she said once she was certain he was fully awake.

�Hana has more class than that,� Diaemus responded. �Lilinette would be the one jeering,� he added after a moment.

She couldn�t help but to snicker at that, knowing he was completely right. The rumours would be all over the city in milliseconds if Lilinette were to see them like this. The result would involve Diaemus flying for his life while her father threatened to tear him into a million pieces while her mother shook her head and tried to rein in Grimmjow. Orihime would probably start gushing about grandchildren and Ulquiorra� well, she couldn�t see her sometimes-teacher doing anything but rubbing his forehead with something like long-suffering, well-concealed irritation aimed at her father. It was that or he might simply order his son to cease any relations with her in that one-note voice he liked to use. It might be worth it, she decided, to start such a rumour, just to see how things played out.

�So, what do you think they will do with us?�

She knew he had to be wondering about this as well.

�I don�t know,� he answered after giving it some thought. �But I doubt they will kill you. They seemed to know your mother.�

That was true. The General had known her mother, right down to her maiden and mated names. Looking back, Ajuga found it rather odd that the Swarm seemed personally acquainted with her mother. It was something she was going to ask her parents about the minute she got home.

�If we get home�, she thought and then kicked herself. Of course they were going to get home. She had to keep telling herself that. To do otherwise was to give in and Ajuga wasn�t about to do that.

�Well, maybe we will get lucky and that General will come in and do a monologue about his evil plans and all that shit. We�ll pretend to be bored out of our minds while we�re secretly scheming to use his plot�s weaknesses against him to escape,� she offered.

Diaemus went still behind her before she heard him shake his head and his chest rumbled slightly against her back. Kami�s-ass-on-a-stick, was he actually laughing? No sound came from him, but giving in to laughter was the best explanation she could manage for his body�s shaking.

�I think he is!� she thought with no small amount of wonder.

They remained curled up together, retaining as much heat as they could. With nothing to do in the cold, bare room, Ajuga found herself drifting in and out of slumber. After a long bout of sleep, she woke up to the sight of some terrified Plus shaking and sobbing in a corner of the cell. She blinked at their new cellmate in confusion before a horrible thought crossed her mind.

�Is that supposed to be�. food?� she asked in disbelief.

�I believe so,� Diaemus answered, indicating he was awake.

Ajuga�s nose wrinkled in disgust. She wouldn�t eat anything so pathetic and would probably get more nutrition from chewing on the walls around them. The Swarm evidently lacked the most basic knowledge of Hollows and they clearly had no idea what sustained hybrids like Ajuga and Diaemus, nor what they required to live. Otherwise, they never would have offered two Arrancar a meal that even the most low-level Hollow would snub and label �unsatisfactory.�

�Yeah, I think I would sooner starve to death than eat something so feeble,� she scoffed.

�Hmm,� Diaemus agreed and let his head fall, content to ignore the Swarm�s idea of �lunch.�

She drifted in and out of wakefulness a few times, and each time she could feel both of them getting weaker. Their captors replaced the first Plus with another soul at some point, and if anything, this one had even less appeal. They had to eat, to replenish their reiatsu and that meant that they had to get out of here before they lost any more strength to hunger and the ever-present cold. The shackles would be a problem and Diaemus�s wings were incapable of flight. Her claws could probably shred the leg restraints easily, but they were still in the heart of a Swarm stronghold and she was not so overconfident to think they�d easily escape such a place in their present condition. One acid bath and it would be over. She had no idea where they were or how deeply their cell was ensconced in the fortress. She was fast, but the General was faster. She had no way of knowing how many there were here, nor did she know how strong she and Diaemus were compared to the one who had taken her down.

�Diaemus could outfly them, but he would need to let his wings finish healing. He needs reiatsu and food for that��

She paused at the thought and it led her down a mental path that at first, she didn�t want to follow. However, when no other option seemed feasible, she thought she might as well toss the idea out there.

�Diaemus, how much energy would you need to finish healing your wings and bust out of here?�

He stiffened behind her at the tentative question, his mind quickly perceiving what she was trying to say, or rather, suggest.

�No,� he answered simply, his voice curt.

�Yes,� she hissed back, not wanting him to dismiss the idea outright over something as stupid as chivalry. �If you can escape, you can let the others know the location of the Swarm base. We have been looking for it forever. You could lead the others back here quickly enough too, depending on how far north this place is!�

�You won�t last long in this cold if I do that,� he pointed out. �I�d have to take you with me.�

�You can fly better unencumbered, Diaemus,� she countered. �If you take me, they�ll just catch us again and stick us back in this cell, and I can�t fight efficiently with a broken arm. I will just slow you down. You know I�m right!�

He was silent for a minute before speaking again.

�You realize what I will need to do to you, don�t you?� he questioned softly.

Another shiver ran down her spine, but she told herself that it was better than letting the both of them slowly starve and freeze to death. It would be a minor victory against the Swarm, but at this point she would take any chance to snub them that she could.

�Yes. Do it,� she insisted, shifting to lie on her back and baring her throat.

Blue eyes met green, and for once, she saw a world of emotion swirling in them instead of the carefully-cultivated front he usually wore. Diaemus didn�t want to do this. She didn�t want to do it either, not really, but the alternative was to waste away in what would quickly become a deathtrap if they didn�t try something. She simply had to trust that he wouldn�t take too much from her, or drink too deeply. His eyes suddenly hardened in determination and he nodded briefly, as if he�d weighed all of the options and found that this offered them their best shot at freedom. �Very well,� he agreed.

Ajuga braced herself for the pain she expected when he bit her, and couldn�t help trembling when his tongue lavished her throat in preparation. She never felt his fangs slide into her skin, but she certainly noticed it when he started to feed on her. Her back arched up off the floor as her energy drained out of her, along with her blood. Her mouth opened in a soundless scream when he bit down harder, increasing the flow and began swallowing mouthfuls of her reiatsu.

�He must have been hungrier than he�d let on�, she thought dimly, staring at the ceiling while her vision tunnelled. �How much body heat did he lose through his wings, trying to keep us both warm? He probably used up an awful lot of strength��

Her world narrowed to the feel of her companion sucking away her reserves. Ajuga�s perceptions grew disjointed and off-kilter the more he took. Then the not-unpleasant sensation of his mouth and teeth on her throat ceased and she drifted. As if from a distance, she heard Diaemus roar as his restored wings spread out behind him, the sound of them much like that of a banner�s fabric cracking in a strong wind. There were two metallic �CLANGS� against the far wall of the cell, and Ajuga figured he�d cast off the shackles and chains.

�Good�, she thought fuzzily. He certainly didn�t need those weighing him down.

She became aware of an explosion overhead� a cero maybe� and then he was gone in a rush of icy air that buffeted her dark hair and ruffled her fur. Bits of rock and soil rained down on her as well. A minute passed in silence before insect voices buzzed loudly in alarm and those she suspected must be guards flooded her room. Staring up through the circular hole Diaemus created during his exit, she thought she saw him hover in the night sky, an inky-black spot against a background of unfamiliar stars for a split second before it disappeared. The slower-moving Locusts swarmed behind him in pursuit, but he was already long gone.

Hands were suddenly on her, pressing rags against her neck, trying to staunch the wound. Those looked as if they�d been torn from the clothing of the Plus huddling in the corner. Ajuga wondered why they bothered, as her blood was already coagulating, despite the residue from Diaemus� saliva. Idiots, she decided. The real damage wasn�t from the blood loss, but from the power Diaemus had drained from her, taking every spare drop of reiatsu she might have used to heal herself and her injuries. She just hoped it was enough.

�Ztupid beazt! Eating zere own kind! Animalz!� a derisive voice buzzed faintly in her ears.

She might have laughed at his assessment of what had just happened, if she wasn�t beyond exhaustion. She wondered how they could know her mother and yet know absolutely nothing about how to provide a proper meal for someone with both human and Arrancar halves. Of course, if they had, she and Diaemus would have broken out of this place long before now. As it was, she could only hope he made it back to the Seireitei.

�Do not let her die,� another said sharply, practically barking the command. Ajuga vaguely recognized it as the voice of the same General who captured them. �She�s far too important.�

Important? Important for what? It didn�t matter. Diaemus took far more than she had anticipated, probably more than he had meant. She would be lucky to live through this, but at least her parents would learn where the Swarm were and could avenge her death.

�Fly Diaemus! Fly fast. Fly far. Fly until your wings feel like they are ready to break, and then fly some more!� she bade him in her head, her consciousness losing the battle with the encroaching darkness.

Her vision finally went black, and the last thing she heard was the frantic buzzing of the Generals that surrounded her on all sides, probably wondering why she had a faint-but-satisfied, �take that� sort of grin on her face.

As if hearing her soundless encouragement, Diaemus flew, his wings straining as he struggled to put as much distance between himself, the inevitable pursuers and the Swarm base as possible. He had a few advantages in this � the fact that the Swarm didn�t do well in darkness as well as his innate speed - and he intended to make the most of them. From the constellations overhead and their positions, he discovered the Swarm�s base was much farther north than they�d guessed. The drifts of crusted snow and ice, interrupted by stands of pine forest confirmed it. Picking out the pole star, he made his best guess as to the Seireitei�s location and put his back to that one, fixed point in the night sky. Once he�d properly aligned his body, he beat his healed wings for all they were worth and made for home.

The tangy, delicious taste of Ajuga�s blood almost sparkled on his tongue. It stained his mouth and he licked it down, not wanting to waste a drop of it. Her borrowed reiatsu sang in his veins, lending him the strength to not only up his velocity, but keep going as well. Time was of the essence. He had no way of knowing exactly how long the Swarm had held them captive, but he estimated it had been at least three, maybe four days. In addition, he recognized none of the landmarks below him, which told him he might be more than three or four days away from his goal. The Swarm traveled by portals, so it was entirely possible that they might try to intercept him before he could reach familiar territory.

Diaemus greedily lapped up the last droplets clinging to his lips and pressed on.

He flew until his wings ached, and then kept flying. He got the occasional break during the days that followed, riding any updrafts or favourable air currents he could find as long as they didn�t blow him too far east or westward. Using those to conserve energy during the day, he pulled out all the stops at night and poured on the speed until he grew accustom to the screaming of his back and chest muscles. Eventually, they simply grew numb. Diaemus ignored the need for rest, shoving it away every time it threatened to overtake him. He�d had plenty of rest in the cell with Ajuga and the thought of her, still trapped in that frigid place, remained his primary motivation. The longer Ajuga languished in the Swarm�s custody, the weaker she would become and even though he�d tried to restrain himself while drinking, the taste of both her blood and her reiatsu had tempted him far more than he wanted to admit.

�It was only the hunger and the pain from my injuries�, he insisted as he caught a crosswind that would help him rest for a few precious minutes, before he made the time up and then some in a swift dive. �It was nothing more than that.�

Once again, Ajuga had talked him into doing something risky and convinced him that it was the best course of action. Regrettably, this time his friend was probably right. She�d been brave enough to put her throat beneath his fangs in the hope that he�d be able to fetch a rescue party. He�d be worse than trash, as his father like to put it, if he let her down now. Diaemus wouldn�t, couldn�t let that happen.

He flew to the south in a jagged course as the sun rose and set, rose and set and then rose and set yet again, using the stars to navigate or correct his course once night fell. Even as he began to flounder, his strength finally starting to peter out, he continued to force his way forwards through another night of desperate flight. Finally, on the fourth daybreak following his escape, a bright glare far to the southwest blinded him and he blearily raised one hand to shield his eyes. His body, finally sapped of all of the energy he�d pilfered from Ajuga, struggled to stay aloft as he tried to determine what the shining object was.

His back muscles, pushed past the point of endurance, chose that moment to seize up in a bout of cramping. He knew then that they�d taken him as far as they could. No amount of coaxing or praying would unlock them and he rapidly began to lose altitude. Diaemus also snarled in frustration as he realized that the piercing light he�d seen came from the morning sun reflecting off white buildings and more importantly, a giant glass dome.

It then became a struggle to mitigate his swift descent as the treetops rushed up to greet him.

Really busy this week. Loved the reviews. Got to run, barely have time to update as it is. Sorry no time to answer questions. Loves.
- 46
- 47
- 48
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Prize of Victory 2	By : NovaAlexandria Category: Bleach > General Views: 56251 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 5
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach nor make a profit from this story

Prize of Victory 2