Buried Alive (solo)

His throat was so dry that he coughed and then inhaled dust, this caused him to cough more, and the cycle repeated. As he coughed he could feel his nose graze across a large piece of rubble After some time the fits stopped. It was still too dark to see anything, but something told him there wasn’t much to see. Rocks, nothing but rocks. He could feel the rough and jagged edges biting into his back through his uniform and the coldness of it against his skin. He was laying on his back buried in rocks. . Arawn could feel his arms but lacked the leverage to free himself. His left arm felt was fully extended, but pinned beneath something. The right arm was stretched out in the opposite direction. It wasn’t painful, but it was uncomfortable. His legs were bent and spread. There wasn’t an way for him to move. He sighed, his nose started to itch, but there was no way for him to scratch it. The fact he hadn’t suffocated yet, meant that somehow there was air getting to his location. He closed his eyes and tried to remember how he had gotten into this predicament.


Many hours earlier


His last attempt to install radar devices has ended with the destruction of a hollow, the second trip a week later was successful. Now it was time to retrieve the devices and to analyze the readings. Simone volunteered to help him along with a college named Royce. Royce wasn’t usually in their department, he worked on the more biological section of the lab. Most time the tending of the strange creatures created either purposely or accidentally. His main reason for tagging along was to pick up some bugs if possible. His chosen modification was a third arm attached to his back. He was a rather fat man, so the appearance of a muscular arm sprouting from behind was quite odd. But that was paled by the fact he had his left arm replaced by a tentacle very similar to a octopus. Due to the arm on his back he almost looked like a hunchback. The motley crew arrived through the portal and went to work.
“The faster we get done the quicker we can get some shopping done.” Simone chimed as they moved along the rooftops. Despite his size Royce kept up with them pretty well.
“It’s fine to rush, but let’s not make any mistakes.” He said, in his raspy voice. “I’d hate to come out here again.” He shielded his eyes with his tentacle. Apparently he didn’t like the sun glaring down on him.
“Right.” Was all Arawn could mutter, he didn’t want to say it, but the arm and tentacle was a bit disturbing for him. It only took them moments to reach the receiver perched atop a rooftop. Arawn reached into his backpack and retrieved a plug in keyboard to the small screen display.
“Simone if you’ll retrieve the water sensors. I recall placed to the north along the roof and some inside the lake at the park.” Arawn spoke as he looked at the screen and read off the information. His fingers raced along the keys as he inserted a micro disc into the small drive. “Royce there are some sensors along the southern part of the block a dozen soil samplers.” His two companions darted off in their respective directions leaving him alone to examine and download the information from the terminal.

Barely twenty minutes had passed when a read came up on the screen. His phone began chirping.
“Energy spike and fluxuations.” he muttered aloud. He ignored the phone as he watched the readings change upon the screen. “It’s coming from the south east.” Arawn looked up from the screen to peer in that direction. His mouth hung open as he saw what the computer had barely detected; the air was rippling like water droplet had disturbed it’s surface. The phone continued to chirp, but he could already figure why. A large hand suddenly cut through the distorted air and pulled it back like a curtain. Only a deep blackness was behind the boney hand’s owner unseen within the pocket of shadow. “Holy_” the curse was cut short by a thunderous roar and the head of the menos grande emerged from the darkness. The intial shock wore off and absolute terror filled him. Panic grasped his chest as he fumbled for his phone. On the screen it showed a warning message, but he ignore it and pressed the phone’s quick transmission mode.
“We need to get out of here now!” he stammered into the reciever. “Got a big one coming!”
“Already on the move!” Simone screeched back.
“Y,yes. Best we leave now.” Came Royce’s reply.
The Menos pulled itself free of the large portal and stepped into the city proper. The earth shook with the impact. The gigantic head swept the to and fro observing the town. It howled again and Arawn nearly dropped his phone as he flinched. The hollow turned it’s body and thundered east deeper into the city. This observation point was located on the western fringe.

“It’s going into town.” Arawn gave a sigh of relief, and then repeated the words afew seconds later. “It’s going into town.” The true depths of the words hit him. Shame and then guilt flooded through him. He knew there was nothing he could do, but he couldn’t deny his own happiness to see it turn away from him. People and souls would be killed in the large monster’s wake. Why should he be happy, why was he so relieved? It was rare moment, rational thought was overwritten by a sense of duty and moral indignation. Arawn’s reiatsu flared and he brought his hands together
“Thunder shake the heavens, roar and shatter the silence, blaze and split the darkness. Hado #4: Byakurai!” Bright white light erupted from his joined palms and shot out at the monster. The wide burst of energy looked so small against the monster’s mammoth back. A small explosion accompanied the impact and the Menos stopped mid step. It’s foot lowered and it’s head turned to peek over it’s shoulder. He wasn’t sure if the dark eyes saw him or not, but he took aim once more. “Thunder shake the heavens, roar and shatter the silence, blaze and split the darkness. Hado #4: Byakurai!” The second release was as powerful as the first, but he could feel the strain from the repeated double spell. His aim was true, as the pale energy struck right above the creature’s eye. The creature flinched, probably not from the pain, but from the bright light of the explosion. It turned completely around and opened it’s head once again, instead of a roar a ball of light appeared in it’s gapping maw. Even from that distance Arawn could feel something sinister from the ball of light. He realized too late he should move. Barely had his feet left the rooftop then the red light shot forth. The thunder of the explosion filled his ears as force of the blast tossed him like a rag doll. There was a blinding light and then everything went dark.

He awoke to darkness, his body felt sore. When he tried to move he found that he was trapped in a rather awkward posture. All his efforts to free himself were in vain, he hadn’t the strength to free his arms nor move his legs. The earth had swallowed him. He could only guess the creature’s attack had destroyed the area and some how buried him in the resulting debris. He could feel the earth rumble around him. The hollow? It was probably turning it’s attention back to the city, his foolish actions had only delayed it a matter of seconds, and now he was going to die. Arawn silently wished he had his phone, even if he couldn’t see it in his hands feeling out the right buttons wouldn’t have been to difficult. But then a part of him wondered if the signal would reach from underground. There was no way of knowing how deep he was buried. Since he wasn’t covered in rocks he could only guess that the large rock pinning his arm was also shielding in a sense. Unfortunately there was not telling when that slab would settle and crush him. The real question was how was he going to get out? Kido was a possibility. A hado might blast the rock out of the way. But the problem was which way was the best way to dig. If he guessed wrong the earth would collapse in on him. The bakudo spells he knew might be just as problematic. The only real option was to pray that someone found him before his air wore out. And there was no telling how long that would be. The fact he hadn’t suffocated yet was amazing, but it wasn’t too reassuring.

The earth trembled again, the monster must still be close or the reinforcements had arrived to help. Without his phone he could only guess. He tried to take as shallow breaths as possible as he lay there. At first he counted the seconds to pass time, but it felt kind of morbid. A final countdown for his second life. A list of regrets lined up in his head, but he tried to direct his thoughts elsewhere. Simone and Royce probably escaped the blast. Not like they were in danger to begin with, he had lashed out at the monster and earned it’s ire. He sighed again. Such stupidity. Another large tremor could be felt followed by several smaller ones. When the shaking stopped he noticed that his nose was now pressing firmly against the hard surface above his head. His little roof was falling down. There was some slight pressure on his chest now as well. There had to be a way to signal those on the surface. He tried to think, but the feel of cold stone against his face was distracting. Without his phone he couldn’t contact anyone nor they he. With any luck they could use the radar to find his location via his reiryoku. His reiryoku, that was it! Taking another shallow breath he concentrated and released his reiatsu. He felt the area around him start to shift and the pressure on his chest increased. He quickly stopped. That wasn’t a good sign. Arawn was getting light headed, he knew what that meant. The air was getting low or the stone was going to crushing his chest too much to breathe. Silently he wondered which would kill him first. He closed his eyes, not sure why he ever had opened them.
Breathing proved to get more difficult and it was hard to organize his thoughts. Although there wasn’t much going on in his mind, just a single thought; I’m going to die. Slowly he felt a tiredness seep into his body. The pressure of the stone and the stale air had taken their toll. If he slept now he probably won’t wake up. He laughed to himself, and welcomed a last dream before dying. His consciousness faded

Arawn’s eyes opened . He could still feel rock biting into his back and it was still dark. But this time it was different. There were stars above his head as he lay on his back, so many stars. “They’re beautiful.” he murmured. He was surprised at the sound of his own voice, like he hadn’t heard it in a long time. Arawn pushed his hand through his hair. “At least I got to see something pleasant.” he finished with a sigh. He bolted upright. He had felt that! He reached and touched his own face prodded his body and finally he pinched himself. Dreams could fell pretty realistic, but this felt truly real. If his sense of feeling, touch, and pain worked, there was no way this was dream. It was then he noted the rock was no longer pushing into his back, actually there was no rock beneath him, he was floating in empty space backwards. Upon looking there were rocks, but they too floated about. For all intents and purposes he was in space in some kind of asteroid belt. He attempted to swim towards the nearest rock, and found himself flailing in the air unable to move in the desired direction. There was no sun to be seen, only the stars lit the dark void. From underground to deep space, something was terribly wrong.

Spoiler:

“Hello!” he shouted, but there was no response “Can anyone hear me!” his voice echoed, but still there came no reply. While he should have been happy to escape the crushing death, now he had a new problem to confront. There was no food or water, instead of being crushed or asphyxiated he would starve and be dehydrated. “Damn.” he sighed. A rock a good deal bigger than his body floated close and rammed him, he tried to grasp it, but instead it sent him off in another direction. “Damn.” he said again. And so he floated. No other rocks came close to hitting him after that. There were so many rocks around him. Some of these asteroids dwarfed his body and others were many times his size.
He floated in silence for several moments before he heard a noise. Arawn stopped breathing to hear the sound better. There was nothing to be heard while he held his breath. As he exhaled the sound resumed then, once more stopped. After listening to the pattern for several moments there could be no mistaking the sound; it was someone snoring. Arawn attempted to twist himself around to better see as he floated. With much struggling his body began to turn and he could see forward. It wasn’t til he could see that he wished he hadn’t. Before him was a asteroid that was bigger than the rest; mammoth in size similar to the Menos grande he confronted. Large in width and length the other rocks seemed to orbit around this piece of rock. That wasn’t the most amazing thing. Coiled around the rock was the source of the snoring; a golden snake.

Arawn’s momentum slowly sent him crashing into the edge of the large planetoid. Frantically he grabbed at the rock and held on before he rebounded back into the darkness. The landing spot was nearly the underside of the rock. The rhythmic snoring continued. He questioned why he had grabbed hold, but he could find no answer he was compelled to do it. His heart racing he slowly climbed to the upwards. It was easy, but he was fearful of waking the creature if he moved too fast. Or the fact he might send himself flying off the asteroid if he was too hasty. He crested the edge and pulled himself to where the creature rested. From afar it had looked so small, but up close it was massive. The long snake body was coiled around all the rock except for the small portion of the planetoid he hugged. He could only watch in wonder as the scaled body rose and fall as it slumbered. As he tried to stand he could feel his body pull away from the ground. Quickly he reached down to anchor himself. His body half crouched he looked back up at the beast before him. He moved forward and stopped inches from the scaled hide. The body seemed like it was twenty feet tall since he was laying flat, but was probably a little over ten. Gingerly he reached out to touch the gold creature while his other hand held him down. He held his own breath as he listened to the creature snore. What the hell was he thinking? For some reason he felt the need to move forward. After a long pause he grabbed the scale with his hand and raised his other hand and grasped another scale. Gently he climbed up the monster’s body. It wasn’t until he reached the top that he noticed the snoring had stopped. His own breathing stopped once more as he looked to see the humongous reptilian head. The eyes were open it’s pupils as golden as the body and it’s iris a black slit down the center. Arawn sat there perched atop scaled body a deer in the headlights.

Spoiler:

“So you’ve finally come.” The words caused the body to shake. The deep growling voice sent a shiver down his spine, but he couldn’t find words to reply. It’s head raised up and craned it’s neck above him. The body shook again and Arawn held on to keep from being tossed off. As it rose up he noticed it two muscular arms had been resting beneath his head. This was no snake. “And thus shall bear witness to your final moment.”
With that statement Arawn found the words to speak.
“Final moments? So I’m dead?” his voice a whisper compared to the other. Was this thing meaning to eat him?
The beast snorted and the air from it’s nostrils nearly knocked him from his perch.
“No you‘re not dead yet.” The huge head hung over him while it spoke, each word like thunder. Arawn gazed upward into a mouth lined with fangs as large as his body.
“ And are you the one that ends my life?” he asked the creature. The answer was a robust laugh.
The head pulled back and went back to rest on it’s arms.
“I have no reason to end your life. You fate is already sealed.” It’s eyes closed and breathing slowed once more. After much silence Arawn spoke again.
“Can you at least tell me where I am? How did I get out from under that rubble?” A single eye opened and focused on the shinigami.
“You never left.” it rumbled “While your body dies, your mind and soul came here. Into my realm; my kingdom.”
Arawn looked around, there was nothing but a sea of stars and rocks floating endlessly. This was a kingdom? “I’m sure you can feel it. Maybe in the back of your mind; the pain as your body is slowly crushed.” It spoke softly, but another chill ran down his spine at it’s words. A part of him knew it was true. Where ever he was now, wasn’t where his body was. The eye closed once more ending the conversation.

He sat there for several moments absorbing what he had heard. In that time the creature started to snore again. Had it already drifted off to sleep? If what it said was true every second he sat, his body died. He needed to get out this strange place and back to body. But then what? Nothing would have changed, he would be still buried under rock and run out of air. He could only sit in silence pondering his a course of action. He could think of nothing. As he sat there was something nagging at him in the back of his head. It wasn’t the thought of his dying body, it was the creature. How did it know his body was dying? Why was Arawn drawn here, and why was the creature here. The beast snored away peacefully. There was something it wasn’t telling him. It might have answers to his questions.
“Hello!” he called out weakly, but the monster snored on. Gaining some confidence he shouted louder “HEY WAKE UP!!” still no response. Arawn banged on it’s scales trying for some response, but it had no effect either. If only he could hit harder. His eyes brightened, there might be a way, but there was no guarantee it would work. With a deep breath he summoned his reiatsu Sa Shin Mu
Beck-Ho! The weightlessness diminished in his arm and brought it down upon the scales, there was a loud clank as his fist impacted, and the serpent’s eyes shot open and head raised into the air.
“What do you think you’re doing!?” it rumbled, the edge quite obvious in his voice. “It seems you have no manners. You dare to strike me”
“I have no manners? You call yourself a king and yet sleep when a guest arrives. I called out and yet you slept.” The creature snorted “I had no choice but to strike. I have but two questions o’ king! Please humor me in my last moments. Answer my two questions and I let you sleep again.” It’s eyes narrowed.
“Very well, ask your questions.” it snorted. Arawn smirked. The creature was true it it’s word; it would not take his life. Even after he struck it. So it meant him no harm, yet was reluctant to help him. It’s body had withstood the power of his Beck-Ho. It was possible that the strange gravity could effect his blow, but even then Arawn was capable of breaking stones. The scales weren’t even scuffed from the attack.
“This is your realm you said, you the king and lord of all I see, and yet there is nothing. You reign over rocks. You are powerful I trembling in your presence. And yet why are you here?”
The reptilian’s eyebrow raised slightly
“I am the master of the void. All succumb to my power. I need not subjects for all are my subjects. I am everywhere and nowhere, my reach is further than you can imagine. I rule from afar.” it head swayed back in forth as it spoke. “Does that answer your question?”
Arawn nodded. A well crafted answer.
“You have one question left.” it growled, it bucked it’s body. Unsuspecting of such a move Arawn lost his grip and began to float. It would only take a slight nudge to send him flying into the endless dark.


The young man rubbed his chin as if in deep thought. But he already knew his question. He just wanted to phrase it properly. He smiled at the beast and spoke.
“I see, you are both powerful and wise. I thank you for taking the time to address me. I do apologize for hitting you. And I wish to thank you for your hospitality.”
The creature looked at him skeptically. “That’s not a question.”
“No, I’m just curious to whom I’m thanking…” he watched as the creature’s eyes widen then narrowed once again it’s lip curled into a snarl.
“So you managed to figure it out.” it growled. The answer wasn’t obvious until he saw that reaction. This wasn’t some dark dimension and this wasn’t some forgotten god or deity. This was the realm that exists within the soul of a shinigami, and the beast before him was a spirit.
“You’re my_”
“I AM NOT YOURS!!” it roared with such force it sent him spinning backwards. Arawn couldn’t help, but tremble by the ferocity. “A joke of a shinigami. From here I’ve seen it all. You were lucky to have made it this far. You were destined to die. It’s a shame it was to be in obscurity.”
Anger welled up inside Arawn. “Like it or not, you’re apart of me. I’m about to die and you’re refusing to help. If I go you go!” The golden beast chuckled
“I came from the void and there I shall return. This is the fate of all things. I do not fear my end. And you cannot fight your destiny.” Arawn’s feet gained purchase on the empty air. He slid backwards to a stop.
“Fate? Destiny? Are you really that simple minded?”
Again the beast chuckled “You’ve died once before. Death comes for all things, that is fate.”
“Death is inevitable. But that doesn’t mean to give up on life.” He placed his palms before him and let his reiryoku bubble forth. “You’re right, you aren’t my spirit I refuse to associated with such a cowardly being.”
“YOU DARE_
“Thunder shake the heavens, roar and shatter the silence, blaze and split the darkness. Hado #4: Byakurai”
The large burst of energy exploded forward at the creature’s head, it’s eyes wide it moved it’s neck. The shot of lightning hit a rock behind it and exploded.
“What do you think you’re doing!?” The voice was different now, confusion. “Are you thinking to subjugate me?” The air around it started to shimmer and the rocks that had kept a wide orbit of the large planetoid started to drift closer.
“I don’t want such a pathetic spirit.” Arawn spoke evenly, his response earned another growl. “Since you didn’t answer my last question I have a new one for you; why did you dodge my attack?”
“What?
“I asked you why did you dodge? You speak of dying and returning to the void, and yet you dodge my attack.”
It stopped long enough to think about what he said.
“Hado #3: Crimson Strike.” This time it was a red burst of light from his right hand, again the creature dodged. It snarled again and a shower of large rocks flew from behind it and at Arawn. At the same time rocks from behind him advanced as well. The two waves of rock collided loudly. Small bits of rock filled the area as the asteroids had broken into smaller pieces from the impact.

Arawn stood a few feet behind the creature’s head, his hands held in front of him. The creature’s were wide and it’s jaw wide open.
“I won’t miss at this range. Thunder shake _
“Wait!” the creature rumbled.
“the heavens , roar and shatter the silence_”
“If you kill me you’ll leave this place. Being here is keeping you alive.”
“Blaze and split the darkness. Hado #4: Byakurai!”
“STOP!”
The white light fired past his massive head and hit a random rock.
“So was this all a test?” Arawn didn’t lower his hands “If you wanted me to die you could have just left me out there.” The massive head turned to face him. “And since you control the path of the rocks you brought me to this spot.”
“Perhaps” is all the beast said as he uncoiled it’s body “But you were testing me as well. Your little attack could never harm me.”
“So we’re both good actors then.” Arawn smiled.
“Maybe.” The beast chuckled. “But what I said is true, you are not worthy of my power, but perhaps you are worthy of my help.” It’s clawed hand rose up beneath Arawn “Your fate will never change boy, you will die. How you die is another matter all together.” The hand closed about him and a bright light flared up around him “Listen well by, my name is …..”

It was dark again. No stars, no asteroids, no dragon. Was it all a dream? The stone slab was pressing deeply against his face and chest. He could feel his strength ebb. But then there came a warm pulse from his right hand. The warmth spread from his hand into his arm, from the arm through his chest. The energy flowed through his whole body now. Where was the warmth coming from? It was then he realized there was something gripped in his right. A handle? He had lost his sword I the explosion hadn’t he? He couldn’t remember. The warmth fueled him. The second pulse of the blade synched with his own. Arawn coughed as he inhaled the stale air.
“Drift, Huang Long.” The trickle of energy from his right became a torrent, and he thought he heard a roar as light came forth. His body felt light as more energy flowed into him. The pressure of the rock lessened. Without much effort he pushed and the rocks shifted around him. As he moved his body the rocks were pushed away. It was still dark but he could see the faint outline of something in his right hand. Somehow he was now within the rubble. His right hand leading he moved through the rock. The power flowing through him didn’t stop. Little by little he rose from the depths. Finally his hand pushed another larger rock aside and touched open air. A cavern? Pulling himself up once again he was out of the underground. He had reached the surface. The area looked like a battlefield. Buildings were destroyed , fires burned. There was no sign of the large menos grande. He stood there for a moment breathing the fresh air, he then looked at his right hand.

Spoiler:

He admired the golden weapon in his hand. Slowly the energy coming from it had diminished. The strangely curved weapon shined in the late day sun there was no mistaking it's golden hue. "Interesting." he said as his left hand touched the told metal. In a small flash the weapon shifte;

Spoiler:

He raised the blade over his head and examined it. No longer a golden curved blade, but a silver blade with with a slight curve. The tsuba was now gold and depicted a dragon encircling itself. It wasn't a dream. Whatever his intentions Huang Long had helped him. He wanted to laugh, but it was then he felt all his energy drain from his body. Darkness swallowed him yet again, but this time it was just fatigue. Arawn fell to the ground clutching his zanpukto.

OOC: I thank everyone that took the time to read this and promise to make any future posts much shorter.