Investigating In The Middle East (Ri Only)

Kurama was just waking up in the squad 10 barracks as a small, black winged butterfly fluttered into the room. He had heard of hell butterflies but honestly had no experience with the beings. He outstretched his hand and allowed the little guy to land on his finger.

"Kurama Himura." The butterfly spoke in the voice of the tenth squad third seat officer. "You have been assigned to accompany another Shinigami to the Human World as an escort while he investigates a disturbance in the area. The mission has been ranked a very low danger level. You should be more than qualified for this mission. The Shinigami you are escorting is Squad Eleven, Eleventh Seat Ri O'Nocht. Your departure will be in one hour. Saddle up new guy!"

Kurama stretched and began putting his clothes on. Darcius Aisu was leaning against his bed, ready to go. Once he'd finished getting ready, he proceeded to the place where he was to meet this Soul Reaper and use the Senkaimon to travel to the Human World. The man wasn't there yet but then again the butterfly did say an hour...

Ri had been meditating on top of the squad eleven barracks when a hell butterfly flew around him and broke his concentration. He watched the butterfly dance around him then listened to the message.

"Ri O'Nocht, you've been assigned to investigate a disturbance in an area of the living world. The mission has been ranked a very low danger level. You'll be accompanied by the sixth seat of squad ten Kurama Himura. Report to the Senkai Gate in an hour to depart."

Ri's face broke out in a smile as he heard his orders being spoke to him from the hell butterfly. He didn't waste much time on getting down off the roof and after a short walk arrived at the Senkaimon and spotted a light blue haired Shinigami waiting by the gate.

"Kurama Himura?" Ri asked as he approached the Shinigami waiting next to the gate.

"Ri O'Nocht I'm guessing? As I understand it you'll be investigating a disturbance somewhere in the middle east. At least that's where we are headed it seems..." Kurama smiled at the Shinigami, he hadn't made any friends yet since he'd been placed into Squad Ten and perhaps this would be his chance to get to know some one.

It wasn't long before the gates appeared and they stepped inside the room. The Shinigami that Kurama was escorting was a short one. Way shorter than himself even though Kurama thought himself to be a bit on the short side. Even though the man was probably a few years older than him, the guy stood at five feet, maybe five foot and an inch if he didn't slouch. Not to mention he had at least fifty pounds on Kurama, most of which didn't appear to be muscle...

The Squad Ten officer had learned by now that he shouldn't be judging people by their appearance. He'd only been there a week and he'd already done it twice, though at least he hadn't done it out loud this time...

"So, er... What's this investigation about anyway?" The doors were beginning to open in front of them, reminding Kurama of being in an elevator; only without the catchy music...

"A number of souls and humans have been destroyed. Whether by hollow or not isn't certain but we can assume..." Ri said explaining the mission details as they were given to him though how factual the information is was questionable.

"All reports indicate from the number of attacks we're looking at multiple hostiles and they're in an area of the living world called the middle east and their heading slowly north. " Ri said as the gates opened and a member of the kido corps who operated and maintained the gate gave the two Shinigami the nod to go ahead.

"We're to track down the cause and stop them" Ri said as he started to step forward through the gate, he was eager to get through this mission and get back, he had a promise to keep.

Once the pair had exited the Senkaimon, an intense heat began to fill the air. Kurama did not like the humidity and thought the air uncomfortable. "Jesus! Who could live in a place like this?!" He unsheathed his zanpakuto and rested it on his shoulder. The air around his face began to cool down subtly and little droplets of water began to condense on his blade.

"Well that's a little better. Now where are we supposed to go from here? Or are we supposed to spend the entire day looking about?" Kurama asked, a little worried about his answer... Could Shinigami get sunburned?

Ri didn't like the intense heat much either but it wasn't something they could change so they were just going to have to work through it. Ri took a look around as the gate closed behind them.

"There is a settlement a short distance north of here it's the last report of an attack and it fits the general direction the rest of attacks were following" Ri said as he tried to catch a glimpse of the town but it was to no use ,he couldn't see a thing.

" So we head to the town and see what we can find there but after that I've no idea" Ri admitted as he started walking through the hot sand heading north which he figured out using the sun's location in the sky.

To say that the walk was long was the understatement of his lifetime. The sun's heat didn't begin to let up until they'd reached the town, which was good because just as one could die in the day's heat, so could one in the night's cold.

"Let's see if we can find a place to shack up for the night and grab a bite to eat. Afterwards we can see if whatever you're looking for goes bump in the night..."

Kurama's plan was a good one, though it was more likely that was how he wanted it to sound. The truth was that he was dead tired and more hungry than he'd been since the last time he'd fasted. Th sky lit up with brilliant hues of oranges and pinks, bidding farewell to the sun as it set over the horizon.

Kurama attempted to speak to one of the local merchants, hoping he'd be able to arrange a place for them to stay the night. He soon after realized that he wasn't in a gigai... and felt very foolish...

"Agreed " Ri said as his body moaned to him for making it walk so far in such blithering heat. Ri hadn't seen such a culture before all of them people wore long robes many of the men had large beards and the women wore such robes only their eyes could be seen.

"That looks to be place of worship it's big we can stay the night there if you don't have any reservations?" Ri said point the large building at the centre of the town where all of the towns people were now exiting

"It's big enough to find a quite corner for us to hold up in with disturbing anyone and that tower there we can use as a lookout point should anything happen" Ri said pointing to the large tower attached to the Mosque.

Kurama nodded. The tower seemed to be sufficient for a lookout point, it held a wide view of the town and cover from any curious eyes...

"Shall we then?" Kurama began to flash step towards the tower. He jumped into the air and began concentrating on the Reishi beneath his feet, solidifying it. He'd just recently been taught this technique by the Squad Ten drill instructor and still wasn't entirely used to the feeling of flying through the air.

Being the one to take the initiative, he arrived at the tower first. The building, along with everything else belonging to this culture, was strange and foreign to him. The room was colorfully decorated, rugs and tapestries hung from the walls and several windows over looked the wide reaches of the town below...

"lets" Ri said in response as he flash stepped following Kurama in to the tower which gave a perfect view of town and the surrounding area. Ri looked down into the main part of the building and could see many men kneeling below and speaking in a foreign tongue.

"Don't suppose you know what their up to do you. I remember little of my living life and I was never paid much attention in human studies in the academy" Ri confessed as he watch the men put their head to the ground chant then raise them once again.

"No clue..." Kurama sat on the window ledge and peered out over the city. He couldn't be been by anyone anyways so it didn't really matter if he was sticking out of their cover a little bit. The sun slowly set, the red glow in the west eventually faded away, as did the chanting of Salatu-l-Maghrib below them. Kurama had been paying attention to the time so that he'd know how fast the sun was moving and how long it'd be until morning...

"How can they sit on their knees for an hour and a half like that?"

"I'd say if they came to the soul society they'd see us as strange too." Ri said, looking down at the hall of men and women still praying. He'd made note to review his text books on living cultures when he got back to the Soul Society.

From within the darkness of the night, a shriek disturbed the otherwise calm silence. The faithful in the mosque seemed not to react to the screams as they left the mosque.

Ri didn't wait for Kurama to say anything, let alone formulate a plan. He launched himself out of the tower window, heading in the direction of the scream, but he didn't have a solid fix on its source.

Kurama didn't have time to even turn his head towards the shriek, let allow shout for the lower-seated officer to wait for him. The man launched himself out of the tower window like some super hero he vaguely remembered from a cartoon special made popular in the World of the Living. He seemed to disappear into the night, swift as a bat, forcing Kurama to have to follow him...

"I guess it's show time..." He jumped from the window himself, solidifying the Reishi beneath his feet to slow his decent like he'd done earlier. Once he'd reached the ground, he began reaching out with his senses, trying to pin-point Ri...

"There you are!" Kurama flash-stepped his way through the narrow town streets. Eventually he'd spotted Ri at the edge of an alley, he'd noticed a small puddle of what appeared to be Reishi on the ground, whatever had been here was long gone already. No matter how much either of them would try, they couldn't seem to pick up on whatever was here only a few short moments ago...

“There was a human here, there still traces of their minuet spirit pressure. “ Ri said crouching down looking at the ground, there pile of sand there but sand was every in the town so it didn’t look out of place at all. The pressure of the human faded quick till it could no longer be sensed.

“Any ideas?” Ri said as he stood up and looked at Kurama. Ri hope that Kurama might have an idea of what do next after all he was from the investigation squad.

Kurama shook his head. "I can't sense either of them..." He felt an odd wind pass through the street. Now wind in itself isn't that odd out in a place like this, except that the wind blew only passed them... As quick as it had come, it had gone again...

"I think we better return to the tower, whatever it was got scared off. Who knows, maybe it'll attack again tomorrow night..."

With that, Kurama turned back towards the tower. Ready to catch some sleep and prepare for tomorrow. He'd be sure to report the attack to headquarters during the walk...

Ri followed Kurama back to the tower but he had no intention of sleeping. He didn't sleep much when was alive either and it didn't change when he died. He sat on the tower's ledge keeping a watchful eye on the town.

Hours past and the heat of the desert seemed far away as the night brought a chilling cold with it. Ri felt the cold but choose to ignore it rather then complain. He figured there was at least another eight hours before the sun would rise again and in the pitch black Ri could see very little.

He kept his eye on the town, only just able to see the vague outline of the buildings, he keep his senses high but wouldn't detect anything. His mind raced with possible scenarios that might develop and planned a count for each though he doubt he'd ever use them.

As the hours passed, it grew colder and colder. Kurama didn't seem to be affected by it as much as Ri was. The man seemed reluctant to complain about the steadily decreasing temperature, though Kurama could tell he'd more than noticed it...

Kurama stood up and headed towards a small fireplace that appeared to be for heating the room in just such an occasion. The tower was also equip with a pull curtain in which they'd be able to cover the unnecessary windows. Doing so, Kurama stated "We don't need all of these open, you're only using the one anyhow. Besides, it's pitch black out there..."

He lit the fire by taking a few of the small pieces of wood beside it, moving them with the technique he'd been using to solidify Reishi. Beneath that, he slid a few crumpled sheet of paper and used a nearby match to light it. It wasn't long before they had the room at a tolerable temperature. "Night. Wake me if something happens..."

The rest of the night however, seemed quiet. Before long Ri could see the sun beginning to creep into the sky in the east...

Ri sat up most the night in the tower but ever time he thought he heard something he'd flash step around the town ensuring everything was as it should be , none of these patrol turned up anything which was frustrating , Ri didn't like waiting around much.

"Up ya get" Ri said as he lightly kick Kurama's back .Ri had put the fire out some time ago so not to draw the attention of any of the towns people as since the tower was high the light of the fire was easy to see.

"We'd best make a move" Ri said speaking vaguely as he wasn't sure what their next step was but he didn't have to think about that long as in the distance he could just make out something flying through the sky.

"You see that" Ri said looking to Kurama then back to the distant figure , it was too far away to make out but it about the size of human and was travelling fast away from the town.

Kurama nodded, the man wasn't going to get away this time... "Let's go." Kurama said as he grabbed his zanpakuto and fastened it to his waist. He perched himself on the window ledge and waited to make sure Ri was ready. They were going to have to shunpo for quite a long distance in order to catch up to the flying humanoid. It took a moment to ready one's self for that kind of endurance.

Kurama then leapt from the tower, moving quickly through the air, bouncing from building to building to save the energy it would normally take a shinigami to run solely on air. It took almost five minutes of shunpoing to catch up to this soaring demon, whatever it was. It was if the wind itself was carrying him rather than him utilizing reishi... In fact, Kurama could sense very little reishi being manipulated by the man. It was if he was actually flying through the air. Ri appeared beside him only seconds later, sweating as much as the sixth seat officer was, himself. The man slowed his flight, turning towards the shinigami and smiling. Though he didn't seem to be smiling directly at them, but more passed them.

"Khalid, it seems the shingami have found us..."

The sand began to stir around them as another figure began to appear. There was no mistaking what these men were now... The attacks, the elemental abilities. "They're Bounts..."

"Very good, Shinigami. Though what are you planning on doing now that you've discovered our hunting grounds, kill us? I'm afraid that these lands, and its people, are under our jurisdiction. You see, I am the ruler of these parts. You may call me Amir..." The Bount motioned towards his companion, "This is Khalid. He is my brother, and my advisor... He ensured me that there would be no further involvement with the shinigami, so why are you here?"

Kurama turned so that he didn't have his back towards Khalid as he spoke to Amir. "I am unaware of any agreements for you, or any of your kind, to prey on humans." "That is because it wasn't an agreement. It was a threat. These people worship me as their prince, getting rid of me threatens their existence as a society. So unless you'd like to see these people starve to death I suggest you leave and ensure that no shinigami steps foot on my lands again..."

Kurama thought for a moment... If what this bount said was true, there was not much he could do. He couldn't allow them to continue their attacks on innocent people but at the same time he couldn't doom them to starvation. "We have means to support these people until they are able to secure a new form of government..."

"A bold claim shinigami, but unfortunately, the wrong answer. Khalid, kill them."

Kurama felt the sand constrict them around their feet, disabling their movements. He unsheathed his zanpakuto and began to release it. "Bow before the Frozen Sage!, Kurounin Aisu!" The blade transformed itself into an icy blue nodachi before their eyes, shimmering in the sunlight like a giant, gleaming crystal.

"Ri, you've got the prince. I'll take care of his muscle..."

Ri examined the two bounts as Kurama spoke to them, it was clear that Amir was in change and that Khalid was the subordinate thought didn’t mean Amir was stronger just smarter. Clearly Amirs doll had the ability to manipulate the wind and Khalid one had ability to manipulate sand perhaps.

“lucky me I get to take his head out his arse then shove it back up there” Ri said smiling with that little cocky grin he always wore before a fight. Ri couldn’t see any weapon on Amir but bounts usually had their dolls fight for them rather then get their hands dirty.

“How vulgar” Amir replied with smug look on his face but that was soon replace by a broad smile and horrible laugh. “I get the weaker one how drab”

“Man you don’t shut up.” Ri said taking a few steps backwards at great difficulty, feeling the sand chafe his feet as it tried to constrict his movements, creating distance between him and Amir as he drew his Zanpakuto. He planned to dodge the doll and quickly ending Amir but he doubted it would be that easy, it rarely was.

Kurama focused his spiritual energy into his movements, fueling his speed as he did countless times before in order to flash step. He used the ability known as Senka to free himself of the constricting sand trap the Bount's Doll was forming. Kurama had never used this ability before but along with his newfound ability to release his shikai, he found other skills became accessible to him.

He lashed out with his zanpakuto, almost cutting the man's head off, but the bount's doll seemed to have some experience with shinigami. It formed a wall of sand, blasting Kurama's zanpakuto out of his hand. "Aisu Shaddo!" Dozens of shards of ice appeared before Kurama, gleaming in the sun's light. The shards of ice circled Kurama and the bount, waiting for the next set of movements to guide them. The sand only seemed to buff them as it swirled around the bount, sharpening them further.

Kurama sent the shards in a mad spiral around the bount, not attacking him, but forcing him to stay still else be cut by the shards. "Hado #36! Hail Storm!" A circle of icy blue light shimmered around the bount, chilling the air even further than Kurama's reiatsu had. All of a sudden, pieces of hail the size of baseballs began to rain down on the bount. He attempted to shield himself with another wall of sand but they couldn't block all of the hail shards.

While the doll was busy attempting to shield its master from the hail, Kurama sent his own shards in to attack his chest. The shards hit home and opened several moderate sized wounds on his torso. The shards shattered into his skin, delivering a large amount of pain as he attempted to brush them off. As each melted under his spiritual pressure, they reformed beside Kurama...

“Lets follow their example” Ri said as Kurama started his fight with the bount. Ri turned his attention to Amir and focus on him without ignoring the other bount encase he decided to interfere thought Kurama seemed to have his focus.

Amir did not reply he only smiled more as the wind grew more and more fierce till the wind picked up the sand around them causing a sort of sand storm with Ri and Amir in the eye of it. Ri and Amir were alone now unable to see the other fight meaning Ri didn’t have to worry about the other bount getting a cheap shot in but then again he was trapped.


“So then your doll, it has the power to manipulate the wind” Ri said calmly as he leaped off the sand a form a foothold for himself in the air. He could sense the bounts power and was not too worried about the fight; in fact, he was looking forward to it.

Ri’s answer wasn’t verbal but instead he was answered with an attack. A body of wind formed in front of Amir then dashed toward Ri. Ri instantly placed his Zanpakuto defensively across his chest blocking the first blow. The doll took the form a man and had a sword but he was difficult to see at all.

Ri pushed the attack off, then swiped through the dolls head but his sword merely passed straight through the dolls head. The wind that created the doll head fade then reformed. Ri flash stepped backing off, if cutting the doll doesn’t do anything he’d have to go for the source and cut Amir down.

The fight raged on, the bounts doll was forced onto the defensive due to Kurama's immense speed. Slash after slash was blocked, shards shattering and melding with the sand before reforming once again beside Kurama. A few attack got through and continued to wound the bount...

"This doesn't have to end with your death Khalid! You can surrender and leave this place!" Khalid hesitated for a moment and stole a glance at the swirling vortex that hid his brother."Amir would not allow that. Now quit trying to act like a saint, I know you're just trying to catch me off guard! All you shinigami are the same..." Khalid said the word shinigami with a bit of poison laced within the syllables, as if cursing them...

"If that is what you wish..." Kurama began to flash step around Khalid, making his shards disappear as he did so. He formed them into a small wall of ice, just as he would to shield an attack, in front of the bount. The surface of the wall was smooth, it reflected Kurama's appearance as he used senka to appear behind him. The doll blasted through the thin wall of ice and realized too late that it was only a decoy. Kurama drove his blade through the bount's back, sending a spray of blood into the air. The bount's doll sent Kurama flying across the desertous battlefield, but it was too late... The deed was done, Khalid lay dying on the ground. Though as long as he still remained conscious, the doll was still a problem...

Ri shunpo’d around the doll and moved to Amir , he raised his blade and went to strike but as the blade neared Amir he hit a invisible field and before he could do anything else a blast of wind pushed him off.

“Wind…. You us it as a shield, clever” Ri said as the bounts doll charged , Ri moved quickly out it’s path and countered but his strike went through the doll with no lingering damage.

Ri backed off but the doll advanced on Ri , who wasn’t expecting an attack. The dolled slashed upward casting Ri’s Zanpakuto out of the way then slashed across Ri’s chest sending him back, the doll moved behind Ri and slashed his back cutting his robe top off.

Straight strikes weren’t effected either the doll or Amir , Ri was going to have to try something else. Ri saw the doll charge again and prepared himself, as it attack Ri countered by striking through its head but to no effect. He shunpo’d as far as he could then held out his right arm and focused his reiatsu.

“Let my energy flow and cut my opponent to ribbons. May his remains be scattered by the winds.” Ri said as right arm bust into flames and formed a fiery sword. Ri held his Zanpakuto in his left hand and his right was a flaming sword it’s self.

The doll appeared in front of Ri and attempted to run him through but Ri shunpo’d behind him and stabbed his fiery right arm into him and held it there for a moment as the doll was consumed by the fire.

“ho…how” Amir said finally speaking as Ri slowly started to advance of him. Amir was clearly frightened of the approving Ri.

“Fire consumes wind , I merely used your doll to fuel my kido” Ri said smiling broadly as he stopped and took a stance. His eyes remain on Amir, giving a cold star waiting for him to move.

Amir didn’t speak but instead held out his right arm as the wind causing the sand storm redirected it self to Amirs arm well retaining a vast amount of sand in it. The wind formed a blade around Amirs arm that contained a vast amount of sand giving it a pale yellow colour.

“The speed at which the sand move in my blade makes it act something like a chainsaw, a single hit will end your meaningless existence.” Amir said as he launched at himself at Ri who instantly blocked with his Zanpakuto but as he held off the attack he saw Amir’s blade slowly cut through Ri’s Zanpakuto, quickly Ri casted the attack off then raised his right hand but before he could Amir slashed across Ri’s stomach.

Ri felt like he was being eaten as million grains of sand ripped through him, the attack sent him flying away through the air to finally land on the sand which was quickly stained by his blood. Ri could feel his stomach bleeding and as he stood felt the pain of it.

That attack has caused him to lose control of his kido and so his fire blade had vanished. Ri held his stomach as he watch Amir advance on him. Ri knew he had to end this now or he’d soon bleed to death. He held out his right hand as traced a triangle out as his hand glowed.

“Hado thirty Triple Piercing Beak Beam!!” Ri stated as the three points shot out of the triangle aimed for Amir. The three points caught him , one at the neck the other two at the limbs then formed a triangle that sent Amir flying back in search of something to hold him to ,as is the kido intension.

Ri shunpo’d behind Amir and held his Zanpakuto in preparation, he didn’t like killing but he knew he had no choice, he held high his zanpakuto over his shoulder then as Amir came in range he down, through Amirs neck ending the immortals life.

The kido ceased to exist and so did Amir , he tuned to sand that quickly became lost in the vast desert. Ri wasn't smiling as he descended to the ground, he was still bleeding and was going to have to stop that soon but at least his fight was over.