A Beautiful Disaster (Vikaz)

The place was magnificent. The trees that were the size of skyscrapers echoed with sounds of birds chirping and various bugs hissing in the morning light. The foliage that lined the ground was an emerald green and cool to the touch. The air was rich with oxygen, making breathing an enjoyable task for it seemed to awaken Shakaku's mind and fill her with strength and energy. Though the place was shadowed, the sunlight managed to squirm in between the leaves and spill onto the forest floor making it an even more vibrant hue. She had never been in such a forest before. The captain from Squad one sent her to patrol the world of the living for hollows in this very forest. He told her that this forest was known to attract hollows for reasons unknown to the Soul Society so she would be there to defeat any hollows she came across and collect information as to why they were so attracted to this specific location. This place is so beautiful, though. How could anything be so monstrous here? Shakaku thought as she breathed in the rich air and exhaled loudly. "I suppose I'm just going to have to find out."

As Shakaku began to walk deeper into the woods, she began to see and sense some unusual things. Some of the trees were toppled over and rotting on the forest floor, moss overtaking the dark brown bark. There were large footprints, seemingly the feet of a hollow imprinted into the spongy green grass. She even came across some splotches of what looked to be blood splattered on the leaves of ferns and on the dark, strong skin of the trees. "How odd..." She murmured to herself when she bent down to touch the crimson splotches. "It's still wet." She looked up, wondering if there was an animal above her that was injured and bleeding, maybe caught by a predator and managed to escape death, but nothing was there. She looked back down to examined the blood soaked earth and felt anxiety prickle up her spine. The blood, the footprints, the toppled over trees. Something strange was definitely occurring in this forest and she needed to find out what was going on.

As soon as the thought crossed her mind, Shakaku's soul pager started to beep rapidly. Pulling it from the pocket on the inside of her kimono, she examined the pager with dread. There was a hollow only a little ways away from her. She placed it back into her pocket, drew her sword from her scabbard and prepared herself. "Ok I know you're there. Come out come out wherever you are!"