The lost ones find power out of necessity.

Sero had moved around the populated areas quietly. Assessing where was least likely for people to simply wander upon him. He needed somewhere to train where he wouldn't destroy much. After all if he were to attempt some of the high level jutsu he had recently studied the scrolls on he would need a massive training space. Preferably one without a great deal of tree's or wildlife. Or human establishments at all for that matter. He knew he was a walking nightmare. All living things could feel it radiating off of him. A monster born in this age to rid the world of evil. However evil held a great deal of power and in order to combat it he would need something equal to it. For now he would train two suiton jutsu and go from there. For now he had managed to find a valley surrounded by hills with very little in the way of trees. No stream running through it and high walls on either side. The valley was six hundred meters in total which meant he could see clearly from one end to the other. There wasn't an establishment for the humans within a mile of the place either. Likely they would hear the sound of the two jutsu as a distant echo but most humans did not seek out strange noises out of a sense of survival. If they did come they would find him there having done no harm to anyone. Simply practicing his jutsu at a harmless distance.

Sero stood on the edge of a cliff at the edge of the valley. Looking over all of it dressed in all white. He was wearing white pants that looked like bone scales over bare feet that did not seem to mind the jagged rocks in the least. He was wearing long white robes over them that split in the front below the waist but held together with strings along the torso. A bone jaw jutted out of the left side of his face but those cold blue eyes and blue hair stood in stark contrast to the rest of his pale attire and skin. Still he would focus himself. Taking a deep breath as he gathered suiton chakra at his center in mass. Quietly he would form the ram seal and then open his maw. Not like a human would but more like a snake with an extended jaw. As he did a massive torrent of water erupted forth. Churning and creating a whirlpool at first over the length of the valley. The waves of it stopping a hundred meters short of the length of the valley itself. A five hundred meter in diameter lake created there now. However Sero was not finished. The first jutsu was a success but the second... he would take another breath and focus more suiton chakra in his stomach as he closed his mouth and pursed his lips. There was a boulder sticking out of the lake. Unmoved by the surge of it. Sero would rapidly form hand signs.Tiger > Rat > Horse > Snake > Dragon before ending it by clapping his hands together. Now water streamed from his pursed lips in a hundred meter beam of water pressure. Cutting through the boulder like paper as it fell into two halves. Crashing into the depths of the lake that parted at the second jutsu for a moment as it arced along its path. Carving a trench into the lake temporarily.

Techniques trained :

[/b]

Madrigal moved through the more isolated areas of the Kirigakure training grounds. Vast arrays of land with valleys and fields that made for perfect water technique practice. Given the size and scope that such techniques could have it was a prudent step that the village had taken to allow for training grounds of such sizes. Given the proclivity of people training water techniques in the village. He was dressed in his normal attire, a black suit with a black undershirt. Black pants, boots, and a red scarf that framed the front of his dress shirt. Glasses adorned his face although they didn't serve any purpose except to make him look like he needed them. Which might cause someone to underestimate him. In reality, he probably had the sharpest eyes in the village, bar none. He was out in the Kirigakure training grounds looking for someone and thanks to his Byakugan he had found him finally. Sero was someone he remembered from when he visited the Heavenly Emporium and he was here to speak to him, possibly train with him if he wished. He intended to work with the man's Nightmare Brigade as much as Kirigakure would allow.

Sero knew that his hands might be a bit more tied due to his full capacity within the Kirigakure military and his requirement to take orders from his superior officer. That meant he could be ordered to not work with Sero's group, and he would have to follow such orders to the letter. However to the extent he could do so he intended to work with the man and his people. He'd already met Sayuri and that had been a...interesting meeting. To say the least. Her headband was on his arm now, wrapped around it with the Kirigakure emblem proudly displayed upon it's metal plate. She had given it to him at the hotel after her meeting. Now it was after that, a new day really, and he was out hunting for Sero to talk to him and let him know that he had finally arrived. He had been held up a week outside of the village but he was here now. It was time to see what he could do, he hadn't had the opportunity to meet with Kitsuki about the Nightmare Brigade, but they could potentially simply move to a different cave. That would keep Sero away from the human populace where his aura of primal fear wouldn't affect people unnecessarily, but hopefully assuage Kitsuki's fears of the group.

From a distance he was able to see Sero's use of high level water jutsu and nodded. As he'd expected, high level water techniques had to be within the man's repertoire given his physical capabilities with the element. He had already seen the man use fire. However, there appeared to be someone else traveling toward Sero who would arrive at roughly the same time Madrigal would. Madrigal was moving far faster, but the other individual was much, much, closer. Evidently he had seen the technique too and was coming to investigate who had used it. As they arrived Madrigal would let the other man speak first. He wasn't sure what rank he was and he didn't want to risk interrupting a superior. However as he spoke and admitted he was a rookie genin Madrigal would nod in acknowledgement of that information even if it hadn't been directed at him. Madrigal knew a bit about water style, none of the techniques but he did know that their ranges encompassed some of the largest techniques in existence although he didn't know how the worked or even their names.

Once Kaikasame had finished speaking Madrigal would speak, ensuring that he wasn't being rude by doing so. He felt his inner walls going up at being so close to Sero with his aura. He again felt the eyes of a great predator on him as if he were the next meal. The feeling of being prey, of being hunted. He felt his body tense in instinctive reaction to the aura Sero gave off simply by existing but he had felt it before. He knew the beast wasn't truly there, and he let himself calm while walling off a part himself mentally to handle the rest. "It's good to see you Sero, do you remember me?" He would ask, his tone was a bit monotonous, an aftereffect of his dealing with Sero's aura mentally, but a small smirk, barely the twitch of a corner of the mouth could be seen if one looked closely enough.

Sero would turn his cold blue eyes as a young man he had never seen before approached him. Perhaps he had been foolish to come out to the training grounds instead of remaining near the cave. Mankind responded with fear before all other reasoning. When something stalked their lands they lashed out before all else. His fingers twitched as the young man approached him. The two techniques he had just used didn't seem to phase him at all so perhaps he was strong. Or even immune to the element of water. Either way he was a possible threat. As such Sero was fully ready to defend himself. Mist began to rise off the new lake as it gathered like a storm cloud. Slowly swirling in response to Sero's anticipation. However the kids words would catch him by surprise. He seemed excited by the techniques that Sero had just demonstrated. Even introducing himself by name and rank. However Sero's cold gaze would shift beyond him to the blur of a man who arrived just after. Like a well dressed reaper. So Madrigal had arrived. Still he would respond to the boy first. As it was only appropriate.

"Suiton is our nations element. It is extremely under rated. All elements hold the potential of leveling entire towns but of those it is my belief that water is the most versatile.  In nature all wind can do is move the water. Earth eventually erodes before it. Fire is extinguished by it. Lightning only empowers it.  This isn't to say it does not hold weakness against other elements. However outside of jutsu water is the strongest in my experience. The two techniques you have witnessed. They are not of my design. If you search within the village library you can find a more in depth example of them. However they are not the only techniques one should focus on. Versatility is an option."

He turned those eyes then to Madrigal. Who had simply asked if Sero remembered him. Sero would move his hand to his arm where the tenketsu had been pushed and took a breath. Speaking calmly. "Those who teach valuable lessons, even through pain can not be forgotten easily Madrigal. I assume since you have approached me openly there has been no order for my death as of yet. This is good. Perhaps the village will grow to accept me after all. I welcome you of course." After he spoke his eyes would shift to the young man before he would turn and move over to the cliff once more. Settling himself down as he intended to focus on his katon chakra control next. He would sit cross legged on the edge of the cliff before he would form hand seals. Dragon -> Ox -> Tiger. Once this was done the heat around them would pick up massively. The ground beneath him scorching as he exhaled. A huge flame would expand out over the new lake by a hundred and fifty meters before shifting into eight separate massive fireballs hovering over the lake. Boiling the surface.

"I created the lake to avoid spreading the fire of this technique. Each one of these orbs could incinerate a man. The lake will contain the damage. Do you have questions genin of the mist? I am Sero the abomination and I shall educate you as you wish."

Technique trained:

Madrigal would listen as Sero gave the genin a lesson in how he believed water was the most versatile and powerful of the five basic elements. As well as that the technique he just used was simply in the library and could be learned by anyone with the inclination to learn it so long as they had the will to do so. It would take the capability of learning higher level jutsu Madrigal would wager, but with time and effort the genin would reach that point. Hell, Sero and Madrigal themselves were simply genin. Madrigal needed to meet with someone about that, he wasn't certain that was the rank he could be at any longer, not with his raw speed and capability. However he could understand if a superior officer felt differently. It would be something to bring up later on at the very least. Regardless, Sero would turn to greet him. The blue haired man would place a hand upon his arm, at the same general location where the tenketsu he had closed back at the Heavenly Emporium, where they learned his Gentle Fist arts did indeed work on him, and comment that those who taught valuable lessons, even through pain cannot be forgotten easily.

Madrigal would nod at him toward, and to acknowledge that he had not been sent to kill him. "Indeed I have not been ordered to kill you. Maybe they will grow accustomed to you. Stranger things have happened." He would say before watching the man perform hand seals. He had sat down to do them and sat upon the edge of the cliff as he went through them. Dragon, Ox, Tiger. Then he would expel a cloud of fire, yes, fire, that enveloped a large area of the lake before the fire became eight large fireballs that hovered within the air, bringing the surface of the water to a boil. Sero would offer Kaikasame the opportunity to ask questions and have them answered. Although it didn't seem the boy would deign to ask anything as of yet.

Madrigal himself would sit on the cliff next to Sero, watching the orbs of fire and not even looking up toward him as he spoke. "I met Sayuri, she used her influence to get me into the village and into the ranks. She's...certainly an interesting woman." He would say as he watched the orbs of fire over the lake. "I wish to train Sero, what say you to me going out there upon the lake, and defending against your techniques? Via dodging, defensive techniques of my own, whatever?" He would ask, an eyebrow raised in curiosity.

Sero would focus on the orbs of fire. Allowing them to circle slowly clockwise. Boiling the surface at first but lifting until the surface of the water cooled. No longer a threat to anyone within it. The fire was not a threat at the height it sat at any longer. He supposed if he were to dip all eight of them into the water it would mostly evaporate it and some small semblance of it would be left. The young Hoshigaki suggested that he was training suiton as well but remained quiet when prodded for questions. Did Madrigal arriving make him nervous? Sero would shift his hands out and shift the balls up vertically as a pillar of fire as he focused on the control. They were fast and each one could incinerate a man. So when Madrigal suggested training with them Sero would hold them where they were and look to him a moment. If Madrigal failed at this level even once the fire would consume him and he would be gone. He held a great confidence in his defensive capabilities. However Sero would adjust his gaze to the other one there with them. The excited Hoshigaki a moment ago was a quiet boy now. So Sero would speak.

"While I am sure you are confident in your abilities Madrigal you are not the only one here seeking power today. Our new arrival is a Hoshigaki by his introduction. The water should be mildly warm by now. If you wish to gain further strength I suggest you take him down there with you for support. Kaikasame was it? Come here."

Sero would reach into his robes and pull out an older weathered book. Perhaps it had been from the Kirigakure libraries once upon a time but Sero had a copy in his possession. It was how he had learned these jutsu. He would hold out the leather bound book to Kaikasame and on the front it read C rank suiton techniques - Theory and practice. If the young man took it Sero would speak up calmly. However that aura was like a pressure point being pressed on the soul. As if this training could very well be deadly. He would speak up once more though as he watched the young man closely.

"If you wish to gain power like mine...which has not yet reached it's limits...you must be prepared to risk everything. Put your very life on the line as Madrigal has chosen to do. You may either take the book and go home now and study. Or you may take the techniques from the book and put your trust in your allies. If you stay you will train as only you can. As a Hoshigaki you can remain underwater and rise to the surface only to strike. Madrigal will keep the fire from reaching you but to end this, it will be up to you to smother each one with a suiton technique. Will you join us for training or will you choose to live a more mundane but possibly longer life Kaikasame?"

At Sero's words Madrigal would turn toward the third individual there, a Hoshigaki names Kaikasame apparently. He would wait for any response from the man who seemed frozen. Was he afraid? Was Sero's aura affecting him so strongly? It was possible, he himself had frozen for a moment when it happened but this seemed to be going for quite a while. He tilted his head to the side before turning back to Sero, a curious eyebrow raised. "I don't think our friend here wants to train, or is capable of doing so. What say you and I move to another part of the grounds and give him some space?" He would ask, his question perfectly reasonable given the circumstances. If Kaikasame couldn't even move, then it was probably for the best that they move along somewhere else. After all, he seemed unable to move or react to physical stimuli. They couldn't just move him, so it made more sense for them to move instead. Even if the man disagreed for whatever reason they could move onto the pool and train if they so wished. It might even be interesting to spar against the man when he was surrounded by his own element and see how the fight went.

"Besides, I came to speak with you of my moving into your base as well as get some training done, and I'd like to keep my capabilities somewhat of a secret from others if possible." He would say with a small shrug. If the man accepted that then great, if not, then very well. He would let Sero decide if they were to change locales, letting the man lead them off wherever they might end up training or conversing if they didn't do that. It didn't matter much to Madrigal in the end, eventually his capabilities would get out to the rest of the forces. Keeping them secret would be impossible as missions would have to be taken and they would inevitably end up causing him to showcase those very capabilities to others he might not otherwise do so around. It was a fleeting fancy regardless, a desire of a shinobi to keep his personal 'kit' as it were secret. Should Sero lead them off to another location he would follow, if he didn't then he would stay and let Sero make the training game they played.

Sero would note that the young man who had arrived to witness some more powerful suiton and katon techniques was now speechless at the idea of training on their level. Or at least so it appeared. Sero had no interest for long for those frozen and held by fear. If they were innocent he would not force them to shoulder the burden of his aura longer than needed. If they were wicked he would remove them from the face of the earth with little more than a scorch mark where they once stood. Still he would nod to Madrigal and hop down from the edge of the cliff. It was almost like he was gliding down with how graceful his fall was and when his feet touched the surface of the water steam burst up before calmly rising from the bottoms of his feet as he stood on the water. Cold blue eyes looking up to watch Madrigal follow him. Watching him land before rising his own hands. He had never lost connection the fire balls now slowly circling above them. All eight of them moving in a slow circle but building up speed as the two of them would stand tall.

"If all goes well we won't have to utilize a cave for long. It makes the village nervous. I would prefer a legitimate building. An office of operations if you will. Truthfully I would consider it a guild hall for the nightmare brigade. With that said politics are not at the front of my mind. Training is. There are eight fireballs in total. You and I are strong so I don't intend to hold back. Disperse all eight of the fireballs and the training will be considered complete. If you burn....well we shall attempt to find you a healer before you succumb to your wounds. You interest me so do us both a favor. Do not die."

With that Sero would shift both of his hands to cross each other and then throw them both outwards. As he did two fireballs would split from fifty meters to either side of him from the rotating circle in opposite sides. Flying low and forward at B++ speed as it tore along the surface of the water. Sending up spray from either side as they aimed to pass each other right on top of him with no more room than if Madrigal would stand up straight to avoid it. If he moved forward or back the fireballs would burn him. Sero was interested to see how Madrigal intended to take down eight of these at these speeds. Ninjutsu and taijutsu were always opposing forces. The inner chakra and the outer chakra. Which would prevail? Would Madrigal just accept the terms or would he come for the caster? It was a common tactic to go after the source of an attack after all.

Madrigal would follow Sero down to the water, hopping off the edge of the cliff and moving to stand in position. As the man spoke the tall Hyuuga would listen, not moving a muscle. So Sero wanted a legitimate office then? That was fair enough, but of course politics wasn't on the man's mind at the moment. He said as such and laid out a small training game for them. Mostly Madrigal, as he would be the one defending. It seemed simple enough and he nodded as he took a deep breath. "Seems simple enough, although there's no reason we can't do both. I can carry on a conversation while training, can you?" He would ask, his eyes activating, the veins around them bulging as his vision became clearer, sharper, and his ability to see extended to all around him. He saw the eight fireballs, saw two of the luminous green orbs coming down toward him. The man's fire was certainly an interesting colour. He had seen that during their mission as well. As the fireballs came down toward him, the two coming to pass right atop him as the spray of water from their passage gave way before them.

Madrigal of course would wait, if he moved too soon he wouldn't be able to defend well enough. He would wait, and time his technique perfectly. One he hadn't actually utilized quite yet. Although he knew the base technique of it and had theorized how best to increase it's potency to that of it's bigger form. As the fireballs came he would move, bringing both arms up, one toward each, before launching his new technique. Eight Trigram Mountain Crusher, was a fairly powerful technique and would detonate the orbs at 15m out. Meeting the glowing green balls of flame as they reached that point and the glowing cores would detonate out for ten meters. Due to the distance from them, he would be perfectly safe. Of course if he had used the Vacuum Palm variant, they would have met at 5m and he would have been struck. Such as was not the case in this. "Am I allowed to counterattack or just defend?" He would ask idly as he waited for the next orbs to come down upon him to try to attack him. It was a valid question. If he was just playing mouse to the cat and mouse game then he wouldn't be particularly joyous, but if this was a spar with flavor, then that was different.

Jutsu Learned:

Sero would watch as the man spun his chakra into his hands and countered both of the orbs as they careened after him. The explosion rocking the water surface around him and causing waves to rush out and crash against the hills loudly. Waves surging back and forth wildly as smoke rose from where he had countered them all. Sero would narrow his blue eyes as he began to walk in a slow circle on top of the surging water. However when the water reached him it seemed to calm. Despite the surging water all around them where ever Sero walked was still. As if the water itself did not dare cross him. Still only six fireballs remained hovering in the air. The question was poised to him if he could continue the banter as well and Sero would take a breath. Perhaps this was too simple for him. Not nearly the speed needed for real improvement for him. Still Sero would speak up once more in regards to a counter attack. To which Sero would speak in return as he paused about forty meters away. Truly the scene around them looked like a storm had brewed. Even the skies crackled with energy.

"If you were to land a counter attack the practice would likely end. You're speed and counters are incredible as you currently stand. I doubt I am a good fit for actual combat training for you. However if this is too easy for you. I will turn up the heat than shall we?"

Sero would turn to fully face the man. His hands easily perceived by one such as Madrigal but they were still fast. Dog → Horse → Tiger → Dog → Horse → Dragon → Boar → Ram. With that finished Sero would hold the ram sign as the six fireballs began to circle Madrigal slowly. Around Sero the air would begin to produce green flames which seemed to absorb light rather than provide it. Thirty green fireballs would form before taking on the shape of thirty lost souls. If Madrigal was too fast for one or two Fireballs to matter. Perhaps he would be more excited by thirty six of varying size. Sero would raise his right hand as if a commander of these lost spirits before dropping it forward and pointing at Madrigal. "Attack in swarms of five. Surround and attack in flanks." He spoke to the jutsu.

As if following his commands...like the spirits were real and aware. The thirty fire spirits would go screaming forth at a simple B rank speed. However they did not immediately engage. instead they would spread out and join the fireballs spinning above. Then suddenly two more fireballs from the six would go streaming after madrigal again from opposite sides but this time five fire spirits would flank his front and back as well and go flying straight towards him. One more fireball would drop from directly above. Thirteen attacks from all directions all at once. The fire spirits flying at B rank speed and the big fireballs flying at B++.

Jutsu:

Sero would watch without emotion as the man spent time dodging and deflecting fireball after fireball. He wasn't so much as getting touched for the most part. It was beginning to build up though. A rotation demolished a wave of fireballs but it ended just as another wave rolled in. The water was surging creating uneven ground for him to dodge from while the fireballs diversified more in their timing. The explosions and rotations sending up spray after spray of water as the new lake rolled and surged from the combat. Small spots on the mans suit was getting singed but still he was dodging and deflecting well. His Byakugan shifting as he started getting closer and closer to Sero, The man was intent by the look in his eyes to counter attack Sero instead of calling off the training when it pushed him too far. The mans pride pushing him even as his clothing burned off his arms till there was a look in those eyes. Some hint of madness but something Sero was familiar with. There was an intent to kill there. A focus on Sero's life. He had seen it time and time again and he knew this was no longer training.

Sero would focus his attacks as he stood his ground. He knew that Madrigal could kill him if he got close. But he was struggling inwardly. Another soldier from kiri. Having just joined but still had proven himself an ally to Sero. To come at him now with killing intent flooding between them. For the first time Sero was torn. He did not wish to end an ally but his own life was on the line. Why had he pushed it so far? Why was he so intent on this death match? Sero had warned him how intense this would be. Still when Madrigal charged straight at Sero he could not wait any longer. Despite his wish to end the training he would not allow himself to die easily. He had seen madrigal end others with a single touch. So as Madrigal charged the remaining fireballs all accumulated at once. Slamming into Madrigal from every direction as he reached out. Taking his last breath from him as he stumbled and sank before ever reaching Sero. His body burnt inside his lungs and chest and most of his outer body scorched. Sinking to the depths of the new frothing lake.

The sky stormed above as Sero stood looking at the sinking shadow until it faded from sight. His cold blue eyes confused as he had not wished to kill this man. His aura likely having driven the man insane. Still he would need to report this to someone. A training incident leading in the death of a foreign exchange shinobi so soon after he transferred. Sayuri would have his back but....he couldn't put this pressure on her so soon after her joining the council. There was one more he reported too. He would let the body sink before returning to the cave and using a messenger bat. He would wait until night and send the report of what happened directly to Kit with the location of the body. A training session gone wrong with Madrigal losing his senses and going for the kill on Sero. He wasn't sure how this would turn out but for now he left recovering the body and explaining to konoha to Kit. He cared little for harvesting the Byakugan after all. For now he would simply wait for word back from his superiors for what actions may be taken against him.


exit thread
6 posts at 3 participants (15 exp)= 90 exp
Killing a B rank = 250 exp
total =340 exp

All jutsu trained in this thread:

Sayuri enjoyed being alone in the Mizukage complex, especially at night. ‘Alone’ was a relative term though, she was never truly alone anymore with the company of Jareth. But even if his presence was not counted, the building still had guards and the odd member of staff at this hour. She had grown used to them being around, in that she chose to imagine they were not there at all. Heading into the Mizukage’s office she would stare with bright blue eyes at the cup of pens and pencils that sat neatly on the desk once more. With a sigh she would walk over to the desk and slowly push the cup to the edge of the desk and watch as it fell and its contents scattered themselves across the floor. She knew that someone would inevitably come in at some point and clean it again, but for now the tiny bit of chaos put a smile on her face.

Moving to the window she was surprised to see a bat fluttering near the window with a message attached to its little foot. Opening the window she would let the creature in, snatching it from the air deftly she would remove the message and unfurl it, still holding the squeaking bat in one hand as she did so. The information contained in the message made Sayuri shake her head and sigh. ‘So, he wasn’t worth investing in. Ah well, there will be more playthings. Good on Sero though, I’m sure that was a fun fight.’ Looking down she saw the bat squirming as it tried desperately to get away from her grip by biting her hand. Attempting to bite her hand, its little teeth could not pierce her flesh and she just smiled as she briefly considered biting its head off. It had come from Sero however, so she released it and watched with amusement as it flapped its way hurriedly through the still open window and into the night sky.

She put the message in the top drawer of the desk and closed the window, leaving the pens and pencils on the floor where they lay. She picked up a small glass jar from the desk, the kind with a lid meant to hold paper clips. Emptying it by dumping the paper clips on the floor next to the pens and pencils, she screwed the lid back on and left the office, shutting the door behind her. . Chaos was good for building character, and frankly both Kit and Arisu could use some more chaos. She made her way quickly towards the training area, her home, intent on finding Madrigal’s body. From her own experiences and from the reports that she had read on him, she knew that he was a Hyuga. The only reason that was even remotely important is that it meant he had a dojutsu that was fairly valuable. She doubted that Sero knew its value, or more specifically cared of it. But she knew and she cared.

It wasn’t difficult to find the new lake that Sero had created, she spent so much of her time traversing this area that she could probably make her way through it with her eyes closed at this point. The lake was interesting and after glancing around quickly she knew where the body would be. With a sigh she would set down the small glass jar and dive into the water, she wasn’t worried about how long she could hold her breath, her constitution was high enough that virtually nothing was a concern for her anymore. It took only a few minutes of diving and searching to find Madrigal’s body and swim with it to the surface. Fortunately it had not been submerged long enough for the body to begin bloating, but it had also been long enough that rigor mortis was no longer an issue making the body somewhat easier to move around. Sayuri was not especially strong, but she didn’t need to be as long as Madrigal was still in the water. Once they reached the shore however she would pull him up as far as she could until she finally gave up and lay on her back beside his corpse. It is here that someone with fewer moral compunctions would create a true monster, but we will leave that to the imagination.

As she stared at the stars she would speak quietly to Madrigal and Jareth. “I didn’t know you, not really. I thought I did, but it seems that just like many before you, you simply didn’t have the strength needed to be part of this world. Shame. You were pretty, so there’s that.” Turning onto her side so that she could see his face, skin pale and lips purple, she would channel hyoton into her right hand and grin as icy talons formed on her fingertips. “I suppose you can stay pretty. For now. It’s hardly worth torturing you anymore since you’re not here to feel it. And you won’t be needing those pretty eyes anymore, let me just relieve you of their burden.” With extreme tenderness Sayuri would carefully pull back each of his eyelids in turn and pop out his eyeballs, using her ice talons to neatly sever the stems. For one glorious moment as she held the first eyeball in the palm of her hand she considered bringing her hand to her mouth and popping the treat onto her tongue. It looked delicious and the only thing that held her back was the stern voice of Jareth in her mind.

‘No, my Queen. We do not waste power.’

With a look of disappointment she would place the two eyeballs into the small glass jar she had brought, taking a few minutes to ensure they were properly preserved after forming the seal of the Dog and channeling her ice release into both his eyes and his body to preserve his organs. Once that was done she would place the jar safely into her pocket and return her attention to Madrigal’s body. She closed his eyelids and gently removed any traces of blood or dirt from his face, before adjusting her hair and clothes and limbs to place him in a position of gentle repose. Channelling her hyoton once more she would stand and encase him in a block of ice, taking time to create artistic geometric patterns along the surface of the ice and adding elegance and respect to an otherwise unremarkable coffin. Using some of the ice left over from her carvings she would summon an Ice Forged Sentinel and direct Frederick to carry the coffin as she made her way to Kirigakure’s morgue.

A large ice monster carrying a block of ice with a person inside it would draw stares, and she knew well enough to attempt to draw less attention to it. She arrived at the morgue by the back way, doing her best to avoid more public and populated areas. After insisting that both the body and the jar of eyeballs be kept a secret and be kept separated she would dismiss her Sentinel, with a look in her eyes that told the doctor present that she was not to be disobeyed. She left and headed out into the night again, half wishing that the doctor did disobey her, it had been too long since she had punished anyone properly.

[Exit Thread]

Spoiler: