Chapter 15

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After a long soak in the dragon's hot springs followed by a large meal thanks to Toshiro, who disappeared again soon after, Hyorinmaru had taken the orangette aside and lead him further into their cavern home. the two walked in silence the dragon never turning to see if the orangette was still following.

Ichigo was fine with that he had been trying to understand the two dragons. While Toshiro was something similar to the ice Captain the dragon tended to act a bit more childishly and seem prone to be very vocal at times and unlike the small captain this dragon Toshiro was even more prone to act out on emotional responses. Though Ichigo himself couldn't say much on that since he tended to do the same; he would like to have thought he had gotten better at reigning that impulse in. The elder dragon was more confusing, since Hyorinmaru was a zanpakuto back in his old world he had no idea how to compare the two. Except if he counted that time with the zanpakuto rebelling and nearly got crushed by that one's ice pillars but he could see that the blade was very loyal to the small Captain and very protective.

'it wouldn't surprise me if this one was just as bad as the other when it comes to Toshiro,' Ichigo mentally snicker. 'I should properly watch my step then.'

The further they went into the cavern the dimmer the ghost lights became until Ichigo had to grab hold of the trailing scarf so not to get lost in the darkness.

"I am sorry I forgot that humans have poor eyesight in the dark," came the ice dragon's apology. He hadn't turned around to see that Ichigo was having trouble nor did he say anything when Ichigo had grab the scarf. He did slow down though so that Ichigo wouldn't rush to keep up and maybe fall. "We need to be careful there are some ice cliffs coming up please watch you footing."

"ice cliffs!" the orangette stops dead in his tracks only to be pulled along. "You want to walk on ice cliffs in the dark? Are you insane!?"

"I can see the edge just fine if you wish I can carry you till we reach our destination," Hyorinmaru said.

"Nnno that's fine," Ichigo did not want to be carried.

"then please keep close," the dragon said as he continued on.

To Ichigo it seemed that the dragon had traverse the route they were on many times so it really shouldn't surprise the orangette that Hyorinmaru knew his way in the dark. What felt like hours but in truth was only thirty minutes they came upon a small tunnel. It looked to be a bit cramp for someone Hyorinmaru's size. It looked that way for someone Ichigo's size but if the orangette was surprise when they entered and neither head hit the ceiling he didn't say.

"I brought you here to ask something of you Ichigo," the dragon broke the silence turning fully to face the teen. "There is a secret that only a few know about dragons in general."

Ichigo waited but took to looking around him. the room they were in was not small but not big and what caught his attention was three pillars that held three jewels. Two if which were shining very brightly while the other was dim and cloudy.

"Those are called soul gems," Hyorinmaru's voice drew Ichigo away from the gems. "Not many know about them and only a few humans come looking for them. when a dragon is born the gems are hidden underneath the skin until a dragon hits maturity. When a dragon is alive and healthy it shines when one dies it becomes dull losing its radiance. Without a soul gem a dragon slowly dies or becomes insane. The gems are like a piece of our souls or to some our hearts."

"So one is Toshiro's and yours but whose is the other one belong too?" Ichigo asks not liking where this was going.

Hyorinmaru stepped behind one gem that was a bright white with stripes of teal.

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