22 Let's Play

Panic clawed at Pesche's throat. "H… How do you know about that?" he stammered, pulling Silas aside with surprising strength for his build. Dondochakka stood guard by Nel, a fierce scowl etched on his face.

Silas scoffed slightly. He then leaned in close, whispering, "I know more than you think, Pesche. But don't worry; I'm here to help. You just need to head west, towards those rocky canyons. Safety lies there."

Hope flickered in Pesche's eyes, replacing the fear. He looked a tad concerned that Silas knew his name. But there were only so many options he could take.

Dondochakka and him exchanged a relieved look. This mysterious stranger, whoever he was, seemed to be on their side. Why else would he give them directions to safety?

So they thought.

Little did they know, Silas had seen Francheska scurrying towards those very canyons earlier. In essence, he was sending them straight into Halibel's waiting arms.

"Thank you, mister Ichigo!" Pesche exclaimed, clapping Silas on the shoulder with surprising force. "We owe you one!"

"Don't mention it," Silas replied, his voice dripping with calmness. If he lashed out at them now, they wouldn't go where he neded them to. "Just stay safe."

Not long after, he watched as Nel, oblivious to the conversation, skipped off with her Dondochakka and Pesche in tow, heading straight for Halibel's hideout.

A satisfied smirk crept across his face. Things were falling into place, but he wouldn't be too sure unless he followed them.

• • •

Despite a gnawing sense of unease, the trio ventured into the rocky canyons that Silas had indicated. Nel skipped ahead, the desert moon glinting off her smiling face, while Pesche and Dondochakka trailed behind, their gazes darting around suspiciously.

"Are you sure about this, Pesche?" Dondochakka whispered. "That Ichigo guy... Something about him felt off, ya know."

Pesche narrowed his eyes. "I know. I know." But what choice do we have? We couldn't just stay there after what he said. What if someone from Las Noches really was coming? If there's even a chance of protecting Nel—"

"We should have told her the truth," Dondochakka lamented.

Nel, oblivious to their worries, twirled in the sand. She chirped, "What are you boys whispering about? It's like a big game of hide-and-seek! Aren't you excited?"

A pang of guilt twisted in Pesche's chest.

Their naive little Nel. Did they have the right to keep her from the truth, even for her own protection? But revealing her true identity—her past, the battles she had once fought—could shatter the fragile peace she now enjoyed.

Their journey proceeded without incident.

The colourless canyons stretched out before them, surprisingly devoid of the usual Hollow denizens. Pesche, usually so vocal and prone to theatrics, grew increasingly quiet. His antennae twitched nervously as if sensing something was amiss. Or rather, absent.

"Shouldn't there be more... things out here?" he muttered, his eyes darting around. "It's too quiet."

Dondochakka shrugged, saying, "Maybe that Ichigo dude scared them all off. He did seem pretty powerful, even if he was a bit weird."

Unbeknownst to them, Silas soared high, his form cloaked in shadow.

Dondochakka was correct in some ways. Silas had indeed cleared the path for them, eliminating any threats that might have frightened the trio and caused them to abandon their journey.

With ruthless efficiency, he dispatched a monstrous, worm-like Adjuchas that burrowed beneath the sands. Had they continued, its razor-sharp teeth would have ambushed the unwary travelers.

And again, In a hidden crevice lay a pile of smoldering corpses, the remains of a lesser pack, waiting to ambuscade someone. Silas, however, silenced them forever.

The path ahead led them to a massive, crumbling archway—the entrance, it seemed, to an extensive cave network. Finally, their journey stopped here.

"This place gives me the shivers," Pesche declared, his bravado faltering.

"I second that," Dondochakka agreed, his voice a low rumble. "And where is this 'safety' that guy promised?"

Before Nel could voice her own apprehension, a voice echoed from within the shadowed depths: "You have arrived."

Halibel stepped into view, her regal form illuminated by a shaft of moonlight from above. Her three fracción—Sung-Sun, Apache, and Francheska—flanked her, their stern expressions mirroring their leader's composure.

Nel squealed with excitement. "More friends!" she cried, bounding forward. But Pesche and Dondochakka froze; their faces paled with shock. They knew this woman. Or rather, this Great Hollow.

"Impossible!" Pesche gasped. "You're Halibel!"

Even Silas, listening not too far off, wasn't too sure if others had heard of Halibel.

Halibel's gaze settled on the trio, a hint of curiosity in her icy green eyes. In a cool, measured voice, she said, "You have been expected. Ichigo informed me of your arrival."

"Ichigo?!" Dondochakka repeated himself, his confusion growing. "Didn't he say this place was safe? Why would he send us to one of Hueco Mundo's strongest Hollows?"

"He sought your protection," Halibel explained, the faintest hint of amusement in her tone. "Ichigo specifically mentioned a female Hollow amongst your group. Had he not, I wouldn't have been so receptive to this unusual request."

Silence fell over the group, broken only by Nel's puzzled chirping. In a quirky tone, she announced, "I'm a girl Hollow! Does that mean I can be your friend, too?"

Halibel's lips curled into a slight smile behind her mask. This innocent child was oblivious to the world's true nature and the bloodline she carried. In Halibel's mind, she believed this arrangement had potential.

"Indeed, little one. You and your companions are welcome here for as long as you wish."

Nel clapped her hands in delight, completely won over by the prospect of new friends. But Pesche and Dondochakka exchanged worried glances. This felt more like a trap than a sanctuary.

Nel, however, was undeterred. She grabbed Halibel's hand, tugging playfully, saying, "Come on, let's play!"

Despite her own prestige, the stoic Halibel, taken aback by the child's enthusiasm, found herself following Nel, an unseeable smile playing on her lips.