She had been waiting for this moment- a moment of ignorance. Without any knowledge of the time passed, she was forced to guess on the amount of days she had slept on this cold, grimy floor. With her heart gone and hope lost, she had been taken prisoner and bound by anti-magic ropes. But someone had removed them while she slept- out of idiocy or ignorance, she was not sure. Either way, she was fleeing this hideout for good.
Before leaving the confines of her privacy, she decided to look into just what was going on with her satchel. She wasn't sure how Kakashi kept attaining it from her stores of magic, but it had just reappeared in the reservoir. That meant he had sent it to her. With excitement coursing through her veins, she called upon the accoutrement, relishing in the feel of its leather straps under her fingers. She hated to admit it, but she missed the Jonin. Compared to this hell, she'd take that annoying human's presence any day.
There was a note. It was from Kakashi, and it read: Tsunade-sama did not send you on that mission. Someone else is working behind the scenes, and she fears subversion. She wouldn't say it, but I know she's beating herself up looking for you. Please send us word of your condition. Do you have the slightest clue of where they have taken you? I haven't told Naruto of your kidnap yet, but it's only a matter of time before he finds out. I'm sure he'll go ballistic. To get to the point, we haven't forgotten you. The Akatsuki is an organization of S-Class criminals. Watch your back.
It was short and sweet, and Elvinia found herself contemplating on whether or not to burn it. She normally always would, but something in the back of her mind stopped her. So instead, she folded it neatly and filed it in a secret pocket of her satchel. Retrieving another sheet and a magic quill, she jotted down her response. It was also short and sweet, for she had no time to dawdle on frivolous words. Sending the satchel back, she readied herself for escape.
Taking to her feet, she adjusted her keen eyesight to the minimal light in the room. The floor was natural stone and walls an odd alabaster. Lighting the hallway beyond the bars of her cell were braziers and torches. Focusing on her returning energy, she made herself invisible and materialized herself on the other side of the bars, listening out for any disturbances. She had to find Linksys. Even if her heart was gone, she could suffice with the pain Vipirus would undoubtedly cause her. But as long as Linksys was unharmed, she cared of nothing more.
It was quiet, and she could sense no souls approaching. However, her partner's soul was eluding as well; she wondered if he was even in this place at all. Nothing would allow her to accept any other explanation for his dormant presence.
Passing through a threshold, she was brought into a more welcoming environment with wooden floors and optimal lighting from numerous candles. The walls remained that abnormal alabaster, however. Sliding open the door ever so silently, she alighted into the next room. Voices could be heard not too far off. Shielding her aura, she traipsed along the wall with utter stealth, breathing methodically.
"The bitch almost fed my head to the thing!" A familiar voice wailed most annoyingly. Elvinia could do nothing but freeze. She wondered if Asuma had escaped such a bastard. She truly prayed her sacrifice hadn't been for naught.
"Pft, wouldn't that have been for the better?" An unfamiliar voice chuckled sardonically. Elvinia smiled. Wasn't he spot on. With baited breath, she slid into the opening between the ajar door, stalking to the corner of the room to get a better outlook on just what was going on.
In the middle of the room sat a rather large, round table and in a few chairs sat the criminals. They were no doubt Akatsuki members. Hidan and Kakuzu were among the group along with a man she had yet to meet. He was definitely the one to insult Hidan.
However, something else- another personage- held all her attention. The woman sat closest to the opposite wall, fiddling with her black hair that had grown longer than Elvinia last remembered. She watched the humans bicker with an amusement worthy of her devious self. Flicking her cyan blue eyes back and forth between the feuding men, she ran a clawed hand over the head of a rather large, white snake. It was her pet, if Elvinia recalled correctly. And she was Medesu, Vipirus's sister- a very vicious elf.
Her skin glowed in an eerie gray tinge under the flickering light of the torches, and Elvinia scoffed at the minimal amount of clothing she adorned. She had always been that way- a temptress in play as one of her brother's chess pieces. And even though she seemed to believe otherwise- that she acted of her own will in order to be a "good" sister- the truth was utterly obvious. Vipirus was the true master of manipulation, after all.
Her snake, Neshire, flicked his tongue in and out as his beady, crimson eyes scanned the room. Elvinia subconsciously sucked in a breath. She was by definition a snake charmer. Her scent would undoubtedly give her away. But the snake's gaze passed over her invisible form. It seemed as if this creature too was under some sort of hypnosis, as were Meadthros's and Vipirus's beautiful dragons. She couldn't place her finger on it, but she'd be dumb not to suspect Vipirus. But if that were the case, how had Meadthros, who had no prior affiliation with Vipirus, come across such a technique? It made no sense.
She was pulled from her thoughts by a small whine. Beneath the clamor and din of the two humans fighting it out, her ears caught the indefinite voice of her companion. Following its trail, her eyes finally found it- the small hole in the alabaster wall. Barred by magic-infused rods, the little encampment housed Linksys. She knew for sure. It had to be him. Vipirus was resourceful as always. Going to the length of not only bounding her wrists with anti-magic ropes, but also imprisoning her partner in a similar fashion was a rather tenacious, intelligent move. That simple measure prohibited her from enlarging his size in the case she did break free- in this case.
There was more than one way to beat this situation. Elvinia simply needed to think. The moment she employed her magic, they'd sense her because Hidan and Kakuzu had already been exposed to her. Not to mention, there was another Elf in the room. However, it'd be useless to make such a move, for the bars repelled magic, anyway.
She'd need help from the inside.
Using every ounce of grace and lithe she owned, she made her way toward the wall, stalking around the table and behind a still fuming Hidan. The latter hadn't seemed to notice, and the other two men across the table remained oblivious as well.
"What was that, you blonde bimbo?!" Hidan shrieked suddenly, slamming his fists on the table. Elvinia whirled her head around as she heard an object hurling straight for her. The blonde man had exploded in anger and thrown a white object at Hidan. The latter had dodged, and the little projectile flew straight for Elvinia.
Not wanting to take her chances with the small, flying spider, she pressed up against the wall and rolled to the side. Little chunks of rock sprayed her as her right ear hummed in pain. The wall had exploded right beside her. Holding her ear, she glanced down, and to her relief, her spell hadn't worn off in her moment of distraction. The advantages of an invisibility spell were not only did the user remain unseen, but his/her magic stores were also hidden. It was like killing two birds with one stone.
Calming her breathing, she watched as the occupants at the table resumed their fighting, still unaware of her presence. Even Medesu remained oblivious. She never was a threat to Elvinia. It seemed she had spent more of her time grooming than she had fighting. Her brother had reduced her to a thing and nothing more, but she either coped by lying to herself or simply remaining that ignorant. Elvinia hoped it was the latter.
Finally, she was upon her companion's prison. Taking a small breath, she blew into the opening to get his attention. Big, sea green eyes glistened in the torch light, and his little body squirmed toward the opening. He was sick, she could tell. Little beads of sweat ran over his bloody body. They hadn't dressed his wounds, it seemed, and now, they must have been infected. Rage boiled Elvinia's blood as she stared into the creature's glossy orbs. If the sickness lasted too long, he'd descend into himself and become wild once more. Elvinia would lose her connection to him, and she'd no longer control him. The thought was scary. A savage Linksys was not one to mess with.
In his condition, Elvinia knew he'd be no help; she'd have to spring him herself. Taking hold of the bars, she began to pull. Little tingles electrocuted her hands as she struggled. The magic in her fingers was slowly being consumed. Before long, she'd have to stop, or her spell would be sucked by the anti-magic as well. But she was careful not to make a sound. No grunts, no breaths, no moans. She was completely silent.
Linksys lapped at his muzzle, watching his partner with careful eyes. The creature knew the situation well. He was not dumb. Fighting his sickness was his top priority, and until Elvinia could break him out, that's what he'd do. He didn't want to be savage again. His partner had given him life, had given him free will. Through their link, he was not just another animal. He was Linksys.
Suddenly, Elvinia was whirling around in fright, her fingers deftly wrapping around the metal of a kunai. Her crazed eyes landed on red, and the next thing she knew, her world was a monochrome. The only other color- the red eyes. She immediately knew she was in an illusion. There was no hope. She was caught, and to get out of it, she'd have to use her magic.
Closing her eyes, she steadied her breathing and made sure to focus on the man holding her in his gaze. He was tall, and his soul reminded her of someone. He was similar to someone she had met before. The world encompassing her was gray, and she was no longer in the hideout. Rather, she was in a desolate field of nothing. No one but her and the man stood facing each other, like in a duel. His cloak bellowed in the wind as his long, black hair swirled around his impassive features. His eyes. His eyes wrote stories, whether unintentionally or not. She searched deeply into the crimson holes, noting every sliver of emotion he so professionally hid.
Pain. Guilt. Ambition. Reluctance. Weariness. Trickery. Despair. But overall, love.
She wondered just how a criminal could harbor feelings other than hate and barbarism. He was gentle; she could tell by the softness of his soul. Humans were like open books to her. She could always read their emotions by looking through their eyes, even if they hid them behind tough façades. So why this man became a criminal, she assumed was an effect of a higher purpose.
Then, it clicked. All the descriptions and explanations she had received from Naruto and Sakura on a certain boy and his brother suddenly finished the puzzle.
"Itachi." Her eyes snapped open, and the world instantly reverted back to the hideout. Her legs struggled to keep her standing as her mind snapped back to the present. She immediately went into action.
Slapping Kakuzu's hands away as he attempted to bind her once more, she somersaulted over the table and onto a rack of weapons. Landing deftly, she squatted down on her feet. Her spell had worn off, so all eyes were now focused on the escaped prisoner. Itachi grimaced as his hand caressed his eyes. To break out of the illusion, Elvinia had summoned magic to her own eyes, and when she snapped them open, the magic overwhelmed the human. After all, they were not meant to utilize such a thing.
"She broke out of Itachi's genjutsu?" A male asked incredulously, his beady, black eyes watching the elf warily. On his back sat a rather dangerous sword. Wrapped around it was a set of bandages, but she could see the jagged teeth jutting out to form the blade itself.
"Elvinia, Elvinia," Medesu chuckled airily as she made her way in front of the men, her snake following her methodically. "Shouldn't you know not to disobey by now? How many times have you had to surrender already? This is simply suicide. You're surrounded." The seductress stalked back and forth in front of the livid elf, seemingly taunting Elvinia with her crystal voice. The five criminals watched as Elvinia's eyes pooled crimson, and her limbs shook in uncontrollable rage.
"Try me, Medesu. We all know where you'd be had you not had five others backing you up." Elvinia retorted in a chilled, edgy voice. The blonde man gulped audibly.
This enraged the female, and she immediately took off, her sword raking its sheathe as she bounded for Elvinia. Elvinia reared her head back in mocking laughter. The woman seemed more suicidal in Elvinia's mind.
The golden light seeped over Elvinia as she changed armor. Underneath the light manifested a long, red dress with a slit up the side for mobility. On the collar pointed out the deadly scimitars of rock from the Land of Illusion itself, for they would provide magical protection from any type of poison magic Medesu held up her sleeves. Her hands became encased in deadly claws, and her magic surged in newfound strength.
Smiling wickedly, she procured a sword and intercepted Medesu mid-stride. The clang of metal reverberated throughout the room as the two fought for dominance in the deadlock. Quickly overpowering her, Elvinia pushed her back. Taking advantage of Medesu's unbalanced footing, Elvinia side-swiped her sword, running a clean cut over Medesu's exposed abdomen. The woman howled in pain and held a hand to her stomach, glaring hatefully at a haughty Elvinia.
"Seems someone's been neglecting her sword practice. Too busy occupying the beds of others?" Elvinia leaned against her sword, chuckling darkly at Medesu's purely dripping hatred. The woman screamed, her form subsequently taking on a darker manifestation as her hair departed into tendrils of numerous, black snakes. Her eyes pooled black as her skin darkened to a rich gray, and black lines decorated her skin.
"What the fuck?!" Hidan's outrageous cry made Elvinia cackle wickedly. Medesu had always been self conscious of her looks, but Elvinia didn't remember her always having hair like that. Something had to have happened, and now it served as a touchy subject for the female.
"No!" Medesu waved a clawed hand at the men as they attempted to advance. "She's mine!" She hissed too much like a snake, and the snakes in her hair mimicked her actions, a chorus of hisses coating the air. Neshire was seemingly useless in his hypnotized state, for the snake had remained motionless behind the woman. It made Elvinia even more angry. The snake obviously had no freedom.
This time, Medesu came barehanded at Elvinia. The latter intercepted a pair of deadly claws with her sword, and the fighting commenced once more. Rearing back, Elvinia sliced again and again, only to be warded off by Medesu's claws. Finally, the sword's blade cracked, and upon closer inspection, Elvinia realized Medesu had been eating away at the metal with the poison under her claws. Scoffing, Elvinia threw the sword down. It was useless.
Flipping back a few feet, the elf assessed her new possibilities. She'd have to fight with nothing but her fists. The poison was obviously strong against metal, so procuring another sword was foolish. Elvinia smirked at her thoughts of seeing how she'd fare against fire.
Igniting her fists in intimidating flares of crimson flames, Elvinia lunged at Medesu, ready to cremate. The woman hissed menacingly as she attempted to block Elvinia's fists, only for a nasty singeing noise to fill the area. Backing up hastily, the woman held her mangled hand while glancing warily at a smirking Elvinia. The fires grew, climbing up Elvinia's arms and into her hair. Mockingly, Elvinia coaxed Medesu on with a gesticulation of her finger.
Medesu retrieved daggers from her hip belt, aiming for Elvinia's vital points. It was like a volley- a rain of daggers. And it took every ounce of Elvinia's concentration to either dodge or block them all. With her eyes darting every which way, Elvinia caught multiple between her fingers and pulled out many flips and turns in a mad dance to avoid the sharp blades of Medesu's perpetual supply of daggers. With the last one coming straight for her face and no hands left to catch it, Elvinia turned her head sideways, catching the dagger between her teeth. Her flames roared on.
Glancing behind her, she made sure to keep an eye on the spectating criminals. They were being rather obedient to Medesu's orders, and it made Elvinia wonder just what was playing into Vipirus's scheme. However, they made sure not to lose sight of Elvinia as she mercilessly hounded Medesu. The latter let out another bloodcurdling scream before jumping to the ceiling and crawling most wickedly over a crouched Elvinia. Igniting the weapons with fire, the elf threw the daggers she had caught toward the ceiling, relinquishing in the familiar thud as they embedded into the alabaster in a lined sequence. A few had scraped Medesu, causing what little clothing she wore to rip in a few places, but none of them had embedded into her body. The woman had disappeared.
Taking hold of the dagger in her mouth, Elvinia kept her eyes peeled and senses alert as she circled around herself, keeping the weapon ready. Suddenly, Medesu was upon her from the shadows, slimy threads of snakes entangling Elvinia's limbs. Elvinia had attempted to jump away only for the threads to drag her down. With her flames and the last dagger she had, Elvinia tore away at Medesu's odd hair, only for the snakes to stab their fangs into her veins. Crying out, Elvinia dropped her dagger as the poison forced her flames to extinguish. There was a slight presence of anti-magic within their poison. It wasn't much, but it was enough to render her temporarily weak. A malicious cackle filled the air.
"Now look who's lacking skill. Too busy frolicking with the humans to remember who you really are, Elvinia?" Her smile gleamed wickedly against her dark skin, her eyes vicious and evil. "A killer. A destroyer of lives. Who was it, again, that killed her own little brother and sisters?" Her words were like a poison of their own, bringing back haunting memories that Elvinia had worked so hard to keep repressed. It was enough to make anyone explode. And explode, she did.
"Stop it!" She bellowed loud enough for the room to quake under her explosion of magical energy. The walls cracked, and her eyes shook in a crazed savagery. This only furthered Medesu's amusement.
"C'mon, Elvinia! Stop playing the good girl! We all know it's just an act!" She cackled as she maneuvered the snakes of her hair to drag Elvinia through a wall. The jagged stones of alabaster gave way easily, leaving bloodied scratches all along her body. Holding her up once more, Medesu smirked evilly at the battered sight. Elvinia forced open an eye.
"Just because I didn't succumb to your brother and give up my freedom to him like you did, doesn't give you the right to flash your jealousy around like anyone cares. We all know how much of a pathetic waste you are." Elvinia taunted in a most unforgiving fashion, bringing to light the hole in Medesu's façade. The latter screeched, her formerly amused expression now flushed in rage. She flung Elvinia up and down, slamming her body into any hard surface she could find.
After what seemed like agonizing hours, the woman finally stopped and lowered a seemingly unconscious Elvinia into the center of the room. Golden blood seeped from her wounds and mouth, leaving a shimmering puddle below her dangling feet.
"I think you got her, yea." The blonde half-joked, half-stated. He had enjoyed the display but knew that if Elvinia had died, it was on them.
"No shit." For once, Hidan agreed with the blonde, staring at the woman suspended by tendrils of snakes. She was a sight to behold, covered in what he guessed was blood. That would make a perfect sacrifice to Jashin in his mind, and if it wasn't for the order to keep her alive, he would've killed her at that rest stop.
"Oi, let her go, so we can deal with her wounds. She dies and we all get lynched." Itachi's partner barked out, watching the seething Medesu warily. The woman still held a crazed look in her ebony abysses.
"No. She's not unconscious." The woman refused, gritting her teeth in restraint. "C'mon you pathetic harlot! Fight me and be that good girl you think you are!" Medesu shouted, shaking Elvinia's body like a rag doll. The latter suddenly let out a chuckle, making everyone in the room freeze. Her demeanor had shifted, and the air now took on a chilled presence.
"Good girl, you say?" The elf's eyes opened to reveal a gleaming crimson. It was rather eerie. "Under which notion was I ever playing the good girl? I think it's high time you wake up, little Medu." Having used the woman's nickname, Elvinia managed to entice a sense of fear. The last time that name had been used, Medesu's lover had been killed. Elvinia wasn't supposed to know this, so why not take advantage of it?
Grabbing a tendril of hair, Elvinia called on her last bit of magic to sprout her white wings. Gasping, Medesu retracted her remaining snakes, but Elvinia winked, holding up the last snake by its neck. Hoisting her wings up, Elvinia used her power to rush off, the wind bouncing off the walls as she made her way toward the weakened alabaster with a screaming Medesu in her wake. The part of the wall that had exploded earlier from the blonde man's white spider would serve as a marvelous exit. The alabaster was a soft rock, allowing easy manipulation.
Folding her wings in, Elvinia began spinning for extra momentum, closing her eyes as her body collided with the rock. Feeling the sunlight on her skin, Elvinia ceased her spin and opened her wings back up, watching as dust and rocks fell from her body. Up she went, and Medesu followed unwillingly. Throwing the tendril up, Elvinia watched as Medesu flailed in the air, reaching her peek. Taking advantage of her position, Elvinia flapped above Medesu, flipped around, and kicked the elf with such strength that it took less than a second for the woman to hit the ground.
Groaning in the center of the crater her body had made upon impact, the elf reverted to her normal appearance, losing the gunmetal skin and slithery hair. She had lost her energy- her magic running low.
The criminals all filed around the two, forming a circle so as to not allow easy escape. Elvinia was definitely winning this fight, and they couldn't let her leave.
"Stand Medesu! Fight for your last breath, you pathetic wench!" Shooting her magic from her fingers, Elvinia implored the silky threads to hoist Medesu to her feet. The latter swayed back and forth, but a heated, cyan glare remained trained on Elvinia perfectly. "Have you no shame?"
"For what?!" Medesu snapped angrily, fiddling with the strap to her sword. She was shaking. Behind her slithered a more lively Neshire. The snake seemed more wild now that Medesu was weakened.
"Vipirus has used you so blatantly. Do you remain ignorant or indifferent?! He's reduced you to nothing! It t'was but a century ago you easily held me in battle! What say you now?!" Elvinia screeched desperately, drowning in a sense of nostalgia for the old Medesu. Looking at what she was now saddened Elvinia, and she was an enemy!
Quickly, like a landslide, Medesu became crestfallen and sunk to her knees, utter depravity in her cyan gaze. Dropping her sword weakly, she drooped her head and shook it back and forth. Glittering tears streaked down one by one in silence.
"You have no idea." She began. "Living that sheltered life of yours-"
"Sheltered?!" Elvinia whaled. "You call being forced to slaughter thousands upon thousands of people, including your own, sheltered?! I was well aware the entire time of the atrocities I was creator of!" Elvinia seethed, crimson seeming to radiate around her eyes. All the while, Medesu could do nothing but shake her head pitifully.
"No, Elvinia. You are ignorant to the point." The defeated elf glanced up, locking a startlingly stern gaze with Elvinia. "And I envy you." Holding her arm out, she snapped her clawed fingers. Neshire slithered forward, his tongue flicking in and out. Elvinia watched warily as Medesu constricted her hand, little dusts of magic seeping toward the snake's head.
The animal hissed as the black energy converged in the center of his eyes, pulling out some form of energy. It resembled the crimson scimitars of rock edging up on Elvinia's shoulders; except, it was a glimmering ebony. Thin, sickly veins of lime green ooze pulsed within it, radiating evil. With a flick of her wrist, Medesu sent the entity soaring toward Elvinia at blinding speed. The elf snapped a hand up just as fast, catching it without blinking. Observing it, she drowned deeper and deeper into a sea of confusion. She had never seen such an object.
"There's a hint. Now finish what you've started." Medesu's tremulous and anguished voice rolled over the silence, and Elvinia watched as the rock crumpled within her hand, black sand falling through her fingers. She clenched her fist, gritting her teeth in conflicted resolve. Medesu hadn't been ignorant; she had been trapped.
"Will it put you at peace?" Elvinia whispered, but she knew Medesu was all the more aware.
"Where the freedom rings." A ghost of a smile captured Medesu's lips as her eyes flashed in desire. Elvinia's chest constricted painfully at the sight. She'd be taking Medesu's place soon if this escape failed. She wondered if this would be her end as well.
Golden streams pooled from her tear ducts as she concentrated the old magic. Lifting her head up, she closed her eyes and let the spell take place. She was doing Medesu a service- to give her a painless end to begin again.
She could hear her adversary's breathing grow shaky and erratic as Neshire hissed complacently at her side. Her aura flickered in disturbance at the growing pressure of Elvinia's magic, and the surrounding people watched with satisfied gazes.
"If you wish to keep your lives, I suggest looking away, foolish humans." Elvinia hissed, her fingertips tingly with magical energy. Hidan was the first to scoff, and a few grunts followed from others. A part of her hoped they were stupid enough to watch.
Medesu inhaled sharply, her eyes widening at Elvinia. The latter lifted her eyelids, pulling her face back down to gaze straight into Medesu's eyes. A last, tiny gasp escaped Medesu before the cracking was heard, and her gray skin seemed to harden over. Elvinia's eyes glistened a sharp golden-amber with pupils like that of a dragon's- thin and slit. Medesu's expression relaxed into one of serenity as her hair hardened like stone. Frozen in place, Medesu gradually became consumed by the spell until her eyes molded gray and cracked like hardened stone.
She was a statue- all former vivacity a myth in the present.
"Now that's art, hmm!" The blonde from before was the first to respond, nodding at the lifeless version of a seemingly peaceful Medesu. Elvinia clicked her tongue in disgust. Criminals would be criminals.
Procuring a large, heavy scythe, she swung it over her head and twirled it around, bringing its blade through Medesu's core. The statue split and crumbled into rock. Behind that statue, however, lied eyes so horridly angry that Elvinia let out a gasp and stumbled back.
Phosphorescent hues of chartreuse glared vividly her way, and she knew escape just became exponentially farther from reach.