LuciiChaan: If the translation work was correct, then, yeah. I agree with you. She's a bit annoying, but that's just a character I have designed, so sorry. Still, I thank you for a very honest opinion.
Guest(1): On a late note, thank you. One of my parents is a huge Chinese New Year fan when it comes to different animals representing every year. This year is the pig's, right? Anyway, thanks for your comment.
Guest(2): Aw! Thank you! I do not really plan on going along the plot, honestly. If you have noticed, I actually made it so that Gaara's Tailed Beast hasn't been taken yet, because Parsley's transport from her world to this caused the Akatsuki to lose a lot of their chakra. So, there is a bit of a twist in the Akatsuki's plans and the way they will continue from this point. But I will not reveal anything else, for now.
Guest(3): Yeah, I am glad you wrote of your confusion on how the history of magic in OC's and Naruto's world is connected. Honestly, I have yet to fully reveal that detail and Parsley and Sphynx are not even aware of it. They just assume there are magical creatures no matter what world, so let's go with that until the big reveal, shall we. Happy reading!
Chapter 13
Bite, if no claws
The smoke stings her eyes and Parsley closes them, utterly tired to even try inching away from the campfire. It's small, though, barely able to warm up the young woman trembling from the night's chill. The ropes around the limbs feel like they are cutting off circulation, so that might as well be the explanation for that.
It hurts. She bites down on her lower lip, feeling the sting from the small cut she has created and the swelling. Everything on her body aches, excluding the left hand, which bruises haven't faded, but stay the same. The damaged limb has stopped hurting some time ago, but the sight is not exactly what the young woman would call beautiful. The slight color change might as well have been from the force of the grip and not from the breaking process. The outlines of fingers have been pressed on the skin around the palm and the reddish tenderness only seems to glow brighter in the light of the fire. As for the damage underneath the skin… the hand is swollen and if kept and looked at a certain angle, anyone would see the strange shape the limb has taken. It should be treated, but…
There is a kick on the rough dirt covered ground and those small grains from it fly to the flames, causing the fire under them to diminish.
The young woman straightens up immediately, gaze snapping up at the silver-haired man who directs his glare down at her. The look is more than enough to make her otherwise stiff body tremble – Hidan is upset.
"The fuck you looking at?" He hisses, adjusting the scythe on his back.
The action may not be threatening, merely something he does every now and then, but the sight of the handle sends a jolt up Parsley's spine. And her reaction is taken into notice since the next thing that happens is a smirk spreading on the man's face.
The amber brown-haired woman's heart is pounding against her ribcage. She doesn't understand what it's in her reaction that excites him like this, but the expression on his face is bone chilling. The smile doesn't show all of the rows of his white teeth, but it's close enough. Mostly, though, it's that sudden gleam in his strange purple eyes, which makes her skin crawl. The change is absurd and terrifying – it's the same as during the moment when he nearly slaughtered her.
Unconsciously, she leans back, sweating and unable to look away. Limbs twitching from trying to struggle against the binding ropes, Parsley bites down on her tongue and watches the grin on Hidan's face grow even more.
"Hidan," a gruff voice cuts through the heavy atmosphere, "stop fooling around. Let's go."
The silver-haired man's expression drops immediately and is replaced by annoyance. "Tch!"
Not again, Parsley whimpers deep within her mind and closes her eyes, when the familiar rough hands haul her up to a hard shoulder. Once again, she bites down on her lower lip, not caring how much damage it will cause on it. Her gut flips, furthermore, highlighting how uncomfortable she is by this. Physically and mentally – she's being carried around by a murderer.
Suddenly, between the trees surrounding the small temporary camp and the buried fire, Hidan stops "Are you sure, though, that you want me to carry the bitch around, old buddy?"
Parsley stiffens on his shoulder. Something in this doesn't sit right with her. He's speaking in a carefree manner, but it's his question more than the tone, which sets an edge into the atmosphere. There's a reason why she didn't want to be carried by this man in the first place. Not because of how physically torturous it's to just lay on a hard shoulder and let your insides get crushed, but because of the constant reminder of what this man almost did with the weapon strapped on his back. And she has to just stare down at its sharp edges, like right now, and feel the silent threat.
"I mean, I could just fucking kill her while your back is turned and – "
There is a quick breeze, like a north wind in the Windy Mountains – it's cold and swift. A dull thud and a clang of metal fill the air, cutting off his next words, sending a deadly silence into the night and muting any other sound that might exist in the area.
Parsley doesn't move, her face is pale and eyes wide. The scythe she was staring just a moment ago isn't there anymore, in a blink of an eye. The solid surface of Hidan's shoulder she's secured on starts shaking under her stomach and this further sends cold sweat trailing down her back. Whatever has happened – she can't possibly see from the way she's positioned – it has amused this man.
Despite her mind being blank, the young woman notices a slight change in Hidan's position. Earlier, due to the dark cloak, his feet were invisible. But now one of them is in view, like trying to give the rest of the body the balance it needs. The second observation is how his shoulder muscles seem stiffer all of sudden, as well – steady and wary of what might happen next, but still managing to start chuckling.
"Hidan," Kakuzu's growl further thickens the tension. It's a warning sound.
The trembling on the man holding her gradually stops, but when he speaks there's still amusement in his voice. "Oh, Kakuzu, you are making this way too easy."
Finally, a quiet, but shuddery breath manages to enter Parsley's lungs.
She expects it to happen at some point, but when it does, her insides are already aching and her head spins from the change of gravity.
One second, she is staring emptily down at the ground which seems so far away from her reach and the next Parsley is flung down. Of course, this comes out of nowhere – not that she has much strength left – and she ends up feeling the full impact of the fall on her side and back.
The strands of her dirty hair cover half of her face, but she is able to see the hem of a dark cloak and the pair of greyish sandal wearing feet.
"That's it! I ain't carrying her anymore!" The hollering doesn't even make her flinch anymore, but the young woman does feel how her gut clenches. Hidan has once again lost his patience.
The lack of any liquid, any form of solid food, the strong pressure of someone's shoulder's bone being crushed against her stomach for what has felt like hours, have all started to finally affect Parsley. She remains on the ground, face screwed in pain and slight fear of what might now happen and barely able to move a muscle. The sun continues to glare down at her, though, not caring how much pressure and stress her body has already gone through. And neither seem to be her kidnappers.
She has kept on the count. For some strange reason, the young mage has been able to keep her count of the days that have passed. Two days, two nights. All of that time spent moving forward or stopping for a few hours to catch some sleep, the latter has almost never come to her. There is no possible way that she can take on every single bit of this reality in. Or even be soothed to think that everything is going to be alright for her and her cat familiar. Sphynx hasn't been taken out of the dirty appearing sack, at least, not so that Parsley has seen him out of it.
He must be suffocating there, hungry, thirsty. Her hand twitches at her side, aching from the fall, while her other hand remains sore, if not a bit numb. Even now, her injury doesn't seem to be a hindrance to her kidnappers, and she has to fight a desire to cry from seeing her limb. Her chest is constricting with worry towards both herself and her friend. I am so tired.
There hasn't been any rain, almost no clouds for all this time. Only dryness and heat and it has begun to show from how the sweat has gathered and glued her clothes onto her skin. The smell has also made it rather obvious that Parsley is a mess. And while she is like a weak worm, her captors…
"What are you whining about, now? We have already wasted enough time," Kakuzu's voice rumbles from ahead and she stiffens. Unlike Hidan who has raised his voice, the dark man's calm, but the low tone is what makes her skin truly crawl.
"Why do I have to carry the bitch all the time and you get the rodent, huh!?" The silver-haired man questions in irritation.
"You would try and kill the cat," is the deadpan response from the other man and the tension begins to rise quite quickly, despite the fact that he isn't raising his voice, yet.
Hidan pauses, but then chuckles – the sound is ominous, and Parsley stiffens.
"Of course, I wouldn't do that, Kakuzu," he says with a tone that sounds too honest and carefree, laced with sweetness so unlike from the harsh tone he has been using until now.
She stops trying to get up and merely twists her head to look up at the two men. They are already both very tall compared to her, but through the haze, the exhaustion and the brightness of the sun, they are both enormous and covered in black which sucks out all the other colors. Dark, so dark.
Hazel eyes fall to the brown sack held by one of the two. There is no movement coming from within it, though, and the mage's heart skips a beat in worry. She truly wishes that Sphynx is merely resting and is in a deep sleep – not the kind where he has stopped breathing – and is able to get air in that thing. She isn't really sure if she understands what he's currently thinking, but Parsley sees that the best chances for them to stay out of trouble with these two men, is to keep themselves low and obedient as long as possible.
But… Her vision isn't clear, but it gets worse when her eyes keep on dropping and blurring over. She knows. Even with magic, she is nothing more than a weak human, now. Her head continues on spinning.
"You try carrying that thing for a change!" Hidan's voice has once again taken that shrill quality, which pierces Parsley's ringing ears rather easily. "The bitch smells like a rat's ass."
"No different than you, then."
"What the fuck did you say!?"
The insult is not what gets her, but rather another thought that fills her fuzzy mind. That man has been manhandling her to this point, carried her for what could be over hundreds of miles and on his shoulder with only one hand to balance… and he is complaining about how she smells? The reality of this almost makes her laugh, but her the corner of her lip merely quirks up for a second. She is half dead laying on the ground and he's… Just what are these people?
Tired, numb to any sort of sensation, Parsley closes her eyes and allows her body to slowly relax. It happens unconsciously, though. She would much rather keep herself alert in case anything might go wrong in the conversation – she has been listening to their bickering this whole time and knows how they can escalate. Though, frightening, to say the least, she has gotten a small hope from those moments. Maybe they will finally become too irritated and kill each other this time… or me.
A wave of nausea hits her and a moment later she lets out a small groan in the back of her throat. The fuzziness keeps on spreading and she wishes to just fall asleep there on the ground.
Suddenly, there is a strange pressure on her side. Parsley's response and mind are both slow to understand first that it's someone nudging her with their foot. When she doesn't react, however, it turns into a firm kick to the stomach, which in turn makes some of the air escape from her mouth in a short wheeze.
"Oi, I think she's dead already," Hidan's voice states casually.
The next thing the mage knows is a large hand grabbing her by the skull and pulling her locks so hard that her entire face is tilted up. The feeling is very familiar and not the first time, so she is guessing that it's the other of the two men. And when her eyes manage to crack open, she is proven to be correct in that assumption – a glimpse of grey mask proves it.
Despite not struggling or showing any sign of doing so against the grip he has, Parsley's facial muscles twitch. Her heart beats in nervousness, or maybe because her body is collapsing. Either way, she can still function enough to know what she is feeling is fear.
"Idiot. She is still alive."
A snort. "Doesn't look like it."
The hand lets go of her head and it falls limply back down to the ground. "We were ordered to bring her back alive and the way she appears is far from being just that, Hidan."
"What's with the tone, old fart? Are you fucking blaming me that she looks like this, or what?"
"You can't even take care of yourself without getting your head cut clean off," is the final retort before the young mage feels her head swaying from someone grabbing and hauling her up. Once again, she feels the familiar sensation of having a shoulder against her gut.
"Shut the hell up! You were the one who just stood there and – "
The loud yell of the silver-haired man fades and Parsley blinks slowly. She can feel a shift in the air, how the wind briefly brushes and moves her hair and dress. The ringing in her ears hasn't stopped though and her vision continues being blurry, so she brushes the sudden wind off as nothing more than the trick of her mind. She does, however, acknowledge the fact that she is being carried by Kakuzu now and her insides freeze over. Her entire body is limp, but if she were more aware of things and her head wasn't spinning, she would stiffen and probably stop breathing.
Slowly, she tries to clear the undistinguishable sight and looks down. The first sight is the hands tied up together with a rope, then what appears to be the ground beneath. The long ends of her hair somehow appear like grass, moving and all around her. The fluttering dark cloak with red only shatters that image and keeps on reminding her of where she really is – not in some meadow enjoying the scenery, but on a murderer's shoulder, being carried to gods know where. Am I… flying?
This must be part of some kind of delusion she's having. The dehydration must be truly catching on now and Parsley is losing every last bit of sense she has left. Flying may be possible with magic, but she doesn't think that these people are capable of such. No matter how monstrous and undeniably strong they have already proven to be. Rather, she should be having more worries about herself, rather than trying to explain a strange phenomenon while half of her brain cells are dying.
All the blood gathers into her skull causing ringing to rise up in volume in her ears. And through that, she can barely distinguish the loud voice of the silver-haired man she hasn't become that used on hearing. He's upset about something again, but she can't make out what. What is he yelling about this time?
For the third time, something suddenly happens, and she's dropped. Parsley can tell from the dull throb on the length of her entire body and the way the entire world seems to be tilted. Only, she doesn't get to watch it more because of her eyes closing heavily. However, her last thoughts before that are along the lines: What a pretty flower.
Her mind isn't able to become fully unconscious, however. The moment her body is ready to fully become limp, something pries open her open and wrenches her head into an upward position. Ice enters and slides down her throat.
The reaction is immediate – the young woman starts twitching, coughing and opens her eyes to stare through amber brown bangs. They blur from tears that start flowing out and she reaches out to the fingers holding her mouth painfully open and without hesitation plunges her healthy hand's long nails into the person's holding her in place. The thought that this might anger her assaulter doesn't even cross her mind and her entire body forgets whatever tiredness it has been under. Even what should be a pain in her broken hand is merely numbness and aching as adrenaline fills her veins. The rope around her four limbs pulls on her skin, cutting into it from the attempted struggle.
Water.
"Gah! Ugh!" She sputters and coughs out, feeling how the liquid fills her lungs and nose, trailing down the rest of her face. Parsley tries screaming, but the water keeps on getting in the way and the grip is bruising.
Finally, the hold falters and let's go.
The mage immediately turns to her side and coughs out all of the extra liquid, gasping for air which enters her lungs next and burns the base of her throat. The lower part of her face aches and no doubt a bruise will be forming at a later date.
"Drink," Kakuzu's voice rumbles.
Parsley's eyes open to see a bottle laying on the ground next to her and suddenly an urge to drink takes over. There is no thought or fear of it containing poison or anything pollute. She reaches out with shaky hands but winces from feeling the pain on her left broken one. Still, she manages to take it and pry open the cork – this time she doesn't choke on the clear and wonderful liquid that fills her half-dry and patched mouth.
"Oh, great," the voice of the silver-haired man drawls out. "Don't tell me we are taking another damn break?"
"We wouldn't need to, if you had looked after this girl," Kakuzu shoots back with annoyance. "Do you think that I have time for this either? I am tired of hearing your constant whining when you're the reason for our delay in the first place. So, for once shut up, or I'll kill you."
"Yeah, right! I wish you could so I wouldn't need to carry this stench covered bitch any longer. Blame me every damn time all you want, but if you had let me just kill her, then we wouldn't be in this motherfucking mess, to begin with!"
It's just when Hidan has finished screaming that Parsley chokes on the water. It's the worst timing – she knows from how neither of the two men talking anymore. Cold ice spreads in her gut and she covers her mouth, smothering the coughs.
"Didn't the bounty say: 'dead or alive'? You wouldn't lose your damn money, greedy miser!"
…What? Slowly, Parsley blinks tears from her eyes and they sting. The bottle is half-empty, so she should drink more – her thirst isn't gone yet – but instead, she looks up at the two men, noting how Hidan is standing few feet away while Kakuzu towers right next to her. The former has a very angry looking frown on his face, but the latter is standing so that his expression is hidden from her.
This isn't the first time the word 'bounty' is mentioned, but it's the first time she has been added to this conversation. Some sort of chill travels down her spine, but not the kind that would give her goosebumps. Instead, the hazel-eyed woman feels sick and fearful. I have… a bounty? A second chill goes down her back and her lower lip trembles for a small second.
A few seconds later, her blank mind receives an image of the men dressed in black, beating and holding her within the grey room. The light shining on her face from the sun is a reminder of that one lamp in that suffocating space filled with the stench of her own sweat and blood from small cuts forming all over her body. The scar-faced man, the blond woman screaming at her and those masked people who brought her and Sphynx into that hell… For some reason, it's those people who come first into her mind from. Did they… give me a bounty? Honestly, asking that from herself feels a bit silly, since who else could have done it? Is that where these men are taking me, then? The mage's face pales, back to that village?
Another flashback, of the map Hana had shown her, pops into Parsley's head. She remembers how the old mage had pointed with her bony finger down at the spot where both she and her cat had been shown the horrors of this world and where they suffered the most by the hands of the headbanded men. The name, it had been so long and strange, that the young woman barely remembers it, but the gears in her head start turning.
Kono… The village hidden in the… The thought is cut off by a strong urge of wanting to run and escape from this place.
"Can you even read? The bounty is the highest, if the girl is alive," Kakuzu says, pressuring on the words like speaking to a child.
"Does it even fucking matter!? We would have enough to cover up the aftermath of all the Jinchuuriki hunts we have been making anyway! It's only a few fucking hundred ryō and – are you even listening to me!?"
"Kind of hard not to with your screaming," Kakuzu says, the tone switching to clear indifference to what his companion has to say. He's clearly done with the subject and this only agitates the silver-haired man even further.
Parsley looks up and immediately regrets doing so. Green eyes, which are surrounded by bizarre red sclera, glare down at her with the same expression of anger that never seems to leave from Kakuzu's face. Every time, their eyes have locked, the frown is constant between his strange orbs.
He crouches down and once again takes a hold of her jaw with his hand, fingers digging themselves into her flesh, crushing the bones. A startled scream is the only thing that manages to escape from the young woman's mouth before another hand is pushed against her open mouth – something small and solid touches her tongue and she starts panicking, twitching.
"Chew," the man orders, not releasing his hold and glaring into quivering hazel eyes.
She doesn't think, she can't come up with any reply – not that her mouth could even move like this. Her heart merely beats loud enough to make it feel as if it's touching the ribcage and her jaw starts moving painfully, crushing whatever it's in her mouth.
The taste is bitter, but bearable, almost like medicine. It turns from solid to powder every time there is a scrunch between her teeth. However, Kakuzu's hand under her chin barely lets Parsley do the chewing and she has to close her eyes to bear the pain from it and unable to meet his eyes anymore. She prays for this to be over with, already.
After what feels like an eternity, the masked man speaks again. "Swallow it."
The second order is followed much faster than the first one. The bitter taste goes down and the young woman keeps her eyes tightly closed. Her swallowing is stressed by the sound coming from her throat and it's after that that the hands wrapped around the front of her head draw back. Cold sweat gathers up and it's a struggle to keep her tied up hands still.
What did she just swallow? What is going to course through her blood vessels soon?
Hidan lets out a groan. "Seriously, the bitch is like a weak ass civilian. I'm telling you, we've got the wrong heathen. I bet killing her will be just as pathetic."
"Funny, considering how eager you were to finish her off the other day," Kakuzu says almost in a bored tone.
"Kakuzu! Shut the hell up!" Hidan's hollering echoes around the forest, before stomping off so that his footsteps tremor the grass filled ground.
Parsley continues staying motionlessly on the ground, too shocked by what has happened and frightened of the thought that she might have been given something dangerous. The bitterness has not yet gone from her tongue – not that it can in such a short amount of time – and her eyes land on the water bottle. It also is laying on its side and cork open.
Glancing up at the man who almost suffocated her earlier, the mage feels relief upon seeing that he has moved more than a few feet away and is sitting now next to a tree, unfolding a large piece of paper and solely focusing on it. And as for the magenta-eyed man, he has also chosen to sit next to a river, back turned to both of them, probably scowling at his own reflection.
Slowly, as if afraid that they both might feel her wondering gaze, Parsley's focus narrows on a single brown sack laying near her. Sphynx. He isn't moving, but there are steady rises and falls of his body inside the fabric– he's still breathing. He needs to get out, hazel eyes glance up at the blazing sun, it's too hot out here.
The bottle should still have a little bit of water and enough for him if she were to just…
"What are you doing?" The familiarly dangerous low voice asks.
Parsley freezes and immediately whips her head to see Kakuzu's green eyes glaring at her. It has come to her notice many times already, but even with over half of his face hidden, the man's expression is intimidating enough with just the eyes showing,
Her hands falter on the water bottle and she nearly let's go of it. However, the broken hand once again acts up from the small movement and the young woman has to bite back her flinch and a whimper. It isn't that hard, though, for her throat feels like it clamps shut and no sound could escape from it.
Still, it takes every bit of her willpower to open her lips again. "I-I… my f-friend, can h-he have some?"
"The rodent stays in the bag," he says without any remorse and it cuts into her chest like a knife. The man doesn't bat an eye at her expression and keeps his sharp eyes on it.
The image of that small furry face flashes in Parsley's mind. Sphynx isn't a normal feline – he's a familiar. He is the most cunning, kindest and bravest one any magician could ever ask for. He's her friend, someone who has stuck with her to this point. And it's exactly because of those thoughts and memories that Parsley doesn't feel like keeping her mouth shut.
"H-he could die in there," she presses on, despite the fact that her voice is faint and careful. This is no joke. These men are killers and she's trying to reason with one. This s crazy – I'm being crazy.
Hidan scoffs but otherwise doesn't move from the spot he's sitting on. Hazel eyes keep on glancing at him warily, though, before returning swiftly to stare stiffly into Kakuzu's direction. She isn't really that surprised to see that the wrinkles between his eyes have deepened but does experience another jolt of fear across her otherwise motionless body.
All this stress and fear keep on festering inside her chest almost literally and soon she would no doubt become hysterical. They haven't fed her until now with anything, expecting for her to make it somehow. If she matters this much, then what would happen to Sphynx soon? They can't let him die, they just can't. She couldn't stand even the thought of losing her best friend because of these men's ignorance – no, rather than them, not understanding, they lack any kind of emotion. Kakuzu's eyes stare at her blankly, void of anything no matter how irritated he sounds or seems.
…Does he not have any emotions? She is half tempted to look towards the other man. The one who held a maniac glint in his purple eyes the night she saw him swung that scythe of his down at her.
"I said that the cat stays in the bag."
Whatever it's in her stomach, it drops, and her lips form a thin line.
The impatience in his tone just rose and no doubt because of her. Parsley wishes to curl up into a ball and disappear from the plain view – the green eyes glaring at her are like acids. There is no way she is courageous enough to provoke this man any further – her hand throbs as a reminder. He's adamant on Sphynx staying where he's and for Parsley to get that there is no way she can sway his mind. Rather, all the will to do so vanish the second she hears his voice and sees the expression he wears.
Hazel eyes lower to the ground, completely terrified and defeated. The mage does not dare to look at the bag anymore, though, because of the guilt and frustration building up inside. She really can't do anything for her familiar in this condition, not that she could have while being in full strength either.
Just what do I have to do to get us both into safety? Her teeth sink into her lower lip in deep and desperate thought.
Slowly, Parsley's gaze slides to the streaming river. She recalls the shock she had experience from her first ever successful water spell. Then, the spell she had tried to repeat while planning on escaping with Sphynx from her current kidnappers – she was too slow and ended up with a broken hand, which once again throbs from the memory. And from recalling the pain of broken bone Parsley starts to think that using a water spell would be too mild, even if it could take down an entire forest. These men couldn't be taken down with something like that.
Maybe it's because she got to drink water and rest like this on the ground, but her mind is gradually, but surely starting to work properly again. The dizziness, nauseous sensations and generally the fogginess in the senses are simply gone. And even slower, the temperature of her body rises up with every second a new idea forms in her head.
Hidan's voice cuts off her thoughts, though. "Oi, Kakuzu, I ain't still carrying her all the way back."
There is, yet again, another lengthy silence and Parsley remains frozen stiff on the ground, waiting for what could take place. Honestly, she wishes to be unconscious like more than a few times before during situations like these but is left there to watch everything unfold.
Without another word, the most heavily cloaked man stands up. And with no sound, makes his way to the tied-up woman who further stiffens up by his approach. Finally, without a second of hesitation, he crouches down and pulls out a dark knife. Just like any other one that she has seen, it's equally dark in color and appears just as sharp – it cuts through the ropes around her legs, freeing the limbs from the constricting rough surface.
The breath gets caught in Parsley's throat, as she watches the pieces of the ropes fall down… the fleeting sensation of freedom is short-lived.
"Stand up."
They are walking, but this time around, Parsley's stomach is not pressed against anyone's shoulder. She's standing and moving with her own two feet across the rocky terrain, swaying slightly from nearly losing her balance at few points. And every time, cold sweat trails down her back.
The sun isn't blazing, it's setting down behind the forests and mountains, cooling the air. The dust covered ground remains warm, though, and brings some sort of comfort for her. It will not be long before there is no warmth left anywhere and the rest of the air will freeze over. The thought makes the young mage uneasy, picturing herself shivering with blue lips, legs sore and covered in dust. Steady, just keep up with them…
Her gaze trails up to the two men who both have their backs turned to her. She has struggled to keep up, not understanding how they can still have so much energy after walking through more than an entire forest. The ground has not been straight and narrow, but twisted and full of hills, making it harder for someone inexperienced with long-term exercise to stay in the same pace with those who are not even faced with it. But also, because Parsley would rather keep her distance, now that's possible.
Unlike Kakuzu who is merely covered in that dark cloak with scarlet clouds, hiding any sort of weapon, Hidan's scythe is really frightening to look at. Even now, the hazel-eyed woman's face twists into a worried frown, as she watches light touch the three long blades. How he hasn't been cut by those things yet is a mystery. And it's even more worrisome that she's connected to the same man by the end of the rope he keeps on holding onto.
As if to remind her of that, the silver-haired man jerks on the rope, causing Parsley's to pick up the pace, again.
Sweat building upon her brows, the mage has no other choice but to once again bite down on her lip in frustration and tiredness. This hiking up and down has made her think that traveling on a shoulder wasn't so bad.
Out of nowhere, the three come to a halt and Kakuzu looks over his shoulder. "We'll stop here."
"Finally," his partner drawls out and then continues pulling Parsley along – she stumbles from surprise, but otherwise follows meekly.
At first, she thinks that another short night on the hard ground of the forest floor is waiting, but then the sight of the buildings in the distance makes her eyes widen. The village ahead doesn't appear to be much, merely blocks of houses here and there, surrounded by the forest, and a wall wrapping itself around the whole place. And small spots – people – walking across the streets, unaware what kind of people are really approaching. Civilization, the word would sound nice in her head, if it weren't for the binds still wrapped around her hands.
As they make their way down yet another hill and closer to the village, Kakuzu pauses again and looks at Hidan. The two stare each other for a while before the taller man gives what could be described as a small nod.
The next thing Parsley knows is the silver-haired man standing in front of her with a knife in his hands. It cuts through the ropes around her hands in a second. Unlike when her legs were freed, though, the mage knows better than to experience even the smallest bit of hope.
"Don't even think about running away, bitch. Or else..."
She doesn't like the way he pauses, nor the familiar and bizarre expression on his face. He has shown it in front of her only a handful of times, but there's a clear difference between an ordinary smile and… something much more sinister.
His face leans forward. "I'll kill you."
As soon as he declares those words, he leans away. Parsley, realizing that she has stopped breathing, takes in a weak breath and tries to stop the uncontrollable shaking of her hands. Still, she keeps her frozen hazel eyes on Hidan, even when he turns his back again and she starts taking forcible steps forward, a lump forming in her throat.
Breathe.
The brown bag is still clutched in Kakuzu's grip, who keeps on leading the front. The small familiar hidden within it hasn't moved, yet.
If she could, Parsley would clench both of her hands into tight fists. Whether the stop at this random town will be good or not, doesn't matter. She has other things to focus on, rather than worrying wherever she'll be sleeping tonight. Just hang in there a little longer, Sphynx.
"Hurry the fuck up!" Hidan's voice sounds beyond irritated, now – a sudden mood change.
"Y-yes," Parsley manages out and quickens her steps, but barely makes it few feet ahead, when she flinches and stops – the man with the scythe has stopped in his tracks and is once again looking at her. But this time, instead of looking irritated, Hidan is frowning deeply, eyes locked into hazel. "W-what?"
He doesn't even blink. "Since when do you bloody speak?"
Because of the down turning terrain, and how one has decided to walk at front and the other trail from behind, the young woman has become around Hidan's height. And it's for that reason, that they're standing eye-to-eye, but it doesn't make Parsley experience any form of relief or security. Rather, she wishes to be the shorter one again, so that she can at least pretend to be small enough to be invisible. That, though, isn't going to happen.
The expression the silver-haired man wears is accusing, and Parsley shrinks from its intensity, puzzled from the reaction. At first, she's even lost and wonders what she should answer to not deepen that frown on his face. She even starts throwing wary glances towards the other man who hasn't stopped walking and keeps on getting further and further away from them. It's quite a desperate thing to do. Wishing that the one who broke the bone in her hand would come and stop another possible scene. But slowly, in her anxious state, the amber brown-haired woman starts realizing things – she has indeed barely spoken during this whole "trip".
Finally, she blinks and fully feels the cold sweat soaking her armpits. The earth could just swallow her up and be done with this, but instead, she keeps on standing, unmoving and desperately trying to hide the shaking. No, he can't have noticed… can he? Hidan has proven to be hot-tempered, foulmouthed and mentally clearly unstable, but… the fact that he has noticed something like this…
Her mouth clamps shut as if letting out another sound will only dig her a deeper grave. The muscles in her leg are stiff and ready to take a step back, but Parsley forcefully manages to stay put. Don't move. Don't make a sound.
Magenta eyes squint and the growing shadows of the trees form a darker shade on Hidan's face. He isn't budging, definitely suspicious and doesn't blink. Rather, he seems uncharacteristically serious and that's another red sign. To him, her responding might seem strange, but for him to show this kind of silence and expression all at once is alarming to Parsley.
"You two, hurry up!" Kakuzu's voice is a lot louder than she has ever heard during these past few days – it's startling.
But unlike her reaction, Hidan merely clicks his tongue and whirls around. "Yeah, yeah! Don't get your fucking pants into a twist!" He snarls and turns his gaze back to Parsley who nearly bites down on her tongue. There is still a glare in his eyes, but he doesn't say anything else and turns to walk forward again without another word.
The very second, he has turned and taken a few steps forward, her shoulders drop in relief. This was one of the most nerve-wracking experiences, yet, and every last bit of strength feels as if it's leaving from the legs. The heart in her ribcage is drumming uncontrollably, thin strands of dirty hair cling to her sweaty neck and forehead and her breathing is quietly labored. Calm, calm, calm, I'm so close.
Parsley moves, following the two men with cautiousness, eyes curiously and frightfully sweeping between them and the village they are approaching. Her heart sinks. Is this where we'll die?
Everything is silent – no animal, wind or a sound of breathing reaches anyone's ears. Maybe it's because many are holding their breaths, beads of sweat trailing down their foreheads or simply because there's such a tension in the air from anxious waiting. A long time has passed since this began, but nobody has yet pointed it out.
They do not want to break her concentration. Nobody says that either, but it's still playing in their heads. Ino's entire expression is blank, like she's in a deep sleep, not showing anything that she's currently seeing. Wherever her current consciousness is, it's a mystery to the entire group. But what's worrisome is how long she has been like this. An hour-long wait would have been acceptable enough, but now it's getting dark and the wait has clearly gotten its toll.
Chouji glances at his other companions, noting how his other teammate has stopped looking at the blond girl. There is a frown on Nara's face – a deep one – and an unreadable look in his eyes. They are sharp, though. Sharper than what his friend is ever used to seeing. It makes the brunette also frown, but it is from worry and concern for both of his long-term partners.
"Shikamaru," the said boy looks over at the older man crouching down next to him, "we should call her back."
The dark-haired boy's do not falter, but neither does the single black one of the other Jounin. The former gives a shake of his head. "No, let's wait for a little bit longer. It's possible she's having complications with pinpointing the location."
"For nearly seven hours?" Kakashi doesn't even blink and shifts what appears to be the first time in hours. "Shikamaru, I understand what this means to you – to all of you – but you have to think of your teammate as well. This is not a rational decision and has to stop, now."
The young boy's expression stays the same, but his gaze does falter towards Ino, before shifting to Chouji and that's where their eyes lock. The one dressed in red feels a stab into his chest, seeing his friend like this. They are all wary and worn-out by this tension, this wait that doesn't seem to end. This is supposed to the mission where they would face the opponents who caused them to lose their teacher, but instead, they all have been crouching here and waiting.
But most of all, something isn't right here. Shikamaru knows that and can even see how unreasonable he's being. But he can't shake off this feeling he has in his gut. The most logical option that their enemies could have taken, was to avoid any sort of obvious path – that's what he calculated, at least. And to make sure of it, they even sent a message back to the village to inform of this strange development, fearing that the enemy had developed a new strategy and would strike at an unexpected point. However, none of that has happened. There have been no messages for at least five hours, now.
His eyes drift back to his blond teammate, who is still remaining in a coma-like state. If she was in danger or in trouble, she would have woken up already. But instead, she has kept on doing this, searching, looking, but not waking up to tell unfortunate news.
She's desperate.
Slowly and finally, Shikamaru reaches out and touched Ino's shoulder. "Ino, c'mon. That's enough."
She reacts – a frown morphs on her face and her shoulders stiffen. She's back before those blue eyes of her even flutter open in confusion. "S-shikamaru? Is something wrong?"
He breathes out through his nose and lets his hand drop at his side but refuses to meet her gaze. "We must go. The enemy has not been spotted and it's getting dark. The others – "
"I can still find them!" Ino cuts him off, looking at all three men around her. "They must be only waiting for the night to come so that they can make a move. I can switch into animals that are more suitable for the task and track them down."
It's Kakashi who shakes his head and answers to her suggestion. "It's precisely because it's getting dark that we have to leave. The plan is not supposed to happen during the night. We would be more vulnerable if that's the case. Besides, there haven't been any reports of the Akatsuki members making a move in the Fire Nation."
"Then, there must be a reason why those reports haven't been sent to us!" The Yamanaka girl continues on and looks at her friends. "C'mon, guys! We can do this."
"Ino," Chouji says her name with a soft tone but doesn't continue. He's clearly lost what to say to her.
"We can't just give up. Right, Shikamaru?" Her blue eyes slide to her other friend next who finally returns the stare evenly. "We can't give up on your plan, now."
"It seems, though, that the enemy won't be showing itself, today," he says simply and looks to the distance where the sun is setting and then back at Ino. "Look, I understand how you feel, but as Kakashi-san said, we would be at disadvantage."
"But what if – "
He shakes his head and cuts her off. "Ino, we'll go back to the village. If something comes up, I'm sure that we'll be informed."
The blond girl doesn't look convinced and actually raises her voice even more. "And what if by then they have killed more people, huh!? What, then!?"
"Ino!"
She flinches, face flushed slightly from different reasons. Mostly from getting riled up and yelling, rather than getting sharply silenced by Kakashi and his disapproving gaze. Her eyes lower to the ground, but the frown returns, and she ends up giving a small peddle a heated glare. Her hands clench into tight fists at the end of five minutes of deep silence and of her biting down on her lower lip in frustration.
Finally, it's Shikamaru who breaks it this time around. "Seriously, Ino, we aren't giving up, just making a logical choice. We'll get them later."
"…how much later?" She asks quietly, frown still not fading from her face, but in the end, stands up with the rest. Although her expression keeps on telling how displeased she's – the curtains of the blond hair keep on shadowing half of that.
Looking at all three of them, Kakashi can't help, but take in how there is a sudden gloomy cloud over all of them. When this mission began, he couldn't have possibly thought of working with some inexperienced bunch – none of them had given that kind of image or attitude. Instead, he had been amazed by how cool-headed they mostly were and by far how Shikamaru had planned their attack. However, these thoughts are being pushed away, the longer he keeps his one single eye on them.
Ino appears frustrated, not a surprise. Chouji keeps his concerned frown on her but eventually lowers it to the ground. And finally, the third member of this three-man squad doesn't pretty much reveal a thing on his face. The older Jounin can pick up that he isn't too happy how this operation turned out, but at least he isn't outwardly showing it too well. Instead, out of all of them, Kakashi bets that this young one is forming another plan already within his head. But…
They're still so young.
Without another word, they all depart and start leaping across the trees. The silence is still there, but at least it's now disturbed by the sound of the wind blowing in the ears. This is exactly how they all should be proceeding – without any disturbance from one another.
Shikamaru is thinking along the same lines, but his brown eyes keep on glancing at his blond teammate. She hasn't stopped showing that dark look on her face and she's also the one who stays behind all three of them, gaze completely downcast.
"Ino," he calls out calmly and looks back ahead. It takes a second or two, but he soon feels that he's got her attention. "Your dad wouldn't want you to do anything reckless, right now. He needs you to be there for him."
Don't do anything reckless, is the hidden message.
Although, he may not see it, her blue eyes widen, and they stare at his back for a long time. Every muscle in her body stiffens, but her legs keep on moving and switching between the long branches on the trees, as if in a trance. Another silence follows and soon enough the Yamanaka girl starts feeling a familiar sting in her eyes. The forms of her comrades become blurry and it takes biting down on her lip to somewhat control that. This is exactly what she least expected him to say to her in this situation.
She should get angry, irritated that he would dare to bring this up here, while on a mission. There aren't any walls here to keep this conversation hushed, so even the two other men of this group hear him just fine. Yet, none of them look back at her to see the reaction, and she isn't raising her voice in anger. Instead, her lips form a thin line.
He's right, and that's exactly what calms her boiling blood.
"Right," she bites out through her teeth.
Chouji is doing his everything keep his gaze forward and not glance over his shoulder at her. He is worried about what she might be thinking, right now. However, it becomes clear, when he manages to catch a faint sniff through the blowing wind.
The older Jounin knows that saying anything unnecessary would be uncalled for in this situation, but even he can hear that faint sound. "His condition is stable, the last time I heard."
"…Yes," Ino says quietly, but he hears her just fine.
"Then, you should keep that in mind," he finishes shortly and picks up the pace. This should be enough to keep her focused, he thinks, while his own thoughts wander to other matters – like how come the ones they have been waiting for haven't appeared?
There shouldn't have been an error in their planning or calculations. It doesn't make any kind of sense that the two members of Akatsuki would be able to evade or stay hidden like this for this long. If they are after the bounty from Asuma, then surely, they would have started heading towards his grave or made some sort of scene to get there. But the entire Fire country is on high alert and that evading that kind of security would prove to be extremely difficult – not that he can see them going along with that plan. From the reports and what he has heard from these young ninjas, one of them is reckless who goes along with sheer recklessness. Perks of being immortal. However, they aren't really certain what the other S-ranked criminal's abilities are. It could be that it's he who is making finding both of them this challenging. Hidan and Kakuzu, huh?
His gut tightens and even the Sharingan eye under his headband narrows in silent thought. These events can't be a coincidence – the Akatsuki, the strange incident with Yamanaka in T&I and then the strange hunt party for a missing and dangerous individual that was caught by the ANBU and brought inside the village's walls… could it be that these are somehow connected?
Asking from their Hokage would be out of the question. Kakashi has seen, everyone must have seen how hectic things have been in her office, how on the edge their leader has been, how much the security has been kept in check, even before this incident with Kakuzu and Hidan. Has there been a change of plans within the enemy's formation?
And why doesn't any of this feel right?
The streets are murky and that's why by the time they are inside some sort of inn, the bottoms of Parsley's feet are covered in a brown mush. It has reached the valleys between her toes as well and the mage fights off an urge to kick the shoes off where she stands. Not that it would be much help – even the floor inside the building is no better than the outside's ground.
The said building is like one plain white block in the middle of the town. Its walls are chalk-colored, but pieces of crumbled paint can be found on the ground and on the worn-out carpet in front of the reception desk. It has holes and the color is the same as the mud dripping down everyone's feet.
Looking down, hazel eyes catch a sight of the hem of the dress and how slight and small splatters cover its front. Even though she doesn't necessarily prefer skirts or dresses, she certainly doesn't want to walk around with this kind of look. Although, she must have looked like a mess, to begin with, even without getting mud all over herself. But seriously, more importantly… what's this place?
The stairs creak, the wind keeps on blowing in from the half-broken windows and generally, the whole place's atmosphere is just…
The stairs on the side let out a loud creak, causing Parsley to nearly jump out of her skin. It ends up being an elderly man – one with deep wrinkles and a bottle in his hands – climbing down from the upstairs and heading rather unsteadily towards the door.
"E-enjoy your stay," the manager behind the counter stutters out, handing a pair of rusty keys to Kakuzu, gaining her attention away from the swaying stranger. The poor man looks ready to faint right there but holds his breath as his new customer makes his way to the stairs.
Poor guy.
Eyes green as grass, but red on the edges turn towards the other two people still standing on the other side of the room. It seems to be a sign and Hidan starts following his partner. Parsley, though, stays frozen where she is and that's exactly what earns her an icy glare from the taller man – her shoulders rise up to the level of her ears and she quickly scurries after both of them.
Is this place… an inn? She almost feels stupid for not realizing it sooner and looks around in slight wonder, but also disturbed. If it looks this bad on the surface, what would the room they are supposed to go into look like? More importantly, out of every possible night, why are they of all times stopping in a town now?
Parsley raises her hand to touch the heavy hood draped over her head and frowns, hiding her face with it conveniently. Kakuzu had pulled this rag out at one point before the three of them arrived into the village and pulled it over her head without any hesitation or explanation. It's still puzzling, but she has remained silent on it. After all, it isn't only her who has hidden her looks.
The change is startling – the stark silver hair on Hidan's head has become longer, shaggier and darker, almost hiding half of his face with the longer bangs. The dark and red cloak around him has disappeared into a greyish one similar to hers. And not to mention Kakuzu's appearance. His cloak has changed, too, but the mask stays on unless you count the part where his hair has been set loose. It's shoulder-length, dark brown and drapes over his shoulders.
But most shocking change out of all of this is how both of their eyes have changed. The magentas have steeled into dark black, blank, but sharp. And the green eyes – without any pupils – have lost the redness that has been replaced by white. They look like any normal eyes, but… they are still frightening.
The dead giveaway is the giant scythe, though. Hidan has not bothered to hide it.
And Hana said that these people don't know any magic, Parsley's mouth forms a frown, but she keeps her eyes steadily ahead.
"Oi, why the fuck do we have to spend the night in this dump?" Hidan suddenly asks not too quietly.
For a moment, it almost appears as if the other man stops walking but continues forward in the end without looking back. "You were the one who kept on whining about the sticks on your back after every night. I would think that you would be pleased by this, so shut up."
A click of tongue pierces the thin walls. "As if. The whole place smells like shit. I bet you just fucking chose the cheapest pit around just to save money."
A shiver travels down her spine. Their appearance may have been altered, but the voices and the attitudes are just the same. Nothing has changed, but for a few moments in silence, she almost felt like she's not even near her kidnappers, but with complete strangers. Focus, she reminds herself and glances ahead to see the bag Kakuzu is carrying. Determination – that she has not felt for a long time – replaces her mental fidgeting.
They finally stop at the last room in the narrow hallway and the rusty key given to them twists the lock open. But the inside is truly no better from the inn's other appearance. In fact, it's so simple and covered in dirt that one could describe it as a hotel room from a horror movie.
Hidan's head snaps to his partner. "See? What the fuck did I tell you? It's shitty!"
Luckily, the dark-haired man doesn't comment and merely drops the bag onto the ground next to a thin structure bed. The sheets are draped carelessly over it and specks of dust are painfully visible because of the faint light from the outside coming in through a simple window next to it.
Is this place really safe? Parsley wonders and looks around with a small frown, fearing now this entire building almost more than these two men with her. The floor planks creak under the weight and could break at any second.
"And you, wench," a growl is the only warning she gets before the hood is pulled roughly down from her head, "take off that bloody hood already! We don't need to fucking hide anymore!"
"Kyah!" She yelps from shock and takes steps back, not expecting the sudden rough treatment, again. He was yelling at Kakuzu a moment ago, so why is he directing his frustration on her, now? The mage looks up and regrets it immediately – he is truly glaring at her, but this time with his real eye color.
"You got something to say?" He growls out, frowns deepening on his face.
Instead of answering, Parsley lowers her face, finding it best to keep herself mute and meek. No doubt any word or other reaction would be like adding fuel to the fire. She isn't about to make the same mistake she did on the hill and before both of her kidnappers no doubt. If Hidan was sharp enough to catch the slight change in her attitude, who knows how Kakuzu might react.
"Enough," the said man who has sat down on the bed once again growls, increasing the tension in the small room. "Go to sleep, both of you. If you make any more noise," his eyes that have also returned normal together with Hidan's are darkening by the second, "I will kill you."
A chill travels down her spine and the young woman does not hesitate to scurry towards other bed next to another window. It's not clean either, but that doesn't stop her from sitting and then laying down on it. Covering herself with the long cape, when there is no blanket around, she watches the situation unfold with the entire body stiff as a board.
Unlike her, Hidan is obviously not budging. In fact, he has crossed his arms and is glaring at the other man across the room with heated anger. There is no sense for his irritation or anger, he just keeps on shooting his partner looks for another few seconds, before opening his mouth.
"Seriously, we could make it back so much faster if – "
"The entire nation is on high alert if you didn't notice," Kakuzu sneers, cutting him off. "The real problem begins with crossing the border, so we can't be too reckless, Hidan."
"Yeah, yeah, I fucking know that already," he clicks his tongue, but then a small smirk spreads on his face. "Didn't know that you were so damn worried about a few lousy Leaf ninjas."
A scoff. "Idiot. Those brats after us, are the least of our concerns."
A silence follows – a heavy one. Until now, Parsley has mostly kept her gaze on the feet of her captors, and she remains that way. Still, the hairs on her body all stand up, like a cat's or Sphynx's fur. There is something ominous floating in the air and for some reason, she feels as if it's directed at her. They have people after them… is that why they wear the disguises in the street just now? The thought causes something to drop inside her gut. Just who exactly are these people? Also, did he just say 'ninjas'?
The conversation doesn't continue, strangely. And it's only broken momentarily by Hidan who lets out a 'tch' before loudly making his way to the third and final bed in the room. The metal structure creaks under his weight and when he moves to change his position. The sound is quite sharp and loud, scratching the ears to the point where his actions seem to be done on purpose. But finally, all the noise from the room stops and it's completely silent.
This is exactly where Parsley's heart starts picking up its pace. It drums against the ribcage to the point she fears that the two men can hear it loud and clear. T-this is it. Her hands are shaking, and it takes a lot for her not to clench both of them – she still has that injured one aching from the broken bones – shut and take calm breaths. Keep calm.
Maybe she can make through the night after all if she does this in time. The plan has gone through her head a million times already and there is a chance it could save both her and Sphynx from this place. And that thought alone makes her open her trembling mouth and start whispering.
"Hear me n-now
Before me bow down
Listen o wise moon
Make my wish come true
Guide the lost into your embrace
Leave no trace
I am your friend – "
There is a screech of metal and a second later a pair of angry stomping feet. "Will you shut the fuck up! The hell you mumbling about!?"
Her throat tightens, but the mage raises her frightened and wide eyes up to Hidan. Still, she doesn't stop chanting, despite how much worse her trembling has gotten. The magenta eyes are narrowed dangerously and a hand reaches out to grab the front of her shirt.
It takes everything Parsley has not to scream and stop.
"Oi! Kakuzu! The bitch has lost it."
Hazel blur from different reasons, one being the lack of oxygen. Her feet are barely touching the sheets of the bed and through the blur, she can see a large figure standing up and making his way over to their direction.
It feels as if her heart stops.
"C-come together
And grand my wish."
A second later, the hand on her collar loosens and there are three distinguishable sounds of three bodies falling down to the wooden floor.
Parsley can finally breathe.
The very moment he heard the faint voice of his mistress inside the rough brown bag, Sphynx had felt his small heart tighten in worry. Wherever they have been brought to, he can smell the stench of both human dirt and stench of anything imaginable from blood to simple rotten meat through the fabric he has been wrapped into. The sounds he has also managed to capture are both disturbing and questionable and that's the reason why he had been so determinate to figure out a perfect escape plan.
He knows that Parsley is injured – no doubt that these two ruffians haven't bothered to even heal that hand of hers. He has heard every small sound of her frantically beating heart and weep throughout this whole rough journey and it has pained him too much to merely stay silent and captured.
There is no way that he could have or could defeat these two men. Especially that human man Kakuzu, if you could even call him that. From his cold exterior to the rough and distant tone in his voice, there weren't any visible signs that could have shown Sphynx his weakness. He's the one who has worried him the most and the main reason for his constant silence. And no doubt that this has caused his mistress to worry more than she already has.
By pretending to be too weak or injured, the cat has successfully been able to use the faintest bit of his magic to heal whatever mishaps have been caused to his body. It was a tiring task, considering how he wasn't sure if the men could detect his use of magic. But considering how they don't have any of their own, it was almost foolish on his part to be so careful. No, it all wasn't in vain. The last thing anyone would have expected was that a single cat would fight back after being carried around in a dusty and warm bag.
Still, once more Parsley has managed to worry him beyond imagination.
He heard the way the man Hidan had stood up and made his way to her, the way he had raised his voice at her and the way the mage had gasped in fear. Whatever he had tried doing, it made the hairs on Sphynx's back rise to their full length. He had been ready to claw his way out that very second.
And yet, his ears twitched from the sound of the dull thuds and the silence which followed after.
Even now, they are twitching on top of his head and he can barely breathe. He knows what kind of spell Parsley had been trying to cast, but had she been cut off by anything the whole thing would have needed to be started over again.
Did… did she do it?
He listens carefully again when his golden eyes can't seem to see through the thick fabric of the bag. And finally, he hears a soft and deep inhale. It's Parsley and she's letting out a quiet sigh.
Footsteps make the weak and poor floor creak. The noise is the worst because it sounds like it's taking forever to reach him. That familiar sound of a pair of two feet he has grown so used to over the years is getting closer, yet Sphynx remains motionless.
It finally stops and right next to the bag he's hidden in. The next thing the cat knows is that someone is struggling to open the fabric around him, and both his ears and tail perk up.
"Sphynx."
For the first time what feels like forever, the magical familiar inhales the outside air. The stench is still the same, but the clearness of it is somewhat satisfying, in a way. At least, now he's free and the sight of the familiar face with long amber brown hair framing it brings joy into his furry chest.
And that's not all – Parsley has a bright smile on her face, despite the fact how her entire body trembles, when she hugs him close to her chest. The smell of her and the sweat fills Sphynx's nose in a familiar manner and he looks over her shoulder to see two unconscious bodies laying on the bed next to a window. The light from the outside highlights their faces and closed eyes.
"We can go now," he says, rubbing his cold nose against her hair. "Let's run."
It takes a second or two, but the young woman finally draws back and looks at him with a serious expression. He can't remember the last time he saw this much determination in her eyes.
Parsley nods and speaks in a quiet voice: "Yes."
Sphynx grins, a ferocious expression on his furry face, he imagines. And it's worth it because another brilliant smile appears on his dear friend's face.
They are once again free to make a run for it.