If you didn't look at last chapter's art, I advise you to do so now because part of this chapter talks about it. This is the link: pinkkitsu/art/Medea-s-145th-mission-Chapter-7-856130209. All drawings will be posted in my DeviantArt account, so you can visit me there whenever you want to see them.
Finally, this chapter begins to explore the interaction Alluka / Killua and Medea since you've been asking me to make them interact more and I couldn't resist lol Also, we'll begin to learn about Medea's past and the dark side of her personality, she is NOT a Mary-Sue, she is cruel and selfish, I think you could realize it when she dealt with Lasym's murder.
Btw, Kurapika will be important for this religious arc, you'll figure out why soon ;)
Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter. — Cherry
Medea woke up with the sunlight illuminating her face, opening her eyes lazily and sighing as she stretched out, forgetting that she was lying on the couch and falling onto the floor immediately. With a groan, she got up grumbling and went to the window to open the Sunflower-colored curtains and allow the air to roam inside. The birds sang cheerfully and some squirrels ran through the trees near the house, the smell of black orchids and tulips invading her nose and making her feel relaxed automatically; there was nothing better than being at home.
From the hallway, she heard a door noise closing and turned her body towards the sound, being greeted by a sleepy Killua who rubbed his eyes as he yawned. Alluka and him had been living with her since her discharge from the hospital three weeks ago, as the Association had advised that someone should stay with her to prevent any kind of retaliation from the killer –which she was sure wouldn't happen. The main candidate had been Kurapika since he was already involved in the case, but Alluka insisted so much for her brother to volunteer that no one seemed to resist her sparkling eyes. To tell the truth, it was interesting to live with someone after being alone for so long, and even if she'd given her bed up to the siblings she didn't feel tired at all, actually, it just seemed to make her more energetic.
Killua muttered a good morning and sat on one of the yellow armchairs in the living room, turning the television on to watch the cartoon channel disinterestedly. Medea placed their simple breakfast on the table, a box full of chocolate toast, a jar of orange jelly, a bottle of strawberry juice.
On the living room's coffee table, her phone rang and Killua, who currently acted much less apprehensive about her, handed her the device and she thanked him briefly. Answering the phone call, Medea pressed the object against her shoulder while she put her hair up in a simple bun, undoing her morning bedhead.
"Morning, did I wake you?" Asked the melodic voice on the other side of the line.
"No, I woke up a few minutes ago. Did you sleep well?" She walked to the door of the room and opened it, generating a slight creaking of the iron hinges.
"Great, I feel refreshed." The man said.
"Oh, as if! You stayed up all night again right, Kurapika?" Asked matter-of-factly, obtaining a sigh in return.
" ..Okay, I admit, I didn't sleep trying to look for any clues regarding the crime." Medea resisted the urge to sigh. "Actually, that's why I'm calling you."
"Like you call for any other reason. What do you want to know this time, hm?"
"Are you sure that you gave me the assassin's correct description, Medea?" His voice had an accusatory tone and she gulped. "I can't find anyone who's been in the vicinity of the crime that matches those characteristics."
Her body froze momentarily and she felt a knot form in her stomach. She couldn't allow them to discover the truth about the murder or she ran the risk of having her own secret revealed, which would definitely wipe out any possibility of becoming a Star Hunter, as she had so much dreamed of. So he chose the safest way, to confuse the enemy.
"Are you suspicious of me, Kurapika? Do you think I killed Mister Lasym?" She returned the question.
"You know I don't." he answered immediately. "I just think you're hiding something or not telling everything you know to the Association."
"This is ridiculous, why would I try to keep everyone blind about the murder of one of the most important investors in the organization?" She laughed sarcastically. "I almost died because of the bleeding caused by this bastard, which by the way, you helped aggravate. Don't you think I'm the one who wants justice the most?" From the corner of her eye, she saw that Killua no longer paid attention to the cartoon, choosing to listen to their conversation heated conversation.
"Medea, I've already apologized to you about it, I was overwhelmed with adrenaline and focus, it wasn't my intention to make your situation worse." He replied defending himself.
"And you already know I've forgiven you, but that's not the point. I could be dead if it wasn't for Leorio and yet you still doubt the veracity of my claims, that's stupid." She stated as she sat down. "It's absurd that you're even considering something like that. Seriously, I thought we had become friends since I left the hospital. " The woman heard the boy sigh on the other side.
"Medea, please don't act like that." He asked, a hint of worry in his voice. "I'm just evaluating all possible avenues of investigation, that's my job."
She didn't say anything, placing her face in her free hand and looking at the sight of the mountains in the distance, clearly annoyed by the fact that she'd woken up to such subjects.
"Are you going to ignore me?" Despite trying to stay serious, she could hear the entertaining tone present in his voice. He was strange, irritated by simple things and found it funny at random moments.
She sighed, giving up. "No, because you're a cutie and I can't get mad at cute boys for too long." She answered, but didn't get an immediate response. From the couch, Killua laughed and rolled his eyes, as he always did when she teased his friend. "Come on, don't be shy, it's a compliment! And look, you managed to get me to talk again!"
He coughed awkwardly and she smiled as she realized the effect it always caused on him. "Anyway, how's your nose?" Kurapika quickly changed the subject. "Still sore?"
"Actually no, it's been two days since I've felt anything." Medea told him.
The bedroom door opened slowly and Alluka emerged yawning, her long, thick hair stuck in a half-undone braid. The strap of the green nightgown fell from one of her shoulders and the white slippers were partially off her feet. She walked to the table and sat in front of Medea.
"Morning, people." Greeted the girl as she loosened her hair and combed it with her fingers.
"Morning, sweetie." Responded Medea by squeezing her cheek with affection.
"Heya, Alluka." Killua got up from the couch and went to where they were, sitting next to her sister. He turned to the woman and gave her a cunning look. "Tell Kurapika that the bet is still up."
She raised an eyebrow. "Kurapika, Killua said the bet is still up, or whatever it is."
"Tell him to forget about it. It's not gonna happen." He responded.
"Medea, put it on speakerphone, please." Ssked the teenager, blue eyes shining with malice and she, curious like she was, promptly obeyed. "Look Kurapika, Gon thinks it's going to take 4 to 6 months, Leorio thinks it takes a little less, I think it's already happened." He couldn't contain the loud giggle that escaped through his lips.
"Killua, I already told you to stop it. It's not funny." His voice was as cold as the northern seas and the pearlescent haired woman felt a chill running through her spine.
"Am I wrong though?" He retorted while he filled his sister's glass with juice. "I saw the way your eyes glimmered, you can't deceive me."
"You're making me curious." Commented Medea at the same time as passing the orange jelly in his toast. "What's it about?"
"Are you on speakerphone mode?!" That was the last straw. "That's enough for me, I have more important things to do. We'll talk later, Dhea."
"Okay, I'm gonna need to travel to sort out some personal matters, but I'll let you know when I land at my destination." Explained the woman as she bit off a piece of chocolate toast.
"Leorio, Gon and I want nicknames too, mkay?" He teased.
Alluka laughed as the blonde huffed and ended the call, possibly aware of the matter being discussed. Medea squinted her purple eyes, pinching the lower lip between her index and thumb.
"Spit it out brat, why did Kurapika get so nervous about this topic?" She asked looking at the boy, who laughed.
"It's a boys-only secret."
She arched an eyebrow. "But Alluka knows."
"She's my sister, so she's got a free pass."
Alluka made a naughty face. "VIP's only, Dee."
She shook her head dramatically and sighed. "What a disappointment, Miss Alluka, you've stabbed my heart."
"But changing the subject," Began the platinum-haired boy. "Where are you going? And more importantly, what are you going to do there?"
She shrugged. "Why should I tell you? You're all against me."
Killua rolled his eyes. "No, we joined up against Kurapika, you'll still find out about the bet… Just a little later." He explained.
Alluka touched the back of Medea's left hand with her delicate fingers, a soft and normal affection on her part, until she reached the tattoo, following the traces with attention and interest. Medea noted that she always seemed excited to see the drawing, always asking different questions about it, from "Did it hurt?" to "Do you regret it?"; from what she had been able to understand, it was the first time the girl saw something like that in person and was able to touch one. It was sweet in Medea's opinion.
"Are you going by yourself?" Her voice sounded sad, and she didn't look the young woman in the eyes.
"I need to, unfortunately. I've got something important to do, and bringing you guys with me can be dangerous." She apologized, taking a hand to the girl's chin and raising it so that she could face her in the eyes. "But I promise I'll be back soon and I'll bring a gift for you two, okay?"
"Seriously?!" Her eyes shone brightly.
"Seriously!"
"Medea, I'm not a child, I don't need gifts." Killua stated as he crossed his arms.
"I know that, but you're my friend and you're also my guest, it's the least I can do." Ensured the Hunter. "Well, I'm going to get up and finish packing my backpack so I can go. Do you promise you'll take care of the house for me?"
"Relax, we won't destroy anything."
"Not even commit arson?" She asked.
"Not even that." He laughed.
She winked at them and walked to the room where the siblings were located, separating the gray backpack and putting it on the still messy bed, she wouldn't take a lot of stuff with her because it'd be a quick trip. She placed a considerable amount of panties and bras (what if her period took her by surprise this month!) inside the bag, four short-sleeved blouses, a thin coat, two pairs of jeans and a warm nightgown, it was enough to spend a week there if needed. Medea opened a drawer and began to search for her Kanzashi, frowning as she remembered it was lost and opting to take her brass knuckles and two chakrams, circular throwing weapons used to cut off limbs or slit the opponent's throat, with her. She truly adored them, the chakram was the best weapon she had and also the most lethal, but it still didn't have the same sentimental value of her Kanzashi.
She closed the drawer and marched to her closet to pick up her golden beaded bracelet when a colored object caught her attention. With a puzzled look on her face, she took it in her hands and felt her eyes tear. It was a portrait of one of her most beloved missions, where she'd managed to rescue a coral shark cub –a species that was suffering from intense hunting at the time– and take him into captivity, which caused an international law prohibiting the act to be institutionalized a few months later. Medea had never felt so happy and proud of a feat; knowing that she'd influenced the decision of entire countries was unbelievable. However, that wasn't why she was crying now.
Next to her 15-year-old self, who remained clinging to the shark, there was a tall man with long white hair and almond eyes, a subtle smile painted on his lips. Kite. Her dear Kite. She bit her lower lip as she recalled how thrilled she'd been after finding out that he'd accompany her on that mission; she admired him so much that she couldn't even express in words, after all he had taught her almost everything she knew. They met shortly after she passed the Hunter exam –up to that day she still didn't know how she had done it!, she had tried to steal his wallet and he had stopped her immediately, giving her a stern lecture and stating that a Hunter shouldn't behave that way; however, upon hearing that she was an orphan and had no one to count on, Kite had taken a different stance and had even taken her to buy food. The man, who was 19 at the time, started to visit and train her whenever he could.
As the years passed, she began to see him as a role model and to treat him like family; perhaps that was why she allowed Alluka's closeness, because she noted how herself was becoming this "older sister" figure to the girl and her brother, even if Killua didn't admit it out loud. Kite and her got along quite well, they rarely argued and had similar tastes, it was a friendship that had everything to be perfect. That is, until he began to share the attention that she thought should be hers with that pathetic group of aspiring Hunters. He became busier and rarely tried to contact Medea, which for someone who'd suffered from multiple abandonment in less than two decades was the reason for an increasing emotional instability.
Months passed before he contacted her again, and when he showed up at her door one day, announcing that he'd be on a mission to lead a search in Kakin's Empire for an amount of indefinite time, she had an outburst. Everything she'd kept within herself for months was spat out through bitter words, the ones she was sure would hurt him, and suggested while shouting that he forgot that damn idea before he ended up dead. He stayed unmoved by her outbreak, perhaps a little colder than usual and replied that he'd go no matter what she said, so Medea took the choice that seemed most reasonable at the moment: kicked him out and told him to never show up again. It'd been almost three years since they last saw each other, she never even heard of him during her missions, it was as if he simply disappeared.
Grabbing the photo with caution, she wiped her tears and took a deep breath to control herself. She placed the portrait on the shelf and allowed her fingers to wander around the contour of the man's angular face, her heart beating painfully. She closed the wardrobe's doors and, therefore, her own memories'. Kite was in the past. She was better off alone.
Her trip to the Ileackian Federation had been calm, the country was much more welcoming and relaxing than Saherta, it was much more interesting to visit. The taxi driver had been very kind and had kept her entertained on the way to the Great Temple, asking trivial things and telling details of his own life. When they arrived at the destination, she made sure to give him a good tip and said goodbye cheerfully, ready to enter the building. The structure was fairly large, it had around four floors, each with six different wings, and two communal courtyards, one internal and one external. The facade was composed of oak wood, gray limestone, some resistant stones and lead-colored marble, which gave the place a sober and frosty look for those who saw it from outside, in the best rustic yet haughty style ever seen. Around the building, there was a dense forest full of life, where they often performed important rituals and sacrifices, and from it arose a heavy and cold atmosphere that made the hairs of their nape bristle. She'd always find it threatening.
The guards at the entrance looked at her suspiciously and she just showed her golden bracelet, one of the symbols used by the institution's members, which guaranteed her immediate entry. From the inside, the sanctuary was completely embellished with gold objects and white lilies, whether real or sculpture. There were no benches, only flowery white circles that were used by the lower worshiping castes for the adoration of the Great Changeable, the deity they served. The Ever-Living Golden Goddess ruled the order of the universe, it was thanks to her that the tides arose, that animals knew when they should hunt or reproduce, that humans had previously unthinkable ideas to develop themselves culturally and socially –these were called the sparks of the heavens; nothing happened without the goddess's endorsement. That's why the main foundation of its faith was the detachment from one's own life for the sake of obedience to its ways, without questioning and always firmly.
She recalled the ginger man in Idyzanon who asked her if she was lying about not caring for her own life. She didn't see her statement as a lie, but rather as a goal she wanted to achieve in order to feel fulfilled among her community and, above all, for the Moon. The Goddess had done so much for her since she had begun to follow her commandments, she could not see herself anywhere else but in her embrace.
Medea passed through the circles on the ground, deviating from all, and walked until she reached the great inner courtyard, where the Alchemists of the temple stayed, they were responsible for the production of medicines and potions. The aroma of red roses and mint, used for the weekly elixir of vigor distributed to the clergy who lived there, was something that left her light-headed, while the different fragrances of hibiscus, orchid, thyme, and other herbs from the small glass greenhouse they had gave her a feeling of sparks in her chest; it was remembering how much she had grown among the castes until she could step on the inner parts of the Temple was encouraging.
She bowed before the women, who politely waved back, and continued walking until she reached the staircase that connected the different floors of the building. She was about to ascend to wait for the High Priestess' instructions when a well-known voice echoed through the space, completely satisfied and agitated. A plump woman with Onyx skin and green eyes came towards her, her sky-colored hair stuck in an intricate bun that held a semitransparent target veil and a broad smile on her face. Her tunic was entirely white and covered her neck, wrists and feet with thin, light lace, perfect to show seriousness in a comforting manner.
"Medea, it's been so long!" The woman said, hugging her. "Were you summoned by the Master like the others?"
"Sister Iseayra, it's good you see you." She greeted as the woman let her go. "Yes, I was surprised by the Great Lady's request to attend the temple, I thought I'd only be called back by the end of the year."
The lemon-colored eyes drifted to the floor, a trembling smile popping up on her lips and she took the hand of the young lady, her fingers squeezing them tightly. "So you don't know?" She led her up the stairs, her face becoming momentarily saddened. "Come, I'll take you to your room."
Medea raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"The reason you're here!" The young woman shook her head. "Oh, dear sister, it is a pity that I have to tell you this, but I believe that if I don't do it no one else will say; our sisters and brothers do not talk of the subject ever since the Great Lady summoned the apprentices to come." She bit her lower lip and looked around to make sure they weren't close to anyone.
"Was it that serious, sister?" Medea was worried. First she had received a message from the person who contacted her on the clergy's behalf ordering her presence in Ileack with no explanation other than "orders of the Master" and now this?
"It was terrible, my white Lily. They broke into the temple on one of the holy nights and killed sister Sabina and the guards who were here." She sighed. "It was a slaughter, the only body that wasn't mutilated or dismembered was hers, all the others became unrecognizable."
"By the Great Changeable!" Exclaimed Medea in shock. "Sister, how did that happen? Do you know who committed this atrocity?"
She solemnly denied. "Unfortunately not, but there are rumors that it may have been a group angry at us. I believe they must have studied us for a long time to discover possible weaknesses until they finally attacked." They entered an extensive corridor with several dark wooden doors and identifiers of whoever was installed there, and Iseayra made a gesture for her to stop talking as they headed to the room that would be the young woman's for the time she remained there.
The sister opened the door, which creaked thanks to the lack of lubrication on her hinges, and Medea went towards the desk, where she deposited her backpack. She turned to the clergyman, who checked around to see if anyone was roaming the hall before closing the door and facing the younger one. The woman massaged her temples and sighed, noticeably tired.
"People don't want to talk about it, they want to continue believing that we are safe inside this stone fortress even after they saw what happened that night." She laughed bitterly and her eyes seemed to burn with hatred. "They're all fools. Even the Great Lady has not spoken after the funerals, it's as if nothing had happened."
A crease formed between Medea's brows. "But why am I here? I don't understand." She confessed.
"You, my dear, were one of the apprentices appointed by Sabina and other sisters as candidates to ascend as minor priestesses this year."
She felt her heart beat harder inside her chest. Holy crap, was that really happening? She had never expected this opportunity, she only wanted to fulfill the missions the Order gave her in order to gain access to the most restricted books it possessed, she really hadn't pretended to draw the attention of the scouts. After being removed from the mission she'd worked hard for, this was definitely a positive surprise!
"But don't let your guard down, young Lily." Warned the woman. "I have a bad feeling about this selection, keep your eyes open and do not trust your competitors."
"Do you think there might be a spy between us?"
"I wouldn't doubt it. " She confirmed. "I know that you are a good-hearted young woman Medea, and I know that you serve the Moon with dedication, so I will warn you about one thing. The High Priestess plans to distribute missions among the candidates."
Her violet eyes widened. "But she said that my mission on Kaniv Emerald would be the last! " Medea objected. "This might ruin my reputation at work if I keep going, and there are other people from lower castes who can be taught about this task, younger and more capable than I ever was! I no longer wish to be the Night Lady."
"I understand what you're feeling dear, but it's you who needs to complete this mission, the last mission before you retire from your post, and take that position." The woman spoke taking her hand. "The Moon designed your fate even before you knew it, your mere encounter with the Order was something inexplicable to us, you were chosen for this moment, Medea."
"I'm not ready." She tried to argue, utterly exasperated, her heart beating madly inside her chest and her hands covered in sweat.
"Medea." The woman held her arms firmly, but not to the point of hurting her. "You are one of the most capable handmaidens we have here, if there is anyone who can fulfill that order, it is you." Iseayra assured with a confident smile. "Do it for our brothers and sister who have become stars in the infinite Heavens, do it for me, for yourself. Do whatever you have to do for the Order's sake."
What does fate await for Medea? Would Illumi be closer than ever to fulfill his goal of killing her? Will she find out what happened to Kite? To find out these and other questions, stay tuned for the next chapters~