Chapter 19
(One more leeeeeeft! Aww, I'm gonna miss you guys. –sniffle- Especially you, Minnie. And The Zelda Master and Twilight Trinity. You three are my most faithfullest reviewers. –clings to you all- Okay, deep breeeeaths. I'll be back soon, you'll see! When I get the Kraine fic out of my system, you've got seven more Sheelos chapter fics on the way. Not to mention a few one-shots. Hehe. I dunno, it's gonna seem so weird not to have a fanfic going... )
It wasn't noise, bright lights, or cold winds that woke the ninja this time; no, it was the lack thereof. She opened her hazel eyes to find the camp nearly deserted, with only five or six men left, of the twenty-five or so that had been there just previously. 'Though I suppose it wasn't just previously, for that was last night.' She reasoned. Her face was still red with tears, though only slightly, the rest overnight having greatly lessened the visibility of such markings. Yet this morning dawned so different than the last. She had to escape.
"Lookit that, boys. She's tryin' to bust free." Sneered one of them, the nearest, who had obviously seen her mutinous gaze. Three others laughed, before one of them joined in.
"She could probly do it, too. All she'd have to do is chew one of 'er arms off." Snorted the second.
"Yeah, and I wouldn't put it above 'er. Didja see that look she gave Kage last night? Ready to kill, that one is." Responded the first. Then a third piped in, softer.
"Though I don't see why she should waste the effort. Kage says she dies at dawn."
At this, all four looked to the sun.
"But it's past dawn, innit?" Questioned another skeptically.
"If you buffoons would listen, you'd know these things. Kage had an emergency to attend to, and the moment he returns he's gonna…" The man trailed off, glancing pointedly to the ninja. The other three thought a moment, then smirks slowly spread on their mugs.
"No use tormenting 'er, now is there? Not enough time to let it all sink in." The others murmured in agreement before returning to their posts. The ninja sat in shock. She'd thought she'd have at least three more days to work out her escape plan! Yet the way the smaller thug said it, Kage could be back any minute, and her time would be up. So the time to plan was now.
The summoner worked her fingers around the chains, through every hole and contour, searching for the lock that held it all together. Locating it, she slipped a slender fingernail inside. For precious minutes she worked the lock, before sighing in exasperation and withdrawing her fingernail once more. Time for Plan B.
Her card still lay a foot beyond her shoes, the vulpine face of Corrine winking at her from it's surface. She had to reach it. It was the only way. Unless she truly intended to chew off her hand, though that option didn't much appeal to her. It'd take to long, not to mention she'd have but one arm for the rest of her life. No, definitely not a good plan.
She glanced to the men, to find them all sitting lazily by the fire, betting at a game of cards. Sheena smirked slightly, glad that these particular thugs were so negligent. They wouldn't notice if she moved, as long as it wasn't anything quick. Slowly, keeping one eye trained on the men, she slid her rear as far out from the tree as it would reach, extending her foot to it's full extent, yet the tip of her toe just barely brushed the paper-thin edge. She cursed under her breath, gritting her teeth and reaching still farther. The chains that bound her hands dug into her wrists, and she could feel a small trickle of blood slide from where the metal was the harshest. Her toes reached over the edge, resting atop her card. Yet it wasn't enough. Still farther she forced herself to stretch, and farther still. Just when she was afraid her wrists might snap, her foot got traction on the card, and it slid slightly her way. Slowly, as not to draw attention, she withdrew the card, allowing the warmth and power seep into her feet. For a moment she sat, allowing her tortured wrists a moment of recuperation. Bit by bit, she slid the card around the tree to where her hands were mere moments before. Swiveling back to her former position, the ninja wrapped her fingers around Conicere, and knew then and there that she was free. Grasping it firmly in her hands, she drew a deep breath of preparation.
"Ruler of All, I summon thee! Origin, release me from my bindings!" She cried, as loud as she possibly could. A whooshing sound was heard, a faint whisper of 'Granted…' sounded in her ear, and suddenly the chains were no more. She whipped her wrists around the tree to cradle them to her chest, tentatively examining the bleeding wound, though only a moment could be spent nursing them before the thugs realized she was free and decided to do something about it. She leapt to her feet, readying Conicere, yet the first man was nearly upon her, and there was no time for words. So she resorted to something so un-Sheena-ish that few would believe she'd done it. In mere milliseconds, her fist had made contact with the first man's face, a sharp crack telling her she'd hit her target. He fell to the ground, bleeding from the nose. Then her fist swung at the second, producing the same result. The third was a little farther off, so she hastily muttered the spell that called upon Conicere's mana.
"Mirage Seal!" cried the summoner, and suddenly she was everywhere, or so it seemed to the three remaining men. They whirled frantically, eyes wide, swinging wildly at the many Sheena's and trying to find which was real. By the time the mirage had started to clear, she was ready. Swinging her card at the men, she roared, "Serpent Seal Pinion!" When the dust cleared, two more men were lying unmoving on the ground.
The last one backed up a step, slightly fearful of the ninja's wrath, yet she made no move to harm him.
"Where is Kage!" Sheena demanded, her gaze still murderous. Despite what had just happened to his comrades, this man no longer cowered. In fact, a sardonic sneer spread on his lips.
"Off killing your precious Chosen." He replied contemptuously.
"Zelos!" She gasped, barely audible. Kage had twenty men with him, maybe more! Zelos didn't stand a chance! Though her rage, her hatred, her hurt at his betrayal burned fierce in her heart, there was something fiercer, and as much as she hated him for what he did, she couldn't let him be killed. Even if he had merely been feigning, she had not. 'Live, Laugh, Love. Time to fulfill my end of the deal.' With that, she whirled and took off into the forest once more, completely forgetting the man she'd spared. He'd later tell those of other bands of rouges that he had fought her off single-handedly, and she had fled in fear. He couldn't let his dignity go just like that, now could he?
Many minutes passed, and still there had been no sign of even the general direction Kage had headed. Sheena was growing frantic, for each second wasted brought the chances up of being too late. Too late to save him, too late to kill the one who'd caused all this.
"Heavenly Messengers, lead me to Zelos!" She cried to the sky, sick of running and not seeming to get anywhere.
"This way…" Whispered three distinct voices in unison, and a heavy flower-scented wind pushed her down a path to her left. She turned on a dime, racing that way, and following the aid that Sylph was offering her.
"Zelos, hang on, just a little while longer…"
(Mwahahaha. Wow, it's like my second chapter today. Heh. But I'll wait a bit to upload it, so you guys have time to read the last one first. Mwahaha.)