Erufu Oni Hana

Two elven men stood in the shadows, or rather, one stood at attention, waiting for his superior's orders. The older of the two men sat in a chair, his hair long and his eyes narrowed.

"The Kurano girl?"

"Sir?" The younger man asked.

"The girl has powers, how easy would it be for demons to exploit them? It's for her own good," The man's eyes seemed like those of a snake's, his white hair hanging over his head.

"Sir?" The younger man questioned hesitantly.

"I want her in out dungeon," The older man said dangerously.

"Hanako. You..."

"Hanako... She's too powerful. She's a threat. Don't be so upset. I think you know why..."


(A small dog with a bandana wrapped around his neck appeared to be speaking to someone.)

"I heard Akano-san is looking for you," The small dog said.

"So what? Let 'im look!" Hanako said, her arms crossed and her body turned halfway away from the dog, leaving the dog dumbfounded. "This is more important," Hanako explained as she knelt beside a flower, starting to pull it up when claws slashed through it, knocking her over.

"Kuro?" Hanako asked.

"Who else?" The black cat asked in a jocular tone, holding his paw up, revealing his extended claws and a goofy smile. Suddenly, the atomosphere changed.

Hanako picked up the cat, squeezing the poor fellow in her arms as she squealed, "Kuro-kun!" She didn't seem to notice that she was crushing poor little Kuro.

Akano stood in the shadows, looking upon the girl with sad, woeful eyes. This girl, her eyes, her hope, the way she masks her pain...

"Sorry Kuro-kun..."

"You've..." The cat started to say, but didn't.

"Hanako-chan," Akano said from the shadows, stepping out from them.

"Akano?"

"What do YOU want?" Kuro said, although to Akano it would come out as a simple, "Mrow?"

"Kurano Hanako, I have received orders to take you into the custody of the Elven Military, Erufu. Please cooperate, I don't want anyone to get hurt over this," Akano said in a monotone, trying to hide his disdain for his orders. He knew he was succeeding in that area, but what if Hanako refused?

"But I..." Hanako said, her voice starting to crack.

"I'm sorry Hanako, it's not as if you're in trouble. It's that you may be if the demons learn of you. We can't let that happen."

"Why you sorry bastard!" Kuro hissed at Akano, although Akano wouldn't understand. "How dare you!"

"Kuro-kun, stop... Akano-san, you can't be serious..."

"I'm sorry Hanako."

Kuro looked between the two for a moment, wanting nothing more than to slash away at Akano's face.

"I... What about my mother?"

"A lot more people might get hurt if you stay here. You'll be safer in Eimashi." Akano spoke in a monotone still, unable to actually agree with his own statement.

"But she-"

"Hanako! Just... Just come on already..."

"Akano, I can't!"

Kuro's fur bristled as he looked at Akano with a glare. "You'd better not lay a finger on her..."

"Hanako, just come."

"I won't."

"Then I'm... I'm sorry Hanako," Akano turned his head, and let out a fast and sharp whistle. Suddenly, five men emerged from every direction, one even came from behind Hanako. All of the men were elves, and every one was armed with either a weapon or armour. "I don't want her hurt, understand?"

The man behind Hanako gave a quick nod, and in a burst of speed, he appeared in front of Hanako, two fingers extended, aura gathering in the tips. He lightly tapped them on the girl's forhead, the words, "Sleep please," escaping his lips. It took seconds for the aura to fade from his fingers, and start to shut the girl down.

"I'm sorry.... Hanako."

Kuro could only look, dumbfounded by the events. But he knew better than anyone, not to try to change inevitable events. 'Sleep for now,' he thought, 'Take action later. I've already seen it and this is not final.'



(Hanako awakes in a dungeon, lying on a bench, a neatly folded stack of fabric beside her bed, on top of which is a loaf of bread, a canteen, and an apple. On the bench above her own is a white square, a note.)

Starting to stir, Hanako lifted her head, slowly standing up and glancing around her cell. "Kuro? Akano?"

No one answered. In a moment of confusion, Hanako, using the bed above her for balance, pulled herself up. She noticed the food, the fabric and the canteen, as well as the note up on the bunk above her own. She started to read it, her eyes widening as she did, tears filling them.

"That can't be right..." She said to herself, although the tears kept coming. "It can't be..."

"It is correct," A tall figure said. Stepping from the shadows, was none other than Yukimaru. "I'm glad to see that you're unscathed."

"Who are you?" Hanako asked, still using the bench above her own for support.

"Why don't you walk with me for a moment?" Yukimaru's question came out more like an order as he pulled a key from a table beside Hanako's cell door and unlocked it, with a click of a lock he slid the barred door open.

Hanako said nothing, she did nothing. She could only bite her lower lip.

"Well? Come on Hanako-chan, don't tell me you'd rather lie in a dark and damp cell than come outside for a little chit-chat, would you?"

"H-hai..." Hanako said, starting to walk out towards the elven leader with a defeated and disturbed expression on her face.

"Why so glum? You're not sick are you? Come on, let's go get some air, eh?" With that, Yukimaru started to lead Hanako away from that cell, a smug grin on his face. The two were silent as they walked outside, entering what appeared to be the courtyard of the prison, only with one minor detail: There were no other prisoners. There was nothing but a simple wooden table and two simple wooden chairs. "Come, have a seat."

Hanako was seated before Yukimaru, sitting in the chair, only to have it pushed in after her by the elven leader. The second he was seated, she couldn't contain her concern any longer. "How long am I going to be here for?"

"A little too soon to ask that, eh?" Yukimari said, smiling at the girl. "Be happy. You'll be safer here than you'll be if the demons find out about your little friends. No, WHEN they find out about your little friends."

"How do you know about-"

"It's a little obvious Hanako-chan. I have gaurds in that camp, remember? I receive reports, and I have to read them. You don't think that your conversations would go unnoticed, did you?"

Hanako remained silent.

"Now, I have a question or two of my own. For one, why didn't you just go with Akano, hm?"

Not a word.

"I asked you a question, did I not? Or should I consult your mind directly to figure this out? Or should I send someone back to your camp to figure it out for me?" Yukimaru said, his eyes narrowed and bored seeming.

"I..."

"Don't worry, you'll be with us for a while. It's okay if we don't get to everything today, but I'd rather we get these few concerns resolved. I find it rather disturbing, how you lack a sense of gratitude. All of you humans really."

"My friends and family are in that village..."

"That camp, you mean. It's fine for you to feel that way about your family, but you should think about them more. If the demons came looking for you, came looking for your ability, then what do you think... Would happen?"

Again, silence came from Hanako.

"The demons would kill them over you, but if your aura is absent, they'd have no choice but to enter out walls. Let's face it, dear, they don't have the resources to breach our barrier."

Hanako was silent, a pained expression appeared on her face. "How long until I can go back?"

"Again with this? You don't know much about being grateful do you. I saved your life. What's your life compared to sleeping in a cell?"

"How long dammit!?" Hanako yelled, before sinking back into her seat.

Yukimaru stood up; he towered over Hanako. He looked at the girl for a moment before he finally said, "Until this war is over, Hanako-chan." His hand ran through her hair, a warm, yet sadistic smile forming on his face. "Be happy. You'll get to live to see the end of this unsightly war thanks to this."

With that, Yukimaru began to walk away, turning back to veiw Hanako with a smile. "You can return to your cell whenever you like. Just don't stay out here in the rain, you don't want to catch a cold."
A girl with short hair dashed throughout the camp, calling a single name, franticly. "Hanako! Hanako!"

It was no use. There was no sign of the redhead girl anywhere, and that was what worried this girl, Maita, the most. She clenched a fist, looking around the camp for the second time in a minute.

"Damn you Akano..." Maita cursed to herself, her eyes dangerously furious.

Kuro wandered the camp too, seeing Maita, his face brightened up and he jumped up onto a tree, climbing up high before letting out a loud, "MROW!"

Maita turned, and looked at the cat. "Kuro-chan?"

"Call me what you may, but we've got an issue," Kuro said, although to Maita, it was a lost cause.

"I don't speak cat Kuro-chan."

"How painfully true," Kuro mewed.

"Ah! That reminds me! Can you smell Akano?" Maita asked from the ground.

"I'm not a dog, my nose isn't THAT powerful."

"Can you take me to him?"

"No. I can't."

"C'mon Kuro-chan, this is urgent!" Maita yelled, becoming somewhat frantic again. "I need to give him what for... And I need to know where Hanako-san is."

Searching was unnessacary. Akano was making his daily rounds, and looking at the girl, he frowned. "Maita-san..." The elf said.

"You..." Maita said when she heard the voice, not even looking at Akano. "You bastard!"

Without a moment's wait, Maita had lunged at Akano, aiming to jab the teenager in the head. "What have you done to Hanako!?"

The jab landed right on target, and Akano felt his body go numb. What was this? "I was only... Following... Orders..."

"Get some spine then!" Maita yelled, tears filling her eyes. "Where is she?! What did you do!?"

"She's not... hurt..." Akano said. This girl... She was crying? Over Hanako, Akano could see why. Maita and her had been friends for years.

"Where... Is she?" Maita growled, grabbing the collar of Akano's shirt.

"Eimashi. But..."

"I didn't hear that from you." Maita smiled, releasing Akano. She knew where Hanako was now. But that left the question...

SLAM! A cup pounded down on a table, a cat hissed and leaped back.

"I need a plan," Maita said. "How am I going to penetrate Eimashi? That place is crawling with mages..."

Maita was cofused. How was she going to go about doing this?


Back in her cell, Hanako did nothing. A loaf of bread laid in it's place, on a small table beside her bench. She appeared to be suffering from something far worse than physical pain. The walls felt like they were closing in on her, and she felt trapped.

That was when she heard the mocking voice of Yukimaru.

"Hey, why so glum? You didn't hang out in the rain too long, did you?" Yukimaru's mocking voice asked. "You're not sick, are you?"

"Leave me alone..."

"You know, you really need to learn how to adress an adult Hanako-chan. It's disturbing, how rude you've been," Yukimaru said cooly.

Hanako turned her head to the side, not wanting to have to look at Yukimaru.

"Looks like you haven't eaten in a while," Yukimaru observed. "Are you planning on changing that?"

Silence.

"Let's go for a walk," Yukimaru said, unlocking her door again and waiting for her to stand. When she didn't stand, when she didn't even look up, Yukimaru narrowed his eyes. "I said let's go. Now."

Hanako resented this man, more than anything else. She bit her lower lip, looking at the elf and frowning. She stopped biting her lip, and she finally worked up the strength to say the taboo word: "No."

"That's not an option." Yukimaru stepped over to her, extending a hand. "Get up."

Hanako knew that this wouldn't end well for her if she still disobeyed. She knew she was a prisoner rebelling quietly against a warden. It was a losing battle. All she could hope to do was annoy him. So she stood up, rejecting his hand when he extended it.

Yukimaru gave a somewhat satisfied smile as he started to walk towards the exit, bringing Hanako with him, holding her by the wrist. It didn't take long for the two to emerge from the dank and dark dungeon, soon appearing at the table once again. Yukimaru walked the small redhead over to the table, gesturing for her to sit down before taking a seat himself.


"Thank you... Commander," Maita said with a bow before leaving what appeared to be some kind of a cave. "I owe you one..."

Maita knew what she was doing, and now, she had her goal. "Hanako, sit tight. I'll get you out by the end of next week, or my name isn't Maita. I swear... I'll never let a friend down!"



"So, what's troubling you?" Yukimaru asked Hanako.

"Nothing that's of concern to you," Hanako said.

"As long as your in my custody, everything is of concern to me. Now, what, is it?" Yukimaru growled.

"Can it old man."

"Old man, eh? I suppose I understand. You know, I was just thinking about what might happen if I just released you in the mountains. I wonder how long it would take for you to starve to death? I mean, honestly, keeping you here? It's just so that you don't have to die so young. But maybe I'll change my mind on that. Maybe I'll let you go out there."

"Better than being a prisoner of a war I'm not even involved in! It's better than being taken away from my friends and family! It's better tha-"

"Silence."

"Why should I care?" Hanako asked, tears coming to her eyes.

"It doesn't matter to me if you care or not at this point, you ungrateful brat. Now..." Yukimaru stood up, aura gathered in his fingers, ready to press it onto Hanako's forhead. "Sleep."

"Not a chance!" Hanako bent her head back, avoiding the jab.

"That's fine then. Maybe I'll let you live like a real prisoner. Maybe I'll have you chained up. Maybe I'll have you in a cell that you can't see your own hand in front of your face in." Yukimaru was at it again, smiling as he spoke. If the thought of this situation didn't have Hanako on her knees, he could pull out much more of that.

"W-what?" Hanako asked, sinking into her chair more. The dark. She hated the dark.

"So, when would you like to switch cells then?" Yukimaru asked mockingly, once again. "Today? Tomorrow? After the war ends?"

Tears began to come to Hanako's eyes. She knew she was defeated, and the thought of it made her sick.

"Go back to your cell. Eat. I don't care if you're hungry or not. But if you go one more day without eating, I swear, I'll have one of our alchemists force the nutrients down your throat."

What choice did she have?


"Hanako... Don't worry. Help..." Maita said, as the four behind her became more apparent. All of them were humans, but there was something about them. A determination, a confidence. "Is on the way!


Hanako is defeated, but reinforcements are never too far! Who is this team of humans?!


End of Ch. 2

Hige, the master of a staff, the swiftest of the swift! Kibashiro, the most vicious rebel to walk the earth, carrying nothing but two daggers! Koro, the only one with enough spine to enter a battle with nothing whatsoever, and still hold the confidence to emerge victorious! Keita, the sai master, the brute strength of the group! And Maita. The dancer of hand to hand.

What are these people planning!? Why are they outside of Eimashi's walls?! All of these questions...



Hanako remained in her cell, shaking uncontrolably. She was scared now. She lacked the will to resist any orders she was given. She bit her lower lip as tears filler her eyes. Her stomach was full, but she was empty. Then it happened again. The mocking elven voice.

"Hanako-Cha~an," The voice sang. "Oh? Looks like you actually ate. By what freakish event of nature did that come about? Are you ready for our little chit-chat?"

Hanako bit her lower lip, nodding as she stood up. She didn't have the strength for this. This man was trying to harm her in the worst way possible. "H-h-hai..."

"Oh, much more polite today I see! Excellent," Yukimaru said mockingly as he opened her door, extending a hand and gesturing for her to step forward again. "Let's go now~"

Once again, the two walked out to the table, the two chairs. Hanako sat down first, although today she looked completely disturbed, terrified. Yukimaru caught sight of this, and seemed to delight in it.

"Why so quiet today? Have you considered anything today?" Yukimaru asked mockingly as he took a seat. "It looks like you've learned something from out little talk yesterday. That's good."

Hanako bit her lower lip, unsure of what to say or do.

"Now you're a little too quiet. Why so scared, eh?"

"I..."

Yukimaru stood up, more of his quiet rage appearing on his face. "Now, now, now, I want the real answer here. I think I know how to extract it if you lie to me. But you wouldn't do that would you?"

"No sir..."

"Good. Now, why so scared?"

Hanako sunk into her chair again, genuinely terrifed of this elf. He had already proven to be more than capable of tearing her mind apart like it was paper. She wasn't sure how much of this man she could take. "I'm... Uh... Scared about... My mother... Back at the camp... She isn't well..."

Yukimaru frowned at Hanako leaning on the table, and closer to the girl. "You know, you're a really ungrateful brat, you know that?"

Hanako took a deep breath through her nose, tears still in her eyes. She braced herself for what she was nearly sure that would happen: a slap across her face.

But it didn't happen, instead, it was a hand, lightly stroking her forhead. "Now, what do you think would be appropriate for that lie? Letting you go hungry for a day? Locking you away in a pitch black cell? Letting you taste a painful illusion?"

Hanako took a deep breath, that was much more like a whimper of pain. She couldn't bear this for much longer. She felt the tears streaming down her face, although she knew that Yukimaru appeared to delight in that sort of reaction.

"It's been well past a week, hasn't it? I'd have thought you'd learn by now. Well." Yukimaru took a step back, suddenly barking out a sharp order. "Stand up!"

"H-hai," Hanako said as she started to force herself onto her shakey knees. She knew this would end badly.

"Art of Illusion, Serpent's entwinement," Yukimaru said under his breath, just before a black serpent started to coil itself around Hanako.

"W-what're you," Hanako couldn't even finish speaking before the snake felt like it was crushing her. But she just wouldn't die. "Pl-please... Pl-ease sto-p...."

"No more lying then."

"I sw-" Hanako couldn't even finish her sentence before her knees collapsed from beneath her, and the snake finally disappeared. Hanako's breath was heavy, and her eyes fearful.

A gaurd soon appeared, wasting no time in lifting up Hanako with great care.

"Cell fifteen."

"Sir? That's the cell for the high criminals-"

"Cell fifteen."

"Yes sir."




Maita turned to the men behind her, looking sharp and alert. "Remember, our mission is to find and rescue Hanako! Redhead, human! Go!"

"Hai!" Hige exclaimed before he jumped away, over a wall and started to run.

"Right!" Kibashiro yelled before he snuck around the wall and began to slink through the streets.

"No problem," Koro said, a soft smile on his face before he waltzed right into the city.

Keita said nothing, but he nodded as he started off into the city.

"Alright Hanako... Next time we meet, you'll be on your way out of this dump." Maita started off into the city, pulling a mask over her face, and a hood over her head.



Hanako woke in pitch black darkness. She started to breathe heaviliy, unable to control herself. Why? Why did that elf have to know that this was what she feared? What she loathed? "Hello?"

There wasn't a sound. Hanako was alone, not even knowing what was in the cell besides herself. Tears rapidly filled her eyes. She wanted to be let out of this. She wanted to see some light, even if it was a sliver of moon, she needed it. She started to whimper in the cell. "Someone... Help me... Let me out..."

No one came. No one responded. Hanako grew more and more frantic. "Someone! Help!" It was no use. No one was coming for her, not when it was probably the white haired elf who had ordered this event to take place anyways.



Hige didn't get far into the city before he was taken in by the sounds and sights. It almost made him wish he didn't have a mission. He kept his hood up, wanting his human ears to be hidden at all costs. He started to walk down the street, not getting far before he wandered into an alleyway.

"OI! You there!" A deep voice called. "You're no elf. Human? Demon? What be you?"

"More than you, I can tell you that!" Hige said with a grin. He wasted no time, yanking his staff from his back. "So, what's your name, stranger?"

"That's of no concern to you."

"Heh, funny. I would have said the same thing." Hige swung his staff out in front of him. "Let's do this pretty boy!"


The flower was left to wilt in darkness, but the light comes to save them!

End of Ch. 3.