Mismatched // Elijah Mikaelson

XVII

"She completes me
how she reads me.
Right or wrong."

'What the hell is this?' Elena exclaimed.

They stood in the middle of a big field, rocks and sand covered the ground. The Himalayan mountains towered around them and after a very long hike they'd arrived here.

'I have absolutely no clue,' Rebekah muttered, 'It should be here... What person in his right mind would want to live here!?'

Elijah frowned, 'Everybody, slowly raise your hands in the air.'

Jeremy grinned, 'Why would we do that?'

Rebekah glanced at Elijah with worry once the realisation hit her, 'Because there are only two humans in our midst and we can at least hear twenty heartbeats... so unless you and Matt Donovan really hit it off a few weeks ago and you're pregnant with eighteen babies... we might be under attack...'

Elena and Jeremy froze and quickly raised their hands in the air. Jeremy, who stood closest to Elijah, hissed, 'But you're like... vampires... Can't you just...'

'If we want to find Za'Rijah, it might be best to not kill the people who live in the place we heard she should be.'

Out of nowhere, eighteen humans dressed in black leather appeared. Their faces were masked and they were carrying swords. 'What business do you foreigners have in Nanda Parbat?'

'So we are in the right place.'

Rebekah elbowed Elena in her ribcage and rolled her eyes, 'We are looking for Za'Rijah... Za'Rijah Al Ghul.'

'Follow us.'

Rebekah grabbed Elena and Jeremy's arms and dragged them with, following the humans in black. Elijah sighed at his sisters antics, but followed as close behind as he could. 'Oh my god,' Rebekah whispered.

Right in front of them was some kind of temple inside the mountain wall, as if it was carved out of the stone. There were thousands of heartbeats inside of it and Elijah glanced at his sister, knowing they both thought the exact same thing. Was Za'Rijah really here? In the middle of nowhere?

'Do you think this is some kind of cult?' Jeremy asked as they walked inside, candles were used to lit the rooms.

'It wouldn't really surprise me, I'm afraid,' Rebekah muttered.

In the middle of a room sat a woman, dressed black in armour with red decoration. Authority was evident in her eyes. 'Who are you and why are you here?'

'We're here to see Za'Rijah Al Ghul.'

Nyssa narrowed her eyes as she looked at the man in front of her, 'And why should I let you?'

'We're friends,' Elena offered, 'very good friends.'

'Tell me your names and I might consider.'

'Elijah and Rebekah Mikaelson and Elena and Jeremy Gilbert,' Rebekah told her hesitatingly.

Nyssa's lips were suddenly graced with a smile, she rose from her throne and walked towards Elijah. 'The soulmate, the friend and the teenagers,' she chanted, 'why didn't you say so?'

Elena froze and shot a quick glance at Rebekah, who stepped forward, 'How do you know who we are?'

Nysa smirked, 'Za'Rijah is training, but we can take a look.'

Without waiting for any kind of confirmation, she walked out of the room. They reached an inside balcony on which they could look down to see the training hall. And there Za'Rijah stood, in the middle, dressed in black armour, warpaint darkening her eyes. And even though she was surrounded by seven fighters, she remained completely calm.

Nyssa called out, 'Let the fight begin.'

Elena shot a panicked glance at Elijah, but before anyone could intervene, the fight had already started. Within a split second Za'Rijah had drawn her sword and she fended of her attackers with ease. She spun around and cut the armour of her enemies open, she slammed her elbow against the next one's throat and he fell to the ground. It seemed like no time had passed when all had hit the ground, except for her, she remained in the middle of it all, unscratched.

'Za'Rijah!' Nyssa yelled, making Zari finally look up.

Her heart felt like it had stopped beating, she ran up against the wall and grabbed the balcony rails, swinging herself over the barrier. Elena gasped as she watched how Zari went to the next floor with ease.

'I thought I had made myself clear,' Zari told them, her eyes were empty and cold.

'I will leave the lot of you to... catch up. I will see you at dinner, sister.'

Zari gave her a curt nod and focused her attention back on her friends, 'Why have you come to find me? And how did you know I would be here?'

Elena flinched at her voice, 'Anatoly told us.'

Zari bit her lip and Elijah stepped towards her, grabbing her shoulders gently, 'Za'Rijah, please. I promised you that I wouldn't let go. I'm not breaking that promise, not now, not ever.'

Tears pricked in her eyes, 'When will you see your patience only leads to disappointment and failure?'

'No!' Jeremy yelled, 'We followed you into the middle of nowhere! We've entered some kind of sick fighting cult! You're not shutting us out now.'

Zari squeezed her eyes shut and pulled out of Elijah's grip, 'Welcome to Nanda Parbat, home to the League of Assassins. My name is Za'Rijah Al Ghul. Light of the Demon. And as long as you're here you will obey to our law and you will live by our customs.'

'You're... you're an assassin?' Elena whispered as tears streamed down her cheeks.

'Yes. And now I am the leader of the League, along with my sisters. If any word you hear here is spread to the outside world, by your doings, we will hunt you down and slit your throats. Please, find yourself a room to stay in for the night, I will prepare the plane so you can leave first thing in the morning.'

'Zari... why did you become a killer?'

Zari's gaze snapped to Elena, 'I have never chosen to become a killer, Elena. My father was the leader of the League, I was raised here. While you learned math, I learnt archery and while you learnt history, I learnt how to kill someone with nothing but a spoon.'

'This isn't like you,' Rebekah muttered, 'it's not good for you. You need to let people in, you need people looking after you.'

'I've never needed anyone, Rebekah.'