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ŦĦ€Ň she clashed into someone. She knew, I'm dead - literally that is. The black stallion that the person had neighed out of fear.

"Please don't kill me. I have done nothing." She prayed to he who was going to decide her fate. She pleaded again, ger hands before her face, like a shield, protecting her from possible harm. He felt pity for her seeing how she trembled with fear. She did not dare to look at her death.

"Miss are you alright?" He asked wondering if he knew this person and so he studied her carefully noticing the long brown hair.
"Baciara, is that you?" A voice with which she was acquainted asked.
"Xiao," she said identifying who it belonged to quickly because she knew it too well. She slowly brought her hands down shaking with fear and took a look at him for assurance.
"Xiao," she sad desperately as Xiao helped her from the ground, "he...help me."
"Help you but why?" He said confused and worried as he looked at her. The pound of feet in the ground greatly intensifies, shadows crawling on buildings as they needed.
"She must not escape!" They heard someone shout.
"There's o time to explain. They're coming for me: they want to kill me."
"Kill you but..." He said and realized that he was being frivolous by trying to find out all the reasons why so he mounted the horse he was taking to the town stables to eat and rest. He grabbed her right hand and helped her astride the horse. Though it was rather painful, she endured for losing her arm would be nothing compared to her life. She grunted.
"Are you alright?" He asked concerned. "I'm alright." She replied wrapping her arms around him to hold on.
"Don't fall."
I won't." She said tightening her hold.

He rode the horse away to the Li Manor. The fear that she could lose her life was still alive but as the horse galloped faster, and the nearer they were, tge safer she felt.

The emblem of their family was a phoenix coiled around a sword emerging from a blue flame. It flew gracefully and gently against the mist-laden winds. Whenever the emblem came to sight, the pride of being of the Li family was rekindled. The family, Li, was the founding and ruling family of the town. This time the sight of it told her safety, it told her refuge. It meant protection and security. The manor was like a village on its own, all small families bonded by blood and marriage .
She hurriedly demounted the horse, pushed the gate open and ran inside. Reid followed behind her to ensure she reached home without a strand of hair missing from her scalp.

She started calling out to her stepmother even before she hit the door like the way a drummer beat his drum, ignoring the pain. Her life was hanging by a thread and stood on tenterhooks and the opening of the door was going to save it.

"Li Nerya!" She called out , no response from her stepmother. She was the matron of the manor and everything for tomorrow - all the preparations - for the funeral ceremony( and so she had to be awake). The more the silence echoed, the harder she banged on the door.
"Open the door!" Xiao shouted also hitting on other doors. There was no response, nothing yielded any results.

With fear nobody was home she also went banging on other doors of other kinsmen as did Xiao but the answers were incessant. It'd never even seen , imagined or heard of that no one was home. This was alien.

Let's leave and find somewhere safer to hide for now." Xiao suggested. Baciara had no option or choice because her staying there was lethal . "We shall hurry." She said with a nod. Xiao took her hand to lead her out. Then they heard the high the high neigh of the horse and its hooves pounding against the earth.

They ran to the gate only to meet their life flash before their very eyes. The mob was just at the gate and they were trapped. The mob charged swarming them with all their might. They were surrounded, and even the thought of escaping by the skin was impossible.

Then Baciara went on her knees pleading. "Please," she addressed the aggressive crowd,"I don't know what i have done nor do I know what you are going to do to me but for the sake of the fathers of my father, let him go." Her entreaty had caused a cascade under her eyes for fear that a good and innocent man as Xiao was going to be lynched for helping her out for the millionth time. He broadened his arms, stretching them to shield her as he stood in front of her, from any unforseen contingencies.

He was shocked seeing her plead the way she did.

They had grown up together through all the years and he had come to know a beautiful person; one who was kind as the kindest can be and too compassionate for her own good. But never in his wildest dreams or deepest thoughts did he ever chew on the idea that she would do such a thing.

Baciara is no ordinary child, girl or woman.

He smiled in his heart which showed as a painful cut on his face that anyone would want to hurt her. "He has done nothing. He only helped me because I asked ." she explained, blood streaming down her face as though sweat.

"Run!" A man said, a rake in one hand and a burning stick in the other. "Save yourself so you may lose the pangs of death. If not then you will perish on the very ground you stand with this demon of a woman."

"What has she done that is worth such cruel treatment?" He asked, ruth spelling out in his voice.

"Xiao go!" She stood up and pushed him but her strength could not allow her move him even a step away. "Run Xiao flee from here." She hopelessly forced her hands to his chest pushing him away but he refused to move an inch.

"I'm not going anywhere Baci." Xiao declared. Yet she didn't stop trying. "Go save yourself." Now it was a plea. She despised that he didn't want to move.

"No." He said firmly, his tall figure over her. He held her hands to stop trying to push him because there was no way he was doing that. The countenance on his face was  muddled that she would think he would be capable of abandoning her.

"Even if I were to run, I will live a day only to die the next one, knowing that I've abandoned a friend to her death.

"They roared,"Then you'll perish with her!"

The heavens were strange. Thick dark clouds were moving in into a monstrous whirl. Lightning followed by thunder raging across the sky. All eyes were lifted up to the heavens.

"Xiao, Xiao." She said drawing his attention from the sky to see what was happening with her. He saw her lifted above the ground. His hands clutched unto hers were the only thing limited her from going up any farther up.

"What is happening?" She asked looking around herself. He grasped her other hand trying to bring her down. Whichever force was pulling her carried him along but he was coerced to let go, falling down on his back. He gnashed and groaned in pain.  Baciara was lifted up with the wind holding her hair to the sky. She was terrified with whatever that was happening but the mob was not very astounded for the situation seemed self explanatory, giving their allegations a backbone.

"Witchcraft!" They shouted.

In one accord, they aimed their weapons and thrusted them at her. But to everybody's amazement, they got stuck in the dark sky. The fire at the head of the torches yet burned.

Into thin air as every eye watched Baciara floating on air with thick dark whirlwinds above her, she vanished. Dark clouds consumed her and she disappeared. The weapons dropped to the ground and all and sundry used their hands as armor for their heads.

Xiao laid there hoping that wherever she was safe. If she was somehow going to return, he had no idea. And if she wasn't, then he asked the clouds that took her away to whisper to her that he's always loved Ħ€Ř .

End of Chapter One.
Thanks for doing this with me guys. Hope you enjoyed it.

Always remember;

It takes great people to start the engine of a vehicle, the rest just join it on the road to success.

                                                    ~GraHen