It was nightfall on the 10th day. I grabbed my bamboo hat and put it on.
"Are you ready?" The young man asked.
"I'm ready."
He melts the iron bars with his hands and we both make a run for the door. Quietly I guide him through the the many walkways as I remember the dents and bumbs on the ground where I've stepped before.
"Hey. Are you sure this is the way?" he asked.
"Mmm. I'm sure."
Just as we were about halfway to the exit, the bandits found out we escaped and chased us down. The young man quickly knock them out one by one. He was light on his feet, fast, and strong, but he was still only one person and injured too.
"We're almost there." I said.
I could hear the exhaustion in his breath as he held a hand to his chest. The young man fought off the bandits from both the front and back. His movements were slowing down. Thankfully the exit was right in front of us and I could see Lowei tied to a tree.
"Get your horse." said the young man as we made a sprint towards the exit.
As I went to untie Lowei from the tree, the young man turned arround and with a vertical wave of his hand a rock wall came smashing down covering the exit. Then he got on Lowei with me and we rode off into the forest at high speed. Thankfully, no one chased us any further that night.
It was dawn when we finally stopped to rest. I pulled Lowei towards a nearby creek for water as the young man got off.
"I'm finally out of that hell hole." he said.
"How long were you there for?"
"Mmm. Several months. Oh that's right. I forgot to introduce myself. I'm ZhouHan from the Do clan. What's your name?"
"You can call me Junhe. I don't have a surname."
"Junhe. Why does that name sound so familiar?" He mumbled before he knocked out from exhaustion against a tree.
I bend down to get a closer look on the man. He was handsome. His build size was similar to Raiya and his dark brown hair was tied up like a horse's tail. I noticed his bleeding on the chest and I open his robes to find his wound. It was a deep slash that ran across his chest. It was probably reopened when we were escaping.
I undid the bandages around my hands and used them to wrap around his chest. I was still clumsy at wrapping bandages despite my fast leaning.
The sun was just barely peeking out from the horizon. I was stuck in that cage for so long and felt the need to take a bath. I stripped my clothes and washed them in the creek. After I hung them out to dry I washed myself. The water was incredibly cold, but I got used to it. I untangled my hair which took forever without a comb. I dipped my entire body down into the water and came out with a splash. I rubbed my skin in the water and rinsed off any left over dirt.
"Quite the beauty indeed. If you didn't have the body of a man I would be compelled to hold you right now." Zhouhan sarcastically said.
"Hold me?"
"Hm? Yeah, like sleep with you."
"But you already slept."
"... A different kind of sleeping."
Ha~? What is he taking about? I walk out of the water to grab my dry clothes as I slipped on layer by layer.
"What do you plan on doing now?" I asked.
"Hmm~ I think I'll follow you for a bit more until my wounds fully heal." He replied.
"You'll accompany me through my travels?"
"Mmm, so take care of me until I'm fully healed." He smiled.
That was the second time I had seen anyone smile so brightly at me. The first time was with Raiya when I was 14 when he carried me to town that winter. He often smiled at me. Thinking of him always brings me to the verge of tears. I try to push the memory back into my mind and forget it. I was already out of Raiya's life, thinking of him will only bring me pain.
As Zhouhan traveled with me, he told me stories of his life and experiences. He was the right hand man that served one of the generals of Qin country. He was on a mission to spy at neighboring countries that may be seen as threats, but he ran into someone strong which resulted to him fleeing for his life, but he got captured by the bandits on his way back to Qin country.
"Right now they probably think I'm dead, so I have to take advantage of any free time I can get. Once I get back, that devil will work me to death." He said with so much energy.
ZhouHan was a cheerful and upbeat man. I have never been around such a person before, so I didn't know how to act around him. He smiled a lot and loved to talk about himself as I listened.
His element was earth. He could control the structures of rocks and dirt around him. He can also send boulders or little pebbles flying like an arrow.
He's the oldest in his family and has five younger sisters. He has a fiancee waiting for him as well. They plan to get married soon. Both his parents are living well and most of his sisters were already married.
He would tell me the fun times he had with his family and all the little details like braiding each other's hair, pulling pranks on each other, getting scolded together, and eating together. I could help, but feel envious. I've never had a fun time with a family before.
"What about you? What's your life like?" Zhouhan asked.
"My life?" I hesitated to answer. "My life was great as well. I had a loving mother who watched over me all day, a father who protected me, and four older siblings that treat me very well. They loved to prank me all the time. One time we spent time together at our family's second residence and I learned how to make tea. One time I was attacked by three men and the eldest brother saved me from them. The second eldest saved my life when my throat was about to be slit open. The third eldest taught me more about the world and how to stay healthy. The youngest daughter spent a lot of time with me."
1
"Hmm. Why did you decide to become a traveler then?" he asked.
"I wanted to see the world." I also didn't belong there. If I stayed, then the Yun siblings wouldn't be able to find happiness.
The days we traveled together was long and we spoke of many things. Whenever the sun begins to set we would set up a fire and cook food. Until one night I heard someone walking and hissing. Their steps were heavy and they mumbled out sounds that seemed like cries.
I quietly got up to look for the person. I followed their footsteps and called out to them.
"Are you okay? Are you perhaps lost?" I asked.
The person turns around and I jumped in surprise. It was a man with long black hair. His skin color was oddly pale and he had bloodshot eyes with white pupils. He made a terrifying roar as he reaches out to grab my shoulder and deeply bit into it. All I could feel was intense pain as his nails dug into my arms. I could hear ZhouHan call my name before I passed out from the pain.
Chapter 19: 19 | ZhouHan
It was nightfall on the 10th day. I grabbed my bamboo hat and put it on.
"Are you ready?" The young man asked.
"I'm ready."
He melts the iron bars with his hands and we both make a run for the door. Quietly I guide him through the the many walkways as I remember the dents and bumbs on the ground where I've stepped before.
"Hey. Are you sure this is the way?" he asked.
"Mmm. I'm sure."
Just as we were about halfway to the exit, the bandits found out we escaped and chased us down. The young man quickly knock them out one by one. He was light on his feet, fast, and strong, but he was still only one person and injured too.
"We're almost there." I said.
I could hear the exhaustion in his breath as he held a hand to his chest. The young man fought off the bandits from both the front and back. His movements were slowing down. Thankfully the exit was right in front of us and I could see Lowei tied to a tree.
"Get your horse." said the young man as we made a sprint towards the exit.
As I went to untie Lowei from the tree, the young man turned arround and with a vertical wave of his hand a rock wall came smashing down covering the exit. Then he got on Lowei with me and we rode off into the forest at high speed. Thankfully, no one chased us any further that night.
It was dawn when we finally stopped to rest. I pulled Lowei towards a nearby creek for water as the young man got off.
"I'm finally out of that hell hole." he said.
"How long were you there for?"
"Mmm. Several months. Oh that's right. I forgot to introduce myself. I'm ZhouHan from the Do clan. What's your name?"
"You can call me Junhe. I don't have a surname."
"Junhe. Why does that name sound so familiar?" He mumbled before he knocked out from exhaustion against a tree.
I bend down to get a closer look on the man. He was handsome. His build size was similar to Raiya and his dark brown hair was tied up like a horse's tail. I noticed his bleeding on the chest and I open his robes to find his wound. It was a deep slash that ran across his chest. It was probably reopened when we were escaping.
I undid the bandages around my hands and used them to wrap around his chest. I was still clumsy at wrapping bandages despite my fast leaning.
The sun was just barely peeking out from the horizon. I was stuck in that cage for so long and felt the need to take a bath. I stripped my clothes and washed them in the creek. After I hung them out to dry I washed myself. The water was incredibly cold, but I got used to it. I untangled my hair which took forever without a comb. I dipped my entire body down into the water and came out with a splash. I rubbed my skin in the water and rinsed off any left over dirt.
"Quite the beauty indeed. If you didn't have the body of a man I would be compelled to hold you right now." Zhouhan sarcastically said.
"Hold me?"
"Hm? Yeah, like sleep with you."
"But you already slept."
"... A different kind of sleeping."
Ha~? What is he taking about? I walk out of the water to grab my dry clothes as I slipped on layer by layer.
"What do you plan on doing now?" I asked.
"Hmm~ I think I'll follow you for a bit more until my wounds fully heal." He replied.
"You'll accompany me through my travels?"
"Mmm, so take care of me until I'm fully healed." He smiled.
That was the second time I had seen anyone smile so brightly at me. The first time was with Raiya when I was 14 when he carried me to town that winter. He often smiled at me. Thinking of him always brings me to the verge of tears. I try to push the memory back into my mind and forget it. I was already out of Raiya's life, thinking of him will only bring me pain.
As Zhouhan traveled with me, he told me stories of his life and experiences. He was the right hand man that served one of the generals of Qin country. He was on a mission to spy at neighboring countries that may be seen as threats, but he ran into someone strong which resulted to him fleeing for his life, but he got captured by the bandits on his way back to Qin country.
"Right now they probably think I'm dead, so I have to take advantage of any free time I can get. Once I get back, that devil will work me to death." He said with so much energy.
ZhouHan was a cheerful and upbeat man. I have never been around such a person before, so I didn't know how to act around him. He smiled a lot and loved to talk about himself as I listened.
His element was earth. He could control the structures of rocks and dirt around him. He can also send boulders or little pebbles flying like an arrow.
He's the oldest in his family and has five younger sisters. He has a fiancee waiting for him as well. They plan to get married soon. Both his parents are living well and most of his sisters were already married.
He would tell me the fun times he had with his family and all the little details like braiding each other's hair, pulling pranks on each other, getting scolded together, and eating together. I could help, but feel envious. I've never had a fun time with a family before.
"What about you? What's your life like?" Zhouhan asked.
"My life?" I hesitated to answer. "My life was great as well. I had a loving mother who watched over me all day, a father who protected me, and four older siblings that treat me very well. They loved to prank me all the time. One time we spent time together at our family's second residence and I learned how to make tea. One time I was attacked by three men and the eldest brother saved me from them. The second eldest saved my life when my throat was about to be slit open. The third eldest taught me more about the world and how to stay healthy. The youngest daughter spent a lot of time with me."
1"Hmm. Why did you decide to become a traveler then?" he asked.
"I wanted to see the world." I also didn't belong there. If I stayed, then the Yun siblings wouldn't be able to find happiness.
The days we traveled together was long and we spoke of many things. Whenever the sun begins to set we would set up a fire and cook food. Until one night I heard someone walking and hissing. Their steps were heavy and they mumbled out sounds that seemed like cries.
I quietly got up to look for the person. I followed their footsteps and called out to them.
"Are you okay? Are you perhaps lost?" I asked.
The person turns around and I jumped in surprise. It was a man with long black hair. His skin color was oddly pale and he had bloodshot eyes with white pupils. He made a terrifying roar as he reaches out to grab my shoulder and deeply bit into it. All I could feel was intense pain as his nails dug into my arms. I could hear ZhouHan call my name before I passed out from the pain.