14 _ The Journey Begins.
"Where do you come from?" Lucian questioned the girl as he held onto the reins guiding the horse steadily across the rocky plains.
She said nothing.
"You do not know or do not want to reveal?" Hikaru thought in his mind as he sat astride his horse.
She knew that this man speaking to her was uncertain of her true nature and un till he knew more about her no trust would be established.But she didn't need their trust ,they were only a means to an end. The first chance she got , she would find a way to get away from these two and finally be free.
She was not a typical girl , Lucian thought . She was keen as well as self standing. He had an unsure feeling that This girl was playing on his wits as he had not yet grasped her antics.
"What do you think?" She spoke again using his same tone.
Hikaru frowned. There was something peculiar about this girl and he wanted to know what. After all Li Huang was not a fool. Quite the opposite. He was a calculative and extorsive devil that did not take to things without meaning.
If this girl was kept Captive by him for years, There must have been something valuable he discovered in her.
"We should stop ." Lucian said.
"Why?" Hikaru objected. ' With Just a few more miles and we will arrive at the Fuyo Empire."
"Go if you must and we will follow suit but for now the horses are thirsty and you seem quite weary to me." His friend raised an eyebrow.
The Horses were indeed weary so they decided to rest by a nearby stream for their steeds to pacify their thirst and for them to regain their strength. While Hikaru determined their distance and area of land that they had covered, Lucian was by his horse as it stooped to drink from the stream.
"I apologize for my friend." Lucian spoke to the girl as she washed her face that had been previously covered in dirt and dust. "He does not trust people too easily."
"I do not blame him." The girl answered back ; looking down at her frowsy and pale reflection in the water. All those years of imprisonment...
Years of endless torture ...
She shuddered.
"What of you Lucian? Do you trust people easily?"
"It depends on the the traits in the person that is in question."
"Hmm." She said and Lucian found this silence the perfect opportunity to ask another question.
"Since you know that our destinations are different , When we arrive at the Fuyo Empire we are to drop you off and continue our journey. I am sure you have somewhere in mind that you might want to go?" He folded his arms.
"I have Nowhere and No one... " She arose. "But I pledge my life to you and offer you my eternal service as your Servant . Where ever you journey I shall be with you."
Lucian made no effort to respond to her vow. The Horses had already drank enough water and it was time to continue their journey.
"Let us get going." Hikaru pulled back his Stallion from the bed of the stream using the strap attached to the bridle.
She made no attempt to move. She stood transfixed on a spot not moving . She was shaking uncontrollably and gasping for breath. Lucian shook her vigorously but her eyes had turned white.
"Sixteen ...They are coming. " She muttered but Lucian could not make sense of her words. Sixteen what? Who was coming?
Lucian strained his ears but all he heard was the chirping of noisy birds and the wind moving through the trees.The sound of the rushing water also overshadowed any supposed sound they were to hear.
He was taken unawares when she pushed him to the ground with her above him. A sharp whizzing sound had flew past his ears . Hikaru instinctively, swerved out of the way as the unknown object made impact a few paces ahead.
Looking up from the ground , Lucian saw that it was an arrow and it had almost killed him.
The girl had now risen to her feet as if nothing had happened as she was not shaking violently a few minutes ago. Hikaru pulled out the arrow and glanced at the symbol that had been carved into the arrow and tightened his fists.
"Bandits..."