Chapter: Darkness ( Edited)

Warning:

This is just a work of fiction. If you are reading this read at your own risk, I do not want to insult any country, religion, culture or any kind of living or non-living things etc.

I am not a Chinese by birth neither that I have been raised in China, so I am not aware of its culture and regulations that much. I tend to take help from different platforms...

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It was Sunday, my father took us out for fishing. Unable to catch fishes, I kept on changing spots until i gradually found a good spot over the rocks. It was clean and looked good to sit on, after taking my pace there and setting my fishing rod I decided to read the pages my sister last wrote, an incomplete piece of work she could show to any another. The pages where wrinkled on the same place where my sister once held it. She died a few weeks ago, her voice still rang in my head, "Run!" The place where i sat on was warm due to the sunlight falling over it. As was reading it, i noticed a tug in my fishing rod, i kept the book under my arm and moved towards the fishing rod picking it in my hands and reeling it back. The rod slipped my hands falling in the water, i jumped in the pond getting a hold of the rod but the strength of the fish seemed to rival mine and soon i felt myself being dragged deeper in the pond. I called for my father and brother but the deep water swallowed me in its depth's, I started drowning and when i realized that I could swim it was too late. I felt my eyes getting heavier, I called for my sister in my own consciousness before water entered my mouth.

I heard the whispers of many people and an immense pain tingling on chest, i squinted my eyes and saw a blurry vision of the sky. As i opened my eyes and sat upright I saw people dressed in weird looking clothes that seemed to be inspired from historical clothing. I was scared as the people spoke a strange language, which wasn't my mother tongue nor father tongue. Suddenly the crowed parted to make way for an old man, he had a sword in his hands and wore much more expensive looking clothing. The man was old but held an aura of superiority, with a hoarse voice, he asked, " Who are you? a spy? " .

I answered " What spy? I am Erika Whites... "

'Did I just speak the strange language? wait i understand them? ' I thought as the man before me barred his sword at my neck making me tremble in fear. He seemed to scan me with his eyes equal to a hawk before her barked orders, "Bring her to the mansion". Soon the men after him, wearing the exact same clothes threw me on a horse my hands tied at the back as they rode off to somewhere while I tried to process everything.

The man who kidnapped me introduced himself a general named Yang Huizhong, he took me to his manor, were I was further questioned. They forced me to walk in this majestic place, a platform built above a pond, not small but quite large and it was covered by a shade. It looked unexceptionally beautiful the bamboo tied and bind together to build this platform was equally good to look at. Yang Ling who sat on the high seat asked " So you are a fisherwoman? " . Erika replied, " NO! I am not, I am from Canada, my father works as a teacher". Yang Huizhong let out a sigh as he said " Lies after lies, there is no such country thus, you must be a spy. Although you are a maiden i cannot spare anyone who wants to harm the emperor. Torture her till she spills the truth." his voice rang out though the open space as some of the people I recognised as his guards started to approach me. I was afraid, how could torture be like?

Then a thought pierced me useless one, this appears quite same…as my sister's uncomplete novel. If so, I should do something.

"Wait" I shouted; the guards stopped as their master raised one of his brows. "Your daughter is ill, isn't she? I can cure her; my master sent me here for travelling and learning new things from the great Hymns. Yang Ling seemed angry but also delighted, "How did you know I have a daughter?" I bowed before him, "My lord, I am the only student of Lady Amaya, I specialised in certain medical methods and music, Lady Amaya and I lived somewhere in the clouds, a faraway place but one day my master and I got separated by the high winds." I further added, "I was exiled to this realm after my master offended a heavenly lady. "Yang Huizhong looked pleased and stood from his seat coming towards me, he helped me up and asked, "Can you cure my daughter's illness? Then again what should I refer you to as?" I replied, "Erika" soon the wind blew, the maids covered me in a certain cloth, I realised I was still wet from falling in the river. Yang Huizhong gave me a large room, it was beside a flower garden from where the smell of fragrant flowers filled the whole space. The servants bought the finest cloths for me to wea r, I refused to wear such fine clothes but the insisted, some of them prepared the bath as a young-looking maids bowed and dutifully exclaimed, "My Lady, I am Yan Mei. From today I shall serve you." I was strangely feeling weird by their hospitality. The girl looked not more than 12 she didn't look much muscular or chubby either, quite thin and frail. "Well then Yan Mei lets work together" I said as I smiled at her. The maids who prepared the bath looked young too, they were a total of 3 and looked to serve me. I patted their head as a sign of thanks as I entered the bathroom, they followed to which I scolded them asking to give me privacy. The bathtub wasn't large like the one we had in home, their wasn't any shower either, I signed as I scrubbed my body with a wash cloth and submerged in warm water. Once done I wrapped a towel around me and wrapped my hair to dry my hair. The girls looked surprised but didn't say anything, they quietly bought a set of robes. I looked at the most normal looking choice, a cream-coloured dress, what attracted me to the outfit was its lightness and soft material. The child though young were skilled and helped me wear the dress, by then my dried hair was free of water, the girl couldn't decide what to do with my hair, it wasn't short but very long indeed. I didn't want unnecessary hairstyles; thus, I styled my hair in a bun and wrapped the bun with the braid I made, the girls then eagerly tucked ornament in the bun. I never wore my hair so fashionably with so many ornaments, so the time by she decided to enjoy such luxury.

She now knew that a very unknown and new world awaited her as she opened the room of her doors. The guard who followed around Yang Ling was standing outside the door, he was tall and muscular and looked like an absolute handsome superstar. I smiled at him, he seemed unmoved and said, "Lady Erika, my lord has asked for your presence. Please if you may" he signed at the hallways, I understood that he wanted me to follow him so I took his lead, my little maid Yan Mei followed after me. Then to a much more magnificent room we went, then was a bed laid in the corner, various curtains surrounding it, I saw Yang Huizhong and a woman who was weeping at the corner of the bed, one the general saw me he had a sense of hope in his eyes. "Lady Erika, please forgive me for the past occurrence, if you can then please cure my daughter" he pleaded, I looked at him in pity and decided to take a look at the daughter, I wasn't a doctor nor did I study medical but I did have some knowledge about certain things, I feared if my fake words where going to turn against me. Then I finally had a look at the daughter of the proud lord, she wasn't a small child but looked older than me. I checked her pulse, which was running but the only thing was that she was not moving, her eyes. I signed she didn't look ill just that she appeared asleep. I knew her pretend sleep well and asked my maid to bring a lamp. Then I took her hand and brought it nearer to the flame, I saw her eyes twitch and smirked. " Lord, I fear than you daughter had been infected by evil spirits, if so then you must prepare me cow dung, by the definition in a certain religion, the cow is a holy animal and everything we get from it is useful then it's dung it equal to holy substance, Then you must bring me two burning lamps so we could burn the lady finger tip and then you must bring me needles so I could puncture her skin" the lord hesitated but asked his servant to bring the necessaries. I smiled as I felt the girl squinting her eyes often, I brought the map near her hair and she jumped awake. The general was surprised including everyone else. I moved away from the bed gladly deciding to go to my room, I already had enough bullshit. I heard the scolding's and happiness submerge the room with a mother's cry especially.