13 Chapter 13. Fleeing Biah Manor

Yuliah could smell the smoke coming through the open window and hear the frantic screams of the attendants and maids running around outside. Knowing that she needed to act quickly in the next few moments or they'd both die together. Yuliah makes another attempt to get off the bed, but there was only one way off the bed, and that was through Liang.

Seeing her wild eyes, messy hair, and ivory flesh peeking out through the torn pieces of her dress, it exited Liang. He needed to have her, she was like a wild mare to him and he a stallion ready to mount. Controlled by his need and belligerent want to possess her he no longer held the intellect to make a sound decision. He felt confident that the attendants would not let Biah Manor burn and so he climbs back onto the bed with his belt in hand, "I'm going to make you pay for that," as he tries to grab her.

Yuliah kicks him in the face instead causing him to yell out in pain as he begins to wrestle her down to try and hogtie her like a pig, but her defiant nature only creates more frustration from Liang who grabs a handful of her hair pulling her towards him. When he grabbed her hair, he reminded Yuliah of the red hairpin that was still holding up what was left of her updo. She knew the hairpin was sharp, like a knife, she had cut herself many times before on it. It would make the perfect defense against him, and so with one hand, she reaches for her hairpin bringing it right down, as hard as she could, into Liang's throat.

He didn't know what happened at first. He only heard the sound of piercing flesh and then felt the burning pain in his neck. It causes him to pause for a moment, as his brows drew together and he leans slightly back to look down in shock. What the fuck did this bitch do now? Looking down to see a hairpin sticking out of his neck while blood begins to drip out slowly. "You bitch," as Liang rolled over.

Yuliah uses this moment to leap from the bed and bolts for the entrance, flinging the heavy doors open but the fumes and smoke had spread into the air, making it hard to see. Not sure which direction to head to she looks around only to be startled by the attendants running pass her with buckets of water. Jumping behind the wall to hide and catch her breath then finally deciding to make a run for the front gates, she steps out mid-run and crashes into a hard body. It was the Man in black from earlier! He catches her in his arms stopping her from falling backward. Startled Yuliah opens her mouth to scream, but he places one hand over her mouth.

"It's me remember?" his voice in that same low tone.

With the thick smoke surrounding them, Yuliah had to take a closer look. Yes! She remembered those blue eyes and immediately throws her arms around him exhaling in relief, "You came back for me." He was the closest thing to comfort she felt at the moment.

Ryas weren't the type that liked to be touched especially by someone he didn't know, and when she clung onto him, he awkwardly leaned back, grabbing her hands, which felt soft like ivory. He removes them from his waist, "I had to go create a diversion. We should get going now," he tells her.

Yuliah nods her head.

"What happened to you?" his hand moved without him even aware it and lifted her chin. He finds himself looking into her eyes instead noticing that they were a pretty honey color. Catching himself, he quickly looks down at her face. Today had been a strange day for him, one not like himself and he could not figure out why. Whatever it was he just wanted to end this night soon and forget about it.

"He did this to you?" as Ryas tries to concentrate on examining her bloody face. He also notices that the dress she wore had been torn and it revealed too much of her body. He felt his jaw tightened. He had an idea now what happened.

Yuliah chooses to look down at the ground instead of him she was too ashamed. Liang always had a way of making her feel like this. "Yea he got mad and hit me," she answers softly.

"Where is he now?" the muscles in Ryas' face begin to tense up.

"I think I killed him," Yuliah responds.

With her torn dress and exposed skin Ryas didn't want to touch her and so he gawkily pulls her arm dragging her behind him. "Good. Now let's get out of here." He was glad that she had killed him a Man like that deserved it. Earlier he thought about going back to stop the fire from spreading but after seeing what her husband had done to her. He'll let the place burn down. This Manor doesn't deserve his mercy.

As Ryas drags Yuliah behind him, they hear a demented cry coming from behind screaming, "YULIAH!" Ryas and Yuliah turn around to look through the bedroom door and to their surprise see Liang calling her name, as he stumbles towards them, gripping his bleeding neck with the hairpin sticking out of his throat.

"Nooo," Yuliah's face turns a pale white while her voice turns into whimpers. "I have to get out of here! He's going to kill me." She knew a Man's word was law here, and she had just tried to kill Liang. He could say what he wanted, and the people would believe him. If they catch her now, they will kill her for sure without even giving him any thought - the man in black. Yuliah's fear of her impending death pulses through her veins and she makes a mad dash for the front entrance.

"No! Don't go that way," Ryas calls out to her, but it's too late she disappears into the smoke. This woman was causing too many complications today for him, as he runs towards the opposite direction back to where he had tied his horse.

When Yuliah reaches the front gates, she heads right for the stables and searches for a horse. From behind her came a Man's voice but younger almost boyish.

"Yuliah." He whispered.

She whips around to see another Man dressed in black staring at her, he carried a small bag and did not have blue eyes like the Man from before, but honey colored eyes like her. She looks at him and slowly backs away.

"It's me Yujen. I've been waiting for you," he pulls his mask down showing her his face. "What took you so long?"

Relieved that it was just Yujen she hugs him quickly, but with no time for explanations, she immediately tells him to start helping her find a horse, but Yujen only continues to question her.

Ryas rode as fast as he could towards the front gates. As he approached, he could see Yuliah and Yujen standing by the stables. They stood there talking to each other and were completely unaware of the danger approaching quietly from behind. Pulling the reins hard, Ryas races forward, but he could see the Man behind them was holding a sword in his hand.

Yujen was too occupied with asking Yuliah about what happened that he did not hear Liang sneaking up behind him, neither did Yuliah until she turned around and saw Liang. He ran his sword through Yujen, from behind. It slides right through with no resistance until the tip of his sword came out the front.

Yuliah's face twisted in terror as a scream bursts from her throat into the night while a smiling Liang pulls back his sword.

"Yuliah," as Yujen stumbles onto her lap dropping the bag he was carrying into her arms. Blood spills from his lips as he turns around to see who had stabbed him. He could see it was Liang holding a sword wet with his blood. "Yooouuu," was all Yujen could manage to get out before collapsing in Yuliah's arms.

Yuliah could see Liang's eyes were crazed almost inhuman as he lifted his sword to deliver a final blow to the Man in black. His face was brimming with happiness about to kill Yuliah's lover in her arms as he swings down with all his strength.

Then something unexpected happens to diminish the smile on Liang' face turning it into more of a grimace. For Ryas came sliding across the ground with a sword in hand, and he swung it upward blocking Liang's blow. The sound of metal clashing could be heard as both swords crash into one another. The pure power from the block sends Liang stumbling backward. He felt the Man's strength from his parry, and it had turned Liang's entire arm numb. He knew this Man was powerful, someone he did not want to fight right now, but Liang's pride would not allow anyone to beat him.

Looking at the Man across from him Liang sneers, "You must be the Man in black that bitch keeps talking about."

Ryas' lips curl up and look at Liang in disdain, "You must be that weak asshole who likes to hit a woman."

No one in the North challenged Liang, and it pissed him off that this bastard had challenged him and even mocked him too. He grabbed Yuliah's hairpin still stuck in his neck and threw it like a dagger towards Ryas, who easily dodges it sending the hairpin skimming across the ground. Ryas could tell that the woman's husband was a weak man from his irrational behavior. That explained why he bullied the woman so much.

Liang brings his sword up ready to attack again, "I only hit bitches who don't know how to act right. I hope she's worth dying over," he lunges through the air at Ryas, spinning his sword.

Ryas could hear the soldiers of Biah Manor advancing towards the gate, and he knew this fight needed to end quickly. He also had seen Liang's trick many times before, and to him, it was more of an obvious ruse to intimidate an opponent. So Ryas waited for the exact moment when Liang's sword made a complete spin and swung his sword up with so much force that it sent Liang hurling to the side as his sword broke in two.

Liang gets up spitting blood out of his mouth and without even thinking dashes at Ryas, who then sends a kick that tosses Liang back onto the ground immobilizing him for good this time.

Ryas picked up Yujen and places him on the horse from earlier and then pulls Yuliah up into the front saddle of his horse. Holding onto both of the reins, he pulls hard, and the horses sprint out of the Biah Manor, leaving an angry Liang cursing to himself on the ground.

Finally, the attendants and soldiers rush out from inside Biah manor along with Madam Biah to find a bleeding Liang sitting on the ground.

"Go after them now!" Liang screeches at the soldiers.

The soldiers immediately start running off towards the same direction Yuliah and Ryas headed.