Chapter 12: Chapter 12. A Diversion and My Man
It happened quickly, and before Ryas knew it, he dropped from the window backward and fast. With nothing to grab hold of, Ryas released the ethereal spirit and a burst of violet energy surrounded his entire body, breaking his fall, and not soon enough as he hit the ground with a thud. He landed flat on his back, a breath of air shot from his lungs.
He hated using the ethereal spirit cheaply, but with no time to react he didn't have a choice. Ryas rolled over onto his side and took in slow deep breaths until the tightness in his chest went away. "That fucken girl," he cursed.
If he were a man, without the power of the ethereal spirit, his back would have broken. It's good to be a Geneoshi. Within a few moments, he jumped up and stood on both feet again.
He gazed up at the window with a frown. She's on her own now... Then shook his head. Unbelievable... She pushed him out of a twelve-foot window. Never in his life had he been part of such a laughable outcome. Steps came from down the path behind him and Ryas dashed behind the building. There's nothing he could do for her anymore.
She made the situation complicated; what happened next - it's her fate. He would not risk war with the Southern Kingdom for her and sprinted away. When he reached the Biah Manor gates, Ryas began his climb. As he sat on top of the gate, he looked upward and glimpsed the moon.
Tiger eyes - that's what she had. Sad tiger eyes. Years spent in a cage. Why did she have to have that look on her face? Then he remembered it, a vial dropping from her hand. Fuck! That girl - he swung back over and down the wall. There's no reason for him to turn around, but he couldn't leave her. He would need to create a diversion. A distraction that will bring more attention. What he wanted to avoid.
Zehan and his need to always help everyone brought these complications to them. He should have turned down General Wey's request at the Gentlemen's Parlor, and that plan they made, it would never have worked. Only he had the skills and wits to break into Biah Manor without getting caught, but that woman's foolish actions turned it into a shit show. The risk of being caught and the likelihood of a war with the North increased. He almost broke his back too.
Ryas couldn't remember the last time he had an injury. Ten, maybe twelve centuries ago? When he tried to show off to a woman. Yes, another woman, the cause of his injuries. Regret spread over his face. Zehan needed this relationship with General Wey, and that fucken girl. Ryas frowned, then sprinted off towards the storage room he passed earlier.
Back in the wedding chambers, Liang burst through the doors with a shocked look on his face. Yuliah laid sprawled on the floor with one shoe gone and her veil thrown across the floor. His eyes swept to the open window.
"Are you trying to run away?"
"Yes, because I hate you." Yuliah slowly got up. Great! Now, her chances of escape literally went out the window. When she stood on both feet Yuliah looked up to find Liang's head tilted sideways staring furiously at her. He's drunk, she could tell from that stupid look on his face, and when he drank, he's unpredictable. She needed to choose her words carefully, for Liang had a terrible temper when drunk. Yuliah peeked out the window and did not find the man in black below. With a drop this high, could he have walked away so easily?
"Yuliah!" Liang called, but she ignored him. If she jumped, her ankles would break for sure, with no chance of getting away. Crushed Yuliah turned back around to face Liang. Good Gods, she hated his face down to his entire existence. She came so close to escaping and then to fail this foolishly it stung badly. She should have thrown that veil in another direction. Yuliah gasped. The veil! Yes! A tiny chance of hope returned.
"He lifted the veil. I'm not your bride, but his now," she said in a quiet voice.
"What the fuck did you say?" Liang's voice shot back. "Speak up. I can't fucken hear you."
"He lifted the veil — the man in bla - I - I mean my man. I'm his bride now." Yuliah's voice trembled.
"Your fucken man?" Liang laughed.
For a quick second her heart skipped a beat, and she closed her eyes. "Yes, my… He's my man." She forced out. It rolled off her tongue as naturally as it felt. He wasn't her man, and she didn't even know who he was, but Liang had to believe it was real. It's her only chance to escape.
"Your man?" You don't have a fucken man' he walked towards her. "I'm the only man here who would want you!" Liang snickered.
"No, I have a man! He lifted my veil. I'm free to go now. That's the custom here." Yuliah's voice turned loud and confident.
He hated that tone and shook his head back. "I'm sick and tired of the things that come out of your mouth! For once can you just shut the fuck up and think about things first before you say them!" Liang's leg smashed into the table next to him, sending the food and porcelain dishes from atop scattering across the floor.
Yuliah covered her ears when the table, dishes, and food crashed to the floor. Too desperate to leave, she put her hands down and gripped her dress tightly. She would make her stand here. "I'm leaving, and you can't stop me. He'll be back for me soon. Get out of my way." She didn't know if the man in black would come back for her, but the will to leave had outgrown her fear of Liang at that moment.
"You bitch." He toggled towards her with clenched fists. "Do you think I would let you walk out of here - with another man?"
A few buildings over, Ryas broke into the storage room he'd seen earlier. It stood full of supplies, furniture, and old Biah Family possessions. The building sat in the northeast corner of the manor furthest away from the rest of the other structures. The best distraction.
He went through the shelves and stumbled upon a pile of old books and scrolls. Old books that would be good to burn, and he removed a few from the shelf, but one item caught his eyes, "Geneoshi Blood Binding? How could this be here?" Most of the textures from his world went missing. Ryas searched through the books on the shelf until he found a few more items. He folded them up and tucked it inside his shirt.
Then went through the rest of the shelves and found a few buckets of lamp oil. A fire pit sat in the middle of the room, and he walked over to check the contents. Tinder and straw. What he needed to create a diversion. Ryas doused the walls and floor until a glossy layer of oil coated the entire room.
With his knife, he struck the flintstone until sparks jumped out onto the dry straw. A tiny fire flickered in his hands. Ryas blew into it, bringing life to the flames, until it grew bigger and bigger, and he dropped it onto the trail of lamp oil below. The oil ignited and sent flames ablaze throughout the room. Ryas exited the building then turned towards the banquet hall.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone