Three Lives, Three Worlds: Jasmine's Fate [Hiatus]

Reminiscence 12 - "The Fireflies Valley"

Several things occurred in his mind when he woke up, blindfolded and bound. First, he was no longer at Ziming Palace, and he was sure he was outdoors. He could feel a nearby warmth, and the sound of flickering fire. For torture perhaps? It had been long since he experienced abduction. As he recalled, Si Yin had more experience with this than him. But he knew it wasn't by chance, because there wasn't any part of this that could have happened by chance. He had chosen a path, and he knew it would lead to a certain end.

Second, he wondered who among the Generals or Warriors despised him so much that they would risk offending their Queen. Several options came to mind, but the ones close to Yan Zhi were all loyal, despite a bit of hostility. So, it must be one of the traitors, he concluded.

Third, why wasn't he dead? He had known that sooner or later, someone would target his life. He was among enemies, he knew the risk of staying, of having all his actions scrutinized by ally and foe, especially since he purposefully made himself a target to draw attention from his Queen. It was only a matter of time until someone took action, and this would create an opportunity for them to make mistakes - mistakes that may well be worth dying for.

It didn't take long for him to contemplate these thoughts and soon, he heard the rustling noise of something moving through what sounded like grassland. Only one being, he realized. He waited, silently. This may not be an abduction that would end in his demise, but it was a battle nonetheless. He knew that when it came to interrogation, the one to speak first would be at a disadvantage.

But all remained silent until he heard a rustling that sounded like falling gear. As the person drew closer, he instantly felt a familiar presence. A hand lifted his blindfold, his eyes squinted for a moment at the bright light, then, his raven Goddess appeared before him.

"Yan Zhi?" he could only manage that much before her lips came down hard against his. He almost tumbled backward, but she drew him back, settling herself on him, straddling his waist.

He was suffocated, starved for breath. He made a helpless noise of fury against her lips, but she only deepened the kiss. He instantly knew her intent when he felt her hands pulling at his garments. Her tongue swept into his mouth and his world began to spin from deep tender caresses that sapped his strength. He wanted to hold her, but he couldn't: his hands were bound behind him. As much as his body wanted this to continue, he didn't think they had time for such fleeting pleasure. They had to leave!

He managed to tear his mouth away from hers, grappling for composure. "Yan Zhi, this is not the time, we have to leave this place. You have to untie me."

"Untie you? Why would I ever do that?" she frowned.

"You're not here to save me?" he asked in astonishment, utterly confused by her demeanor.

Her head arched with a short laugh. "That wouldn't make sense, considering I'm the one who abducted you," she said.

For a moment, Zi Lan couldn't react, his flabbergasted expression must have delighted her, because he saw her eyes sparkle with amusement.

One thing was clear, no matter how good he was at deduction or how well he had anticipated everybody's moves, this was unexpected. He was so enthralled by her presence, he had not realized this was no hideout for an abduction. His eyes surveyed the area. He had known he was nowhere near Ziming Palace, but he had not expected them to be by the edge of the open plains with tall grass surrounding them. They were on a slope, surrounded by myriad of bright glowing fireflies that reached beyond the plains and the surrounding distant forest, eclipsing the stars above them with their light.