#;peril

Ziyu navigated the mountain wearily, waving her hands amidst the murky fog, desperate to feel something warm and alive against her fingertips.

How could this happen?

She had just escaped her clan; she was so close to her goal, to her betrothed, to Nie Jiuli--so close, then ripped away in a narrow escape with Sijun. Now, by some freak happenstance they were separated once more, now with not even her most loyal companion by her side. The mist ambushed them so swiftly there was no time to react. It seemed the heavens possessed some cruel sense of humor which forbade the trio from being together for any length of time without enduring one obstacle or another.

On this cold, lifeless mountain, Ziyu was alone, truly alone for the first time in her life, and she felt grappled with fear. Her legs wobbled and she resisted the urge to give in and fall; for she knew, the moment she collapsed she would not rise again.

With this thought in mind Ziyu trudged on, her companion’s names heavy on her lips.

“Xueli!” She screamed into the unknown. “Sijun!” Her only reply was the vast echo supplied by the ever thickening fog. With every passing second she felt hopelessness clench her heart. Soon the mist would grow so thick she would not see the tips of her fingers.

Suddenly Ziyu squinted, making out a blurry figure in the distance. Technically Ziyu was a runaway, but her joy at finding someone, anyone else alive momentarily overtook her sense and caution.

“Hello!!” She waved, hope dripping from her voice. “Hello, can you hear me?”