Nu Gua sprinted as fast as her lungs could carry her. Her hair tangled in the wind as she weaved through merchant stalls, carriages, and the wide array of strange characters and pedestrians that swarmed the streets. If an noble could she her now, she would surely give them a stroke. She thought of this with delight. Some stalls were closing up, others closed and gone, their spots in the market empty where a cart filled to the brim with produce once stood. Nu Gua drifted around the corner to the street with the baozi stall. What was it that her maid wanted a sweet bun yes, but pork, no. She thought it was sweeter, lotus seed? Wait. Didn't she say she hated that. Red Bean. That's it. A red bean. Nu Gua looked down to grab her coin purse from her basket still at a full sprint. As she did a tall, burly figure stepped out of the alley and into the street. Nu Gua dodged another merchants cart, but, not seeing the man now directly in her path, she proceeded to run full force straight into his gut. The man stumbled back, her coin flew out of her hand, and she was sent flying backwards, her cloak retreating from the uniform. The ladies in the marketplace, paused, stared, and whispered to one another, surely about her.
"I'm, I'm so sorry, " Nu Gua said getting up off the ground and dusting herself off. The man looked down at her with a toothy grin. Something was not right. She would just get the buns and get out of here. No need to stay any longer. Nu Gua reached down to grab the coin, and the man studied her carefully. She could feel his gaze. It made her stomach uneasy, and a lump formed in her throat. A she looked up she felt his hot sickly sweet breath against her face. The rough putrid man gazed at her as though eyeing a treasure he would shortly snatch up and steal away.
"What pretty little thing, do we have here? A palace maid? I always like the young ones," he said smiling. Nu Gua eyed the other merchants and pedestrians, but many had returned to their errands and those that saw her glancing pleas did not seem to care. Nu Gua backed up desperately attempting to swing around him to get to the baozi seller, but every time she did he closed the distance.
"Excuse me, sir. I need to get through" she said, her heart rate quickening. It was obvious he could hear her. How couldn't he? If he was any closer, he would be on top of her like a tiger pouncing on his prey. He didn't seem to mind though. To him, Nu Gua was a fascinating creature, an exotic animal meant to be captured. She mustered up all the courage she had left.
"Sir, I need to get past you"
Nu Gua pushed past the foul beast that stood in front of her. As she did, he grabbed her arm, but she didn't stop, ripping it from his grasp, the pressure of his grip still lingering on her wrist. She approached the baozi seller and exchanged her coin for two red bean buns. Out of the peripheral of her vision she could see the beast approaching. She placed her buns in her basket and ducked into an alleyway. Once around the corner, she sped up. She sprinted down one alley to another, then another, then another, as she looked back her maid's straw sandals, two sizes to big, caught on the cobblestone. Her baskets' contents scattered across the ground. She fell forward. Her palms scraping against the street as she tried to brace herself for the impact.
"Come out and play little one" the husky man said with a chuckle, his footsteps approaching the corner.
Nu Gua grabbed her belongings as fast as she could, slamming them into the basket. She sprinted off, hands scraped and bleeding, as he turned the corner. She kept running, but no matter how much she did, he always seemed to keep track of her. The courtyard! One of her mother's generals had a house with a courtyard around here somewhere. Nu Gua sprinted faster now. If she could just make it to the courtyard she could get to the palace. She turned the corner. If she took a left, a straight, then a right, she should get there. Nu Gua panted, her lungs threating to give out with every stride. Just a little bit longer, just a little longer. Nu Gua approached the red door to the courtyard. Free at last, but as she grabbed the handle to push it open, the door wouldn't budge. She pushed against it with all her weight, but that didn't work either. In one last desperate attempt she flung herself against the door, but it wouldn't give. Nu Gua, crumpled into the dirty pavement.
"HAHAHA, Didn't you know the general was at his summer hunting lodge?" the man mocked before erupting into a coughing fit. Nu Gua watched as he approached her, his slow deliberate steps echoing in the alley way. Her heart was pounding so rapidly it felt like it was in her throat.
"Where are you going to go now little fox? You know. I like them hard to get."
Nu Gua scooched back as he stalked towards her, until she couldn't retreat anymore. Her back plastered against the wall as he loomed over her. She knew he was much larger than her, but now, looking up at him, she felt like a honey bee facing off against a grizzly bear. Her eyes watered as she felt his raspy breath against her cheek. Nu Gua froze glancing around frantically for something, anything to aid her, but there was nothing.
"Your all mine," he said chuckling before erupting into a coughing fit again and doubling back to heave the mucus from his lungs. Nu Gua moved to leave, but stopped suddenly when she saw the glint of a black jian peaking out from under his tattered cloak. These double edged swords were only used for trained warriors. The jade empress would sooner strike him down from the Heavens before she could win against him. The man glared at her making Nu Gua flinch and shrink into the corner. He gave her a slight smile as he sauntered up to his spoils and stretched out his hand. Just as he was about to make contact with her....
CLANG!
The large man dropped to the ground with a groan, rolling in agony, and standing in front of her now was a thin, young, scruffy boy about her age with a rusted and now dented wok.