The huge males holding Daniel left him as they sighted the stones in the hands of the people and ran into the crowd. The people created space for them and also gave them stones.
Daniel detecting that he has been released, tried to run away, knowing that staying back would be the death of him but the people seeing through him fast enough, blocked him and formed a circle around him leaving him in the middle."Our hero wants to run." A female amid the crowd uttered teasingly and they all cackled and, began throwing both huge and little stones at Daniel, causing bruises all over his body.They stopped after a while and the huge males as if knowing why the people stopped, strolled to Daniel and stared deeply into his eyes."What did Theodora tell you when she stooped before you?" One of them asked, glaring at him."Nothing. She only picked up my head and dropped it back after staring at it. She didn't say anything," Daniel replied and spat out blood.He has never been a male to lie but at that moment with the kind of anger on the people's faces, he knew that even the truth wouldn't be able save him. So what was the need to say the truth? He also felt that Theodora must have a reason for saying that only to his hearing so in his heart, he already swore that he would never tell anyone what she told him. If she, a boastful witch could keep her word a secret then he would respect that and let it be that way.The huge males clenched their fists, breathing heavily and one of them jerked him closer."Tell us the truth, Daniel! What did the witch tell you?!" They growled at him and began punching him. However, Daniel remained silent."Speak!" They roughly dropped him to the ground and started kicking him on his belly."I've told you! She said nothing!" Daniel cried out and placed his hands on his belly to prevent them from kicking his belly anymore."You're such a good liar!" A voice shrieked from the crowd."Yes, you are!" Another concurred."Let's just waste his life!""Yes, he can't give us what we want!""He's just a useless fool!""An ingrate!""He isn't supposed to be spared. He needs to die a painful death!""Get out of there, guys! We are stoning that idiot to death!" The huge males left Daniel and ran out at the last voice and the people began stoning Daniel so massively. They stoned him with both rock, sticks, fruits, and anything else their hands could grab, not caring whether he lived or died.Daniel's cries of anguish were so loud in the air as he begged them to stop but the people ignored him and instead laughed at him and began making jest of him."Our fake hero." They laughed and increased their stones on him.The people stopped again after a while at the command of one of the huge males and both of them strolled back to Daniel. They kicked him on the head and laughed."Are you ready to talk now?!" They barked at him. "We expect you to tell us nothing but the truth! Tell us everything she told you!""I already told you the truth. There's nothing else left to say." The huge males shook their heads and ran out and immediately the stoning continued more fiercely.Daniel's head was all bloated and blood was dripping so profusely from his ears, nose, lips and so many other parts of his body, leaving him breathing so heavily. He tried to stand but dropped to the ground in tears as a great heart-wrenching pain coursed through him.The sight broke Daisy's heart into so many pieces as tears couldn't stop falling from her eyes. She tried to stop the people but they started using her to play. Anyone she got to wouldn't cast a stone at Daniel while so many others would. She kept trying but when she couldn't take it anymore, she rushed to bleeding Daniel and lay on top of him. She shut her eyes expecting so many stones to fall on her but the people stopped."Go on! Stone us!" She wailed at them in tears and cupped Daniel's cheeks, staring into his bloodshot eyes. She wiped off the blood on his lips and not minding that the people were watching, crashed her lips on his, suckling on his lower lip so softly while rubbing his face.The people scrunched their faces in disgust and began cursing incoherently while stamping their foot on the ground. "Get up from his body, Daisy!" One of the huge males shrieked at her but she ignored him and didn't even remove her lips from Daniel's. The male ruffled his hair and picked up a stone. "You left us with no option." He deadpanned and threw the stone at her.Daisy groaned out in pain, rubbed her head, and looked into Daniel's eyes."To live and die I'll always be with you. I love you, baby. I'll always do. Now and forever."She breathed in and out after her statement and shut her eyes, embracing her fate.The people seeing that she wanted to die with Daniel, shrugged off and all picked up stones."Your blood will be on your head, Daisy. Let that of Daniel be on ours." they said, glanced at each other, and with a bob of their heads, began throwing stones at them, causing blood to litter everywhere.Daniel and Daisy kept groaning in pain and Daniel not wanting to let Daisy die like that, rolled her over and after several minutes, seized breathing and his head dropped to her body."Daniel!" She screamed, patting his cheek but he made no reaction.She turned him over and placed her head on his chest only to realize that his heart wasn't beating."No! No! You can't die! Not this way, please," she sobbed, hitting every part of him that her hand could get to. "Theodora said she would kill you last, why then are you dying now? Please wake up, Daniel. Please!" She kept sobbing but it was all futile. He was gone. Gone forever!The people of Hilton Bale stopped tossing stones the moment Daniel dropped dead, and with lowered heads, walked out, heading to their respective homes in sadness and pain. Their minds were crowded with thoughts of what they would do about their drinking water, which brought fresh tears to their eyes."See what you all did to him!" Aggrieved, Daisy wailed, swerving around with a scowl on her cute face. However, her eyes widened, and her jaws slacked when she found not even a single soul around the vicinity again. Everywhere was silent, and only the growls of animals and the singing of birds were heard. The sky was already dimming little by little, signifying that it was almost dusk, leaving her heart banging profusely. She stared back at the breathless Daniel, whose face had become so white with tears flowing freely from her eyes."What do I do now? He can't die this way. There must be something that can bring him back to life. There must be something!" She babbled in tears, her heart
Daisy sighed in understanding. She would've said the same if she was in Daniel's shoes. 'But then they are still his parents' she reckoned and went mute thinking of what to say to get him to change his mind.After a while, finally feeling she just came up with something, she wiped off the sweat on her face and stared into his eyes. "I know you're so angry with them right now but they are still your parents and they are the only people you have... except me anyway.""I know they are my parents and the only ones I have but I have you like you already said and I also have your parents so I'll be fine that way till when I decide to visit my parents again.""I can't let you do that." Daisy shook her head. "I can't let you keep an enmity with your parents. We have to go to your them. And you need to apologize to them. After all, you're the one in the wrong here not even them. Besides, what would they have done anyway? What if they tried to save you and the people pounced on them as well? Ha
Theodora appeared in her chambers looking not so good. She ran her hand through her hair and hissed, looking around her chamber as if she was looking for something. But seemingly not seeing whatever it was, she gritted her teeth with a scowl on her face and removed her robe and underwear before sitting down on her bed while fidgeting with her fingers.She lowered her head in between her knees and after what seemed like an eternity, suddenly stood up and began pacing about, her face blank and her eyes so cold."What was that light that skyrocketed him out of the stream?" She tilted her head and scratched her hair. "What was yet that other light that brought him back to life and healed him? I know I'm not behind all that. But if not me, who then? "This is just so confusing. And the fact that I can't grasp my hand on the answers to them is pissing me off right now. Gosh!" Still pacing about while babbling, she placed a finger into her mouth and began suckling on it as if in thoughts and
"Daisy! Daisy, wake up! Please wake up! You can't die this way. You can't die by my hands! Please wake up!" Daniel sobbed and cupped Daisy's cheeks, trembling vehemently as he ran. After a while, he stopped running, glanced down at her and pecked her on the exact spot she was bleeding from before continuing running.A golden glowing little light unknowingly to him flowed out of his lips the moment his brushed on her skin and fazed into her.While he moved in tears hoping to get to her house fast enough so that he could treat her with herbs from her mum, he never knew that her injury was already healing up and a force from him was reviving her. Just as he was a few steps to her house, Daisy blinked open her eyes and stared around not remembering where she was. It took her seconds before she began recalling everything that happened and she touched the spot that she felt was where she slammed her head but couldn't find any injury. Jerking up immediately, she tried to move only to reali
"What do I do now?" She asked staring around and having nothing else in mind walked out. Daniel and her parents at the sound of her footsteps turned and stared closely at her."What's wrong baby? You don't look good."She sighed, strolled to him, sat on his laps, and placed her head on his chest without saying anything but yet her breathing was so raspy."You are not saying anything baby girl. What's wrong? Talk to us.""Yes, sweet daughter. Talk to us. We are here for you so speak up.""There's no water to prepare food and I'm so hungry right now. I've not eaten since morning."Mr. Robert and his wife exchanged glances without saying anything. They already heard of what happened while they were coming back from their stroll and they ain't ones who put blames on people for their mistakes so that's why they didn't get pissed at Daniel when they saw him.Everywhere became so silent as no one had anything to say. Several minutes passed and Daisy began groaning in pain. She started rubb
"I'm so hungry. My belly hurts," Daisy whined, shivering feverishly as they entered their house. She stared at her parents then at Daniel and all had traces of tears in their eyes and a tired expression on their faces. Without saying any other word cause it got clear to her that her parents and Daniel has nothing to say she crouched on one of the couches soaking herself in tears."Your tears break my heart baby. It hurts me so deeply. I can't stand it. I hate it when you cry and you know that. So can you stop crying please?" Daniel begged and pulled her into his arms allowing his tears to flow freely too cause he has been pretending not to be hungry but deep down his belly had been hurting so badly that it felt like it wanted to tear apart. And the worst part happens to be that the pain intensifies in every second that passes leaving him groaning inwardly.Mr. Robert stared at Daniel soothe his daughter by rubbing her back and loving the sight cause he saw that it was working perfect
"What did you just say, father?" Daniel asked with a broad smile."I said what if he's in allegiance with Theodora? Like, what if both know each other? What if they are friends?""What if he's not? Our problem is that we conclude a lot father. Like, what if they haven't even seen each other before? What if they are so far apart from each other?""You are also not sure baby. Going to that wizard is 90-10% chances. You have a 90% chance of death and 10% chance of survival.""If that is the risk I have to take to free Hilton Bale from Theodora then to be frank I'm willing to take it, baby. I'll do everything in my power to send that wicked witch to where she belongs. Which is six feet beneath the surface.""Hmm," Mrs. Ryleigh exhaled, stood up, and strolled to him. She cupped up his jaw and stared into his eyes. "You're like a son to me even though you are my daughter's lover Daniel. I love you as much as I love Daisy if not more. I can't sit back and watch you walk into your death. Nope
"Can I sit beside you?" Daniel inquired of Daisy who was sitting on the bed with her head in between her knees and ruffled his hair.For more than three minutes he has been standing at the door not knowing what to do.Several times he opened his mouth to talk but nothing came out. It actually took him a lot before he mumbled that. And from his expression, it's so obvious that's he's so tensed up.Daisy raised her head, glanced at him, slowly bobbed, and lowered her head back in between her knees.He wiped his face and settled down beside her. "I'm sorry for shouting at you. I didn't mean to. Please don't be mad at me" he mumbled and tried to hold her hand but she shifted it away from his grip."I've no reason to be mad at you" she retorted coldly without raising her head. "It's your life anyway and you can live it anyhow you want. And I'm so sorry for shouting at you. My emotions got the best part of me. I don't even know why it did. I'm sorry though.""Daisy" he called and tried to h