ENTWINED DESTINY (BLANK WORLD)

ENTWINED DESTINY (BLANK WORLD) CHAPTER 4

It does not only take courage to walk in the dark but also to spy on a deadly witch. Amaya was only fourteen when she abarked on such mission, galloping in the dark like an escaped criminal. However, Jessica and co, kept riding through the darkness too with, each, holding a flaming stick of light that aid visibility unlike Amaya who was far behind, using their light as a tentacle to detect any path they follow. Their path couldn't be classified as road because there was no evidence of it: everywhere was opened like a tropical forest with tall canopy trees, smartly dodged by Amaya. She was very good at riding a horse coz at ten, every member of the blank world is taught the ethics of riding a horse very well. Therefore she steer, signalling the horse to move properly.

Unfortunately, even with the sound of the horses' movement, Jessica felt the presence of someone behind them. So she stopped likewise Jacob and other clippers. When Amaya noticed their static flame, she close her fingers and squeeze backward. Instantly the horse stopped as he feels the backward pull on the reins. Her heartbeat increased.

"Why did you stop, Jessica?" Jacob broke the silence.

"I think we are being followed." She replied. On one of her hands lies the new born baby whose crying voice echoed the whole forest. Everyone looked back to confirm her hypothesis, but saw nobody except blur images of trees.

"Jessica, no one dares follow us unless the very person wants to be clipped" Jacob assured.

"I can very much sense the presence of someone."

"Let me go back to confirm." A clipper set his horse in motion while Jessica and others continued. His horse gallop to a few metres then stopped when he also felt and saw the presence of another horse without a rider--Amaya had left it to hide. The clipper jumped down from his horse like a mighty warrior, drew out his sward as a precaution to clip whosoever the spy could be. Even the sound of the sward startled Amaya from her hiding place. She could see the clipper moving with caution like a hunter about to indulge in a physical combat with the king of the forest. She could also see him waving his flaming stick everywhere. Unexpectedly, he surged towards her. What would she do? Fight him or run away? She became woozy coz no one found there must be kept alive. A few minutes later, her luck ran out: the clipper found her but surprisingly fell down as a result of a knife from behind that slit his throat. Who could that be? Who saved her life? Amaya saw the young boy who did that then ran to him.

"Who are you? You clip the clipper!" fear could be detected from her voice. Of course she had to be afraid because clipping a clipper in the blank world was a serious offense which the victim must not go Scot-free.

"I'll take that as an appreciation for saving your life?" The young boy replied, breathing hastily.

"How did you know I was here?"

"I followed you from the house beside the one Jessica took the new born baby human with..."

"Wait" Amaya interrupted him. "You were the person shouting from the house"

"Yes" the young boy began to clean up blood stain. He was only sixteen. "What were you thinking, following them? You have to go back now." he added.

Amaya directed her eyes towards the path Jessica and co followed. "What will they do with the human baby?" She asked.

"Nobody knows. This is the second time they take from the female I love."

"Does the female look like you?"

"Yes, of course almost everybody here looks alike except workers and clippers."

Both became quiet, breathing heavily and thinking critically. Amaya glanced at the dead clipper on the ground then looked at the boy. "What are you called?"

"Jimmy" he replied.

"You know that Jessica must find out who clipped this clipper and you know the conseque..." movement of horses interrupted her. They looked back to see flaming sticks from afar. Those were Jessica and co, returning.

"We must run now!" Jimmy led the way to Amaya's horse, mounted it with Amaya behind, steer, and gallop away.

Sooner did Jessica and her men arrived to see the dead clipper. Angrily, other clippers jumped down from their horses and drew their swards. One of them confirmed the body and said, "He has been clipped"

Jessica glanced at Jacob. "We must find the very person who did this. He or she shall not live to see tomorrow" they carried the corpse, returned to have Cynthia clipped but couldn't find her again.

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However, Amaya had gone back to Kezra to see all the workers standing outside with Cynthia in their midst. All looked scared. She tied her horse, glanced at Cynthia before running into the house to watch from the window Jessica's reaction who arrived immediately with Jacob and other clippers. Heroically, Jessica stepped down from her horse. Seeing her movement, Cynthia knelt down in tears.

"Please, Jessica, spare my life and give me a second chance. I will never break the rulse again!" She cried.

The old witch said nothing, rather ordered for a sward which was handed to her by a clipper. She placed it on the lady's neck and said, "Why did you clip the clipper?"

"I clipped no one, Jessica. Please, I don't want to die" Cynthia quivered.

"Who then loosed you from the forest?"

Hearing that, Amaya's heart began to beat faster because if Cynthia should say the truth, she would be suspected as the killer of the clipper. Smartly, Cynthia understood that and said in reply, "No one loosed me. I struggled on my own and got freed."

"Liar!" Jessica raised the sward to clip her but Amaya's voice from the window stopped her. The young girl ran down to them.

"Jessica, Please, for my sake spare her life." She pleaded.

"And who do you think you are to me?"

Amaya kept quiet. What would she had said? Your daughter or child? How could she say that when she didn't know what it is to be a daughter or someone's child? She watched Jessica raise the sward again to clip Cythia but Jacob held her hand from behind saying, "Listen to the girl. It's for our own benefit."

Jessica gradually lowered the sward. Meanwhile, Cynthia nearly fainted even before the sward touched her. "Summon everybody in this blank world here and now!" Jessica ordered.

Before an hour, everybody assembled at Kezra even workers and free living twins, including Sunday and Jimmy. The population was quite much as all lined before Jesaica. Fear creeped their hearts coz whenever they are summoned that way, somebody must die. Only Amaya didn't join them, rather stood beside Jessica and other clippers. Her eyes caught with Jimmy to see him trembling.

"Someone wants to be a hero!" Jessica began. "That very person crossed the boundary and clipped a clipper. Indicate yourself now or I'll indicate you."

All remained quiet. Only the sound of the flowing river and cricket were heard. Jimmy began to shake, obviously noticed by Jessica. So she walked down to him, observed him to see blood stains. She signalled a clipper, "Take him away and clip him." She commanded.

"No!" Amaya shouted. "I clipped the clipper!" She said to the amazement of everyone especially Sunday her twin brother.......