22 Chapter 22 (the chase)

Bellies filled to the brim, the cold seductive chill of the late-night breeze, with the freeness of disturbances in the rural region, all merged to draw everyone to sleep, snores sang like an anthem but in a disorderly manner, even uncle Manucho had his face laid flat on his book of epistemology, saliva rolling out of his squashed mouth all over his book.

The rest took refuge on the floor, sleeping while tossing their arms and legs around, all that was happening around them were all unbeknown.

A medley of horse neighs intruded the prevailing silence suddenly, accompanied by the clumping sound of horseshoes, anyone who is awake would hear it from a far distance.

The horse neighs and clumping sounds prevailed for a good long while, coming ever closer.

Marchisio woke up to the sound of the neighing horses.

With waddling feet, Marchisio, walked to the window, he looked, and came across something of worry with his blurry eyes, he saw tons of flame approaching the house from afar.

Marchisio blinked, to put off sleep, it took away the blurs in his eyes, he saw, a huge number of men, with scones approaching the house while riding on horses.

"Oh my God!" Marchisio exclaimed, he gaped and placed his hands on his chest, a gesture of surprise and wonder.

"Vir bellica"  Marchisio called, he strode to where Severus was laying, "Vir bellica." He called again, whilst smacking his cheek and chin.

He came alive and flaked off In a jiffy.

"Severus!." Marchisio now yelled and, adding a huge smack to his face, Severus thrust out of sleep.

"Young man, what gives?." Severus asked, whilst dabbing his cheeks and jaws.

"I think Massimiliano found us." Said Marchisio.

The horse was suddenly brought alive In Severus's ears "I can hear neighs outside." He testified, he hurried to the window, took a look.

The men on horses were already, hopping down from their horses and drawing their blades, they weren't too far from the house.

"Everyone wake up!" Severus yelled and slammed his hand against the wooden wall near him.

It was an overly freighting sound that forced every single one out of sleep.

"We have been surrounded by soldiers, who I seem are Masimilano's men," Severus announced.

Everyone took a look outside the windows turn after turn, whoever took a look came away with fright.

"Do we have an extra door, where we can escape?" Severus asked Manucho, who was packing books and herbs into a big leather brown sack.

Manucho looked up at Severus to reply to Severus, as his lips drew apart slowly, an arrow flew across Severus's face almost clipping his nose, the arrow went ahead to ricochet on a rusty frying pan hung on the wall.

The searching arrow brought to Severus's mind that he was standing before the window, the soldiers might have sawed his figure from afar.

"Ceasefire!." A deep manly voice echoed throughout the surrounding and nearby region, Severus and everyone heard it from afar.

"It's about time they intrude into the house and capture us all," Marchisio said, revealing what could occur in the coming moments.

Uncle Manucho lurched with his wooden stick to an extreme point in the wide living room, not too far away from his table and cupboard, Manucho bent his knees low.

Everyone watched curiously, questioning manucho's actions in their minds.

Uncle Manucho stuck his hands into a loose wooden tile on the floor, he dragged the tile up it broke off from the floor.

Everyone collected beside Manucho to see what was under the floor, their observations told them it was a tunnel.

"Any idea where this tunnel leads to," Chiara queried,

"It leads to the city's docks," Manucho revealed.

"It will be a very good place to hide." Said Lorenzo.

"Now go, we haven't much time."

Manucho adjured them.

Berardi jumped into the tunnel first, Severus went ahead after him, Lorenzo followed Severus behind before Chiara jumped down too.

"Can you jump down uncle?" Chiara said, looking up to Manucho from inside the tunnel,

"Am not coming Chiara, just go." Said Manucho.

"Am not leaving without u uncle."   Chiara strained, gestures of worry began forming in her.

"Manucho nudged the cupboard beside him, it fell on the hole, obscuring Chaira's view of Manucho, the cupboard covered the hole Manucho made.

"Uncle!." Chiara screamed tears moved along in a steady stream, out her eyes down to her chin,

"Somebody do something!." She wept, the men who were with him couldn't do much, Severus grabbed hold of her hands,

"We need to go, he knows why he didn't come with us."

Chiara wriggled her hands which were in the confines of Severus's hand, "Let me go, am not leaving without him." She cried out.

Severus took hostage of her second hand, "We need to leave young lady." Severus said while pulling her over to himself.

Chiara writhed, wriggling her hands and stomping Severus on his feet to break free from his clutches, Severus pulled her closer to himself, holding her firmly in his arms, Severus said.

"Get your act together young lady," Severus snapped.

"If she is hesitating, them leave her be." Said Lorenzo.

"We are not leaving anyone behind, not again," Severus said.

The rest went ahead leaving Severus and Chiara behind,

Severus jammed Chiara's arms and tied her arm with his hands, like a bandage.

"What are doing let me go." Chiara wriggled like a worm, Severus heaved her up and placed her on his shoulders, Chiara's face and arm were at his back, and it ran down to his buttocks, while her legs were at his front and it ran down to his thigh.

"Put me down!" She ordered, like a royalty she was, wriggling and smacking Severus at his behind.

Severus carried her on his shoulders and went deeper into the tunnel with the rest.

Meanwhile...

The soldiers brought the doors down, after series of stomps rammed heavily on it.

Massimiliano found his brother Manucho standing before the door, armless, with his surroundings scattered and in shambles.

"Brother, you have sworn to remain a beast," Manucho said to him.

"I spared your life and let you cockroach crawl into here, yet you dared to smuggle my prisoners away." Massimiliano convicted him.

"I know not what you speak of," Manucho claimed, his words drove Masimilano to great anger.

He pranced towards Manucho, not hurried or forced, seeming calmed towards Manucho's lies, but within he burned with wrath.