On the Run
“If I can get past one more…just one more,” Ezkion whispered to himself. “One more guard, and I’ll be free.” He stood pinned against the passage wall, hidden just behind a shadow. Neither of the first two guards had seen him, but Ezkion knew the last one would be the most difficult to get around. Even though he was being very quiet, it seemed as though the entire dungeon could hear the sounds of his breathing and his heart beating.
Suddenly, he heard the firm, rhythmic footsteps of the third guard approaching the corner just ahead. This was it. If the guard saw him, they would send him back into the dungeon—this time even deeper in its many passages and cells. But if he could somehow manage to get past unnoticed, maybe—just maybe—he could be free.
Ezkion’s eye caught the flash of the reflection from the tip of the guard’s spear as it appeared around the corner, reflecting the dismal torchlight which was his only source of light. Half a second later, the guard emerged into full view. Thankfully, he was looking straight ahead, and it seemed like there was a good chance he would entirely miss Ezkion. Suddenly, Ezkion was filled with dismay. The sentry was not alone. Directly behind him stood one of the Master’s chief officers.
“Sergeant, the slaves are restless. I can feel it,” said the officer. “One of them may try to escape.”
“They cannot, Warden. All are securely locked in their cells.”
“Are you suggesting that I am wrong?” replied the Warden with an air of impatience. “I want a roll call ordered at once.”
“Sir,” came the reply. “It shall be done.”
“Roll call,” thought Ezkion. “Now even if I can get away, they will soon find I’m gone and could be on my trail in a matter of minutes.”
The two men walked past without taking any notice of the boy hiding in the shadow.
“It’s too late to go back now.”
Slowly, Ezkion crept along the side of the wall, moving hurriedly through the spots with more light and being more cautious in the darker spots. Suddenly the blasting sound of a ram’s horn filled the passage—the signal for a roll call. If he wanted a chance to escape, it was now.
Ezkion feverishly dashed through the remaining passages. One wrong turn and his plan would be over. Too much time and he would be caught. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, Ezkion saw a different kind of light. It was not the eerie, orange glow from the torches in the passages, but a warmer, more friendly illumination—sunlight.
Ezkion had barely taken two more steps toward the light, when suddenly a voice called his name from behind him out of the passage.
“Ezkion, what are you doing out here?”
Ezkion was relieved to recognize his friend Phileon’s voice. “Isn’t it obvious?” he whispered back tensely. “Don’t be so loud, or you’ll get me caught.”
“Ezkion, I’m running away, too. I had my opportunity when they started the roll call. They seemed to be really upset about something. Hey, let’s try to escape together! We’ll do better than if we’re on our own.”
“That’s a good idea. Did they know that I was gone?”
“I don’t think so, but they will soon, so we need to get out of here.”
The two boys dashed out of the tunnel. They found themselves at the bottom of a steep canyon.
“I’ve only been here once without a blindfold on. It’s not a very nice place,” shuddered Ezkion.
“Let’s try going further up the canyon before we find a way out. I want to get away from this place as fast as possible.”
They agreed on this and began to run along the bottom of the canyon, away from the entrance to the dungeon. It was a perfect place for a hidden fortress. The steep walls of the canyon jutted up grimly from its base. The many boulders scattered along the floor of the canyon suggested that the walls were not very stable. The stone was of a reddish color, and its jagged edges cast many shadows in the late afternoon sunlight. The boys had difficulty running across the rough ground, and they tripped several times.
After a while, Phileon stopped. “Look over there!” he said. “I think that’s a way out.”
“It’s a bit steep, but I think we can climb it,” replied Ezkion.
The two boys climbed up the side of the canyon without too much difficulty. After they climbed over the last few rocks on top, they felt as if they were on top of the world. Indeed, it was quite possible that they were, for there was no sign of higher ground anywhere, and the wind was so strong and the air so thin that they must have been at a very high altitude. However, the place could hardly have been called a mountain. As far as they could see, there was nothing but the flat, reddish stone which they stood on, crisscrossed with canyons and crevices. The whole place seemed to have a lonely, empty air about it.
Ezkion and Phileon walked on (rather quickly) in a randomly chosen direction for about ten minutes. Then Phileon pointed to their right.
“Look! A cottage.”
Indeed, in the distance, standing alone on the face of the rock, stood a small cottage. Ezkion and Phileon started walking toward it.
“Who on earth would live in a place like this?”
“Don’t know. Let’s find out.”
This is the first chapter of the book The Promise of Freedom, available for purchase here.
