“The roads are clear Raijen.”

Whisper carried in the wind as Raijen crouched behind a pillar propping one of the house entrance roofs.

Maori ran across the street in the direction of the outer wall, where the sleeping quarters were. After years of constant training and living in this place Raijen learned many things, they all learned many things.

The tasks pilled upon them each day eventually started making sense over time. Even though he hated each and every moment of it, after weeks of pulling reeds and dragging them barefoot to the dorms their beds started to gain shape and little softness compared to the cold stone floor. The callouses formed on their palms and feet and the pain become little more bearable, little less distracting.

Running each morning to exhaustion, to finish one morning invigorated and oddly full of energy.

Learning to read to convey messages between groups and adepts.

The promise of the masters come true soon as well, some tried to steal food out of hunger and were punished. Unable to pull their weight through the daily tasks, another punishment was delivered taking a bigger tool on the small kids. Unable to listen to instructions some faced third punishment after which Raijen and his group have never seen them again.

Though others tried and failed to secure more food earning flogging, extra running or opportunity to learn something new earning them sleepless nights, they were never told not to do something.

They were beaten but never discouraged. As if it was a game, playing on how long can they last against how fast can they learn and gain experience.

The masters were teaching them how to move around quiet without being spotted. How to breathe so none would notice.

Masters always gave us what we needed, expecting us to use it right away without a fail or pay the price for failure, punishment.

Sit like the stone, stand like the tree. None will notice the tree in the forest, or stone in the mountains unless they paid attention. Sounds like something I have heard somewhere hundreds of time when I was reading the books in my home.

Contemplating what Sarca often said, Raijen watched Maori hiding behind the crates across the street thinking of his next move.

Having his past memories some of it seemed familiar as if he has read about the system somewhere before.

No matter, we are just two hundred steps from reaching the dorms. I can eat and sleep tonight, I need to recover before tomorrow, I don’t think I can withstand much more punishments.

Taking a step into the street Raijens back singed with the pull on freshly flayed flesh from three days ago. Looking down the street his blood froze in the dry predawn air of the mountain as he spotted two figures rounding the corner in a practiced fashion of the men stalking their pray through that street for thousands of times.

Damn, those are fucking drapers, and they know exactly where we are!

Fear gripping his stomach at the memory of the last time being caught, Raijen shuddered and took a step back behind the pillar. The punishments were stacking against him and Raijen didn't feel like he could survive more of them.

One of the adepts sped up the road in pursuit. Heavy boots drumming on the paved road promised more pain. Pain flared in his back as his body slide to the ground hugging the slopes carved surface. Hugging his knees Raijen tried to contain his chokes of fear and tears running down his cheeks.

The fear was something ever-present, some coped better than others, he cursed this life, more often than not. Swallowing the bile rushing up his throat Raijen felt short relief rush as the adept run past him. His head snapped up staring in bewilderment as he saw Maori running for the dorms.

He is done. They know it is him, they always know who it was. Why is he still running?

Head spinning Raijen forced his legs to propel him up. It didn’t seem possible to him.

Just maybe he is giving me a chance to hide and run?

The other adept was slowly closing on Raijens position.

What the fuck do I do, how far is he?

His heart beating he knew the adept would instantly know where he is if he tried to look behind the slope. The dorms were too far for him to rush like Maori.

Maybe I could make it to the wall. But what for, where do I go from there?

The wall!

His eyes widened.

Of course!

Steps echoed just a few feet away from Raijen, the adept was just behind the cold gray stone, right behind his back. Rounding the pillar Raijen bolted for the wall behind his back. It took just a few extra seconds for the draper to realize and start the pursuit, shouting something Raijen couldn’t make out over the wind and blood pounding in his chest, his legs carried him towards the destroyed part of the compound.

There was only one way out. Just one place near the old part of the wall which for some reason was never repaired properly.

Gaining some distance Raijens mind narrowed in the single alley, focusing on one task only, to get near the wall. With rotten wooden supports and missing stones he recognized the place instantly, his hands dug into the wood, fingers sinking inside the rotten mush and soft, wet moss. Scaling the wall halfway up his body froze trying to meld with the wall in hopes the dim light and shadows would be enough to confuse the adept.

His hands were shaking, the heart was hammering so hard against the wall, he was sure everybody could hear it. Yet, nothing happened, staying still Raijen could feel the wounds in his hands opening, red blood staining the morning dew on the green moss.

Unable, unwilling to move, his hands started to go numb as the first rays of the sun started to cross the peaks of the mountains containing the city. With the sounds echoing in his ears and rotten grass prickling his open wounds, his mind battled with fear between the adept and blood poisoning, which sang of his slow and painful death.

Now or never.

Pulling fingers from the wood, some of it stuck to him, the feeling of rotten wood was sickening, but it was much better than the alternative. Scaling the rest of the wall was excruciating, fingers on fire, his back was screaming and there was almost no footing to support his legs. If not for him being a child with a small light body he could never scale the wall, he could never escape.

Reaching the top, Raijen glanced on both sides looking for sentries on the wall. There were none. Taking the opportunity he went to the other side of the wall, small roof a few feet from it greeted him.

Too far to make the jump.

Frantically looking around he saw no other way. Taking five fast steps he closed his eyes and leaped from the edge of the wall. Feeling his legs give in, upon landing and crumbling down the side of the wall, Raijen fell to the darkness.

Knock on the door made the old men let out a sign. Schooling his face into the slight frown he straightened his back in the chair.

“Come in.”

One of the adepts opened the door, walked in and stopped just on the border of the room with hands behind his back. Look in his eyes was filled with excitement concealed by years of training and repetition. Yet still too young to achieve perfection.

“Raijen scaled the wall and is in the outer city, master.”

Finally one of them managed to break through.

“Good, send the word and let them know, one is out.”

A savage smile tugged on the adepts lips.

“As you wish, master.”

Turning the adept rushed towards the door in hardly concealed excitement for hunt and blood.

Raising his head the gray-haired men looked at the adept.

“Failure is not an option.”

Bowing his head the adept left the office.

Throbbing pain went through his body when Raijen tried to move around. Locked muscles prevented him from moving, so he rolled over, pushing hands under him, feeling the gravel digging into the skin.

Pushing himself to his feet Raijens chest squeezed at the realization of being outside of the wall and the sun raised over the mountain peaks. Soon the adepts will round up all the trainees and morning running exercise will begin.

There is no way they won't notice.

Staring at stone brinks tightly locked together on this side of the wall his eyes went wide, it was in the perfect shape of smooth stone, with no places to grab and climb it, just like the rest of the wall from inside.

What happens to runaways?

They never told us anything. In fact, they never told us not to do something either. Then again if they catch you doing something outside of orders you get punished severally.

Run, or not? And if so, then where?

Turning to the street he started down the first alley.