NEBADOR Book One: The Test by J. Z. Colby - HTML preview

Chapter 41: Freedom Without Walls

Ilika rested a few more minutes, then went through the underwater passage for the last time. Boro followed.

As soon as Ilika surfaced, he saw Buna, still shaking like a leaf, in Kibi’s arms.

When Buna saw Ilika, she jumped back into the water and nearly knocked him over. “Thank you! Thank you so much! You could have just left me over there and I would have died in the dark . . .” Her words faded away into sobs.

“No one gets left behind,” Ilika said while he held her, “if there is any way to bring us all out safely.”

When Buna was finally ready to let go, Ilika looked around at his students.

They all looked at him with deepened respect and admiration, but at the same time they all looked like sleepy drowned rats. He noticed Toli sitting as far away from Buna as possible, and not looking in her direction.

Ilika’s bracelet remained on the large rock, casting a bright beam of light onto the ceiling. This room was very similar to the first, except that the pool went right to the doorway on the far side, slowly overflowing across the slimy stones.

Ilika stepped out of the water and stood facing Kibi.

“Thank you,” was all he said as he put his wet arms around her. They held each other silently for a long time.

“Ilika . . .” Boro said between deep breaths, “I’m . . . exhausted. Could . . .

someone else . . . lead now?”

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Ilika and Kibi sat down with the others.

“Of course, Boro. My brave students, let’s make a decision. The way out is a short walk from here. I’ve seen it. Then we have to cross some open grass, at night, without any light but the moon, and get on the western road for about a mile. We can do that now, or we can rest in here tonight, all day tomorrow, and go tomorrow night. Either way, we have to do it at night.”

“Everything’s wet,” Neti said in a pouting tone while shivering, “and we’re so cold we wouldn’t get much sleep.”

“Nothing’s going to dry in here,” Sata added. “We need air and sunshine.”

Everyone else merely nodded agreement.

“I want everyone to understand that we have to do this stretch silently. If the guards in the towers hear us, they’ll start looking for us in the countryside, and that’s what we went to all this trouble to avoid.”

“There’s a little good news,” Rini announced.

Ilika looked at him.

“The book and papers stayed dry.”

“Fantastic! Thank you, everyone, for finding the courage to get through these old tunnels. Miko, you seem fairly awake. Want to lead us to that shack?”

He suddenly sat up taller and straighter. “Sure!”

Everyone was soon ready. Kibi placed herself beside Buna, who looked grateful. Ilika asked Toli to bring up the rear with him.

“Are we going to walk by the light of your magic bracelet?” Buna asked with a gleam in her eyes.

Ilika replaced the bracelet on his left arm. “Yes, as far as the tunnel goes.”

They entered the passageway on the far side of the room. Ilika had the only source of light, so he shined it toward the ceiling ahead of him.

Miko moved slowly down the wet, slimy passage. It turned twice, passing three side tunnels choked with rocks and broken timbers. Finally, a small stone doorway covered with vines and weeds stood before them.

“I’ve never seen this side of the city,” Ilika said. “Anyone know the lay of the land?”

“It’s grassy,” Rini replied, “with some little gullies. I bet this water goes into one of them.”

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“If we don’t go straight,” Boro proposed, “but zigzag instead, the guards won’t be able to tell where we came from.”

“Or where we’re going,” Mati added.

“Yeah!” Miko agreed. “And we can angle down to the road as if we’re going toward the gate!”

“Good ideas,” Ilika said. “Let’s take our time and do it right. This is the last stretch.”

Rini worked beside Miko to make a way through the vines, and as they did, Ilika made his light dimmer and dimmer. It was no brighter than a stubby candle as they all filed through into a small muddy ditch. From there, Miko led them up onto the grass.

Ilika turned off the light and exited last. He took a moment to pull some vines back over the opening, then followed the others.

They passed like ghosts during the last hour of the night, back and forth across the grassy slope, none of them caring about the wet, dewy grass in their drenched condition. They finally joined the western road and floated along like shadows, two by two, never any faster than a girl with a crutch could move. Slowly they crested a shallow rise and rounded a bend.



When the guards changed shift at first light, the new guard in the western watchtower looked out over the stretch of grass where no settlement was allowed. He could faintly see a meandering path of trampled grass that looked like a horse had gotten loose and grazed for a few hours. But the animal appeared to be gone now, so he didn’t even bother to report the incident.



“We can talk softly now,” Ilika said.

“Are we safe?” Sata asked.

Boro sighed with relief. “The danger of the wall is behind us.”

“Now we have the danger of the road and the woods,” Kibi pointed out.

“I’m happy with that change!” Rini said, jumping up and down. Seeing him, Buna giggled and danced in a little circle in the growing light.

“Now we have to find that oak tree, and the path,” Miko said in a serious, leader-like voice.

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Ilika looked around at the trees on both sides of the road. “I hope someone knows what an oak tree looks like.”

“Don’t

you? ” Toli asked with disbelief.

“No. There aren’t any in my country.”

Mati smiled. “You’ll like them. They’re big and strong.”

“Are we going to do lessons today?” Buna asked excitedly, somehow full of renewed energy.

Ilika yawned. “I don’t think so, Buna. I think everyone’s going to sleep all day.”

A quarter hour later, in the growing dawn light, Ilika gazed up in wonder at the towering oak tree. Then he looked around at the faces of his nine students. Even though they were all sopping wet, cold, and tired, he could tell they were ready for adventure.



About the Author

Born in the Mojave Desert, J. Z. Colby now lives and writes deep in a forest of the Pacific Northwest.

He has studied many subjects, formally and informally, including psychology, philosophy, education, and performing arts, but remains a generalist. His primary profession as a mental health therapist, specializing with families and young adults, gives him many stories of personal growth, and the motivation to develop his team of young critiquers and readers.

All his life, he has been drawn toward a broad understanding of human nature, especially those physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual situations in which our capacity to function seems to reach its limits. He finds fascinating those few individuals who can transcend the limits of our common human nature and the dictates of our cultures.