1 The Escape (1/2)
”THERE THEY GO! AFTER THEM!” shouted several men.
*Pant.. Pant*
”Come on son! Through that alley!” Shouted my father.
Every step I took and every face I saw that took sight of us was filled with disgust or fear. I've never seen horrible expressions in my entire life, my thoughts jumbled inside my head as I thought ”What have I done?”. I only wanted to experience the festival outside our home; to be normal. The screams of the terrified people still resounded in my head ringing over and over as we ran.
”Son... Son?!”
My father's desperate call brought me back to my senses as he was checking my head for injuries. as I stared blankly onto his rugged face, We had stop in an alley with the shadows keeping us out of their sights. I saw him stand up and turn to peak into the corner.
”We're safe for now, They've lost sight of us.”
”Why are the guards chasing us father? I thought they we're suppose to be protecting people?”
”We're not people in their eyes anymore...”
”What do you mean?”
”I'll explain everything, but for the moment we need to escape.”
”Why were the people looking at us as if we are dem--”
He covered my mouth and had push me as I backed into a wall, I took a glance beyond him as I saw guards and armed people passing through with wanted poster signs in their hands. I tried to calm down to assess the situation maybe they mistook the person in the poster as my father? as they passed, my father pulled his hand back.
”Knoxx... Whatever happens always remember this 'In nomine dei libertas' repeat after me”
”In nomi...”
”In nomine dei libertas.” he repeated.
”In nomine dei libertas.”
”Good... if you ever lost your way and I'm nowhere to be found, look for the monks of Gaia.”
I looked at him dazed and confused as what he was saying did not make any sense, him? gone? monks of Gaia? everything was a mystery.
”Come we need to go.”
He moved out of the alley and I followed, we sneaked pass each guard and person that could turn hostile towards us. We passed by a Clothing merchant and I saw my father stole for the first time. He always told me to live honest and kind, so it boggled my mind--he cloaked himself with the drapes that he took and tossed the other one to me.
”Cover yourself.” he whispered.
”Why the disguise? can't we just explain them that it was a misunderstanding?”
”And what? add more wood to the fire? they wont believe us anymore not after what they saw.”
”What do you mean? I could just say sorry or maybe pay a fine? it was only a crystal?!” ignorantly I replied.
”I'm not talking about the crystal son, they saw what they weren't suppose to see.”
”B-but wasn't that a magic crystal? aren't all magic crystals like that? I've read about them in books and they all glow?”
”Enough!” he said with a sternly.
”Now is not the time... Stay here and keep hidden, I'll be back.”
I bit my lip out of frustration and saw him move carefully towards the stables. In this alleyway that smelt of rancid water and dead rats, I took the wooden crates that lay useless on the ground and sat on them as I waited for my father. I contemplated the situation, are we going to run away from home? I don't want to leave, my best friend would be lonely and no one would help the Leyland family with their business anymore... I heard the noisy town from the alleyway as voices of random people echoed through. Especially with the Festival on--people went on their businesses as if nothing had happen until I heard two men talking.
”Remember that mountainous guy that helped the blacksmith a long while ago?”
When I heard the word mountainous, All I could remember was my father because the description fitted him perfectly. My father was a humongous person he barely fits through the door that he had to lower his head to get from one room to another. So I was curious on what they had to say so I inched a bit closer and listened.
”Oh you mean Mr. Abbot?” said the other person.
”Yeh! I heard that he's the wanted traitor that the king was lookin' for”
”No! that can't be him he looks different from the poster”
”No! mate! it is him! rumors say that he sold his soul to the void and took both cursed children of Gaia wit 'im! the day he betrayed the kingdom!
”He looked like a pretty decent man!”
”and people have been talkin' that earlier today the cursed child was 'ere blindin' people wit' his curse!--No one fits the description other than 'im!”
”But his face looks different than the poster it can't be him! maybe they both had the same height!”
”That's why guards are crawling all over the place lookin' for 'im! because he took the cursed child wit 'im! after the devil went blindin' everywon!”
They continued to argue as I couldn't believe what I had heard, my father? the traitor? he can't be! although he meets him physically, he looks too different! and has a different name! too dissimilar! This had to be a misunderstanding...
”SON! WE HAVE TO GO!”