The rapidly darkening clouds, filled with pent up emotions looked like ugly bruises waiting to vent. The heavy winds seem to add an urgency to the approaching Great Oorffan that was ready to slam into the oldest city of Andon in the country of Naara. The clouds loomed over the old castle Monastery of Healing that was located on the outskirts of the city. The monastery courtyard was completely deserted as most of the sick and the healers had left to take shelter in the main city fortress. The sails of ancient windmills that used to outline the sky around the monastery had been taken down leaving ominous looking towers that stood like spears against the oppressive heavens and the ever dancing sparse trees that surrounded the gaunt hilly monastery.

It is generally agreed on the Kunj (world) that there are three basic requirements to succeeding in escaping confinement. One is the perfect timing. Finding that little loop hole caused by an event that gives you an advantage and opening in escaping. This was presented to Chira in the form of a huge magical hurricane the Great Oorffan that was headed toward the city of Andon and more importantly toward this impregnable castle monastery that held her. Hurricane, the kinds of which had not occurred in more than fifty years, and never in the country of Naara in which the city of Andon was hailed as the intellectual capital. It was enough to keep the guards within this old castle monastery on edge and nervous, and open to small mistakes.

The second is the right distraction, one that will keep one’s captors motivated enough to forget that you might have escaped long enough for you to safely escape. Chira accomplished this quietly and efficiently and was sure her distraction would be quite effective. The only regret she had was that she would not be able to see the face of the Venerable Jaisu Thana (Thana is a term used to refer to the chief healing monks) when he realizes the extent of her distraction.

Now all she had to do was make an even more efficient getaway. She crept down the dark spiraling stairway barely touching the cold dark stone walls. The stairs ended in a curving corridor that was descending and was shrouded in darkness except for a soft glow that seemed to come from just around the bend. A big metal pendant with its central stone missing, that was tied around her neck by a thick twine insistently pulled at her mind indicating that there was an exit at the end of the passage. There were a few light panels that would light up on touch but she did not dare to light anything. In any case she hardly had any magic to spare. She softly threaded the stone floor trying not to accidentally trip on the uneven surface because she could not see much. She was also on high alert, ready to flee to the only hiding place behind the stairs if anybody approached. The whole place was ominously deserted. The lack of strutting guards and the darkness gave Chira the feeling of being stalked. She wondered if she was on the right track. As if to answer her doubt, the little pendent around her neck felt heavier, as if reluctant to let her go anywhere else. This cursed pendent and she were tied together by an uncommon bond, one that happened when she first tried to escape from this wretched place.

A tiny sharp sound reached her in the darkness and she froze where she was. It sounded almost like a soft whimper. She stuck herself to the stone wall, held her breath, ready to run. Time moved. It may have been five minutes… she did not know. Nothing more happened. She found courage to go on further. That was the only option she had. She had already sealed the entrance, the way she had come in. She was sure that there was on danger behind her, whatever the danger was it was sealed in with her, and it could only be in front of her. She crept like a shadow toward the glow that seemed to come from just around the bend on this winding corridor. The glow finally turned out to be a door that was open. Was this her way out? The pendent just weighed heavily on her neck as stubborn as a rock, but she still clenched her jaws, and tightened her fist. Her thin form slid through the door like a shadow, without opening it wider.

The concentration of magic in the room was high enough to make her hair stand on end and her chaotic eyes opened on reflex. The glow came from the floor where a large weave formation, that looked like a glowing mandala was active. A shadowy outline of cloth and flesh that could be an animal or a small child was piled up to the corner unable to escape the weave. Perhaps the tiny whimper came from this creature, who looked more and more like a little child as her eyes got used to the dim light. She did not think there would be prisoners here too. As if sensing her presence, a pair of big watery mournful eyes that glowed silver with magic looked up at her. A tiny whimper escaped from the child who tried to burrow into the corner, an expression of terror on those big mournful eyes.

Chira sighed, this was not her escape door. Should she leave? The third important rule to successfully flee confinement was not to have an accomplice. Besides the child was clearly terrified of her and would not make a happy accomplice and she did not have time to persuade. She also felt that she was not very good with kids.

She also knew what was about to happen to his place because of her distraction. She was deciding what to do, when suddenly a huge shadow lunged at her-a hand to her throat, chocking her and she was slammed to the wall. She cursed as her vision blurred. She made out the outline of someone looming, bulky and strange eyes glowing with a tiny silver of magic. The pendent around her neck suddenly pulled at her mind like a vicious migraine, as it touched the attackers hand. The emotions she held under check all this time seem to boil over, and rush toward the attacker.

“.. not die… here” she tried to croak as she grit her teeth as her vision blazed red. She summoned all her will power as she clenched both her fists together. Then she stepped on his toe and slammed her fists into the attacker’s upper stomach. As the grip on her throat loosened, she pushed a little of her depleting strength into her two-fist clasped together tightly and punched upward at the man’s jaws. She took large mouth full of air, panting loudly as she watched the figure collapse.

A little blood leaked from her nose into her lips the result of depleted magic, which she licked as she tried to moisten her lips. Her vision darkened, and she bit into a small pill as she collapsed on the floor. It was an outdated old pill that she had been storing for a long time. Its potency was all but gone, but to a magic starved Chira even this small amount brought sharpness to her darkening vision. She could not control her shaking limbs. It was partly the effect of the pill but mostly adrenaline. She had successfully hit a person. The feeling of hitting flesh and bone was very strange and very painful. She had mentally gone through the exercise of protecting and attacking in her mind a million times, as she planned her escape. Goddess knew the violent emotions she had felt so many times. The helplessness the despair, the anger…. She had even kept an image of Jaisu Thana in her mind as she went through the mental simulations, punching him to pulp in her mind, and him begging and pleading for death instead. But reality was very different and she was shocked by the success. Her knuckles hurt like crazy, and the she shivered uncontrollably. She tried to gently ease the burning in her neck, by swallowing saliva.