The silvery light of the full moon filtered through the thatched roof, casting an ethereal glow over the sleeping forms huddled together on rough-woven mats. A cacophony of snores and deep breathing filled the cramped hut, rising and falling in a discordant rhythm.
Ona's eyes snapped open, instantly alert despite the late hour. She carefully pushed herself up on one elbow, holding her breath as her gaze swept over her slumbering roommates. This was the chance she had been waiting for.
Kebo was drunk and snoring away.
Moving with painstaking slowness, she untangled herself from the threadbare blanket and slid out from between the bodies. Her bare feet made no sound on the packed earth floor as she crept across the room to the corner where her meager belongings were stashed.
Her fingers found the small burlap sack, carefully packed days ago with precious dried fruits, salted meats, and a tightly rolled blanket - rations and supplies for the journey ahead. Next she retrieved her waterskin, already filled from the nearby stream in preparation.
Ona's heart raced with a mix of exhilaration and guilt, her mind torn between the thrill of escape and the pain of leaving behind her new friends, especially Titi, whose kindness and warmth had made her feel seen and heard since she was brought to Kebo, yet she couldn't shake off the desperation to break free.
With one last look over her shoulder at her sleeping roommates, their snores now a familiar ambient noise, Ona swept a stray loc of hair from her face and slipped out of the hut into the moonlit night.
The village was draped in tranquil quiet, not a soul stirring in the maze of mud huts and thatched roofs. Ona moved like a wraith through the empty streets, her steps guided by the towering silhouette of the iroko tree standing sentry in the town's center.
The faint glimmer of running water drew her unerringly toward the market square. There the small river that birthed all life in this desert settlement gurgled and splashed, its sparkling surface reflecting the starry cosmos above.
Pausing on the bank, Ona closed her eyes and simply breathed in the crisp night air, allowing her resolve to solidify like steel. She had lingered long enough in this place, soaking up the village's lore and wisdom until she felt prepared for what lay ahead.
The inky blackness of the night cloaked Ona's stealthy movements as she slipped through the village's winding alleyways. Her heart hammered in her chest, euphoria spiking with each furtive step. She could not afford even the slightest misstep now.
Up ahead, the flickering of torchlight caused her to freeze, flattening herself against the rough mudbrick wall. Stilled breath catching in her throat, she watched as three lumbering guard silhouettes appeared, their sandals scuffing over the hard-packed earth.
"Blasted night patrol," one grumbled, his voice gruff. "More likely to scare off thieves with my snoring than any vigilance."
A rasping chuckle answered him. "Just a few more hours until we can catnap on the job like every other morning."
Their voices faded as the patrol passed within mere paces of Ona's hiding spot, completely oblivious to her concealed presence. She let out the harsh breath she'd been holding, pulse roaring in her ears. That was too close a call.
Edging away from the wall, she retraced her path back toward the center of the village, her previous complacency shattered. Overconfidence could spell a tragic end to her quest before it ever began. She would need to be more cunning and cautious.
As the towering silhouette of the ancient baobab tree loomed into view, its gnarled branches stretching out like twisted claws against the inky night sky, Ona's steps slowed to a cautious crawl. Muchi's words echoed in her mind - this was the landmark, the first step on her perilous journey to freedom.
Her keen eyes scanned every shadow, every alcove, searching for any sign of danger, trickery or discovery. The forest seemed to hold its breath, as if the very trees themselves were watching her every move, waiting to see if she would prove worthy of the path that lay ahead.
Just behind the baobab's massive trunk, a thick curtain of tangled vines and brambles formed an impenetrable shroud, concealing whatever secrets lurked beyond. Ona's heart hammered in her chest as she approached the barrier, her hands trembling slightly as she reached out to part the thorny veil.
Gritting her teeth against the sharp pricks of the brambles, she dug her fingers into the unyielding thicket, tearing away at the stubborn tendrils until she had carved out a narrow opening just large enough for her slender frame to slip through. The air on the other side was thick and musty, the scent of damp earth and decaying leaves hanging heavy in the still air.
As her eyes adjusted to the gloom, Ona spotted the telltale stack of rocks that Muchi had described, piled atop one another in an unnaturally precise arrangement. With a surge of euphoria, she hurried towards the mound, her hands scrabbling at the rough stones, pulling them aside with a desperation borne of weeks of longing for this very moment.
Beneath the rocks, a gaping hole yawned open, just large enough for a child - or someone of Ona's slight build - to wriggle through. A musty draft wafted up from the depths, carrying with it the promise of secrets long buried, of pathways forgotten by all but the most intrepid of souls.
Ona cast one final glance over her shoulder, her heart pounding in her ears, then lowered herself into the darkness, her fingers clinging to the rough edges of the opening as she slipped down, down into the unknown.
The narrow tunnel seemed to stretch on endlessly, the damp walls closing in around Ona as she carefully inched her way downward. Her fingers scraped against the slick clay, seeking purchase in the treacherous descent.
Suddenly, her foot slipped on the wet surface, and she tumbled forward, letting out an involuntary cry as she plunged into the unknown depths below. Her breath was forced from her lungs in a harsh gasp as she landed hard on the uneven ground, the impact jarring her very bones.
For a few disorienting moments, Ona lay there, blinking in the inky blackness that now enveloped her. As her racing heart began to slow, she reached out tentatively, her hands mapping the confines of her new surroundings. She had landed in a much larger open space - a cave, by the feel of the rough stone walls and the echoing silence that pressed in around her.
With trembling fingers, Ona patted the ground beside her, desperately searching for anything that could provide even the faintest glimmer of light. Her hand closed around a slender stick, and nearby, she felt the unmistakable shapes of two oblong stones.
A flicker of hope ignited within her breast. Quickly, she tore a strip of fabric from the hem of her wool garment, wrapping it around the end of the stick to form a makeshift torch. She struck the stones together, the spark catching the cloth and bursting into a small but steady flame.
The flickering torchlight cast an eerie glow over Ona's surroundings, revealing the cavernous expanse of the underground chamber. The walls curved and undulated, forming natural alcoves and passageways that branched off into the depths.
Ona's heart skipped a beat as she realized she now faced a choice - two diverging pathways lay before her, their shadowed lengths concealing untold mysteries and perils. She cast her mind back to Muchi's words, Tij's cousin's deep disorienting voice echoing in her memory: "Take the right path, princess. The right path will lead you to freedom."
With a steadying breath, Ona tightened her grip on the torch and turned resolutely towards the passage on the right. The wavering light played across the uneven walls, throwing strange, dancing shadows that seemed to beckon her onward.
The steady drip, drip, drip of water echoed through the cavernous passage, each droplet shattering the heavy silence like a pebble breaking the surface of a still pond. Ona froze, her breath catching in her throat as the scrabbling of tiny claws whispered from the shadows. Mice, scurrying about their secretive business in this subterranean realm.
She shrank back against the damp wall, watching with wide eyes as a few of the small creatures skittered past, their forms little more than fleeting shadows in the wavering torchlight. A tremor of fear rippled through her, and she clamped her free hand over her mouth, forcing herself to breathe as quietly as possible.
On and on she pressed, the rough-hewn tunnel seeming to stretch endlessly before her. At times, the walls closed in with suffocating tightness, forcing her to twist and contort her body to wriggle through. Then, just as the claustrophobic confines threatened to overwhelm her, the passage would open up again, the ceiling soaring overhead like the vaulted arches of a cathedral.
At last, Ona emerged onto a precipice, the torchlight revealing the sheer drop that yawned before her. She inched forward, her heart pounding, and peered over the edge into the depths below.
There, nestled among the jagged stalagmites that reached up like fanged maws from the cavern floor, lay a massive, slumbering form. Even in the flickering half-light, she could make out its grotesque features – the body of a colossal scorpion, but with the horned, snarling head of a rhinoceros.
Ona's breath caught in her throat as she took in the terrifying sight. This was one of the legendary guardians of the Kebo caves, a creature of nightmare sworn to protect the mysteries that lay within these ancient, subterranean halls.
For an endless, breathless moment, she remained frozen, watching the steady rise and fall of the beast's flanks as it slumbered. Then, her gaze was drawn to the far side of the cavern floor, where a series of jagged ledges and outcroppings formed a treacherous path downward, skirting the very edge of the creature's resting place.
Her mouth set in a grim line of resolve, Ona began to carefully pick her way along the precipice, seeking the most secure hand and footholds. One by one, she lowered herself over the edge, clinging to the ragged rock face as she descended toward the cavern below.
Every muscle in her body was taut with tension, her mind focused with laser-sharp intensity on each precarious step. A single misstep, a dislodged stone, the slightest sound could rouse the slumbering guardian and seal her fate.
Holding her breath, Ona inched ever closer to the cavern floor, the torchlight casting her elongated shadow in a macabre dance across the den of the scorpion-beast. At last, her feet found purchase on the uneven ground, and she froze, watching, waiting for any sign that her passage had been detected.
The creature did not stir.
Letting out the barest whisper of a relieved sigh, Ona turned her gaze toward the opposite side of the cavern, where a dark crevice split the rock face like a crooked maw. The path ahead beckoned, but she knew that greater dangers still lay in wait.
Squaring her shoulders, she tightened her grip on the torch and slipped into the shadows, leaving the slumbering guardian behind. Her journey would not be an easy one, but she was determined to see it through, no matter what nightmares the Kebo caves unleashed to bar her way.
The stale, musty air of the caves gave way to a cool, refreshing breeze that caressed Ona's face like a tender whisper of freedom. For a moment, she stood motionless, letting the gentle wafts of outside air wash over her, filling her lungs with the crisp scent of the mountain slopes.
Then, barely daring to hope, she quickened her steps, the torchlight flickering wildly as she hurried toward the source of that tantalizing draft. Around one final bend in the twisting tunnel, a sliver of pale moonlight spilled in from beyond, beckoning her onward.
And there, through a narrow cleft in the rock face, the outside world unveiled itself once more.
Ona stumbled out onto the mountainside, planting her feet on the winding path that she knew all too well – the very same trail the bandits had taken to bring her into captivity within the fortified walls of Kebo a few weeks ago. Now, she trod it in the opposite direction, away from captivity and toward the promise of an unknown future lying in wait beyond the peaks.
The cool night air rushed in to greet her, whipping strands of hair across her face as she paused, head tilted back to gaze up at the glittering tapestry of stars overhead. They seemed to wink down at her, ageless sentinels bearing witness to her escape, her rebirth into the wider world beyond these stifling valleys.
A single tear traced its way down Ona's cheek, carving a glistening path over the contours of her face before falling to be lost among the scattered pebbles at her feet. It was a tear of mingled joy and sorrow, of elation at having won her hard-fought freedom, but also of the bittersweet pang of leaving behind all that she had known.
Ona's heart pounded in her chest as she pressed onwards into the consuming darkness of the mountain path. Each step was an act of bravery against the terrifying unknown that surrounded her. Only her steely resolve and the guiding strength of her ancestors kept the tendrils of fear at bay.
Under the canopy of the night sky, she sent up a silent prayer to those who had walked this path before her. Please let the rumors be true, she implored. Let the suspected Idolloan spies still lurk within these treacherous peaks, for they could be her best hope now.
A fervent yearning burned within her like a banked fire. If only she could make contact with the underground resistance, they may be able to reunite her with Didé at long last. The thought caused her breath to catch in her throat. After all the secrets, all the narrow escapes and near misses, was this perilous journey truly nearing its end?
The jagged contours of the mountain trail seemed to shift and undulate in the inky darkness. Ona traveled upwards relentlessly, every muscle screaming from the exertion, but still she pressed on. When the path grew too precipitous for normal traverse, she found herself scrambling over jutting rocks and boulders, calloused hands gripping at craggy outcroppings.
Then, faintly at first, an acrid scent began tickling her nostrils - the unmistakable aroma of woodsmoke drifting on the night breezes. Excitement surged through her veins as she paused, straining her senses to pinpoint the source of the faint plume.
There, up ahead where the trail bent sharply westward, a tendril of gray wisped against the star-streaked sky. The promising beacon beckoned her onwards like a siren call she couldn't refuse.
Scrambling forward with renewed vigor, Ona failed to tamp down the growing spark of hope flaring within her breast. Each jarring footfall carried her closer to what could be the final answers, the culmination of her dangerous quest.
A strange giddiness gripped her as the telltale evidence of a radical rebel campsite grew clearer and clearer. She was so close now, she could practically smell Didé's familiar woodsmoke and spice.
Ona's heart raced as she arrived at the camp, ready to greet Idolloans in the customary way.
However, her excitement turned to dread as she noticed the unfamiliar colors of warrior uniforms hanging nearby. Panic surged through her veins as she realized she had stumbled into the wrong camp, far from the safety of Kebo.
Suddenly, like specters emerging from the shadows, marauders appeared from every corner, their presence seeming to materialize from the very darkness itself.