chapter 3: freedom

As the Vladimir sprinted towards the cover of the trees, the sound of pounding footsteps and shouting filled the air. He risked a quick glance over his shoulder and saw the other slavekeeper, a burly man with a cruel sneer, barreling towards him.

"Hey! Stop right there, you filthy slave!" the slavekeeper bellowed, his voice echoing through the darkness.

Vladimir didn't slow down. He knew that if he were caught, he would be severely punished. He pushed himself harder, feeling his muscles burn with the effort.

As he reached the edge of the forest, he heard the slavekeeper's angry voice grow fainter behind him. He breathed a sigh of relief, but knew he couldn't rest yet. He had to put as much distance between himself and his former captors as possible.

I could feel my heart pounding in my chest as I watched the scene unfold. The sight of the runaway slave breaking free filled me with a mixture of fear and hope. Fear, because I knew that if I were caught helping him, I would be punished as well. But hope, because I knew that his escape might inspire others to take action.

"Get back here, you useless fool!" the slavekeeper shouted, his face twisted with anger.

But Vladimir had disappeared into the trees, leaving the slavekeeper to curse and sputter in frustration. I turned and walked away, knowing that I had played a small part in setting him free.

***

Sure enough, within minutes, the sound of an alarm bell pierced the quiet night air. I could see the other slavekeepers rushing out of their quarters, brandishing whips and lanterns. Their faces were twisted with anger and frustration as they scanned the area, searching for any sign of the runaway slave.

***

Vladimir ran through the forest, panting heavily as he tried to put as much distance as possible between himself and the slavekeepers. He felt a rush of exhilaration at the thought of finally being free, but that joy was short-lived. As he ran, he stumbled into a trap laid by the vice chief of the village.

Suddenly, the ground gave way beneath his feet, and he found himself tumbling down into a pit. He landed hard on his back, gasping for breath as he looked up and saw the vice chief's sneering face peering down at him.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" the vice chief said, his voice dripping with disdain. "Looks like we've caught ourselves a runaway slave. You thought you could escape, did you? You're not so clever after all."

The runaway slave scrambled to his feet, his heart racing with fear. He tried to run, but found himself hemmed in by the steep walls of the pit.

"Please, let me go," he pleaded, his voice shaking with desperation. "I won't try to escape again, I promise."

The vice chief laughed cruelly. "Oh, I think we both know that's not true. You slaves are always looking for a way out. But don't worry, we'll teach you a lesson you won't soon forget."

With that, the vice chief signaled to his guards, who pulled the runaway slave out of the pit and dragged him back to the village. Despite his best efforts to escape, he found himself once again at the mercy of his cruel captors.

As the guards dragged the runaway slave through the village, he searched desperately for a way to escape. He knew that if he went back to the slavekeepers, he would be beaten and punished severely. But as he struggled against his captors, he suddenly felt a surge of anger and determination. He couldn't go down without a fight.

With a fierce cry, he lashed out at the guards, striking them with all his might. To his surprise, he found that he was stronger and more skilled in combat than he had ever realized. The guards fought back, exchanging blows with him as they tried to subdue him, but the runaway slave refused to back down.

For a moment, it seemed as though he might actually be able to escape. But then, the vice chief stepped forward, his eyes glowing with an otherworldly light.

"You think you can defeat me with your pathetic skills?" the vice chief sneered. "You are nothing compared to the power of magic."

The runaway slave felt a chill run down his spine as he realized that the vice chief was indeed a powerful sorcerer. With a wave of his hand, the vice chief sent a blast of energy hurtling towards the runaway slave, who stumbled and fell to the ground.

As the vice chief stood over him, the runaway slave knew that he had been completely defeated. He had no choice but to surrender and return to a life of slavery, his dreams of freedom crushed by the power of magic.

***

"I was beaten to death. This wasn't supposed to happen if the vice chief did not show I would have escaped," Vladimir said, frustrated.

"Random slavekeeper asked, 'How did you kill the elder?"boy?!'"

Vladimir hesitated. "I don't know what you're talking about."

The vice chief of the village punched Vladimir in the face over and over again, until his face was unrecognizable.

The other village elders laughed. "You always overdo things your way. Why? You don't like it?" They continued laughing.

Vladimir bit his tongue in fury. "I will get my revenge on all of you god-damned fuckers."

The vice chief of the village," oh what's this your glaring at me?! Huh!!he punch Vladimir again.