A Search for Freedom

"You think he'll come?"

Snowy days were never seldom in Agartha. When winter finally rolled in, the mountain was blanketed with a soft white and there was barely any of the signature red left on the rooftops. This year too, it was nothing new. The harshest of weather couldn't stop Agarthan children from playing outside. Ema and Argoll in particular, despite turning into teens since the past two years, had barely given up on their mischiefs.

"He said he would!"

With their parents far too important and busy to look over them, the two had free reign in Agartha. Them, and of course, their that one friend.

"It's getting late, though. It would be curfew before we know it! Where is he?!", Argoll stomped his foot on the ground which gave rise to a tiny avalanche.

This winter hadn't come alone in Agartha. It brought along the Blues. It was unheard of to see an attack in Agartha. No outsider dared trek that mountain. Although by now, people had forgotten when the conflict even began. The War of Giants seemed to have always been there. Still, it had never seeped so much into Mercae. By the time snow was whitening the world in Agartha, dark grey smokes rose from many houses and the city fell under the Blue invasion.

Underground organizations spawned soon after, since Agarthans were such proud people that could never compromise their freedom. Even though times weren't particularly hard on them, they decided to take arms against the Blues. That only made things worse and ended in a stricter attitude by the Blues. It was hard to leave houses anymore. If anyone was seen wandering the streets after sundown, they were shot. Women were carted away, humiliated and then killed. Still, under the sole temple that stood in an inconspicuous part of Agartha, some geniuses gathered to brew plans for Blue elimination.

Agartha had expert doctors and engineers, known throughout the world. That was part of the reason why Blues invaded it in the first place. In the day those experts worked for the Blues, at night they carried out a mission of their own. Argoll's and Ema's father were some of the leading figures down there, both being doctors. Ema's mother had died when she was young, she had been an independent soul caring for her father and herself all her life. Argoll's mother was taken away by the Blues, likely killed, but never found.

For now, it seemed they had no one but each other. Even as the sun was beginning to go down, they felt safe together, out there in the thicket.

"Maybe he isn't coming...", Argoll seemed pissed as he looked at the distant sun racing down.

For a while there was silence. Ema looked down pensively, leaning against a tree.

"Guys! I'm here! I'm sorry I'm late!", a childish voice broke out behind them.

The two turned immediately. There he stood, the little lad, much younger than both of them, red in the face and out of breath.

"What took you so long?!", Ema asked.

"I ran into the Blues", he grinned ear to ear, rubbing the nape of his neck.

"Blues?! You hurt? How'd you get away?", Argoll forgot how he was angry at him for being so late.

"I don't know. I just did."

Ema who was fraught with worry, being the motherly kind, broke into a nervous chuckle, "That's so like you, you idiot!"

Their daily adventure, which couldn't be carried out that day, entailed finding a way out of Agartha. Ema and Argoll had come up with that idea way before the Blues came around. But the drive hadn't been there. Now they had a solid incentive to get out of the walled city.

"I wanna see what's out there!", said a young boy they ran into in a dangerous part of the mountain when they had gone off on their adventure once. This little boy had been born in harder times. His doll face was still too pure, too innocent but his curiosity was greater than both of theirs' combined. So there was no way they could leave him behind. This was how he became the newest recruit of their tiny band.

His father too, apparently, was a member of the underground. He was an expert on machines, more valued than anyone in the field had been. The man was known to be a genius. And a part of the underground existed solely to protect him. He was leading the latest strategy the underground seemed to be working on. So that was another thing the three found in common.

They spent the rest of the evening talking about all the possibilities and the places they'd go to see when they succeeded in getting out. When it was time for lights out, the three sneaked back into town. They weren't imposing enough to be spotted in such little lights, so luckily they found their way back.

"Hold on", Argoll grabbed the two just before they turned a corner.

"What?", Ema asked.

Argoll snuck his head out to watch a bunch of Blues heading off somewhere with booze in hand.

"Just some drunkards?", Ema whispered.

"Where are they going?", Argoll said, almost to himself.

"Probably out of town. They can't drink in Agartha, I hear."

Blues were supposed to be extra vigilant in Agartha ever since resistance went up against them.

"Yeah, but...", his eyes followed them as they disappeared into the distant dark.

He quickly snuck out and followed them. The other two went after him as well.

"Hey, Argoll!", Ema called for him in a low voice.

"Look, where are they headed? There's no way out from there!"

Ema understood immediately.

"Unless...", she said.

"There is!", the other two said in unison, brimming with excitement.

The three followed the group to an isolated part of the thicket, close to the high wall. By now, the soldiers were already half drunk. So the three had little fear of being detected easily. They hadn't even realized that it was beginning to snow now.

The group stopped under some trees that were half felled already and began drinking. They were having a whole party while the three watched from the distant in despair.

"What, so they're just gonna drink right here?", Ema spoke in a disappointing voice.

"Well...", Argoll too seemed bummed, "We had no reason to think they couldn't hide."

"But...the dogs", the little one spoke, "Wouldn't they get smelled out?"

Indeed, if the hounds smelled booze on a Blue, those hounds were allowed to eat that Blue on the spot.

"But if there's no evidence...", Argoll began but then stopped short.

The three turned towards the group and watched them closely. It was already too long to return to town now. They couldn't avoid being detected this late. So, by all means, they were sleeping outside tonight. If only the snow was gentler.

The party lasted long enough that all three of them were far too drowsy to keep awake. But they held on, for the sake of their ultimate freedom.

"Hey!", a whisper broke, "Look, they are moving."

Argoll and Ema relapsed from their dream-like state and peeled their eyes to see the group. Indeed, they were done now. It was getting too snowy outside, so it made sense that they'd want to go back now. One of the soldiers, who still had his head about him, gathered the remains of their bottles and party and scooped them in his arms. This was the moment of truth. The three watched him with everything they had.

He headed over to one of the trees that was half felled and climbed over it. Though, it didn't look like he'd make it over the wall, the tree was extended far more than they could see from where they were. The man walked right over and dropped the bottles outside.

The three turned crimson red in the face with excitement and they could just have been jumping around if they didn't fear getting caught.

"We leave tomorrow", Argoll said decisively, his face beaming.

"We'll need supplies for the way. I'll take care of that. You guys manage the equipment", Ema declared.

"I'll get the hooks and sledges!"

"Then that leaves me with ropes and whatever else remains, huh?", Argoll said, "Well, we'll meet here and see what we are missing. I'll get most everything we could possibly need. Don't be late, you two!"

The three, having settled on their scheme, decided to head home. Although, it was way past curfew, they seemed to have found a courage which told them they could definitely make it home undetected. And as fate would have it, they sure did.