The Descent of the Gods

Escape

In Nod's underground dungeon, Enoch sat as far back in the shadows as he could, carefully rubbing his shackles on a stone. His bronze restraints were old and worn. He had inspected them carefully, and found a place that seemed weak. He hoped that enough scraping could break them. 

The noise of battle at the river's edge found its way into the dungeon, and soon Enoch did not have to worry about concealing his efforts to break free. The prisoners were agitated, and the few guards left to watch them were huddled near the exit, terrified. Captives howled and fought, and the guards just ignored them. 

The cries emanating from outside their prison sounded familiar. Enoch had heard the same terrified cries in his own village twice before - the day previous, and once long ago when he was just a boy. It had been the first time Cain had raided their village. That was the day Enoch's mother had died, and his father's body and spirit had been broken. Although just a toddler, Enoch remembered the sight of Cain swaggering through the village - a strong warrior who not one would strike back at. The fear of Cain's curse was strong. 

Cain had stopped in the middle of the village, looking around in contempt at Enoch's fleeing kin and spit violently on the ground. He had roared at the top of his lungs, "Is there no one to challenge me?" 

"Today Cain's plea is answered," Enoch said under his breath. If he could only break free, he would flee this cursed place and never see Nod again. 

He looked over at the cage that held Naamah captive. She sat still, tears falling unhindered down her face. Her people were dying. Enoch felt the sudden desire to comfort her. He wondered what her smile looked like. He had a feeling it would be a sight to behold.

Enoch cried out in pain. He had been grinding his shackles against the rock as hard as his aching muscles would allow, and his hand had slipped, scraping his wrist against the rock. He stopped for a moment and closed his eyes as his wrist throbbed. Suddenly, a female's voice rose above the ruckus in the prison. Her voice was urgent.

"Naamah! Where are you?" Enoch looked up to see a girl dressed in slave's garments rushing towards Naamah's cage, keys dangling in her hand - Maori. Enoch recognized her immediately as Naamah's hammer carrying companion from the night previous. A prisoner lunged for the keys she held, but Maori easily dodged his assault and ran directly for the cage, desperately testing key after key in the lock.

Enoch renewed his efforts to remove his shackles, in spite of the pain from his bleeding hand. A guard rounded the corner, holding the back of his head in pain. Enoch realized this must be the former guardian of the keys Maori now held. The shackles still would not break. He looked down and saw that they were worn away enough maybe he could slip his hand free. The blood dripping down his arm might just provide enough lubrication. He pulled and just as the guard almost reached Maori, Enoch yanked with all his might. 

His hand burst free of the shackle and he sprang onto the guard, pulling him to the ground near the chained Edenites. The guard turned to fight, but Caleb's foot shot out and smashed into his temple, knocking him out cold. 

Maori found the right key and she jerked the cage door open, pulling Naamah out. 

"Here! The keys!" Enoch shouted to her. She tossed them, and Enoch turned to try to unchain the Edenites, just as a small troop of Cainite guards appeared, heading their way, swords drawn. 

"Enoch, go! Run while you can!" Caleb said. "We'll be fine. God sent us to Nod to find His messenger. He will protect us until we have fulfilled our mission." Enoch hesitated, watching Naamah and Maori disappear into the blackness further into the dungeon.

"Go!" Caleb shouted. 

Enoch turned and threw the ring of keys toward the advancing guards. Then he followed the women into the darkness.

After a moment of running, he had to slow. He could not see anything. No prisoners were chained this far back into the cave. He stumbled into a rock jutting out from the floor and almost fell. He looked back, and could see Cainite guards lighting torches far behind him. They would find him sooner than later.

"This way!" Naamah's voice whispered from the side of the cavern. He crawled to them, and followed them into a side tunnel that suddenly opened up behind a crack in the cavern wall. They crawled as the surprisingly smooth tunnel wound it's way upward, and soon they could see light ahead, and they could run.

"You knew about this tunnel?" Enoch said, panting. Naamah shook her head.

"Zillah told me where to find it," Maori said.

"How did she know of it?" Naamah asked, surprised. Maori shrugged. 

They rounded a corner and found themselves at a crossroad. The tunnel continued straight ahead in darkness, and branched off to the right, leading up and into sunlight. 

"I wonder where it leads?" Naamah said, staring down the tunnel, before following the other two up into the sunlight. 

They found that the tunnel led out to a ledge on the wall of the citadel itself, in an area where the fortress rested on a natural rock outcropping. The ledge was high enough above the street below that no one from below could see any sign of the tunnel's existence. 

Out here the noise of battle at the water's edge was loud and close, but houses obscured any sight of the actual fighting.

"Maori, go first," Naamah said. "Then go to where my mother told you to take me next, take the boat hidden there, and make your way to the eastern shore. There's still time."

"She told me I could not leave you!" Maori said. Naamah smiled, placing a hand on Maori's shoulder.

"You have repaid your debt, now you can return to your people and be free from we Cainites forever. That is my wish, no, my command to you!"

Maori immediately began climbing down the wall, the gaps between the stones providing enough footholds to make the descent. Naamah prepared to follow her.

"What is your name?" She asked.

"Enoch."

"I am Naamah. Thank you for helping me."

"It was nothing compared to your bravery last night. To challenge Cain and your people like that..."

"I had to." Naamah said, then began to climb down the wall, following Maori. 

"What will you do now?" Enoch asked. She stopped climbing down for a moment.

"I would flee, but I know my mother and step-mother will never abandon my father and brother. And I will not leave with them either."

Enoch looked up. The wall rose only a few additional body-lengths above his head. 

"This is Cain's fortress?" He asked. She nodded. He reached out and his fingers grasped the rough stones. He began to climb upward.

"What are you doing?" Naamah shouted at him.

"I have business with Cain," He said, scaling the wall in a matter of moments, and finding himself atop the first wall. In front of him, a maze of stairs, walls, and guards stood between him and the fortified edifice at the summit. He wondered how he would ascend from here. He would have to fight his way through, he was sure.

He reached for his makeshift sling, unwinding it from its hiding place under his shirt. 

The guards noticed him on the wall, but ignored him. Their attention was fixed on the battle at the river. Enoch followed their gaze and saw what they saw. The Euphrates river was overrun with boats, fighting, and water tinged red flowed from the scene. The Cainites were putting up a terrific defense, but more boats were still crossing the river. It would not be long before they were overwhelmed.

Enoch stooped and collected several stones, placing them in his pouch which still hung around his neck. He surveyed the citadel and began planning his route up to the top.

"Follow me," Naamah said, joining him at the top of the wall. He looked at her in surprise.

"If you think you have business with Cain, get in line," She said, jogging forward to a flight of stone steps. Enoch followed without a word, shaking his head, a grim smile on his face.