This is a summary of Greyashe Episode 20.

OP: OUTRUNNER

ED: Talim

Chapters Covered: 39 and 40.

Van doses in and out during a supervised exercise break in the prison courtyard.  Keeping one eye open for the bigger prisoners, and worrying endlessly about his friends does not help when it comes to sleep unfortunately.  His cell mate Guy Cowan however has no problem chatting and laughing it up with fellow prisoners, despite his current situation. As Van fights and loses the battle to stay awake, he notices Guy smoking a cigarette that he had smuggled in when he was captured. The smoke rising in the air reminds him of a conversation he and his friend Nick had back when he was a mere sweeper in Greyashe.

During downtime, the two boys notice their caretaker Mr. Sikes taking a long drag from his pipe and expelling the smoke from his mouth. The boys think this is the epitome of coolness and Nick states his intention to pick up smoking someday. Sikes tells him not to, saying that it's a bad habit. Van then asks why he does it, and after some thought, Sikes tells the boys that it's to remind himself that he's alive. He tells them that people only really realize that they're alive when they're on their deathbed. Since smoking is like a little death, he does it to remind himself that he's still here with his friends, and particularly the 'family' that he has through Van, Nick and Nancy. Nick can't quite grasp what Sikes said, and still wants to take up smoking, while Van contemplates what he heard.  Nancy soon appears, and the four continue their work, all the while Van still trying to understand what he was told.

The boy is awakened when someone taps him in his face. Guy tells him that it's time to head in, and asks him if he's okay. Van can only nod and slowly make his way back to the cell, wondering why he'd have such a dream at a time like this...

The prisoners that aren't interesting enough to experiment on are forced into labor, digging tunnels to further expand Auysdin. Guy goes into his work with zeal, which Van again wonders about. What kind of person is perfectly fine with doing this type of work? Before he can think about this for long however, a sudden rock slide threatens everyone's well being; Van is caught by surprise, and buried under a pile of falling debris. The warden and other prisoners are more than happy to leave him there alone, but Guy doesn't take no for an answer. In a show of herculean strength and perseverance, he begins to dig the poor boy out. The guards realize that they can't go back with him still there, though on the other hand they can't possibly beat THE Guy Cowan in a fight. Eventually even though it's against their will, they assist Guy in digging Van out of the rubble, once again putting him in debt to Guy.

The fact that his crusade to become strong on his own is slowly falling apart by the seams bothers Van so much that he starts finding reasons to hang around the cell less, so he won't run into Guy. At one point Van is outside with guards assisting with clean up, when suddenly channels of pipes and trenches in Auysdin begin to fill with water. It has started raining on the surface; giving Auysdinites the chance to refresh their water supply. Van watches the water current ebb and flow through the channels built throughout the city, and recalling what Mr. Sikes said a long time ago, adds his own meaning to it. The rain from the surface rushes down to the city, causing the boy to remember that his world is not limited to the underground alone, and in essence, it reminds him that he has a goal to pursue. This means that he has no time for self pity, or to be saved by anyone else, if he wants to rescue Kani and Claire before it's too late. The boy makes up his mind that somehow, some way, he will get out and pursue his friends, and so that no one else will have to suffer for his sake, he will go alone.

Finally going back to the cell after several days of avoiding it, Van faces Guy, thanks him for being a good person and proclaims that he no longer needs his help. He will have to save all of them on his own. Guy stares at him for a few moments, and then calls him a fool saying that weaklings have no right to proclaim anything, and as such have no right to talk about defending anyone. The boy is shocked and saddened by Guy's reaction, as he truly believes that at least, he is doing the right thing by asking his cell mate not to get involved.  After this exchange though, Van just feels weaker and more insignificant....not to mention he had begun to trust Guy.....

Afternoon exercises come, and Van is nowhere to be found. Guy doesn't seem to be concerned, and instead makes his way down to what seems to be an abandoned shaft where more digging is being done under duress by the prisoners. Guy walks in and after picking up a shovel, greets someone with a shout, and begins to shovel away at the wall. The boy steps out the shadows and wonders how Guy could have possibly known he was there. Guy continues to work with his back turned, and repeats what he said to Van back in the cell. The boy is about to run away again, but then Guy asks what is so wrong with relying on help? Life isn't connected by a series of events, but a series of hands helping each other. Even if he should gain the strength to be able to protect his two friends, then what? Strength is so relative that no matter how strong you think you are, you're never strong enough. He tells Van that he does not believe that the two of them meeting was simple circumstance either; finally reminding the young man that they are in a life and death situation. Life and DEATH. No matter how strong Van would have become, there's no way would have been able to survive even the first attempt against his life here in jail. After he finishes talking, He walks away, eyes Van once more, and lets him know that he'll be at the cell later, if he should want to talk.

The next morning, Guy greets a prisoner who was trying to take his food with an overly friendly punch to the jaw. Another prisoner with slight magical power and a strong hatred for Guy, as his constant fights with the guards (and other prisoners) usually meant punishment for them all. He throws an invisible poison knife at the fighting savant, who looks like he hasn't noticed this attack from his back. Suddenly though, a lunch tray flies up and impacts with the knife, causing it to explode into little pieces. Guy only grins as he already  knows who it was who's saving him. He finishes off the thief,  and soon finds himself surrounded by other prisoners who hate his guts. Eventually this small altercation becomes a melee.

The battle rages and with some guard intervention comes to a conclusion. Guy and Van are thrown into their cell, confined to one meal per day and no exercises for their roles in the struggle. Guy calls Van crazy for what he did, but turns around and thanks him in the same breath. (Apparently he had used his eye to notice the magic being hurtled at Guy's back, and used the power of a farseer once again to know exactly where to toss the tray.) Van decides not to tell him this, as for now there is too much at stake. Guy then recalls that the boy mentioned he wants to save 'them' earlier and asks what he meant. Van decides to tell Guy about most of the his journey up until this point, as at least, he owes him that much.

Guy is intrigued that his cell mate is traveling to find his mother, stating that although he has no problem with his parents, he couldn't stand being stifled in their close knit environment forever, running off from home when he was around Van's age and never looking back. Van reveals that his traveling companions are girls, and Guy takes an unnatural interest in this part of his story. He is disappointed to find that the 'girls' Van knows are about the boy's age, and therefore out of his age bracket. He does take notice however when Van uses the words 'kind' 'beautiful' and 'smart' several times to describe Kani. With blunt force, he asks Van if this is his woman. The boy turns bright red, and barely manages to stammer out that she's 'only a friend.' Guy thinks that this is WORSE, as the boy will never know if she's 'the one' if he's stuck here. He tells his cell mate that he was planning on escaping on Tuesday, but upon hearing Van's story decides to adjust the date....for tonight. He knocks on the wall to the cell beside him an alerts a man named 'Pit' to get the others together. They'll need to be mobilized tonight if the plan is to work. Van insists that Guy shouldn't put himself in harms way, and that he appreciates being saved twice by him. (Guy has no idea that it was twice, as one should recall that the bathroom incident was Guy fighting for himself, and Van happened to be lucky enough to be positively affected by Guy's presence. The man laughs at his buddy's worries, and tells him that he breaks in and out of jail because sometimes he needs a place to sleep, and there's no safer place than jail is there?

That night after lights out, Guy pats the bars on their cell, and after a moment of testing the iron bars he finds what he's looking for. One bar comes out, which allows the man to take a small pick to release the lock. In a moment the door swings open, and both tip toe to the other prisoners among Guy's party, a small group that seemingly swear allegiance to whatever Guy says, mainly because he had been in the jail so many times that he has the layout memorized. Without him there IS no escape. The prisoners confirm each other's presence and Guy tells them to take the south eastern to get out quickly. He then recalls something he forgot, and runs to get it, telling Van and the others that he'll catch up in a minute. Unfortunately for them, the guards have reached the limit of their Zen like patience, and upon hearing from an informant that there is an escape underway are planning to reply with blazing magic, and guns that are enhanced by some magic themselves. Two prisoners are killed in a hallway leading towards the goal,  and the remaining few hide and abandon Van to save themselves. The boy runs scared and confused at first, but Guy manages to find him, and as they begin to start to sneak out he whispers to Van the first rule of jail breaking is to understand that the people who are running after you are NEVER more dangerous than the ones who run with a you. The moment that they came out of their cells, they all became enemies, and that it is now officially every man for himself.