FOLLOW TO THE END  ORA But we need to get to Carcerem.  GALEN Bad idea. Oh, bad, bad, bad, bad  idea.  ORA If there’s a spell keeping the  Guardians trapped, maybe it’s like the bell! All It needs is an ally to pour magic into the gate door, then we could open It.  GALEN Yeah, Maybe. And, and, and do you  think the Dark Ones sat around and did nothing? They have to, they have to be watching Carcerem to keep the Guardians contained and others out. Like a prison. They’ll defend It in lots of terrible ways. Claws that can’t be seen. Words that drive one to madness. Corpses fighting trespassers. Who knows?! Definitely that last one.  KEVIN We did watch the dead rise and  attack people at Dawnwallow.  GALEN There! There See?! One of them  specialized in undead magic. Normally, it’s a high level spell to bring back a single person as a puppet, but we have seen they can easily bring back dozens. They’re probably guarding Carcerem.  FORMOSA There were hundreds of corpses  raised at Dawnwallow. Maybe thousands.  GALEN The well that has been deepened  that much? Well, I’m not seasoning myself up and climbing into the monster’s mouth. Absolutely not. Not going to Carcerem.   ORA Could you at least point It out on  a map?  GALEN I’m...I’m free, right? No chains.  No enchanted metal encircling my neck. Yes... yes I’m free. Ha. Then why stay here and have a pointless conversation?  ORA Oh...Wait, Galen!  GALEN It’s been a long time, Emilian.  ELIZABETH I’m so sorry. We didn’t think to  cover him.  GALEN No. No, it’s... It’s good that I  got to see him one last time. My captor. My friend. May I have some time alone with him?  ORA Of course.  SPIRIT (Whinnies)  ORA You doing okay, girl?  FORMOSA That was a lot to take in. Magical  rules. Guardians. Hiding in fear for years, maybe in plain site.  ELIZABETH Do you think he’d allow me to  transcribe his words? We need to preserve this knowledge.  KEVIN The Dark Guardians seem like the  type who’d come after you if they found out you spread information about them.  ELIZABETH Don’t worry, I have my ways.  ORA Has anyone else thought about how  Galen’s story fits into the Prophecy?  KEVIN Perhaps a little, but I couldn’t  really figure It out.  ORA Surviving death, using fire magic,  and guarding people against the darkness – that all fits in with the Prophecy. And there are lines about Carcerem.  ELIZABETH I agree. There’s too much in common  for It to be a simple coincidence.  ORA Maybe the Chosen One is whoever  releases the trapped Guardians. The Prophecy could be about saving the Guardians so they can save the land.  FORMOSA That does make sense.  KARRAS (Grunts)  ORA We need to convince Galen to lead  us to Carcerem. Somehow.  KEVIN It sounds like Carcerem is defended  by the Dark Guardians. That army of risen is probably under their control; So you know it’s a big army. Why would we run towards the people we barely escaped from?  ORA I can’t ignore a chance to make  things better.   KEVIN And if you’re wrong, you die.  Excuse me if I don’t like those odds.  ORA They’re still better odds than  we’ve had in a long time.  KEVIN Ugh, you’re hopeless. Isten, you  know better than any of us what we’re up against, what do you think? Isten? Isten?  ISTEN ...Yes.  ORA Hey...Are you okay? You haven’t  talked since we met Galen.  ISTEN ...Yes.  ORA Isten?  ISTEN Hard. To keep. Myself. Together.  KEVIN Do you still feel like you’re  disappearing?  ISTEN ...Yes.  KARRAS Disappearing? What?  KEVIN The night Ora worked on the  Prophecy, Isten told me he felt like he was fading away.  KARRAS He talked to you, not me?  KEVIN Sometimes it’s easier to talk to  someone you don’t care about. You don’t worry you’ll hurt them.  KARRAS (grunts)  ISTEN And the urge. To walk. To go there.  It’s difficult to resist.  ORA To go where?  It’s a physical location?  Yes.  ISTEN  ORA Maybe it’s Carcerem! Galen did say  that the dead are probably guarding the city. If you know where to go, then we can find It.  ELIZABETH We shouldn’t let him lead us.  ORA Are you still worried that Isten  might betray us? It’s been days, he clearly isn’t being controlled.  ELIZABETH He’s barely keeping his own mind  now. What do you think will happen if he starts following what the magic commands? If he leads us to Carcerem, the Isten you know may finish “fading away.”  ORA But maybe-  No.  KARRAS  ORA Karras?  KARRAS Don’t use him.  ORA I know that...  ORA!  KEVIN  ORA What?!  KEVIN Stop...  ORA You’re right. We’ll figure out  another way to get to Carcerem.  GALEN Uhhh....Friends who probably aren’t  only in my mind, are you still there? You can come back. I made tea. The leaves weren’t that rotten.  I’m really, really outside. Oh, is that a horse? It has been so very long since I’ve seen an animal that wasn’t a rat.  ORA Her name’s Spirit. Do you want to  pet her?  GALEN Ummm...Might be too much right now.  It’s been such a big day. Maybe tomorrow. You’ll stay, right? I know you’re thinking of going, but surely you’ve re-thought that, right?  ORA We can stay for awhile, but we do  want to go to Carcerem soon. I hope you’ll reconsider and take us there.  GALEN Nope.  But where are my manners? Come in, come in. There’s not-rotted tea waiting. Here, here, help your self.  ORA Oh, thanks Galen. It  smells...uhm...uh...smelly. Galen, what would you do if you found out someone had magic? Would you train them?  GALEN Not a Dark One, right?  ORA Not a Dark One. Someone who never  even heard of Guardians before today.  KEVIN Subtle.  GALEN Then yes, I’d train them. Nothing  beyond simple spells, obviously. Small, small powers. Just enough to control outbursts. Don’t want to attract attention.  ORA How long would It take to teach  them?  GALEN Uhhhh...a few years? Probably.  ORA Years?!  GALEN Magic remakes the world. Did you  all forget? Of course It takes a long time to learn. Longer if we wanted to get into high levels, but that’s definitely a no. No no no no.  Ugh! This tea is awful, who made It?  ORA What if the person only wanted to  pour their magic into an object? Like you did with the bell.  GALEN Oh, oh that’s easy. You concentrate  on the desire and the need, if you feel strongly enough, It will work.  ORA Oh, so even someone without  training could someone possibly open Carcerem’s gate?  GALEN That again? That’s annoying talk.  Let’s discuss something better. Oh, what’s everyone’s names? I’ve started to give you nicknames in the head, but I don’t think Muscled Meanie and Ancient Woman would like those titles if I said them out loud. Oh, did I say them out loud. I didn’t, right?  ORA I’m sorry we didn’t introduce  ourselves sooner. I’m Ora.  KEVIN Kevin. Please never tell me my  nickname.  FORMOSA I’m Formosa. It’s nice to meet you.  KARRAS Karras.  ELIZABETH You can call me Elizabeth. I was  hoping you’d give me permission to document what we’ve talked about. If you don’t mind, I have more questions.  ORA And that’s Isten.  GALEN He’s so quiet, hasn’t said a word.  Oh no, can he... can he not speak? Oh no!  (hushed) Is It... is It rude to ask if he can’t speak?  ISTEN ...Greetings.  GALEN Hmm. Hmmm. Why do I get a bad  feeling from him?  ORA Don’t worry, Isten’s a friend.  GALEN  Hmm. He’s dead! He’s dead and he’s moving! You brought one of Danika’s undead puppets into my home!  ORA Woah, woah, woah. We can explain!  GALEN Get out! Get out!!  ELIZABETH He was dying when the spell  happened. He’s not completely bound by the magic.  GALEN Leave! NOW!  ORA He can be trusted. He defended us  from the other dead!  GALEN I don’t care! I don’t care! You  brought this thing into my home. Leave now or I’ll make you leave!  ORA We’re leaving! We’re laving. Don’t  do anything rash!  GALEN Because you freed me, I’m not going  to hurt you. But never come here again. Never.  KARRAS Should we fight It?  FORMOSA He seemed scared enough he would  burn everything to keep Isten away.  ORA Let’s get some distance before he  attacks us.  KEVIN What now?  ORA We find Carcerem.  KEVIN That was madness even assuming you  had magic and learn how to control It. But without basic training at all, going there would be suicide.  ORA Galen said that pouring magic into  an object is based on need, I can do that even without training. And if all the spell needs is an ally to activate It, then we should be able to do It.  KEVIN (Laughing)  If these all-powerful Guardians haven’t figured It out, what makes you think we can even open the gates?  ORA Maybe no one on the outside has  tried. Everything connects back to the Prophecy and the Prophecy leads to Carcerem. And if we don’t try, how many more people will they kill?  KEVIN Nice words and all, but that  doesn’t mean we can suddenly take them on.  ORA We won’t try to fight them head-to-  head, we’ll simply run to the gate and try to open It before they overwhelm us.  KEVIN (sarcastic)  Oh...“Simply.” Great plan.  ORA Or come up with a real plan when we  get there!  KEVIN Don’t get mad at me!! I’m just  thinking rationally. You’re just...hoping everything will be  fine!  (MORE)  KEVIN (CONT'D) Just because you’re in the “right”  doesn’t automatically mean it’ll all work out!  ORA The gate will open Kevin, the gate  will open... what’s with all the negativity?  KEVIN Negativity?! You’re just denying  reality!!  ELIZABETH STOP! Both of you!  SPIRIT (Whinnies)  ELIZABETH Look, without Galen’s help or  following Isten, how do we even find Carcerem?  ORA We could return to Dawnwallow; look  for tracks to follow the dead.  FORMOSA With all the blood spilled, It has  to be overrun by Lusus Naturae. And  the forest could  ISTEN I will take you.  KARRAS  No.  Karras is right, it’s not worth the risk. And we don’t even know if the direction your sensing would lead us to Carcerem.  ISTEN Dead army’s there. I’m dead and  want to go there. It’s Carcerem.  No. Let me take you.  ISTEN KARRAS ORA  erase the tracks. To Carcerem.  No.  KARRAS  ISTEN I’m fading. I know It. Even if I  don’t go, I’ll disappear. Let me do one good thing. Let me take you.  KARRAS You’ll die.  ISTEN I’m already dead.  KARRAS This isn’t fair. It just isn't  fair.  ISTEN When have I been fair?  KEVIN Are you sure you want to do this,  Isten?  Yes.  ISTEN  ORA If we go, we might not survive  this. Not just Isten, all of us. We’re taking a gamble that the Prophecy is about letting the Guardians out and that my magic can open the door. If we’re wrong...  FORMOSA I joined you because I was looking  for hope. This is It. I’m going.  ELIZABETH I may never get another chance to  learn what happened. If you’ll have me, I’m with you.  KARRAS We’ll fight those that turned Isten  to this?  ORA I think so.  KARRAS I’ll go.  KEVIN Well, I’m in. Someone has to  protect you all. At least one of us has to make sure we have a plan. Plus, I’ve always wanted to see a big door...  ISTEN This way.  ORA You all go ahead, I want to check  Spirit’s hooves. Kevin, why don’t you help me?  FORMOSA We could wait.  ORA Go. This won’t take long.  SPIRIT (Blows)  KEVIN Spirit’s fine.  ORA I needed a moment to talk to you  alone. I know you don’t agree with us going to Carcerem.  KEVIN It’s not that I don’t want...  ORA I’m not mad, I just think...you  should leave. Go back to the village or find another settlement.  KEVIN Why?! Do you not trust me to have  your back? Do you think I’ll be that useless in a fight? Just because...  ORA That’s not It. Not at all. I...need  you to leave because I couldn’t bear It if anything happened to you.  ORA (CONT'D) After Godrick died, I don’t think I  could have survived without you; literally and figuratively. You helped me escape from a Lusus Naturae, you made me laugh no matter how deeply I began to hate myself, you trusted me enough to follow my ideas no matter how much you complained.  KEVIN That’s not-  ORA And that’s why I couldn’t live with  myself if you died following me. With everyone else, at least I know they have their own reasons for going, but if you go It would only be because you trust me. Like Godrick did. Please Kevin, please leave me.  KEVIN Godrick wasn’t your fault.  ORA Then what about Dawnwallow? Did my  magic summon the Dark Guardians? (chuckle)  People keep dying around me, I might as well bring that to our enemies, right?  KEVIN (sigh)  You’re not to blame. You haven’t done anything wrong. You surround yourself with the crazy and the brave, people who choose the dangerous path. They aren’t marching along behind you, they’re by your side.  ORA That doesn’t matter, what matters  is that you live. I need you to live.  KEVIN I’ve thought about leaving before.  I never wanted an adventure, and I want to die even less.  (MORE)  KEVIN (CONT'D) Each time we’ve gone somewhere new  I’ve wondered if It was finally time to part ways.  ORA Then-  KEVIN But I won’t go. because I trust because I don’t you well enough  And it’s not you. In fact, it’s trust you. I know that you’ll happily  throw your life away if you think it’ll do a little bit of good. Someone sane needs to stay by your side to pull you out of the fire.  ORA Kevin.  KEVIN You’re going with a group where  everyone believes in something more than their own lives. You all desperately need a selfish person who’ll occasionally force you to consider reality.  ORA I don’t know if we’ll survive.  KEVIN Hasn’t It always been that way?  Sorry Ora, you’re stuck with me. And whatever happens, it’s my decision, not yours.  FORMOSA Is everything alright?  KEVIN We’re fine! We’re coming!  KEVIN (CONT'D) Right?..... Let’s go.  ORA I’m not holding your hand...  KEVIN Ugh! Well, I don’t want to hold  yours either. I thought It could have been a nice moment, but you ruined It!  ORA Hehehe. Worth It.  SCENE BRAKE  ORA How’s Isten doing?  KEVIN It’s getting harder to get him to  respond. And when we were on watch together last night I noticed he doesn’t blink anymore.  KARRAS (grunts)  ORA I hope we reach Carcerem soon.  Maybe the True Guardians can help him.  FORMOSA Well... I mean, we have been  steadily ascending since yesterday and the soil is a reddish color I’ve never seen before. You said Carcerem was atop a red mountain, right?  ORA Then why didn’t we see a red  mountain before apparently we started climbing It?  FORMOSA The forest can conceal as well as  change.  ELIZABETH Or magic. Perhaps the Guardians hid  their home which is why no one goes there.  ISTEN ...close.  ORA We’re getting close?  ISTEN Close enough. A new  desire...rising.  KEVIN Are you trying to sound creepy?  Karras.  ELIZABETH  ISTEN To alert them to intruders. To you.  Then...to kill you.  KEVIN Oh. So you are trying to sound  creepy.  ORA Can you fight that urge?  ISTEN For now. Getting harder.  ORA Elizabeth, keep your lantern ready.  If Isten turns on us we can keep him away.  ISTEN No, won’t stop me from alerting  them.  FORMOSA We could gag you.  ISTEN No...No gag would work. Only...true  death.  No.  KARRAS  ISTEN Even if you ripped out my tongue, I  could alert them.  KEVIN Damn magic.  ISTEN Before I lose myself, you must  destroy me.  No.  KARRAS  ISTEN Karras. You must.  ORA What if we stopped having you lead  us to Carcerem? You and Karras could go in the opposite direction; that might stop the urges.  ISTEN What is done can’t be undone. The  desire will only grow. You must end me.  ORA There has to be a way.  ISTEN It’s... Its’s difficult to pay  attention even now when discussing my demise. I don’t know how much longer I can keep my mind. Minutes? Hours? But no more than that, no matter what anyone does.  ELIZABETH We should listen to him. I’m  surprised he resisted being completely under the magic’s control for this long.  KARRAS No one is killing Isten.  ISTEN Carcerem is straight ahead and up  the mountain. Keep going and you’ll reach It.  ORA Don’t talk like you won’t be here.  You can beat this, Isten. You’re the Chosen One. I know you are.  ISTEN Perhaps the Chosen One needs to  die. No.  KARRAS  ISTEN Karras, you saved my life. Gave me  a purpose. (MORE)  ISTEN (CONT'D) I’ve been wrong about so much, but  never for trusting in you. Let me be the man you wanted me to be. Let me die before I betray you again.  KARRAS Don’t do this.  ISTEN It’s harder to think. Like a veil  covering my thoughts. I don’t have much time.  KARRAS (Crying)  No....  ISTEN Karras, you have to end me.  KARRAS (sobbing)  Don’t. No, please don’t.  ISTEN (crying)  I need you. I’ve always needed you. Please kill me.  KARRAS (Sobbing)  ISTEN I...I...It’s calling...  I have... I...  ORA Isten, try to resist.  ELIZABETH I don’t think he can understand  anymore.  ORA This can’t be. Isten? Isten?  ELIZABETH Don’t make this harder.  Karras, you know what you have to do.  KEVIN Goodbye, Isten. Goodbye, my friend.  We’ll all SCENE BRAKE  Carcerem.  It’s more imagined.  ORA help.  ORA We’re finally here.  ELIZABETH beautiful than I ever  ISTEN (at a distance)  I... UGh!  KARRAS (Sobs)  FORMOSA We are born in darkness and to  darkness we return. May he find peace. I’m so sorry, Karras.  KARRAS I’ll dig his grave.  KEVIN I’ll help.  FORMOSA So will I.  FORMOSA And well guarded.  KEVIN I thought calling the dead an  “army” was a figure of speech.... “army” doesn’t do It justice. And there are so many dead animals and Lusus Naturae, too.  ORA That’s not the only issue. We’re  close, but it’s uphill and we’ll have to stick to the road because of the cliffs on either side. Well... At least it’s a wide path, but the incline is going to make fighting difficult.  KARRAS Doesn’t matter.  KEVIN Are the dead going to find us?  There are so many of them.  FORMOSA The forest has taken an interest in  us. While we stay in the trees, we may be safe...  ELIZABETH But the risen have cut down all the  trees between here and the gate.  KEVIN Why are the risen here? Why now?  ORA The bigger question is, how are we  going to get at that gate without joining their ranks?  END OF EPISODE 26