(MORE)
A WISPS WHEEL
ISTEN
(singing)
On the long, long road to glory,
No shortcuts will you find.
No course to cut the journey, but
This song’ll pass the time.
For to get where you are going, you
Must do more than talk.
No time to spare, to make It there
You must walk, walk, walk.
And we walk and walk and walk and
walk and walk and walk and walk.
And we walk and walk and walk and
walk and walk and walk and walk.
There are some who may say saunter,
there are others who say stride,
But we all agree, as you plainly
see,
You must walk, walk, walk.
KEVIN
(while Isten is singing)
Ugh. This is a fate worse than
death.
ORA
(while Isten is singing)
It’s not that bad. Spirit seems to
enjoy It, don’t you girl?
SPIRIT
(Whinnies)
ORA
(while Isten is singing)
I stand corrected. This is worse
than death.
ISTEN
Everybody!!!
ISTEN (CONT'D)
(singing)
On the long, long road to glory,
No shortcuts will you find.
No course to cut the journey, but
This song’ll pass the time.
For to get where you are going, you
Must do more than talk.
ISTEN (CONT'D)
No time to spare, to make It there
You must walk, walk, walk. And we
walk and walk and walk and walk and
walk and walk and walk.
And we walk and walk and walk and
walk and walk and walk and walk.
There are some who may say saunter,
there are others who say stride,
But we all agree, as you plainly
see...
KEVIN
Ya know, I blame you for his
singing!
ORA
What? How is this my fault?
KARRAS
(grunts)
KEVIN
Oh, be quiet! She started It
by...ya’ know...wanting the world
to be better...and stuff...
ORA
Okay, so how is the singing my
fault?
KEVIN
I don’t know! But who else am I
going to blame?
KEVIN (CONT'D)
Oof. Hey!
KARRAS
Keep moving!
ORA
(laughs)
Well, it’s getting dark soon
anyway, I’m sure he’ll stop any
time now.
KEVIN
Then we just have to deal with
Karras' night gas... Every-time we
light a camp fire, I fear for our
lives.
KARRAS
(grunts)
KEVIN
Nothing! Love you!
KARRAS
Hummmm
ISTEN
(singing)
You must walk, walk,
walk.SOOOOOOOOOO, we walk and walk
and walk... etc.
ORA
Don’t forget; after we make camp,
we’re practicing sword fighting
again.
KEVIN
Are you kidding? That’ll be three
days in a row! How are you not
dead?
ORA
A Lusus Naturae won’t care if
you’re tired.
KEVIN
But...what if I’m really, really
tired?
KARRAS
I’ll fight. Training scrawny man is
kinda’ like sharpening cow dung.
KEVIN
How would you sharpen cow...?
ISTEN
Everyone stop!
KARRAS
Corrupted?
ISTEN
Shhhhh. Don't...move.
KARRAS
(grunt)
ORA
Karras, what’s he doing?
KEVIN
Perhaps he realized a man on a
horse has no business singing about
walking all the time...
KARRAS
Go. Hide. You’re good at that.
KEVIN
Go git your head on a rock. You’re
good at that.
ORA
Oh stop It.
What do you see?
ISTEN
Ora, come with me.
You two, stay here.
KEVIN / KARRAS
No! / No.
KARRAS
(grunts)
ISTEN
I thought you said you’d follow me,
no matter where this journey takes
us.
KARRAS
(grunts)
ISTEN
...and that you’d do what I say,
without question.
KARRAS
(sighs)
ORA
What’s going on?
KEVIN
He’s trying to force you to go off
alone into the monster filled woods
in the dark.
ORA
He’s not forcing anyone...
ISTEN
Kevin, the forest is hardly full of
monsters...
KEVIN
Maybe, maybe not, but even the
forest moves around and tries to
kill you sometimes, so...
ISTEN
Enough! Safety, the kind you seem
to crave, is an illusion. Nowhere
out here is “safe.”
Now, there are things in the woods
that we cannot simply ignore.
Dangerous, but not deadly.
ORA
Why can’t we all go?
ISTEN
Well...We’d be too loud, especially
with the horses. And, Karras has
many skills, but stealth is not one
of them...and Kevin...well...is
Kevin.
KARRAS
(Chuckles)
KEVIN
At least I can sing.
ISTEN
Trust me on this. It wont be dark
for another hour yet, and we will
be back in plenty of time.
Who knows, you might even enjoy
yourself.
ORA
Fine. I’ll go.
KEVIN
I don’t think this is a good idea.
ORA
I’ll be fine.
KEVIN
I’m not worried about you...
ORA
You’ll be fine, too.
Hey Karras, can you look after
Kevin for me?
KARRAS
(grunts)
ORA
(Laughing)
See? You’ll be fine!
KEVIN
I don’t like any of this.
ORA
I still believe in him...and I want
to see what he’s up to. If he leads
me to danger, well, that’s why I
have a sword.
KEVIN
You’re far too trusting.
ORA
Alright Isten, I’m ready.
ISTEN
You two, unload the horses and set
up camp.
You, follow me, leave your sword
where It is...you wont need It, and
I don’t want you stabbing me in the
back.
KARRAS
(singing)
Well, we’ll walk and walk and walk
and walk...etc.
KEVIN
Oh great...
ORA
How far are we going?
What’s that sound?
ISTEN
Do you not understand what quiet
means?
We’re here.
ORA
Where is here?
ISTEN
A wisp’s wheel. Big one, by the
sound of things.
ORA
Uh...huh. A wisp wheel.
ISTEN
Don’t you know what a wisp is?
ORA
No.
Are they...dangerous?
ISTEN
No, no.
Actually, I’m glad you don’t know.
This will be so much
more...exciting.
ORA
What do you mean?
ISTEN
Wisps are tiny insects, like
fireflies. But unlike fireflies,
they’re rare and extremely useful.
Of course, since you didn’t know
what they were, you couldn’t have
known how amazing It is that I can
track them. I can sense them...from
quite a distance.
ORA
...I see...
ISTEN
It’s actually pretty impressive.
ORA
Is that what’s causing the buzzing?
ISTEN
Ha. Well, it’s not so much
buzzing...why don’t you take a look
for yourself? Just look behind that
patch of bushes right there.
ORA
What in the world...?
ISTEN
Remarkable, aren’t they?
(MORE)
ORA
They’re beautiful! So many... so
many different colors...
ISTEN
I know. It’s a shame they’re such
tiny horrors.
ORA
What?!
ISTEN
Well, notice how each one is a
different color? That color comes
from their diet. Some feed on
trees, others drain the rivers and
lakes, some even subsist on the
blood of the woodland creatures;
the color corresponds to their
particular appetite. Eventually
they kill off everything near the
wheel and move on. That’s part of
what makes them so hard to find, by
the time you notice the damage,
they’re long gone. This swarm must
have just settled in here, but in
just a matter of days this part of
the forest will be entirely devoid
of life.
ORA
That’s...terrible.
ISTEN
Yes, It is. But don't worry, the
forest always heals itself, in
time.
ORA
They’re really mesmerizing. Is this
why we had to be quiet? You just
wanted to show me these?
ISTEN
Well, yes, that was the plan, but
now that I’m thinking about It,
would you like to have one?
ORA
What? Like...Like a pet?
ISTEN
Well they’re a destructive menace,
and capturing them helps the woods.
ISTEN (CONT'D)
Plus, they are beautiful and you
never know when they might come in
handy.
ORA
Really? How so?
ISTEN
Oh, you’ll find out. I always carry
a few myself, just in case.
Here, take this jar and go to that
clearing there and wait. And once
one flies into the jar, you just
put on the lid.
ORA
What’s in this?
ISTEN
It’s just water.
Don’t worry! We’re not going to
hurt them. This way you can get
really close to them, too. It’s
like...being in the middle of a
rainbow.
ORA
Alright.
ISTEN
Now, go slow so as not to surprise
them.
ORA
You’re sure this is safe?
ISTEN
Sure, I’m sure!
ORA
This is magical...they’re singing
to me!
ISTEN
Hold up the jar.
She holds up the jar and starts coaxing the wisps.
ORA
Oh, ha, hello there! You’re all so
beautiful. Oh ha. Would one of you
like some water? Hu? Yeah? You
thirsty?
Oh! I got a blue one!
ISTEN
The lid! The lid
ORA
It’s Okay. It’s Okay...shhhhhh.
Yeah. And here we go! OH... ugh!
What?
ISTEN
You were perfect.
ORA
What just happened?!
ISTEN
What happened? You just caught a
wisp! Wasn’t It exciting?
ORA
It doesn’t seem very happy about
It...
ISTEN
There! It’s got holes in the lid to
breathe and we’ll give It food
later.
ORA
What a minuet. It’s not glowing as
brightly as before. It was such a
bright blue and now it’s...dull.
ISTEN
That’s just because of the glass.
Changes the light. Now come on,
let’s go back.
ORA
Can I hold It? Ugh!
ISTEN
Why don’t you let me hold It till
we get back.
ORA
That’s so strange...I didn’t see
that root at all.
ISTEN
It’s getting dark, it’s easy to
lose your footing when you don’t
know the woods as well as I do.
Now, keep up.
KEVIN
I realize the concept is probably
too advanced for you, but my point
wasn’t that you’re too stupid to
ride the horse, it’s that the horse
is too smart to let you.
KARRAS
You’d die in fight against a pack
of toddlers.
KEVIN
At least I’m smarter than a pack of
toddlers.
KARRAS
You just don’t know horses.
KEVIN
Oh! Believe me, I have taken care
of more horses then you’ve seen in
your whole life!
Isten appears at the tree line.
ISTEN
Boys, calm down.
KEVIN
You’re back! Where’s Ora?
ORA
I’m here.
KEVIN
Are you okay?
ISTEN
She’s fine. Now, the sun’s about to
set...why isn’t camp set up?
KARRAS
The tall one talks fast, but works
slow.
KEVIN
Bah, go chew on some pebbles,
caveman!
Hey, are you really okay? What
happened out there?
ORA
It was bizarre. I’m not exactly
sure...
KEVIN
Your knees, are you bleeding?
ORA
Oh that, I just tripped over some
roots on the way back.
KEVIN
What did-
ISTEN
Kevin! Drop the rest of Spirit’s
bags and go fetch us some water.
KEVIN
Oh great!! I finally get to ride
rather than...
(mock signing)
...walk and walk and walk and walk
and walk and walk and walk.
(laughs)
Hey. Did you find water out there
or should I backtrack to that
stream we passed?
ORA
We found something amazing. You
wouldn’t believe-
ISTEN
Yes, yes, but no water. Now hurry
up. You don’t want to be out riding
in the dark.
KEVIN
Welp, backtracking It is.
ORA
Just hurry back. I have to tell you
about the-
ISTEN
Kevin! Here!
Take this with you for luck. You
never know when you might need It.
SPIRIT
(whinnies)
KEVIN
Whoa, whoa, whoa. Whoa girl! Easy,
easy, easy...
What is It?
ISTEN
It’s for luck.
KEVIN
It looks like...is It a dead bee?
ISTEN
It’s not.
ORA
In a Jar? Is It alive?
KEVIN
Well... I don’t think so, it’s not
moving.
Oh! I think It might be glowing a
little...
KARRAS
Stop! Don’t open that....
KEVIN
There It goes, now it’s moving! Oh,
It has wings!!
SPIRIT
(Neighs)
KEVIN
Woah, woah! Eah! Spirit. Ah. Sprit
Stop!
ORA
Kevin!
KARRAS
I’ll get him!
KEVIN
Spirit. Spirit Stop!
KARRAS
Heya!
ORA
What did you do?
ISTEN
Hey! I didn’t tell him to open It!
I cannot believe he broke the jar!
ORA
Was that a wisp?!
ISTEN
Don’t worry. It was a really old
one. Not good for much beyond a
little light.
ORA
I have to go after them!
ISTEN
They’re both on galloping horses.
Even if you run, you won’t catch
up. Karras will find Kevin and
he’ll bring him back.
ORA
You don’t understand! Last time...
Godrick he... What if, what if
Kevin dies?
ISTEN
He won’t. If he could handle Spirit
bolting like that, he can hold on
until she calms down. And Karras
will catch up with him soon.
ORA
It’s my fault. I knew Spirit was
jumpy. Damn It, I knew that. I knew
It. I always make excuses for her.
ISTEN
Try to stay calm. Why don’t you set
up camp so they can rest when they
return? I’m going to go behind a
tree...and make It my tree. I’ll
come back around when I see the
fire.
ORA
How are you so relaxed?! Karras,
basically your only friend, is
galloping through the trees in the
dark!?
ISTEN
Worry’s just a prayer for
misfortune. You know what would
calm you down? Setting up camp.
SCENE BRAKE
ISTEN
Food’s almost ready.
(MORE)
ORA
It’s been too long. It’s almost
totally dark! I should have gone
after them.
ISTEN
Karras is an expert woodsman. He
probably caught up to Kevin and
they decided to make camp where
they were rather than riding back
in the dark.
ORA
Well...I hope so...
I just, I can’t imagine the two of
them out there alone together. I
hope they don’t kill each other.
ISTEN
Well, Karras may not like Kevin,
but he’ll keep him from harm.
How did you end up with Kevin,
anyways? He can’t fight. He’s lazy.
And he constantly talks back.
ORA
Eh, well. He’s my friend.
How can I claim that I’m going to
help fix the world if I can’t even
protect my friends?
ISTEN
I’’ll tell you a secret. You can’t
save everyone. Even if you’re the
Chosen One.
ORA
What do you mean?
You talked a lot about how you
fulfill both Prophecies, but you
never mentioned how or when you
figured out you were the One.
ISTEN
It’s not a pretty story.
ORA
I don’t need a pretty story, I need
the truth.
ISTEN
Yeah, well...I grew up in a small
village, probably not so different
from yours.
ISTEN (CONT'D)
(MORE)
My parents were both drunks, I
hated them; but they did do one
good thing, for my 10th birthday
they gave me a perfect, younger
brother. He was a beautiful
child...good, kind. Well, I
couldn’t leave him alone with them,
I thought I’d wait until he grew up
and then I could go find my
fortune. But fate had different
plans.
ORA
What happened?
ISTEN
A Lusus Naturae killed my mother.
Then thieves came and my father
tried to stop them, but he was so
drunk he could hardly stand and
they killed him right in front of
us. And after that, It was just me
and my brother...and I vowed that
nothing would harm him.
But even the sharpest sword
couldn’t protect him from the
pestilence.
He was only nine.
ORA
I’m so sorry.
ISTEN
As soon as he was dead in the
ground, I took a new vow: I would
drink anything and everything I
could get my hands on. I’d drink to
forget...and if the drink took me,
so be It. One day, I came upon a
lady ale-smith peddling her wares
in some foul ratskeller I’d
stumbled into. And as the night
wore on, my fellow inebriates found
themselves much worse for wear and
by morning...they were all dead.
Turns out, the ale had been
flavored - not with wild grapes as
the ale-smith thought - but with
moonseed. I was the only one who
drank It and survived. At the time
I thought alcohol had rotted my
body so much that it’d take more
than poison to kill me.
ISTEN (CONT'D)
Now, I understand that It was a
sign of the Prophecy.
Ah, perfect. Hand me that spoon,
would you?
ORA
You were right, this isn’t a pretty
story.
ISTEN
Do you still want to hear It?
ORA
Yes.
ISTEN
I got by on the pity of strangers
for a while. I was a sad man with a
sad story. But, eventually the pity
dried up and I drank myself into
debt. And I found myself forced
into being a miner to pay It off.
They shoved a pickaxe in one hand,
a candle in the other and sent me
deep under ground. I was powerless.
They controlled what I ate, when I
slept, and would beat me if I so
much as looked at them wrong. Worse
still, you had to watch your back
against your fellow laborers. They
were all debtors and they all would
turn on you if It meant their debt
would go down; I was the same.
ORA
That’s horrible.
ISTEN
The only good thing I got out of
being a miner was swinging the
pickaxe; It made me strong. Then,
after a year there, I got trapped
in a cave-in. I was certain I was
going to die. The idea of dying
didn’t bother me, but to die in a
dark, sulphur-smelling hole in the
ground...and sober! I got so angry
and so hot, that...flames appeared
in the air. It was magic. I had
used magic.
ORA
Magic?! Was there anyone else
around?
ISTEN
A few people, yes. So after they
dug us out, I knew I had to escape
before the Vigiles came for me. I
know they’re only supposed to take
people with evil magic, but I
didn’t want to take the risk.
ORA
They don’t only take or kill those
with a certain type of magic.
They’ll kill anyone.
ISTEN
Hu... I guess it’s a good thing I
ran then, isn’t It?
Looks like it’s going to rain. I
have some business to attend to
before It does.
ORA
Rain, huh? I guess we didn’t need
Kevin to go get water then, did we?
ISTEN
He’ll be fine. Like I said, Karras
will take care of him.
ORA
How did you two meet?
ISTEN
After fleeing the mining camp, I
didn’t have anywhere to go. I ended
up with a group of hunters.
ORA
Hunters?
ISTEN
Lusus Naturae hunters. Towns pay
them to take care of nearby Lusus
Naturaes or sometimes the hunters
kill one and sell the corpse for
profit.
ORA
Who would want to buy a corrupted
corpse?
ISTEN
You’d be surprised. You can sell
anything if you find the right
buyer.
ORA
Blech.
ISTEN
The hunters were a mix of failed
mercenaries looking to make a name
for themselves and ex-Vigiles who
left after their first punishment.
They accepted me because I was
strong and they taught me how to
fight. That’s where I met Karras.
ORA
What do you mean “Vigiles’ first
punishment”?
ISTEN
I was with them for a few months
and then something strange
happened. We were hunting a Lusus
Naturae that looked like a cross
between a vulture and lizard. Since
It could fly, we were having
trouble tracking It. Karras and I
were scouting ahead and suddenly It
landed right in front of me. My
horse reared and threw me. I hit
the ground and the beast peered
over at me, looked me dead in the
eye and I swear It said, ‘Kill me.’
ORA
It talked?!
ISTEN
It sounded like rocks grating
against one another, but I heard
It. The creature lowered its head
and I cut It off. It didn’t even
try to move.
ORA
That’s impossible!
ISTEN
Never seen the like since.
Karras was the only witness, and he
had grown up hearing stories about
the Chosen One. From then on, he
believed I was the One, but he
didn’t say anything.
Sometimes I wonder if things would
have been different if he had.
(MORE)
ORA
I suspect this isn’t going to end
well, either.
ISTEN
The mining company put a bounty on
my head when I escaped. A small
one, but It was still money I
didn’t have. The hunters got wind
of It, and despite us having risked
our lives fighting together for
months, they tied me up and were
planning to turn me in. That night,
Karras cut me free and we escaped
together. I told him to go his way
and I’d go mine, but he insisted on
following me. That’s when he told
me about the Prophecy...and
everything made sense. It felt
right.
ORA
And you didn’t doubt It?
ISTEN
Not for a second.
I did everything I could to get
Karras to leave, but he refused.
Finally, he made the same pledge
you did and we’ve been together for
about a year now. Even done some
good together.
ORA
You did save my life.
ISTEN
Just a day in the life of the
Chosen One.
Ora, I know you and Kevin talk
about me. Kevin telling you I’m not
the One. He can have his doubts,
you can too, but It doesn’t change
the truth.
ORA
Why are you doing this? You didn’t
try to take the Lusus Naturae
corpse when you saved Kevin and me.
And you didn’t ask us for money.
You don’t strike me as someone who
would only act for the greater
good.
ORA (CONT'D)
So, if you’re not doing this for
profit or honor, then why try to be
the Chosen One?
ISTEN
Because I want to save the world.
But not because I’m kind and good.
My brother was kind and good and
the world was happy to watch as he
withered and died. No. I want to
save the world because I want the
world to owe me: a debt of
gratitude; a debt for a lifetime of
suffering.
Get some rest. I’ll take the first
watch and wake you when Kevin and
Karras return.
ORA
Goodnight, Isten.
ISTEN
Sweet dreams, Ora. Or better still,
none at all. The world is harsh
enough without dreams to compare It
to.
END OF EPISODE 10