Episode 05 | Vicious Circle

Windshell activates.

EXT. PADDOCK – NIGHT

The three are threading across an open, muddy field. The snow that has covered the field earlier has almost entirely melted, the grass that still grows on the fields is uncomfortably wet.

The winds from earlier have calmed down. The trees of the forest far behind the paddock occasionally rustle in the gentle breeze. The sound of nocturnal critters gradually starts to pick up far away again.

Lyn:Oh- there we go.

Raka:(relieved sigh) Fiyar’ta- I thought we lost it.

Lyn:Did it go out of range and come back?

Raka:Probably. Not sure what keeps it here, it must want to head back to higher altitudes.

Malaki:It might be sticking around to regain its strength. Returning to the peak is very energy-consuming.

Raka:Or maybe it just wants to lick its wounds and then come back for you.

Lyn:Well it DID say it wants to make sure you wouldn’t hurt any others of its kind.

Malaki:(sly smile) It’s the prey that wants to play with it’s hunter. Now with a physical form, it will lose it’s mind and senses soon. Then I can take it with ease-

Raka:Don’t you have ANY respect for spirits?!

Malaki:(dismissive) Pah! Respect for Vær! They don’t respected Skurka! I don’t see the reason I should-

Raka:(growls) I see why the spirit wanted to incapacitate you…

Lyn:Well. We’re at the paddock. Can we just do this really quick? I don’t know how you two feel about this but my makeshift shoes are getting really soggy and uncomfortable. I just wana get back into my room and sleep…

Lyn lifts up her foot from the muddy ground to demonstrate.

Raka:Agreed. I don’t want be out here any longer than necessary. Let’s try to hurry this along.

Raka lifts the wooden gate up to open the paddock. They pass through and enter a more soily paddock.

Lyn:So what’s your plan?

Raka:(subdued groan) I will draw a circle around you. The spirit used you to enter this world, it must go through you again to leave it.

Lyn:Hold on, we’re doing that AGAIN? And this time in reverse? No way in HELL am I doing that again!

Raka:I’ll make sure it will be less unpleasant for you this time.

Lyn:No! I’m not doing it!

Raka:Its either that or letting it roam free.

Lyn:Let it roam free then-

Malaki:Or sink your fangs into it and rip out it’s throat.

Lyn:That thing isn’t my problem!

Raka:(annoyed) RUNT! More advice like that and I’ll execute them on you instead.

Malaki:(growls) It’s MALAKI, feather-duster! MA-LA-KI!

Lyn halts and lets Malaki catch up. Raka walks continues on.

Lyn:Hold it right there. If YOU want HER to call you by your proper name, why don’t you start by calling HER by HER actual name?

Malaki:You… You GAVE me th-that word, human! I don’t know her name…

Lyn:Her name is-

Malaki:Ra… Ra-ku. Raku. I remember.

Raka:It’s RaKA!

Malaki:You’re barely older than me! You’re not an elder, and I won’t acknowledge it until you prove it to me!

Lyn:What is he talking about?

Raka:(groans) A silly southern naming tradition. I don’t have time for this, call me whatever you want then.

Lyn:And I’m Lyn, by the way. Just so you don’t have to call me human all the time.

Malaki:(muttering to himself) Lyn. Like River.

Raka:Lyn, I’ll make sure it won’t hurt as much as the first time. I’ll just need to formulate a very meaningful pledge.

Lyn:(sigh that reveals her reluctance and fear of the pain) I really hope you’re not just saying that to make me feel better…

Raka:Trust me.

Malaki:(excited) Oh- Oh no, I have a better idea! Don’t use your fragile human pet as the sacrifice, use me instead!

Raka stops and turns around. Malaki catches up to them.

Raka:No way am I leaving YOU unattended with a spirit in a bonding circle!

Malaki:I know how to push a Vær back, if I show you that I don’t harm it, that proofs I-

Lyn:Wait hold on, did he just say sacrifice?

Malaki:Yes, sacrifice-

Raka:(sighs, dismissive) Poor choice of words, don’t worry about it.

Lyn:Hold on, I want to know more about that!

Malaki:Your human has more common sense than you, feather-

Raka:(exasperated) For Eväis sake! Yes, you give the spirit a bait, but that is only figuratively speaking! It’s not really-

Lyn:“Bait” is not a much better word either!

Malaki:The longer the Vær stay manifested, the more it will lose its senses. It won’t WANT to go back.

Raka:(slowly growls)

Malaki:It knows the human as the gateway. If Raku puts you in the circle, it will try to destroy you so it can’t be forced back.

Lyn:Wait, what?! Were you going to tell me about that, Raka?

Raka:(dismissive) That won’t happen, I won’t let it.

Lyn:So BAIT wasn’t just a figure of speech?

Malaki:(grins) Conducting business with the Vær is always a risk.

Raka:I KNOW what kind of circle I need to craft to keep the spirit under control!

Lyn:Oh yea, so maybe YOU have faith in your circles, I certainly don’t! Especially not after the last one I stepped into CAUSED me to be used by that thing in the first place!

Raka:You STEPPED into it even though I told you not to!

Lyn:And if what Malaki says is true, I’m not stepping into it again!

Raka:I can put the thing under control, trust me!

Lyn:After you didn’t even bother telling me of possible consequences, I don’t think I WANT to trust you!

Malaki:(dripping with heavy sarcasm) She can put a leash on the Vær, like she did on me.

Raka:Exactly! See, even the runt agrees.

Lyn:I don’t KNOW anything about your weird magics, bondage circles or spirits. You could be telling me anything because I wouldn’t know about it! And from my experience you fur-guys have not been utterly nice to humans. For all I know you might be putting me on a silver plate as spirit-snack just so you can get a hold of the thing.

Raka:I’m not, trust me-

Lyn:YOU didn’t tell me of possible consequences, you would’ve let me walk right into it if Malaki hadn’t brought it up! How am I supposed to trust you if you wouldn’t even tell me my life was at risk?!

Raka:Because it was never at risk, I KNOW how to get a spirit under control!

Lyn:You could at least have told me about the possible dangers!

Malaki:(excited) I go in the circle! The Vær wants me, maybe more than to destroy the gateway.

Lyn:Are those the only options?

Raka:(sighs) We could also continue searching for it.

Lyn:Why don’t we do that, then?

Malaki:I can’t see its rune.

Raka:Because that would put us at a disadvantage. If we chased it, we wouldn’t have a circle to protect us when we find it. Better to let it come to us and trap it.

Malaki:I agree.

Raka:You…

Lyn:You? Agree?

Malaki:I prefer the prey coming to me so I can kill it the way I want.

Lyn:That didn’t stop you from going after it earlier.

Raka:The spirit was lucky it got away before you found it…

Lyn:Gnar, Raka, which of us would have a better chance of luring the spirit?

Raka:Him, probably. As he said, the spirit still has its senses. It’s more likely to want to defang him than destroy you.

Lyn:Then why not use him?

Raka:Because just putting him into the circle will lure it, but won’t channel it back to the weave.

Lyn:Why not?

Raka:Because the spirit still needs to go through you.

Lyn:So I need to be part of the circle no matter what?

Raka:Yes. And…

Lyn:Aaand…?

Raka:(resigned) The luring circle will only hold three individuals: the spirit, the gateway and the summoner. Usually the gateway is an object, but… Well this time, it is you.

Lyn:And you’re the summoner?

Raka:The summoner would be either Malaki or me. Who ever ends up in the circle with you will have to fling the spirit back through the gateway. I’ll leave it up to you with whom you’d rather want to step into the circle with.

Lyn:(insecure) Uh… you’re… letting me decide?

Raka:Hm? Of course, you’re involved in this, after all.

Lyn:(uncertain) Oh… Okay, So um… it’s either you and me, you make it painless, but if you fail it kills me?

Raka:I won’t fail.

Lyn:Or him and me, and there’s no telling what he will do, but at least he’ll be the bait, and I’m just the gateway. Right?

Raka:Yes. And I don’t trust him NOT to harm the spirit, once in the circle.

Malaki:(upset) I WANT my- my… my tie, my knot back! If you give it back, I won’t destroy it.

Raka:(dangerously low) Do you really think showing me you can keep yourself from harming ONE spirit is enough to convince me you didn’t cause the hole?

Lyn:Uhh… I’m not sure…

Raka:Well, you’ll have to chose.

Malaki:Easy decision.

Lyn:Well if it’s so easy can’t you chose for me?

Raka:(impatient) Don’t pass the agency to him.

Malaki:(sly) You already know which one I will chose.

Lyn:Can we do votes?

Raka:(sighs) Hardly.

Lyn:(inwardly conflicted) Then… I think I’ll go the painless route. (relieved breathing, then muttering to self) Okay that wasn’t so hard…

Raka:Great. Then let’s-

Malaki:You are a coward!

Lyn:What?! Coward? Come on, either option had a risk!

Malaki:You don’t know what her circles do, you said it yourself! And she lied to you once before!

Raka:I didn’t lie, I just-

Malaki:You didn’t speak the whole truth, Kyrjir!

Lyn:Look, I’d rather chose the controlled risk than be in there with someone like you – you seem like the kind of guy that acts erratic and unpredictable, and I don’t wana stand anywhere near you when that happens. Besides, she wouldn’t have given you your Edward back even if you cooperated, y’know.

Raka:(sighs in annoyed at the insolence of this imbecile) It’s called äthwar.

Malaki:(learned a new word) Äthwar…

Lyn:Edward, Edgar, I don’t care what you call it, as long as he keeps them in his pants.

Raka:Go sit somewhere where no one will trip over you, runt.

Malaki:(exasperated, with a half-hearted growl)
It’s MALAKI!

Malaki steps away.

Lyn:Y’know… considering how persistent he was earlier, he seems too subdued now…

Raka:You noticed it, too, huh. Maybe I should tie him up and gag him.

Lyn:Nah, you shouldn’t.

Raka:Why not?

Lyn:You said you’d give him a chance to prove himself to you to get his Edgar back. If you tie him up, you’re denying him that chance.

Raka:(grumbling) True.

Lyn:He WANTS to show you he can be trusted.

Raka:I think he just wanted to get into the circle so he could get rid of the spirit without my interference.

Lyn:Just let him prove he can sit tight and not interfere (yawns) Well, let’s do this, I’m dead tired and cold.

Raka:Sit down.

Lyn:What, right here? In the mud?

Raka:Yea, something wrong?

Lyn:These are the only clothes I have! My feet are already wet, I don’t want my butt to get wet, too!

Raka:Stand then. But keep an eye out. It should appear as soon as I have half the circle drawn out. They usually come running even before the luring circle is complete.

Lyn:I hope not. Something that size running at me would be terrifying!

Raka:If its that big you wont miss it. Let me know when you see it.

Lyn:Sure… Do I need to be at the center of this-?

Raka:Yes. Now shut up, I need to focus.

Raka drags her stick through the snow, drawing the circles around Lyn.

Lyn:This looks exactly like the other one…

Raka:(focusing on her work) It’s different… any signs of the spirit yet?

Lyn:No.

Raka:I’m almost halfway through. It should be on its way, keep an eye out.

Lyn:Will it jump right into my ears or will you need to speak to it again?

Raka:(exasperated) Do you need to ask so many questions? If I mess up I will have to FORCE it back through you, and that WILL be painful!

Lyn:I hope this circle is big enough for-

Malaki:(further away)Feather-duster.

Raka:(calling back, annoyed) What?!

Malaki:It’s here.

The spirit swoops across the edge of the forest and shrieks. It flaps its wings twice, then drops for the circle.

Lyn:Oh shit-

Raka:Fiyar’ta!

Lyn:Yea, this space is definitely not big enough!

Raka:Don’t run! Stay behind me!

Lyn:It looks like it’s gona dive right for us-

Raka:I got this.

The spirits screech as it lunges. Unexpectedly, instead of lunging for Raka and Lyn, it lunges for Malaki.

Lyn:What is it- O shit, it’s going for him!

Malaki:(crazed) Yes, come to me!

Raka:No! Skadia! (Water Rune: freeze)

Malaki:(overlapping) Ræwyn, fyalaþia! (Earth Rune: Roots confine)

The spirit is halted mid-flight, as roots sprout crackling from the soil and grasp the spirit. It screeches out and tries to free itself.

Lyn:Where did those roots come from?

Raka:Earth runes! NO! Don’t-

Malaki:Eteïe, æria! (Earth Rune: Stones rise)

The Stones on the ground rumble response, as larger rocks from beneath the ground break through the surface.

The spirit struggles with the roots and clacks its beak, trying to peck itself free.

Lyn:He used the roots to restrain it? That’s smart…

Raka:No more runes!

Malaki:I’m not stupid!

Raka:You have weakened the weave with your runes all night, at this rate it WILL tear before I get that spirit under control!

Malaki:(crazed) I have to defend myself, I’m not letting it eat me! If your circle can’t get it under control, I’ll crush it with my runes!

Raka:I swear if you do that, I’ll-

The spirit screeches again, as it frees itself from the roots. It lands heavily on the ground.

Lyn:It broke free!

Malaki:Kokol farue…

Raka:(growls)

The spirit pecks at Malaki, who just avoids the attack in time. He slips and falls.

Malaki:(eccentric) Frith farue- Give me my-my thing, my wind äthwar-

In the background, the spirit continues croaking while rattling its beak. It pecks for Malaki, who avoids the attacks barely.

Raka:Lyn, get ready.

Lyn:What are you-

Raka:The circle is useless now, I’ll use a rune chant. It might hurt a bit. I’ll try to force it not to hurt you.

Lyn:(angrily disappointed) Aw great… That wasn’t part of the deal, you were- Damnit, just do your thing!

Raka:Vær, äïrnia! (Spirit, listen!)

The spirit ceases to croak and peck. It turns to Raka, it’s coo rumbles with interest.

Malaki scrambles out of its reach while it is distracted.

Raka:Tænahri leïruþ, skatria!
(break your manifestation!)
Tænahri wyv’ṽræ, ceria! Æsuuyar, mæri’eshäa ṽalþeo ra’tenah!
(Lose your windpower! In exchange, you receive my blood!)
Yahtïa yor’dyhaṽal, des’garïetïa!
Vor feïrtïa niṽrætu zaþïraĥ!
(Return to the weave through this human, but don’t cause her pain!)

The spirit warbles a last shriek that echoes off and fades into Lyn’s groan of pain, as the spirit enters her ears with barely any protection. Leaving its windpower behind, a last whirlwind builds up, that dies off rather quickly, turning into a soft breezes.

Back in its original form, the little spirit warbles, then flies away.

Lyn:(groaning in the aftereffects of the pain) Oh god… that was even worse the second time around…

Raka:It shouldn’t have-

Lyn:(snapping) Well it was!
(groans) I sure hope you don’t plan on using me as gateway again anytime soon.

Raka:Don’t let them use you as one in the first place. You could’ve told me you had a broken soul!

Lyn:How was I supposed to know?!

Raka:You didn’t?

Lyn:No? I didn’t even know I could break that to begin with!

Raka:You know surprisingly little about the world around you…

Lyn:Yea, well. It’s not like I grew up in it. I know NOTHING about your supernatural shenanigans, that’s all stuff that doesn’t exist where I come from. Don’t judge.

Raka:Fine, whatever. About time this ends, using all those runes drained me… Can’t imagine how that Skur-runt must feel. Where did he go anyway- Oh. Oh fiyar’ta…

At the other end of the Paddock, a cluster of people has gathered. Two have restrained Malaki face to the ground. He struggles, but can’t get out of their grasp.

Lyn:I think the villagers got him…

Raka:Why is nothing going smoothly today?! (to Lyn) Come on.

Raka and Lyn rapidly approach the gathering. The dialog bellow is first off-mic, then gets clearer as the windshell is close enough to pick up the words.

Malaki:(angry) Kokol frith- Let me go you thrausar Ferol!

Tarlos:As if, you disgusting stain of dirt! (spits on him)

Krosta:Are there more of your Rontar out there, waiting to ambush us?! Were you planning to raid our village?

Malaki:If there were, I would not tell you!

Tarlos:So there are others?!

Raka:Headchief!

Headchief:Patcher! What was that giant bird just now?

Raka:(breathless) A manifested spirit- all taken care of, won’t bother us anymore.

Headchief:Good. Look, we caught this abomination sneaking around the paddock, came from your direction. Was he involved with your work somehow?

Raka:Sure was. Caused me more than enough trouble.

Krosta:What’s a greyfur doing this far down anyway?!

Headchief:(clears throat meaningfully) Mind your words, Krosta!

Tarlos:How did a Skur mutt end up here?

P1:(concerned) Is this a Skur raid?
Fiyar’ta (fee-yar-TAH =oh gods), have they come this this far down already?

P2:Tie him up and throw him into the mine! Or the lake!

Krosta:We can’t keep a Skur here, his pack will be looking for him and they’ll track him down! Then there’s no avoiding fight with the Skur!

P3:Yea! Let’s chase him off, we don’t want Skur here! We don’t want war with them!

Lyn:(disbelief) What- war?

P4:(crowd cheers angry agreement) Yea, chase him away!

Headchief:That’s enough, calm down, everyone!

Malaki growls and tries to wiggle his way out of the restrain.

Malaki:No one is coming for me, I don’t have a pack!

Krosta:Stay down, if you want to keep your tail!

Lyn:Raka, what’s going on?

Raka:Seems I’m not the only one with a bias against Skur.

Lyn:They’re talking about war!

Raka:I heard that… What’s that about war with the Skur?

Headchief:You don’t know?- Hmp, of course you don’t, you’re not from here. They’ve been nothing but trouble since they were put on the peak to rot away in their miserable existence. They tried expanding their territory more forceful lately, raiding and pillaging the settlements bordering it.

Malaki:(defensive) Because we are hungry! There is no food on the Skundr!

Krosta:Bite your fangs, Scum!

Headchief:As I told you earlier, Patcher, the majority of refugees seek shelter here because of raids from the Skur. As far as we know, they are at war with the Skur up there.

Raka:I see…

Malaki:I have NOTHING to do with that! I have no ties to my Rontar, I’m not part of-

Headchief:I don’t care, you’re still NOT welcome here!

Malaki:(growls)

Tarlos:Well Headchief, what should we do with him?

Headchief:That’s up to the head-mistress.

Tarlos:Packless or not, I think we should let him return to the peak.

Headchief:You want to let him lose?!

Krosta:You lost your mind, Tarlos?

Tarlos:If we get his blood on our hands, his Rontar will smell that from up here and come to avenge him.

Malaki:Skurka are not emphatic enough to care what happens to stray solitaries!

Tarlos:Then let him go, one Skur won’t do harm…

Malaki:I won’t leave without my äthwar!

Krosta:How do we know there’s not more Skur out there waiting for us to drop our guard? We can’t let him go!

Headchief:Urg, why does this have to happen in the middle of the night…

Raka:Headchief, I have something that belongs to him. He won’t leave without it, so I’m afraid I’m stuck with him for now.

Headchief:What are you withholding from him?

Raka:I took that what caused the strong wind earlier. He almost caused the tangleweave to expand.

Headchief:That does sound like something he shouldn’t ever get back. A Skur with that sort of power- the gods know what kind of destruction he could cause.

Raka:Yet they allowed him to have it. But I have it under control now.

Krosta:If he wants it back, he’s bound to harass you until he gets it back. Wouldn’t it be better to just cut his throat?

P5:Yea, kill him!

Lyn:They can’t just KILL him, can they?

Headchief:Hold on, we’re not murdering a Skur unless it is in self-defense, you know that!

Raka:I agree, let’s not kill him on a whim. I have him restrained; he isn’t a danger right now.

Krosta:Are you sure? I think we still have a nice chain and collar in the attic for people like him, don’t we, Tarlos?

Tarlos:I think so…

Raka:I don’t think that’s necessary, but nevertheless, I want to keep him where I can keep an eye on him.

Krosta:How?!

Raka:It might be best if we could put him somewhere safe for the night and decide what to do with him tomorrow.

Krosta:Like where? Our entire village is full of refugees, we don’t know where to put them anymore! And who even are you to issue such instructions?

Headchief:Calm yourself, Krosta.

Malaki:(growls) Let me go. I’m not going anywhere, I’ll stick around in the underbrush for the night-

Headchief:We’re NOT letting you run around our village without supervision!

Lyn:Did I hear someone say something about a mine? Could we lock him up in there? That sounds pretty safe, right?

Headchief:Yea, it’s got a few tunnels with dead ends we could throw him in.

Malaki:(sly grin) Yes, why don’t you throw me into a mine. It’ll be just like home.

Raka:No. He still has earth runes, he could easily burrow his way out of there-

Malaki:I won’t just run away without my-my… my äthwar!

Raka:You filthy Skur would find my room and murder me in my sleep, wouldn’t you?

Malaki:(with a malicious grin) As much as I’d like to sink my fangs into your throat, feather-duster, I won’t challenge you again.

Krosta:Don’t believe a word coming from that stinking, rotten jaw!

Raka:Just on the off chance that you’re thinking about it anyway, Runt, I want you to know that this thing here-

She taps the windshell.

Raka:-can record any sound around it and channels it right to the university of Kaerun. My colleague there WILL know if you try anything deceptive, and you’ll be in big trouble if they send someone out after you. And trust me, they have ways to tear BOTH your äthwar off-

Malaki:I understand! (sly) You beat me before. I acknowledge you are stronger than me.

Lyn:Just like that?

Krosta:Pah! A Skur admitting to defeat? What is that, a new deceptive tactic?

Malaki:(sly) Skurka prefer an open fight over coward attacks on someone in their sleep.

Krosta:That’s clearly a lie.

Raka:(skeptical) I don’t believe that, either.

Malaki:I don’t care if you believe it or not. I will EARN my äthwar back.

Raka:(hmp) Follow the conditions I set earlier. Show me you won’t backstab me as soon as I turn, and show me that you had nothing to do with the forming of the tangleweave. That is the only way you can… “earn” it back.

Lyn:Well, are there any other places he can stay in?

Headchief:We’re not exactly equipped to hold people in custody.

Malaki:(sly) Just give me a corner to sleep in!

Krosta:You don’t DESERVE such luxury!

Malaki:Shut up, brute. I don’t care about your prejudices. (exhausted) I’m tired, Patcher. I’m not interested in fighting anymore. I just want to sleep, I don’t care where.

Lyn:Don’t you have a room you stay in, Raka? You could-

Raka:I’m staying with the headmistress’s daughter. I couldn’t bring that runt in with me.

Lyn:(sighs) Fine. There’s an empty spot in my room he could stay in. No one wanted to share a room with me so I have more than enough space.

Malaki:(sly) Because humans smell awful under their arms.

Lyn:Don’t spend the night with your nose buried in my armpits then.

Malaki:I don’t NEED to; I can smell it from here.

Lyn:I was TRYING to find an alternative for you, geez! No need to be outright insulting.

Krosta:We’re not letting Skur into our homes! What if his Rontar track him down and raid us in the night?

Malaki:I said this before: I DON’T have a pack. No one will come for me!

Raka:Swear that on your wind-äthwar?

Malaki:(snarky) Yes, fine.

Headchief:Can we trust his word?

Raka:Don’t know, but apparently he values his äthwar. We’ll just have to find out.

Headchief:Will we need someone to keep an eye on him?

Malaki:(exasperated sigh) Look, I’m exhausted. I just want a corner to sleep in.

Raka:I don’t think he has much escape left in him, he’s been throwing around runes like flower petals at a parade earlier. Even *I* am dead tired, and I’ve not even used more than a handful. It’s more likely he’ll pass out as soon as he hits the ground, before he can even begin to think of mischief again. I will take care of him in the morning.

Headchief:(groans) Fine. At least in the longhouse there will be enough people to restrain him if he decides to act up. I don’t think anyone there is particularly fond of Skur. Best if he stayed in the room until you’re up. Do you have any idea what you’ll do with him?

Raka:I’m taking him with me. I’ll probably get into Skur-territory through my work, I can drop him off there.

Headchief:Good. No objections from me then. Krosta, Tarlos, pick him up and bring him in.

Krosta:What, seriously?!

Headchief:Don’t argue, Krosta. I speak for the head-mistress.

Krosta:Fine…

Tarlos:C’mon, stand up.

Krosta:He said get up, crookhorn!

Malaki:Well give me a moment, you brutes have been kneeling on my back for-

Krosta:Oh shut up and get walking.

Raka:Lyn, you sure you can handle him?

Lyn:Sure. If he tries anything funny, at least I know I have two smelly weapons to use against him.

Malaki:Urg… (slightly pleading) Feather… head… Give me a fresh-air rune.

Raka:No.

Malaki:(groans)

Raka:(sigh) Well that’s settled. Now I can finally turn this thing off.

Windshell deactivates.

Credit

INT. – AURILS STUDY – DAY

Auril stretches, leaning back in his chair.

Auril:(yawning) Four recordings on the first day! I’m beat- That’s a good amount of material to work through tomorrow… (sighs) I’m gona sleep like Oli Tato once I’m through with these, not even an Eus could wake me… (yawning) I zoned out a few times during that recording. Suppose it was a little much to process. I need to find a way to… halt and… replay the last few seconds. I should probably put that on my to-do list…

He pulls a book from the shelf, picks up his pen and starts making notes.

Auril:(mumbling to himself) Even if it defies the purpose of documenting only with the windshell, transcripts might prove useful here… (pondering) Maybe scriber hoocked up with the recordings?
Well, something to think about tomorrow. I just hope Raka doesn’t plan on having this many recordings every day, that would cost me quit ea few music-shells… Speaking of which, Vocal enchantments for this recording were provided by Kessir Riliniki, Carollyn Monterola, Eyþór Viðarsson, Owen McCuen, Heather Spiegel-Auden, Domien de Groot and Travis Vengroff. With Crowd noises by Hem Brewster, Karim Kronfli, Matthew Boudreau, Whitney Johnson and Tal Minear.
Music-Shells provided by Fuimadane.
Audio-Enhancements by name of Audio engineer.
Written and Produced by Kessir Riliniki.
Aaand one more thing to add to my to-do List:
(writing)– Keep track of how often these recordings come in, in case that Skur really decides to murder Raka in her sleep, as she says.

He slaps the book closed and throws his pen on the desk.

Auril:(normal voice) Pew, I hope Raka knows what she’s doing. That guy didn’t seem right in the head. (pondering) I wonder if I should inform the magistrate about this? Raka was right when she says he might be involved in the hole’s tearing, regardless of what he says… Hmm… (decisively) No. That would raise questions about the windshell. It’s not ready for evaluation yet.
Also, if anyone listening to this from the archives has any suggestions on how to solve the issues on my to-do list you know how to get in touch with me – if not, you can find all this information in my notes.