Episode 20 | Journal Entrées

Windshell activates.

Lyn exits the bathroom, the toilet still flushing in the background.

Lyn:(reliefed) Pew, flushing toilets! I missed that so much!

Raka:Are you done?

Lyn:(distracted) Hm? Oh- yea yea. Hm, I don’t remember having a bidet, but I guess I do now. (shrugs) Well, I always wanted one, especially after spending so many days outdoors with the two of you.

Raka:A what?

Lyn:A bidet.

Raka:What’s…

Lyn:Wana try it?

Raka:(uncertain) Um. (sniffing, then slightly disgusted) No.

Lyn:Welp, your loss. So, what’s next? Want a tour around the house?

Raka:We’ve looked around already. You took your time.

Lyn:Damn right I did. Modern toilets are a luxury I won’t pass up on. (amused) Yo Mal, like the couch? Getting comfy?

Malaki:Very comfortable!

Lyn:I know, right? I don’t even know how it got here, it was just suddenly there one day and exactly as soft as I wanted it-

Malaki:It’s getting close.

Lyn:Hm? What is?

Raka:(sigh) He’s been smelling another… (uncertain) creature, apparently.

Lyn:In here?

Raka:Yes. I looked around but couldn’t find anything.

Lyn:Like… another human?

Malaki:Not human. Different. Primal. I smell pheromones and scent glands.

Neko:(meows)

Raka:What was that?

Neko:(meows)

Malaki:There!

Lyn:(excited) A neko! Awww come here you little-

Lyn picks it up and digs her face in the cat’s belly.

Raka:What IS that?

Malaki:A Therion!

Raka:I don’t think that’s a Therion…

Lyn:That’s a neko- A cat!

Raka:A… human Therion?

Lyn:A pet! Not mine, but… well, none of the cats in this village really belonged to anyone. They come and go as they please.

Raka:What is it doing here?

Neko:(meows)

Lyn:(shrugs) Looking for food, maybe. I always leave the back door open so they can come in anytime. People called me Cat-Lyn because they kept showing up at my place.

Raka:Are they… herbivores?

Lyn:Nah, they are little hunters. (to the neko) You’re a proud little furry hunter, aren’t you?

Neko:(proud meow)

Lyn:(thinking) Who fed you while I was gone? You poor soul…

Neko:(pitiful meow)

Malaki:I… haven’t sensed any prey since we got to the village.

Lyn:Not even little birds or mice? That’s what they eat in the wild. Did you sustain yourself with birds, little neko?

Neko:(purrs)

Malaki:I didn’t sense small prey yet, either.

Lyn:We humans feed them cat food when they’re hungry. Keeps them coming back to us.

Raka:I can imagine…

Malaki:I would go back to a place that always gave me food.

Lyn:Come on, lets see if there’s any catfood left for you.

Lyn puts down the Neko and walks over to a cupboard.

Raka follows her into the kitchen, her nails click uncomfortably on the unfamiliar tile floor.

Raka:Would food not have gotten bad by now?

Lyn:(shrugs) Mhm, I don’t know. Possibly? Well, we have no way of knowing because the catfood stash is empty. Admit it, you raided the stash!

Neko:(guilty meow)

Lyn:Awww, you’re the cutest little culprit. But you must’ve been fed somehow, right? Did you get food at the supermarket?

Neko:(meows)

Lyn:Well, we were heading there anyway. You might as well tag along.

Raka:So we… leave again?

Lyn:Unless you wana stay and try out the bidet?

Raka:No, thanks. Let’s just get going.

Lyn:Alright- Malaki, come on, heel!

Malaki:(groans wistfully as he gets up from the comfy couch)

Lyn prances to the entrance door and opens. Raka, Malaki and the cat follow her closely behind.

Malaki:The… cat. Is following us.

Lyn:Let it follow us. It knows there’s gona be food at the supermarket. Saving us the trouble of bringing the food back here.

Raka:(pondering as she looks about in confusion) Strange…

Lyn:Not really, cats are pretty smart.

Raka:Hm? Oh, not that. This… place. The walls of the houses are so strangely… perfectly angular and smooth.

(pause)

Lyn stops and turns back to Raka and Malaki, waiting for them to catch up.

Malaki:We already spoke of this.

Raka:Of the surface of the houses?

Lyn:Yea! You asked what material the houses are made from.

(pause)

Raka:I don’t…

Lyn:Remember?

(pause)

Raka:Fiyar’ta…

Lyn:(sighs) Your memory-loss is getting worse.

Raka:(slightly stressed) I’m not doing it on purpose!

Lyn:I know! (sigh) I know…

Ferryce:It feels terrible, doesn’t it. So helpless, vulnerable.

Raka:Ferryce!

Ferryce:What, did you forget I was right here, too?

Raka:No, of course not, I-

Ferryce:(chuckles) Oh, no need to tell me, I know. I’m in your head.

Raka:(sighs in relief)

Ferryce:But maybe there’s something positive for you to take away from this.

Raka:What about this could I possibly consider a good thing?!

Ferryce:Maybe it helps you understand your mothers predicament a little bit better.

Raka:It’s not the same. She CHOOSES to-

Ferryce:If YOU choose that your and her situations are dissimilar, Raka, then that is your choice. I’m not here to convince or argue about your life choices with you.

Raka:(exasperated sigh) Fine. Then we let this discussion rest.

Awkward silence, as the trio continues to walk the street toward the entrance of the supermarket.

Lyn:What happened to your mother?

Raka:(sighs) Another time, Lyn.

Lyn:You’re a really hard nut to crack.

Malaki:This building… The wall is made of smooth ice. But not cold.

Lyn:What, these?

Lyn taps the glass windows of the supermarket with a knuckle.

Lyn:This is glass.

Malaki:(repeating) Glass.

Lyn:Another one for your vocabulary.

Raka:THIS is glass? (in wonder) I’ve never seen such perfectly smooth glass. Human construction is really… something.

Lyn:Wait till you see the inside.

Raka:How do we get inside?

Malaki:I don’t see a door.

Lyn:Through here. Slide doors. See?

The slide doors open. Raka stares at it in amazement.

Neko:(meows)

Malaki:(fascinated) Slide doors… I thought humans needed to shatter it to get through.

Raka:(fascinated) This is amazing… And you do this without the use of runes or the aetherweb?

Lyn:(with a shrug) I don’t know. If runes or aetherweb technology was involved, no one told me about it.

Lyn hops in in excitement.

Raka and Malaki follow. Raka keeps her toenails respectfully retracted, Malaki’s toenails clack noisily on the tiled floor.

Lyn:(calling out) Hello? Anyone here?

Raka:Do you think someone hid in here?

Lyn:Possibly, I mean they got enough food here to last them… Probably forever.

Lyn grabs a shopping-chart and starts throwing things from the shelves in.

The cat meows, then hops away.

Lyn:Bye, little Neko!

Raka:Is any of your… food still edible after all the time?

Lyn:Sure, the supermarket restocks daily.

Raka:On its own?

Lyn:Pretty much. We never figured out who restocks it, but all things come in fresh every day.

Malaki:I don’t see any food.

Lyn:Because its packaged. Here, I think you’ll like this one.

Lyn grabs some packaged salamis off the shelve and opens them for him.

Lyn:See? You rip it open at the seam, and out comes the food.

Malaki:This is… food.

Raka:(not entirely convinced) It smells edible.

Lyn:It is! Here, you both try. These are called salamis.

Malaki bites right in and chews noisily. Raka first sniffs, then takes a tentative nip.

Malaki:(with a full mouth) Salty!

Lyn:Saltamis? Works for me.

Raka:It’s… good.

Lyn:Right? Take as many as you want!

Raka:A bit too salty, though.

Malaki:Salt is good.

Malaki sniffs the shelves, then starts randomly picking packages from the shelves and rips them open, eating their contents.

Raka:Do you think we can take some of that with us for provisions?

Lyn:Sure, but… (sighs) I really want to, but at the same time we don’t really have a way to get rid of the litter…

Raka:Which litter?

Lyn:The packages… they’re mostly made of plastic. It doesn’t dissolve. When humans go hiking we have to keep the trash and dispose of it back in civilization, but I’m not sure we will get back to one anytime soon. And I’d rather not leave trash outside…

Raka:Can’t we… burn it?

Lyn:Urg…

Raka:(quickly, to make amends for suggesting fire) Or burry it?

Lyn:Nah, can’t burn it. The fumes aren’t good to breathe… and it would take ages for the plastic to dissolve.

Raka:We can only take some supplies and store them into cloth and pouches I have.

Lyn:Yes! We can totally do that. They won’t last that long, but we should be good for a few days. Salami and smoked meat will last a bit longer, though.

Raka:We’re coming into colder climates, too.

Lyn:Right, that’ll help preserve stuff… Oh yea, and we can also look for food in paper-based packages, we can…

Raka:Burn those?

Lyn:(sighs) If you could take care of that, yea.

Raka:Sure-

Malaki comes scurrying over, his toenails clacking on the tiles in excitement and his tail waging and swooshing against a shelf.

Malaki:This is good. Try!

Malaki munches on a bag of chips and holds it out to Raka to try.

Raka:What is that?

Lyn:Chips! Made from carrots, red beet and parsnips. They’re more of a snack than a meal, though.

Raka reaches into the bag and pulls out a few to try.

Raka:(crunching) How do you humans have this much salt to put in all the food?!

Lyn:Why, is salt rare?

Raka:Yes! Salt is a commodity, a luxury.

Malaki:There is a lot of salt on the Skundr.

Raka:There is?

Malaki:Not enough food to eat it with!

Malaki throws the bag into a shelf and reaches for the next thing to try.

Malaki:Maybe humans harvest it. They have so much food! I want to try more!

Lyn:Hey, dig in. All this food isn’t gona eat itself.

Malaki walks along the isle and tries a few more packages.

Malaki:I want to try everything.

Raka:Just don’t wander too far off.

Malaki:(with a sly laugh) You won’t get rid of me that easily, Kyrjir.

He excitedly runs off to try more things form the shelves, until the others can no longer hear him.

Lyn:I don’t think we can lose him in here. There’s no one else here, so we can shout for him all we want.

Lyn rolls her chart along the shelves. She occasionally reaches into the shelves and throws a package into the chart.

Lyn:Give me some of your food pouches, we can take a lot of these dried meats with us.

Raka takes her backpack off one shoulder and fumbles around for some of her pouches, then hands them to Lyn.

Raka:Where does all the food come from?

Lyn:I really don’t know, man. That’s not something we ever thought of asking.

Raka:And where does it go, when no one eats it?

Lyn:Dunno. Maybe it gets recycled?

Raka:But by whom?

Lyn:I don’t- (excited intake of breath) Porridge! I love porridge! And its in paper packages already, perfect!

She throws two packs into the chart.

Raka:(sighs) This is a really strange place…

Lyn:I guess it is, now that I think about it. But when I lived here, all that seemed perfectly normal to me. Oh man, cereal bars in paper packages! Awesome!

Lyn tosses several packages into the cart.

Raka:(with a friendly nudge) At least now I understand how you managed to get so plump.

Lyn:Aaaand there you go calling me fat again- Oh, I think you’ll like these! Dried mushrooms.

She pulls another package from the shelve.

Raka:Dried?

Lyn:Yup! You drop them into soups or… nibble on them raw, I guess?

Lyn opens the package and smells it, then offers it to Raka.

Lyn:Here, try.

Raka:Maybe later. That is… a plastic package?

Lyn:Ah, yea.

Raka:I’ll fill them in my pouches.

Lyn:Stuff as many in as you can. I’ll see how many salami’s I can fit in here, too… And how many we can eat before we grow tired of them.

Raka picks up one of the plastic bags form the shelve and opens it, then fills the dried mushrooms into the pouch.

Raka:You know… I think you lost some weight since we started out.

Lyn:Huh, you really think so?

Raka:(bemused) I think Malaki might’ve gained the pound you lost.

Lyn:Huh. You’re right, he HAS filled up since we started, hasn’t he. How the hell did he do that?

Raka:Well you do make calls for food stops quite frequently.

Lyn:Yet he gained the weight I lost.

Raka:You’re still heavy when needed to be carried across imaginary abysses, though.

Lyn:Hey, I’m working on it.

They wrap up with packaging and Lyn pushes her chart into the direction she thinks the clothing section would be.

Raka:Lyn…

Lyn:Hm?

Raka:What exactly do you intend to do after this?

Lyn:After we’re done shopping?

Raka:No, I mean… you came along to find closure with this village, right? What if we don’t find any answers?

Lyn:(somber) I’m… not really sure. I didn’t think that far ahead, to be honest. I didn’t even think that we’d come across this village so quickly.

Raka:Do you want to stay here?

Lyn:In a dead village with no one around? Hell no.

Raka:Then what’s your plan?

Lyn:Like I said, I… don’t really know…

Raka:Do you want to continue on with me and… well…

Lyn:Can I?

Raka:It’s your choice.

Lyn:Then… I think I want to. Now that I know that humans here basically lived in a giant ant-farm without realizing it, I’m kinda curious who put us here, and why. Of course I know there’s a chance we’re not gona find an answer to that, but… well, better than sticking around here not knowing what to do with myself.

Raka:But you need yourself some warm clothes first.

Lyn:Oh stuff, definitely. I’m not going to continue hiking with these leather-scraps. I have blisters on my blisters, and I don’t think I’ve been properly dry in half a week! So I’ll see if I can find some nice warm hiking clothes and some other gear. I… kinda wana help you carry your weight.

Raka:MY weight?

Lyn:You carry a lot of stuff for both of us! Food, blankets, spare clothes, the cooking pot… Not to mention your bow and arrow and all that other stuff in your bag. I wana be helpful.

Raka:That’s commendable. I’d appreciate that.

Lyn:I’m gonna check if I can find a backpack and… maybe some shoes and spare clothes. I never actually looked if this store has an outdoor-trekking section… Well, we’ll find out. I imagine it’ll be somewhere near the boutique, though. This way.

Raka:It might not mean much to you, but I find your presence… reassuring.

Lyn:Aww, thanks bud! I love you too – (excited) Oh my stuff!

Raka:Hm?

Lyn rushes over to a nearby isle with her cart.

Lyn:This!

Raka:What… is that?

Lyn:Deodorant! With this, you and Malaki can’t complain about my smell anymore! Aww yea, I’m taking two of these bad guys.

Lyn drops two glass deodorants in the cart.

Lyn:These are glass, so I think I can recycle them somehow… you have glass in this world, right?

Raka:Um. Yes. But most glass is made far north, in the desert.

Lyn:Oh- Heyy look at that! There really IS an outdoor section here!

Lyn leaves the chart behind and quickly rushes to the backpacks on display.

Lyn:Woa, look! There’s even some backpacks with sleeping bags! I won’t need to share a blanket with you or Malaki anymore!

Raka:That’s good- Hey Lyn?

Lyn:Hm? You want one, too?

Raka:Er… No. How do we pay for any of this?

Lyn:We don’t. It’s free.

Raka:Free?

Lyn:Did I not mention this?

Raka:I don’t… think so…

Lyn:We hadn’t figured out how to make money, and the food just keeps restocking anyway. Same as our furniture, it just appeared when we needed or wanted it.

Raka:That is… very strange.

Lyn:Let’s see… I need one that’s… preferably smaller than me. Has a sleeping bag and a few pockets. I can carry some of your stuff as well, some of the blankets and-

Raka:Don’t forget you need spare clothes. WARM spare clothes.

Lyn:Oh! Right, right, okay, Bag… This one looks good, comes with a Sleeping bag, perfect.

She throws the items into the chart as she lists them.

Lyn:Spare clothes… for cold climate- These are Size… L, Uh, that’s too big. Hmm… Ah, here’s the Medium section… Pants… How many should I take? Would two be enough?

Raka:Pack a third, for good measure.

Lyn:Three it is.

Lyn:Dang, the pants are much too long… No time to shorten them… Two… Three. Got them.

She tosses the pants into the cart. Then she picks up some pullovers and holds them in front of her to take measure.

Lyn:(sighs) I wish we had a size-fitter here. These pullovers are all gona look baggy on me but… We don’t have that much time to be picky.

Raka:You can take your time. We’re not in a hurry.

Lyn:Trust me, if I wouldn’t do it this way, we’ll still be here a week from now. I’m usually really picky about clothes, but I’m trying to be pragmatic. Alright, what else- Oh thermo-leggings, Yes! So much yes!

Raka:What about these… foot wrappings?

Lyn:Oh stuff yes, Socks! I could kiss you, I almost forgot! Yes, Socks, aaand… Hiking shoes… Ah there. Alright, this is gona be tricky- please let them have my size- Yes! Perfect!

She throws the pair into her chart.

Off in the distance, a shelf falls over with a loud crash.

Raka:What was that?

Lyn:Sounded like a shelf got knocked over.

Raka:(groans) Malaki…

Lyn:I hope he’s OK, these shelves can kill people when they fall on you!

Another shelf gets knocked over.

Raka:What is he DOING?!

Lyn:We should check on him.

Raka:(groans) We better. You got everything?

Lyn:I think so. Let’s go.

Raka rushes on ahead, her toenails now audible on the floor tiles. Lyn follows with her chart.

Raka:(breathless) Where is he?!

Lyn:(breathless) I think that way-

Another shelf topples over, closer this time. All manner of packaging, including bottles and cans hit the ground and roll around on the floor.

Raka:(growls) There!

Malaki is sitting atop one of the shelves, ripping open packages at random and stuffing the contents into his mouth.

Raka:What are you doing, runt?!

Malaki:(growls) Watch how you speak to me, Kyrjir!

Lyn:Mal, get off-

Malaki:(angry) DON’T shorten my name, Human!

Lyn:Malaki! Sorry! You’re knocking over the shelves-

Malaki:(aggressive) You humans have SO much food! I take your supplies and all you care for are the shelves!

Raka:(sighs) Come on, get down there-

Malaki:(angry) WYVURO! (Wind Rune: storm)

A sudden aggressive wind picks up and causes some of the packages on the shelves to fall out. Some of them hit Raka.

Raka:(growls) I TOLD you to use your runes sparingly!

Malaki:(growls) You told me NOTHING! You filthy Kyrjir have no command over me! Yseïr! (Wind Rune: ferocious wind)

Another strong gust of wind blows against the shelves, knocking the one he stands on over. He jumps across to the next one, knocking several items off as he lands.

Raka jumps out of the way to avoid being hit by the toppling shelve.

Lyn:Malaki, what are you doing?!

Raka:What has gotten into you?!

Malaki:(spiteful) I will make better use of your supplies than any of you wasteful humans ever did!

Lyn:By knocking over shelves and spilling food on the floor?!

Raka:I swear, if you’ll use just one more rune I will blow my oath to the wind and-

Malaki:This food is MINE, you can’t take it from me!

Lyn:No one is trying to take the food away from you, Mal!

Malaki:DON’T SHORTEN-

Lyn:Then stop acting like a child, for gods sake!

Malaki:(spitting the words) ACTING like a CHILD! Stop speaking like you know me, like you know Skurka! You humans and Kyrjir know nothing of us! We Skurka HUNGER, we STARVE, we RAID to survive! We don’t act like children, we try to SURVIVE!

Raka:WHAT is your problem, runt?

Malaki:Ṽodyïa! (Wind Rune: Blow away)

A strong gust blows off several cans and glasses off the shelves and blow them in Raka’s general direction. Many of the packages crash on the floor, some shatter, others roll around.

A can hits Raka with a thud.

Raka:(growls) That’s it, I’m going to-

Lyn:Wait! Raka!

Raka:(angry) He’s had more than one chance to stop!

Raka stomps toward the general direction of the shelf Malaki was perching on. She grabs on to one of them and makes it topple over in a short but strenuously groaning effort.

Malaki:(surprised scream as his shelf falls over)

Lyn:Wow, you better apologize now, Mal. Raka just went full hulk!

Raka stomps over to Malaki and grabs him by the scruff.

Raka:WHAT is this about, Malaki?!

Malaki:(struggling, trying to free himself from her grasp) LET ME GO, KYRJIR!

Raka:In your dreams.

Lyn:What’s up, Malaki?

Malaki:You know my name! Tell me how!

Raka:What?

Malaki:Speak! Explain the reason you know it!

(pause)

Raka:Do you not know who we are?!

Malaki:A stinking human and a brutally strong Kyrjir that want to stop me from taking their copious food! Stingy!

Raka:(sighs) Fiyar’ta…

Lyn:Daaaayumn! He forgot!

Raka gives Malaki a little nudge, as she lets him go. He tumbles over a can and lands butt-first in a heap of packages. Raka and Lyn calmly approach him.

Malaki:(growls) Don’t-

Raka:Calm down. I’m not going to do anything to you.

Lyn:Have you really forgotten us?

Malaki:(defensively) I don’t know you!

Raka:We travelled together for over a week.

Malaki:I don’t know about that!

Lyn:You even said we were your packmates!

Malaki:(laughs) Packmates with a human and a kyrjir! Ridiculous! You lie. Deceptive!

Lyn:No, bro! Look, you can take as much food as you want, if that’s what you wana do, we’re not-

Raka:Lyn. (pause) So you don’t remember what you told us the other day?

Malaki:I don’t know you, I have not told you ANYTHING-

Raka:You asked us to help you.

Malaki:ASKED! A Skurki doesn’t ask! Not for help, and not from kyrjir or humans-

Raka:You asked us to help you find Azeri.

(pause)

Malaki:(somber) You know of Azeri.

Raka:Yes.

Malaki:(frowning) I… never told anyone. Explain how you know.

Raka:YOU told us about him. And you literally asked. It sounded awkward and you screwed up the grammar, but it WAS a question. Do you believe me now?

Malaki:I… think I remember… (consternation) You… are… Ra… ku. Raku. No. Name of an elder. Raka. Yes, Raka.

Raka:Yes.

Malaki:And the human… flow. River… Lyn. No, female. Lynku.

Lyn:It’s Zelda.

Malaki:It’s faint… the memory.

Raka:What do you remember?

Malaki:You took my… wind-äthwar… But then you gave it back.

Raka:How much do you remember?

Malaki:I don’t know…

Lyn:Oh! Earlier you learned a whole lot of new words. Do you remember any of them?

Malaki:Words… (first slowly, then faster) Feather-duster. Absorbing. University. Toilet paper. Watergate. Anvil. Stone-age. Cordon Bleu. Decoded.

Lyn:Um…

Malaki:Khorpan-Beylatharis. Heatstroke. Ocean. Scrambled eggs. Fantasy-world. Northis-Frays. Retainer-bot. Lesbian. Swimsuit.

Lyn:Okay, can you narrow it down to words you learned today?

Malaki:Today… Supermarket. Currency. Money. Paper-Press. Printer. Plastic. Polymeres. Rearguard. Vocabulary. Glass. Slide doors.

Lyn:Damn, great memory!

Raka:I think that sums up just how many details he remembers.

Malaki:I… remember all again. I don’t know why I forgot-

Ferryce:Well done. All of you.

Raka:Ferryce!

Malaki:I would’ve preferred to forget about the Væron…

Ferryce:(mocking) Oh, but how could you forget about me?

Raka:Why do you keep still so much lately?

Ferryce:You have to learn to stand on your own feet, Raka. If I don’t speak to you, you will be less likely to rely on me.

Lyn:Out of your sight, out of your mind.

Ferryce:Exactly.

Lyn:So… What do we do now?

Raka:Are you done collecting items you need?

Lyn:Yea, but I still needs to stuff it all into the backpack.

Raka:Then get to it.

Lyn:Right on…

Lyn gets back to her chart and starts stuffing items into it.

Malaki:I haven’t tried all things in the pouches yet!

Raka:How much have you been eating?! Haven’t you had enough by now?

Malaki:I’m a Skurki. Learning how to stuff ourselves for worse times is the first thing we learn. When there’s food around, I eat it, because some days there will be nothing.

Lyn:Judging by how skinny you are I assume you haven’t seen any good times recently.

Raka:(sighs) At any rate… I don’t think I can put this off any longer. We HAVE to summon Thoriantharis. I don’t want what just happened to repeat.

Lyn:Yea, damn. That was definitely a wake-up call.

Raka:Ferryce, do you have any suggestions on how we can find-

Ferryce:(sighs) See, THIS is why I kept still. You use me to take shortcuts on things you should be figuring out on your own.

Raka:I… I apologize.

Ferryce:But for the sake of shortening your sojourn here, I will give you my advice. This place is uncanny, even for me.

Lyn:What do you mean?

Ferryce:(sighs) I hate to admit it, but I don’t know. Something about this place feels… weird.

Lyn:About the Supermarket?

Ferryce:I don’t perceive the world as you do, human. I know you mentioned a building with that name, but to me you are still standing on a plane. No, I mean this whole… construct. The “waterdome”. Unlike the “supermarket”, it is a construct I do perceive. But the things inside it are strange.

Raka:In what way?

Ferryce:(sassy) In a way that I can not and do not care to try to explain to mortals that have not a Værons insight required to perceive the things that feel uncanny to me. Suffice it to say that I do not understand the workings of this place. Nor do I care to. Anyway, my advice is to leave the supermarket. Go outside, stand on a field and look around. You will find all you need there.

Raka:Alright. Thank you, Ferryce.

Ferryce:My pleasure, Raka. And my reward for your efforts.

Raka:Which efforts?

(pause)

Raka:Ferryce?

Lyn:I think they mean how you handled Malaki’s issue.

Malaki:(sheepish) You didn’t hit me, despite what I said and did. I’m… thankful.

Raka:(uncomfortably and unsure how to react) Hm…

Lyn flings the backpack over her shoulder.

Lyn:Alright, I’m done. Ouf, this thing is heavier than I thought it would be…

Raka:Then lead the way to the exit.

Lyn:To the exit, follow the green signs. That waaayy… (confused) Wait, what just happened?!

Halfway through Lyn’s sentence, the supermarket along with the rest of the village vanishes and they are standing on an open field.

Raka:(slight panic) Where are we?!

Lyn:The supermarket is gone!

Malaki:The entire village just vanished!

Ferryce:See, and these are the things I perceive that are odd.

Raka:Ferryce, where are we?!

Ferryce:You are still in the exact same spot you were before.

Lyn:But all the houses just disappeared!

Ferryce:Yes. I perceive a change…

Malaki:I don’t… I don’t know where we are. Can’t see the Skundr!

Lyn:Malaki, the Skundr is outside.

Raka:Lyn, we ARE outside!

Lyn:No, no, I mean Outside of- here, the waterdome?

Raka:(concerned) Waterdome?

Malaki:I don’t know how we got here.

Raka:(concerned) Me neither.

Ferryce:(sighs) Fantastic.

Lyn:We WALKED in here!

Raka:When?

Lyn:Barely an hour ago! We walked into the waterdome and found this place.

Raka grabs Lyns arm out of fear that what she knows is not true anymore. She tries to talk sense to Lyn in denial.

Raka:Lyn! What are you talking about, we’re not inside anything. We’re outside, in the open! Look up! There is a sky above us, do you see it?

Lyn:Let go, damnit! Gosh, you have to work on your robo-droid grip, Raka. You’re hurting me!

Raka:Sorry… you seem confused. Are you hallucinating? Malaki is the one that rolled around in the Sparkthorn earlier, not you.

Lyn:I’m NOT hallucinating, damnit! We went into this giant structure, the Waterdome, do neither of you remember that?!

Malaki:I don’t remember that we went into any large building.

Lyn:But you both remember Malaki rolled around in the Sparkthorn earlier?

Raka:I remember that, yes.

Malaki:(grinning) That was refreshing.

Lyn:Then walk me through what happened after that.

Malaki:I went on ahead to look for prey.

Raka:You and I hiked on, until we found a vantage point from which we saw a valley… (frowning, uncertain) This… valley, I think.

Malaki:I remember a mountain. THAT mountain.

Lyn:No! (exasperated) That’s not a mountain, that’s just a massive rock! (trying to calm down) Okay, wait, wait, wait- Malaki said this mountain had a name, right?

Raka:Yes?

Lyn:Do you remember the name?

Raka:(slow, thinking) He called it… the Monohorn, I think.

Malaki:Yes, Monohorn!

Lyn:NO! He called YOU a Monohorn!

Raka:(outraged) No he didn’t, why would he do that?

Malaki:She is Kyrjir.

Lyn:He called the mountain we saw “Tripeaks!”

Raka:That mountain only has one peak, why would he-

Malaki:That is not the Tripeaks. The Tripeaks has… three horns.

Raka:Lyn, are you alright? You’re acting strange!

Lyn:(huffing) Okay, okay, Raka, DO YOU remember what happened yesterday?

Raka:Yesterday?… (considering) We were in a village.

Lyn:Yes good! Do you remember what happened in that village?

Raka:(in consternation) We spoke with… some people.

Lyn:(expectant) Yes? And what else happened?

Raka:There were twin sisters… One of them… kept forgetting things…

Lyn:Yes! Go on!

Raka:(slightly anxious as she tries to remember) And the other… had Vær knowledge… so we summoned a Væhar that…

Lyn:Yes?

Raka:(anxious) Fiyar’ta… You’re right! We are forgetting things!

Malaki:I don’t understand.

Raka:Yesterday we summoned a Væhar that fed on what you and I know, do you remember?

Malaki:I… (pause) Faintly. It wants your journals.

Ferryce:The MEMORY of her journals.

Raka:(sighs) Fiyar’ta, yes. (angry) Rawnĥïl Salaĥ! I should’ve given them to Þorianþaris! We probably forgot more than the things Lyn had to remind us of. I don’t think all this trouble was worth it…

Þorianþaris:(chuckles) I’m glad you see that now, yes…

Lyn:Oh no…

Malaki:(growls)

Raka:Þorianþaris!

Lyn:Shit, we don’t have a circle!

Þorianþaris:(chuckles) You have no Væron’s knowledge to offer, no no. I had chances aplenty to siphon the memories of the two that bear my mark. There is nothing more to fear from me than that. So tell me, mortals. Why have you come here?

Raka:(shakey at first, then more courageous) I am willing to trade the memory of my first two journals. In exchange, please remove your mark from us!

Þorianþaris:(amused) Very well. And you, Vær-Bane, are you still willing to trade the memory of your first hunt with your Vannir Aurki, yes?

Malaki:(growls) Yes…

Þorianþaris:What of you, Broken-souled human, have you changed your mind, yes?

Lyn:You can have that memory.

Þorianþaris:(chuckles) True to your word, yes… I will take only the journals, then.

Lyn:Huh?

Raka:What?! Aahh… No… (growls, and touches her temples as if she suffered a headache)

Lyn:Are you-

Raka:(bitter) It’s gone. They took it…

Malaki:You did not take my memory.

Lyn:Yea, I can still remember mine, too.

Þorianþaris:(chuckles) You both didn’t hesitate to offer those to me as token of good will, yes… Yet I’ve had plenty of memories from you to feast on. I am sated. For now. Enough to… yes, revoke the mark, and (lustful) take the memories of the journals as provision.

Raka:(subdued growls) What about the village you put your mark on?

Þorianþaris:Yes, what about that village, Knowledge-seeker Raka? I will continue feasting on it, of course. I can not survive without them.

Raka:What can we do to-

Ferryce:What about Garïyarla, is she not feeding you knowledge aplenty?

Þorianþaris:Ah, Væron Ferryce, yes… A Væron in another Værons domain…

Malaki:Another Væron…

Þorianþaris:Not customary, no…

Ferryce:About as customary as it is for a Væron-bound Væhar to feast on mortals outside of their designated habitat, when they are supposed to have a Væron providing for them. Answer, Væhar. Have you fallen from grace with your Væron?

Lyn:(whispering) What is going on, Raka?

Raka:(whispering) Shh… I’m not sure! I have never witnessed anything like this…

Þorianþaris:Hmp. Garïyarla has never provided for me, Ferryce. What kind of Væron would she be to feed me with Væron knowledge? No, no, you have it all wrong…

Ferryce:Enlighten me then, bearer of knowledge.

Þorianþaris:Very well, Væron Ferryce. Garïyarla was tasked to maintain this dome, woven from her very antlers, yes… maintain, oversee, nurture it. With these strange creatures, called humans, harbored within it. Very odd creatures indeed, yes.

Lyn:Do you know why we were here or how we got here?

Þorianþaris:Oh no, no. The reason or purpose is privy only to Væron, and only to the one in charge of this area, yes… It was the knowledge and memories of these humans upon which I was able to sustain myself, yes. Such odd memories they had. Of endless planes without nature, overgrown with houses more numerous than there are trees in a forest. Houses that reached the sky but were not woven of it, that glowed alight in the night by fires that did not burn, fueled by energy that flowed through their walls.

Lyn:I think you’re describing a megacity.

Malaki:(repeating) Mega… city.

Þorianþaris:Yes, you have memories like those too, I see. Such strange memories. Memories not from here, not… not like that of other mortals, no, no. Such nimble minds they had, quick, inquisitive, hungry for more knowledge, just like I am. Garïyarla knew these creatures would wander out of their boundaries, to explore what lies beyond the village she provided to them, yes. Thus it was my task to devour the questions that welled up within them before they had a chance to ask them.

Lyn:Y- You KEPT us dumb?!

Þorianþaris:I kept you oblivious, yes.

Malaki:(thoughtful) And when the Eyta-Vær devoured the source of your nourishment, you had to find another way to sustain yourself.

Þorianþaris:Yes, Vær-bane Malaki.

Ferryce:Why did Garïyarla not stop the Eyta-Vær? Why did she even let them in here in the first place?

Þorianþaris:You have to understand Garïyarla, Væron Ferryce. She is a nourishing Væron, that is her nature, yes. She provides shelter and harbors beings that seek it. As the humans did, yes, and as the Eyta-Vær did, when the weave tore asunder. She believed they simply wanted to feast on the dreams of humans, as is their custom, their nature, yes.

Lyn:But then they just ate us, instead.

Þorianþaris:Yes, Broken-souled human.

Malaki:They devoured that which sustained you.

Lyn:Weren’t you angry? I know I would be.

Þorianþaris:Furious, yes! I tried to interfere, but Garïyarla stopped me. She told me “No, they needed nourishment”, just as I do. What Væron of nourishment would she be, if she allowed one Vær to feast, but not the other? Just because their feasting method was unusual was no reason to deny them from feasting at all.

Ferryce:What utter nonsense. Garïyarla’s task was to harbor those who seek shelter, the humans sought shelter away from the Eyta-Vær in that moment. She should’ve protected them.

Þorianþaris:It was a conflict of interest, Væron Ferryce. To shelter or to nourish. Neither decision was in tune with her design, no no.

Ferryce:A Værons task is to keep the equilibrium of their designated area. The Eyta are nomads, not native to her area. She should not have favored them over her protégées.

Þorianþaris:She understands that now, yes. But what is done is done.

Raka:What is Garïyarla doing now?

Þorianþaris:She… hides. Beneath the lake, in her sanctuary. She blames herself and fears the punishment of the Fiyar’ta.

Lyn:(mimicing Raka’s go-to curseword) Fiyar’ta!

Raka:(scolding) Shhh.

Ferryce:(dismissive) The Fiyar’ta will not punish her for that. The Vær are indispensable.

Þorianþaris:You understand her conflict, yes.

Ferryce:I understand the conflict, yet she is not without fault. She should have found a compromise, or ask the Fiyar’ta directly. Instead, she hides in her sanctuary like a coward, lets you starve be forced to resort to desperate measures to sustain yourself, and allows the weaving of this place wither and crumble.

Þorianþaris:(in sad agreement) Yes, Væron Ferryce.

Raka:Þorianþaris, if we went and spoke to Garïyarla, convinced her to come out of her sanctuary and rebuild the waterdome to help sustain you again, would you be willing to remove your mark from Yakta’s village?

Þorianþaris:Certainly, knowledge-seeker Raka.

Raka:Ferryce, do you think we can convince her?

Ferryce:“We”? Oh no, Raka. You mistook my interest for concern. I have told you already that you can not help everyone. If you still want to try, then this matter is entirely your problem.

Raka:(sighs) Fine. But we’re still doing it… (uncertainly looking to the other two) Right?

Lyn:Well Yakta was nice. I’d like to help her, if we can.

Malaki:I don’t want to go into another Væron’s sanctuary.

Raka:You don’t have to-

Malaki:You are my pack leader. If you demand we do it, I will follow. Even if I don’t like it.

Raka:(uncomfortably) Fiyar- you can say… endearing things sometimes.

Malaki:(sly chuckle)

Lyn:Aww, who’s a good boy?

(Pause)

Lyn:What, no one?

Raka:So, Þorianþaris… Is there a way for us to get to Garïyarla’s sanctuary?

Þorianþaris:She resides at the bottom of the lake. Enter the gate at the bottom, you will find her there…

Þorianþaris’ voice fades, as the ambience shifts, the rustling of the wind in the trees and the chirping of birds are replaced by the echoes of the bottom of a chasm- the same that Lyn has seen earlier. They face a natural rock wall in front of them. Behind them, a stairway leads up to the top of the chasm. A large gateway carved into the chasm-walls reveals a screen of solid water, as if someone had sliced a piece out of the ocean. It’s surface ripples occasionally. Water drips off the edge where the water meets the gate.

The group gasps and take in breath sharply in surprise.

Raka:Where did you bring us?

Lyn:Woa! Where the hell are we?

Raka:Þorianþaris?

Lyn:Raka, turn your headlight on.

Raka:(sighs) Fenet Ronturi! (Fire Rune: jewel torch)

Malaki:A narrow canyon.

Lyn:Are we at the bottom of that gap in the lake I saw earlier?

Raka:It might be… but there are stairs here. Did you see stairs leading to the bottom when you saw the hole?

Malaki starts taking some steps up the stairs.

Lyn:I think so…

Raka:I think Þorianþaris was kind enough to bring us exactly where we needed to go.

Lyn:Mal, where ya going?

Malaki:Up. There is no gate here. It must be up.

Lyn:Um… I assume the gate might be… that… hole in the wall with the door made out of water?

Raka:Fiyar’ta… that looks exactly like a watergate. Albeit less refined, and… much larger.

Lyn:I can’t believe all this stuff was around here all this time. That Thorian guy sure did a good job at keeping us dumb.

Malaki:(with an awkward inflection) So… we go… through the water…?

Raka:I think so. They did say she was in the lake.

Malaki returns from the stairs.

Lyn:Can we breathe in there?

(pause)

Lyn:Anyone?

Malaki:I don´t know.

Raka:(growls, then uncertain) I think… I was in a submerged Værons sanctuary before… But I can’t…

Lyn:Something from your journals? Hey, don’t sweat it. I’ll stick my head in and find out.

Malaki:You had water in your lungs before, I don’t think that is good for you-

Lyn:I’ll be fine.

Lyn takes the few steps to stand directly in front of the watergate (she is still POV!). The rippling water is mere inches from her face.

Raka:Don’t breathe too deeply. Just take a tentative breath.

Lyn:(dismissive) Yes, mom.

She takes a deep breath and sticks her head in.

The windshell also gets submerged in the water, as Lyn has no concept of where her head ends. It picks up the ambience from within the water. Lyn exhales to make room for new air, the bubbles noisily seek their way to the surface.

A few seconds pass, then Lyn jerks her head back and gasps for air, coughing.

Lyn:(coughing) Nope. Can’t breathe in there.

Raka:Fiyar’ta…

Lyn:So how do we get in there?

Raka:I’m not sure…

Malaki:(gently whispering to a feather in his hand) Lyrwyn. (Wind Rune: Breath)

Raka:What did you do?

Malaki:Try this.

Lyn:A feather?

Malaki:I only have one. Stick it between your lips.

Lyn:(with the feather between her lips) Like this?

Malaki:Yes. Do it again.

Lyn:(with feather in mouth) Do what? Stick my head in the water?

Malaki:Yes.

Lyn:Fine.

Lyn pushes her head back into the water. The windshell picks up the ambience from within the water again. Raka and Malaki’s dialogue is picked up muffled from within the water.

Raka:What was the rune you used?

Malaki:Lyrwyn.

Raka:Hm… “Breath”. I’ve never seen a practical use for it.

Malaki:Neither have I. It needs to be close to the mouth to be able to breathe with it, and I hadn’t found a good container for wind runes before. When we summoned Ferryce, you said feathers can be containers for Wind runes. I thought it was worth a try

Raka:I see… Feathers are light enough and can be stuck between the lips to make this work. That was… quite smart.

After a few hesistant seconds, Lyn does a tentative intake of breath in the water. Then another.

Lyn:(in the water, with the feather between her lips) It works!

Malaki:She is saying things-

Raka:(calling through the water) We can’t understand you!

Lyn jerks her head out of the water. She spits out the feather.

Lyn:I said it works!

Raka:Great. Can you make more?

Malaki:I need feathers. That was my only one.

Raka:I’ve got plenty of those… hold on.

Lyn:This is a pretty large feather, though.

Malaki:(sly grin) The Rygiel that bore it was large. It fed Azeri and me for four days.

Lyn:Then you keep it. I don’t wana take your mementos from you. I’ll take one of Raka’s.

Malaki:(memorizing) Memento.

Raka:(massaging her scalp in slight pain) Here. How long will these work?

Malaki:(grinning) As long as you keep them between your lips. And beyond that… half a day.

Raka:Plenty of time then.

Malaki:Lyrwyn. (Wind Rune: Breath)

Raka:Anything else we need to remember?

Malaki:Keep the feather in your mouth, even when you speak.

Raka:Right.

Lyn:Can we leave out backpacks outside?

Raka:(considering) I… That’s a good idea, but… we don’t know if we’ll get back to this exact spot later.

Lyn:Just sayin’, we have edibles in our packs. Those would get ruined if we took them into the water.

Raka:(heavily considering now) You’re right… but…

Malaki:The weight of your things will pull you down in the water.

Raka:Fine. My bow won’t appreciate the water, either. Nor my arrows.

Lyn:You should at least bring that one arrow that you used to tie in the Aetherfrays, maybe?

Raka:Yes, good call. (sighs) Let’s just hope that we actually get back here.

Lyn:What about your Fur-cloak?

Malaki:I won’t leave that behind.

Lyn:It will get wet, though. Won’t that ruin the leather?

Malaki:It will live. Koshoryce are beasts of the Skundr, after all.

Lyn:(shrugs) Sure, do what you must.

Raka:(puts the feather in her mouth) Everyone ready?

Lyn and Raka put down their backpacks. Raka lays her bow flat on the ground, as well as her quiver. She pulls a single arrow out of it and secures it somewhere in her belt.

Lyn:(puts feather in her mouth) I’m ready.

Malaki:(with feather and sly smile) Ready.

Raka:(with feather, takes deep breath) Let’s find Gariyarla.

They approach the watergate. Raka steps in first. The water swallows her as if a large stone hit the surface.

Lyn follows next.

Lyn:(with feather) You know, with the feathers being this shade of magenta it makes us-

Windshell deactivates.

Credits

INT. AURILS STUDY – EVENING

Off mic, Auril is frantically pulling books from the shelf, opening, skimming through and closing them, tossing them aside. After hearing that Raka has given up memories to a Vaehar, he is trying to find traces of her memories in the books Raka has written.

Auril:(cursing, exasperated angry energy) This one’s empty too!

Yosha:What… what exactly are you looking for? Can I help?

Auril:Something- Anything that could be considered traces of Raka’s journals! Quotes, references, excerpts, anything!

He closes a book with a bit too much force and places it disgruntledly on the table.

Then he gets closer to Yosha, where he picks up another softbound manuscript nearby and flips through it.

Auril:Look at this. Completely empty.

Yosha:Could the ink have faded?

Auril:(disgruntled) If it had, you’d at least still see the indent of the letters pressed on the paper.

Yosha:Akasar-

Auril:(slightly agitated) What.

Yosha:Even the cover of that book is blank. Are you sure this is-

Auril:(agitated) Yes, of course I am. I put all of Raka’s journals here yesterday, so in case she did end up giving up her memories to that Vaehar, I’d remember to give these to her. But after she gave up the memories, I noticed that the covers went blank. And all other material I had that quoted those manuscripts are also blank.

Yosha:What about the third journal? It’s over here, hang on-

Yosha reaches over to the stack Auril had pulled the first book from and sifts through them for the next book.

Yosha:Oh. Well… this one still has writing in it.

Auril:It’s like the words she put to paper never existed in the first place. I can’t even… think of a single passage from the book, and I just read some of it this morning!

Yosha:Hmm… I still seem to remember that she wrote of making an oath with a Vaeron that asked for her tolerance to cold in exchange for helping her fix the weave around the borders to the Luri region. Wasn’t that in the second journal?

Auril:(slumped on his chair, dejected) No… I remember that one. That was the fourth journal, I think.

Yosha:Oh… I could’ve sworn it was from the second journal.

Auril:(mock scoff) Well it is now.

Yosha:That’s… unfortunate. But not something we can change anymore now.

Auril:She’s going to be so angry about this…

Yosha:Sometimes… it is important to let go of the past. Things that are not productive to our growth. Perhaps the journals were something that held Raka back.

Auril:Maybe… (sighs) This recording… is also going on the “maybe” stack.

Yosha:Are you sure? That part with the Vaehar seemed like a very valuable lesson on how to interact with Vaehar.

Auril:I don’t disagree, however that bit in the… “super market” was… a very questionable situation to have on record. After all, Malaki did revert back to the volatility he had shown in early recordings, and yet Raka still did not tether him.

Yosha:She’s trying to make first steps towards building a more stable relation in the group.

Auril:Be that as it may, the best we could do is use these recordings heavily redacted.

Yosha:I disagree, Akasar.

Auril:You know, for someone I only hired as a scribe, you seem to be doing that quite a bit lately.

Yosha:Because I’m invested in the potential these recordings could have, as possible communication device and also as a documentation of Raka’s work. I’m dedicating my time and effort to this and don’t want your money for this, the least you could do is hear my opinions.

Auril:(sighs) Fair enough.

Yosha:I feel that it was necessary to know the reason Raka finally agreed to sacrifice her memory to the Vaehar, when she previously refused.

Auril:I don’t think students who wish to become patchers necessarily need to know that. At any rate… I suppose the only bright side of this situation is that Raka and Malaki won’t be losing memories anymore now.

Yosha:Akasar, I have the feeling that this is not yet the last Windshell recording we will hear today.

Auril:I think you might be right. Should we do the references before-

In the background the windshell turns on again and Ep 21 can be heard.

Yosha:Oh. Too late.

Auril:(sighs) Let’s wrap this one up then.

Yosha reaches for her last pages of transcripts and turns the page to write down the references.

Yosha:I’m ready.

Auril:Alright… (reading them off almost a little bored/dismissively) date of recording… same as last one… Vocal enchantments… woven by Kessir Riliniki… Eyþór Viðarsson… Carollyn Monterola… Ester Ellis… Boyd Barrett… Hem Brewster and Travis Vengroff.
Music-Shells came from Fuimadane.
Audio-Enhancements by Sarah Buchynski.
Written and Produced by Kessir Riliniki.