Episode 27 | Alluring Circle

INT. YOSHA’S ROOM

Scene starts in Yosha’s room, which is located in a medieval urban area. The room is rather quiet, there are occasional conversations on the street outside the window. Yosha and Parek are sitting at a table together, the windshell receptor built up before them. Yosha is nervous.

Yosha:(deep, nervous breath in and breath out)

Parek:Take your time. We don’t need to rush this. We’re in your room. There’s not going to be any Akasars busting in on you. We’re safe here.

Yosha:(nervous) You wouldn’t say that if you had heard what I’ve heard…

Parek:These are just voices captured in music shells, Yosha. What happens on them doesn’t concern you.

Yosha:Easy for you to say… But one of them happens to be my Akasar. And I do quite like the other two…

Parek:These recordings… they’re like books, you know? If they become too much, you can just set them aside and come back to them when you’re in the right mind to deal with the stories they tell.

Yosha:No, I can’t… I’ve avoided this work for a whole day already… that’s not good. Not good work ethic.

Parek:You’re not here to work, Yosha.

Yosha:Yes I am. Akasar Auril asked me to do this, so I’m here to-

Parek:He asked you. He didn’t hire you.

Yosha:Fiyar’ta, Fee-yar-TAH, it’s not what matters… he wanted to hire me. I just declined any payment.

Parek:(sighs) You are here because of your sense of duty, Sha-sha. That side of you is commendable-

Yosha:(murmuring to herself) But I haven’t done my work for a whole day, that’s not commendable…

Parek:(patiently) -BUT if you let your sense of duty get to you, then sooner or later that will come back to hurt you.

Yosha:(sighs) I understand. Thank you Reki.

Parek:(playful indignation) I asked you not to call me that.

Yosha:We both know you secretly like it.

Parek:Bad enough that you picked that up from Nilti to begin with…

Yosha:Parek?

Parek:See, you DO know my name.

Yosha:(playful) Why do you keep copying Nilti’s pet name for me? Hmm?

(pause)

Parek:Are you ready?

Yosha:What, you’re not gona answer?

Parek:(subdued laughter) Come on, Sha-sha. let’s get this over with.

Yosha:It would be nice if you came up with your own, you know. (steeling herself) Alright. Let’s do this.

Windshell activates.

Lyn stands on the side of a ditch in ankle-deep snow. She is freezing, but Malaki has given her his fur-cloak to warm up. He is in the ditch, breaking off twigs from a brush.

Raka is walking several paces ahead, out of earshot.

Lyn:(shivering) Come on, Mal, I think you’ve got enough of those.

Malaki:There’s never enough of these.

Lyn:(shivering) We gotta catch up to Raka, or we’ll lose her.

Malaki:We need these more than we need the feather-duster.

Lyn:(shivering) Maybe we should help Raka find a place to camp? So you can start cooking, you know?

Malaki:We’ll catch up to her. She is not hard to find.

Lyn:I don’t doubt YOU can find her easily, but… I’d rather make camp before the snow gets stronger (shivering) and, well, I could really use the Heatsphere just about now… err, speaking of which… the windshell just turned on. Do you think we should let her know?

Malaki halts breaking off twigs and looks around.

Malaki:I don’t see Vær nearby.

Lyn:Uh… (looking around) Me neither. So I guess we’re good?

Malaki breaks off one more plant, then plods up the side of the ditch to join Lyn.

Malaki:This should be enough.

Lyn:Great, they’re for tea, right?

Malaki:Tea, or spice in stew. Spicy. Warms from inside. Might help you warm up until we make camp. Try.

Lyn:You want me to eat a twig? I’m not a bunny!

Malaki:Lick it. Or Chew.

Lyn:Urg, be happy you already earned my food-trust…

Lyn:(starts chewing on a branch) Oh dang. Uuuuh! This is really spicy! Oh dayum! (she starts spitting out the twig)

Malaki:(laughs) Now your mouth is warm.

Lyn:I trusted you, damnit! Did you wana kill me?! Holy crap. I was not prepared for that. (spits some more) Dang, I need some water! Oh no, Raka’s got the waterskin… Raka! Milk! Something!

Malaki bends down and scoops up a hand full of snow, then compresses it between his palms.

Malaki:Eat snow.

Lyn:Huuu, thanks bro. (with the snowball/icecube in her mouth) Aww yis, this is much better… Welp. At least I’m not cold anymore.

Malaki:I don’t understand you.

Lyn:(drops the snowball into her cupped hand and slurps up the drool) I said at least now I’m not cold anymore.

Malaki:Good.

Lyn:But… my Tongue is frozen…

Malaki:We follow Raka, then.

Malaki starts plodding through the ankle-deep snow, following Raka’s trail. Lyn catchs up to him a second later.

Lyn:Dang, she sure covered some distance. Do you think she’s still mad about yesterday?

Malaki:She is good at holding a grudge.

Lyn:True. Well. To be fair, what you said wasn’t even remotely close to “Thank you”, and we did go through some trouble to find you.

Malaki:Hm.

Lyn:But enough about her, how are you doing, Malpal?

Malaki:Malpal.

Lyn:Yea, you know… nicknames.

Malaki:You like to shorten words.

Lyn:Makes it more friendly.

Malaki:I don’t like it. My name is Malaki.

Lyn:But we’re a pack now, aren’t we?

Malaki:A pack… I think we are… I don’t know if Raka does.

Lyn:‘Course she does. Look, isn’t it alright for packmates to give each other nicknames?

Malaki:No.

Lyn:You can call me smelly-belly, if you want.

Malaki:That’s not- That’s not shorter than Lyn.

Lyn:Well that’s not the point of a nickname! Look, sometimes even insults can be considered nickname. Even if Raka still sometimes calls you Runt, I think she’s… using it more like a term of endearment. You know?

Malaki:Endearment…

Lyn:Raka has a hard time opening up to people. But she actually does care.

Malaki:I don’t think so…

Lyn:Hey Mal?

Malaki:Yes.

Lyn Are you alright? You seem pretty down since yesterday.

Malaki:(sigh) I’m… better.

Lyn:What about yesterday? You didn’t seem very alright then.

Malaki:I knew that thing was a Vær when it spoke to me, but I thought… I thought I could get rid of it myself. Didn’t expect it to… change into Azeri.

Lyn:Mh, yea, I totally get that. That must’ve been hard on you. But if you wana talk about it… Well I’m here. And I don’t think Raka is gona join us anytime soon, so there’s plenty of privacy.

Malaki:I… have nothing else to say.

Lyn:Sure. Just… be sure you don’t brood on it, alright? Hey, do you want your Fur-cloak back?

Malaki:No, keep it on. You are the one that freezes. The heat in your mouth will vanish soon.

Lyn:The snow actually took care of that. Aren’t you cold at all?

Malaki:It’s much colder in the Skurja.

Lyn:Urg, even colder than this? (heavy sarcasm) Can hardly wait…

Malaki:I know an empty cottage near the border to the Skurja. Azeri and I went there often while we hunted in the Vaurja. We kept some cured hide there. I will make you a cloak, when we get there.

Lyn:Cool, thanks bro. So looking forward to that! Is this fur also one you and Azeri hunted?

Malaki:(proud) A Koshoryce! Our first big kill. We earned our Ri and Ki that day.

Lyn:Ri?

Malaki:Azeri.

Lyn:Aze-Ri?

Malaki:Yes.

Lyn:Oooh, that’s part of your rite of passage, isn’t it?

Malaki:Yes.

Lyn:Why did he not have a Ki? Azeki?

Malaki:Ri is for the first, born in a litter. Ki for all others.

Lyn:Oooh, cool! Yea, I get why you value this fur-cloak so much then. I’ll make sure I don’t sully it as much as I did with the clothes Raka borrowed me… Thank stuff you and I are almost the same height.

Malaki:I… wanted to… say this to you- to-to ask. Ask this of you.

Lyn:Sure, ask away.

Malaki:It does… tell me if… there is… anger- annoyance. That I don’t do ask?

Lyn:If it bothers me that you don’t use questions?

Malaki:Yes.

Lyn:Nah, not anymore. Now that I know why you do that. But knowing why was necessary to get past the “it bothers me” phase, you know?

Malaki:I… understand-

Suddenly a loud calls of a giant moose like creature, mixed with the angry snorts of a boar or bull echoes from the vale behind them.

Lyn:What was that?

Malaki:I don’t know. You… heard something?

Lyn:I- yes, behind us.

Malaki turns around and goes into a defensive stance.

Lyn:Do you think it’s-

Malaki:A Vær, maybe. I didn’t hear it.

Lyn:I think Raka heard it too, she stopped and is looking around.

Malaki:(scoffs) Stupid. She can’t see.

Lyn:I’m sure she’s saying “Fiyar’ta!” right about now. Oh, she’s coming this way-

Malaki:Focus around us, not on her!

Lyn:Okay, on it-

Suddenly Lyn is jerked aside by a tug on the fur-cloak on her shoulders. She screams in surprise. The fur is jerked over her head, as the Koshoryce-spirit possesses the fur.

Malaki:Lyn!

Lyn:Oh shit!

Malaki:My fur-cloak!

Lyn:It’s possessed!

Raka:(calling from far away) Khorpan’hakaris! Get away form it!

Lyn:What did she say?

Malaki:We should get away-

The Koshoryce snorts and stomps one of its hoofs in a threatening gesture.

Lyn:Oh damn, that thing looks like a giant… bison-deer? Moose? I don’t know the difference!

Malaki:It’s a Koshoryce… (cursing) Kokol frith- it’s a Vær, but also isn’t!

Lyn:Why is it possessing your fur-cloak?!

Malaki:The fur belonged to a Koshoryce –

Raka is near enough to understand now.

Raka:(angry, calling out) That’s the spirit of a dead beast, why are you two just standing there?! I told you to get away from it!

Lyn:Well the only physical part of it is the fur, isn’t it? Seems pretty harmless-

The Koshoryce snorts, lowers its horns, then charges at Malaki and Lyn with a booming gallop.

Malaki:Kokol-

Lyn:Uh-oh, scary-

Raka:(angry) MOVE, YOU TWO!

With a strained effort, Malaki hurls Lyn to the side in the last moment, as the Koshoryce charges right past them, sending it dashing and crashing into a nearby tree.

Lyn:Mal!

The tree cracks, debris falling, as the Koshoryce shakes its head to free hits horns from the entangling twigs.

Lyn:Shit- Uh-oh- not harmless at all!

Raka:Get out of the way already!

Lyn:Yes! I get you now!

Raka draws an arrow and loads her bow, then shoots an arrow into the fur.

Although the Koshoryce can not feel the piercing arrow, it moans a ghastly call, then snorts and tries to jerk itself free.

Malaki:No! Don’t shoot arrows in my fur-cloak!

Raka:That’s a corpse-dancer, a spirit that clads itself in remains of dead creatures to influence our realm!

Malaki:That’s MY fur-cloak! Don’t damage it!

Raka:You got a better idea?

Malaki:I… No! I never met such a thing-

The Koshoryce continues to jerk at the fur, snorting vigorously.

Raka:Well then be prepare to lose the cloak-

Malaki:No!

Raka:(con’t) because the only way to get rid of Khorpan’hakaris is by burning the object they possess!

Lyn:Burn it?!

Malaki:(angry) No! that fur is the only thing I have left of Azeri! Stop taking things away from me!

Raka:(exasperated) Then what do you suggest we do?!

Malaki:I don’t know! Banish it!

Raka:I’m not doing that!

Malaki:Then find another way to remove it!

Raka:It will just go straight back into the fur! The fact that this hasn’t happened to you before is frankly-

Lyn:Did this happen because I was wearing it? Broken soul and stuff?

Raka:You were?…

Lyn:Yea!

Raka:(considering) That might explain it, yes…

Lyn:How would I know? So now what? Run or Rune?

Raka:What?

Lyn:You know- Flight or fight? Run or Rune?

Malaki:I’m not using runes against my cloak!

The Koshoryce jerks at its tether until it tore a hole where the arrow has pinned it down.

Lyn:Shit, it’s pulling lose!

Raka:I’d much rather just burn that damned thing and get it over with-

Malaki:No! I will bite your-

Raka:(palacating) I know, I know! I won’t! But I don’t know what else to do with it! The only reason I was able to pin it to a tree is because it charged right into the thicket, but we’re standing on open field!

Lyn:We could try to sneak past it and into the forest? It will have trouble chasing us through the narrow growing trees, right?

Raka:Good call.

Malaki:(despairing) I’m not leaving it behind!

Raka:We can try to find a way to get your fur-cloak back later, but right now we need to get away from it!

Malaki:(despairing growls) Fine!

Raka:Follow me.

Raka stomps on ahead, entering the thicket. Lyn and Malaki follow close behind her.

Behind them, the Koshoryce tears itself free, then shakes off the debris from its horns. It snorts, then stomps its hooves and looks for a way to pursue the trio. It tries to squeeze its way through the thicket, cracking smaller twigs, bending younger trees aside and breaking off the bark of large ones.

Lyn:(running, breathless) It really wants to follow us!

Raka:(running, breathless) Keep up the pace!

Lyn:(running, breathless) Why does it want to attack us though!? What have we done to anger it?!

Raka:(running, breathless) It probably doesn’t appreciate it’s kin being worn as trophies!

Malaki:(running) Azeri and I honored the Koshoryce we killed! We fed on it’s meat and heart and liver, cured its hide and crafted tools form its bones! We wasted none of it!

Raka:(running, breathless) Doesn’t matter, simpler Vær tend to lose their sanity in tangleweaves. There’s no telling WHY its chasing us!

Behind them, the Koshoryce wails.

Lyn:(running, breathless) Did it give up? Because I’m about to give up…

The Koshoryce carges through the thicket, sending twigs and splinters flying as it clears its way through the thicket.

Raka:I don’t think so…

Lyn’s foot gets stuck on a root and she stumbles.

Lyn:(screaming as she falls) Shit!

Raka halts, turns back and helps Lyn up. Malaki halts and looks over his shoulder, to make sure she is alright.

Raka:Come on, get up!

Lyn:It’s getting dark, I can barely see-

Raka:Fenet Ronturi! (Fire Rune: Jewel Torch)

Lyn:(huffing) Thanks, bro-

Raka:Can you walk?

Lyn:I guess I’ll be fine, thanks.

Lyn limps for a few steps, then bites through the pain. The trio starts moving again.

The Koshoryce wails again, and shakes off more of the debris, then dashes through more thicket.

Malaki:Quick, it’s catching up!

Raka:(breathless, running) The trees here are too small and spaced out, we need thicker trees-

Malaki:(running) That way, I think I saw some of the giant trees of the Kyrja there.

Lyn:(breathless, running) Could we climb it?

Malaki:(running, sly) I can. I don’t know about you.

Lyn:Rude!

Raka:(breathless, running) We’ll worry about that when we find one.

The trio runs for a few seconds, Lyn and Raka huffing, their steps cracking through the twigs that litter the floor.

In the distance behind them, the Koshoryce continues charging and cracking through the smaller trees, circumventing those that won’t buckle in it’s flight.

The trio reaches a field more overgrown with smaller plants, but larger trees standing narrower together. Their speed slows down considerably, as they have to tread through the tall-grown plants and grasses.

Lyn:All these plants are slowing us down!

Malaki:The trees are thicker. It will have trouble following.

Lyn:Is it just me or are we moving downhill?

Raka:No, you’re right, this is a downward slope-

Malaki:Kokol frith- Stop!

Lyn halts, just before she steps on the edge of a steep cliff.

Lyn:What? Oh-

Raka:Fiyar’ta!

Lyn:Oooh shit… That was… close…

Raka:(shocked) No…

Lyn:Now what?

Malaki:Wait.

Malaki takes a few steps along the edge, grasping on to low hanging branches.

The Koshoryce continues to dash through the thicket in regular intervals.

Raka:(her breathing starts to speed up) No… no…

Lyn:Where are you going, Mal?

Malaki:Looking for places we can cross. But I see nothing.

Raka’s hyperventilating breath starts quavering and her hands are shaking. She grasps a thin tree to stabilize herself.

Lyn:You got any ideas, Ra-

Raka:(whispering hysterical) No…

Lyn:Raka?

Raka:(whispering hysterical) No, no gap…

Lyn:Hey-

Raka:(whispering hysterical) -the hollow-

Lyn:Are you alright?

Raka:(whispering hysterical) -goes on forever-

Lyn:Raka! Careful, you almost stepped on the edge!

Raka:(whispering hysterical) has no bottom, no end, no no no…

Malaki:There is no way to cross this. Raka, free my äthar and I will bring us to the other side-

Raka:(whispering hysterical) The hollow weave…

Lyn:Mal? I think we might have a problem.

Raka:(whispering hysterical) It’s open, a bottomless pit…

Malaki:Raka!

Raka:I see… the hole, no ground, nothing, just emptiness-

Lyn:(soothing) Okay, Raka? Look here, listen to me… that’s an admittedly scary looking abyss, but you have to focus!

The Koshoryce is very close now, its stomps echoing through the sparse trees.

Malaki:Kokol frith farue! Raka!

Lyn:Raka, snap out of it!

Raka:(whispering hysteria) No, no, no-

Malaki:Raka, my äthwar!

Lyn:Raka! Timing! Always so bad! If you plan on losing the grip on your äthwar, now’s the right time!

The Koshoryce snorts and shakes the debris off it’s back.

Raka:(close to sobbing) Fiyar’ta… no… (whispering) Varna, help me…

Malaki:Thrausar-

Raka:Fara’fyrderin…

Malaki:I’ll distract it; you try to get her focus!

Lyn:On it!

Malaki:(he growls at the Koshoryce) Pesky Koshoryce- I took you out before, I can do it again!

Malaki lunges at the Koshoryce with a growl, trying to claw or bite its windpipe. The Koshoryce shakes, trying to throw him off, as he clings to the fur-cloak.

Lyn:Raka! Hey, you’re pretty dumb, you know?

Ferryce:What are you doing?!

Lyn:Trying to grab her attention! That worked before!

Ferryce:She can’t hear you, she’s tuned everything else out!

Lyn:Then you do something!

Ferryce:This is not my business little mortal.

Lyn:Then shut up with the stupid remarks!

Ferryce:Oh, sure…

Lyn:Raka! Come on!

Lyn tries to pat her cheeks, then increases the slaps a bit when she doesn’t react.

Malaki:(angry, growls) Stop shaking you thrausar Koshoryce!

Lyn:Come on, Raka- lose them edgars! This is a gun, drop the edgars! Goddamnit, look at me!

The Koshoryce bellows, as it manages to throw off Malaki. He manages to land in the bushes and rolls off, then instantly regains his footing and jumps back up.

Lyn:Raka! Raka!

Malaki:(sly, challenging) You want to play! Fine!

Lyn:Malaki! I’m useless here!

Malaki:I will bite your windpipe-

With a growl, Malaki lunges at the Koshoryce again. However, the Vær anticipates the attack and slams it’s antlers into him mid air with a triumphant bellow.

Malaki has the wind knocked out of him as he is hit. He is tossed over the edge.

Lyn:Oh no, Malaki!

Malaki:No! Raewyn! (Earth Rune: Roots)

Roots shoot out of the soil and engulf the limbs of the Koshoryce. It bellows its frustration, as it tries to free itself.

Lyn:Mal, NO! RAKA! WIND EDGAR, NOW!

She shakes Raka hard.

In a last effort, Malaki manages to grab onto a root and hangs on to it, but in its effort to free itself, the beast stomps the ground and breaks the roots Malaki was holding on to. He screams, as he falls.

Malaki:Wyv! Ṽodyïa! Raka! (he screams, as he falls down the abyss)

Lyn: SHIT! MAL!

Malaki’s scream echo down the abyss, then gradually fade.

Lyn:(panicing) Shit shit shit- (calling down the abyss) MAL! Answer me!

Raka:(rattled) Wh- what- Varna?

Lyn:Fuck, Raka, snap out of it-

Raka:(distraught) Where is he?

Lyn:He fell! No Wind-äthwar!

Raka:(distraught) Down… there?

Lyn:Yes, down there!

Raka:No, no, no…

Lyn:We have to look for him!

Raka:(hysterical) We don’t know what’s down there!

Lyn:(exasperated) Of course we know what’s down there- MALAKI is down there!

Lyn’s shout echoes through the abyss.

Raka breathes heavily for a moment. In the background, the Koshoryce bellows, as it tries to free itself from the grasp of the roots.

Raka:Y-You’re right…

Lyn:At least Malaki managed to root that thing before he fell… Small victories…

Raka:(panicing) Ferryce… Please help-

Lyn:Eugh- that’s all you can do?! Ask Ferryce for help?!

Ferryce:(scoffs) And do what? Saving mortals from a 20-tail drop?

Raka:Please…

Ferryce:That’s not part of my Oathbond.

Lyn:I said Shut up, Ferryce. Raka, how about you shine your light down there, maybe we can tell how deep it is!

Raka:No… It doesn’t… reach the bottom- there is no bottom, there’s only nothingness-

Lyn:Raka? Raka, calm down! We don’t have a whole lot of time, that Deer thing is not gona stay rooted forever! Come on, we have to act fast!

Raka:But how?!

Lyn:Um… Give me one of those… (deep breath) Give me one of your fire runes. I’ll take hold of it and steer it to the bottom so we can tell how deep it goes.

Raka:F- Fire rune? A-are you sure?

Lyn:Never mind that, Malaki needs help, that’s more important right now!

Raka:You’re right…

Lyn:Maybe we can use it to see where he landed; you know… I… I can’t see his rune cluster…

Raka:Alright- (nervous, trying to think straight) M- Myr! (Fire rune)

A small crackling flame appears in Raka’s palm.

Lyn:(gulps hard and takes a deep breath) Got it. Kay- here we go. (strained) Yes, now go over the edge- Yep- Now straight down… Nice and steady… getting there-

(pause)

Lyn:Come on, where’s the ground?!

(pause)

Raka:(relieved) There!

Lyn:(strained) See? Told you there was one-

Raka:Fiyar’ta… if only there was a river down there-

Lyn:(strained) Looks like it’s just rocks… shit. Oh gosh I hope this little runie holds out a bit longer, it’s getting really hard to steer at this distance-

Raka:Where did he fall?

Lyn:(strained) Somewhere around here… Oh gosh I can’t tell if that’s all just rocks or-

Raka:Wait, wait wait- go back a bit.

Lyn:(strained) Sure. You mean this way?

Raka:A bit further right- There!

Lyn:(strained) Are you sure? That could just be a-

Raka:It’s him-

The Koshoryce bellows, as it breaks one of its legs free. It stomps the ground heavily in triumph.

Lyn:(strained) Shit, that thing is breaking out of the roots! Do you think we can reach the bottom with your rope?

Raka:(more focused, confident) We don’t have time for that. Let go of the rune.

Lyn:(letting go of the rune, Lyn loses her tension) What are we gona-

Raka puts her arms around Lyn and hugs her tight.

The Koshoryce bellows, as it freed another of its hoofs.

Lyn:(muffled through clothes) Um- okay, is it hug O’clock already?

Raka:Close your eyes.

(pause)

Raka takes a step backwards, letting herself and Lyn fall down the abyss.

Lyn:(panicing increasingly) Shit- Raka, what are you- NO!-

Raka:VUS! (water rune)

Raka’s rune echoes through the abyss, as Raka and Lyn’s body dissolve and turn into water. They splash down the abyss like a waterfall.

The ambience temporarily resembles underwater audio, then shifts to the sounds one would hear as they breach the surface.

They hit the Ground like a large waterballoon, bursting as it hits the rocks floor. Half the content of Raka’s backpack falls out and scatters across the floor, as they take shape again.

Lyn and Raka cough.

Lyn:(coughing) Shit! Warn me next time you gona turn us into water! Gosh, this was even worse than Mal turning us into air!

Above them, the Koshoryce bellows triumphantly, as it freed itself from the roots. It snorts, then leaves.

Lyn:I think that thing’s leaving.

Raka:(coughing, weak but urgent) Ugh- get off me.

Lyn:Oh, sure.

Lyn rolls off Raka. Raka instantly jumps up and runs off a short distance.

Raka:(worried) Malaki!

Lyn:Did you find him?

Raka:Over here! (worried) Malaki, are you alright?

Lyn stands up, drops her backpack and quickly follows Raka. Raka is leaning over Malaki, tapping his face.

Lyn:Oh gods… so much blood-

Raka:Malaki! Talk to us!

Lyn:Check his pulse, his breathing!

Raka:Malaki!

Lyn:Mal! Malaki!

Raka:Malaki, look at me!

Malaki:(groans)

Windshell deactivates.

Credits

INT. YOSHA’S ROOM – EVENING

Yosha drops the pen and there is a long silence hanging in the room.

Then, Yosha takes a long, deep breath.

Parek:Take your time.

Yosha:(quietly, quavering) I can’t stand hearing them like that…

Parek:You care about them. I can see that.

Yosha:(quietly, quavering) I hate that they’re getting hurt like this… I can’t… I don’t know if I can keep doing this, Reki…

Parek:You have to.

Yosha:(bursting out) I can’t do anything for them, Reki, not from here! (quieter, but quavering) Fiyar’ta, I can’t even do anything for them if I was there, either…

Parek:You don’t have to be. There’s something you can do from here.

Yosha:(sniffling) And what’s that?

Parek:Keep listening.

Yosha:(sniffling, but calmer) I don’t understand… how does that help anyone?

Parek:Well, if something more serious happens, you’re the only person to know.

Yosha:That’s not very helpful…

Parek:You’ve documented their journey so far. I’m fairly certain it’s possible to pinpoint where they are now using your transcripts.

Yosha:If someone is familiar with the area, probably…

(pause)

Parek:(sighs) Well, if something were to happen, you could inform the magistrate and they can send help.

Yosha:(sniffling) You’re right… But… what if they get hurt again…? I could only tell the magistrate that Raka needed help, they wouldn’t send anyone if it was for Lyn or Malaki…

Parek:Well… magistrates don’t have to know all the details, do they?

Yosha:(playful indignance) I can’t just lie to the magistrate, Reki!

Parek:The ends justify the means. These are people you care about, after all.

Yosha:(sighs) I do, but… I’m not sure I could just lie like that…

Parek:Look, I can inform them, if you want.

Yosha:(sniffling again) I’m not going to make you lie for me, Reki…

Parek:Up to you, Sha-sha.

Yosha:(giggles a little, then like an afterthough) Oh… Were there any more recordings when you picked them up from the study this afternoon?

Parek:There were three, I think. At least if each of these is a recording.

Parek nudges the two remaining marbles on the table that contain the recording.

Yosha:They usually are. Though sometimes the recordings come out just a couple fragments long and with no real substance. Akasar Auril usually sorts those into the pile of useless recordings. But we’re gona have to listen through the whole thing before we know if it’s useful or not.

Parek:Then I guess we’re about to find out, hm?

Yosha:(sighs) Alright… I think with you here I can do that.

Parek:You can take a break, if you want. We don’t have to listen to the next one right away.

Yosha:No, I think you’re right. If something happened to them I should know about it. I’ve already wasted an entire day being too anxious to listen…

Parek:Glad to see you’ve found your motivation again.

Yosha:Yea… I just have to quickly note down the references for this one.

Parek:Need some help? I can at least do that part for you.

Yosha:No, that’s alright, I got this. Let’s see…

Yosha:Alright… today’s Lyranuka on the 5th day of Kukolon’kos in the 5th year of the Vær, 101st generation. Vocal enchantments were woven by Kessir Riliniki, Carollyn Monterola, Eyþór Viðarsson, Ester Ellis, Neil Martin and Hem Brewster. Music-shells were provided by Fuimadane. Audio-Enhancements were by Sarah Buchynski. Written and Produced by Kessir Riliniki. Okay, we’re good to go.