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