S3E10 - Applehead

Nar - Keldor
The battle was swift as the Mistgard tribe occupying Garnet Keep had no idea of what was happening. Those who ran were allowed to scatter down the stone bridge as there was little possibility for a counter-strike. the ringing of steel against iron echoes through the halls. until all was done.
SFX switch from battle sounds to cheering to party1
The revolutionaries celebrated in the courtyard that evening. Dancing and feasting took place in the open by old garden beds and by the great tree that stood in front of the Forebuilding of the keep itself. The bonfire was lit by the old blacksmith shop the light of which danced in the branches of the strong and Ancient Oak. Beneath that tree stood a powerful woman leaning on a great glaive. Her face now washed revealing her once golden hair ran with more silver these days. Her sky blue eyes held a youthful fire though the years showed in the worn rose beige skin surrounding them. But she smiled. And seeing her face again brought such a warmth to my heart.
elona
(questioning slightly tired) Twenty? Twenty years Keldor? It... it seems impossible.
keldor
Yes Elona. Twenty... Long years old friend. But she still stands... as do you.
elona
(chuckle) hmm.. yes.
(smiles) Yes she does doesn't she. My ancient oak.
(beat) I've often wondered Keldor... Has she always stood here? When this keep was built was she but a sapling?
elloveve
(smiling) Hmm... I like to think so, Elona.
nar - keldor
Elloveve had returned to our reunion under the tree carrying 3 goblets of sweet mead from the celebration.
elona
(happy) Ah! To say I missed you Elloveve would... fall so short...
(pause holding back tears) I... don't remember anything...
(trembling) I thought I lost you all...
elloveve
(consoling) There there... we're here now.
elona
(sobbing) Lucilius... my boys...
keldor
(consoling) ...your boys are here too. Elona.
(beat) Come. Please, sit... Lets take it back...
elona
(trying to gain control) But I...
Keldor
Let's just see if we can fill in the gaps. Not looking to solve... Just remove some confusion. (beat) Okay?
Nar - Keldor
Elonas face was buried in Elloveves arms. Elloveve looked as me, her face tormented with the sympathy of her friends pain.
elloveve
I... I don't think shes ready Keldor I...
elona
(sniffs) No. I...
(and steels herself) I'm ready... (sniff) I can do it...
Nar - Keldor
The three of us sat down on the large exposed roots of the massive tree. The moss was soft to my hand as I eased myself down offering a hand upward to Elona who smiled taking it politely as she sat down easily. One thing was certain, she didn't share the complaints I did in my lower back. She was as strong of an athlete as when I last saw her.
Transition
SFX Footsteps in the stone hall.
cordelia
(hushed) Wow this place is amazing... Look at that!
Nar - Keldor
Cordelia had left the celebration to reacquaint herself with the home of her childhood. She was only a few months old when they were chased away but there are flashes. Bits of feeling at least. The largely unused 2nd floor hall slowly showed less and less of the mud and iron decorations the Mistgard had used and more ancient banners became visible. Banners similar to the ones in the Celestine tower. Depicting historic battles such as a king in solid ebony stood on a frozen battlefield. The helmet on his head sprouted 2 elk-like antlers and in his hand was a dark staff topped with a sphere of onyx. Lightning pours from his hands across the soldiers before him behind a banner emblazoned with a Wolf.
cordelia
(beat) wow... I wonder who you are... (pause for SFX Calling) ...what the?
Nar - Keldor
Cordelia heard a faint voice in the next room. Peering into the corner chamber she saw 2 great ancient windows that opened up to a view of the lake behind the keep. The moonlight danced off the short ripples on the water casting a blue white glow into the room only disturbed by the torch in her hand. There was a crib here and several old books on a table. All lost to rot and time being exposed here. The room was not to be used in all seasons of course.
cordelia
Summertime. (beat) we left during the summertime. Hmm..
Nar - Keldor
She thumbed the books on the table gently. Nursery rhymes mainly, and a short tale about a clumsy dragon. She smiled at that.
cordelia
(chuckle) (beat) (curious) ... Well what are you?
Nar - Keldor
Below the pile of books was a single white leather
tome in pristine condition. As if immune to the elements themselves.
transition
the tree
Nar - Keldor
Elona could feel the cold stone of the prison still. Mold and decay left a rancid smell that stuck to the skin ...and the spirit.
elona
(narrating) Following the siege the bandits threw me in the keep's dungeon below. The one we never used. I wasn't chained just locked up... I counted days in the number of naps I took. I never truly slept... My mind was nothing but a pool of lost dreams and fractured memories.
(pause sigh) I placed tallies on the wall with a small stone until there was nothing left and then gave up. I would sleep 2 or 3 times before they would give me anything to eat... And even then it was hardly anything. A cup of rice water or the end of a hambone... A moldy piece of fruit...
The damp stones of the wall soon became greasy from my hands constantly... Feeling... Trying to stay busy... Trying to stay sane... But I just sat there in the darkness... Waiting... Until one day...
muffled battle sounds
spilge
(panting) There! There's someone down here too!
(beat) well hello... and who are you?
elona
(croaking) I am...
(narrating)I hadn't heard my own voice in so long all I could do was force air past the dry cords of my throat and hope. He just laughed at me.
spilge
(laughing) hahaha! Well... come here my little friend and look into my eyes...
(cruelly) DEEP into my eyes.
elona
I... Never should have taken that step. But he was to be my liberator. My new ally. The desperate mind does desperate things. His name was Spilge. A witchmaster of the Mistgard tribe. The Mistgard were led by King Karag. A cruel man who delighted in terrorizing his victims before slaying them. I thought I was to be slain as well but then I was reunited with Tempest, my glaive...
karag
(laughing) The girl knows that weapon? Great. (cruelly) Then use it.
(calling) Pergu! Nargol!
(SFX Battle sounds)
elona
Well they saw something in me... I made quick work of those 2 warriors right here actually... By this tree. I can still hear Karag laughing as he named me "Bright Oak" after my tree... then made me one of the tribe... Spilge had cast a deep charm on me, which grew even tighter around my reality... my very soul... making me believe I had always been one of them. I fell deeper into this living nightmare. I started decorating myself with moss and mud hiding my humanity and became feral and animalistic. Embracing the tribes values of blood, war and vengeance.
Nar - Keldor
She looked up at me. Tears had ceased to flow. The sky blue pools in Elona's eyes validated the truth of words even if I wished to refute it. But now a level of clarity came to them.
elona
I wandered to the second floor one day. No one had any interest and I just felt a bit of wanderlust. Something called my footsteps to a familiar yet unfamiliar room. In the center was a scorched crib... this meant something to me but I didn't know what. I wandered back to the mead hall and rejoined the feasting. Then I started having dreams. I dreamt of the children. I could see Zane taking cookies from the bakers racks and looking at me innocently when I scolded him. I saw Lucilius smiling behind his dark
beard at the baby in that crib. But the crib had no marks. No burns. I woke that night unable to go back to sleep. It seemed then this false reality Spilge had woven was beginning to crack.
I walked back to the second floor and to the front of the Forebuilding where I found the crib. I carried it downstairs into my room. Over the next few days I found an old babies gown, and began twisting old grey rags into a bodies shape stitching it together loosely.
(beat) I formed a bodies shape that matched the hole in my heart...
(beat) I placed the gown over its soft terrycloth shoulders. I cradled it in my arms, pulling it closely to my chest. This was familiar... it was helping me realize what I was missing in my torn heart... but the palm of my hand felt empty. Incomplete..
Days went by as I tried stones by the lake in my hand and even pinecones. But it was in the feasting hall. I sat next to Spilge who grabbed an apple from the center of the table.
spilge
(laughter) HAHAHA!
(suprised) HEY!
(pause then chuckle) hoho... fine then. Take it.
elona
I snatched it from his hand. I ignored him as i stared at the apple imagining something. perfect. I took it to my room and began removing the pieces that didn't belong to my vision from the apple with my dagger. after a few hours I happily placed it on the dolls body...
And then held it...
(beat) The hole in my heart began chipping away at that spell. I remembered events or emotions briefly, but most importantly... I thought I heard names. Your names. The tribe became restless. Talking of an incoming invasion. Many members snuck off into the night deserting the tribe. I stayed. I would stay my
ground for this... building and the memories it held as I was realizing that was the real me. And I would outlast them all... Then the invasion came.
(smiles happily) And so did my sons!
Nar - Keldor
We all embraced under the great oak. And the sounds of dancing and merriment would carry into the evening. Elona the Fair had returned to Garnet Keep though physically she had never left.
cordelia
Hey!
(beat) I'm not interrupting am I?
elona
(sniff and happily) no Cordelia!
(beat) You look... so much like Lora. Doesn't she.
Keldor
Absolutely!
elloveve
Yes. I have thought so many times.
cordelia
(bruskly) Oh well thanks but...
(beat) I found this in the old south nursery. The one outside where the fire was.
Keldor
A book? It looks familiar.. but its blank to me.
elona
Wait.
(beat) What do you see Cordelia?
Cordelia
Only my mother's name on the back.
elona
(laughing) hahaha!
(beat) oh come on. Don't tell me you two forgot about Lora's spellbook.
elloveve
oh... yeah!
keldor
Wow! That's right she had it locked down that makes sense why we can't see anything.
elona
(explaining but happy) Cordelia. Your mother used a single word to lock that spellbook.
cordelia
(confused) how would I know what word to use?
elona
(chuckle) It was the one thing that meant everything to her in the entire world when she made that spellbook.
Nar - Keldor
Realization washed over her as she held the soft white leather book in her hand. She looked at the smiling faces of the 3 elders in her life. She smiled and placing her left hand on the book spoke...
cordelia
(sighing) Cordelia.
Nar - Keldor
The book flared and in an instant was gone.
cordelia
(panicing) but ... I was sure... I oh no..
elona
(laughing) You were right child!
(smiling) Where would Lorahana keep... a spellbook?
Nar - Keldor
Elona held her hands gently as she turned them over revealing the tattoo of a White Book on her left wrist.
transition - Epilogue
Commoner 1
(shouting) Hey, Food's getting cold!
Zorin
And true to form... You talk to much.
Keldor
Well Zorin...
(chuckle) thank you for the thoughtful critique.
Zev
It helps at least get us started.
Zorin
Started doesn't cut it kid.
zev
Kid? I'm not much younger than you.
zorin
Considering I'm in charge... Its kid.
mierak
Regardless the worshipper of the Sea Devil is right.
zev
Really?
(beat) Wait... Devil worshipper? What?
mierak
Hahaha!
(beat) I mean Zorin you still haven't explained... Why ARE you in charge?