An Najaf/“The Quest for the Star Crown” By Knight Ultor Amedes/Act Two

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Act Two:

Scene One:

They enter into the Astrum Woods, and mush an hour or two in. The canopy blocks out the sun completely and they are walking through the shade. Oddimes notices some rustling not too far from where they are, but says nothing. As they walk along, they find a reasonable clearing to sit for refectory. They prepare their meals and begin eating. Lunch consists of figs, grapes, bread and cheese. Each of them has a satchel of wine to drink. An Najaf wine is, after all, the finest wine the East Continent produces.

They begin to speak of good times they shared, and poke fun at each other as they would do. Brako seems to be the butt of most of Oddimes’ jokes, but they are friends like any other. Cri Cri, the youngest, sometimes cannot relate to some of the stories that Tantor tells because he was not old enough to remember, or not old enough to be active. While he sits and listens to one particular story, he sees a shade drift by behind their camp. Slowly, and in the distance. He stares intensely at it to make sure it is not his eyes playing tricks. Slowly, in the distance, it gets bigger. He continues to watch it until he begins to hear rustling and branches snapping.

He alerts the others to hush.

Cri Cri: “Hey, pssh! Quiet! Look!”

The others look. They hear rustling and snapping branches, and slowly in the distance, the shade gets bigger and they begin to hear the breathing. The shade picks up speed and soon it becomes in full view of the camp. There before them is a giant, roaring black bear! At least, giant compared to them. But an angry giant bear nonetheless! The bear smelled their food and came looking to join in the meal. The gang screamed in terror and scattered into the bushes, falling in odd places and ducking into whatever bush they could fit in – thorny or not.

The bear begins to eat the packs they brought. The guys, terrified, watch. The bear then stops eating the grapes and sniffs around. He roars a mighty roar and then stands on his hind legs. The bear has found Cri Cri. Cri Cri yelps in horror and rolls out of his bush back into the camp. The bear swings at him but misses. Just then the rest of them spring out of hiding and gather behind the bear. Cri Cri dives past the bear and is collected by the gang.

Tantor: “Oh kavorc! It’s a monster!”

Brako: “It’s going to eat the food!”

Oddimes: “It’s going to eat us!”

Cri Cri: “Run away!”

Tantor: “Run away!”

They run into the forest a good distance, but the hungry bear chases after them with great speed. The bear catches up to Tantor and swings its heavy paw at the back of him, knocking him far into the ground. Tantor smacks the hard forest floor and bounces some ways. Brako notices and calls the other guys together.

Oddimes: “Tantor’s dead! The beast got him!”

Brako: “I thought there were only wolves in these forests?”

Cri Cri: “Wolves too?”

The bear roars!

Oddimes: “That’s no wolf!”

Cri Cri: “What about Tantor? We have a right to his family to return his corpse.”

Oddimes: “But the beast blocks us!”

Brako: “Then we’ll have to defeat the beast!”

Cri Cri: “How?”

Brako unsheathes his blade at ready. He then quickly devises a plan.

Brako: “Alright. You two stand in line here and here, I will hide over there. Lure the bear towards you and I will jump out and hit him in the back of the head.”

Cri Cri: “What if he sees you first?”

Oddimes: “What if the beast has eyes in the back of his head? Then we are all done.”

Brako: “If he turns my way, then, you hit him in the back of the head.”

The bear roars again and begins to pace towards them!

Brako: “Move into position now!”

They do as he says. Brako hides behind a tree and holds his sword very close to his chest, the point is practically touching his face.

The bear drums towards Cri Cri and Oddimes who are at guard with their blades. The bear stands on its hind legs and roars at them. They both scream with fright.

Just then, Brako jumps out from his hiding place and stabs the bear in the back. It turns towards him and bats him into the tree.

Oddimes: “It killed Brako!”

Cri Cri: “Run!”

Oddimes: “No, TORRA!

Cri Cri: “What?”

Oddimes: “ATTACK!”

The two leap into the bear and begin plunging their swords into it. Brako gets back up and joins them on the bears back. The bear tosses and turns them all over, Cri Cri falls off and is trampled. Oddimes is also tossed off, both of their swords are still in the bear’s back. Brako remains. He then pulls out Cri Cri’s blade and stabs the bear in the back of the neck, then uses Oddimes blade to stab it in the spine, and then his own blade is used into the bear’s skull.

The bear drops to the ground gushing black bile and thick blood. Brako puts his left foot on the beast and his fists to his waist, smiling at the sun, though the sun can’t be seen.

The other two recover and cheer. Tantor strolls gallantly into the celebration and they cheer all the more!

Oddimes: “Tantor’s alive!”

Tantor: “Let’s hear it for Brako the Beastslayer!”

All: “Brako the Beastslayer! Hurray!”

Cri Cri: “We are still alive, thank goodness.”

Oddimes: “What about the food, any of it survive?”

They make their way back to the camp and find the packs ripped and torn, but mostly in tact. Except for Oddimes’ pack, all of his food was eaten.

Oddimes: “Curse that foul creature! My lunch, my dinner! My food!”

Brako: “Don’t worry, my mom packed enough for three of me. You can share mine.”

Oddimes: “Sun bless Mrs. Pushiflees!”

They set up camp and relax for the rest of the day. Things return to calm and they have tended to their scrapes and bruises. Tantor took a hit to the head, but he is alright. And Brako bruised his elbow when he hit the tree. Cri Cri has scratches all over his chest and back when the bear stepped on him. They see each other’s marks and laugh.

Brako: “Be proud of the scars you wear. A man is not a man unless he has lived as one. Scars are the only way to show it.”

Cri Cri: “I don’t want scars like this; my whole chest is marked up.”

Brako: “What’s the difference? No one has scars like that. It is a badge of the trials and tribulations of your life.”

Tantor: “Trial against the beast of the Astrum Woods of Oporto!”

They laugh and enjoy the rest of the evening.

Scene Two:

The next morning they gathered their things and continued through the forest. Somehow they figured they were going the correct way, naturally they were not. They made it safely to the Inn in the middle of Oporto, called Better Ways.

Tantor entered first followed by the rest. Inside there was only one matron at the bar. No customers. Tantor spoke with the lady about directions and acquiring a map. She was a lovely middle aged woman, with dark hair and a proud face. She ran the whole Inn all by herself with no assistance, except for the suppliers who delivered goods and parcels to her and her guests. She said not too many guests stayed at her inn because it was not on the main path. It was, she asserted, the only Inn right in the middle of the Astrum Woods of Oporto. She offered to rent rooms to them for half price if they wanted, but they had already slept in the forest and were anxious to get to the border of Braga. She wished them good journeys and they went on their way.

Tantor: “Did you hear what she said? This inn is in the middle of the Astrum Woods of Oporto. I thought we could have reached the border to Braga faster than the middle of the forest?”

Brako: “We must have entered in the wrong place.”

Oddimes: “You said to enter there! We just went straight!”

Cri Cri: “Are we there yet?”

Tantor: “According to this map we have to go northwest to the border of Braga. So…that way.”

They collect their things and began walking. Fortunately the map the Inn lady gave them directed them well towards the proper path and they were on it safely in no time. They continued walking as the day wore on. The light was soon overtaken by darkness and the forest was nearly black as bitumen. They kept walking and talking to each other, and none of them noticed they passed the border to Braga. They were now in the Astrum Woods of Braga.

Without paying much attention they kept on walking and met a fork in the path. Without noticing they took the path that led further west, the wrong direction. The darkness overcame all light and they were walking with lanterns.

Cri Cri: “It’s getting dark, how long have we been walking?”

Oddimes: “I am cold, let’s start a fire.”

They make space in the thick and set up camp, igniting a fair sized camp fire, bigger than they needed. They stretch out and lay around the fire.

Tantor: “That beast was one hell of a battle!”

Oddimes: “We thought you were dead!”

Tantor: “I could have been if it wasn’t for you guys.”

Cri Cri: “It’s all thanks to Brako.”

Brako: “Nah.”

Oddimes: “I am hungry. Let’s snack!”

Tantor: “Again? Wasn’t lunch enough?”

Oddimes: “Enough! We have been walking all day. I am hungry.”

Brako: “Me too.”

Cri Cri: “Me three!”

Tantor: “Let’s eat. Keep your eyes open for bears.”

They begin snacking. Brako makes himself a lettuce and pepper sandwich. The others eat various snack foods like goat cheese wedges, figs, olives or bread slices with fig jam. After the small meal they nestle in under the blankets and begin to doze off. The campfire subsides and they are all fast asleep.

The moon is high and the white light pierces through the canopy. As they sleep entities beyond the natural realm begin to stir. The fire rages, but is not warm. The white light pierces through the canopy. As they sleep unnatural beings begin to gather. The trees stir, but do not make a sound. The white light pierces through the canopy. As they sleep shapes and forms begin to dance. They twirl and dip and roam, but none of the men are bothered. The white light pierces through the canopy. As they sleep the dance moves faster. The light shines brighter and the beings take each others hands, dancing around the inferno, but none of the men are burned. The white light pierces through the canopy. As they sleep the forest celebrates life, energy, exuberance! The fire changes to many brilliant colours, from orange to pure white to gleaming silver. From cobalt to crimson, from salmon to peach. The spectres parade and indulge. The youths notice not. The spirits join as one in the fire then spark out like fire crackers in every direction. The white light pierces through the canopy. As they sleep the spirits take on the shine of the fire, matching colour for colour. The fire reaches out and grabs each spirit, and takes them back into the fire. Some spirits rush quickly away from the blazing hand but are eventually consumed. All this in silence. The white light begins to fade through the canopy as the night wanes. As they sleep they begin to feel colder. The fire eats up all the spirits and begins to settle. The white light passes out of union. As they sleep they begin to stir, and one awakes to rekindle the fire.

Morning comes, and the youths stretch out their bodies from sleeping on the firm hard ground. They eat quickly then pack their things and continue walking. Eventually they come to a sign that says “Dulbin, keep walking.” Tantor checks his map and hits himself in the head.

Tantor: “We are going the wrong way!”

Oddimes: “You’re joking with us right?”

Tantor: “Read the sign. Dulbin, that’s the wrong direction. Krimml is that way.”

Cri Cri: “Whose idea was it to go this way?”

Brako: “No ones, we must have gone off the right path.”

Cri Cri: “Whose idea was it to make sure we were on the right path?”

Oddimes: “Tantor has the map.”

Tantor: “We were on the right path. All we had to do was go straight this way and then make sure to…go…right…when we got to the fork….”

Oddimes: “Aha!”

Cri Cri: “A fork in the road? Blast it all to smithereens, now we have to back track!”

Brako: “Curse this Astrum Wood, why couldn’t they have better routes. Don’t the Bragaians have to travel through here too? You would think they would have sorted this out a long time ago.”

Tantor: “They probably know the way like the back of their hairy hands.”

Oddimes: “Rotten luck we have. Should we turn and walk back?”

Tantor: “We can cut through this way and match up to the path eventually.”

Cri Cri: “More bush? Aw, thrashing is so tiring.”

Brako: “You want to be here all day?”

Tantor: “C’mon we just have to make sure we stay straight, and we’ll be there in no time!”

Oddimes: “I hope you stay straight, or else we’ll have another Cri Cri in our group.”

They all laugh, but Cri Cri.

Cri Cri: “Keep it up and we’ll see what happens to you!”

Oddimes: “What? Are you going to throw mud at me like last time?”

Cri Cri: “I’ll punch you right in the nose!”

Oddimes: “Oooo! Mud slinger! Mud slinger!”

Brako: “C’mon, let’s keep walking.”

Brako pushes the both of them into the thick, and they begin working their way through. All day of thrashing they come to another already clear point in the thick of the bush. Here they set up camp again and eat and drink. They notice the time is getting late and so they start another fire. Once again they begin to settle down and get cozy, then drift to sleep.

Then the magic awakes again. This time, the magic is not festive or cheery. This time, the magic is dangerous and resenting. As they sleep, a young woman walks in a straight line slowly past the camp. She is dressed in old traditional garb, and made up like a courtesan. When she reaches the top of the camp, she turns and walks diagonally through the camp, through the fire and reaches the other point. She faces the point parallel to the previous and walks slowly, almost hovering, towards it. When she meets the point, she turns diagonal and walks through the fire again and ends up right at the beginning of her stroll. Her route makes a tipped over hour glass. She then winces in pain and shrieks. The youths awake in alarm, they see nothing. The darkness has overcome the light.

They all sit up and look at each other, their hearts beating faster than they can think.

Cri Cri: “Oddimes, did you yell?”

Oddimes: “No. Why would you think it was me?”

Cri Cri: “I heard it from where you are sleeping.”

Tantor: “It sounded like it came from Brako.”

Brako: “It was not me.”

Oddimes: “I was sleeping until a sound shocked me awake. A dreadful sound.”

Cri Cri: “I heard it too.”

Tantor: “We heard something. Maybe there is a gang roaming around the forest and they found a prey. They could still be out there!”

They all get up and arm themselves.

Brako: “Damn this Astrum Woods. Dangerous as it is massive!”

Oddimes: “We should have taken the coast!”

Cri Cri: “We should have stayed home!”

Tantor: “Stay quiet, does anyone hear anything else? See anything? It all looks dark to me.”

Oddimes: “Snuff out the fire!”

Brako: “No, they would have already seen it. We would be giving them the advantage.”

Cri Cri: “Shh!”

Silence.

They stare into the distance.

Nothing stirs.

Tantor: “Maybe it’s over. Maybe they went in the opposite direction and never saw our camp.”

Brako: “Maybe they are waiting for us to go back to sleep so they can raid the camp and slit our throats”

Cri Cri: “Aaaah, that’s not honey with me man!”

Tantor: “Alright, night guard! Brako, you and me are the oldest so we will take first and last shifts. Cree, you are after me, then Oddimes. Got it?”

They all nod. Then settle back into their blankets. Tantor stays up and watches. First he consistently checks each flank of the camp, then, he eventually settles in front of a tree and becomes entranced with the fire. Nothing happens. Eventually he wakes up Cri Cri and passes guard duty.

Cri Cri sits at the same tree Tantor was and watches; eventually he watches the fire too. Later, he wakes up Oddimes and they switch.

Oddimes stands guard, and then sits. He does not move much except to stretch out his legs. He hears the full range of night noises. The animals, night birds, and rustling leaves make music in the night, but nothing suspicious. Oddimes drifts into sleep.

The woman appears again. She kneels beside Oddimes and fawns his hair. She then kneels closer and kisses his lips. Oddimes smiles, and then opens his eyes. He sees the woman directly before him, but does not panic. Calmly, he watches her stare deeply into him. He focuses on her eyes, the depth of them, almost like he can see through them at himself. They stay like this for a moment, when suddenly Brako leaps into action and catches the woman. Oddimes snaps out of it and sees Brako struggling with himself.

Oddimes: “What are you doing?”

Brako: “I got it! I got it!”

Oddimes: “What do you have?”

Brako realizes he has captured nothing. Looks around and then sits back down.

Oddimes: “What did you have?”

Brako: “There was a strange woman in front of you. She had torn clothes and pale white skin.”

Oddimes: “A woman?”

Brako: “Did you see her?”

Oddimes: “I saw…I saw no one.”

Brako: “Well, your shift is over. My turn.”

Oddimes: “…Alright…”

Oddimes takes his place under his blankets as Brako stands guard.

Brako, to himself: “Woman, where are you?”

Brako settles down by the post tree and he quickly falls fast asleep. The woman appears beside him, kneels and looks at him. She then stands and walks over to Oddimes. She kneels beside him and fawns his face, lightly touching his cheeks and lips, admiring him. Oddimes softly awakes and sees the woman.

Oddimes: “Who are you?”

The woman kneels closer and kisses him, then stares into his eyes. Oddimes falls back into the trance he was in. Staring deeply into her eyes, he sees a warm darkness, as if he welcomes the night. He feels comfortable, safe, and appreciated by her eyes. She places her hand on his chest and he can feel his heart beat. It beats fast, and then faster and faster. Then it slows down, slows, slows. He appreciates the darkness, longs for it, and needs it. Her eyes welcome him and he wants nothing more than to join her. Suddenly, Brako arises in alert and rushes to kick the woman in the chest. She sees him before his foot swings, shrieks and vanishes.

The other two awake at the sound and see Oddimes laying in his blanket, with Brako at ready over him.

Cri Cri: “What happened? Bandits?”

Brako: “Worse. Demons!”

Tantor: “Demons?”

Brako: “Oddimes, are you alright?”

Oddimes: “…”

Tantor: “What happened to him?”

Brako: “I think she was feeding on him, or something.”

Tantor: “She?”

Cri Cri: “Feeding?”

Brako: “Oddimes! Snap out of it.”

Brako smacks Oddimes, who does not respond.

Tantor: “What is happening to him Brako? Is he alive?”

Brako: “Barely. She was trying to trade with him.”

Cri Cri: “Trade what?”

Brako: “Positions.”

Tantor: “What positions?”

Brako: “Life for death.”

Cri Cri: “Where is she now?”

Brako: “Probably lurking around. We have to stay awake and wait for daylight.”

Tantor: “How do you know how to deal with this?”

Brako: “…My uncle in Krimml…he is also a priest. He handles exorcisms, feeds hungry ghosts; he told me many stories of what he called Night Swans.”

Cri Cri: “Oh no! What are those?”

Brako: “She is a succubus.”

Tantor: “How do we stop her?”

Brako: “Evasion. Once a succubi is attached to a soul, they keep to it until they fully replace his life with their death.”

Tantor: “How will evasion stop that?”

Brako: “Night Swans only operate at night.”

Tantor: “Your uncle told you this?”

Brako: “Yes. All we have to do is evade her until day rise. When that happens we escape. When night overcomes the light again she will not know where Oddimes went, and would have lost him.”

Cri Cri: “Can’t we just leave now?”

Brako: “No, she is still active.”

Cri Cri: “Won’t she see start looking for us the next night?”

Brako: “They are not that smart. Once they lose the soul the first time they are clueless to where it has gone.”

Tantor: “How long until day rise?”

Brako: “I can’t tell. But so long as all of us stay awake we can stop her.”

Cri Cri: “You mean we have to face her again?”

Brako: “For sure.”

Tantor: “How?”

Brako: “Well, luckily before we left my mother gave me this silver medallion. What we have to do is chalk some of the silver on a few trees making a perimeter. Then we sit in a circle, no wait, a triangle around Oddimes with the medallion on his heart. The next time she arrives, she will enter in our sphere, try to feed off Oddimes but be repelled.”

Tantor: “Why didn’t we do this before?”

Brako: “I never expected a Night Swan! How were we to know there was one around here?”

Cri Cri: “It’s a good thing Mrs. Pushiflees gave us that medallion.”

Tantor: “Let’s get to work.”

Brako takes out the medallion and marks the trees around the campfire in the same manner that the woman had walked earlier, making an hourglass shape on its side. Then they dragged Oddimes over a bit from the fire and sat around him in a triangle. Brako sat at Oddimes’ head, and placed the silver medallion on his heart. Tantor and Cri Cri sat beside his legs.

Tantor: “Succubi, what are the odds of that?”

Cri Cri: “Has anyone survived a succubus before Brako?”

Brako: “Sure, if he is in a group. Loners stand no chance.”

Tantor: “If there are succubi and beasts roaming the forest, then surely the Star Crown exists, and is waiting for us under Krimml.”

Cri Cri: “And surely Fontan City’s beaches are better than An Najafs, and Tokat has no women.”

Tantor: “Uncle Khomeinius has been to Tokat, he said there were women there.”

Cri Cri: “Oh ya, but he said nothing about the beaches in Fontan City.”

Tantor: “An Najaf’s are better.”

Cri Cri: “Says you!”

Brako: “What are you guys talking about?”

Tantor: “Have you ever been to Fontan City?”

Brako: “No.”

Tantor: “Neither has me or Cri Cri, but I am telling him that An Najaf’s beaches are much better. Especially the beach we were on before. That one is perfect.”

Brako: “I wouldn’t know. I couldn’t compare them.”

Cri Cri: “See, you need to compare them before granting one the status of perfect.”

Tantor: “No you don’t. The coast is our coast, the beaches are our beaches. They are perfect.”

Brako: “Wait a minute! You guys went to the beach! You told me you were sick and said I had to fill in for you! What a bunch of pinchers.”

As they argue, the woman reappears outside of the barriers. She begins to walk her route. Beginning at the first silvered tree she starts walking. None of them see her. Slowly, she reaches the point, turns, and walks the other way, through the fire to the next point. She does this slowly until she finishes the shape. Suddenly, glowing silver lines appear between the trees making the hourglass shape tipped over. The guys look around in alert.

Brako: “She’s back.”

Cri Cri: “Oh boy!”

Tantor: “Hang in there Oddimes.”

The woman becomes visible to them. She ignores them and walks beside Oddimes and kneels.

Brako: “No one move!”

She kisses him, and he opens his eyes. They stare deeply at each other.

Cri Cri: “What’s happeneing?”

The silver barrier glows more intensely. They stare at each other, fixed. She then places her hand on his heart, but she touches the medallion and it burns her hand away. She shrieks! Still fixed together, she tries again. The silver medallion burns her hand again. The barrier glows even more intensely. Still fixed she tries a third time. This time she shrieks even louder and the trance is broken. She stands up and falls back out of the silver lining. Oddimes coughs and rolls over, the medallion drops to the ground.

Cri Cri: “Is that it?”

Brako: “She might try it again!”

Tantor: “Again?”

Brako: “Until day rise. She will keep at it.”

Tantor: “Good thing we have the medallion!”

Brako: “Yah, but it wears out. Just hope that the sun rises soon!”

Cri Cri: “Oh oh, there she goes again!”

The woman begins walking the path again. Point to point. Oddimes stirs onto his back, and opens his eyes.

Oddimes: “What in the name of our wine are you idiots doing?”

Brako: “Sit still Oddimes. You are being preyed on by a succubus.”

Oddimes: “What! A What!?”

Tantor: “She’s coming back! Oh no, where is the medallion?”

The woman kneels beside Oddimes, and catches him in the trance again. The guys look around Oddimes to see where the medallion fell.

Cri Cri: “It must be under him! How are we going to get it?”

Brako: “Lift him. It’s the only way.”

The woman kneels closer and kisses Oddimes, and they are once again fixed to each other. Cri Cri and Tantor awkwardly lift Oddimes, and Brako reaches under sweeping his hand.

Brako: “I hit it! It’s under him!”

Brako reaches a second time and grabs the medallion. They drop Oddimes and Brako places the medallion on his heart. The woman, still fixed eyes, puts her hand on his heart and is repelled. She does it again, it burns her. A third time and she is once again ejected from the barrier. The silver is wearing dull, it is soft silver, and every charge at the woman’s hands singes off a layer. Layer by layer and it will dissolve.

Brako: “The silver is running out. We won’t be able to keep her out much longer!”

Tantor: “Uh, I got an idea!”

Cri Cri: “What?”

Tantor: “No wait, that won’t work.”

Brako: “What was it?”

Tantor: “We should climb to the top of the canopy with Oddimes, that way she can’t get at him.”

Brako: “You are right. That won’t work.”

Cri Cri: “What are we going to do?”

Tantor: “Brako, no more silver?”

Brako: “I have a spoon, but the medallion is specially consecrated.”

Tantor: “Would she know the difference?”

Brako: “I would assume so?”

Tantor: “What if we were to melt the medallion into the spoon over the fire. Then she won’t know what has been blessed and what is mundane.”

Brako: “That could work.”

Cri Cri: “Hurry, she is coming back.”

The woman begins her routine ghost march. Brako and Tantor hold the medallion in the spoon over the fire. The soft silver melts and joins the hard silver. The spoon head becomes a thick ball of silver. They place that on Oddimes’ chest and wait for the woman to try again.

This time, luckily for them, the sun begins to overcome the night, and it becomes noticeably warmer in the forest.

Tantor: “I think the sun has risen. We did not see the horizon because of the Astrum Woods, but it feels warm which means it is at least early morning. Once the sun starts to hit into the trees light will shine through and we are free!”

Brako: “Nearly saved! And there she goes again!”

The woman puts her hand on the spoon-mould. It burns her but not as badly, she is able to hold the spoon between her hand and his heart. But, because of this interference her attempt is not as strong as before. The spoon-mould glows yellow and black as it burns into her hand. But the two remain fixed.

The sun begins to shine through the forest, and she slowly fades away. Oddimes drops back to the ground and sighs. They look over him.

Cri Cri: “Oddimes, you dead?”

Oddimes: “…”

Brako: “Get him some wine.”

Cri Cri grabs a sack and lets Oddimes drink from it.

Oddimes: “Uhh…”

Tantor: “Oddimes, wake up.”

Oddimes coughs and rolls over, dropping the spoon-mould to the ground. Brako picks it up and puts it in his coat pocket. Oddimes then sits up.

Cri Cri: “He’s alive!”

Oddimes: “I am alive. What’s it to ya?”

Tantor: “Haha, you are too easy.”

Brako: “Yah, easy prey.”

Oddimes: “Did the bandits attack?”

Cri Cri: “No, but we found your true love.”

Oddimes: “Huh?”

Tantor: “Come on, let’s escape as quick as possible.”

Oddimes: “Escape from what?”

Brako: “Your future wife!”

They laugh at Oddimes, who has no memory of what happened. They pack up their things and begin walking. Each of them thankful the night is over.

Scene Three:

They finally reach the correct path and begin walking towards the border of Braga and Krimml. Along the way they see an outpost for the Bragaian Combine, but no one is inside.

Cri Cri: “Where were they last night?”

Tantor: “I guess they don’t handle demons.”

Oddimes: “Nope, I guess not. Hey, I just realized something.”

Tantor: “What’s that?”

Oddimes: “Brako is a handy guy to have around.”

Brako: “Huh?”

Oddimes: “If it wasn’t for you, we would have been eaten by the beast, and you saved my life against the demon. Brako’s a hero!”

Brako: “Nah!”

Cri Cri: “Brako the Beastslayer and Demon Warder!”

Brako: “I guard demons?”

Cri Cri: “You guard against them!”

Oddimes: “Let’s hear it for Brako! Man I am glad we invited that guy!”

All: “Hurrah!”

They continue on the path. A few safe, sweaty hours later they reach the gates to Krimml. Their treasure hunt has just begun…

Act Three