Episode 13: Ancient History, Part 2

[SCENE 1: A hallway at the not-yet-institute]

[the episode begins with action music and pyro/cryomancy sounds]

JENNA: I thought you said they couldn’t see us!

BRYNN: I said unless they have photomancers! Obviously they do. Are you gonna start shooting back?

JENNA: I don’t want to change history!

BRYNN: Well if you don’t start shooting back we’re going to be history!

JENNA: We kind of already are. Technically. [a blast hits uncomfortably close.] *sigh* Fine.

[Three lightning blasts. Three screams. Three thuds.]

BRYNN: There is no way you learned magic a few weeks ago.

JENNA: I’m a quick study.

BRYNN: Bullcrap.

JENNA: This is not the time for this conversation, okay? What’s our plan? How do we get out of here?

BRYNN: The plan went belly-up a while ago.

JENNA: We gotta make for the main gate.

BRYNN: They’ll be waiting for us there.

JENNA: There’s no other way out, we’re not going to scale the wall.

BRYNN: What about the tunnels? Leonard said they were escape tunnels, they must lead somewhere.

JENNA: They might not even have dug them yet! The gate’s our best hope.

BRYNN: The gate is suicide. Tunnels are much safer.

JENNA: Tunnels might not exist.

GUARD: This way! I can feel them.

BRYNN: Shit, the oromancers! This whole building is stone.

[photomancy sounds]

BRYNN: Ah! they just dispelled my shroud.

[huge lightning blast]

BRYNN: Decided to change history?

JENNA: C’mon!

[cryomancy sounds]

BRYNN: Ice walls now? How many mages do they have?

NORRIS: Not so many that the two of you won’t be a welcome addition.

[we hear creeping vines]

BRYNN: What are those vines? Ah - ah!

JENNA: I saw Susan use something like- Mrprhl.

NORRIS: Sleep tight.

ELECTROMANCY THEME PLAYS

CREDITS: Electromancy, Episode 3 - Ancient History, Part 2. Be advised, this episode contains content warnings for torture, discussions of cultural genocide, and a description of a nonconsensual kiss.

[SCENE 2: A Cell]

BRYNN: Psst. Jenna.

JENNA: Woah.

BRYNN: How reliant are you on somatics for spellcasting?

JENNA: Somatics… body movements?… not really? Ms. Harper says they’re a crutch. What… where are we?

BRYNN: They knocked us out and tied us up. I’m pretty sure these are the tunnels under the school, so- good news! They have started digging them after all. Bad news, my magic’s no good here. There's some sort of anti-illusion field happening. Think you can take him out from where you are?

JENNA: Maybe, but what good would that do if we can’t get untied?

BRYNN: Can you, like, burn the ropes off?

JENNA: I’m not a pyromancer. But let’s see….

[weak electricity noise. Brynn cries out in pain]

BRYNN: Agh! What the hell?

[footsteps]

NORRIS: I wouldn’t try that if I were you. As an Electromancer, your body can handle quite a bit more lightning than a normal person- but hers can’t. The ropes around your arms and legs are wired to give a nasty shock to your illusionist friend if you try to do any magic at all.

Allow me to introduce myself. I’m General Norris, commander of Oswer’s brand new all-mage military division. We’re calling it the magecorps. And a pair of recruits like you could go very far in it- if we can get past that anti-authoritarian streak you seem to have going.

BRYNN: Save your speeches, we’ll never work for you!

NORRIS: How disappointing. Well, you’ll have a little time to think it over, but know this. We’ll have your magic for the cause one way or another. The one where you join our ranks willingly will be… far more pleasant.

[footsteps as she turns and walks away]

JENNA: One way or the other?

BRYNN: No idea. Don’t really care. We’ll be out of here before it matters.

JENNA: You have a plan?

BRYNN: Not yet, but no prison has ever been able to hold me before.

JENNA: This is a military prison, Brynn. It’s not detention.

BRYNN: Our school is run by the magecorps, who are these guys with 400 years more experience. So if I can fool the dean, I can fool this General Norris. We just gotta use our brains.

JENNA: Okay, well, let’s talk this through. Can you silence us?

BRYNN: Yeah, as far as I can tell auditory illusions still work in this field.

JENNA: Well, that’s something anyway. You haven’t been able to trick the guard with just sound though?

BRYNN: No. You were unconscious for a lot longer than I was, not sure why. After the guard changed I tried making an illusion of the previous guard to relieve him, but he saw right through that. Kept saying "show yourself!" It was infuriating that I couldn't. I made a big explosion noise and he just looked up at it and shrugged. This guy is good!

JENNA: You did all that while I was asleep?

BRYNN: Yeah, I think you got double-dosed by that floramancer. I was hoping if I couldn’t trick them, you could brute-force our way out, but it looks like they thought of that too.

JENNA: We can’t trick them using illusions.

BRYNN: I just said that.

JENNA: We can’t trick them using illusions. That’s what they’re expecting from you. Consider this a challenge. Can Brynn Tessek, the greatest trickster the institute has ever known, pull off a trick without even using her magic?

BRYNN: Ooh, I love a challenge. Okay.

[beat]

BRYNN: Although…

JENNA: What?

BRYNN: We still need to figure out what we’re doing after we escape.

JENNA: Let’s focus on the escaping part.

[beat]

BRYNN: Wonder if they got Cabe.

JENNA: You don’t think they would have put him in here with us?

BRYNN: There could be other cells. It’s a big basement.

JENNA: Or maybe he went back to camp when we didn’t come back.

BRYNN: Maybe. But I don't know, he doesn’t strike me as the type to leave us behind. You’d know better than I though.

JENNA: Why? Cause we’re both Ardovans? That’s a little racist.

BRYNN: I’m just saying you’re more familiar with his culture. Yeesh.

JENNA: I guess… if the stories are true about old Ardovan warriors… I don’t know. We- mages weren’t just mages to the old Ardovans. That’s why we fought so hard against the empire. Our mages were really critical to our religion. It used to be only mages could be priests and priestesses. When Anya called me Reletha-Satur, that wasn’t just Ardovan for lightning mage. I mean, it was, but it literally means daughter of Reletha, our mother goddess. Reletha birthed all the other gods out of her celestial stormclouds, so-

BRYNN: Fascinating lecture, please get to the point.

JENNA: I don’t know that Cabe could go back to his sister and tell her that he lost a lightning mage. He’s probably going to try and rescue us on his own in some really dumb way.

BRYNN: No offense, but lightning mages are pretty damn common, as far as mages go. Why wouldn’t your religion have given these priesthood duties to something rarer?

JENNA: It’s not about that at all. All mages have special favor of one of our gods. Or.. had. After Oswer started taking all of the mages as children, we had to start ordaining mundane priests, but a lot of people felt like our connection to the gods had been severed. That’s when we finally caved, gave up the fight.

BRYNN: Heavy. And you’re sure you don’t want to stop this from ever having happened?

JENNA: I… just don’t think that’s how it works, Brynn. Things happened the way they did. We change it- who knows how it turns out? I don’t… know anything about time travel, it’s true. But I know it's not a “smash this and see what happens” situation. We need to be careful.

BRYNN: There’s that word again.

JENNA: Don’t start.

[beat]

BRYNN: I’m starting to put some things together now.

JENNA: Oh?

BRYNN: Tell me I’m wrong. A late bloomer, but a strong late bloomer. Like, freakishly strong. A culture who has a deep, spiritual and political reason to have even just one lightning mage who isn’t taken to be trained as a child. A talisman with some serious umbramancy behind it. I bet it took a lot of coordination for all of them to hide you from the magecorps for so long. How’d you slip up?

JENNA: You don’t know what you’re talking about.

BRYNN: Uh-huh.

JENNA: Any more thoughts about an escape plan?

BRYNN: Your secret’s safe with me you know.

JENNA: I told you, you’ll have to prove to me that I can trust you.

[they are interrupted by the door and footsteps]

NORRIS: Have you had any more time to think about my offer?

BRYNN: Go to hell.

NORRIS: Well, I thought I might show you the alternative. As it happens, you’re not the only mages we’ve captured today. We had a very exciting morning. [to guards] Untie them from the wall, but keep them connected to each other.

[we hear some sounds of struggle as the guards untie Jenna and Brynn and then footsteps as they lead them down the corridor]

NORRIS: I will never understand why people like you insist on making this so much more difficult than it needs to be. Mages are too dangerous and too useful to be allowed the same sort of liberties as ordinary folks. We’re not less than them, but we’re not their overlords either. We were born with power, and we must use that power for the good of all humanity. And any nation or race that fails to understand this will have to be made to understand. For their own safety, as well as ours. Anyone who lets their mages run free or hold dominion over them cannot be allowed to carry on in such a way- they become a danger to the whole world.

BRYNN: Every culture deals with their own mages in their own way. Jenna was just telling me how her people think she has a direct line to their mother-goddess. Who’s to say your way is better than theirs?

JENNA: Brynn….

NORRIS: Our management of mages is based on science and reason. There’s a place for God- the one true God- in all of this, but magic is just a type of science we don’t fully understand yet. As you’ll see demonstrated in a moment. Ah, here we are.

JENNA: Brynn, look! The battery!

BRYNN: Jenna-

CABE: Let… me… go!

[oromancy sounds- rocks rattling]

NORRIS: I believe you know this gentleman? We caught him trying to sneak in and rescue you. I presume. Of course he’s told us nothing, but… that’s fine. And two others who we captured this morning during our raid on the village. We didn’t get all of them of course…

JENNA: Mr. Graves?

CYRUS: Jenna, Brynn. I’m glad you’re alive.

BRYNN: We’re glad you’re alive too, but this isn’t the way we were hoping to meet up again.

NORRIS: Silence! Now, I’m going to give the three of you each one last chance to join the magecorps and let your gifts be put to good use.

CABE: Hai misharay yevak!

FREEDOM FIGHTER: Never!

CYRUS: Okay.

NORRIS: What was that?

CYRUS: Okay, I’ll join. What do I have to do?

NORRIS: A wise man. In time you’ll earn our trust, and with that some measure of freedom. Take him away.

[sounds of Cyrus being dragged away.]

Now. You two are sure of your fate? Nothing I can do to change your minds?

CABE: This won’t stand. Reletha will punish you for your crimes against her chosen ones! The Ardovan people will rise against you. Maybe not today. But some day. Someday this tower will lie in ruins and your empire will be nothing but ash. Taros vakar Oswer! Reletha sayim Ardova!

[Norris walks over to Cabe and backhands him, hard. Cabe cries out.]

NORRIS: That’s quite enough of that. You’ve made your point. Begin the ritual.

[several other mages begin chanting]

FREEDOM FIGHTER: No, please. No. Make it- ARRRGGGHHH!

CABE: (screams of pain)

[We hear the hum of the mana battery from episode 9, until finally the screams stop, and shortly after, so does the chanting.]

NORRIS: So you see, nothing is wasted. A unique application of necromancy uses their lifeforce to convert their magical potential into a form which can then be called upon by others.

Yours will fill up at least another one- if you still decide not to join us. It will take our necromancers a few hours to recover- you have that long to make a decision.

Take them back to their cells.

BRYNN: Well, now we know why they don’t teach us about mana batteries in class.

JENNA: Yeah. I bet they don’t even teach the necromancers about it until after they’re out of school. Otherwise there’d be no keeping a secret like that. Gods, I knew Oswer was evil, but- I never thought-

BRYNN: Never thought what?

JENNA: It’s just different seeing it like that I guess. Poor Cabe.

BRYNN: Poor Cabe. On the other hand, he died like 400 years ago.

JENNA: How can you be… like this? How can you joke about what we just saw? Brynn, he opened his home to us. He came back to protect us. And now he’s just… gone. In the most horrible way-

BRYNN: It wasn’t a joke. That was horrible, Oswer is horrible, but - it would have happened with or without us. The coalition forces didn’t have any survivors. Except a few who… took the option Cyrus took. Guess we know where he stands, if we didn’t already. We have to figure out how to get out of here.

JENNA: Or we could… take that option too. Swear our allegiance to the magecorps.

BRYNN: Never.

JENNA: Just for a little while? Just to survive? We were gonna have to do it when we graduated anyway.

BRYNN: Guess your parents probably prepared you for that, didn’t they? Take the oath, be a good little weapon. Don’t give them any reason to suspect you might not be a loyal soldier until it's too late. Am I close to the mark?

JENNA: Cabe made a big noble gesture. A big, defiant, middle finger to Oswer. Didn’t accomplish much though, did it?

BRYNN: What are you saying?

JENNA: I’m saying, playing along keeps our options open. Unless you can get us out of here in the next few hours, I’d rather take a false oath than fill up another battery.

BRYNN: This is so typical of you. And I’d started to think we were on the same side.

JENNA: We are on the same side, I’m just not being so bull-headed about it. Anyway, why are we wasting time fighting each other when-

BRYNN: Fighting each other! That’s it!

JENNA: What’s it?

BRYNN: Magic doesn’t hang around corpses. I may only have one semester of thaumatology under my belt, but I know enough to know we have to be alive when they start the ritual. If I’m dead it's a waste of my precious magic.

JENNA: What are you saying?

BRYNN: I’m saying, they won’t let you kill me. And if they really believe that you’re going to, they’ll have to disconnect us.

JENNA: So you want me to-

BRYNN: This same fight we’re having, but bigger okay? And we switch sides. I’m the traitor, you’re the loyal Ardovan priestess, so overcome with anger at my betrayal that you’d rather kill me than let them take my magic. Sell this, Jenna. I’m gonna turn off the silence bubble now. Follow my lead.

JENNA: Wait, but-

[photomancy sounds]

BRYNN: It's hopeless, Jenna. We have to join them. It's the only way.

JENNA: No, you traitor! I'll never turn to the dark side!

BRYNN: Then stay here and die! But I'm going to save myself!

JENNA: I'll, I'll- I'll kill you before I let you.

[Electromancy sounds. BRYNN screams. This goes on for an uncomfortably long time. Footsteps run down to the dungeon.]

NORRIS: Soldier, what are you doing! Separate them!

GUARD: But you said-

NORRIS: Now! We need them alive, at least long enough for the ritual.

[We hear the sound of the guard slicing through the cord binding Jenna and Brynn, then another huge blast of electricity followed by screams from Norris and the guard.]

BRYNN: Ouch! You toasted him.

JENNA: I wasn't trying to. I hit you and that Investigator with the same voltage and neither of you looked… like that.

BRYNN: Cause neither of us were wrapped in highly conductive metal probably. Now c'mon, you can work through your feelings later, we have to find Mr. Graves and get out of here.

JENNA: How do we find him?

BRYNN: That part's easy- as soon as we get out of the anti-illusion field - here we go. Oh, wait, I need, like a small piece of paper. Check his pockets.

JENNA: What if I wake him up?

BRYNN: You knocked me out for a day with one of those, you won't wake her up.

[JENNA rustled through Norris's clothing.]

JENNA: Here.

BRYNN: Okay…

[Photomancy noises]

NORRIS'S VOICE: How do I look?

GUARD'S VOICE: I don't think you got her hair quite right.

NORRIS'S VOICE: Hmmm. This better?

GUARD'S VOICE: Better. This feels really wrong Brynn.

NORRIS'S VOICE: Nah, it's fine. Now we just gotta find a guard…

You there! I need you to take this message to the soldier guarding the new recruit. The one who decided to join us.

SOLDIER: Yes sir! Right away sir.

[More photomancy noises]

JENNA: What's on the paper?

BRYNN: Doesn't matter, we just need to follow him. He can't see us now.

[Some footsteps and sneaky music]

BRYNN: So, we're about to go rescue a teacher. This is the last time we'll be able to speak freely for a while.

JENNA: And?

BRYNN: And I just took however many volts for you, that's gotta count for something!

JENNA: You did that to save yourself.

BRYNN: C'mon princess. We've been through so much, we're like sisters now.

JENNA: We're not.

BRYNN: At least tell me if I was on the right track? Wink if I was on the right track? Ugh, Jenna, if you're some kind of Ardovan secret agent, I wanna know! I can help.

JENNA: I'm not a secret agent. I'm just a secret they couldn't keep.

[Beat]

JENNA: Did you know that Ardovan has two different words for feel?

BRYNN: Okay, this is even more random than the history lesson.

JENNA: But they each mean something else too, right? You can use ushtara, which is also the word for wear, like to wear a piece of clothing, or a necklace, or a mask. Ushtara is also used to refer to your job. Then there’s kevana, which is how you would talk about… something about yourself that doesn’t change. Eye-color, age, ethnicity - or magic. Ya-ah Keva Reletha-satur. I am a lightning mage. Ya-ah ushtara wula sayantu. I am a student at the Institute. You see the difference?

BRYNN: This is a really weird way to answer my question.

JENNA: For feelings, though, there’s no hard and fast rule about when you use ushtara and when you use kevana. Are you just wearing your anger right now, or are you your anger? I always struggled with that, when my grandma was trying to teach me Ardovan. One seemed too mild, and the other, too strong.

BRYNN: Are you going somewhere with this, Jenna? Because I’m pretty sure we don’t have an infinite amount of hallway to work with here.

JENNA: The first time I made lightning, I was four. My dad is a - there’s no Oswerian word for it. A Satur-avey - a lay-priest I guess you’d say? Mundane spiritual leaders that the Ardovans started ordaining when Oswer started taking all of our mages. He used magic- old magic, from the old days- to hide me from Oswer’s seers. He hoped I’d grow up and lead a new resistance. I was never supposed to go to the Institute.

BRYNN: What went wrong?

JENNA: The old magic only protected me in our home. I wasn’t supposed to use magic at school. But.. I was with a boy, he tried to kiss me, I said no, he kept trying and I-

BRYNN: Zapped him?

JENNA: Pretty hard.

BRYNN: I’m sure he deserved it.

JENNA: Well whether he did or not it put me on the institute’s radar. And you know the rest.

BRYNN: What does that have to do with your impromptu linguistics lesson?

JENNA: Speaking Ardovan again after so long just reminded me of that story. And… I guess I’ve been trying to figure out if my anger towards Oswer - if any desire I might have to be the revolutionary my parents wanted me to be - is ushtara or kevana, you know? Is it something about me that I can’t change, or is it a choice I get to make. And if I do get to make that choice-

BRYNN: I think this is the place. You ready?

JENNA: Yeah.

[We hear a key fiddling with a lock]

BRYNN: Jenna?

JENNA: Yeah?

BRYNN: Thanks for trusting me with that. .

JENNA: I just hope I don't regret it.

[The door opens. Two more electric blasts. Two bodies collapsing.]

JENNA: They're out. But breathing.

BRYNN: Why must you care so much about the well-being of the soldiers of evil?

CYRUS: How did you…?

BRYNN: Seriously, Mr. Graves? You’ve supervised my detentions. No one makes me stay in a room I don’t wanna stay in.

CYRUS: For once I’m grateful.

BRYNN: You’re welcome. Now let's move, we gotta get to that mana battery and use it to power you up and get back to our own time.

JENNA: You still want to use that thing? After seeing how they made it-

BRYNN: Cabe died filling up that battery. Better we use it to get home than let them use it to blow up some village.

CYRUS: I can't argue with that, but unfortunately it won't work. No way there's enough mana in there for a one-stripe chronomancer to transport three people 400 years into the future.

JENNA: We're not going to get another chance at one. It's now or never. You're sure there's no other way?

CYRUS: Well, there is… I mean, it's never been tried with chronomancers, but the theory is sound. But we have no one to anchor it.

BRYNN: Spit it out, man!

CYRUS: If spatiomancers- teleporters- want to transport a lot of people quickly, they can make a bridge - sort of like the portal that brought us here, but two-way. You need one teleporter at each end to do it. By combining their power, they can move further than either could on their own. Theoretically, the same ritual could work through time- but we have no way to communicate with a chronomancer in the future.

JENNA: Communicating with the future is easy though.

BRYNN: It is?

JENNA: C'mon Mr. Graves, you're a librarian. You deal with messages from the past all the time. All we have to do is leave it somewhere where someone we know will find it, and when we disappear they'll finally understand what it means.

CYRUS: Of course! The carving!

JENNA: What?

CYRUS: The mysterious carving in the ruins of Imbira Valley! We're the ones who carve it! It tells them everything they need to know, but only with the context of our disappearance.

BRYNN: Do we have time to do that before those guards we knocked out wake up?

JENNA: If we entrust someone in this time to do it for us, it won't matter how long it takes them to succeed. Do you know if there are other prisoners? Did they get Anya when they got you?

CYRUS: Yeah, all the mundanes are in a different cell. I can take you there.

[Sneaky music.]

[SCENE 3: A hallway outside a different cell.]

[More magic fighting sounds. The sounds rewind then play slightly differently. We hear a key enter a lock and turn.]

ANYA: Thank the gods. You escaped. Is my brother with you?

[beat]

ANYA: Where is Cabe?

JENNA: I’m so sorry.

ANYA: You haven’t rescued him yet?

JENNA: Cabe - they asked us to swear allegiance - Cabe refused and they-

BRYNN: You would have been proud of him.

ANYA: No. No. No, no-

-

JENNA: Anya, I am so sorry. But we have to move before more guards show up.

CYRUS: Can you get everyone to the surface?

ANYA: I think we can.

JENNA: I need you to do something for us. I'm afraid it won't make much sense, but it’s vitally important. Do you trust me? .

ANYA: Of course. You are Reletha-satur - even if you are just a little cub.

JENNA: We need you to carve a message into one of the foundation stones back at Imbira… here, I wrote it down.

ANYA: Who is this message for?

CYRUS: That is… going to have to remain a mystery. But make sure these two glyphs are copied exactly.

ANYA: Mysterious are the ways of the gods… and their acolytes.

JENNA: Senkrit akul ha, ha akul nolem-na.

ANYA: Reletha akul ha, ha yutel sayay-na.

BRYNN: Wait until you hear the sounds of the battle downstairs- that should give you plenty of cover to get your people out.

CYRUS: Jenna, you sure you can hold them off long enough for me to open the portal?

JENNA: Mr. Graves, I'm a siege weapon. I'm not thrilled about it, but for once I'm gonna make it count.

[Scene 4: Back in the library, in the present.]

[We hear the chronomancer chanting.]

PEM: How will we know if it's working?

UNGALA: The portal will only open if there's someone anchoring it on the other side. And if the combined power of the two chronomancers is enough to bridge the gap.

[We hear a magic sound effect similar to the portal sound from season 1, episode 10, and three people coming through. The portal dissipates.]

BRYNN: Pem… boy am I glad to see you.

DEAN: Cyrus, so glad to see you safe. I'm sure you had quite an adventure.

CYRUS: You could say that sir, yes.

DEAN: Well, what's important is you got the students back safe and sound.

CYRUS: Probably more accurate to say they got me back safe and sound, sir.

DEAN: Oh really? Excellent. Always good to see our pupils getting some practical experience in the real world. I can't wait to hear all about it.

[Gossip Grooving plays]

CREDITS: Electromancy is written, produced and directed by Nathan Comstock. This episode was sound designed by Austin Cruzen with music by Thomas Dwyer. It starred Azul Nova as Jenna, Leslie Gideon as Brynn, Bryan Green as Cryus, Allegra Rodriguez Shivers as Anya, Spencer Hiroshi as Cabe, Jonah Comstock as a Guard, Marta Da Silva as General Norris, Karim Kronfli as Dean Ventrassi, Sena Bryer as Pem, Leylan Collis as Dr. Ungala, and Kira Apple as Katya Harper, with additional screaming and chanting by Nathan Comstock. Thanks for joining us again for season 2, and thanks to everyone who contributed to our crowdfunding campaign to make this show happen. This episode, we’d like to offer a special thanks to Dennis Bruno. Thanks Dennis. You really came through for us. You can find out more about us at www.electromancypod.com. We’ll be back with another episode in 2 weeks, and stay tuned for a trailer for another show you’ll love, after the tag.

[Scene 5: The teachers lounge]

KATYA: Cyrus. I’m glad you’re okay. I’d say I was worried about you, but the truth is, I didn’t even hear you were missing until you were back.

CYRUS: I guess it was a lot longer for me. And the students.

KATYA: Obviously I am glad Jenna is back as well.

CYRUS: And Ms. Tessek?

KATYA: No one would have blamed you if you’d found a way to leave her in the past.

CYRUS: If I’d left Tessek in the past, we’d be reading about her reign as emperor right now.

KATYA: [laughs] Good point. I guess you made the right call. I can’t believe you actually met General Norris. She’s a personal hero of mine, you know? What was she like?

CYRUS: I- I don’t know if I want to talk about that right now.

[promo]

Tavern sounds. Chair scoot.

TESSA: Oh, hello. Welcome to the Goblin’s Head. What can I get you?

TESSA: Coming right up.

A couple footsteps away, and then back again. A glass set down.

TESSA: There you are.

(Pause)

What’s that?

(Pause)

Oh, you want to know about adventurers. Are you looking to hire one or become one?

TESSA: Ah, just the information. Yes, we do get plenty of adventurers through here. Lots of folks off on quests or selling their services. But I admit, those five—over there? In the corner—they are a bit special.

TESSA: Why? Well. There comes a point where an adventurer turns into a hero, doesn’t there?

TESSA: Oh, them in particular? They’ve got quite the story. They didn’t like each other very much at the beginning, but since then they’ve grown quite close. At least I think that’s the case—they do still argue often.

When they’re not bringing wild animals in here or summoning magical creatures into the dining room, or casting spells, that is. Honestly, the building can only take so much—

TESSA: What’s that?

(beat)

I wouldn’t like to tell tales, everything I know is secondhand. I’m always here, see. I only hear what they say while they’re at the Inn.

TESSA: Where can you learn more? I suppose you’ll have to ask them.

(Pause)

Is there anything else I can get you?

HANNAH: Inn Between—that’s Inn with two n’s—a story of the adventure between the adventures. Find us on a podcatcher near you, or at TheGoblinsHead.com.

Fade out. End.