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Speaker 1: The Necromancer of Pricene contains adult content and may not

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be suitable for children. Parental guidance is suggested. In the

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world of Turinlay rests an enormous island called Pricene. The

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nation of Pricene is governed by a king and council,

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though the real power rests in the hands of ten

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cursed immortals, powerful supernatural figures who serve only their self interests.

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The land is plagued with black blooded monsters, corrupt political leaders,

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and bloodthirsty bandits, and the one man who is willing

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to stand up to them all just so happens to

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be an unholy abomination, a summoner of the undead, the

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Necromancer of Pricene.

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Speaker 2: Welcome back, my fellow scoundrels, outcasts and miscreants. Allow me

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to summarize what's happened thus far. The Festival of the

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Faded four was interrupted by an attack from several creatures

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that Rath called Gorikthin. I played hero and was rewarded

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with the Singe Blade, Rath's personal weapon, piercing my back.

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Rath saved my life by taking me back to his

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house and nursing me back to health. He told me

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of the Watchers, the Cursed, and the Woe Shards. After

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Rath left to pick up supplies, I searched his house

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for my life seats. I didn't find them, but I

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did find Rath's journal, and the contents were much more

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disturbing than I had anticipated. I'm still at Rath's house

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in Willow's Bend, but I'm beginning to think it's time

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to go. My name is Charts. I have the ability

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to reanimate the dead, and I'm on a quest to

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kill Torch, leader of the Watchers and the most powerful

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man in Pricing. I just need to get out of here.

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First chapter eight captive, my shoulder and chest throbbed with

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the relentless rhythm of a hammer on steel. Turns out

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that being stabbed with a cursed weapon, well, it hurts.

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The dull thumping had spread to my skull, pulsing in

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time with my heartbeat, each thud a painful reminder of

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being stabbed in the fucking back. After discovering Rath's journal,

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the sense of urgency to find my life seeds returned.

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I looked around the bedroom in the adjacent lounge, but

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no seeds. I eventually returned to the journal to scour

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the last few entries, hoping Rath had mentioned them in

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the pages. He did not. I found one of Rat's

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button up shirts and put it on with the intention

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of leaving the house. But two hours of searching and

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moving about left me teetering on the edge of collapsing.

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My vision blurred and my legs felt as though they'd

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been carved from stone. I needed a rest, just for

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a moment before heading out, so I lay back in

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bed to recover a little of my strength. That moment

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stretched longer than intended, and I woke to the sound

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of someone clearing their throat, a low rumble that jolted

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me awake. Wrath stood in the doorway, his pock marked

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face cast in shadow by the dim light. One eyebrow

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raised in silent inquiry. His presence was unnervingly calm, but

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his expression demanded an explanation. My mouth opened to provide

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a hastily constructed excuse, but the words died on my

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lips as my gaze darted to the desk, the desk

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where I'd read through the Watcher's diary. Panic tightened my chest,

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and I remembered to stow the books back in their

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secret cubby before I fell asleep. Rat's eyes caught the

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flicker of my panic. His head turned, following my gaze

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toward the desk. My heart clenched as I braced for

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the inevitable, But to my immense relief, we both found

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his desk precisely the way he had left it.

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Speaker 3: What were you doing out of bed?

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Speaker 2: I was stretching, as you suggested.

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Speaker 3: Did you stretch your way into one of my shirts?

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Speaker 2: Oh? Yeah, mine's ruined and I can give it back

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if you'd like.

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Speaker 3: No, it's all yours. You've probably already bled on it. Anyway.

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I was planning to buy you a few shirts, and

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probably still should since mine is a little tight on you.

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Speaker 2: It fits all right.

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Speaker 3: And why were you out of bed? I explicitly remember

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telling you to stay in bed. You could have fallen

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and opened your stitches.

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Speaker 2: And needed to stretch my legs.

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Speaker 3: I think we would get along much better if we

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didn't lie to one another, don't you agree?

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Speaker 2: I I wanted to check on my stuff.

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Speaker 3: Did you think I steal from you? You have nothing

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material that I desire. I placed your travel gear and

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jem in the chest at the end of your bed.

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I even placed your money on the ledge, so you

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would see that I did not rob you. The only

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thing I'm interested in is you.

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Speaker 2: I had seeds in my cloak. They're missing.

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Speaker 3: Oh the acorns. I found them in your jacket. You

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weren't eating those, were you? Black oak acorns should be

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leached before you eat them.

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Speaker 2: No, I wasn't eating them.

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Speaker 3: Good. I was going to leach them for you before

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we left.

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Speaker 2: You didn't do that, though, Right, No, where are they?

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Speaker 3: I put them in the cupboard next to the walnuts.

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Speaker 2: Could I have them back there? Sentimental to me?

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Speaker 3: Sentimental? Sure, I'll get them.

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Speaker 2: A wave of relief washed over me as Rath left

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the room for the kitchen, his heavy steps fading into

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the distance. My seeds were still here, and he wasn't

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aware of their importance. In typical charts fashion, I panicked

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and exhausted myself searching for the life seeds when all

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I had to do was simply ask as usual, I

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can't help but take the hard path. A thought occurred,

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maybe I was making this whole thing more complicated than

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it needed to be. Wrath, for all his unnerving journal entries,

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an ominous demeanor had taken care of me. He hadn't

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stolen from me. In fact, he'd gone out of his

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way to return my items and nurse me back to health.

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Why would a cursed watcher, someone with nearly limitless resources,

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have any use for my meager possessions. Maybe I'd let

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my mistrust spiral out of control. Frank would have said

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that I was stealing problems from tomorrow. He would have

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told me to worry about the present, And just then

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the present demanded I get better so I could get

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back to Frank. But then, like a slap to the face,

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the words Wrath had said moments ago, came rushing back

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to me. I was going to leach them for you

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before we left. Before we left left for where panic

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prickled at the edges of my thoughts. I couldn't go

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with him anywhere. Frank was waiting for me, alone and vulnerable.

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And even if he wasn't, I wouldn't want to go

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with Wrath anywhere. He was not only a watcher, but

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one of the Cursed. Everything about him, everything he stood for,

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was a contradiction to my purpose. The advents, the Watchers,

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the cursed. It all led to one man, Torch, the

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most powerful man in pri scene. The one person I

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needed to kill. That's the whole reason I'd been following

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the advents.

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Speaker 3: Here you go, Your acorns are safe. Do you feel

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better now?

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Speaker 2: Oh? Uh yeah, thank you.

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Speaker 3: You're welcome. Now. Please do not get back out of

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bed until I permit you. It is for your own benefit,

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Wrath call me Ben, Please.

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Speaker 2: Ben, you said before we left, What does that mean?

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Speaker 3: I need to determine why you are immune to the

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WO shards. I was able to document your healing journey,

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but there is still much I do not understand. Charts,

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you might be one of the biggest discoveries of our time. Unfortunately,

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Willows Ben does not have the resources I need to

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conduct this study. So I'm taking you with me back

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to my home in Dawsner.

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Speaker 2: In Dawsner, I can't go to Dawsner because I know.

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Speaker 3: It's a bit of a trip, but I have secured

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a coach so you can travel comfortably while you recover. Also,

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I know this is likely disruptive to your current travel plans,

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but rest assured you will be compensated for your time.

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Speaker 2: I have other obligations that I have to see to.

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Speaker 3: What are they. I can make arrangements with Big George

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to have them cared for.

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Speaker 2: Well, there can I have time to think about this.

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Speaker 3: I understand your hesitation, but this is bigger than you, Charlton.

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Speaker 2: I just I just don't think I can do this.

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I appreciate you taking care of me, but I need

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to leave. I can't go with you. I'm sorry.

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Speaker 3: No, Charlton, I'm sorry. At some point I must have

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given you the impression that you have a choice in

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the matter. You do not. You are going with me

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to Dawsner. We are going to meet with my colleague

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and I'm going to solve you.

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Speaker 2: Do you understand am I a prisoner.

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Speaker 3: I hope that is not the case. I would like

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to work with you together as a team. Then you

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will be compensated for your assistance. If I'm right, you

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possibly go down in history for your contributions. You will

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be known as the man immune to wo sharks. You

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will be legendary. But that is only if you come voluntarily.

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If you are unwilling to assist, then I'll be forced

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to detain you and you will reap none of the benefits.

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We don't want that, do we, charts, No, we don't

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want that.

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Speaker 2: Good.

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Speaker 3: Now, get some rest. We are leaving in the morning.

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Speaker 1: The Necromancer of Pricene will return after these messages.

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Speaker 2: Hey everyone, if.

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is right there on the front page. All right back

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to the show.

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Speaker 2: The next day passed in a blur. Wrath attended to

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the travel arrangements with methodical efficiency and rarely left me

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alone for more than a few minutes. At some point

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he handed me another dose of that rowan leaf concoction,

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a blend of agave and muddled blackberries. I drank it

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without complaint, and it pulled me into another deep, dreamless sleep.

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When I woke, I discovered Wrath had gone out and

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returned with supplies for the journey. Among them was a

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wardrobe to replace the few clothes I had lost when

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the rust had saw burned. It was more than I'd

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ever owned, or really needed to own. A few shirts,

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a couple pairs of pants, some stockings, and undergarments had

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always done the job for me. The case Wrath had

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stocked with my new, more expansive wardrobe was also quite

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a step up from my old, battered pack. At first,

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I felt a twinge of gratitude. No one had ever

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made such an extravagant purchase on my behalf. But as

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I watched Rath carefully pack my coin pouch, travel kit

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and Emerald into the case, reality settled in. This wasn't generosity.

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Money was no concern for one of the cursed. His

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attention to detail wasn't care. It was control. Whatever freedom

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I thought I had left was dwindling fast. As time passed,

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we spoke no more than twenty words to one another.

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There was nothing left to say. I was his prisoner,

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He was my warden. I concocted a dozen different ways

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of escape, which all crumbled under the weight of two

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harsh truths. My body wasn't ready for it, and Wrath

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was always close enough to crush any attempt. So I

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bided my time, restless and helpless. The day turned to night,

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and the night to morning. Rath packed the carriage with

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speed and efficiency. The man was a perfectionist organized in particular,

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the enclosed two horse coach was immaculate and clearly built

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for long journeys. Its ornate design and reinforced structure spoke

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of wealth and importance. But I only saw it as

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my cage. Wrath helped me into my seat and then

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closed the door, leaving me alone in the carriage. I

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nearly broke my silent protest to ask him where he

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was going when I heard the sound of a bolt

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sliding into place from the outside. I was truly trapped,

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and he illusion I still held of autonomy shattered outside.

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I heard him climb into the driver's box and snap

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the reins, and just like that, we were on the

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road to Dawsner, the wheels beneath us creaking like the

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slow grind of inevitability. Now I know you're probably thinking

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to yourself, Charts, isn't this exactly what you wanted? You've

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been following the advent so that you could get close

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to the Watchers, and here you are riding with one

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of their elite. Fair point, But there's something vastly different

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between stalking a group of people toward your intended target,

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and being held prisoner by one of your target's most

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trusted colleagues. From what I found in raths journals, I

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don't believe he's planning to give me the freedom I

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would need to accomplish my goals, or any freedom for

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that matter. I stared out the carriage's thin windows as

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we rolled on. I measured the frames in my head

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and decided they were too small and I was too

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sore to attempt to slip through them. My thoughts wandered

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to Frank, who I'd been alone in the meadow for

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the last week. He depended on me, and I'd abandoned him.

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I'd failed my only friend. To distract myself from the

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endless fall into self pity, I reached under the opposite

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bench and pulled out the new travel case Wrath had

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packed for me. The clothes and the case together must

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have cost at least twenty crowns. I swapped the shirt

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I had taken from Wrath for one of the new ones.

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At the bottom of the case, neatly folded was my

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old travel cloak. Wrath had stitched it back together and

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cleaned it. I hadn't noticed when he packed it, and

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the sight of it sent a rush of emotions through me.

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It was a small piece of myself, the only thing

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I could still call my own. I tucked the life

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seeds into the hidden pocket, folded the cloak with care,

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and returned it to the case. As I slid the

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case back under the bench, I heard a faint knock

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from beneath the floorboards. I ignored it at first, assuming

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the carriage had rolled over loose stones or uneven ground.

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But then it came again, deliberate and distinct. My eyes

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snapped to the floor, where I noticed a section of

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the boards shifting. I pulled back the thick rug in

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the center of the carriage, revealing a hidden hatch door.

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Before I could fully process what was happening, the door

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opened to reveal Anya's face, wearing an overly eager, conspiratorial grin.

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My jaw dropped as she placed two fingers on her lips,

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urging silence. She popped up through the floor of the

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still moving carriage like a jack in the box, and

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sat cross legged on the bench next to me. Anya,

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what are you doing here?

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Speaker 4: I came to save you?

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Speaker 2: How and why?

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Speaker 4: There we the floorboards, obviously, and because I was bored.

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Speaker 3: Because you were bored.

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Speaker 2: Never mind? How did you know I was here?

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Speaker 4: I heard you chatting with Raf yesterday and I figured

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you probably didn't want to go with him, so I'm

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here a.

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Speaker 3: Spring ya you heard me talking to you?

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Speaker 4: Know what?

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Speaker 2: Never mind? This is great, let's go.

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Speaker 4: Can't yet, We gotta wait for a few There's a

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river coming up around the bend. It'll be noisy and

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we can drop out of the bottom of the carriage.

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Speaker 2: Then, okay, sounds good.

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Speaker 4: You still gotta be quiet when we drop, though. I

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know your shoulder's hurting, but you gotta try to keep

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it down, all right.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, I'll do my best.

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Speaker 4: Is there anything we need to take with us?

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Speaker 2: That travel case right there, it has my stuff in it.

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Speaker 4: I'll take care of that. You should put this.

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Speaker 2: In your mouth, a dirty rag.

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Speaker 4: It's not that dirty, and it'll help keep you quiet.

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When we drop, we'll probably hit the ground hard, and

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I don't want you making a haula.

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Speaker 2: How did you know about the hatch?

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Speaker 4: I checked out Wrath's carriage days ago while you both

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were busy. He already installed the hatch. I assume for

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nefarious reasons. Last night, he packed several of his cases

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in the storage area below Lada while y'all were sleeping.

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I took two of his cases out and hid down there.

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That's where we're going out. Now, put the rag in

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your mouth and get ready.

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Speaker 2: I did. Anya grabbed my travel case and plopped herself

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butt first through the floor and into the storage area.

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I followed more cautiously, mindful of my wounded right shoulder.

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The sound of the river grew louder, rushing past like

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a distant roar of applause for our imminent freedom. Anya

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opened the side panel of the storage section with a

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quick turn. She rolled herself out of the carriage and

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into the tall swaying weeds along the roadside. I took

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a deep breath, the rags still clenched between my teeth,

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and followed her to freedom. Anya was right. I hit

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the ground extremely hard, and it hurt like torches pike.

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The rag in my mouth did its job, muffled the

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sharp cry of pain that would have alerted wrath to

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our escape. The rushing river masked the sounds of my

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graceless roll from the road into the cover of the woods.

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It took me several minutes to regain my composure and

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catch my breath. Anya waited, quiet and watchful, her sharp

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brown eyes following the carriage as it continued down the road.

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Speaker 4: I think he's far enough away we should be safe

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to stop moving. Are you okay?

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Speaker 2: Yeah? Yeah, I'm all right?

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Speaker 4: Did you stitches? Taya?

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Speaker 2: I don't think so.

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Speaker 4: All right, then let's get going. There's a trail about

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a half a mile up. We're gonna take that trail

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and head to a place I.

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Speaker 2: Know I can't. I need to go back to Willow's Bend.

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Speaker 4: I don't think you should go back there. Wrath is

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certain to find you missing soon, and the first place

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he's gonna look as Willow's Bend. You should come with

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me and I'll keep you safe.

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Speaker 2: Look, I know it's not safe, but Frank is back there.

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I left him behind, and I need to get him

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before someone else finds it.

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Speaker 4: Someone will already found Frank.

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Speaker 2: Ah, by the grace of Rowan, is he okay?

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Speaker 4: Of course he is. It was me I went and

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got him the day after Rath stole ya. He's safe.

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I'll take you to him if you stop John and

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start following.

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Speaker 2: Anya, You're amazing, I know.

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Speaker 1: So.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, how are the people in Willows Ben doing after

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the attack.

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Speaker 3: They'll recover.

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Speaker 4: Lots of people died and lots more were injured. They

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had a big funeral for everyone that passed. It was

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real sad. Did Rath tell you that your stuff got

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all burned up with the inn?

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Speaker 2: Yeah? He mentioned that he bought me some new clothes though,

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and he gave me my money back.

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Speaker 4: Still got your thieves, Yeah, he gave me those back

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as well. Good. I was worried that he would have

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taken him me too.

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Speaker 2: Do you know what happened with the advents?

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Speaker 4: Those chumps they took off after the fighting came to

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an end. They stole some coins from the dead people

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and skipped down as soon as they could.

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Speaker 2: So much for the faded four of Willows, Ben.

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Speaker 4: I'm sure they'll still be telling people all about their

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heroic deeds with the bandits.

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Speaker 2: You know which way they went?

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Speaker 4: Nah? They left while I was listening in on you

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and Wrath. People were a bit sore about it, so

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I didn't want to bring it up in nothing. The

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townsfolk are trying to figure out a new constable now,

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and some of Big George's family were killed in the attacks.

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Speaker 2: What a mess, sure, is Anya? Where are we going.

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Speaker 4: I found an old hunting cabin, a really nice one too.

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It ain't been used in a long time, but it's

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still in good shape. I've been holding up there with

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Frank and getting ready to spring you.

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Speaker 2: I really can't believe you saved me, and you saved Frank.

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I owe you so much. Yeah, truly, I owe you

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a huge debt. Whatever you need. If I can do it,

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I will for real.

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Speaker 4: You promise. I promise good, because I have a surprise

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for you at the cabin. You do, sure, I do,

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but you gotta wait until we get there.

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Speaker 2: Anya winked at me, then flashed her devilish grin. Something

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about that look told me I wasn't going to enjoy

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whatever surprise she had for me at the cabin. We

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took the side path, the trail, winding through dense brush

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and the uneven ground, testing my battered body with every step.

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The cabin was closer than I expected, a small mercy

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given how every inch of me ached from head to toe.

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Anya had chosen the river as the rescue point, knowing

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it would drown out any sounds of our escape and

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keep us close to her hideout clever by the time

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we arrived I was practically dragging myself another mile and

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I probably would have keeled over right there in the dirt.

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The cabin was grander than I had imagined, two stories tall,

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with a wrap around porch that hinted at better days.

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It looked like something out of an old painting. Two

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chimneys stretched skyward, one on each side of the house,

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while an overgrown garden of wild tomatoes and potatoes sprawled

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across the eastern side of the house. A pair of

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gnarled apple trees rested between the house and an underground shelter.

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The sheltered doors were locked and barred, and vines had

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already begun their slow crawl up the weathered wood, blending

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the doors into the earth around them. I paused at

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the edge of the clearing to catch my breath.

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Speaker 4: We're here. How you doing.

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Speaker 2: Good now that we've made it.

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Speaker 4: Frank's inside the cabin.

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Speaker 2: That looks more like a house.

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Speaker 4: If you say so.

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Speaker 2: What's in the shelter?

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Speaker 4: I don't know. I didn't look in there yet. Want

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to check it.

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Speaker 2: Out maybe later?

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Speaker 4: All right?

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Speaker 2: Anya, Yeah, you said you had a surprise for me.

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00:25:00,640 --> 00:25:01,920
Is that inside too?

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Speaker 4: Nope, that's around the back of the house under the top.

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Speaker 2: Can you tell me what it is? Or must I wait?

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Speaker 4: You don't want to see it first? I think it'll

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be more of a surprise.

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Speaker 2: I think i'd rather you just tell me.

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Speaker 4: That's not fun, but if that's what you want. Do

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you remember how I told you that some of the

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villagers died? Yeah, well I grabbed a few of them,

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only the ones that still looked good to move and stuff.

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Speaker 2: When you save them, you mean the bodies.

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Speaker 4: I had to dig them up. It was a real pain,

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but I was able to get them to the cabin.

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Speaker 2: Honya. Why did you dig up those bodies so you

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00:25:46,359 --> 00:25:50,279
could raise them up? And why would I want to

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do that?

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Speaker 4: Do you remember when you said you owed me a

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life debt?

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Speaker 2: Yes?

436
00:25:57,119 --> 00:26:00,480
Speaker 4: But well you promised, so I'm gonna I need your

437
00:26:00,559 --> 00:26:02,680
help with something real? Big?

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Speaker 2: How big?

439
00:26:06,039 --> 00:26:06,799
Speaker 3: The biggest?

440
00:26:07,880 --> 00:26:08,480
Speaker 2: What is it?

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Speaker 4: Wea gonna kill? The King?

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Speaker 1: Charts is voiced by Josh Allen. Benjamin Wright aka Rath

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00:26:24,200 --> 00:26:28,920
is voiced by Ray O'Hare. Anya Esh is voiced by

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00:26:28,960 --> 00:26:34,880
Blithe Renee. Audio engineering by Adam Colbertson and Richard Collins,

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00:26:36,160 --> 00:26:40,720
editing by Tisha Zeng. Music provided in part by Elizabeth

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00:26:40,759 --> 00:26:47,559
Blakeley and written by Nico Rodriguez. The Necromancer of Pricene

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00:26:47,680 --> 00:26:51,279
is a Creative Typo Entertainment production. For more information about

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00:26:51,279 --> 00:26:54,680
this show, our cast, or other shows under Creative Typo,

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00:26:55,119 --> 00:26:58,440
please check out our website at www dot creative typo

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00:26:58,519 --> 00:27:02,000
dot com. And thank you thanks for listening. A very

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00:27:02,039 --> 00:27:06,119
special thank you to our executive producers from Patreon, Nick

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00:27:06,240 --> 00:27:09,000
Mead and Patrick t Arsenal