Episode Transcript
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The Road of Shadows created
1:31
by Mark R Healy. A
1:33
Beyond the Dark production. Season 2,
1:39
Episode 2, Emissary.
2:04
You okay, Amber? Damn. You
2:07
look like hell. I'll
2:10
be better once I can lie down. We're
2:13
here at the motel. I'll just go book us
2:15
a room. Will you be
2:17
all right to stand up on your own? I'm
2:19
fine. Fine. Go. Good
2:31
morning. Morning. I'm looking
2:33
for a room. Sure thing. How long are
2:36
you staying? Just overnight. Well,
2:38
the rates are right here. I think
2:40
you'll find they're pretty reasonable. Can
2:44
I get one of the rooms along the front here, looking
2:46
out this way? Sure. You
2:49
can take number seven if you like. Lucky
2:51
seven, I call it. That'll
2:53
do great. Mind if I take one of these
2:56
two? Town map? Sure
2:58
thing. There's quite a lot of history of
3:01
Mosquito Falls, you know. Did you come
3:03
out this way especially to visit some of our landmarks
3:05
or just passing through? Just passing through.
3:08
Well, be careful. This town
3:10
gets its hooks into people real fast.
3:13
You might find yourself falling in love with the place
3:15
and end up not wanting to leave. Are
3:17
things usually pretty quiet around here?
3:20
You ever
3:21
get any trouble? Around here? Not a chance.
3:24
Peaceful and serene. That's Mosquito
3:27
Falls in a nutshell. Great. If
3:29
you're the adventuring type, there are some whitewater
3:32
rapids less than an hour's drive from here. You take
3:35
the highway east and the... No, that's okay. A
3:37
bit of quiet time sounds good to me. Well,
3:40
you've come to the right place. Here's your key. Thanks.
3:43
There are some nice woodlands
3:45
right at the back here. If you feel the need to unwind,
3:47
get in touch with nature, just let me know and
3:50
I'll be happy to point you in the right direction. Appreciate
3:52
it.
3:57
Amber, come on over. It's
3:59
just in here.
3:59
here.
4:07
What's that you've got with
4:08
you? Oh, this? It's
4:10
a map of the town landmarks. Going
4:13
sightseeing? Not
4:15
exactly. I like to get a grip
4:17
on my surroundings whenever I've just arrived in town. Figure
4:20
out exits, dead ends, that kind
4:22
of thing.
4:23
Usually I drive around and sketch out the streets, but
4:25
this will save me the trouble. I think... Oh!
4:29
Be careful there. Shit! I'm
4:31
sorry. Don't collapse on me. Just...
4:35
help me over to the back? Yeah. Here
4:37
you go. Lie down there. You
4:41
okay? Yeah, this is... this
4:44
is good. Thanks.
4:51
I've just gotta... rearrange
4:54
some of the furniture here. Get everything
4:56
the way I like it. The
4:59
chair over by the window again, huh? Can't
5:01
live without it. You've got this whole
5:03
thing down to fine art. I've
5:06
had lots of practice. You don't
5:08
feel more reassured about things after what
5:10
happened last night?
5:12
I feel more confident, sure, but I'm
5:15
not about to let my guard down just because of one small victory.
5:18
The shadows will strike back at us. I
5:20
have no doubt about that.
5:21
And when they do, it'll be in some way we're not expecting.
5:25
It's probably
5:25
not a good idea to get complacent, is
5:28
it?
5:28
Against these things? Never.
5:31
But don't worry about that now. Feel free to take
5:33
a nap. I'll do the first watch. Uh-huh.
5:35
Thanks. I'll be right here.
5:38
Don't worry. Nothing's going to get past me. I'll
5:41
be right here. Don't worry. Nothing's
5:43
going to get past me.
6:00
Hey sleepyhead, welcome back.
6:01
Shit. Sorry,
6:04
I must have dozed off. You
6:08
are allowed to sleep now and again, Daniel.
6:11
It's fine.
6:13
What time is it?
6:15
Mid-afternoon. You've been out of it for
6:17
a couple of hours. Did you end
6:19
up eating anything? Still
6:21
don't have the stomach
6:22
for it.
6:23
Really? That's not good.
6:26
I'm okay. You
6:27
haven't eaten in close to a day. You must be
6:29
starving by now.
6:31
Yeah, I might have something later. In the
6:33
meantime, you should take a look
6:34
at this. I've been taking more notes.
6:39
You've been reading more of the compendium?
6:42
Yeah, and I think I
6:44
found some juicy shit here. Show
6:47
me. Okay, so you
6:49
remember back at the lake house how I told you that
6:52
Pete and the other shadows took turns in
6:54
tasting me, sampling my blood?
6:57
Yeah.
6:58
At the time, I assumed they were just
7:00
doing it for the enjoyment or because they
7:02
were hungry or something.
7:05
But
7:06
I think there was more to it than that.
7:08
What's this illustration? Shadows standing
7:11
in a circle?
7:12
This? This might be the answer.
7:15
The author calls it a Congress. Congress?
7:19
Yeah. The word literally
7:21
means to come together.
7:23
One of the shadows. Shilling,
7:26
I think it was. Mentioned a ritual.
7:29
Is that what this is?
7:30
Listen to this passage. And
7:32
through the sacred conduit, the wicked
7:34
ones did come together. With the innermost
7:37
parts of them entwined, the strength
7:39
of one became the might of many. It
7:42
is through such a devious and unholy
7:44
device that they formed a Congress
7:46
in order to smite the foe that was unfortunate
7:49
enough to cross their path.
7:51
The might of many?
7:53
Is it some kind of bond?
7:55
Oh, there's more. The sharing of the one
7:58
gives strength to the many.
8:00
Sharing what?
8:02
Blood.
8:03
My blood. I think that
8:06
was the ritual. Each of them consumes
8:09
the blood of a single victim in order
8:11
to create some sort of link. It allowed them to grow
8:13
stronger in preparation for the fight.
8:16
They gave each other a boost in strength
8:18
by performing the Congress.
8:20
And from what I've read here, the
8:23
final part of the ritual must have been to consume
8:25
my body. That somehow
8:28
removes the link again.
8:29
But they never got around to that part.
8:32
Oh.
8:33
They must have been waiting until they'd
8:35
accomplished whatever
8:37
they had in store for you before removing the bond.
8:40
Something went wrong for them when I managed to kill the first
8:43
one, right? Selina,
8:45
I think her name was, when she went
8:47
down, that seemed to put the rest on tilt.
8:50
Yeah.
8:51
There's another paragraph here. Um, uh, okay.
8:54
Got it. Once the wicked do find
8:57
themselves under the thrall of the Congress,
8:59
every thought and breath between them must remain
9:02
unbroken. If any part of the whole
9:04
is diminished, then the bond itself will
9:06
be torn asunder, and the might shall
9:08
flow from them like an ocean turned to
9:10
desert.
9:11
Uh, translation?
9:14
If you kill a shadow while it's bonded with
9:16
others, they all lose
9:19
strength. Damn. It makes
9:21
sense.
9:22
Pete looked like he was spent by the time the others were
9:24
dead.
9:25
So the Congress is a bit of a gamble for them.
9:28
If it works, great. But if
9:30
it doesn't?
9:31
They're left vulnerable.
9:33
We already knew they didn't want to phase you one-to-one.
9:36
The Congress must have been an extra piece of insurance.
9:39
And it still wasn't enough.
9:41
They had no idea what you were capable of.
9:43
This would also explain why Schilling went running for his
9:46
life. He was left weakened, like
9:48
the others.
9:49
Yeah. He must be
9:51
shitting his pants right now.
9:53
Does the Compendium say how long the weakness lasts?
9:56
For all we know, Schilling might be getting stronger
9:58
by the minutes, or... He could even be back to
10:01
full strength already.
10:02
Um, I haven't read anything about
10:05
that. Maybe it's in another section.
10:07
I'm putting together a list with some bullet
10:09
points about the Congress. Of
10:12
course you're making a list. Oh, you'll
10:14
be thankful for my lists one day. I
10:16
bet.
10:17
Anyway, we probably shouldn't spend too much time here
10:19
at Mosquito Falls. We need to hit Schilling
10:21
while he's rattled. Every hour that passes
10:24
gives him more opportunities to set up defenses.
10:26
You're right. I should try and get up and
10:29
get myself going. Amber! Ah!
10:32
Ah! Shit, are you okay? Ah! My
10:35
legs gave out. Um, dammit. They're
10:38
like fucking jelly. Come
10:40
on, I'll help you back up onto the bed. Here,
10:43
take it easy. It's okay. Sorry,
10:46
I... I'm not used to... To
10:49
what? To lying around helpless
10:52
like this. I
10:54
feel so stupid.
10:56
After what you went through last night, I'm
10:59
amazed you're doing as well as you are.
11:01
Yeah, but...
11:02
Every second I sit here on my ass
11:04
gives Schilling more time to... Don't worry
11:07
about Schilling. The guy is toast. I
11:09
just wasted four shadows at once, remember? In
11:11
the cabin last night,
11:13
I can handle one on his own. I
11:15
think the more important question right now is, what
11:18
do we do about your condition?
11:20
What do you mean, what do
11:22
we do about it?
11:24
I think we have to consider getting
11:26
you some medical attention.
11:28
Daniel? You're starting
11:30
to go against your own rules here. You told me
11:33
to never trust authority figures like cops or
11:35
doctors. I mean, Schilling
11:38
himself is a doctor.
11:41
That's true, but...
11:43
I can't sit here and watch you die. I'm
11:46
not dying.
11:48
You do look pretty bad, though.
11:50
I mean, it's the shadow bites. It caused... changes,
11:53
I guess? You know that better than
11:56
anyone. You took bites from five
11:58
of them, Amber. Well what happened
12:00
after you got bitten? Were you sick?
12:03
That was a long time ago. I don't
12:05
remember everything but I
12:07
went into care right away and they kept me in a room for
12:09
a few days. I didn't have the chance
12:11
to get up and walk around.
12:13
Do you remember feeling ill?
12:16
Yeah, a little.
12:17
So as it stands, everything
12:20
I'm experiencing could be completely normal.
12:23
I don't think anything about the shadows is normal.
12:27
But maybe we can
12:29
wait a bit longer and see how it
12:31
plays out.
12:31
Right now I think that's the best option,
12:34
yeah.
12:35
But if you get worse, if you pass out
12:37
and can't wake up or something like that, I'll
12:40
take my chances with a doctor.
12:42
I'm sure I'll be fine. Another
12:45
few hours rest should be all I need. And
12:49
my mosquito fall seems pretty harmless.
12:52
Well. What's
12:54
the matter? Are you worried about
12:56
the lady we saw in town?
12:58
I'm sure it's fine.
13:00
You seem edgy.
13:03
I've just been conditioned to feel that way over the years.
13:06
I've never settled. Never safe. And
13:09
sometimes things rob me the wrong
13:12
way that turned out to be totally
13:14
innocent. Do
13:15
you think that's what it was? The crazy
13:17
looking lady? Just your imagination
13:20
running away with you?
13:21
Probably. Wouldn't be the first time
13:23
I've jumped to the wrong conclusion.
13:25
Yeah. Well,
13:29
if it's okay with you, I'm gonna
13:31
take another nap. Maybe I'll feel like some dinner
13:33
by the time I wake up. There's
13:36
a vending machine out near the office.
13:37
Let me know if you feel like taking a walk. Sure.
13:42
In the meantime,
13:43
I'll be right here in the chair if you need me.
13:48
Thanks for watching!
13:59
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14:23
This
14:33
way, that's it.
14:35
Let me
14:38
guide you. You'll
14:45
stay here with
14:46
me now, won't you? Stay
14:50
in my embering.
14:55
Shit.
15:05
Amber, did you leave the door open? It's
15:08
the middle of the night. Amber?
15:13
God damn it. Where's
15:15
the ax? Okay.
15:23
Outside,
15:26
a chill wind drifts across the motel parking
15:28
lot.
15:29
I pick up the bare scent of something out there in the darkness,
15:32
but it's not bloodlust.
15:34
It's something strange that I've never experienced before.
15:38
It's the smell of something decaying. The
15:40
smell of death.
15:42
Amber! I
15:47
follow the scent. It's stronger around
15:49
the back of the motel. As the
15:51
wind gusts, I sense it. Something
15:54
out there in the woods.
15:56
What the fuck have you done with her? In
16:20
the clearing ahead, a figure stands
16:22
motionless, silhouetted against a bonfire.
16:25
Amber, what are you doing out here?
16:28
Stop
16:32
there. Don't come any closer.
16:36
Or what? Or
16:39
I'll put a dagger through her chest.
16:41
Try it. You'll be
16:43
signing your own death warrant. That's
16:46
a trade I'm willing to make. What's
16:51
wrong with her? Nothing.
16:53
I called
16:54
to her. And she
16:56
came.
16:56
That's all. She
16:58
looks like she's in some kind of trance. She's
17:01
sleeping. Once
17:02
she wakes up, she'll be perfectly fine.
17:04
What do you want from us? There's
17:08
no need for this hostility, Daniel.
17:11
I've come to you in good faith. I'll
17:14
buy that for a second. You're a shadow.
17:17
But not like any other you've encountered,
17:19
am I?
17:20
No. How
17:23
was it you recognized my
17:25
true nature, then? You
17:28
don't look the same. You don't even smell
17:30
the same. But underneath,
17:33
there's something unmistakable. It's
17:36
hard to put my finger on it, but I'd
17:38
know it anywhere. So don't think you
17:40
can fool me. Your
17:42
instincts are well honed. I
17:45
had my suspicions this morning when I saw you watching
17:47
us from the street. Ah, yes.
17:50
I anticipated your arrival here
17:52
and wanted to make my presence
17:55
felt. So that our meeting
17:57
here tonight would not come as a complete shock.
18:00
Why don't we get to the point? Who
18:03
are you? Of course. My
18:05
name is Vicella. I
18:08
am in a misery of the Vespierrene. Pete
18:11
said that word back in Colton. Vespierrene.
18:15
Is that what you shadows call yourselves? It's
18:17
not what we call ourselves. It's
18:20
our true name.
18:23
I come to you on behalf of
18:25
the Vespierrene
18:26
with a proposal. We
18:29
ask for a truce. A
18:32
truce? Are you shitting me? You
18:34
can't continue on your current path,
18:37
Daniel. Each step
18:39
takes you deeper and deeper into
18:42
ruin. Surely
18:44
you understand this? What
18:46
I understand is that I finally have the
18:48
upper hand on you fuckers after years of running
18:51
for my life. There's no way
18:53
I'm changing course now. But you don't
18:56
have the upper hand. That
18:58
victory of yours back
19:00
in Colton, when it was fleeting, trivial,
19:04
and it will soon be forgotten. Yeah,
19:06
okay. Convenient that you want
19:08
to make a deal all of a sudden, right after I
19:11
butchered four of your friends. You're doing
19:13
this for me, right? I'm simply
19:15
trying to avoid further bloodshed.
19:18
Bullshit! But you're just dying
19:20
to sink your teeth into me right now. I
19:23
have no taste for flesh.
19:26
Like hell. You yourself
19:28
agreed I was not like the others.
19:31
The shadow that doesn't eat people. Is that
19:33
why you look like a shriveled old prune? The
19:35
wrinkling of my skin is a side
19:37
effect of my... Well,
19:40
I suppose you could say my lack
19:43
of nourishment. Let me guess.
19:45
You're dieting on celery, right? I
19:49
am old, Daniel. Even
19:51
among Vespyrin. One
19:54
of the oldest
19:55
of the kin. I've
19:57
consumed my last meal.
21:59
You will be free to go in peace.
22:01
We will pursue
22:03
you no longer. Throw
22:06
the axe in the fire. Are you kidding me? That
22:09
is our proposal. Your proposal sucks
22:12
ass. Daniel, just
22:14
with me at your own peril.
22:17
After tonight, the Kin will offer
22:19
no further proposals. Negotiations
22:23
will come to an end. I don't need
22:25
your offer. Not when I can cut you down where you
22:27
stand. We are the only ones
22:29
who can save Amber.
22:31
How do you figure? We may
22:34
have noticed that she too has
22:36
started along a path.
22:38
A very treacherous path
22:41
that has only one destination.
22:45
Darkness and despair.
22:47
She'll recover from the bites just like I did.
22:50
No, she won't. Not
22:52
when five of us have tasted
22:54
her flesh. The
22:57
toxins run far too deep for anyone
23:00
to survive. You have an antidote? Well,
23:02
there is no antidote. But
23:06
if the appropriate ritual is performed,
23:09
she may have a chance.
23:11
Forget this. I'm not making a deal with a pack
23:13
of monsters like you. Monsters?
23:17
We're no more monsters than you
23:19
humans
23:20
are. We feed on creatures
23:22
who are lesser than we, just like you
23:24
do. Vespherine just
23:26
happened to be one rung higher
23:29
on the food
23:29
chain. No deal. I'll
23:32
take my chances on my own. So,
23:36
that's the way it will be.
23:38
Yep, that's the way.
23:44
Monet, I submit myself
23:46
to thee and all those
23:47
who have come before. Take
23:49
my soul, or flee to your bosom.
23:52
Think or I'll be a place at your side
23:54
until the heavens
23:55
are far from one.
23:58
What are you doing?
23:59
Fuck! Let
24:06
go of the axe you
24:08
freak! God
24:12
damn it, no!
24:18
What's going on?
24:21
Shit! Hang on a second Amber! What
24:23
are you doing? Quit messing around in the fire! I'm not doing anything!
24:26
I'm not doing anything! The axe? Well you
24:28
dropped it in the fire? No
24:38
she took it! I think she was trying
24:40
to destroy it. Who? Vicella,
24:44
the shadow. You didn't
24:46
hear any of that? No I just woke
24:49
up. But
24:51
did we decide to build a
24:53
fire? I
24:55
don't remember coming out here. I'll explain
24:57
in a minute. Just let me check
25:00
this thing first. Is the axe
25:02
okay? It's a little singed but
25:04
I think it'll survive. That was a close
25:06
one.
25:07
Did I hear someone
25:08
screaming just now? Was
25:11
that you? Okay first things
25:13
first. Are you alright? I
25:16
think so. A little bit freaked
25:19
out maybe.
25:20
You've been in a trance of some kind.
25:23
A trance?
25:25
Yeah. I woke up in the motel
25:27
room in the middle of the night and the door was open. You
25:29
were gone.
25:31
What? I don't remember
25:33
that. The woman we saw on the
25:35
street, back at the diner. She
25:37
must have been calling out to you somehow.
25:39
A game looking out here in the woods and found you standing in front
25:41
of the fire. But it's like you were sleepwalking.
25:44
You couldn't hear me.
25:46
Oh my god. She told
25:48
me her name was Vicella and that she was
25:50
an emissary. That she'd come to make a deal
25:52
with me on behalf of the shadows.
25:54
What deal? They wanted
25:56
me to destroy the axe. Throw it in the fire.
25:59
They said they'd let us leave.
26:01
Daniel, tell me you didn't take that fucking
26:03
deal.
26:04
Of course not. So
26:06
why was the axe in the fire?
26:08
She attacked me, the cella,
26:10
tried to grab the axe. What happened? She
26:13
ended up in the fire, turned to ash. She
26:16
fell.
26:17
No, I don't think she did. It
26:20
wasn't an accident. As she
26:22
was falling, she pulled the axe down into her chest.
26:25
She, she killed
26:27
herself. Why would she do
26:30
that? I don't think she came here to broker
26:32
a deal at all.
26:33
I think this was a suicide mission.
26:35
The shadows are so hell-bent on destroying
26:37
this axe that they were willing to sacrifice
26:40
one of their own just for the chance. Well,
26:43
it didn't work. No, the
26:45
handle is blackened, but that's about all. What
26:48
about the bandana? Uh,
26:51
yeah, it's gone. Must
26:53
have burned to a crisp in there. Shit.
26:56
Do you think that's gonna be a problem? Maybe,
26:59
I don't know. Wait,
27:01
didn't we agree the bandana might have been
27:03
the source of the power you used
27:06
against them? Originally, yes,
27:08
but I felt the power going through the
27:10
axe, too. I think it most likely
27:12
transferred to the axe when I made the first kill. Okay,
27:16
so we should be all right.
27:19
Here, let me help you up.
27:20
There
27:23
you go.
27:25
Thanks. You look a lot
27:27
steadier on your feet. Actually,
27:30
I feel better. Much
27:32
better than before. Maybe
27:34
you just needed some fresh air. Oh,
27:36
yeah, yeah, yeah. There's nothing like sleepwalking
27:39
through the woods with a crazy demon lady to really
27:41
clear out the system. Right.
27:45
Hey, that diner in town, that
27:48
was a 24-hour place, right? That's what the science
27:50
had?
27:50
Yeah, I think so. They must
27:52
get truckers through here.
27:54
Why do you ask? If it's all right with
27:56
you, I think I'd like to get something
27:58
to eat now.
27:59
I'm dead and starving.
28:16
The Road of Shadows is created by
28:19
Mark R. Healy. Want
28:21
to delve deeper into this story? Head over
28:23
to Patreon to find character concept
28:25
art and other bonuses like ad-free
28:28
episodes that you can hear a week early. All
28:30
that and more is available now at
28:32
Patreon.com slash Beyond
28:35
the Dark. Check out more of my podcasts
28:37
at TheRoadofShadows.com The
28:40
Road of Shadows Season 2 stars
28:43
Hamish Plagemarse Martha De
28:45
Silva Jimmy Yamaguchi Trent
28:48
Trachtenberg Madeline Norton
28:51
Gaviroc John Carver
28:53
Liz Morey Sally Walker
28:56
Taylor Vivian Reed Marlon
28:58
Dantz Hui Ivy Fisher
29:01
Maddie Albrecht Whitney Holland
29:04
Joshua Nicholson and Aubrey
29:06
Akers The Road
29:08
of Shadows is a Beyond the Dark production.
29:29
The Stable and Falling Network where
29:31
fiction producers flourish.
29:37
I can handle these nightmares. Yeah,
29:39
those dreams have been keeping me in stay work. Thank
29:42
you very much. The monsters are more familiar
29:44
now. There's not much sex appeal in a green
29:47
screen bodysuit. I'm not like totally ready
29:49
for that stuff anyway. Romance is a whole
29:51
other ballgame. You mean like a sleepover?
29:53
I just figured she'd be further along by now. Are
29:56
you
29:56
really going to square up two figment of my imagination?
29:59
I kind of want to make it.
29:59
Make it right. Well, he's pretty stiff competition
30:02
with all the emotional manipulation and scare
30:04
tactics. Oh! Are
30:06
you into that stuff now? No!
30:08
No! No! No!
30:12
No! No! Fuck.
30:14
I get why they usually leave this stuff for the pros.
30:17
Dreamers. A fantasy audio drama
30:20
available wherever you listen to podcasts.
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