Wildfire

**"Wildfire"** is the first episode of *The Fatal Frontier*. It is the first episode of the series overall. It was released on July 9th 2020.

## Plot

*During the prelude to the NGA-Frontiersmen War, Edwards begins a journey south to recover much-needed weapons, unaware of the horror that he is about to step into.*

## Synopsis

### Prologue

In 2062, the one-armed, aged Harry Edwards walks through the rain, killing a cluster of walkers as he goes. Tired, he is tackled and almost bitten by the final walker, but the walker instead bites the sleeve holding the remains of his left arm against his chest, allowing Edwards to reach his knife and kill it. He dusts himself off and moves on, limping on his damaged leg.

Over several hours, Edwards makes his way through a thick forest, finally coming across an overgrown garage. He struggles to open the door with one hand, but manages it and shelters himself from the rain just as more walkers arrive. He activates the lamps scattered around and nostalgically looks around at the abandoned equipment. He sits at a desk and clears away the dust, before retrieving a pencil and paper. "To those who read this", he begins, "Just know you are the reading the sins of a forgotten man". He then begins to recount the prelude to the NGA-Frontiersmen War.

### Chapter 1

In 2028, five months after the Battle of Prescott, a younger Edwards discovers the same garage and rests inside. He takes a look at his map, marking the location of a camp set up by another group that recently made contact. He eats and drinks, before continuing. He kills several walkers before seeing a sign indicating he is near the Montana-Wyoming state border.

Two days later, Edwards finally finds the camp, where he is greeted by the inhabitants, who call themselves the Cobras. He is held at gunpoint by the guards, who try to steal his backpack, but Edwards easily fights them off, disarming one of his assault rifle in the process, impressing them. As the situation calms, Edwards notes the similarities his jacket holds with that of another Cobra, Buffalo.

He is introduced to their leader, Walter, and his wife Edith. Edwards reveals his meaning for meeting with them: war with the Frontiersmen is brewing, and his people desperately need more weapons, which the Cobras claim they possess. They lead Edwards to an underground community built out of an abandoned government bunker, and the armoury at its core; Walter confirms that several hundred people live in the bunker but avoids answering Edwards' question as to how the Cobras sustain themselves.

When Edwards is led into the armoury, he is shocked to discover that it is completely empty. He turns around to confront Walter, who proceeds to shoot Edwards in the side. The wound is not deadly, but Edwards is incapacitated. Walter begins to taunt him, saying that he is "doomed" and that "they" will like his fighting spirit. Before Edwards can question Walter, the Cobra orders his men to beat Edwards unconscious with their rifles.

### Chapter 2

Edwards awakens, delirious and in incredible pain, with a hasty stitch in his gunshot wound. He tries to look around but realizes he has been hogtied and his weapons taken. He tries to get his bearings and soon discovers he is in the back of a wooden cart going over rough terrain. The cart is surrounded by men and women in hooded robes, carrying flaming torches. Edwards rolls over, discovering a young girl, also tied up but with a gag around her mouth. She opens her eyes and looks at him closely, as if she recognises him. As Edwards tries to break free, he is knocked unconscious by one of the hooded figures.

Once more Edwards awakens, chained against a stone wall, in a dark, mould-infested cell. He is visited by a wrinkly woman who gives him water and comes close enough for Edwards to notice that her wrinkles are in fact long scars, and her mouth has been sewn shut. She silently cries as she leaves. Edwards tries to fight against his chains but is silently told not to by the woman. A nearby door opens, and a massive man enters the corridor directly in front of where Edwards is chained. He hears the screams of several people, most of them women, as the man walks towards Edwards. Even in the dim light, Edwards spots the man's teeth: filed into deadly, shark-like fangs. He grabs Edwards by the hair and inspects him, smiling grimly before going to bite Edwards' ear, only to discover that his ear is already missing. The man chuckles before he leaves, followed by a troop of armed warriors.

Several hours pass, and night falls. Edwards is jolted awake by the sound of a horn in the near distance, followed by a mighty bellow. A menacing brigade of drums begins, followed by the wild screams of women. Four women unchain a weakened Edwards, before a dwarf marches up to him and stabs him in the side of the neck with a syringe. Edwards collapses as his entire body is gripped in an overwhelming pain, before he realizes he cannot feel anything. The four women begin to drag Edwards out of his cell; as he is dragged, he notices the other cells are empty.

### Chapter 3

As Edwards is carried aboveground, he is faced with a sprawling village, inhabited by people wearing primitive clothing. The drums continue as a man begins changing in an unknown tongue: "*Tawol Athodu Ek Erilaz Owlthuthewaz Niwaremariz Saawilagar Hateka Harja*". A second priest takes over, and then another, until the verse has been recited fifteen times. The final priest roars into the sky as he finishes the verse. Immediately, a woman howls in pain.

Edwards is taken into a primitive arena, where he witnesses the Shark-Toothed Man perform a sacrifice of the screaming woman. First she is tied to a stake and coated in pitch, and then a young child is revealed. The priests proceed to burn the child in a pit as the crowd of tribals mimick the woman's screams of grief; Edwards vomits at the sight. The Shark-Toothed Man proceeds to disembowel the woman before setting her alight. Six priests chant in low growls as a woman emerges, adorned with black flowers; the woman takes a seat at a throne made of human bones. The entire crowd begins to chant the phrase "*Fehu Uruz Thurisaz Ansuz Raidho Kenaz Gebo Wunjo Hagal Naudhiz Isa Jera Eihwaz Perthro Algiz Sowelu Tiwaz Berkano Ehwaz Mannaz Laguz Ingwaz Dagaz Othala*" ten times.

Edwards is let go by the four women, as his entire body becomes numb, filled only with rage. He stares up at the crowd, who continue to chant and scream, as a metal gate at the other side of the arena begins to rise. A hulking creature, presumably another man, emerges, his face covered in a horned helmet and his left hand replaced with a gigantic blade. The chanting ceases and the High Priest roars once more, followed by a woman vocalising. The Champion proceeds to pace around the arena, and Edwards prepares to fight as the chanting continues.

The Champion charges and Edwards barely dodges. He lands a few blows to the Champion's side, but they do little but enrage the creature. Edwards is caught off-guard by the Champion's swinging fist, knocking Edwards almost to the other side of the arena. He tries to distract the creature by throwing sand, but it does nothing to deter his opponent. The Champion lands a punch on Edwards, forcing him to the ground, before kicking him against the wall. Edwards spits blood and looks up at the Champion; looking past the hulking mass, he spots the same woman from the cart in the crowd, staring at him. She throws something down into the arena. Edwards dodges his way from the Champion and retrieves the object: his tomahawk. Smiling, he prepares to face the Champion once more.

For several minutes, Edwards works his way around the arena, tiring the Champion. He finally lands a blow with his axe, followed immediately by cheers from the crowd; the chant of "*Fehu Uruz Thurisaz Ansuz Raidho Kenaz Gebo Wunjo Hagal Naudhiz Isa Jera Eihwaz Perthro Algiz Sowelu Tiwaz Berkano Ehwaz Mannaz Laguz Ingwaz Dagaz Othala*" begins once more as the battle quickens. Edwards tries to go for the Champion's chest or neck, only to realize that both of these areas are heavily armoured, chipping his tomahawk. Edwards is picked up by the enraged Champion; a blow to the creature's hand does little. As he is raised higher, however, Edwards discovers that the Champion's back possesses very little armour. He severs the Champion's thumb, dodges its arm blade, and runs over to the wall. He kicks himself away from the wall and over the Champion, landing on its back. Screaming in rage, he proceeds to hack repeatedly at the side of the Champion's neck, covering him in its blood. The Champion throws him off, but Edwards recovers. The Champion charges again, but Edwards jumps above the arm blade, swinging his tomahawk as he does so. The blow connects, almost decapitating the Champion, as Edwards lands. He walks over to the Champion and hacks his head off completely, holding it up and roaring in triumph as the crowd goes wild.

The crowd is mostly cut off by the enraged roar of the High Priest; the few that do not fall silent begin bellowing the word "*Mye'Akal*". The blood-soaked Edwards looks up and locks eyes with the woman on the throne. He throws the head up to her feet before roaring once more. As he does, feeling returns to his body, before realizing he has been badly caught by the Champion's blade. He collapses to his knees as warriors enter the arena to drag him away.

## Credits

### Starring:

* Harry Edwards
* Lupa
* Kyther
* Shark-Toothed Man
* Interith
* The Champion

## Deaths

* 1 unnamed woman
* 1 unnamed child
* Champion *(alive)*

## Trivia

* First appearance (in *TFF* continuity) of Harry Edwards
* First appearance of Walter
* First appearance of Buffalo
* First appearance of Edith
* First appearance of Lupa
* First appearance of the Shark-Toothed Man
* First appearance of Interith
* First appearance of Kyther
* First (and last) appearance of the Champion
* First appearance of the Cobras
* First appearance of the Norn
* The lyrics of the chant sung by the Norn translates as follows:

"'**Tawol Athodu Ek Erilaz Owlthuthewaz Niwaremariz Saawilagar Hateka Harja*:
 Come, guest Tyr
 For this invocation ,
 I, the Rune Master, servant of Odin, call upon the one of the Sun to aid our army* Fehu Uruz Thurisaz Ansuz Raidho Kenaz Gebo Wunjo Hagal Naudhiz Isa Jera Eihwaz Perthro Algiz Sowelu Tiwaz Berkano Ehwaz Mannaz Laguz Ingwaz Dagaz Othala *Wealth, Aurochs, Thorn, Divine Breath, Travel, Torch,Gift, Joy, Hail, Need, Ice, Harvest,Tree, Luck, Elk, Sun, Creator, Birch tree
 Horse, Man, Water, Fertility, Day, Home*"**
—The ritual chant of the Norn**[src]**

* This episode features no English dialogue past Chapter 2.

 **Part II** | "Feral" • "Lies" • "Worship" • "Sins" • "Wolves"