Episode 86 - Royalties

## Royalties

A black background with a white border consisting of log thin triangles, the tips touching the side of the nearest base. In the middle of the image a the head of a world is depicted in red in the foreground, it is baring its teeth. Behind the wolf is a Aztec calendar depicted in white, half obscured by the wolf. Bellow this image but still within the border the words "86.ROYALTIES" is written in white.

### Author

William A Wellman

Hector sleeps in, Yaretzi goes on the hunt, and Lady Ethel talks brand deals. The theme of tonight’s episode is Royalties.

***Content Warnings:** Animal death (Heidi and Bert as usual), Violence, Kidnapping and abduction, Death + Injury, Blood, Birds, Suffocation, Emotional Manipulation, Body horror, Consumption of Inedible Materials (that material being Barb), Smoking, Religious Violence*

## Intro - The Light That Burns

Nikignik speaks to the Dreamers of the Rat King, and its trepidations at becoming a herald. It'd spent its life in grey shadows as an unnoticed thing, questioning what would happen now that it'd taken its crown; wore it proudly and let itself be seen for all its colours, embrace the light which burned in its blood. Whatever it brought it, at least it was free, it had to hide no longer. And when it came to face the truth, lies fled from its presence. The stars in its eyes reflect the cosmos above a faraway tomb, the crown above its head a gift from a long-dead god.

Nikignik stands above the root covered remains of the Scoutpost as the floor writhed, pulling bodies and buildings from its depths.

## Story 1 - A Sweeter Goodbye

Hector Mendoza wakes up (see Episode 81 - Fears) feeling well rested, opening his eyes to find Jonah Duckworth standing over him looking at him expectantly. He tries to sit up, but Jonah tells him to take it easy, that he could hug him to death but didn't know how fragile he was. At the mention of death Hector remembers what happened to him. He looks down to find his bodily damage repaired with roots and vines that sprout out of him, replacing the arm he lost. Hector asks for Jonah to explain what was happening, and Jonah tells him that he'd unlocked something, telling him of his conversation with the Rat King in Episode 79 - Kingdoms. Hector asks about Jonah getting shot (see Episode 81 - Fears), and Jonah confirms that the bullet had reached it mark, but it hadn't killed him, and had caused him to white out. But the time he regained himself the damage had already been done. Hector tells him that he should have been more careful of the Fisher, as he'd heard it following him, but his guard had been down. Hector as about the plants growing out of him, and Jonah tells him that it was because he [Jonah] was telling them to, though he didn't know how long it would last. Hector tells him that there were alot of thing going on, but for the record if he ever had to part ways with him, he'd care for a sweeter goodbye. Jonah agrees with this.

Jonah tells Hector that he was scared, everything was getting so strange, and he was afraid that he'd turn around one day and find that 100 years had passed. He'd ruined everything, there was so much destruction he'd caused by accident. Jonah reassures him that if he noticed him zoning out he'd pull him back in, and then he asks Jonah if what he'd done for him, he could also do for the Scoutpost. Jonah is hesitant, but Hector convinces him of his abilities, and Jonah sets about reconstructing the Scoutpost, a combination of the old infrastructure and the forest itself. Hector thinks that if he was ever going to leave, he'd missed him chance, but he didn't care as he salutations a new age.

### Interlude 1 - Open For Business

Nikignik makes a similar announcement as they did in Episode 85 - Roots, that any travellers looking to visit Scoutpost One would be unable to as Scoutpost One no longer existed. However, he tells them that they would find its legacy continues by Scoutpost Two, which could be found in the exact same location as where Scoutpost One used to be. In recent events the area surrounding the Scoutpost had gone from a red level Froglin alert to a green level. This was because of several factors, a great number of them no longer being alive, internal political issues destabilising their assault, and the giant heron (see Frogsticker) that now resided in Lurch Lake. As always however, they should stay aware as they never knew what wandered the woods.

## Story 2 - Faster Than The Fire

Yaretzi thinks to herself that it was one thing to fight while tired an injured, and another to fight while well rested, fed, and known that her family (see Polly and Mort) were endangered. She'd have time to mourn Barb (see Episode 83 - Hopes) and apologise to The Countess, who no doubt would be coming for her. Now however it was time for Rick Rounds to suffer. She is able to catch up to the three of them quickly, finding them in the shadow of the fallen Statue of Liberty, as she approaches, she watches as Polly bleeds out of the beach and Mort and Rick take swings at each other. She Upon them and pounces at Rick, her claws digging into his back and shoulder, the momentum knocking him off his feet. She does to bite him, but he protects himself with his tree arm, so she pushes him away and sends him skidding. He rolls to his feed and opens his mouth to say something but is silences by Mort swinging at him from above. Mort comments excitedly on Yaretzi's conscious state. Rick wrestles with Mort's claw, and Yaretzi once again closes the gap between them, Rick managing to push Mort off and pulling a sword out of thin air as Yaretzi snaps at him. Evident that he doesn't know how to use a sword, Yaretzi dodges his attack only for him to turn around and attack Mort, causing him to back off. Yaretzi takes advantage of this and bites down on Rick's shoulder. Rick screams but tells Yaretzi that it was to late as Polly was already dying, casing Yaretzi to make the mistake of loosening her grip and turning to look at Polly.

Polly screams at Yaretzi to look out, giving her enough of a reaction time for her to prevent Rick from stabbing her through her eye, instead getting cut along her muzzle. He turns his attention to Mort, managing to cut but not penetrate his armour, and Yaretzi charges at him [Rick]. Rick attacks her with his tree arm, defending herself from two vines only for a third to wrap around her neck. Rick impales Mort on his sword, causing all the water in his suit to come rushing out. Rick yells at Yaretzi that he'd hunted the Devil to the ends of the earth, and he wasn't going to be stopped by some tin can monstrosity and his pet dog. Rick jumps, using Polly's heel trick (see Polly) to hold himself aloft, and summons an armoury of swords, sending them down from the sky with intent to skewer Yaretzi.

### Marketing - Licensing Agreements

Lady Ethel Mallory interrupts Nikignik's broadcast with her marketing segment. She tells the listeners that over the past months there had been conversation around the Botulus Corporation's decision to restrict access to the Stonemaiden musical catalogue, and that after careful consideration this music would be returning to the Prime Dream. With the Stonemaid movement over, they were entering a new chapter for the Prime Dream, a chapter where they had to ask: what changes did they want to see in their future. What could they do to prevent the crisis again, and what did the Prime Dream look like in the wake of this movement. She announces that she would be working with Valerie Maidstone to create a new campaign around the importance of expressing individuality and fighting for change the right way.

### Story 2, Continued - Faster Than The Fire

Yaretzi jumps a Rick, dodging the first few swords and leaving the rest to fall behind her as she tacks him out of the air and to the ground. She slams him onto the beach, impaling his tree arm on a iron bar jutting from the earth. She tells him to stay down, and he tells her he wasn't, starting to spout stupid stuff before he is cut off by Mort (holding the remainder of his water in with his gauntlet) reaching down and cutting his tree arm in half with his claw. This causes Rick to enter a similar spasm as he did momentarily in Episode 76 - Lungs however more severe. Yaretzi tells Mort to lay down to keep him for losing more water and goes to check up on Polly. She finds him laying down, so she allows her wolf form to slip back to pick him up in her arms, He tells her that he was quite pleased to see her alive, a sentiment which she returns as she places him where Mort and Rick lay. She asks him what was happening to Rick, and he tells her an approximating of what he told Rick in Episode 76. He asks Mort if he was alright, and Mort expresses happiness at Polly being okay, right before the hatch in his chest burst open and the rest of the water in him evacuates, taking Mort's skeleton with it.

Polly tells him that he was pretty sure his bones were meant to stay in his body, and Mort agrees with him, before asking if the bones were who he was before he was Mort. Polly tells him that it probably was, whatever he remembered, even if just in dreams, counted. But as Mort he should be proud of what he'd done. Yaretzi asks what they were going to do with Rick, if she was going to kill him, she'd prefer him to be conscious. Polly gets Rick's attention, calls him an idiot, and asks if he was going to let him take the fire out of him, if this was how Rick wanted to die. Rick accepts, and Polly takes his hand to extract the Soulfire, immediately using it to mend the worst of his physical damage. Rick tells Polly that he knew he [Rick] was a sinner, but he'd thought that he could kill the devil and be free of the consequences of his actions. But he knew now hat the angle lied (see Episode 56 - Thorns). Polly tells him that there never were any angles, or devils judging him. Humans had made that up. And it wasn't about what Rick had done in his past, it was about the fact that he'd been a nuisance to Polly, and that he'd hurt Mort and Yaretzi. It wasn't about right or wrong, and it wasn't about Rick. Rick looks like he may cry, but then his eyes roll back, and he sits up and looks at Polly. Tiff, through Rick, tells Polly that the two of them needed to discuss Polly's employment.

### Interlude 2 - No Monarchies

Nikignik tells the Dreamers that there was royalty in space. Some surviving monarchs on earth, some old rulers on asteroids still clinging to life. But amongst life Indescribable they would find no monarchies. Mostly because once an Indies domain was established it was unwise to trespass. Were Nikignik to go up to Zazzlezazz and tell him that they were his new ruler and he had to obey them, they would very quickly find themself dreamed out of exitance. Similarly with Tolshotol and Syrensyr, they co-existed, and every so often when one dared to challenge the balance, they were quick to make an example. Marolmar had liked the idea of lordly power, perhaps he'd taken the idea from Rothogroth, maybe it was why he'd left three crowns for his heralds.

## Story 3 - The Full Junket

Lady Ethel Mallory finishes a call with Anderson Faust, noting to herself how her schedule had imploded since Brooklyn Williams had left (see Episode 81 - Fears). She leaves Box Cassiopia, accompanied by bodyguards who were knew as they'd had to fire all of Marco Torres' personnel, just to be safe, and watches as Riot and Valerie Maidstone were wrangled out of an Aircarrier. Ethel apologises to them for keeping them waiting, an they both go still at the sight of her. Valerie recognises her, if barely, and Riot reminds her that Clara Martin had told her [Riot] that Ethel was unnaturally tall (see Episode 44 - Rains). Ethel ignores this and tells Valerie it was good to see her in person after such a long time, and that it was good to finally meet Riot. Riot yells at her that she wanted her sword back, and book, and she wanted to know where her friends were (see Episode 83 - Hopes), but Ethel tells her that last thing she needed was a weapon. Valerie says to herself that she was pretty sure she'd lost her [Valerie] mind, and Ethel tells her that she wanted to talk a little before they were interred into Dreaming Pods. Riot refuses this, and Valerie tells her that she wouldn't cooperate, that she'd fight her every step of the way. Ethel tells Valerie that she was out of leverage, threatening to do the same to Riot as she had her (see Episode 12 - Homes).

Riot starts yelling at Ethel for threatening Valerie, But Ethel crouches down to look at Riot in the eye and tells her that she may have been raised to think of herself as the underdog who always wins, but that was a dangerous lie. She was one girl, who was completely insignificant except for the brand identity that Ethel bestowed. She [Ethel] tells them that they were going to be her puppets, she'd once promised Valerie she'd [Ethel] own the world, now she did. But all they needed to know was that when she told them to speak, they would, and not to say one word out of line or she'd hurt them and make the other watch. Valerie tells Ethel to be reasonable, asking where the people they were with were. They'd play better if they knew the game. Ethel tells them that she didn't know or care where their friends were, but she knew some of them had been especially requested. She wasn't going to tell them what she was working, but if the three of them played their cards right Ethel would be sitting at the top of Box Orion, and the two of them would be free to go. She snaps her fingers; the bodyguards collect them, and she gives the instruction to prepare them for onboarding, that they shouldn't worry as falling asleep was easy.

## Outro - Royalties

Nikignik waxes poetic about Royalties. The dreamers may look to others and wonder at their splendour, but they were all just people, and like them they sought out opportunity and feared failure. They were only above them in what they have learned over the course of their journeys. There were no gods among humankind, no chosen ones, and they may look to the lives of others for inspiration as they continued to plot their steps but know that they were not so far behind them themself. As they drew closer, crowns were hollow, only shine because they imagined them to, but their monarchs were like them in that they did not know where they were supposed to go.