Lies

**"Lies"** is the sixth episode of *The Fatal Frontier*. It was released on October 12th 2020.

## Plot

*The Wilds erupt in a war of fire that threatens to tear the fragile land apart.*

## Synopsis

### Prologue

A violent electrical storm tears away at a dense forest, stripping the branches of their autumn leaves. Inside the dimly-lit halls of the Dark Place, screams of agony can be heard. A lightning strike transitions the scene to a poorly-lit brick room, where a young woman lies on a wooden table, her lower half covered in blood. A hooded man, shown in the light of the thunderstrike to be a Pale Priest, tends to the woman while three young nuns try to comfort her. One of them demands the girl squeeze her hand and ease her breathing, which she does. The Pale Priest uses surgical tools to slowly and painfully widen her birth canal, and the nuns order the girl to push. Eventually, a wailing baby boy is born and the nuns cut the cord and carry it away to clean it. One of the nuns informs the girl that she is not yet done and tells her to continue pushing. Following several consecutive lightning strikes - one of which sets the forest alight - a second child is born. The nun notices that the child is a girl and the Priest gives a nod. As the nun takes the child away, its mother is quietly smothered to death by the other nuns while crying out for her children.

The nun carries the screaming child through the Dark Place's halls, where the rattling of steel doors accompanies the wails of grown people. She takes the child into a room at the far end of the manor's halls, where she stokes a fire; as she does so, the nun is revealed to be the Wrinkled Woman. She holds the girl over the fire pit but hesitates in dropping the crying baby into the fire. Suddenly, the door opens and a young girl enters the room, closing the heavy door behind her; as Woman gives a look of fear. "Sister", the young girl says, "Let me". The Woman shakes her head, but the girl hardens her stare, "*Let* me," she says before revealing a bloodstained knife. The Woman sets the child on a nearby table and the young girl walks over, beckoning the Woman to the other side of the room with her knife. She sets the knife on the table beside the child and picks it up. She cradles it, smiling, before setting it beside the fire. The girl places her right hand on the baby's throat and, using her nails, digs into its throat. The baby begins to cry out, and the young girl's smile only becomes wider. The Woman begins to sob as the girl takes her nails out of the baby's throat, licking the young blood from her fingers. She picks the child up and once more holds it over the fire. Before she can drop it, the Woman launches herself from the corner, wrestling the baby from the girl's grip. The girl reaches for her knife and manages to slash the Woman across the face, but the Woman holds onto the baby. She uses her free hand to punch the girl in the side, causing her to lean into the fire, which scorches her left hand. The girl screams and drops to her knees, the stench of cooking flesh filling the air. The Woman takes the child and uses the opportunity to rush out of the room.

She sprints through the halls of the manor, avoiding other nuns by using the darkness, before arriving at a room in the bowls of the manor. She knocks frantically at the door, and her knocks are answered by a young, handsome man with a crucifix around his neck. He smiles at the sight of the baby, but the Woman rushes into the room. She demands that he pack his stuff; the young man asks the meaning of the intrusion and tries to take the baby. "There is no time!" the Woman yells, "Monsters dwell here. Take them and run!". She hands the child over to the young man and packs some essentials before giving him the bag, "Follow me," she says. She leads him through the winding halls of the Dark Place, avoiding yet more nuns actively searching for them, and into the manor's nursery. The nun inside tries to call for help, but the Woman knocks her to the ground with a punch and a kick to the face. Then searches frantically through a number of wailing babies, finally finding the infant boy. She takes him and wraps him in blankets, and leads the young man out into the open. She says, "We must run. Far. Where they will never find us!". The young man retorts, "Where is she?", but the Woman only says, "Gone. Hurry!". The two of them climb into the young man's car and she orders him to drive away through the forest. As she looks back, a Pale Priest comes roaring from the manor's entrance, with the young girl beside him.

As the Woman and the young man drive away, the sounds of plane engines are heard. The Woman looks up at the sky, where bombers can be seen flying east. At the manor, the Pale Priest and the girl watch the same sight, at which point the girl stabs the priest in the ribs with her knife. The priest collapses onto his knees, and the girl removes her knife. "It begins," she says. She grabs the deformed priest by the back of the head, "The end of life. The reign of death," she says before stabbing the priest in the chest several times until he falls dead. The girl looks up at the manor as screams of agony cry out and blood covers the windows. She dips her burned hand into the priest's blood and paints around her eyes.

In an unknown language, she whispers, "Now begins the reign of Kyther,"

### Chapter 1

In the present, in the courtyard of the Heathen's settlement, Edwards sits at a campfire, sharpening his tomahawk with a stone. With every scrape of the stone against the blade, he remembers when he amputated Sarah's leg and the sound of his hatchet against her bone. He only stops when he accidentally runs his thumb over the sharpened edge. He sucks at the blood, clearly hungry. He is too distracted to notice Lupa approach and sit beside him, still wearing Edwards' jacket. From the corner of his eye, he notices her running her fingers over her throat scars and pressing into them. Edwards offers her the stone and she takes it, beginning to sharpen her dagger; it is only now that Edwards notices that its handle is decorated with a golden crucifix. He asks who gave it to her, and she replies by carving the word "Father" into the dirt. He asks when, to which Lupa mimes slitting her throat with the dagger. She looks sadly into the fire. Edwards sighs, "I'm sorry," and Lupa smiles. Something dawns on her and she removes the jacket, handing it back to Edwards. He takes it, but changes his mind and hands it back to her, "It's cold," he smiles. Lupa takes it gratefully and slips it back on.

"Good to see you two are getting along," comes a voice. Both turn to see Jules approaching the fire, his sabre hanging at his side. "Like a damn house on fire."

Edwards turns back to Lupa. "She saved my life." he says.

Jules sits across from them both at the fire. "Saved mine too," he chuckles. "I've found she's quite the ferocious little devil."

"A wolf, some would say," Edwards replies, earning a look from Lupa.

"Hah, hence the rightfully-earned name," Jules chuckles, throwing a stick onto the fire. "Damn, we've ended up in a shitty situation, my friend."

"How so?" says Edwards.

"Well," Jules replies. "Tonight we're marching across a plain with little to no cover, to investigate the place that is held sacred by the most dangerous group of people I have ever met. I'd call that a shitty situation."

"I call it a shot at getting home," Edwards retorts, "These people are not dangerous. They make you think that they are by making you afraid. The yelling. The screaming. Those...*monsters* that they control. It's all to make you *afraid*. Behind that - believe me - they're *nothing*. I've seen plenty of people like them. My people are facing people like this right now. That's why I'm here. I came south to find some way to help my people, the people I consider *family*. But now I find myself in the middle of fuck-knows-where battling a bunch of savages that burn women and children *alive*. And despite everything...the one thing I don't want is revenge. I just want to get the fuck out of here. I want to go home. And I will do *anything* to get home...even if that means I have to kill *every last one of them.*"

Jules sighs. "Now *that's* a shitty situation if I ever did hear one."

Edwards grunts and stands up. "You know, I listened to your story. How you flew all the way from fucking *England* to get here. You're further from home than I will *ever* be! And you sit there and make ridiculous comments! Where is your desperation? Your hate?"

Jules sighs and stands up to face Edwards. "You think I'm not angry?" he says calmly. "Oh, I am. More than you can imagine. I have people I care about on the other side of a goddamn ocean. I'll probably never see them again, and it's not like they can march here, search for my body and seek revenge. I came here voluntarily, just like you, to help my people, just like you. And I've learned from experience that its best not to dwell on just how crushing this world is. No matter how bad it gets, how deep it gets to you. I mean, this is the sort of shit we wrote about on computers when we were bored. See in a movie. And we're living in it. And I *will not* let it get to me. So I'm sorry if the way I say things doesn't exactly match the moment. I am *scared*. Scared shitless. So I'd rather handle it my own way if that's okay,"

Edwards lowers his head. "You're right. I'm sorry,"

"It's okay," says Jules. "I'm sorry too. My dad used to joke around all the time, even when he and mum got divorced." The two of them sit back around the fire. "What were your parents like?" he asks.

Edwards sighs heavily. "I don't really remember. Last time I saw them was when they left the airport, back in England. Must have been fifteen years ago."

"I'm sorry," Jules says, "At least I know for sure that my parents are gone. I can't imagine..."

"Not now, Jules," Edwards interrupts.

Jules looks over at the silent Lupa, "What about you, kid? What were your parents like?"

In response, Lupa only shrugs her shoulders. Edwards looks confused, "You said your dad gave you that dagger," to which Lupa shares his look of confusion, shaking her head.

"Was not Father that gave her the blade," says another voice. All three look up to see Seth, heavily armed, "Was *The* Father. Stand. We must move,"

Lupa rises to her feet immediately, following her brother. Jules stands and offers his hand to Edwards, "Well, into the twilight we go." Edwards smiles and takes his hand, standing. He places his axe in its sheath and follows Jules in Lupa's footsteps. They follow her to the settlement's primitive gate, where armed and mounted Heathen warriors wait and say goodbye to their younger loved ones. Lupa retrieves her bow and a quiver of arrows while Seth beckons Edwards and Jules to a nearby cabin. Inside, he shows them two rifles, "Old World men. Old World weapons," he says and leaves to tend to his horse. Edwards and Jules take a rifle each and load them. Edwards takes an extra box of ammo and instinctively goes for his left holster, before realizing that nothing is there. He sighs and goes to leave, but notices a couple of flares. He takes them both and heads outside. He climbs onto a horse and watches as Seth gives a signal to open the gates, which do so with a heavy creak. He then leads the warriors out into the thick forest.

### Chapter 2

As the sun sets and the moon rises her into the sky, the Heathen troops use the cover of night to ride out of the forest and into the plains. On the horizon, the embers of Haven continue to burn. Edwards stops to watch and Jules rides up alongside him.

"They would have left long ago now," he says.

Edwards grunts. "They could be watching us. Have your rifle ready,"

The troops ride further across the plains, using the hills to their advantage, and cross a fast-moving stream filled with walkers. A floating walker grabs at one of the horses, throwing its rider off and into the water, where he is devoured. Many are horrified, but notably Edwards, Jules and Lupa are unfazed as they ride past. As the cold sets in, Jules shares his water with Edwards, "They don't call this the Wilds for nothing," he remarks, "What do they call where you come from?"

"The New North," Edwards says. "Nothing new about it. Except me and my people,"

"Where did you come from?"

"From the east," Edwards says, passing the water back to Jules. He looks ahead and spots Seth, his horse still, staring at him. As Edwards rides up to him, Seth says, "You. Me. Talk,". Edwards obliges and Jules rides ahead to give privacy.

"My sister...she saved you. You saved her," Seth begins.

"I owe her my life," Edwards says, "To her and that dagger of hers,"

"The Father's," Seth says, "She looks to you. Up. Thinks you're strong. That she can be you. She is a child. Strong child, but still child,"

Edwards nods. "She is definitely strong. I'd be dead if it wasn't for her. For Jules,"

"Sky Man," says Seth. "He take Lupa. Take her to bad place. Old home. To kill the Goddess,"

"Old home?" Edwards asks. "You mean Haven?"

"Haven. Old home," says Seth. "Home the Father built,"

"Who is this Father?" Edwards asks.

"He save us. He and the Mother. Find others. Children. He wear cross around neck. Spoke to Silent Voices. Like the Dark Ones, but these voices did not hurt. He did not hurt. We built home. Haven. Scared away the dead,"

"You built Haven? I thought that belonged to the Norn,"

Seth throws Edwards a scowl. "We do not name Dark Ones. Gives power. Yes, we build Old Home. Father and Mother love us, love each other. Told us to speak to the silent voices, and the silent voices were no longer silent. Happy, for a long time,"

"And then the Dark Ones came?"

"The Dark Ones came," Seth continues. "Dark Ones came from Dark Place. Darkness comes with them. Pale Whispers drown out the Silent Voices. Pale Men rip children apart, burn mothers alive. Archers burn fields. Bring the dead back with them. Father gives Lupa dagger, Mother helps us escape. We left her. We hear her screams on the wind. Now wind is full of screams. We cannot hear the Silent Voices. Only Pale Whispers,"

"I'm sorry," Edwards says.

"Lupa angry," Seth says. "Still has nightmares. Then she says she heard the Silent Voices. Faint. They tell of the World-Ender. They call *Mye'Akal*: "They That Speaks For the Silent Voices". His axe will strike down the Dark Ones. He will unleash the wolf on them. Its roars will shatter Pale Men. Burn them. Silent Voices will shout over Pale Whispers. World-Ender will destroy them..."

"But also save them," Edwards interrupts.

"World-Ender will save them. Dark Ones gone, but someone will still hear Pale Whispers. Their goddess will still speak. But nobody will listen,"

"They think that I am *Mye'Akal*. Why?"

"You kill their Champion," Seth replies. "The Champion bred to guard the Goddess. Gatekeeper of Death. You kill the Gatekeeper. Next, you must kill Death,"

"But you cannot kill death," Edwards says.

In response, Seth removes his bow and takes aim at a nearby walker, killing it with an arrow to the head, "Easy."

A scream cuts their exchange short; both Seth and Edwards look over to see a young warrior, bleeding out from an arrow in his throat. Several other arrows rain down on the troop, killing a few and badly injuring the rest. On the nearby hill, six mounted figures draw back more arrows. A seventh throws down its arm and the volley rains down again. Seth rallies his people over the hill at their flank, and a horrible screech comes from the mouth of the seventh figure. Jules jumps down beside Edwards; with fear in his eyes he utters, "Pale Men,"

### Chapter 3

The leading Pale Man lets out another screech and directs his fellow creatures down on the hiding troop, firing arrows as they descend. Seth orders his remaining people to fire their own arrows; all of them miss bar that of Lupa, which catches one of the Pale Men in the chest, knocking it off its horse. She smiles at Edwards and ducks down to load another arrow. Edwards turns towards Jules, "You remember how to handle a gun?". Jules smiles and cocks the rifle, "Always will." The two of them stand up and fire in unison; Jules' shot kills a horse, crushing its rider, while Edwards' shot gets one of the Pale Men in the head.

The leftmost Pale Man throws a ball over the hill; it almost instantly explodes, ripping apart several Heathen warriors and setting the dry grass alight. As the fire spreads, the four remaining Pale Men jumps off their horses and into the panicking troop. They easily fight off several younger, gutting or decapitating them. Jules' rifle jams and he instead uses it as a bat, breaking the defence of one of the Pale Men and using his sabre to kill it while it is distracted. One of the three remaining Pale Men throw yet more grenades into the grass around the ditch, surrounding the troop with a wall of fire. Edwards breaks through to the front of the troop, standing beside Seth and Lupa, with whom the Pale Men lock eyes with. The lead Pale Man points at Lupa, screeching, as the three of them ride around the troop, herding them into the wall of fire that grows increasingly small. Edwards sees a spot where the fire has not connected and could be a safe route out. He fires at one of the Pale Men horses, causing it to fall over, and yells out to the troop to get to safety; he, Jules and Lupa provide covering fire.

Edwards hears rapid galloping behind him and ducks just in time to avoid the lead Pale Man slashing his head off his shoulders, and it stops in front of the three of them, blocking their way out of the fire. It points and screeches at Lupa, but Edwards catches it off by firing a single shot into its head. "Old World beats New World, bitch," he says. "Come on!" he yells and leads the last of the troop out of the fire and back into the open, where the troop have pulled the Pale Men off their horses and began beating them with feet and sticks.

Edwards hears another screech; above them, on the same hill, more Pale Men have appeared and fire their flaming arrows, massacring the remaining troop. Edwards orders the survivors onto their horses and they gallop through the fields, the Pale Men reinforcements close behind. Lupa, once again riding on the same horse as Edwards, fires several arrows; the Pale Men prove agile enough to dodge, but one is killed by an arrow to the head. Another Heathen is killed when his horse is shot by a flaming arrow. To their right, Jules spots a thicket and calls out to the troop to bank right. They do so and lose their pursuers, but are badly cut by rows and rows of thorns. Edwards hears Lupa yelp behind her as a thorn branch catches her beneath the eye.

### Chapter 4

Now numbering only six, the troop break through the thicket and come out onto a cliff, and they dismount to catch their breath. Jules gives Edwards more water and tends to Lupa's eye, which has turned bloodshot. He applies a rag to the cut and tells her to tie it around her head to cover her eye. The sight reminds Edwards once more of his past and he walks over to Seth, who is staring at the horizon. As he joins him, he spots Seth's target: in the near distance, a few miles from the burning Haven, lies a steep plain covered in thick forest, with a vaguely tall structure in the middle.

"Dark Place," says Seth.

"Do you think we'll get answers?" Edwards asks.

"We find out how Pale Men came. How we defeat them. Defeat Pale Men, we shut out Pale Whispers. Dark Ones weakened,"

Edwards grunts, "Hope so. But the journey's not over," he says. He climbs back onto his horse and helps Lupa up. He smiles and nods to encourage her and beckons the horse to move forward.

In a flashback, during the fall of Haven, the Wrinkled Woman puts down fatally wounded Father with her knife and does not try to fight back as she is carried back into Haven's courtyards by Norn warriors. She looks around at them, recognising many of their faces. They break away as the Shark-Toothed Man approaches and caresses the side of her head; the Woman begins to sob. The Man leans in and places his forehead against hers, "Wuantarith," he says before he takes out his knife and slashes her across the face. As she screams, the Norn warriors descend on her, slashing at her face with their knives. When they finish, her face is only held on by a few strips of skin. Finally, Kyther emerges from her crowd of followers and takes out the same knife from her youth. She grabs the Woman by the hair and delivers a final slash, "You always wanted to grow old," she whispers. The Wrinkled Woman gives out screams of agony as Norn warriors carry her into the tunnels beneath Haven.

## Deaths

* 7 unnamed Pale Men
* 15 unnamed Heathens
* The Father *(before reanimation, confirmed fate)*

## Trivia

* First appearance of Benjin
* First appearance of Kail
* First (and last) appearance of The Father *(flashback)*
* Last appearance of the Wrinkled Woman *(flashback)*
* This episode contains the most chapters in *The Fatal Frontier* so far, with a total of four.
* This episode reveals that, while the word *Mye'Akal* does mean "World-Ender", it actually translates as "They That Speaks For the Silent Voices". It is also revealed that Lupa is the one that came up with the World-Ender prophecy, hearing it from the "Silent Voices".
* This episode confirms several facts about Seth and Lupa's early lives.
	+ They are twins who were born within minutes of each other on the night before Outbreak Day.
	+ Lupa's scars were given just a few minutes after her birth by a young Kyther.
	+ They were saved by the Wrinkled Woman, who gave them to their uncle to take them away from the Dark Place.
	+ Seth and Lupa were raised by their uncle, who saved other kids and began the tribe known as the Heathens. He is affectionately known as The Father.
* This episode marks the first time that any character has used a gun since "*Wildfire*".

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