Ch 9 Bonding
They approach a huge whale sized bird.
‘Perfect!’ says the man. This bird creates huge slipstreams. We can ride along its slipstream. It should be migrating North, which is where the Lost Land should be.
‘You sure know a lot about nature!’
‘I’ve always been interested in exploring’ the man says.
As the bird takes off, they jump onto the slipstream. They grab onto albu’s fur.
Woahhh!
They land in a new place. There is a bustling town that they visit, and try nice food.
‘This is from an animal I’ve never heard of before!’
‘Look. This is a port town. It’s the most advanced town I’ve seen. There’s also a museum.’
‘Maybe it has information on the LL too’.
In the musueum:
Here, you will learn everything there is to know about the history of our people and society.
‘Let’s skip over to recent history.’
Civilisation as we know it today started with an event known as the ‘Big Freeze’. We don’t know much about civilisation before the Big Freeze, but we do know that they were extremely technologically advanced. Unfortunately, much of this technology was lost to the Big Freeze.
Before the Big Freeze, most of the land was covered in dirt, plants and flowing water. Now most of the land is covered in snow.
‘Let’s move on to the Lost Land…’
It is generally accepted amongst experts that the Lost Land is just a myth. After the Big Freeze nearly all plant life was destroyed, and there is nowhere on earth that is warm enough for most plants to grow.
Ashim: What a disappointment. I was hoping to find some information about the Lost Land, instead they say it doesn’t even exist!
Damien: Well, what do you think yourself?
Ashim: I think it exists. We’ll find it.
As they wander around town the two guys become distracted.
Ashim: Ahhh…. I’m so tired. I just wanna look around town for a bit.
Nima: Frowns.
They go through markets, shops, and look at restaurants and eat at one. Then they start skipping stones. Nima face palms.
Nima: Guys, you need to focus!
Damien: We are focusing! We just need a little break!
Nima: Sighs. But this is irrelevant to our mission! You need to keep focused. Which means being committed to finding the Lost Land.
Damien: Relax, we have plenty of time!
Nima: I’m not so sure about that…
Ashim: Huh? How so?
Nima: I don’t know, but I have a bad feeling. (She looks ahead. The wind ruffles her hair a tiny bit)
The gang are walking up a hill.
Damien: You’re right Nima, we need to keep relevant.
Man: We’d better be careful about how we spend our money! I think it’s time we went hunting!
Nima: Hunting? That’s gross!
Man: What are you talking about! Here, you’re old enough. It’s time I taught you some tricks!
‘Huh? No, I don’t want to-!’ ‘I want to go hunting!’ says Ashim.
‘Sorry Ashim, you’re too young. The oldest goes first. Come on Nima’.
Ashim: Huh?!!!
‘Now peer through here’.
‘Good.’
‘Take aim and, shoot.’ He shoots a bird down.
After they go to take the bird he says ‘Now you try’.
Shoots but misses. ‘Try again’.
‘Did your older brother go hunting?’
‘He was just starting out before he left’.
‘I see…’
Eventually she shoots down an animal.
‘I did it!’
He pats her on the shoulder.
Meanwhile Ashim is grumpy. He wanders off. He ends up in a cave and sees something magical- What look like fireflies rising from the ground. He catches some in a jar. ‘Wait til Nima sees this!’
‘How are you holding up?’ asks the man. ‘I heard you weren’t to keen on this journey’.
‘Yes…’
‘I don’t want Ashim to get into more danger. I’ve already lost one brother. One brother is enough…’
‘But Ashim’s tough. I’m sure he can withstand whatever we run into.’
Nima breathes a sigh of relief’.
‘I hope so…’
Ashim notices a storm brewing. He hurries back.
When Ashim gets back, as he’s arriving, he sees an army.
‘Nima, give me the gun!’ says the man.
As they watch the army approach, the snow storm gets worse and worse.
‘This looks like a huge snow storm!’ says Nima.
They see something huge fall down from the sky.
Damien grabs Ashim.
Kids
The world is ending.
(what just happened will be explained later)
Out from the blizzard walks a woman on a horse.
‘Freeze. Put your weapons down and come with us peacefully’.
‘Who are you?’ says Nima.
‘We are the great Crimson Army. We own these lands. We take what we want, and we spare who we want’.
‘If you would like to be spared, please hand over the compass’.
‘Never!’ says Ashim.
‘Very well. We will take it from you by force’.
‘Not if you can’t catch us first!’
Just as the blizzard covers their tracks, the man is nearly hit by an arrow. They help him up.
They hop on the albu and run for a long time.
‘I’ve heard all about the compass’, says the woman, ‘But to think I’ve finally found it’.
‘We can’t let them catch us’, says Ashim or Nima. ‘Not after we’ve gotten this far’.
Nima: ‘It started snowing heavily, and all the surviving animals went up to higher ground. This was definitely no ordinary blizzard- It might really have been God-made.’
‘Once we climbed up the mountain, it was quiet. We looked down at the land, completely covered in swirling snow’.
Ashim: Damien, what’s going on?
Damien: It can’t be. This is the Day of Judgement.
You see that huge entity that fell from the sky? That was the God of Sustenance. It has finally fallen.
The Gods became angry at us for our poor treatment of the land. Angry at people like her… (thinks of the woman from the army). And our lack of ideas for helping the world heal.
They have given up on us.
June: What a frightful storm indeed. This really looks like the end of the world.
All the more reason for us to find the Lost Land, ma’am.
After climbing they find the heroes.
‘Freeze. Put your weapons down and come with us peacefully’.
Ashim: As if!
Man: We don’t even know who you are!
Nima: Tell us who you are!
‘That is of no concern to you.
‘Come with us gently, or else!’
Ashim: Let’s scram!
They hop onto the albu and it hops through the crowd. They get their animals to gallop after them.
‘Just who could these guys be?’ ‘Is there something valuable we have?’ ‘….! Maybe it’s…!’
They reach a land full of spikes coming out from the ground. The albu uses these to hide behind.
‘I think we lost them’.
‘But what should we do now? They’re probably still after us. What if they catch up on us?’
‘We just have to keep going and see what happens’.
They come out at the other side of the (small) mountain. But there are more mountains ahead.
Ashim: You know, I’m actually glad there are mountains ahead. Because I don’t know how else we can get through this blizzard.
Nima: Look, there’s a town ahead.
-----------
As they get through the town, the blizzard dies down since they are surrounded by mountains and buildings.
At the edge of the town, they see a sign pointing towards another, taller mountain range. ‘Beware of spirits’, it says.
‘Beware of spirits?’ ‘Let’s ask someone here about it’.
‘Of course’, says a young man. ‘The spirits. It’s said that these mountains are haunted. Nobody can get to the top.’
‘Oh no’, Ashim says. *whispers* Our compass is pointing straight towards it’. ‘Maybe we have to take a detour’.
Man: Well, there’s nothing to lose anyway. It looks like we might not have much time left on this planet.
I have a feeling that these blizzards will never stop.
Ashim make sa grim face.
‘Oh, and one more thing’, says the man. ‘Legend has it that the entrance to the Lost Land lies somewhere on this mountain range’.
‘No way!’
As they are walking out, Nima cries ‘We did it! We’re nearly there!’ High fives the man.
‘Nima, it seems like you’ve gotten more keen on finding the Lost Land’, says Ashim.
‘Um. Well… Hey, I was just thinking, maybe if we found the Lost Land we would also find our long lost brother. So maybe this will be worth it.’
Ashim’s face lights up. ‘Yes! Maybe we will.’
They look at each other and smile with their mouths open. Then they take each other by the hands and dance in a circle.
‘Alright!’ says Nima. ‘Let’s go-!’
Just then there is a flash of an arrow and the man bends down.’
‘___! Are you ok?!’
‘You two… Run!’
They look up and see the remnants of the army.
‘Get away from here!’
‘No! We’re not leaving you!’
‘Let’s fight!’
They fight the army but can’t do much. Then an arrow hits the man’s chest.
‘Agh… Get away!’
Nima: No...!
I’m done… You must go without me!
Nima closes her eyes and tears stream down her face. She scrunches up her face. Then she and Ashim pull him up onto Leila.
We’re not leaving you behind!
They charge through the army. Leila gets hurt a little bit.
They keep running and running, as the snow hits their faces. They all hold on for dear life.
Finally, they stop near a cave.
Nima: Damien…
Damien: You guys…
We had fun.
Nima: Don’t go! (with tears)
Damien: I helped you get there… Now find… the Lost Land.
Nima and Ashim: No!! (and the camera pans up from above them to the sky)
Ashim is crying. ‘ Why? Why did this happen, Nima?’
‘Be quiet’. Ashim keeps talking. ‘I said be quiet! She turns to him and tears are streaming down his face’. ‘He’s gone. And that’s that. You know what a dangerous journey this is. I thought you must have been prepared for something like this’. Nima starts crying.
‘How could you say that…’
Nima crunches her fists. ‘That’s… just the way it is’.
]][
‘But it’s not fair….’ says Ashim.
‘Life isn’t fair’, says Nima.
‘How can you be so cold!!’
Nima takes Ashim by the shoulders. ‘Look! This isn’t what I wanted! I don’t want anyone to get hurt! But this… I should have known, that something like this could happen’.
They both kneel down and touch foreheads.
After a while, Nima stands up.
‘Come on. Let’s take guarding the cave in turns. I’ll go first’.
‘Nima..
…...
Ok’.
Nima sits at the corner of the cave and thinks about everything that’s been going on.
Ashim: I hate this. I wish I was stronger. I wish I could have protected Damien. I don’t want to be like this!
Ashim: What are we even doing?
Nima: ‘We lost _____. But he would be happy if he saw us continuing on like this. We can’t let his sacrifice go in vain.’
Next morning, Ashim wakes Nima up. ‘It’s time for us to go. To the Lost Land’.
In the end there is a short scene of Ashim with his back turned, standing In front of a grave.
Scrapped
and then pulls Ashim onto the albu.
‘No!’ he says. ‘Don’t leave him!’
‘I’m sorry.’ says Nima.
The albu leaps through the crowd and sets off into the distance.
‘Nima, don’t leave him!’ Ashim cries. ‘We have to save him! Nima!’ They set off into the sunset.
They find a cave to rest in.
Ashim is crying. ‘No! Why? Why did this happen, Nima?’
‘Be quiet’. Ashim keeps talking. ‘I said be quiet! She turns to him and tears are streaming down his face’. ‘He’s gone. And that’s that. You know what a dangerous journey this is. I thought you must have been prepared for something like this’. Nima starts crying.
‘How could you say that…’
Nima crunches her fists. ‘That’s… just the way it is’.
‘But it’s not fair….’ says Ashim.
‘Life isn’t fair’, says Nima.
‘How can you be so cold!!’
Nima takes Ashim by the shoulders. ‘Look! This isn’t what I wanted! I don’t want anyone to get hurt! But this… I should have known, that something like this could happen’.
They both kneel down and touch foreheads.
After a while, Nima stands up.
‘Come on. Let’s take guarding the cave in turns. I’ll go first’.
‘Nima..
…...
Ok’.
Nima sits at the corner of the cave and thinks about everything that’s been going on.
Ashim: I hate this. I wish I was stronger. I wish I could have protected Damien. I don’t want to be like this!
Ashim: What are we even doing?
Nima: ‘We lost _____. But he would be happy if he saw us continuing on like this. We can’t let his sacrifice go in vain.’
Next morning, Ashim wakes Nima up. ‘It’s time for us to go. To the Lost Land’.
In the end there is a short scene of Ashim with his back turned, standing In front of a grave.
Scrapped
‘____, speak to me!’ says Ashim.
‘___, no’, says Nima.
You two… Make sure you find the Lost Land. I am glad… I helped you come this far…
In the quiet mountains, they dug a grave.
They stop at a village, and spot a soldier. They hide.
‘Have you seen three people riding an albu? They have something that we need.’
Nima: ‘Maybe it’s the compass-’ ‘Shhhh’
‘We have to get out of here!’
They gallop on the albu away from the village.
‘If they know about the compass, they probably know which direction we’re headed.’
‘How do we lose them?’
‘It’s a race’.
The albu gallops along, missing sleep. As they approach a mountain range a person passing by says ‘Wait! You’d better stay away from this mountain range. It’s known for avalanches.’
‘Hmmm…’
‘This could be just what we need’.
‘If they haven’t lost us already’.
They wait in the mountains at the edge of a cliff. Finally the army appears. The albu and the 3 shout at the top of their lungs, and cause an avalanche, burying most of the army.
They run away and the rest of the army follow them. A blizzard gets stronger. The albu slips and the 3 fall down a cliff, leaving the albu on its own and the 3 heroes left to fend for themselves.
They look for the albu and the albu looks for them.
‘We couldn’t utter a sound’.
As the blizzard gets stronger, the albu gets hungry and starts moaning. It hides in a cave.
Eventually, it couldn’t wait any longer and the albu hides in a cave. After a while it starts crying for help.
Meanwhile the army gets split up by accident, and everyone is struggling to survive.
The team hear the albu’s crying and follow it. Eventually they find it and give it a big hug.
‘We found you!’
The group stay in the cave overnight.
The next morning, it is quiet. The blizzard is gone.
‘I guess we should get going now’.
‘I wonder if any of the soldiers will come after us now’. ‘We’ll have to wait and see’.
They manage to get out of the mountain range.
Comments (0)
See all