AEHU/Plot/Chapter 5

• Schala & co. step out of the Blackbird after a soft landing. Everyone heads for the excavation site, where Basher and Lasher guards indicate that strange creatures have begun burrowing through the tunnels, causing flooding that threatens to obstruct access to the Object. Belthasar says this cannot be allowed under any circumstances, and Schala, Demeria and Derben, with Alphard as guest, exterminate several mysterious Lavos Support creatures (of course they don't even know what Lavos is yet, adding to the mystery).

• Once the Object is secured, everyone approaches it and stares in awe of its pulsing crimson beauty. Belthasar remarks that his engineering team will need to do some preliminary investigation before anyone can approach the Object since its nature is entirely unknown. Schala and Derben use this waiting period as an opportunity to carry out their unofficial business with the Earthbound. Demeria remains behind with the Gurus and Alphard. Schala feels a strange chill as they depart, wondering why there should be such a heavy draft in this cavern...

• Schala acts as interpreter while Derben questions the Earthbound elder about the weapons stockpile situation. The Earthbound elder seems oblivious to it but promises to look into the matter. While Schala and Derben are discussing the fact that their effort seems to be going nowhere, the elder's granddaughter - introduced as Doreen - rushes up to the elder and explains that her younger brothers are nowhere to be seen; they ventured outside to watch their father hunt beasts for dinner and she's lost track of them. Schala and Derben agree to investigate at the Beast's Nest.

• After some frozen wasteland dungeon crawling Schala and Derben secure the children, who have been wandering in dangerous proximity to freeroaming beasts. Schala recognizes the twins as the children who guided her and Demeria earlier that day and learns that their names are Masa and Mune. While they watch the freespirited brothers at play, Derben and Schala have a thematic conversation about the situation the Earthbound are in, and wonder at the ability of these children to smile and frolic around even though their lives basically suck. Derben asks if she thinks "they can be saved," and when Schala asks if he's talking about the Earthbound, he says that he's talking about all the Zealians who do not believe in Earthbound liberation; to be a victim is to have the moral high ground in his view, whereas some catastrophe certainly has to befall the perpetrators. On the offchance that some great being is watching Zeal's proceedings and looks to settle the score, Earthbound liberation must be achieved as swiftly as possible if Schala and Derben wish to save those they love in Zeal.

• Doreen enters the cave Schala, Derben, and the children are in, along with Grishe, now revealed to be Masa, Mune, and Doreen's father. Grishe scoops up the twins and hugs them, but grows cold when Doreen tells him they have Zealians to thank for Masa and Mune's safety. He mutters something in Earthbound language before walking away with his sons and daughter. Schala translates: regardless of what favors Zealians may seem to bestow upon them, all Eartbound have to bear in mind the greater picture, that their lives wouldn't be so harsh if it weren't for Zeal keeping them down in the first place. Derben opines that they can't be blamed for such a worldview and wants to return to Algetty to continue investigating the weapons situation.

• When Schala and Derben arrive in Algetty again, they find the elder speaking with Anteru Po'hjol (later to be revealed as the leader of the Earthbound uprising). Po'hjol, speaking the common tongue (indicating his high degree of education for an Earthbound) admits to Derben that he's overseen the production and storage of significant amounts of advanced weaponry, but only for the defense of the Earthbound considering the militancy of the Imp race as of late. Derben accepts this without question, but advises that the Zealian Royal Family's Seneschal will oversee the destruction of advanced weaponry in Earthbound hands soon; he strikes a deal with Po'hjol whereby Po'hjol will hand over two-thirds of the weapons that have been amassed so far in an official goodwill ceremony with the Seneschal, and the remaining one-third will be hidden in a location of Derben's choosing. Derben promises Po'hjol and the Earthbound elder that Zealian politics have taken a progressive turn and therefore they can look forward to much better conditions soon. Po'hjol hopes this is the case, and Schala and Derben take their leave. Schala is amazed at how useless she felt during the conversation, seeing as Po'hjol and Derben could communicate on equal terms without any assistance, but Derben reminds her that her language tradeoff with Earthbound over the last few years is what allowed this to happen; in the end, she may be the most effective proponent of Earthbound liberation, and the final resolution to the long-running social dilemma will probably happen under her watch once she inherits political leadership of the kingdom.

• Derben and Schala return to the excavation site at which they left Alphard, Demeria, Dalton, and the Gurus. While they're descending an elevator to the spot where the Object is being examined, there's a bright red flash that startles them. Everything's quiet for a few moments, but suddenly they can hear exasperated shouts from Demeria, Dalton, and the Gurus...but not Alphard. When the elevator finally ends its descent Derben unsheathes his sword and tells Schala to stay back while he surges ahead. He begins screaming as well a few moments later and Schala follows him. Everything is as when she and Derben left, only Alphard is missing, and everyone's shouting at one another. Belthasar warns everyone to keep away from the Object.

• Schala alarmedly asks where her father is, but everyone's silent. She approaches Demeria, and when she looks into Demi's eyes she realizes what's happened; while they embrace and cry onto one another's shoulders, Belthasar breathlessly explains that Alphard appears to have disappeared after touching the Object. Bekkler tosses an inanimate object at the Frozen Flame and it, too, disappears in a flash. Bekkler hypothesizes that whatever energy the Object radiates, it becomes annihilative at a certain distance from the Object's surface. Fade to black.

• Open on Queen Zeal waking up, early morning sunlight shining through the Greater Glory bedroom window. She calls out Alphard's name, but she hears no response and flips around in the bed to find it empty beside her. Hearing hushed voices in the hallway outside, she goes into a side room, dresses, and confronts everyone. Those in the hall - Schala, Janus, Seith, Derben, Dalton, Demeria, the Gurus, Dr. Melchior, and random attendants - are utterly silent while Queen Zeal looks around and asks where Alphard is. Sensing something obviously wrong, she demands an answer and Seith tells her that "the King is gone." She wanders around a bit while the news settles in, then asks for clarification; surely she misheard him. Seith replies: "It appears that Simaelsus is dead." Queen Zeal presses against a wall and Schala and Janus support her while Belthasar explains what happened in full -- how King Zeal approached the Flame out of curiosity and it destroyed him. Queen Zeal screams that she wants to see him, but Bekkler explains that there are no remains.

• Queen Zeal asks who was with Alphard when this happened; Seith answers that everyone in the room, save Derben and Schala, were with the king when this calamaty befell Alphard. Queen Zeal regains composure, asks for an attendant, then silently withdraws with that attendant into her room. A cloud hangs over the hallway, and while Schala wanders around to comfort others and be comforted herself, Seith approaches the Gurus and asks for their opinion on the next course of action -- he makes clear that their careers depend on honest answers. Belthasar explains that his engineering assistant, Dr. Melchior, figured out that dreamstone could touch the Object without vaporizing and therefore it has been transported to Kajar for further scrutiny. All three gurus agree that the Object should be studied further and its energy exploited if at all possible, to which Demeria expresses vehement protest. Seith ponders in silence until Queen Zeal's attendant re-enters to serve the newest Royal orders, but Seith shuts the attendant up and ushers Schala, Derben, and Dalton in to the Greater Glory bedroom, telling Demeria and the Gurus to wait outside. Janus tags along with Schala. Derben takes a moment to stare at Demeria before he enters, and Demeria, knowing what's about to come, leaves the hall while the Gurus and Melchior remain exchanging hushed whispers.

• Queen Zeal flips out, shouting for Demeria to be arrested and the Gurus un-doctored for their extreme negligence. Seith reasons with her, trying to get her to focus on Demeria's role in the incident; it was her sole responsibility as Seneschal to ensure the king's safety, whereas the Gurus needed to focus on the scientific analysis of the Object. Seith wonders aloud if Demeria and Alphard had had an argument prior to the incident that might have taken her eye off the ball, so to speak, and Queen Zeal seems to be regaining her senses, saying that Alphard and Demeria never argued. Schala, recalling the argument Alphard and Demeria really did have, appears uneasy as questions enter her own mind. Seith senses this and approaches her. She clams up, but Queen Zeal takes sudden interest and asks if something really did happen between her husband and the Seneschal. Schala doesn't say anything, and Queen Zeal asks if it's something Schala can tell her in private. She takes Schala into a side room and they discuss the argument Demeria and Alphard had over the handling of the Earthbound weaponry issue.

• Schala feels conflicted, scolding herself for revealing something that could result in her aunt's demotion, yet entertaining private doubts as to whether Demeria could have done something to prevent her father's death. She enters the Greater Glory bedroom to find Janus in renewed tears and the Queen signing an order for Demeria's immediate demotion. When Seith wonders aloud who the next Seneschal should be, Dalton pipes up and says that he himself expressed concern as Alphard approached the Object, but Demeria said Alphard would be fine; Dalton, knowing his place, obeyed her. Derben accuses Dalton of telling a bold-faced lie, and Dalton reminds him that out of everyone in the room at present, he himself was the only one to be with the king's party the whole time. Seith approaches Dalton and asks if he's lying, and after staring him down awhile, he says, "Good." (Seith is too shrewd to be fooled, as has been amply demonstrated with Schala's situation, so either Dalton was honest - fat chance - or Seith is now in a position to manipulate Dalton because he knows Dalton flat-out lied, and knows that Dalton knows that he knows...) Seith proposes that Dalton be installed as Seneschal, seeing as he was the only one with the wherewithal to realize the danger the Object posed, and Queen Zeal signs the order. Her attendant asks what to do with the orders to un-doctor the Gurus, and after some consideration Queen Zeal tells the attendant to incinerate them. Dalton and Derben depart and members of the Creojeanne family flood the room to support the queen. Seith uses the opportunity to emotionally manipulate his niece, telling her that the Creojeanne family is undying and loyal to its monarchical component, and will always be there to support her.

• Schala and Janus find Derben and Dalton turned away from one another in the outer hallway. When the queen's attendant serves the order for Demeria's demotion and Dalton's promotion, the Gurus and Melchior continue conspiring as to how the Object might be coaxed into releasing its energy. Dalton opines that he will need the Seneschal Badge Demeria still carries and goes off to find her. Derben and Schala follow to check up on her.

• Schala and Derben emerge onto a foyer where Demeria endures the angry insults of passersby; the text of the queen's order accusing her of negligence has already spread through Zeal like wildfire over the course of a few minutes. Schala and Derben follow Dalton and Demeria to a balcony overlooking the world below, where Dalton asks Demeria for her Seneschal Badge. She reminds Dalton that a Seneschal's duty is to remain faithful to the Royal Family's service, even to the death -- and challenges Dalton to a duel, as a Seneschal should never be replaced by a weaker successor. Everyone agrees that Demeria is hardly in any emotional shape for a duel, but she insists, and she and Dalton engage in a quick, flashy, and uncontrollable battle in which she whups Dalton.

• After the battle Demeria draws even with Dalton and tells him that a Seneschal's second duty is to obey his or her monarch's command absolutely, and she tosses the Seneschal Badge onto his prostrate form. Dalton vows never to be humiliated again while he reaches for the medal.

• Schala and Derben find Demeria again and Schala reveals that it's her fault Demeria has been demoted. Derben comes between them, taking the blame and apologizing to Demeria for screwing up her life "again."

• Seith, having overseen the battle, makes a public announcement that Dalton has defeated Demeria and therefore is the new Seneschal. However, Zealian city-dwellers note Demeria's relatively unsheveled state whereas Dalton is really beat up...nevertheless, they accept Seith's word as gospel. Derben notes the unbridled power the Creojeannes now have over Zeal's affairs, and states that "the dream is dead." Fade to black.

• Open on Alphard's funeral. Schala, Queen Zeal, and Janus weep as the empty casket passes by, but Demeria is kept at bay by a fence along with the rest of Zeal's normal residents. Derben has been allowed in as part of Guru Bekkler's guard and rushes to take up the casket when a pallbearer falters on some steps. While the coffin is being ceremonially interred in Zeal's royal mausoleum, Janus can take no more and runs away. Schala starts after him but she sees Demeria shaking her head and leaving herself to comfort the distraught boy. She remains at Queen Zeal's side as the ceremony continues. Fade to black.

• Open on Schala in Zeal palace. She finds Janus in his room and waits outside to listen in on Demeria consoling him. Janus asks what his father's last words were but doesn't get a straight answer. Schala follows Demeria to her quarters in a normal servant's room. She stands outside awhile, letting Demeria cry in solitude, then asks if she can come in. After some mutual self-blame for the situation, Schala asks Demeria what she'll do now that she's been demoted, and Demeria figures that she'll become a magic tutor in Kajar. She tells Schala to go to sleep and not worry about Demeria any longer. Schala checks in on Janus and returns to her own quarters.

AEHU/Plot