[wind whistling]
[Hannah gasps]
[Ethan grunts]
[both grunt]
-Huh? -[gasps]
Why would someone build a village all the way up here?
[footsteps]
[somber orchestral music playing]
This village has been deserted.
[Ethan] Hmm.
[footsteps]
Arisen.
[Ethan] Where is everyone?
We heard word of the Dragon attacking the city at the foot of the mountains.
-Aernst Castle. -[woman] Mm.
They panicked and ran off to... who knows where.
They made the right decision in leaving.
But it must have been very difficult for them to abandon their homes.
[woman] Hmm. Not really. They hated it here.
[Ethan] Hmm?
We don't, though.
"We"?
You two look like you could use some tea.
[dramatic orchestral music playing]
[woman] We make our home in a cave just up ahead.
[Ethan pants] Why would you live in a cave instead of your village?
It offers protection if the Dragon does decide to attack.
[grunts] Would you mind if I asked what brought you two here?
We rarely encounter anyone from the outside world.
[Ethan] We're headed to those mountains.
[wind howling]
[Ethan] That's where the Dragon's lair is.
Are you...
an Arisen?
I am.
[sighs] Thank the gods.
-[footsteps] -[wind whistling]
[Ethan] You made all these after you heard about the Dragon's attack on Aernst?
[woman] Uh... Not exactly.
They're converted work huts.
For what?
A rare species of moss grows in this cave that's very valuable.
-It's the only reason our village exists. -[Ethan gasps softly]
[gasps]
[groans]
I know that smell.
[women moaning]
All right, party's over.
Go on. Get out of here.
-[inhales] -[hookah bubbling]
[exhales]
[grunts]
Thought you'd be gone a few more hours, love.
Well, guess you were wrong.
Lennie, I'm really not in the mood for a lecture.
[yawns] I need a nap.
[sniffs and sighs]
[Lennie breathes deeply]
[sighs]
[mutters]
I'm sorry you had to see that.
He's not normally like that, but when he smokes...
What was he smoking?
The moss.
[Ethan] Hmm.
[Lennie] It creates incredibly vivid dreams for the user,
makes them feel like they can control them.
I know of it.
A man from my village, Cassardis, was a habitual user.
I didn't know it came from moss, though.
[Lennie sighs]
Mm.
[Ethan] He said that smoking it made everything better.
[Lennie grunts]
[Ethan] Food,
sleep,
sex.
He even claimed that when he smoked it,
he could make all of his desires come true.
That kind of feeling comes at a price, though.
He became unable to separate the dream world from reality.
He would forget to eat and sleep for days at a time.
All he wanted to do was smoke,
escape the reality that we all know.
And that reality killed him.
[Lennie] It has ruined countless lives.
I often wonder if the person that stumbled upon it first
could have even begun to imagine the devastation it would bring.
After its discovery was brought to the attention of the governing lord,
the lord realized there was money to be made.
He forced a group of his subjects to build our village,
so that we may live here while harvesting the moss.
[Ethan] That would explain your village's eagerness to leave so quickly.
[Lennie] Aye.
And as soon as the lord's guards heard of the attack, they fled.
The other villagers left shortly after.
Why didn't you leave with them?
They were the ones who built this place.
They know of another life, but we... we were born here.
[Hannah] Mm.
So we stayed.
-[Ethan] You're still selling the moss? -That's all we know.
[Ethan] But look at the cost!
-[men and women moan] [Hannah] It seems unwise
for your compatriots to partake in this substance
with it being so destructive and readily available.
[Lennie] It's difficult to live like this.
They need to be able to escape reality every now and then.
[chuckles softly] That's a slippery slope.
I know.
But what can I do?
You can make the decision to change.
[sighs] But I can't live your life for you.
Hannah, let's go.
The Dragon's lair awaits.
You won't get far.
The path to it is only passable for a short time in summer.
-[Ethan] And there's no other way? -[Lennie] I can't tell you for sure.
But legend has it the cave has another opening
on the other side of the mountain.
-[objects rattling] -[grunts, sighs] Huh?
-What the hell are you doing, Lennie? -[Lennie] I'm looking for the lantern.
[man] The lantern?
[Lennie sighs] The two people I was with when you were "busy"
are going to try to reach the other side of the cave.
The legend...
-[grunts] -[Lennie] Yang...
[Yang] Huh?
[Lennie] What if we...
[Yang] W-What?
[sighs] Nothing.
[water dripping]
[Hannah] Are you certain she was telling the truth about another exit?
[Ethan] What reason would she have to lie?
If you do, in fact, defeat the Dragon, the lord will return to the village.
Perhaps she wants our mission to fail.
I can't believe you would think so lowly of her.
I am pointing out the possibility.
There is another possibility, though.
What?
[Ethan] If the lord and his men return,
the villagers would be forced back into labor.
They would no longer be able to imbibe in the moss...
which would be good, in a way.
[Hannah] You mean, the man named Yang
and the other villagers would be denied the source of their addiction?
[Ethan] That is one possibility.
Perhaps. Perhaps not.
[Ethan] Yes.
Perhaps not.
To be honest,
I have no idea what that woman is thinking.
Humans sometimes behave in mysterious ways.
Troublesome creatures.
[Ethan chuckles softly]
And that is what makes them interesting.
-[footsteps] -[water dripping]
It appears her story is true.
Why would someone put a bridge here
if there wasn't something on the other side?
-The exit? -Most likely.
The water level must have risen over the years.
Mind your footing.
[water sloshing]
[Ethan gasps]
There's something in the water.
[rumbling]
[both gasp]
[Hannah gasps]
Arisen!
[grunts]
[Hydra hisses]
[Ethan grunts]
[Hannah gasps]
[grunts]
[Hydra screeches]
[Ethan yells]
-[Ethan grunts] -[Hannah gasps]
[gasps]
[panting]
What the hell is that?
[Hannah] A Hydra.
Hydra?
[Hydra screeches]
[growls]
Looks like we're going to need more than magic to win this fight.
Indeed.
[Ethan] Here it comes.
[both panting]
-[Ethan grunts] -[Hannah gasps]
[yells, gasps]
-[Hydra screeches] -[Ethan grunts]
[both grunt]
[Hydra hisses]
[both panting]
[Ethan grunts]
-[Hannah coughs] -[Ethan sighs]
[Hydra screeches]
-[Ethan grunts] -Arisen!
[Ethan yells]
[yells]
[Hydra screeches]
[Ethan yells]
-[sword impacts] -[Ethan grunts]
[panting] One down, three to go.
You really don't know much about Hydras, do you?
[Ethan gasps]
[Hydra screeches]
Are you kidding me?
[both gasp]
[Hydra hisses]
It is heading for the village.
[Ethan panting]
So it appears.
[rumbling]
[Hydra hisses]
[Lennie gasps]
[panting]
[rumbling]
[moans] Oh, yeah.
[gasps] Yang, run!
Huh?
[grunts]
[Hydra hisses]
[whimpers]
[grunts]
[gasps]
[whimpers]
[Hydra swallows]
No. No!
[Hydra hisses]
[whimpers]
[screams]
[hissing continues]
[rumbling]
[Hydra screeches]
Yang, on your feet!
[Yang] B-But Lennie...
She's gone. We have to go!
[Ethan and Yang grunting]
[rumbling]
[Yang sobs]
[Ethan] Now you care?
-Her death is on your hands. -[Yang choking]
[straining] I'm choking.
You could have prevented this.
You could have left this place with the others.
You weren't held here by the gods.
[Yang grunts]
[Ethan] You were held here by your addiction!
-[Ethan grunts] -Arisen.
[Ethan] We're going to kill that Hydra.
As you wish.
[Ethan] I'm not doing this for you, Yang.
I'm doing it because that monster stands between me...
and my destiny.
Let's go.
[Yang crying]
What have I done?
-[both panting] -[Hydra screeches]
[roars]
I'll keep it busy!
[grunts]
[gasps]
[grunts]
[Hannah gasps]
[grunts]
[Hydra screeches]
Arisen! [gasps]
[Hydra hisses]
[grunts] Hannah!
[Hannah panting]
[gasps]
[rumbling]
[Ethan panting]
[gasps]
[grunts, yells]
[grunts]
[groans]
[growls]
[Hydra roars]
[Ethan grunts]
-[Yang] Hey! You four-headed freak! -[gasps]
[Hydra hisses]
I got this! You take care of Hannah!
What the...?
[Hydra screeches]
[Ethan panting]
[gasps]
Hannah?
[grunts]
[growls]
-[yells] -[Yang grunts]
[grunts, gasps]
[Hydra hisses]
[screeches]
[growls]
[yells]
[Hydra hisses]
[grunts, yells]
[yells]
[panting]
[cackles]
[grunts]
[Yang whimpers]
[retches]
[panting]
[panting slows]
-[gasps] -[Yang coughs]
[moans weakly]
[Ethan groans]
I'm so sorry.
[sobs]
[grunts]
[gasps]
[Hannah grunts softly]
[breathes shakily]
What?
Death is not the same for Pawns.
What do you mean?
[Hannah] When we suffer fatal wounds,
our bodies cease function like humans.
But unlike humans, our bodies recover.
That's...
incredible.
What of the Hydra?
[Ethan] I killed it.
On your own?
How?
I don't know.
I can't remember any of it.
It's like I was there...
but I wasn't.
I...
I can't explain it.
[Hannah gasps, sighs]
[sighs, whimpers]
[sobs]
[Hydra's body gurgles]
[all gasp]
Lennie!
[grunts]
Please be alive.
Please. Please!
[Lennie grunts softly]
Yang?
Yang, is that you?
[Yang gasps]
Yes.
I'm here.
I'm so sorry.
[exhales sharply]
I'd do it again in a heartbeat.
[Yang] I should have never put you in that position.
[Ethan sighs]
[Hannah] I guess things here can go back to normal for you now.
Actually, we're leaving.
[Hannah] Oh?
Mm. We don't know to where, but anywhere is better than here.
It has to be.
He wants a fresh start.
[water sloshing]
What will happen to the two of them?
Why do you ask?
[Hannah] I have no doubt he cares deeply for her.
Those tears were real.
[Ethan] Perhaps. Perhaps not.
[Hannah] Lennie must feel as deeply for Yang as well.
However…
[Ethan] What?
[Hannah] It seems as though
Lennie is simply taking the path of least resistance.
She and Yang are dependent on one another.
Humans are such troublesome creatures.
That is what makes them interesting, though.
What are you talking about?
[scoffs]
[Hannah gasps softly]
Odd.
[wind whistling]
[rain falling]
[thunder rumbles in distance]
[rain pattering on roof]
[monstrous roar]
[man screams]