01x04 - The Wyrmwood

[bunniefuu]

- [mysterious music playing]
- [fire crackling]

[Vankaskan] Stay where you are!
I have them trapped!

[Gretchen screaming] Lucas! Call them off!

- [swords clanging]
- [Drew grunts]

Use your sword, boy!

[suspenseful music playing]

- Don't you dare!
- [shakily] Drew...

- [Drew grunts]
- [all screaming]

[screaming] Drew!

[Drew and Gretchen screaming]

[eerie music playing]

[garbled tones screech]

[muffled grunting]

[suspenseful music playing]

[grunts fearfully]

[grunts urgently]

- [water splashing]
- [Drew gasping, coughing]

[panting, coughs]

Hector! Gretchen!

[Gretchen gasps] Help! Help!

- [Gretchen coughing]
- I got you.

Not me. Hector! [grunts]

[Drew and Gretchen grunting]

[both panting]

[coughing]

- Is he okay?
- No thanks to you!

I'm here, Hector.

I'm here.

- [trooper] There they are! Quick!
- Huh?

Bring more men! They're getting away!

[Drew moans]

[panting, grunts]

[Prince Lucas yells]

[snarls]

[roars]

[ethereal music playing]

[Hector coughing]

- [Gretchen] It's all right. Just breathe.
- [Hector shivering]

Just breathe. [blows air]

That was a cheap trick, casting off
while I was looking after Hector.

You could have left me.

A-And if I had?
Who knows if we'd have made it.

They had silver.

They're not afraid
to k*ll other Werelords.

Poor Huth.

[sighs] Even so,
you could've left me in the river.

I pulled you out.
I basically saved your life.

[scoffs] Right, yes, how silly of me!

I forgot how selfless you'd been
while I was trapped in a cage underwater!

Is she always like this?

Don't engage, Hector.
We hostages have to stick together.

Look, as soon as I get us somewhere safe,
I'll let you both go.

Until then,
just let me try and keep you alive.

[creatures screech in distance]

- [Drew sighs]
- [Gretchen sniffs]

[Drew] Um... Hector

I'm sorry about
what happened to your old man.

I know I'm responsible.

Please don't think that. It was Vankaskan.

The Ratlord?

- My master.
- He's a magister like you.

He's nothing like me.
But he's a magister, yes.

[water lapping softly]

[eerie music playing]

Hang on. We're cutting through here.

[frightening chittering]

Uh, Drew. That's the Wyrmwood.

He's a Cold Coast peasant, Hector.
You'll have to explain.

We can't go in there.

It's full of bloodsucking bats,

toads the size of dogs,
eels as big as this boat.

Then it's the last place
our enemies would think to look.

Uh...

[eerie music continues]

That's strange.

There's a light.

Heads up! Tie us to that post.

- [all cry out]
- [Hector grunts]

- I'll do it.
- [scoffs] I don't think so.

- I'm the lightest.
- And the most likely to ditch us.

You'll just have to trust me.

Don't do anything stupid.

Why would I?

[sighs in annoyance]

- That's your job.
- [rope thuds]

[suspenseful music playing]

[sighs] Well, she's consistent.
I'll give her that.

[Hector yelps, grunts]

[Gretchen panting, grunting]

[yells, grunts]

- [gasps, grunts]
- [ominous sting plays]

[rattling, hissing]

[Drew grunts, gasps]

Is that one poisonous?

Don't you know anything?

- Just give me your hand, amateur.
- Here.

[snake hisses]

[Gretchen panting]

[chuckles] Wait, is... is that three times
I've saved your life now?

- And once again, I'm soaked.
- You ran off into a bog.

You steered us right into it.
[exhales heavily]

When Lucas catches up with us,
you'll regret the day you met me.

Oh, I'm already there.

[hissing]

[Drew grunts]

No need to thank me.

Oh, I'm sorry. Oh, thank you, Drew!

Thank you for dragging me
into this disgusting toilet of a swamp.

Thank you for ruining
the biggest day of my life so far!

Thank you for blundering in

just in time to destroy my wedding,
my future, everything!

[panting]

[huffs angrily]

You don't know
what it's like to lose everything.

[uneasy music playing]

[windmill blades creaking]

[uneasy music continues]

[bird squawks]

- [man grunting wearily]
- [wood creaking]

[Drew] Hmm?

Hello. What are you doing? I can help him.

You're supposed to be keeping
a low profile, remember?

[Drew sighs]

Oh, in here.

[flies buzzing]

[Gretchen gags]

[chuckles awkwardly, sighs]

Let's rest here for the night.

Plenty of home comforts.

- [flies buzz loudly]
- [gags]

Oh, look.
They even have pillow chocolates.

Oh no, that's a leech.

[man, in distance] Help!

- Drew, no.
- You stay here. Watch her.

[man wailing] Help!

[scoffs]

Nice and comfy... log.

[Gretchen sighs]

- [man grunting]
- [wood creaking]

- [Drew] Whoa, whoa! Hold on.
- [man wails]

[both grunting]

[panting] Thank you.

[yells]

No! [grunts] No!

[dramatic music playing]

[man yells]

- [moaning]
- [Drew growling]

[grunts]

Wolf.

Praise be, the Wolf has returned.

Guys, you will never believe
what just happ--

Guys?

- [Hector clears throat] Up here.
- [Drew] Hm?

She said not to follow.

- [chuckles sheepishly]
- [Drew sighs]

[insects chirping]

- [Gretchen sighs]
- [creature warbles]

[low growling]

[ominous music playing]

[creature growls lowly]

[Gretchen screams]

- [creature warbles eerily]
- [Gretchen grunts]

[terrifying music building, fades out]

[creatures chanting] Vala.

- [Gretchen moans]
- [creatures chanting] Vala.

Vala. Vala.

Vala. Vala.

Vala. Vala.

Vala. Vala.

Vala. Vala.

[Gretchen grunting angrily]

Vala be praised.

If she never made it onto the boat,
where could she have got to?

There was definitely a struggle.

[exhales] Wyldermen.

There's a Wylderman village
on the edge of the cursed forest.

The realm of Vala.

Then that's where she'll be.
Do you think you can guide us to--

[man panting fearfully]

[Drew exhales]

- Looks like it's just you and me.
- [Hector groans]

- [night chirping]
- [eerie music playing]

[Drew and Hector grunting]

What is a Vala anyway?

Not what... [wails] ...who.

- She's a Werelord.
- [grunts]

What Werelord would choose
to live with Wyldermen?

They're animals. [grunting]

So is Vala. [grunting]

She was an ancient Wereserpent

who became so consumed
by her reptilian side

that she embraced it entirely,
taking the form of a great snake.

[grunts] Her obsession was so complete
that she lost herself to the beast

and never returned
to her human form. [wails]

[both grunting]

So the legend goes.

[creature growls in distance]

The Wyldermen,
they consider her a goddess.

That can happen?
These powers could just consume me?

It can happen to any of us
without the proper training.

Every Werelord is mentored
when they're young

so they know how to control
the animal inside them.

Except for me.

You've got me now.

Thank you.

Vala's story is told
to every young Werelord.

It's a warning you never forget.

[foreboding music playing]

[Hector gasps]

[Wyldermen snarling, chanting] Vala.

Vala.

[bones rattling rhythmically]

Vala be praised!

What are you doing?

We need to find
what they've done with Gretchen.

Okay, but let's tread carefully.
We need planning and stealth--

[Gretchen screaming]

Never mind.

[snarls menacingly]

[both grunting]

What is that?

[Hector] Some sort of shrine
to their serpent goddess.

Gretchen?

Gretchen!

[low snarling]

- Drew! Look out!
- [Drew gasps]

[shaman growling]

[shrine creaking]

[both grunting]

- [shaman snarling]
- [Drew grunting]

Oh, thanks.

What now?

[intriguing music playing]

Now we find our friend.

It's called "communing."

In the old times, it's how magisters
were able to speak with the dead.

I-It's forbidden now.

What's the yellow stuff?

Brimstone. It's a powerful chemical.
Magnifies the intensity of the spell.

- Don't touch it!
- [Drew gasps]

The circle must be unbroken.

It protects the caster
from... what's to come.

Break the circle, and we're in trouble.

Right. What happened
to "Let's tread carefully"?

We're perfectly safe if you do as I say.
Do you think you can do that?

[Drew] Mm-hmm.

Besides, the Wyrmwood's a maze.
This is the only way we can find Gretchen.

[inhales deeply, blows]

[mystical music playing eerily]

[Drew gasps]

[Hector grunting]

[Drew gasps]

- Did you see that?
- Quiet!

[limbs creaking]

This is fine.
It's just a dead guy coming back to life.

Rise. Answer to your master.

[shaman snarls eerily]

[Drew gasps]

What have you done with our friend?

[laughs evilly] You're too late, magister.

[ominous music playing]

Where is Gretchen?

[force field humming]

Listen to my voice.
I'm right here, Hector.

I'm not going anywhere.

I command you to answer me!

She was taken there
to the sacrificial tree...

[rasping]

...to Vala herself.

A rare feast. [slurps tongue]

A Werelord.

Let's go.

Now return to the shadows!

[groans]

[silence]

[soft night chirping]

[Hector chuckling softly]

- [foreboding music playing]
- [shaman groans]

[Hector yelps]

[Drew grunts]

[Drew panting]

You all right?

Good. Let's never do that again.

[sighs]

[eerie music playing]

- [Hector panting]
- [Gretchen coughs]

Over there!

- [footsteps crunching]
- Oh, steady.

[groans uneasily]

[ominous notes play]

[Drew gasps]

[panting] She's here!

[labored breaths]

[eerie sting plays]

- [Drew grunts]
- [Gretchen sighs]

I told you not to follow.

[chuckles] Anyone mind
if I put her back in this tree?

[Gretchen moans weakly]

- [leaves rustling]
- Do you hear that? [gasps]

[terrifying music playing]

Hector, watch out!

[Hector panting]

- [spider vocalizing eerily]
- [Hector whimpering]

- [gurgling growl]
- [Hector yells, whimpers]

[spider squelching eerily]

Hector, are you okay?

Where did the spider go?

- [low growling]
- [Hector moans fearfully]

[both panting]

[Hector yells, pants]

Trust me,
the spider is the least of our worries.

[eerie rustling]

That thing... Was it...?

[boys panting]

Vala.

Has she gone? [breathing shakily]

She's under the mist.

- [Hector screams]
- No!

[breathing shakily]

[Hector screams] Drew!

[panting]

[Gretchen] Hector!

Stay there!

We're sitting ducks down here. [gasps]

[Drew grunts]

[screams] Come on, Drew. Wake up!

[panicked breathing]

[Vala growls lowly]

- [suspenseful music playing]
- [Gretchen panting]

[whimpers]

[Vala growling]

[whimpers, pants]

No...

[Gretchen wailing]

[screams]

- [Drew moans]
- Leave my friends alone!

[Vala screeches]

[Drew screams]

- [body thuds]
- Drew!

[Vala growls]

[intense music playing]

[Drew snarling]

- [Drew grunts]
- [Gretchen gasps]

[Vala growling]

Drew! [grunts]

[Vala shrieks]

- [Drew panting]
- [Vala growls]

[growling]

[Vala shrieks]

[Hector whimpers]

[chomps]

[Vala wails]

[music fades out]

[group panting, gasping]

[grunts] Anyone order a really big snake?

[all chuckle]

- [chuckles] Friends, are we now?
- Don't get carried away.

[moans weakly]

Drew? Drew? What's wrong with him?

Vala's bite. He's been poisoned.
Quick, help me get him back to the boat.

Okay.

[uneasy music playing]

[Hector grunts]

Well, it's been a night of firsts.

How's that?

First time I've encountered a Wylderman.

First time I've been sacrificed
to a giant snake.

- First time you've ever broken a sweat?
- [huffs]

Does someone carry farm boys for you
back at the palace?

- Well, I still think you're both mad.
- Why's that?

Trekking after me and tackling
a Wereserpent with one battered old sword.

That's what friends do. [chuckles softly]

[Drew moans weakly]

[groans]

[Hector] How's he doing?

[Gretchen] Sleeping himself better,
I hope. You sure he's on the mend?

My medicine is working,
but it will take a while.

We need to lie low in the meantime.

[Gretchen] Where are we heading?

The next village looks pretty remote,
and it's a fair way off.

Last stop before we reach the sea.

Motley.

- No! [groans]
- [Gretchen] Shh.

- Motley.
- It's okay, Drew.

- Mustn't go back.
- What was that about?

He's delirious. It'll pass. [chuckles]

I hope.

[Gretchen moans]

[ethereal music playing]

[birds chirping]

[sighs in relief]

- [uneasy music plays]
- [Hector gasps]

- [shaman growls, screeches]
- [Hector screams]

[startles]

[dramatic music builds, fades out]

[closing theme music playing]

[music fades out]