B A S I N

Chapter 4 - By Your Side

Elzabeth, Vetri, and Cedrick sprint through the woods, following Alhelm's trail. They are left blind as the trail stops in a circular patch.

Elzabeth : Check the treetops, she might be trying to avoid us like that.

Vetri climbs a tree and is immediately kicked down. Alhelm jumps down with Seraphelle in her arms and runs through the forest. They follow her and stop and a cliff as Alhelm holds a knife up Seraphelle's throat.

Seraphelle : Elzabeth!

Alhelm : Shut it. Bitch. Take your helmet off and look me in the eyes. Now.

Elzabeth takes his helmet off, and his eyes stab Alhelm as if they were knives.

Elzabeth : Let her go.

Alhelm : I give the orders here! You're just a submissive male! Learn your damn place!

The knife bites into the surface of Seraphelle's scale.

Elzabeth : A duel. Now.

Alhelm : I give orders! Do you want to fight me to get her back? Then come. Let me beat the shit out of you and force you down, make you look her right in the eyes as I dominate you.

She ties Seraphelle to a nearby tree. Elzabeth draws Repentance, and Alhelm takes her spear in both hands.

Cedrick : Should we intervene?

Elzabeth : No. It's our people's way of settling personal disputes.

Alhelm runs towards Elzabeth. He ducks under her thrust and punches her in the stomach with the pommel of Repentance. It caves the armor in, restricting her breathing. She backs up, but Elzabeth cuts into her side and kicks her to the ground. He holds the blade to her face before she can get up.

Elzabeth : You can still leave.

Alhelm : I won't lose to... a pathetic excuse... of a male.

She gets back up, and Elzabeth backs up. As soon as she holds her spear properly, Elzabeth runs back in and kicks her in the head. She stumbles onto the ground and crawls away. Elzabeth picks her up and puts a knife to her throat.

Seraphelle : No. Don't do it. Leave her, let her suffer from this disgrace.

Elzabeth tosses her into the dirt and cuts Seraphelles bindings. As they look back, they see Cedrick stab Alhelm in the thigh with his sword. She's clawing at the dirt to get away. Elzabeth pushes him away.

Elzabeth : Her disgrace will haunt her. A suiting punishment for her. Killing her would only free her from it.

Cedrick : Fine. I can let one criminal go.

Seraphelle : Elza, before I go, thank you.

They kiss.

Elzabeth : Stay safe.

Seraphelle : You too. She's waiting for us both.

Seraphelle leaves with Cedrick back to the fortress, and he escorts her to her grandmother's house. Vetri and Elzabeth continue on. He picks his helmet up and puts it on. They look over to where Alhelm was, and she disappeared. A trail of blood and bruised grass show what seems to be that she crawled off of the cliff and fell. They peer over the edge but see nothing. They get back onto the main trail and go past the camp. The guards there are throwing the deceased over the wall to guide the demons into pits, where other guards are killing them as they fall in. They walk past with their weapons drawn and make their way to a small village close to the shore.