RQ Network Feed Drop – Last Dance “S1E1 -Lesser Gods”

Summary

Summary of "The Magnus Archives" - Episode: RQ Network Feed Drop – Last Dance “S1E1 - Lesser Gods”

Podcast Information:

• Title: The Magnus Archives
• Host/Author: Rusty Quill
• Episode: RQ Network Feed Drop – Last Dance “S1E1 - Lesser Gods”
• Release Date: July 30, 2025

Overview: "Lesser Gods," the inaugural episode of Season 1 from the "Last Dance" series within the RQ Network, delves into a dark fantasy narrative set in a godless, war-torn world. The story follows Jericho Rake, a battlefield scavenger navigating the brutal aftermath of relentless conflict. This episode introduces listeners to a realm where survival hinges on resourcefulness and the enigmatic forces at play.

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1. Introduction to the World and Main Character

The episode opens with Jericho Rake (voiced by [Actor's Name]) reflecting on a war-torn society devoid of divine intervention. The year is 1453 APF (After Fundament), marking over a millennium of isolation and internal strife on a distant island known as "Our Great Scythe."

Jericho Rake: "There are no gods here, only what we make of ourselves..." [01:10]

Jericho's role as a battlefield scavenger is established, highlighting his interactions with Colin (voiced by [Actor's Name]), a formidable figure who controls the distribution of essential resources known as "Supplements." Their dynamic sets the tone for the gritty survivalist themes explored throughout the episode.

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2. Rising Conflict and External Threats

The tranquility of internal conflicts is shattered by the arrival of the Northmen, ruthless invaders whose presence introduces new magics and exacerbates the existing turmoil. Jericho becomes entwined in the central conflict when he stumbles upon a relic—a bloodletting knife—from the ancient and powerful Bleeding Monks of the Eighth Fold House.

Jericho Rake: "I'm serious. That's considered a relic in the highlands. And it's in good condition." [05:01]

Colin negotiates with Jericho, underscoring the scarcity and value of the relics, while also hinting at deeper conspiracies and darker forces at play.

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3. Encounter with Ardesh Northman

A pivotal moment occurs when Jericho encounters Ardesh, a Northman whose appearance signifies a turning point in the narrative. Their interaction is tense and laden with the threat of betrayal and violence.

Ardesh: "I take word from you. Wait. Correction. I will take your words from you." [17:30]

Ardesh's attempt to absorb Jericho's essence introduces supernatural elements, blurring the lines between ally and adversary. This confrontation emphasizes the precarious balance of power and the ever-present danger in Jericho's journey.

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4. Themes of Power, Survival, and Identity

Throughout the episode, themes of power dynamics, survival instincts, and personal identity are explored. Jericho's internal struggle with his indebtedness and the moral ambiguities of his scavenging life are juxtaposed against the external threats posed by the Northmen and internal factions like the Bleeding Monks.

Jericho Rake: "I am indebted. Some would say I was born that way." [???]

The narrative delves into the cost of survival in a world where magic and power are both a boon and a curse, shaping the characters' destinies and ethical compasses.

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5. Climax and Transformation

The episode reaches its climax as Jericho grapples with the offer from Brother Orr, a fallen monk seeking to transfer his powers to Jericho. The tension culminates in a high-stakes confrontation where Jericho must decide whether to accept this power or face imminent death.

Brother Orr: "What I'm offering is a gift free of strings. You best figure that out soon." [33:08]

Jericho's defiance and strategic maneuvering during this exchange highlight his resilience and the overarching theme of autonomy versus external control.

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6. Conclusion and Ongoing Conflict

"Lesser Gods" concludes with Jericho surviving the encounter but left with more questions than answers. The world remains fraught with conflict, and Jericho's path forward is uncertain, setting the stage for future developments in Season 1.

Jericho Rake: "I have to know you. What will this do to me? What? What will it really do?" [33:24]

The episode leaves listeners anticipating the unfolding of Jericho's journey and the evolving power struggles within this dark fantasy landscape.

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Notable Quotes:

• Jericho Rake: "There are no gods here, only what we make of ourselves." [01:10]
• Colin: "You're a battlefield scavenger. This is quite possibly the most profitable battlefield there's ever been." [09:22]
• Ardesh: "I take word from you. Wait. Correction. I will take your words from you." [17:30]
• Brother Orr: "What I'm offering is a gift free of strings. You best figure that out soon." [33:08]

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Key Takeaways:

• World-Building: The episode masterfully constructs a bleak, war-drenched world devoid of divine influence, emphasizing human agency and the struggle for survival.

• Character Development: Jericho Rake's character is portrayed with depth, showcasing his vulnerabilities, strengths, and the moral complexities of his scavenging existence.

• Supernatural Elements: The introduction of magical relics and entities like the Bleeding Monks and Northmen adds layers of intrigue and supernatural intrigue to the narrative.

• Themes: Central themes include the cost of power, the essence of identity in a fractured society, and the perpetual conflict between autonomy and domination.

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Conclusion:

"Lesser Gods" serves as a compelling introduction to the "Last Dance" series, setting up a rich tapestry of characters, conflicts, and mystical elements. Through its intricate storytelling and evocative dialogue, the episode invites listeners into a world where every choice carries significant weight, and the line between salvation and damnation is perilously thin.

For those eager to continue exploring Jericho Rake's tumultuous journey, subsequent episodes promise to unravel deeper mysteries and further develop the intricate lore of "The Magnus Archives."

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Further Information: To listen to "Lesser Gods" and explore more episodes from the "Last Dance" series, visit Rusty Quill's website or search for "Last Dance" on your preferred podcast platform.

Transcript

[Billy Hindle]

Hi everyone, it's Billy Hindle here. Today we are sharing an exciting episode from one of the podcasts on the RQ Network, Last Dance. This is the very first episode from their first season called Lesser Gods. Last Dance is a dark fantasy audio drama which follows Jericho Rake, a battlefield scavenger traveling in a godless world where your body is your temple, forced to pick through the front lines of the most brutal war his home has ever known. The find of a lifetime drags him right into the center of the conflict. Last Dance also features a full cast of Northern Irish voices and features guest stars including the Walking Dead's David Morrissey. James McKenzie, best known for his role in CBBC children's adventure game show Raven, and other great performers. Find other brilliant episodes in this series by searching for Last Dance. Wherever you listen to podcasts, click the link in the show notes or find more [e-mail] have fun and and enjoy the episode.

[Jericho Rake]

There are no gods here, only what we make of ourselves the year is 1453, after fundament. For over our millennia we have lived isolated, alone. If there was one truth that we've all accepted, it was that nothing lay north, east or west of this place. Our Great Scythe. We were alone. Alone and free to squabble amongst ourselves. War has taken hold of this place for the first time in over two decades. We are scared. The Great south is no stranger to war, but we are used to fighting amongst ourselves. Revolutionaries overthrowing despots, mountain folk slaughtering each other for territory. Holy wars built on misunderstandings. Little wars that always felt so big. We were alone. Our little island floating along in an endless and inhospitable sea. Left to our own devices. And now a common enemy has landed on our shores. Ruthless invaders from the north have broken the northern settlements without cause or demand. They bring with them rumors of new magics the likes of which have never been heard of. Two months since their first conquest, the Great south now turns to the Bleeding monks of the Eighth Fold House, the most ancient and powerful creatures to walk this land since the last days of of the Fomorians, to hold back the endless tide of what we have come to know as Northmen, Even the Temporars, their sworn enemies, look on in hope.

[Brother Orr]

Look inward now and ask yourself, if tomorrow is my last dance, where will my humors take me? Will Temperance lay me down to the rocks, the trees, the moss, to be with nature once more? Or will Dicrasia bring me to the lowest bed of that hell we call ocean? Forsake the wanderer and take up arms within your own heart and without. Look not to the bleeding monks and their dicratic obsession with blood, but embrace your humours an equal measure. Let your phlegm give you the wisdom to fight. Let your blood run hot. Let your gall build spite against your enemy and your black retain it to see you through. Know this and know it well. Salvation lies not in blood alone.

[Jericho Rake]

Let them run, I say. Let these Northmen cut them down and we'll see what's left standing at the end. Dead gods know that I won't be anywhere nearby when it happens. And at least I can cling to that. You see, my name is Jericho.

[Colin]

Rake. As I live and breathe. Now, what glorious bounty have you brought me today, Colin?

[Jericho Rake]

I have been out there for three weeks and it is nothing but scraps. Come and get this over with.

[Colin]

Oh, hold your horses now, my favorite little scavenger. Now, you are an artist and I, for one, would like to appreciate your art. Now, let's have a look. And now, here's why you're my favorite. Four. That's right, four bottles of precious ichor, straight from the Eightfold House. Few odd earrings, some kind of fetish. And a dagger.

[Jericho Rake]

It's a bloodletting knife. Followers of the monks, they use it.

[Colin]

How much is it worth?

[Jericho Rake]

300 grader, silver.

[Colin]

Fuck off.

[Jericho Rake]

I'm serious. That's considered a relic in the highlands. And it's in good condition. Probably worth more.

[Colin]

I'll give you 200 for it. 40 for the I core and 10 for the odds and ends. Plus your supplement.

[Jericho Rake]

That's barely enough to last me a month on the road.

[Colin]

Barely enough is still enough.

[Jericho Rake]

The knife is worth more than that alone.

[Colin]

Oh, I believe you.

[Jericho Rake]

Then pay me what it's worth. I'm not in the mood to play games, Colin.

[Colin]

You'll do what you're fucking told. And you'll take what I give you. And you'll be thankful that I pay you at all. Don't forget, I'm the only one this side of the Bylands that can get you this. Oh, and I am happy to remind you that you're more than welcome to die a slow, painful death whenever you want. All those gaps where your organs should be finally catching up with you. Or I can keep giving you this wonderful bottle of black tar that fills in those gaps so nicely. So for now, you work for your supplement. And be happy that you're able to run freely at all. What was that? I think I deserve a thank you. Thank you again.

[Jericho Rake]

With some gratitude this time. Thank You.

[Colin]

Fitz. Pay the man. Now, let's refocus. There's been some news while you've been a busy boy in the back roads. The Eightfold House is dead. No one's writing any tombstones yet, but word is that the Abbey's been breached.

[Jericho Rake]

That doesn't mean the monks are dead. People have been trying to kill them since the dawn of time. It can't be done.

[Colin]

Oh, well, I've got two deserters who swear they saw three of the eight being hung from the outer walls by Northmen.

[Jericho Rake]

Hi. The Abbey's impenetrable, for a start, and that's before you imagine hanging gods from tars.

[Colin]

Well, that's just the thing. It wasn't forced. The one that they. The two deserters I was talking about. When we found them, they were halfway through trying to kill each other. We're raving about the other being something they called Changely.

[Jericho Rake]

Am I supposed to know what that is?

[Colin]

Story goes the Northmen have a creature that can take on the form of other men without fault. That's how they've been carving through the Highlands so easily. They shut down the wards and open the gates from within. Now, by the time me and the troopers came across them, they'd gone mad thinking the other was the changeling. Had to tear the poor bastards off each other.

[Jericho Rake]

That's not possible. Even. Even magic has its limits. You can't mimic someone else's humors.

[Colin]

No, no, no, no, no. Not mimicking. Taking, raping and pillaging. They eat your tongue and give your soul to the ocean. Or something to that effect, if I know the details. But don't worry your jaundice little head about that, my dear Rake. Just worry about keeping out the Northman's way and you'll be fine.

[Jericho Rake]

Shouldn't be a problem if we're heading south.

[Colin]

Ah, well, there's the rope. We're not heading south quite yet.

[Jericho Rake]

You can't be serious.

[Colin]

You're a battlefield scavenger. This is quite possibly the most profitable battlefield there's ever been. The Highlands are awash with the riches of the dead.

[Jericho Rake]

I'll never even get close to the Abbey.

[Ardesh]

If.

[Jericho Rake]

If the house has won, then they'll recover their dead and their relics, like they always do. And if the Northmen have won, they'll take everything for themselves.

[Colin]

Get it through your thick skull, Scavi. Northmen have one, so don't deal, whether you believe it or not. But there's nothing to say that they'll even know what they're looking for. And you Do.

[Jericho Rake]

If the house has fallen, then they'll probably have routed by the monks Wood. That'll be where the survivors have taken their relics. It'll also be safer than going near the abbey itself.

[Colin]

Now there's my favorite little vulture using his noggin. And the good news is, demand just went up. And supply just went down. Now we stand to make a lot more coin off of this.

[Jericho Rake]

There's his coin.

[Colin]

Excellent.

[Jericho Rake]

And my supplement.

[Colin]

Ah, now there is something. See, I have been having a think.

[Jericho Rake]

Colin. Don't fuck about it. You know I need it.

[Colin]

Oh, I do. I do. And on any other day, this hall would earn you at least two bottles of that glorious black sludge that keeps your drone beating. It really was. These are now exceptional types. And the risk is high. So I'm gonna have to motivate you to do some of your best work before I can give you any more.

[Jericho Rake]

I apparently have enough in my system to get me to the monk's wooden back. I know.

[Colin]

And that's why it's such a good motivator for you to work in a timely fashion. A timely death at the hands of savage northern raiders. Sounds like a much more pleasant end than having your humor slowly shut down. To me, anyway. And the good news is that the price of I core has just doubled on account of its maker suffering the noose.

[Jericho Rake]

But you just give me 10 griddles for each bottle.

[Colin]

That is very true. But you had no clue when you sold it to me. But hey, at least you know the new price now. And we'll be here at the Dog Tooth for the next month. But don't worry about us. If you're not back, we'll be sure to go on without you.

[Jericho Rake]

Fuck you.

[Colin]

Smile, Rake. The world just ended. And the new one belongs to you.

[Jericho Rake]

Sake. Most of the days spent traveling north, I saw no one. And those I did were refugees and deserters who spat in my direction. They knew exactly why I was moving toward the source of their grief. To rob the corpses of their husbands, their daughters, their friends. Some nights I couldn't sleep for the weeping carried by the breeze. And all the while, I saw not a single Northman. Just what they left behind. You have to understand that I am no mere scavenger. I'm indebted. Some would say I was born that way. Since I was old enough to be called a man. I was brought into slavery by means of harvesting. Where I'm from, you pay your taxes through means of bodily donation. Vital organs are taken, and in exchange, you're given a Supplement a liquid that compensates for what was taken. It's alchemical recipe, kept secret to those bound to reliant on men like Cullen. Most who live in the Bylands will never see outside of the desert. But there are those of us who are permitted to wander, so long as we remain at the beck and call of our distant masters. Well, let's take a look at your friend. What have you got for me? Hopefully more than the last. Yeah, you only got stabbed maybe a few hours ago. You died here. But from the way you're slumped, I. Dragon. You were wounded a ways back. But where's your killer? If there are so many Northmen, where did they all go? Because I haven't seen a single one of them, much less an unstoppable army. They didn't have any trouble running into you dead there. Or running through you touching my nest. So why haven't they picked up my trail? You're right, you're right, you're right. I should count my blessings. Questioning luck is the fastest way to lose it. That's a wise thing to say, Frame. Thank you. I wish your bodily possessions were worth as much as your wisdom, though, because you've got fuck all on you. And that's a real shame, because I'm getting weaker as the days go by and I really need you to have something. But this. This ring might be worth some scraps. Usually I'd leave it with you, but I'm not left with much of a choice. Not many of your friends made it this far away from the monastery. Most of you used up all of your supplies. I'm sorry, but I'll be needing it.

[Ardesh]

Ah. Ah. Draw and I'll spill you quicker.

[Jericho Rake]

Easy. No easy. No need to spill me at all. So it's going back in. Look.

[Ardesh]

Good. But I am going to spill you.

[Jericho Rake]

Let's talk about that then. See if we can change that.

[Ardesh]

No. Like to spill you soon.

[Jericho Rake]

You. You speak my tongue. Well, we can talk.

[Ardesh]

Yes, we talk. Before I spill you in our tongue. What you have is me.

[Jericho Rake]

Is mine. What you have is mine. Not me.

[Ardesh]

Yes, what you have is mine.

[Jericho Rake]

Well, as far as I'm concerned, you can share my words all you like.

[Ardesh]

Wrong. I take word from you. Wait. Correction. I will take your words from you.

[Jericho Rake]

You learn fast.

[Ardesh]

I take fast. Important difference.

[Jericho Rake]

So you're going to kill me then?

[Ardesh]

Yes. Soon. But not now. I wish to watch, learn, speak.

[Jericho Rake]

Like you did with this man.

[Ardesh]

He died quick. You'll take longer. More to learn from you.

[Jericho Rake]

I'm just a scavenger. I take what's left, find things worth taking. I don't fight unless I have to. I am not a fighter, not like this man. I just want what they don't need anymore. You might be a Northman, but you're not my enemy.

[Ardesh]

Ardesh.

[Jericho Rake]

Ardesh?

[Ardesh]

Yes, Ardesh Northman. Stupid name.

[Jericho Rake]

Okay, okay, Ardesh. That's fine. Well, I am no trouble to the Ardash. If anything, I'm thankful.

[Ardesh]

You long for death?

[Jericho Rake]

No. But the monks that your people killed, they wronged a lot of people. We didn't think that they could die.

[Ardesh]

We didn't think they could die.

[Jericho Rake]

What?

[Ardesh]

What?

[Jericho Rake]

No. What is that you're doing?

[Ardesh]

No. What is that you're doing?

[Jericho Rake]

Have you gone mad?

[Ardesh]

We didn't think they could die. We didn't think they could die. We didn't think they could die. We didn't think they could die. Aha. There it is.

[Jericho Rake]

How did you do that?

[Ardesh]

I'm like you. I pick things up that people don't need anymore.

[Jericho Rake]

And what's that to do with how I speak?

[Ardesh]

Ah, soon you won't need your words.

[Jericho Rake]

Because I'll be dead. Oh.

[Ardesh]

Because you'll be dead. And soon I'll do what you do. Find rings missing from fear fingers.

[Jericho Rake]

That's an interesting gauntlet you have there. Never seen purple metal before. Looks like it's made from something else as well. Is that right?

[Ardesh]

Oh, you're buying yourself time, little scavenger. I will trade it to you. When we sailed east and west and finally south, I was a dredger. Collected things on the boats for this king and that king and every other king. Now just one king for one people. I used to man one of the great claws when they sent it down from the boat. Learned to talk with it with when it dragged along the ocean floor. I guided it and it guided me. I helped it drag up the bones of old leviathans and listen to the secrets in the marrow.

[Jericho Rake]

And I.

[Ardesh]

Now the claw is dead. And I listen to its bones too. It tells me what to find now that it guides my hand. Tells me what to cut, what to squeeze. It shows me things that. That you would miss. Like him.

[Jericho Rake]

Like him.

[Ardesh]

Look. Look. See how close you were? We didn't think they could die. He said you spent too much time looking through pockets. And now you've missed the greatest prize of all.

[Jericho Rake]

Oh, look.

[Ardesh]

Look and see how you stumbled across one. Look and see how he is dead and gone. Forgotten.

[Jericho Rake]

Is that.

[Ardesh]

Oh, yes. Your brain. Bleeding monk. One of eight. The Last of eight to die. Watch now as I drink deeply from his flesh wounds. Bear witness as I ascend to heights unfettered, drowned in power, rendered sweet from your ignorance. Oh, little scavenger. To think that power could have been yours. Were your aspirations not so focused on the gutter? Move to me, and I will pluck your blade from the air, and when I return it to you, your body will become its final sheath, placed vastly so that you might still bear witness before you pass.

[Jericho Rake]

There's no reason for you to kill me. I. I will go my own way with this man's bag. And you will get no trouble from me.

[Ardesh]

Oh, but I can kill you. And so I must kill you. Such is my way. I have taken your words, and now I will take your eyes. Watch. Watch as I ascend to something more.

[Jericho Rake]

Flee.

[Brother Orr]

It's all right, scavenger. You're safe for now. She will return for her prize. Leaves.

[Jericho Rake]

What about them?

[Brother Orr]

They were green and beautiful only yesterday.

[Jericho Rake]

Hold on. Hold on. I'll get you somewhere safe. See what I can do.

[Brother Orr]

When the leaves grow back, they won't be ours anymore.

[Jericho Rake]

Story goes that when the gods of death died themselves, as all the gods did, their faithful chose to uphold the fickle cycle of life and death. Their chief acolytes found the corpses of as many death gods as they could, gouged out their own eyes, and replaced them with that of their gods so that they might understand who must live and who must die to uphold the sacred balance of life and death. The blind jurors, those who still believed in those ways, chose to follow the word of the blind jurors and became instruments of righteous death to uphold the sacred duty. The blind jurors shared secrets of magic that were best left buried and taught their devotees how to enchant their eyes as bleak mirrors of necessary death, sworn to wear a veil over them until such a time as they were needed. And so were born the bleak Eyes, warriors who followed whispers in the wind to balance the scales of life and death. It's said that when you stare into your bleak eye, they lock you into a frenzy that compels you to fight to the death, no matter how cowardly your soul might be. We call that fight the last dance, the time that comes without reason or warning, where you must stare your end in the face and meet with it faithfully. The belief is that you can run from an end or embrace it, but the truth of the matter is that either way, you have to dance with it. A final and definitive point of change Part of you might die. All of you might die. But something has to have its last dance. The bleak eyes are one agent of this change. But sometimes the world itself feels compelled to make you dance. This is the thought I turned to when I found myself carrying the last bleeding monk on my back. His holy blood running hot, dyeing my furs. Colin's gonna go mad. He never believed me. I might have to take the head. I should have brought another bottle. One for the north, one for him. Maybe it was for me. Fuck.

[Brother Orr]

It won't work. You won't be able to bargain with my blood. The second she realizes that it's useless to her, she'll kill you anyway.

[Jericho Rake]

You underestimate my ability to bargain.

[Brother Orr]

You can't bargain with her kind. First chance she gets, she'll swipe it from your corpse and hang your innards on the nearest tree. To prove a point, she might give your tongue to one of their changelings.

[Jericho Rake]

If you're lucky. Thought someone as exalted as you are would be better spoken. Suppose a few swords to the gut will wipe away that pretense.

[Brother Orr]

I'm only what men make of me. Nothing more.

[Jericho Rake]

Right now, it looks like they've made you into a fountain. If you're telling the truth, then I'm gonna have to figure out how to stop the bleeding, even if I am enjoying the irony.

[Brother Orr]

Funny, but they also made me powerful. Powerful enough to save your life, Scavenger. Do you have a name?

[Jericho Rake]

Rick. I'm not giving you my full name. Fuck knows what you'll do with it. And you are Brother Orr, aren't you?

[Brother Orr]

The very same. And what might I do with your full name? Command your soul out of your body for one last meal. What makes you think I need your name for that?

[Jericho Rake]

Funny, but I know enough about your powers to know your limits.

[Brother Orr]

And yet you still won't tell me your full name.

[Jericho Rake]

Taking chances has rarely done me good.

[Brother Orr]

Well, don't take a chance, then. You already said you know enough about my powers. Which means you know they can save you.

[Jericho Rake]

You're missing a canvas night. I shouldn't be expecting her swooping in to save you anytime soon, should I? I doubt she'd give much quarter to someone as lowly as me.

[Brother Orr]

Alyssa. I hadn't even thought.

[Jericho Rake]

So much for a bond deeper than life itself.

[Brother Orr]

A bond that ends in death. It is sorrowful. But I know she would have died in duty.

[Jericho Rake]

She's your sworn protector. She shares that blood of yours. Isn't her duty here with you?

[Brother Orr]

It was my request that she remain at the abbey to help in its defense. I would explain had we more time. But there is no one else that can interfere in this choice.

[Jericho Rake]

So I save your life, you kill that, that dredge or a thing, and then we go our separate ways.

[Brother Orr]

No, it's too late for that. You need to do something more drastic. You need to drink my blood and save yourself.

[Jericho Rake]

Come on, Enough jokes.

[Brother Orr]

I'm serious, Rick. Everything I have. All yours. Drink deeply. Just like the dredger was going to. The only difference is that it will work for you. Because you have something she doesn't. My permission.

[Jericho Rake]

There's no way.

[Brother Orr]

You're going to have to understand that this is happening to you and make the right choice. Soon. In just over five minutes, I'll be dead.

[Jericho Rake]

It don't seem that close.

[Brother Orr]

I know it. Anatomical precognition. Prediction and anticipation of the body. Mine and yours. Magic beyond your wildest dreams. Total freedom and power. Unparalleled control over the most sacred and necessary of humors. You have four minutes to make your choice. But it can be yours.

[Jericho Rake]

Why would you give that to me?

[Brother Orr]

Because it's either you or everything I work to achieve in this life is snuffed out. Secrets older than the advent of time would be lost forever. I core that gives vitality to the meek. Faith that gives hope to the hopeless.

[Jericho Rake]

Knights akin to butchers who slaughter armies to the last man over. Semantics. Doctrine shrouded in secrecy. Dripping with half truths spewed at the unfaithful executions. For those you dame sorcerers ico. Which saves lives, but makes them desperate for more.

[Brother Orr]

You're well spoken scavenger, but misled, as are many. But it doesn't matter what you think now. All I care about is that it lives on. What you do with it is your will.

[Jericho Rake]

There's more to it than that. There has to be.

[Brother Orr]

Look at me. Look. You stubborn child. You have little over four minutes until I die and my blood becomes powerless. The dredger was mistaken. And I was all too happy to let her delude herself. When I die, so too does my power. And you. Soon after, your death will be a certainty. And she will make it a slow one that drags your soul to the very local of hell circles.

[Jericho Rake]

How can I trust you? How can you expect me to make this decision so easily?

[Brother Orr]

What I offer is a gift free of strings. You best figure that out soon.

[Jericho Rake]

What's to say your power hasn't left you already, huh? You weren't strong enough to kill her before.

[Brother Orr]

You will be. What are you doing? There is no time for this.

[Jericho Rake]

There is. I have to know you. What will this do to me? What? What will it really do?

[Brother Orr]

It will give you everything I have. Everything history has given. The Eightfold House will be yours. Our powers, our secrets, our future in your hands.

[Jericho Rake]

What does it cost?

[Brother Orr]

The cost is that you bear it. The conditions of how are yours and yours alone to determine. Don't complicate them, lest you influence the process.

[Jericho Rake]

Influence?

[Brother Orr]

This has never been done before. But your suspicion is likely to cause complications. Even I can't fix it.

[Jericho Rake]

But what does that mean?

[Brother Orr]

It means your mental state is the only thing that could ruin this for you. Just accept a good thing that came your way. All you have to do is trust the process. All you have to do is live with it.

[Jericho Rake]

Bullshit. Magic always has a price.

[Brother Orr]

You need to hurry. What are you doing?

[Jericho Rake]

Looking for this playing cart.

[Brother Orr]

Playing cards.

[Jericho Rake]

In your likeness, no less. Here's you. The Jack of Blood. I am going to swear my blood on this card and hide it in the pack. All you have to do is find it. Use your powers and pick out the card from your pack. And prove to me that your powers still work. Prove to me that you really do.

[Brother Orr]

Weave fate, my legacy, in the hands of a child's game.

[Jericho Rake]

Humor me.

[Brother Orr]

So be it.

[Jericho Rake]

I'm turning around. Can't have you watching the cards. When you die, you die. You aren't going to possess me, are you?

[Brother Orr]

No. Don't even think that.

[Jericho Rake]

Why?

[Brother Orr]

Because the process is influenced.

[Jericho Rake]

What I didn't mention was the second card that I marked with my blood. Not my wisest decision, perhaps. Find it.

[Brother Orr]

You cheated.

[Jericho Rake]

Choose. Right here, right now.

[Brother Orr]

Fuck.

[Jericho Rake]

Whatever predictions you've made, I want you to guess. I want to see what the world wants from this. Maybe there's another will that wants us both snuffed out.

[Brother Orr]

You die just to spite me.

[Jericho Rake]

I die for less than that. Your blood conflicts. What's wrong with me?

[Brother Orr]

Third from the left.

[Jericho Rake]

Wrong. Guess we're both fucked.

[Brother Orr]

I.

[Jericho Rake]

Huh? What's that? Last words. Make them count. I know. I will listen.

[Brother Orr]

Ah, yes.

[Jericho Rake]

You spiteful cunt. Now come back. No. You don't get to do this. I don't remember when she reappeared. I don't remember leaving the cave or what I did with the monk. Once he passed. Time was dragged away from me. Stretched itself out. Forced day into night into day into night. I remembered my own birth and my own death. Played out tenfold in front of me like some humorous pantomime. My own body mocked me. And all at once My loneliness became acute. It freed me in one moment and smothered me in the next. My bile turned to acid that threatened to burn through my stomach. My bones ached as though their marrow had turned to ash. Every time I sucked in air, thick clots of blood invaded my sinuses and suffocated me until I fell once again, facetime in the dirt. I must have thought I had died more than five times that night. And when I awoke for the fifth time, it was to the dredger's claw dragging me through the moth.

[Ardesh]

Come, come, let's see you in the moonlight. How your blood dances. Black, blue against the midnight. Yes, come on now. Let's see you in the clearing. Looks like you took the blood yourself, but didn't drink deeply. Or drank too deeply. It hasn't taken. It's not enough. I didn't take you for a glutton. It's not working, though. It's poisoning you. I wonder why. I can't wait to do what you do. Take from place to place all the secrets that I want, and then drown the rest for no one to find. All for me. See? I'm a glutton all the time. They like me that way. My lesser golfs. Oh, it's okay. I'm thankful for you. When they forced me onto land, when they melted down my claw, I wept and wept until my eyes bled. They turned my purpose to molten slag, but gave me the hat to reforge it. And now you've taught me how to dredge here, too. I fixed the claw, but you gave me purpose. Now your bones can whisper to me, too.

[Jericho Rake]

When I heard Or's voice again, I thought it was one last moment of delirium, that a madness had taken me. And the voice of the bleeding monk was my own mind, taunting me, breaking itself against the tide of horse blood. Maybe that is what happened. All I knew for sure was that whether it was his advice or my own, it was my only chance of survival.

[Brother Orr]

Don't react. Don't let her know you can hear me, Ardesh Northman. Feed on what you give them. Your words, your intonation in battle, your movements. Use that.

[Jericho Rake]

Fine, Fine.

[Ardesh]

He speaks once more. And speaks well. Honor is a southern concept. Fighting is best done in the dirt. You have given me a gift, dear scavenger.

[Brother Orr]

Good. She acts the maniac, but there's precision and magic beyond your understanding in that gauntlet. Look at her hand. See how it moves of its own volition. See how it searches the air.

[Jericho Rake]

I see.

[Ardesh]

You see Well, I am Glad she's precise.

[Brother Orr]

Smart. Use that. Bring her in. Swing.

[Ardesh]

He swipes and claws in his death throes.

[Brother Orr]

She won't underestimate you until you sell your deception. Show yourself weak, vulnerable. Ignore the pain. Stop. Now buckle at your left leg. Just a little.

[Ardesh]

Good. That you struggle in the end. What pride it will be to take that blood from you.

[Brother Orr]

Good. Good. She's noticing. Do it again subtly. Watch your eyes go to your leg. That's how you'll know.

[Ardesh]

No. Come now. Stay standing for me.

[Brother Orr]

When she moves, she'll come for your weak side. On the left. Faint at the last second.

[Jericho Rake]

I can't. I'm too weak.

[Brother Orr]

You can. You're not weak anymore. You're so powerful, you can barely handle it. That's all this is.

[Ardesh]

Oh, but you can. Just for a second longer. And now I see you truly. Goodbye.

[Jericho Rake]

Goodbye.

[Brother Orr]

Take a second. Breathe. Leave it. Rake.

[Jericho Rake]

Rake. I don't know why I took that cursed gauntlet. That claw. Scavenger's instinct, I suppose. Still present in my head even when my brain are turned to soup.

[Brother Orr]

Rake. Rake. You need to rest.

[Jericho Rake]

I need it. Not about his. It's me, Rake. Rake. I must have walked for days in delirium. I don't know where I went. What I did must have killed more Northmen because I had more blood on me by the time they find me. And it wasn't mine.

[Ardesh]

Hey, hey, slow down there. You're okay. You're okay. I'm a temperer.

[Jericho Rake]

I'm here to help. Within the circles, outside circle spirals and flying feet.

[Ardesh]

You're going to be okay, Rake. Let's get you somewhere safe off the road.

[Brother Orr]

Rake. You need to hear me again. Get away from them. Get away now.

[Ardesh]

Come on.

[Brother Orr]

Get away from them.

[Jericho Rake]

Rake.

[Billy Hindle]

To listen to the next exciting episode, you can click on the link in the description or search for Last Dance, wherever you get your podcasts. Or you can find more information on rustyquill.com thanks for listening.