See (2019) s02e03 Episode Script
The Compass
1
Commander General,
you are called to answer
for the escape of the
prisoner, Tamacti Jun.
Tamacti Jun was not my prisoner.
But Baba Voss was.
Baba Voss was an enemy of the Republic.
Who should have been put on trial
and executed expeditiously,
as the law requires.
Had you done that, he never
would have had the opportunity
to escape with Tamacti Jun.
The Witchfinder was a potential source
of great intelligence for us
on the Payan queen's larger strategy
and military assets.
Do you have any idea
how they managed to escape?
Such a devastating breach
in our security is unheard of.
They must have had help.
Someone on the inside.
Then we must ferret out
the traitor, or traitors,
and make an example of them.
If there are traitors, I will find them.
General Voss, you have
served this council
with great honor and valor
for many years,
but your obsession with the
rumors of the return of sight,
your personal vendetta with your
brother, they must be put aside.
The Ganites grow ever
more bold in the west.
You are our greatest tactician.
We need you focused on the
true threats to this republic.
Do you understand?
Yes. I understand, sir.
I want you to question every
guard who came in contact
with Baba Voss or Tamacti Jun.
I already did, sir. They didn't
have anything useful to offer.
Well, then question them again.
Someone will break.
Yes, sir.
Who's there?
- It's okay.
- Oloman?
It's okay.
Another bad dream?
You don't understand.
The dreams are beautiful.
I can see the world, my children.
It's when I wake up
that the nightmare starts.
We're still here, Father.
We'd never leave you.
Have you found a way to fix this?
I know it can be done
with the right equipment.
We simply don't have the machines,
the technology to do the things you ask.
Have you forgotten everything
that I taught you?
It's been my life's work
to build this place.
Through setbacks and overwhelming
odds, I persevered.
Now you
You must rise to the challenge.
Take what seems impossible
and make it possible.
You must dedicate your every
waking moment to restoring my sight
so that I can fulfill my destiny.
Now, it won't happen overnight,
and I was wrong to make
you feel like it should.
We must both settle in and persevere.
No matter how long it takes.
Yes, Father.
All right.
Now, your morning report?
Now?
Our work here continues, does it not?
Of course it does, it's just
I may be injured,
but I am not compromised.
And you shouldn't treat me as such,
or the children might follow suit.
And the Trivantians
The Trivantians
they must not know of my injury.
It is their fear of my abilities
that keeps them in check.
Do you understand?
Yes, Father.
Good.
Then your morning report.
Well, Nonni has moved on
to quadratic equations.
- Ah.
- She's very smart.
I started her on the text
that you suggested.
She took to it like a moth to a flame.
They left before the agreed-upon time.
Something must have happened.
We don't have time to search for them.
Our priority must be
to find Princess Maghra.
Princess Maghra?
What is he talking about?
If he is to be believed,
your mother is sister to the queen.
- Queen Kane? That is ridiculous.
- I know it is hard to believe.
What's hard to believe
is that you didn't
tear him to pieces the
moment you met him.
I did consider it.
- This could be a trap, Papa.
- Yes.
And yet you allow him to lead us. Why?
For the same reasons I came
to find you in Trivantes.
She's my wife, Haniwa.
It's the only woman I will ever love.
And if there's the smallest
chance that she's alive
I understand.
But if he is lying, then I
want to kill him with you.
I give you my word.
And if he is not lying, then
my mother is a Payan princess.
How could that be?
I do not have answers.
I trust your mother will
explain once we find her.
Come.
Three horses, two dogs.
- Trivantians?
- Witchfinders.
If they hurt my son
Witchfinders serve the
pleasure of the queen.
If Maghra is with the queen,
then their orders will be
to find and retrieve her children.
- But the queen would have them burned.
- No.
I learned that the queen
issued a new decree.
The sighted are no longer
to be considered witches.
So where do we go?
East. There's a Witchfinder camp nearby.
They'll know where the queen is settled.
Pennsa.
What?
They took Kofun to Pennsa.
- Did he leave you a sign?
- Yes.
Pennsa.
Highly fortified, prosperous,
strategically located.
I would guess the queen
has consecrated a new capital.
What is this vital matter that
couldn't wait, Lord Harlan?
I don't mean to be alarmist,
but when Your Majesty's
personal safety's at stake,
I'd rather be guilty of overreacting
than complacency.
Must everything with you
include a speech?
I'll keep it brief. I promise.
I want you to hear this firsthand.
I only ask that you
stay very, very still.
If he knows you're here,
I fear he won't speak freely.
I'll be silent as a spider.
Lord Harlan, this is Zechan,
the man who requested the audience.
Thank you, Kerrigan.
Is someone else in the room?
A trusted servant loyal to me.
Where are you from, Zechan?
Kanzua, sir.
And you were a palace sentry at Kanzua?
Yes, sir. For over 20 years.
So you were there when
the Trivantians attacked?
I was there when Kanzua fell.
But the thing of it is,
there was no attack.
Then how did the dam
come to be destroyed?
I can't say for sure, sir.
All I know is, there
were no Trivantians.
I don't understand.
It was a regular day.
Birds and wind.
Not once did I hear the sound
of Trivantian stingers.
No war cries.
So if it wasn't the Trivantians,
who was responsible?
You have to understand, sir.
My father was a guard at Kanzua,
as was his father before him.
We have served the monarchy
for generations.
I understand. I understand.
It's all right.
Say what you came to say, soldier.
I knew those buildings inside and out,
every passageway, who had access.
And I believe that the only person
who could have released the waters
was the queen herself.
Lord Harlan, you do have
a flair for the dramatic.
This kind of talk, you know
left unchecked, it can
spread like a plague.
And if the people doubt
your account of Kanzua,
they will doubt the sighted
child you spoke of,
and your mandate from God.
All of it.
You will make sure that won't happen.
It's the least I can do
if it threatens my queen.
And just think how much
more vigilant I'd be
if it threatened the sister
of my own wife.
Urgent message for you, my queen.
Come.
Rest assured, Harlan,
you'll have your bride.
Sibeth, please. I have no
fight left in me right now.
Relax, sister. I come bearing good news.
Kofun has been found.
My soldiers are making their way
back here with him as we speak.
What? When will they arrive?
What about Haniwa and Baba Voss?
No sign of them, I'm afraid.
That doesn't make sense.
He would have kept them
together at all costs.
Unless he no longer could.
And now that Kofun will be joining us,
we are faced with the
issue of his safety.
Safety?
As you witnessed, it will take some time
before the people embrace the new way.
You had no such concerns about Boots.
Boots is nobody.
Just the father of your child.
What?
I can hear your heartbeat
growing faster, Sibeth.
But only your heart.
The baby.
You lost the baby.
Sibeth. I'm so sorry.
Your child returns while mine
has decided not to come at all.
Which does put us
in a somewhat difficult position.
If word gets out that
I'm not with child,
the protection of sighted children
will be called into question
even more than it already is.
Kofun's safety will not be ensured.
I don't understand this conversation.
- Are you threatening my son?
- On the contrary.
I'll do everything in my power
to protect my nephew.
But if the people rise
against me, against us,
there'll be no one left to protect him.
This is about Harlan.
An alliance with Lord
Harlan guarantees us
control over a united military
that will serve as the ultimate
deterrent to any talk of revolution.
Why are you so insistent on this?
What aren't you telling me?
Apparently, there are
survivors of Kanzua.
- If word spreads
- Word will spread.
The only question is how well positioned
we will be to quell any unrest
to assert our authority when it does.
A man in Harlan's position,
he could pour the water or fan flames,
depending on where his interests lie.
And right now, what he wants is you.
Sister. I know what I'm asking of you.
- I wouldn't ask it, but
- Shh. Just Just
Fine.
Fine.
I'll agree to this charade
as long as Harlan understands
it's simply an arrangement
of convenience.
As all marriages are.
I still can't imagine
my mother as a princess.
Maghra Kane was born to rule.
Her father's daughter in every way.
Yet you hunted her like an animal.
No.
My charge was to find the witch,
Jerlamarel, and then his children.
Maghra was believed to be dead.
- We should camp here.
- We just started walking.
It's a difficult passage up
through the foothills.
Your father will need rest.
Do not speak for me, Witchfinder.
Okay, then I'll speak for myself.
Like you, I've lost blood.
Like you, I haven't eaten in days.
And although I haven't been
whipped on the rack like you
Shh! Tamacti.
What do you see, my love?
Cages of the God bone.
- Shit.
- What?
It's a Slaver's den.
- You know this place from before?
- No, I do not.
Tamacti, we must move quickly. Come.
Papa, it's okay. There's no one coming.
They're already here.
Stand where you are.
Greetings, friend.
If we are trespassing, I apologize.
We have no intentions other than
to get to the eastern foothills.
What's your business in the foothills?
The Yuree cattle markets.
You may go.
Thank you.
Not you, girl.
Papa!
Papa!
You'll be taught obedience, girl.
Who's there? Speak!
Catch your breath, Baba. You are safe.
Paris!
Haniwa!
- Paris. Who fights with us?
- Baba.
I will explain more when
we are somewhere safe.
- Where's Kofun?
- Kofun has gone on to Pennsa.
And I have important news.
Maghra is alive.
- You've heard?
- Yes.
You should've went with Kofun.
Well, then where would you
be now, you big lump?
- We'll go now.
- No.
You're not fit to travel.
I hear deep pain in your voice.
You must rest and heal before
we can make this journey.
Baba Voss.
- Oh. Ooh.
- Paris, wait.
- Tamacti Jun.
- Paris.
The Witchfinder general.
What a find.
After we kill him, I'll keep
his ears as a trophy.
No. We need his help.
We never would have made it
out of Trivantes without him.
- He's no longer one of them.
- Even if that were true
He can track the queen's soldiers.
He's helping me find Maghra.
We are not bringing
a Witchfinder home with us.
We're not going anywhere with
you. We're going to Pennsa.
Haniwa, your father needs rest.
Even now, his breath fails him.
Papa.
Where is this home?
It does not matter. We are
going straight to Pennsa.
Baba, we have made camp nearby.
Rest for the night. Then we
go on to Pennsa from there.
You cannot really mean that
we will travel with the Witchfinder.
Where we go, he goes. Yes?
So be it.
Vienna, Quito, return home.
Inform them that we
are going on to Pennsa.
Charlotte, to the camp.
Some 200 years ago,
a small number of Payan children
were born with vision.
Their mothers fled to the mountains
to hide them from the Witchfinders.
But eventually they were
found and burned.
Those grieving mothers
formed the Compass.
It's a secret society of guardians
whose membership is passed on
from mother to daughter.
We've remained a secret for generations,
standing by, ready to
take on the sacred duty
of protecting the sighted
when vision returns.
And how many sighted
children have you met?
Counting you? One.
And that is one more than
my mother or her mother met.
I never imagined it would happen
in my lifetime, but it has.
Paris, what do you have to do with them?
That is a long story. And a sad one.
You were one of them.
Yes, I was.
A lifetime ago.
No one ever blamed you, Paris.
Nevertheless, it was my responsibility.
The curse of every Presage
I've ever met.
You all think you're responsible
for knowing everything
before it happens.
Is it true that Queen Kane decreed
the sighted are no longer witches?
That's the talk.
This queen's proclamation
is ill-conceived.
Bigotry cannot be changed by decree.
If anything, she's made you
even more of a target.
Which may be as she intended.
I guess he needed to sleep.
So do I.
Which is why I put enough valerian root
in his ale to knock out a horse.
'Cause if he's not snoring,
I'm up all night with
my ropes in my hand.
More grub anybody?
Come on, Toad. You took
the same oath we did.
To seek out and destroy
the witches no matter the cost.
We serve the queen, Dax.
We follow her orders.
Not when the orders are heresy.
God Flame first, Queen second.
Dax is right. This feels wrong.
- We're breaking the law.
- We've been tasked with his safety.
He's the queen's nephew.
What do you think she'll do
to the man who harms him? Hmm?
We cannot ride into Pennsa with a witch,
we'll be shunned or burned
as heretics right beside him.
Don't be an idiot.
We should be gutting him,
not escorting him.
You don't wanna kill him?
Fine, don't kill him.
Let's just leave him here
and say he ran away.
Let the forest have him.
Come on, Toad. You know he's right.
No.
What he is is one word away from
an insubordination charge
and a demotion.
And he'll take you right down with him.
Shut your mouths and
do your fucking jobs.
And if you're lucky,
I'll forget this conversation happened
by the time we reach Pennsa.
You should announce yourself.
Apologies, Princess.
I keep forgetting
it's not my house anymore.
Uh-huh. Whistle sword, weapon of kings.
And their daughters.
You sent for me?
Yes, I did.
- This marriage proposal of yours
- I made no such proposal.
Well, my sister did it for you.
That is unfortunate.
Let me assure you, I had something
more romantic in mind.
- I have a husband.
- We all have our flaws.
I tend to snore if I sleep on
my back. But piece of advice
- Harlan. Harlan.
- a swift kick will usually shut me up,
- so I'm told.
- Harlan!
What is it you're really after?
I come from a rich tradition of men
who fought for crumbs
at the feet of the monarchy.
Now, I worked tirelessly for many years
to get something better for myself.
It took some doing, believe me.
And now, in walks the queen,
and she screws it all up
with this war of hers.
And I find myself with two choices.
One: I stoke the fires of rebellion
and burn down the whole palace,
Or two: I join you and move into it.
After much consideration, Princess,
I've reached a conclusion.
Number two is a lot less work.
You're wooing the wrong sister.
I'm wooing the better sister.
Sibeth is the one with the power.
For now.
- We will announce an engagement.
- Excellent.
But there will be no wedding.
Not to put too fine a point on it
The engagement will ease
my sister's concerns
about Kanzua for the time being.
You will use your influence
with the council
to help me stop her from going to war.
And once my husband
and my daughter are found,
you will make sure that they
are protected at all costs.
And in exchange?
I will convince Sibeth to make her
capital in a more suitable city,
and you will have yours back.
Maghra.
I believe I underestimated you.
Well, I hope I've done the same.
Time will tell, Princess.
- Chet-chet.
- Oh. Chet-chet. Ah.
- Hot tea.
- Ah. Mmm.
Oh.
Mmm.
So, you were a Compass warrior?
Guardian. Lost the
appetite for it long ago.
Why did you leave?
When I was with the Compass,
Haniwa, it was a thrilling time.
Two hundred years without
reports of a sighted child,
and then suddenly there appeared a boy.
I was assigned to protect him.
He was gifted beyond his sight.
I mean, his young mind
just cried out for knowledge
like yours did.
I broke the rules.
I allowed him access
to the artifacts we stored.
Books
and the knotted codes
that would teach him to read.
Soon, I couldn't find enough books
to satisfy his hunger for knowledge.
I woke up one day and he was gone,
along with the books
and the knotted codes.
I failed the Compass.
I failed in the thing
that I was sworn to do.
So I did the only thing I could. I left.
Do you know what became of him? The boy?
He became your father.
Jerlamarel.
Yes.
Years later, as your mother
carried you, Jerlamarel found me.
He knew I was Alkenny.
He knew I would protect
and guide his children.
And make sure we knew how to read.
I'm hoping that was the right choice.
Of course it was.
Sight is as much a part of me
- as your hands are a part of you.
- Ooh.
It would be wrong for me not to read.
Dear one
humankind has a long history
a long history of despising and
fearing those who are different.
Nobody chooses how they're born.
And yet the unsighted
persecute the sighted.
If one day the sighted outnumber
the unsighted again,
the roles will reverse.
It is one of the many ways in which
we all are very much the same.
Mmm.
What are you doing?
My job, witch.
- Toad!
- Shut up.
Hold him still!
Come on, witch!
Toad!
Dax! Frye! What the fuck are you doing?
Fall in!
Toad!
Frye! Stop, Frye.
Toad! Toad!
Toad! Toad! Toad!
Toad! Toad!
Toad! Toad!
Toad. Toad.
- Dax. Dax!
- Toad.
Frye?
Frye?
- Frye!
- Stay down, Dax.
What'd you do?
Stay the fuck down.
You killed him.
And I'll kill you too if you
don't stand down right now.
What's wrong with you? You're
a Witchfinder protecting a witch!
I'm not gonna tell you again, Dax!
Stand the fuck down! Now!
I'm leaving.
I want no part of this.
If you wanna desert,
take your horse and go.
But if you attempt to interfere
with this mission,
I will kill you where you stand.
- Toad.
- Shut up.
Can you ride a horse?
Not really.
Well, I hope you're a quick learner.
'Cause you're not riding with me.
Why didn't you kill Edo
when you had the chance?
Killing a brother would be
like killing a part of yourself.
Like killing your own father?
Mmm.
My father ordered me to kill Edo.
And I made a choice.
If you were protecting Edo, then
why does he hate you so much?
Family can be complicated.
Well
I was just kidnapped by my uncle
and found out that my mom is a princess.
I think I know something
about complicated families.
Mmm.
My mother died giving birth to Edo.
And my father never
forgave him for that.
I was just a young boy, almost
too young to remember her.
And too young to question
my father's point of view.
You asked for me, sir?
The girl, Haniwa, is an archer.
Is she?
She put three arrows in me.
My brother has raised
two of Jerlamarel's children.
That is a dangerous combination.
A group of Slavers was killed
at a den in Munhall today.
You think it was them?
Baba's hurt. He's tired.
He won't be moving very fast.
Send word to every
outpost in the area
that I want Baba and the girl
brought back to me alive.
Yes, sir.
Lieutenant?
Any word on who helped them escape?
No, sir. Nothing yet.
That's odd, Wren. That's very odd.
But I think I might have
an idea about that.
Keep me informed.
Yes, sir.
- Toad.
- What?
Thank you for saving my life.
Your gratitude is misplaced.
You're Princess Maghra's son,
and I'm duty bound to protect you.
I had no choice.
You had a choice.
Give me the map.
It'll take 13 days to get to
Pennsa if the weather holds.
We can get there in half that time.
What? How?
This way.
There's a cliff.
Yes, according to the map.
But there is no cliff.
We can go straight through.
And how do you know that?
They make the maps.
- Oh.
- That's how we've kept our outpost
hidden all these centuries
from bastards like you.
Haniwa?
I am charged with your
protection at any cost.
You will always stay behind me.
Always behind me.
Your father always behind you.
I don't need a guardian.
I can take care of myself.
You were almost made
a breeding machine in Trivantes.
And I got out.
And nearly lost your head
at a Slaver's camp.
At this rate, I fully expect
you'll be dead within the week.
Oh, Haniwa.
Just don't get in my way.
You're the sighted one.
Don't get in mine.
Ah. Always behind me.
Your father always behind you.
Paris.
Jasmine.
Burnt sage.
Mmm.
Rain across the meadows.
Thank you, Your Majesty.
I had heard that the Pennsan Scent Chefs
were among the best in the land.
And now I know it to be true.
I hope you all enjoyed the performance.
I've learned that even
in our darkest hours,
we must find time
to appreciate the beauty and joy
with which the God Flame blesses us.
Even now, with the struggle
that lies ahead,
there is beauty to be found.
There is love.
And so it is with great joy
that I share with you,
the esteemed members of my court,
that my sister, Princess Maghra Kane,
has been betrothed
to none other than your very
own Lord Harlan of Pennsa.
I thought we were
going to announce this.
Yeah, I thought so too.
And we will all bear
witness to their marriage
on the fourth God Flame
rising from today.
We are Payan ♪
- Were you part of this?
- No.
We are holy ♪
I'm not sure I believe you.
Well, Princess, at some point,
you're gonna have to trust me.
You better give me a reason to.
We are chosen ♪
Father.
What is it?
The general is here.
What?
Edo Voss is here?
He just arrived with some soldiers.
He must not know that I am compromised.
General Voss. This is quite a surprise.
Really?
I half thought you'd be expecting me.
And why's that?
Someone walked into my prison
and walked out with Baba Voss.
You captured Baba Voss?
We had him.
Until we didn't.
It's no small thing
to outmaneuver the guards
and navigate passages
of a Trivantian prison
unless one has the gift of sight.
And you are accusing me?
Why in the world would I free Baba Voss?
Where's the son?
The son?
The son you refused to send
with my men when they were here.
- I'd like him now.
- Listen to me.
The trap you set brought
Baba Voss to my door.
He killed my guards
and took my son by force.
Baba Voss was here and
he left you alive?
Even after you gave away his daughter?
He had no choice. He was outnumbered.
What is this? What is this?
And why does the boy answer
when I am speaking to the father?
And why aren't you moving around
like you usually do when we meet,
to lord your gift over me?
It's almost as if
Listen, General,
if you came all this way, just
Let him go! Let him go.
- General.
- Quiet.
He took your sight.
A temporary injury.
One that will soon be healed.
No.
It will not.
No!
No! No!
No! No!
I will kill you. I swear
to God, I will kill you.
Put aside your grief, Oloman.
It falls on you now to protect
the rest of your family.
To do that, you'll need a clear head.
This house belongs to me now.
You, the books, the
knowledge, all of it.
Tormada!
Mmm.
This is Tormada. He's one
of our greatest scientists.
You work for him now.
Commander General,
you are called to answer
for the escape of the
prisoner, Tamacti Jun.
Tamacti Jun was not my prisoner.
But Baba Voss was.
Baba Voss was an enemy of the Republic.
Who should have been put on trial
and executed expeditiously,
as the law requires.
Had you done that, he never
would have had the opportunity
to escape with Tamacti Jun.
The Witchfinder was a potential source
of great intelligence for us
on the Payan queen's larger strategy
and military assets.
Do you have any idea
how they managed to escape?
Such a devastating breach
in our security is unheard of.
They must have had help.
Someone on the inside.
Then we must ferret out
the traitor, or traitors,
and make an example of them.
If there are traitors, I will find them.
General Voss, you have
served this council
with great honor and valor
for many years,
but your obsession with the
rumors of the return of sight,
your personal vendetta with your
brother, they must be put aside.
The Ganites grow ever
more bold in the west.
You are our greatest tactician.
We need you focused on the
true threats to this republic.
Do you understand?
Yes. I understand, sir.
I want you to question every
guard who came in contact
with Baba Voss or Tamacti Jun.
I already did, sir. They didn't
have anything useful to offer.
Well, then question them again.
Someone will break.
Yes, sir.
Who's there?
- It's okay.
- Oloman?
It's okay.
Another bad dream?
You don't understand.
The dreams are beautiful.
I can see the world, my children.
It's when I wake up
that the nightmare starts.
We're still here, Father.
We'd never leave you.
Have you found a way to fix this?
I know it can be done
with the right equipment.
We simply don't have the machines,
the technology to do the things you ask.
Have you forgotten everything
that I taught you?
It's been my life's work
to build this place.
Through setbacks and overwhelming
odds, I persevered.
Now you
You must rise to the challenge.
Take what seems impossible
and make it possible.
You must dedicate your every
waking moment to restoring my sight
so that I can fulfill my destiny.
Now, it won't happen overnight,
and I was wrong to make
you feel like it should.
We must both settle in and persevere.
No matter how long it takes.
Yes, Father.
All right.
Now, your morning report?
Now?
Our work here continues, does it not?
Of course it does, it's just
I may be injured,
but I am not compromised.
And you shouldn't treat me as such,
or the children might follow suit.
And the Trivantians
The Trivantians
they must not know of my injury.
It is their fear of my abilities
that keeps them in check.
Do you understand?
Yes, Father.
Good.
Then your morning report.
Well, Nonni has moved on
to quadratic equations.
- Ah.
- She's very smart.
I started her on the text
that you suggested.
She took to it like a moth to a flame.
They left before the agreed-upon time.
Something must have happened.
We don't have time to search for them.
Our priority must be
to find Princess Maghra.
Princess Maghra?
What is he talking about?
If he is to be believed,
your mother is sister to the queen.
- Queen Kane? That is ridiculous.
- I know it is hard to believe.
What's hard to believe
is that you didn't
tear him to pieces the
moment you met him.
I did consider it.
- This could be a trap, Papa.
- Yes.
And yet you allow him to lead us. Why?
For the same reasons I came
to find you in Trivantes.
She's my wife, Haniwa.
It's the only woman I will ever love.
And if there's the smallest
chance that she's alive
I understand.
But if he is lying, then I
want to kill him with you.
I give you my word.
And if he is not lying, then
my mother is a Payan princess.
How could that be?
I do not have answers.
I trust your mother will
explain once we find her.
Come.
Three horses, two dogs.
- Trivantians?
- Witchfinders.
If they hurt my son
Witchfinders serve the
pleasure of the queen.
If Maghra is with the queen,
then their orders will be
to find and retrieve her children.
- But the queen would have them burned.
- No.
I learned that the queen
issued a new decree.
The sighted are no longer
to be considered witches.
So where do we go?
East. There's a Witchfinder camp nearby.
They'll know where the queen is settled.
Pennsa.
What?
They took Kofun to Pennsa.
- Did he leave you a sign?
- Yes.
Pennsa.
Highly fortified, prosperous,
strategically located.
I would guess the queen
has consecrated a new capital.
What is this vital matter that
couldn't wait, Lord Harlan?
I don't mean to be alarmist,
but when Your Majesty's
personal safety's at stake,
I'd rather be guilty of overreacting
than complacency.
Must everything with you
include a speech?
I'll keep it brief. I promise.
I want you to hear this firsthand.
I only ask that you
stay very, very still.
If he knows you're here,
I fear he won't speak freely.
I'll be silent as a spider.
Lord Harlan, this is Zechan,
the man who requested the audience.
Thank you, Kerrigan.
Is someone else in the room?
A trusted servant loyal to me.
Where are you from, Zechan?
Kanzua, sir.
And you were a palace sentry at Kanzua?
Yes, sir. For over 20 years.
So you were there when
the Trivantians attacked?
I was there when Kanzua fell.
But the thing of it is,
there was no attack.
Then how did the dam
come to be destroyed?
I can't say for sure, sir.
All I know is, there
were no Trivantians.
I don't understand.
It was a regular day.
Birds and wind.
Not once did I hear the sound
of Trivantian stingers.
No war cries.
So if it wasn't the Trivantians,
who was responsible?
You have to understand, sir.
My father was a guard at Kanzua,
as was his father before him.
We have served the monarchy
for generations.
I understand. I understand.
It's all right.
Say what you came to say, soldier.
I knew those buildings inside and out,
every passageway, who had access.
And I believe that the only person
who could have released the waters
was the queen herself.
Lord Harlan, you do have
a flair for the dramatic.
This kind of talk, you know
left unchecked, it can
spread like a plague.
And if the people doubt
your account of Kanzua,
they will doubt the sighted
child you spoke of,
and your mandate from God.
All of it.
You will make sure that won't happen.
It's the least I can do
if it threatens my queen.
And just think how much
more vigilant I'd be
if it threatened the sister
of my own wife.
Urgent message for you, my queen.
Come.
Rest assured, Harlan,
you'll have your bride.
Sibeth, please. I have no
fight left in me right now.
Relax, sister. I come bearing good news.
Kofun has been found.
My soldiers are making their way
back here with him as we speak.
What? When will they arrive?
What about Haniwa and Baba Voss?
No sign of them, I'm afraid.
That doesn't make sense.
He would have kept them
together at all costs.
Unless he no longer could.
And now that Kofun will be joining us,
we are faced with the
issue of his safety.
Safety?
As you witnessed, it will take some time
before the people embrace the new way.
You had no such concerns about Boots.
Boots is nobody.
Just the father of your child.
What?
I can hear your heartbeat
growing faster, Sibeth.
But only your heart.
The baby.
You lost the baby.
Sibeth. I'm so sorry.
Your child returns while mine
has decided not to come at all.
Which does put us
in a somewhat difficult position.
If word gets out that
I'm not with child,
the protection of sighted children
will be called into question
even more than it already is.
Kofun's safety will not be ensured.
I don't understand this conversation.
- Are you threatening my son?
- On the contrary.
I'll do everything in my power
to protect my nephew.
But if the people rise
against me, against us,
there'll be no one left to protect him.
This is about Harlan.
An alliance with Lord
Harlan guarantees us
control over a united military
that will serve as the ultimate
deterrent to any talk of revolution.
Why are you so insistent on this?
What aren't you telling me?
Apparently, there are
survivors of Kanzua.
- If word spreads
- Word will spread.
The only question is how well positioned
we will be to quell any unrest
to assert our authority when it does.
A man in Harlan's position,
he could pour the water or fan flames,
depending on where his interests lie.
And right now, what he wants is you.
Sister. I know what I'm asking of you.
- I wouldn't ask it, but
- Shh. Just Just
Fine.
Fine.
I'll agree to this charade
as long as Harlan understands
it's simply an arrangement
of convenience.
As all marriages are.
I still can't imagine
my mother as a princess.
Maghra Kane was born to rule.
Her father's daughter in every way.
Yet you hunted her like an animal.
No.
My charge was to find the witch,
Jerlamarel, and then his children.
Maghra was believed to be dead.
- We should camp here.
- We just started walking.
It's a difficult passage up
through the foothills.
Your father will need rest.
Do not speak for me, Witchfinder.
Okay, then I'll speak for myself.
Like you, I've lost blood.
Like you, I haven't eaten in days.
And although I haven't been
whipped on the rack like you
Shh! Tamacti.
What do you see, my love?
Cages of the God bone.
- Shit.
- What?
It's a Slaver's den.
- You know this place from before?
- No, I do not.
Tamacti, we must move quickly. Come.
Papa, it's okay. There's no one coming.
They're already here.
Stand where you are.
Greetings, friend.
If we are trespassing, I apologize.
We have no intentions other than
to get to the eastern foothills.
What's your business in the foothills?
The Yuree cattle markets.
You may go.
Thank you.
Not you, girl.
Papa!
Papa!
You'll be taught obedience, girl.
Who's there? Speak!
Catch your breath, Baba. You are safe.
Paris!
Haniwa!
- Paris. Who fights with us?
- Baba.
I will explain more when
we are somewhere safe.
- Where's Kofun?
- Kofun has gone on to Pennsa.
And I have important news.
Maghra is alive.
- You've heard?
- Yes.
You should've went with Kofun.
Well, then where would you
be now, you big lump?
- We'll go now.
- No.
You're not fit to travel.
I hear deep pain in your voice.
You must rest and heal before
we can make this journey.
Baba Voss.
- Oh. Ooh.
- Paris, wait.
- Tamacti Jun.
- Paris.
The Witchfinder general.
What a find.
After we kill him, I'll keep
his ears as a trophy.
No. We need his help.
We never would have made it
out of Trivantes without him.
- He's no longer one of them.
- Even if that were true
He can track the queen's soldiers.
He's helping me find Maghra.
We are not bringing
a Witchfinder home with us.
We're not going anywhere with
you. We're going to Pennsa.
Haniwa, your father needs rest.
Even now, his breath fails him.
Papa.
Where is this home?
It does not matter. We are
going straight to Pennsa.
Baba, we have made camp nearby.
Rest for the night. Then we
go on to Pennsa from there.
You cannot really mean that
we will travel with the Witchfinder.
Where we go, he goes. Yes?
So be it.
Vienna, Quito, return home.
Inform them that we
are going on to Pennsa.
Charlotte, to the camp.
Some 200 years ago,
a small number of Payan children
were born with vision.
Their mothers fled to the mountains
to hide them from the Witchfinders.
But eventually they were
found and burned.
Those grieving mothers
formed the Compass.
It's a secret society of guardians
whose membership is passed on
from mother to daughter.
We've remained a secret for generations,
standing by, ready to
take on the sacred duty
of protecting the sighted
when vision returns.
And how many sighted
children have you met?
Counting you? One.
And that is one more than
my mother or her mother met.
I never imagined it would happen
in my lifetime, but it has.
Paris, what do you have to do with them?
That is a long story. And a sad one.
You were one of them.
Yes, I was.
A lifetime ago.
No one ever blamed you, Paris.
Nevertheless, it was my responsibility.
The curse of every Presage
I've ever met.
You all think you're responsible
for knowing everything
before it happens.
Is it true that Queen Kane decreed
the sighted are no longer witches?
That's the talk.
This queen's proclamation
is ill-conceived.
Bigotry cannot be changed by decree.
If anything, she's made you
even more of a target.
Which may be as she intended.
I guess he needed to sleep.
So do I.
Which is why I put enough valerian root
in his ale to knock out a horse.
'Cause if he's not snoring,
I'm up all night with
my ropes in my hand.
More grub anybody?
Come on, Toad. You took
the same oath we did.
To seek out and destroy
the witches no matter the cost.
We serve the queen, Dax.
We follow her orders.
Not when the orders are heresy.
God Flame first, Queen second.
Dax is right. This feels wrong.
- We're breaking the law.
- We've been tasked with his safety.
He's the queen's nephew.
What do you think she'll do
to the man who harms him? Hmm?
We cannot ride into Pennsa with a witch,
we'll be shunned or burned
as heretics right beside him.
Don't be an idiot.
We should be gutting him,
not escorting him.
You don't wanna kill him?
Fine, don't kill him.
Let's just leave him here
and say he ran away.
Let the forest have him.
Come on, Toad. You know he's right.
No.
What he is is one word away from
an insubordination charge
and a demotion.
And he'll take you right down with him.
Shut your mouths and
do your fucking jobs.
And if you're lucky,
I'll forget this conversation happened
by the time we reach Pennsa.
You should announce yourself.
Apologies, Princess.
I keep forgetting
it's not my house anymore.
Uh-huh. Whistle sword, weapon of kings.
And their daughters.
You sent for me?
Yes, I did.
- This marriage proposal of yours
- I made no such proposal.
Well, my sister did it for you.
That is unfortunate.
Let me assure you, I had something
more romantic in mind.
- I have a husband.
- We all have our flaws.
I tend to snore if I sleep on
my back. But piece of advice
- Harlan. Harlan.
- a swift kick will usually shut me up,
- so I'm told.
- Harlan!
What is it you're really after?
I come from a rich tradition of men
who fought for crumbs
at the feet of the monarchy.
Now, I worked tirelessly for many years
to get something better for myself.
It took some doing, believe me.
And now, in walks the queen,
and she screws it all up
with this war of hers.
And I find myself with two choices.
One: I stoke the fires of rebellion
and burn down the whole palace,
Or two: I join you and move into it.
After much consideration, Princess,
I've reached a conclusion.
Number two is a lot less work.
You're wooing the wrong sister.
I'm wooing the better sister.
Sibeth is the one with the power.
For now.
- We will announce an engagement.
- Excellent.
But there will be no wedding.
Not to put too fine a point on it
The engagement will ease
my sister's concerns
about Kanzua for the time being.
You will use your influence
with the council
to help me stop her from going to war.
And once my husband
and my daughter are found,
you will make sure that they
are protected at all costs.
And in exchange?
I will convince Sibeth to make her
capital in a more suitable city,
and you will have yours back.
Maghra.
I believe I underestimated you.
Well, I hope I've done the same.
Time will tell, Princess.
- Chet-chet.
- Oh. Chet-chet. Ah.
- Hot tea.
- Ah. Mmm.
Oh.
Mmm.
So, you were a Compass warrior?
Guardian. Lost the
appetite for it long ago.
Why did you leave?
When I was with the Compass,
Haniwa, it was a thrilling time.
Two hundred years without
reports of a sighted child,
and then suddenly there appeared a boy.
I was assigned to protect him.
He was gifted beyond his sight.
I mean, his young mind
just cried out for knowledge
like yours did.
I broke the rules.
I allowed him access
to the artifacts we stored.
Books
and the knotted codes
that would teach him to read.
Soon, I couldn't find enough books
to satisfy his hunger for knowledge.
I woke up one day and he was gone,
along with the books
and the knotted codes.
I failed the Compass.
I failed in the thing
that I was sworn to do.
So I did the only thing I could. I left.
Do you know what became of him? The boy?
He became your father.
Jerlamarel.
Yes.
Years later, as your mother
carried you, Jerlamarel found me.
He knew I was Alkenny.
He knew I would protect
and guide his children.
And make sure we knew how to read.
I'm hoping that was the right choice.
Of course it was.
Sight is as much a part of me
- as your hands are a part of you.
- Ooh.
It would be wrong for me not to read.
Dear one
humankind has a long history
a long history of despising and
fearing those who are different.
Nobody chooses how they're born.
And yet the unsighted
persecute the sighted.
If one day the sighted outnumber
the unsighted again,
the roles will reverse.
It is one of the many ways in which
we all are very much the same.
Mmm.
What are you doing?
My job, witch.
- Toad!
- Shut up.
Hold him still!
Come on, witch!
Toad!
Dax! Frye! What the fuck are you doing?
Fall in!
Toad!
Frye! Stop, Frye.
Toad! Toad!
Toad! Toad! Toad!
Toad! Toad!
Toad! Toad!
Toad. Toad.
- Dax. Dax!
- Toad.
Frye?
Frye?
- Frye!
- Stay down, Dax.
What'd you do?
Stay the fuck down.
You killed him.
And I'll kill you too if you
don't stand down right now.
What's wrong with you? You're
a Witchfinder protecting a witch!
I'm not gonna tell you again, Dax!
Stand the fuck down! Now!
I'm leaving.
I want no part of this.
If you wanna desert,
take your horse and go.
But if you attempt to interfere
with this mission,
I will kill you where you stand.
- Toad.
- Shut up.
Can you ride a horse?
Not really.
Well, I hope you're a quick learner.
'Cause you're not riding with me.
Why didn't you kill Edo
when you had the chance?
Killing a brother would be
like killing a part of yourself.
Like killing your own father?
Mmm.
My father ordered me to kill Edo.
And I made a choice.
If you were protecting Edo, then
why does he hate you so much?
Family can be complicated.
Well
I was just kidnapped by my uncle
and found out that my mom is a princess.
I think I know something
about complicated families.
Mmm.
My mother died giving birth to Edo.
And my father never
forgave him for that.
I was just a young boy, almost
too young to remember her.
And too young to question
my father's point of view.
You asked for me, sir?
The girl, Haniwa, is an archer.
Is she?
She put three arrows in me.
My brother has raised
two of Jerlamarel's children.
That is a dangerous combination.
A group of Slavers was killed
at a den in Munhall today.
You think it was them?
Baba's hurt. He's tired.
He won't be moving very fast.
Send word to every
outpost in the area
that I want Baba and the girl
brought back to me alive.
Yes, sir.
Lieutenant?
Any word on who helped them escape?
No, sir. Nothing yet.
That's odd, Wren. That's very odd.
But I think I might have
an idea about that.
Keep me informed.
Yes, sir.
- Toad.
- What?
Thank you for saving my life.
Your gratitude is misplaced.
You're Princess Maghra's son,
and I'm duty bound to protect you.
I had no choice.
You had a choice.
Give me the map.
It'll take 13 days to get to
Pennsa if the weather holds.
We can get there in half that time.
What? How?
This way.
There's a cliff.
Yes, according to the map.
But there is no cliff.
We can go straight through.
And how do you know that?
They make the maps.
- Oh.
- That's how we've kept our outpost
hidden all these centuries
from bastards like you.
Haniwa?
I am charged with your
protection at any cost.
You will always stay behind me.
Always behind me.
Your father always behind you.
I don't need a guardian.
I can take care of myself.
You were almost made
a breeding machine in Trivantes.
And I got out.
And nearly lost your head
at a Slaver's camp.
At this rate, I fully expect
you'll be dead within the week.
Oh, Haniwa.
Just don't get in my way.
You're the sighted one.
Don't get in mine.
Ah. Always behind me.
Your father always behind you.
Paris.
Jasmine.
Burnt sage.
Mmm.
Rain across the meadows.
Thank you, Your Majesty.
I had heard that the Pennsan Scent Chefs
were among the best in the land.
And now I know it to be true.
I hope you all enjoyed the performance.
I've learned that even
in our darkest hours,
we must find time
to appreciate the beauty and joy
with which the God Flame blesses us.
Even now, with the struggle
that lies ahead,
there is beauty to be found.
There is love.
And so it is with great joy
that I share with you,
the esteemed members of my court,
that my sister, Princess Maghra Kane,
has been betrothed
to none other than your very
own Lord Harlan of Pennsa.
I thought we were
going to announce this.
Yeah, I thought so too.
And we will all bear
witness to their marriage
on the fourth God Flame
rising from today.
We are Payan ♪
- Were you part of this?
- No.
We are holy ♪
I'm not sure I believe you.
Well, Princess, at some point,
you're gonna have to trust me.
You better give me a reason to.
We are chosen ♪
Father.
What is it?
The general is here.
What?
Edo Voss is here?
He just arrived with some soldiers.
He must not know that I am compromised.
General Voss. This is quite a surprise.
Really?
I half thought you'd be expecting me.
And why's that?
Someone walked into my prison
and walked out with Baba Voss.
You captured Baba Voss?
We had him.
Until we didn't.
It's no small thing
to outmaneuver the guards
and navigate passages
of a Trivantian prison
unless one has the gift of sight.
And you are accusing me?
Why in the world would I free Baba Voss?
Where's the son?
The son?
The son you refused to send
with my men when they were here.
- I'd like him now.
- Listen to me.
The trap you set brought
Baba Voss to my door.
He killed my guards
and took my son by force.
Baba Voss was here and
he left you alive?
Even after you gave away his daughter?
He had no choice. He was outnumbered.
What is this? What is this?
And why does the boy answer
when I am speaking to the father?
And why aren't you moving around
like you usually do when we meet,
to lord your gift over me?
It's almost as if
Listen, General,
if you came all this way, just
Let him go! Let him go.
- General.
- Quiet.
He took your sight.
A temporary injury.
One that will soon be healed.
No.
It will not.
No!
No! No!
No! No!
I will kill you. I swear
to God, I will kill you.
Put aside your grief, Oloman.
It falls on you now to protect
the rest of your family.
To do that, you'll need a clear head.
This house belongs to me now.
You, the books, the
knowledge, all of it.
Tormada!
Mmm.
This is Tormada. He's one
of our greatest scientists.
You work for him now.