~ three

Orestes awakens floating face up between two Hecate, third in lead, walking through the bent wood, brotherhood gathering around watching, ghosts mixing in his blurring eyes among them.

Unable to move beyond a struggle and a turning of the head, he looks around, relaxing.  Brotherhood (which includes women) disassemble drop-pods, pulling tools and parts from their chambers, nose-cone being fitted for vats.

Workers look up then at each other noting him, some with a laugh before returning to work, some glaring and stepping forth, tools gripped.

Orestes - Whispers to himself, looking at the gathering, "Can I speak ?  I can hear."  A ringing pulses in and fades as the left Hecate looks down at him with a hiss.

The lead looks back, they approach Charon seated in a carved chair, carving.  One armrest missing from his own, two completed and roughly ornate surrounding, he finishes his armrest for his left side.

Charon - Checks the left to right match on the armrests, continues to carve, "Temple son."  He glances up.

Orestes' head arcs painfully backward against will to see him upside down.

Charon - "Why are you here ?"

Orestes - Pain as the pressures pull, "There ... was a thief !"

Charon - "A thief.  Your speeder.  Not of the temple, they tell me."  The lead Hecate walks to and leans to his ear, he listens.  "I see."

Orestes head pulls down harder, his shoulders crinkling upward.

Charon - "So temple son, tell me you.  Why are you here ?  And this time.  Use wisdom."  Orestes neck cranes hard.

Orestes - "I ... was drawn."

Charon - "Drawn why.  Temple son."

...

Orestes - "I ... I don't know ..."

Charon - "Ah."  He leans over him.  Smiles with bits of flame from between his teeth in exhale then as he speaks, "I believe you."

Orestes drops hard.

Charon - "Leave us."

He leans back to continue his carving, the Lady Styx and Selene walk from the woods behind and take their chairs as the Hecate and brotherhood gather blocking them from view, forcing Orestes to rise stumbling to back away.

They fill forcefully and block the path behind on his way forced from the wood, occasionally shoved tripping in his stupor.  As he exits, he finds the bike crushed.

He looks back.

Selene - Alone.  "Your name is Orestes."  She backs into the shadow, a fruit with a bite taken rolls to him from the shadows.

Orestes - Picking up the fruit, examining the bite-mark then looking to the silence in the woods, "And yours is Selene."

...

The long walk home.

('Bolero' by Maurice Ravel)

As he walks, sunset to the side, along high hills and over the plains back to the market, stupidly carrying the fruit.  He passes a strolling herd, another mixed with caravan, the long walk home.

 

In the distance the Thunderbird roars over, taking another from the herd as the rest bay back at its departing tail.  Arrival the the market, Shaw with the guardsmen, the bike's owner at his side with Strophius from the temple.

Orestes - "I am so ... sorry.  I'm sure the temple will ..."

Shaw - "Temple son.  You're under arrest."

Strophius stares at Orestes, the bike's owner crosses his arms nodding with a smile, Orestes takes a bite with a sneer.

...

Spits.

Orestes - "There really are a lot of seeds in these."

Shaw raises a brow, draws and tranq's him, it all spins back to darkness.

~ He wakes in a cell, blurring back in from the darkness as the ghosts flee the blur ... Arsinoe, face bandaged, goggles and breather under the coat's hood.

Arsinoe - "I left you safe on the temple step.  So why are you here ?"

Orestes - "Arsinoe ?" ... he raises a brow at the mask and looking her over, "Looking for answers.  About the war.  So what's with your fucking face ?  Were you ... hurt ?"

She cocks her head a bit.

...

Arsinoe - "No !  My face is still fucking awesome.  I don't want anyone to know what it looks like.  Obviously."

Orestes - Breaks out laughing, "I've missed you."

Arsinoe - Laughing with, "You too.  And the breather analyzes the particles around me instead of me breathing them.  Tncluding those from your clothes.  It tells me where you've been.

Orestes - "So where have I been."

Arsinoe - "The temple.  And I meant, why are you ..."  She punches the bars hard, "Here."

...

Orestes - "There was a girl."

Arsinoe - "I'm glad she's not me Orestes.  I really am."

Orestes - A sigh and a hung head ... "It was a trap."

Arsinoe - "Doesn't need to be a trap to be deadly.  Maybe temptation's always a trap.  Then maybe the trap is in you, temple son.  But we've got a fight ahead.  And you're distracted."

The vendor's ledger slams down in front of the bars.  He pulls it through and opens it, the list from the merchant tabbed inside with a map, names, places.  More similar pages of different kinds and ages.

Orestes - "What ... fight ?  It's over."  Paging through ... "These places ..." paging ... "They all surround ..."

Arsinoe - As the view examines the pages, maps drawn, an unknown system.  "For love, Orestes.  We fight for love.  And that's all."

He looks up to no one there then clanging slide sound from the outer barrier doors.  The Dwarvenkind guards enter with Strophius, Arsinoe gone.

Strophius - Annoyed ... "Why are you here ?"

Orestes - Passing the book through, "For this."

The night time celebrations begin.

('Somos Sur' by Ana Tijoux with Shadia Mansour)

Amid the parades and spinning celebrants, outside the guard station.

(music lowers)

Strophius - Holding the book, to Orestes, "It's to me you owe that money, the temple will not be told, all agreed and not cheaply.  These days we know neither if to blame you or your ship anyway and I'd rather forget you both until you've been debriefed.  On Nibiru."

Looking through the book then closing again.

Strophius - "But this ..."

...

Strophius - "It is Nibiru business, is it not ?"

Orestes - "It is."

Strophius - Pages ... looks up as though a sound, "What's that ?"  Stares as though Orestes had said something.  "Use your ship's holo-mapping systems ... ?  Why thank you !  I shall."  Slams the ledger.  "And you ..."

Orestes - "... do you know them ?"

Strophius - "The Gaeani ?  You know I've known them well."

Orestes - "The Brotherhood."

...

Strophius - "I know them exactly as well as you do, temple son."  A stare before he turns away.

...

Selene - From the rooftop, "Hey."  She drops a piece of fruit to him, he catches.  "I do like holy sometimes."  She takes a bite.

Orestes - Looks at the fruit, then bites.  Chewing, he looks at her, "How's your dad feel about that ?"

Selene - Giggles, "He hates it.  He calls me 'the betrayer'."  She rolls over and looks at the sky.  "Almost as much as he says my name.  But he loves me too much to kill me."

...

Orestes - "Selene is dead.  She died in the war, among the last."

Selene - "Mm-hm."  She bites and rolls back over, grins.  "And what about you ?  Are you dead too ?"

Orestes - Laughs, "Not particularly, no."

... food ...

Selene - "Just a body they come and go.  So don't get too used to it."  She looks him over in a brief moment most of curiosity, like looking at new photo found. "Sorry about your face.  Kind of."  She grins upside down over the edge, mouth full.  "I fixed it.  You were sleeping."

Orestes - "I know.  I can feel you still."  He touches his forehead, "Right here.  That's a healer's trait you know."  Smiles sarcastically before a brief choke on a seed.  Recovering, "It's very Yin.  Very 'holy'."

Selene - Laughs rolling back to her stomach, "Have you ever even been with a real healer ?"

...

Selene - A bite.  "Manipulation of the flesh.  There is nothing darker."  She stares a moment, analyzing him.  Smiles chewing, then serious.  "Soon."

With a deep and quiet boom, she leaps arcing to the sky, a flip to the near woods, a breeze left behind.  He stares after, lost.

...

Shaw - Standing in the alley's shadow, "They toy with you, temple son.  Can't see how that's going to be a good thing.  For anyone.  Now that they know you so well."  He turns away.

Orestes - "Orestes."

Shaw stops.

Orestes - "My name is Orestes."

Shaw - "Is it now ?"  Continues on his way.

Orestes stands stilled, then annoyed.  Takes a bite, spits and turns to the crowd, tossing the core.

~ In the wood, Brotherhood roar to the moon as the forges are lit.

(music back up)

The music picks up with the passing celebration, he follows a flow and into an open front pub, deeply alcoved inside, a crowd flows in, bumping through those exiting.

A group from the Brotherhood drinks, telling tales of war, no trouble caused, an occasional deep laughter.  They see him and go quietly looking, more curious than anything.

One smiles in recognition and sets down his glass.  Tears off a sleeve showing a long blade wound.  His smile grows and he points.  Then flexes and stretches his fingers to show it's healed.  Holds up his glass and drinks.

Orestes recognizes after a moment and lifts his shirts side, showing a heavy scar where a blade glanced hard off a rib.  Thumps it and smiles, drops the shirt back down, nodding appreciation for the battle.

The warlord smiles back glass high and drinks, their tales continue.

Orestes looks suddenly to the corner.

Arsinoe - Sitting there, "You've got friends."

Orestes - "Yeah ... thought I smelled you there.  Didn't even need a mask."

Arsinoe - "My mask is awesome.  So do you understand what's happening yet ?"

Orestes - "Concerning them or concerning you ?"

The other table laughs as the tale teller gestures a ship battle.

Arsinoe - "Concerning You.  Do you understand ?"

Drinks are brought to the other table, they thank nodding and a toast to the wait, drinks the tales returned to, laughter.

Orestes - Nodding to the glancing brotherhood, "And what of them ?"

Arsinoe - "They come and go like everyone else.  Just like you."

Orestes - "And you ?  Will you return with me ?  This can't be ..."

Arsinoe - "Why would you even ask me that ?  To either temple or torment, you think every path has to go ?"  She drinks.  "No.  Every path for you leads to you.  And for me, to me.  Always."

...

Orestes - "You know what they'll bring.  The terror and destruction.  We fought them.  Desperately.  We lost so many.  Too many."

Arsinoe - "And they lost the war.  And so much more.  Balance.  They are balance."  Thought ... "Once even our old home was forested."

Orestes - "So I've heard."

Arsinoe - Leaning in, "Yes.  And such terrifying beasts it had ..." distracted, "... ah-ha !"

She spots Qetzo entering.

Arsinoe - "Finally !"  And to Orestes, "He can explain it better.  It's very simple, when simply put.  He's like that."

Qetzo - "Arsinoe ..."  He smiles.  "I heard about the mercenaries.  Jealous."

Arsinoe - "Welcome always.  But this one does not understand why in one place the Yang rises in Yin, while in another, it's Yin found only in Yang."

Qetzo - "Ah.  The Brotherhood."

The brotherhood from the other table all glance a moment, then return to their tales.

Qetzo - "Hm."  A laugh.  "When you kill one beast in the wood, another will rise.  Balance.  Those who serve death so directly are most calm in lands with living predators."

Arsinoe - "Beasts in the wood."

Qetzo - "Yes.  It's simple.  They have a place among them here.  But on your home world, your land is dead.  No predators.  So there they become the missing beast that land craves."

Arsinoe - "And peaceful temple becomes the prey."

Qetzo - "Yes ... the 'bountiful herd'.  You see ?"

Arsinoe - "But here ..."

Scars, smiles on closeup, warrior eyes at peace.

Orestes - Stares ... "That's not what we fought.  We fought horror in the fields.  Merciless destruction of ..."

Arsinoe and Qetzo stare back.

Qetzo - "They make no trouble here.  You talk trouble here.  You."

Arsinoe - "They've done nothing which any beast in these woods wouldn't."

Qetzo - "Heard her father paid that bill too.  He was ..."  Holding laughter, "... 'displeased'."

Laughter from the other table not watching them, their own.

...

Qetzo - Stares at Orestes a moment becoming serious.  "The war is over, monk."

...

Orestes - ... "I can see it." ... "I'm looking for war."  Drinks arrive.

He looks to the other table.  The one nods back, thumps his chest and raises fist, followed by the others.  He nods in appreciation watching them return to tale.

~ Blades are pounded at the brotherhood forge.

Arsinoe - Voiced over, "And you'll have it, I'm sure."

________

chorus

________

Orestes wakes in the too early dawn, breathing hard, nightmare.

('Hey Sinkiller' by Big Black)

He pulls on clothes fast. lain around a rented market room.  Heads out walking to the lake beach front.  Birds pecking near a large stone, he approaches, disturbing them to flight.  He sits on the stone in the dawn, staring ... lost in thoughts.  Attempted meditation, frustration, flashes of war.

From over the trees behind him, far away, the babble of birds goes point to point across the treetops, eyes following the sounds, Orestes wincing against memory in flashes.

__

The asteroids crater alive with forge works, made from the materials around, drop pod cones for vats.  A wooden dowel is dipped into the molten stainless.

~ Fluttering birds, the following eye.

The coated dowel swirls into the mixture as the carbon is added the top, mixed with the rod but not to dissolution.  Pulling up and down into the mix as it turns, swirling the rod between the hands.

~ The birds.

The dowel is pulled, then thrust into the cooling fluid, steaming dry.  Hit with a fast torch over the length by another worker, the dowel spun between the hands of the first, then dipped again into the vat.

~ The birds flutter until directly beneath, then fading past to other flocks in the distance behind.  The eyes look up over the trees focusing into the distance, Orestes on the stone, his back turned.

The view takes flight in a whipping spin, bobbing in flaps.

~ Still distracted, flashes of war, the brotherhood in the bar, the man's face.

The forge process repeated.

Two other smaller birds rise up from the treetops for the prey, the phoenix smacks one back down with a wing and spin dives the other down, rising again.

~ The man's face laughing in the pub.

Process repeated.

The phoenix glides back to it's run.

~ The man's face in battle, like a raging monster.

The rod is pulled out of the vat to angle and held there, the worker bobbing it a bit to encourage, allowing a hanging drip.  Drop cooled horizontally in a flat pool basin.  Torched, then a vertical drop back into the vat.

The phoenix adjusts for a gust.

~ The man in battle, cutting him through the side grinning close.

The phoenix stabilizes the glide to target.

First process repeated.

The sound of a blade drawn slowly, he thinks of Selene.

The phoenix slaps it's wind to it's side for a thrust to gravity dive.

Second process repeated.

~ They embrace in his mind she leans to whisper in his ear.

The man from the pub flips his forge mask and examines the raw blade.

~ He hears her voice, whispered but loud with a gathering storm in the sky, "Behind you."

He rolls backward off the rock as the Phoenix glides over missing, skidding to the beach in a turn and mercilessly spinning to attack.

Orestes draws his bladed pistols firing, forced back by the Phoenix's spinning lashes with it's wings.  The bullets get lost in tuft or simply pass though feathered wing.

It keeps it's back to the sun, bobbing it's head side to side, flashing it in Orestes eyes.  A shot pings off the beak near the soft of the eye and it backs off with a hiss, flapping to rise, it circles in the air, examining while Orestes reloads.

A sudden flipped thrust from the Phoenix before the process complete, Orestes dodges the beak, the wing extends long to catch him, knocking him to his back and spinning the bird into a hard slap over his sternum.

Arched and clutching, rib broken and hard breathing, he pulls the sword.  A clawed talon slams him down hard.  It stabs to his head with the beak, he tries to slam it down the throat, the bird turn beak-side to grind it off before another thrust.

It pulls it's head back with a hiss, gripping hard with the claw watching Orestes scream with wide eye reflecting.  He hears her.

"Can you feel me ?"

Nearly cognizant of the moment the Phoenix cocks his head to listen, examining, squeezing.  He hears a giggle.

Spoken aloud, "Because I'm right the fuck behind you."

The Phoenix turns, sun in it's eyes half eclipsed by Selene.  She shrieks filling with lightning and lashes with her cloak sleeves at the bird like a dark ghost-whip entangling it.  Shrieks to the sk as lightning strikes engulfs it, grounding through twitching Orestes.

It roars to the sky before she lets up.  Stumbling and trying to drag Orestes with, barely with struggle, she hits it upside the head with a rock.

It turns annoyed glare.

Lightning strikes it from the sky with her wails.

It flops over kicking Orestes aside, tripping over stone and into flight with a retreating roar, she screams whipping it out of the sky.  She turns to Orestes as it flops away, then to the air.  The two other birds leap to its back dragging it through the distant treetops.

She sits down and lifts Orestes head into her lap, smiles and strokes his hair.

Selene - Giggles at the sunrise as his view up to her blurs to shadow, the view his, wobbling as she adjusts her comfort sitting.  She looks down, "That was really funny."  As it goes black ... "Oh Shit !"  Darkness, sound blurs with an exhale, the rattle.

Static sound from her bot.

! INTERMISSION !

(six minute, pre-advertised)