SOMEWHERE IN MILAVE

JANUAE (NARRATION)

Uugghhh… what just happened? Where- ahh, my head. I must have smacked my head on someth-

No, I was struck. Something struck me. Someone struck me. Wait, I was with the warlord. Tarvesh. Where are the war machines, the ruins? Where’s the encampment?

I was tossed out on my ear. He thought I was a spy for Challadien. Nice going, Dustik. Some help your nephew proved to be.

So where am I now? This might be where Dustik blindfolded me before he got us into the camp. Yep, it definitely is. There are the abandoned floatstone mines. There’s nothing to tell me which way to go to get to Orrila, though. I think it’s west of here? Northwest? I won’t know which way is west until the sun has moved across the sky a ways.

You know what? I’m going to investigate one of the old strip mines, see if maybe there’s a secret entrance to the camp. No, that doesn’t make sense. The camp was out in the open. It’s probably like it was in Hidden Rarrow where you have to cross a specific threshold or something. Forget it. I’ll just wait until the sun starts-

What is that? It looks out of place out here, something reddish-purple on the ground, like a small pile of oddly colored rocks? Maybe that’s how to access the camp? Wait, what am I thinking? If I go back into the camp that warlord will probably have me killed on the spot. But Dustik may still be there, I did save his life, so he might convince him to take mercy on me. I need to at least try to get back there. My chances are better off meeting back up with Dustik. I may only have three or four days worth of provisions in my pack, and I don’t know how far Orrila might be. As it stands, there is not a town or aldeia that I can see from where I stand.

Okay, let’s check that rock pile.

Hmm… maybe it’s not a pile of rocks… What is that? Oh, it’s some sort of creature… I think it’s dead. That’s why I thought it was a pile of rocks. It has kind of an armored plating, long tail, bipedal? Quadruped? A jagged maw extends from its snout… I recognize this creature from studies. This is a chirog, an abhuman. Well this isn’t good. These things travel in small packs. There may be more of these-

Wait, did it’s eyes just move? Oh no, it’s not-

The chirog springs forth and knocks JANUAE back

CHIROG

Must be destroy!

Sound of struggling between JANUAE and the CHIROG

JANUAE

No! No! Help! Somebody help!

CHIROG

 Destroy it! Must destroy!

JANUAE

Get off! Somebody! Get… OFF!

JANUAE pushes the CHIROG off him using his force esotery. The CHIROG lands with a grunt a meter or so away

JANUAE

My force esotery. I forgot I could do that. Damn, I thought that thing was dead. Apparently it’s just really badly injured.

CHIROG

Mmrg hurt but Mmrg destroy. Mmrg destroy before Mmrg die.

JANUAE leaps back as the CHIROG lurches but it can hardly move.

JANUAE

Oh. You can hardly move at all. Just trying to attack me must have taken a lot out of you.

CHIROG

Filthy. Disgusting. Destroy.

JANUAE

I’m the filthy one? Hmm. You are mortally wounded aren’t you?

CHIROG

Mmrg dies. Mmrg destroy before Mmrg die.

JANUAE

That’s your name, Mm- Mur- I’m not even going to try to say that.

CHIROG

Mmrg destroy.

JANUAE

Abhuman, I’m not sure how you think you’re going to kill me. You are mortally wounded. I give you credit for your confidence though.

Wait, what am I doing talking to a dying chirog?

Sound of the CHIROG dragging itself

Hey, hey! Stay away from me! You’re a determined thing!

CHIROG

Mmrg hate!

JANUAE

Yes, yes, we hate abhumans too.

The CHIROG makes a pained wailing sound

You really are in tremendous pain, huh? I know you’re just an abhuman but I can’t bear to see any creature suffer this much.

But, it is an abhuman.

Pause

Okay, let me look at you and see what happened to you-

The CHIROG makes aggressive sounds and begins clawing at JANUAE

Hey, hey! Let go… let go of me!

Sound of JANUAE scrambling away

Damn, those teeth are sharp! I think that thing drew a little blood. Hey, how can I see if I can help you if you are going to attack me?

Sound of the CHIROG’s labored breathing.

Why do you persist on attacking me when you know you can’t do anything to me in your condition?

Why am I trying to reason with a dying chirog?

Fine, I’ll have to examine you from arm’s length away then. Well, a bit more than arm’s length, as your arms are a bit longer than mine. Are those even arms?

Walking around the creature

Hmm… I don’t see any blood. Would I even know it to see it? What does chirog blood look like? The midsection looks a bit distended, as a guess. It might be bleeding internally, hemorrhaging maybe. I wonder what did this to it?

Where is the rest of your group? Do you understand? Where is the rest of the chirogs that were with you?

CHIROG

Family… gone.

JANUAE

Family? Where did they go?

CHIROG

Destroyed by we hate.

JANUAE

Destroyed by you- by what you hate? By humans? So there are no more of you near here?

CHIROG

Family… gone. Brother-husband and family gone.

JANUAE

Your brother and your husband-

CHIROG

Brother-husband. Gone. The hated destroy.

JANUAE

Brother-husband… oh worlds. I forgot about the makeup of their family units. Disgusting.

So where are the humans that attacked you? Where did they come fr-

Sound of the CHIROG lunging forward, growling

Hey, get away from me! Let go of- damn it, give that back!

CHIROG

Destroy! Destroy!

JANUAE

I need that! My supplies! Damn it!

Sound of the CHIROG smashing and crushing something as it growls feverishly

Hey! I don’t have much food, you can’t- wait a minute, what are you doing?

The CHIROG finishes smashing then it collapses in exaustion

Did you just smash my little figurine?

CHIROG

Mmrg destroy the hated.

JANUAE

What? You- oh, worlds. I forgot. Chirog despise numenera. Even more than they despise humans.

CHIROG

Destroyed.

JANUAE

The hated- so is that what happened to your family and to you? Were you the victims of some numenera effect?

CHIROG

Hated destroy family. Mmrg destroy little hated.

JANUAE

I wonder if Tarvesh employs some numenera to keep the abhumans at bay? I wouldn’t be surprised if they practiced on these creatures.

(beat)

Okay, can I have my pack back now? Is that all you wanted? To destroy that oddity? Shoot, now that I think about it, I could have used that to determine what direction I needed to go. Okay, easy… easy… I’m just going to take this… good. Well, I guess that really is all you wanted to do.

CHIROG

Destroy Mmrg.

JANUAE

Yes, you destroyed a little oddity powered by numenera. Very impressive.

CHIROG

Human destroy Mmrg. Destroy now.

Pause

JANUAE

You… want me to… to… put you out of your misery?

CHIROG

Yes. Mmrg in pain.

JANUAE

I don’t know…

CHIROG

Please, human.

Long pause.

JANUAE

Is this a trick? I’ve heard you chirogs can be clever.

Pause. Sound of labored breathing from the CHIROG

No, it’s not a trick. It’s suffering. I suppose it would be the right thing to do. I can’t bear to see anything suffer. Even an abhuman.

CHIROG

There.

JANUAE

Where? What, that rock? You want me to use that rock to…

Pause

Okay.

JANUAE goes over and lifts the rock with a grunt.

(with a labored sigh)

Okay. Here goes.

(grunts while hoisting the rock above his head)

There is a flashback to JANUAE struggling with LOWEN then killing him

JANUAE

I… I can’t. I can’t do it.

CHIROG

Please. Destroy Mmrg.

JANUAE

I can’t. I’m sorry, I can’t.

CHIROG

Human destroy chirog.

JANUAE

I can’t. I just can’t.

CHIROG

(with a labored plea)

Please, human. Please!