The literary scene at School of Saint Anthony just hit a high note.
Bringing you a brand new wave of Anthonian creativity, this digital platform showcases literary works from talented writers of SSA. Poems, stories, plays, and essays will abound as the imagination of Seagulls takes flight.
Real life and fantasy...in full splendor and glory. Welcome to Anthonian Rhapsody!
This piece was an official entry to “Anthonian at ASEAN: A Writing Contest for Leaders of Tomorrow.” Thanks to this piece, Zemver Color N. Magat (10-Quezon) was named Champion of the Spoken Word Contest.
This piece was an official entry to “Anthonian at ASEAN: A Writing Contest for Leaders of Tomorrow.” Thanks to this piece, Catherine Romina F. Aperocho (10-Quezon) was named Champion of the Letter Writing Contest.
Dear world leaders,
I am not in the position to represent the whole population of all ASEAN member states. But I am just a fraction of those who decided to raise their voice from a new generation, possessing radical ideas and indomitable will to shape the world according to their beliefs. With great hopes and expectations placed upon all of the chosen representatives by our society, all of you are undisputed catalysts of change who will guide us all in our pursuit of a brighter tomorrow, and all you have to do is to listen.
As the bearers of the ideals and traditions from the age of warfare begin to fade in history, we, the new generation, are the key to a brighter future. With the drive to always learn and experience in an innovative way, as well as our affinity for using modern technology, we have gained access to an unlimited amount of information. We have also developed the ability to think critically about social issues. These abilities are the key to finally achieve the world we want to see. True, the young minds of your citizens should not always rely on technology, because only a fraction of your population has the advantage to utilize these materials. But education itself is not a privilege nor a luxury to a child, it should be a right.
Drop-out rates are a source of concern; this problem leads to serious deficiencies such as student retention. Thus, quality of education and knowledge gained should be an issue to be brought up in the summit because everything starts with the core of the society, the children. If we are indeed the leaders of tomorrow, how would you be able to produce leadership without the necessary utilities in the first place? Comprehensive policy, financing, and structural reforms are the real investments this world needs, and what world leaders must pursue. We do not require you to have an instant resolution to the emerging issue, although what we want to see is a change in the system that is evidently flawed.
Promise us the future you want to see, because we are not only citizens of your country. We are also your children who want you to invest in our future, in hopes that nothing can ever hinder us from learning and getting the education that we need. Because it is not only about me, it is about us.
This piece was an official entry to “Anthonian at ASEAN: A Writing Contest for Leaders of Tomorrow.” Thanks to this piece, John Rick E. Perez (8-Jacinto) was named Champion of the Essay Writing Contest.
The Philippines is greatly known for its biodiversity, colorful culture, and most importantly its mouth-watering delicacies. The appetizing Adobo, the lip-smacking Lechon, the scrumptious Sisig, the pleasing Pinakbet, and the tantalizing Tinola. These are just some of the dishes that define the Pearl of the Orient Seas. But thick with the sourness of tamarind and abundant with crisp-tender vegetables and succulent meat chunks, the sinigang remains as one of the captivating meals that can be found on the dining table of every Filipino.
Sinigang is a Philippine soup considered to be one of the most indigenous dishes in the present Filipino cuisine. Its fine flavor comes from the tamarind which gives its sour taste that not only lingers in the soup but is also infused into the meat. It is composed of red onion, tomato, sitaw, kangkong, tamarind, talong, and last but not the least, the meat.
This popular viand in Filipino cuisine captures the true essence of the Filipino people. It makes me grasp the life of the Filipinos under the tyrannical hands of the colonizers, and gives me an inkling of all the sufferings and sacrifices our fellow countrymen experienced during that time. It reflects how the repressive reign of the colonialists left the Filipinos on a sour note. People lost their ability to express what they really feel and discern the path that they want to take. They were unable to make the steps and choices they want, and they suffered great torture and abuse. They lost their own voice and the society was filled with endless violence. The Philippines lost its self-identity.
But then, there was something unconventional that I saw in the Sinigang, something that we don’t see any more in our country. It is how the different and contrasting spices and ingredients of the dish unite as one to make every bite give complete satisfaction. I saw the light in the hearts of the Filipinos, I saw the burning hope and love we all have for our beloved country. I saw what separates us Filipinos from others: our ability to use such an experience as an inspiration or a sign that it is time for us to find and fight for change. I saw the ability of the Filipinos to rise up in the midst of failure, and hand in hand, help each other to surpass every problem and transform the Philippines into one unified nation.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) aims to accelerate the economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region. The ASEAN will do so through joint endeavors in the spirit of equality and partnership, in order to strengthen the foundation for a prosperous and peaceful community of Southeast Asian nations. The opposing ingredients of the Sinigang represent the varying cultures, traditions, and beliefs of each member state of ASEAN. It tells us that, despite these differences, we are integrated as one, partnering for change engaging the world.
It is time for us to realize that the ingredients to a better world and a propitious future for each individual are the following:
1.) See unity in dubiety and confusion, hand in hand help each other and be unified as one nation.
2.) Inculcate in our minds and souls that it is through each other that we can fill the holes
3.) Never neglect your obligations, because relying on you are the future generations
4.) Ignite the flame within our hearts; when we are awakened to truth, change starts
5.) Gain inspiration from complications, stretch through all the limitations
6.) Aspire for a great future ahead, love and hope we shall spread
7.) Now is the time to change our ways, overcome the differences and break the chains
8.) Get up! Rise from the midst of darkness, and Southeast Asian nations shall progress.
The Sinigang is a great part of the Philippines’ self-identity. It remains phenomenal and untainted by time. While the flavoring to make it sour has changed, the taste has not. Although different ingredients have been used, it remains the way it has always been. This represents us, the Southeast Asian nations, fused as one by the same goal, the same dream. We lift one another through the tides of change.
This piece was an official entry to “Anthonian at ASEAN: A Writing Contest for Leaders of Tomorrow.” Thanks to this piece, Hanna Gwyneth F. Ico (10-Osmeña) won 1st Runner-up in the Spoken Word Contest.
This piece was an official entry to “Anthonian at ASEAN: A Writing Contest for Leaders of Tomorrow.” Thanks to this piece, Zemver Color N. Magat (10-Quezon) won 1st Runner-up in the Letter Writing Contest.
Magat, Zemver Color N.
Unit V, Purok 15, Brgy, Commonwealth,
Quezon City, Philippines
November 10, 2017
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak,
Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi,
Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha,
Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc,
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte,
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong,
Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei Darussalam,
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen,
Indonesian President Joko Widodo
Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith
Dear Sir and Madam,
I would like to send my warmest welcome to you and I hope you will find your stay here in the Philippines enjoyable.
Onto serious matters: the reason for this letter is to inform you of the growing problem of the Southeast Asian countries. Poverty is definitely one of the biggest problems of the majority of these nations. If we, the ASEAN community, aim to diminish these problems, we must start from the bottom. A bottom-up approach, if you must.
Poverty is not the problem. Poverty is simply an aftermath of the problem. The real problems are domestic violence, underemployment, and calamities, to name a few.
Domestic violence is roughly related to gender inequality and discrimination. A lot of the Southeast Asian countries are patriarchal, and believe that there are certain things women cannot do. The abuse that children and women receive would usually lead to psychological problems, which deem them unfit for different job description. Or worst, death. In return, the GDP of these countries does not reach its fullest extent.
Domestic violence also leads to minor problems, such as the spread of epidemic diseases like HIV/AIDS, which would require financial and health support to combat. Unfortunately, some governments cannot provide such support, leading them to be in deeper debt. Meanwhile, there is also a rise in unwanted pregnancy, which would cause a spike in the population rate. This means that families below the poverty line cannot continue to support themselves. This situation will also increase the death rate, which would in turn lead to the decrease of the labor force rate. In return, the country would not be able to reach their quota.
This goes to show that a simple problem expands if not addressed properly. With all due respect, I suggest creating fully-functional health care centers with low taxes. It would be better if the employees would be trained to handle support groups, and to inquire about domestic violence in case the need arises. If support groups will be needed, this must be in a friendly and confidential atmosphere.
The second concern would be underemployment. Underemployment is the greatest contributor to poverty. According to Karl Kendrick Chua, a Filipino senior economist, unemployment is not the problem, it is the underemployed. The underemployed are being employed in jobs lower than the education they took. In return, the underemployed are taking the small-time jobs intended for those who were not able to finish their college education. With this situation, those who were supposed to be employed in small-time jobs will be left unemployed. This would just trigger a chain reaction, and as long as underemployment continues, unemployment will. Fresh graduates are having difficulty in finding a job due to experience being a job requirement. They complain that their education does not offer enough internship for them to comply with the required experience that companies demand.
The best way to address this concern is to include internships in all college education programs. This way, the students will be able to comply with the required experience. Another solution is to make sure that there will be enough job openings for each graduating batch.
The last concern would be calamities. Most of Southeast Asian countries are surrounded by water, and are located around or near the pacific ring of fire. Therefore, Southeast Asia, as a whole, is subjected to typhoons, volcanic eruptions and earthquakes more than those in the other parts of the world. The main problem in calamities is the effects they leave in their wake. Usually, calamities would cause a whole country to release funds for the rebuilding of the damages—fund they have or funds they will ask for from the other countries. Thus, this would leave them in deeper debt.
The obvious solution is to make sure that the countries will be prepared before calamities strike. It would be best if they would have a completely different account for the country’s recovery, separate funds for the mitigation of the damage sustained by the country.
It is clear to me, our Sovereigns, that you have other matters to discuss. But I do hope you could spare a few minutes of your time to ponder these insights. I hope that the information I supplied is essential and helpful to the attainment of the association’s goals. Please do let me know if I could be of any assistance. I would be glad to help if the need arises.
This piece was an official entry to “Anthonian at ASEAN: A Writing Contest for Leaders of Tomorrow.” Thanks to this piece, Margaux V. Generao (8-Jacinto) won 1st Runner-up in the Essay Writing Contest.
My eyes wandered around the restaurant that my father and I entered, and a particular desert caught my eye. I remember afternoon delights when my father let me try it when I was a child, to share with me the heavenly goodness of the mixture of the ingredients. I recall that I was smoothly enjoying the crushed ice melting in my mouth, and delighting in the evaporated milk that comes with it. It contains leche flan, saging na saba, macapuno, sago, gulaman, and tubers. The halo-halo is a famous Filipino dessert that has various ingredients, but it is perfectly mixed in harmony, tasting like perfection.
Last November 13-14 2017, the leaders of Southeast Asian nations dealt with regional issues during the 31st ASEAN Summit here in the Philippines, with the theme “Partnering for Change, Engaging the World”. So if I were to serve one representative Pinoy dish to the leaders of the ASEAN Nations, I would serve our famous dessert, halo-halo.
From all over the country, there are indigenous tribes with different cultures and traditions. The Aeta in Northern Luzon have this unique culture of sharpening and blackening their teeth. In Buscalan, Kalinga, we also have Whand-od, the last mambabatok or traditional Kalinga tattooist in the Philippines. In the large cities and high skyscrapers of modernity such as Metro Manila, there are also Filipinos, not with another unique and different type of culture, but variations in opinions, belief, and knowledge. On the internet, Filipinos themselves fight over their political opinions or different idols in the showbiz industry.
But I picked the halo-halo as the dish that best represents Filipinos because of how we settle our differences. When we become one despite our cultural variations, it’s a beautifully rich perfection. One perfect example of this is when the Maute group terrorized Marawi City, leading to the Marawi siege. It was beautiful how hope was frail, but the light inside of Filipinos never became unlit. It was heartwarming how every Filipino has his or her own differences with others, but we became one when we faced such a horror unfolding, when we were all there for each other, for the people stuck in Marawi.
Like the halo-halo that has different ingredients, we Filipinos are different physically, culturally, and spiritually. But just like the halo-halo, when we’re mixed and united, we create the sweetest harmony. As we look into the love in our hearts and the nationality in our souls, we are all Filipinos, above and beyond diversity.
This piece was an official entry to “Anthonian at ASEAN: A Writing Contest for Leaders of Tomorrow.” Thanks to this piece, Princess Bea P. Sevilla (10-Quezon) won 2nd Runner-up in the Spoken Word Contest.
This piece was an official entry to “Anthonian at ASEAN: A Writing Contest for Leaders of Tomorrow.” Thanks to this piece, Ralph Kenneth Rea (10-Quezon) won 2nd Runner-up in the Letter Writing Contest.
Dear ASEAN leaders,
I am merely a high school student hoping to make a change in our world. I wish this little voice of mine will be heard and not to be taken for granted. However, I strongly believe that before we could possibly bring change to the world, we should start within ourselves – the Southeast region of Asia.
Our nations were recently covered with smoke and engulfed with fear as different acts of terrorism bombed our lands, specifically in the Philippines and Indonesia. These attacks led to the peoples’ unease and the destruction of various properties that did not only cost money, but lives of the innocent. I plead to you all for better security and a more fortified force to retaliate against the rebels.
Our nations struggle with unity due to the sea rows happening in the South China Sea or West Philippine Sea. This body of water serves a huge role in resources and trade. If disputes continue to occur, chaos is ensured to spark among the involved nations. I plead to you all to communicate further and to be considerate as we are supposed to build one another, not to bring one another down.
Lastly, our nations need to join hands firmly without anyone losing grip. We need to be one to effectively combat the problems constantly disturbing our daily lives. We need to lead ourselves on the road to a brighter tomorrow; not only for us but for the upcoming generations who will suffer if we fail to give an answer to these problems. We need to look only at one goal – a day our children will smile upon.
I am a high school student and I hope that several years later as our generation ends, the high school students in that time, our children, wouldn’t need to write a letter like this again.
This piece was an official entry to “Anthonian at ASEAN: A Writing Contest for Leaders of Tomorrow.” Thanks to this piece, Mairi Sydell S. Soriano (7-Mabini) won 2nd Runner-up in the Essay Writing Contest. According to Mark Kurlansky, food is “a central activity of mankind and a significant trademark of a culture.” Currently, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is being held in the Philippines. The country is hosting the diplomats from other states, and is given the chance to promote our culture at the same time. The best way to promote our culture is to serve them Filipino dishes during the gala dinner. The idea is to showcase popular food dishes from the three main geographical divisions of the country: Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. For the appetizer, lumpiang sariwa or fresh springroll is the best choice. This is a popular dish from Luzon. It is made by a soft crepe pastry with a mixture of vegetables and pork, topped with sweet savory sauce and crushed peanuts. It is a light and healthy dish that would appeal to everyone. The unofficial national dish of the country is adobo. In the Visayan region, Humba is a local comfort food that resembles adobo in terms of appearance. This cuisine uses all the ingredients used in adobo, in addition to black beans and banana blossoms which makes this dish stand out. Humba is best paired with rice for an experience of authentic Filipino delicacy. For the dessert, we can serve Binaki, a traditional delicacy from Mindanao. It is a steamed cake made of grated young corn, powdered milk and sugar wrapped in corn husk. It is not too sweet like most desserts, and it is considered the healthiest cake as it is free from preservatives. In every country, culture is always associated with food. So in order for people to be well acquainted with the local culture, they should try various dishes from different provinces. In ASEAN, diplomats will have a quick grasp and appreciation of Filipino culture through the dishes they will have during the dinner gala.
A short story by Lala Cariño, a proud editor and contributor to our blog, has been featured in The Manila Times. Published in 5 parts, "Requiem" was recently published in the Sunday Times Magazine.
Congrats, Lala! We're so proud. *Teardrops cascade.*
(Photo courtesy of SSA's official FB page)
A big thanks to all Anthonians who submitted entries! We are currently in the process of checking works and determining the winners of “Anthonian at ASEAN: A Writing Contest for Leaders of Tomorrow.” Give us some time, guys. :)
But hey, you don’t have to wait that long. Starting November 27, we’ll post the top 3 works for the Essay, Letter, Spoken Word, Page Poetry, Short Story, and Drama Categories.
In the meantime, we’ll whet your appetite. In case you needed a reminder, the Champion of each genre will receive academic incentives, P500 in cash, as well as a prized collection from the Captain’s Library. And what exactly are the selections from this Library, you ask?
Take a look:
-Aeneid by Virgil
-America is in the Heart by Carlos Bulosan
-A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce
-Dream of the Red Chamber by Cao Xueqin
-Essential Wordsworth (collection of poems and other works by Romantic poet William Wordsworth)
-Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom
-How Not to Write by Terence Denman (a humorous guide to effective writing, particularly in the business and academic realms :D)
-Paradiso by Dante
-Purgatorio by Dante
-Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
-The Adventures of Robin Hood by Roger Lancelyn Green
-The Columbus Affair by Steve Berry
-The Complete Plays of Sophocles
-The Elements of Playwrighting by Louis Catron
-The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky
-The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
-The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper
-The Martian by Andy Weir (yes, that Martian, as in Matt Damon)
-The Only Grammar Book That You’ll Ever Need by Susan Thurman (seriously)
-The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux
-The Tell-Tale Heart and Other Writings by Edgar Allan Poe
-The Tolkien Reader (collection of stories, poems, and commentaries by the acclaimed writer of Lord of the Rings)
-The Witch of Portobello by Paulo Coelho
If you’re going to be named Champion of any genre in the contest, we’ll let you pick any one of these books. Gotta call dibs as fast as you can! Good luck :)
Narrator [voiceover]: In the beginning, there was only darkness, and darkness only prevailed; a deep black void into nothingness, where nothing ever sailed.
Life [voiceover]: Let there be light!
Narrator [voiceover]: Shouted an almighty voice; then the silence roared, roared as the loudest noise. A small tinge of white was suddenly in sight, a sign of light, Life.
Life walks in from left side of stage; spotlight on her
Life looks around the dark surroundings; spotlight follows her
Life: Hollow is the world, engulfed in darkness. This world desires beauty, and I shall deliver. It's time to shed the light.
Positions herself in the middle of the stage
Creates ball of fire while saying the following:
Life: Untamed is this majestic star. The rays of light shimmering are endless. This eternal flame has the burning purpose to give light unconditionally to the ends of the universe – Sun.
Burst ball of fire into the sky; set-up sun
Life enjoys the wonders of the day
Night comes; dark surroundings
Life looks around looking confused
Life: Then it was night. Darkness prevailed once again, like life never has been. So I create the moon and the stars in the sky, to be the night light — be the one to guide you by.
With paint and paintbrush, paints moon and stars
Set-up with light
Life: The horizon that has no limits to the naked eye. The sky shall serve as the glorious reminder that this world is beautiful. Exquisite in nature and tenacious to the open.
Gestures to the open sky
Life: Mirroring the majestic sky is the grandeur wide open. It is where life will flow by — the sea is where it'll
happen. The waves crashing, the water is flowing; the sky that meets the sea is calling.
Gestures to create the sea
Sea is created
Life: To complement the blue, I add another hue. Green patches on the brown land, where creations will take a
stand. Life is slowly forming, life indeed is growing.
Moves around and gestures to land
Life: To make the land rise and grow, I created the plants. These produce and perennial are to give color to the green grass and leaves. This greenery is to give way for more life to be weaved.
Plants and holds flowers
Life: Such a wonderful world, however with no inhabitants. Summoned are the graceful animals! Roam the land and grow from the plants! Swim the sea and explore the depths of the oceans! Fly the sky and be where no one else has been! Be the life of this world.
Molds soil into animal figures
Animals come to life
Many animals are already present and acts out as the following:
Narrator [voiceover]: Amongst the superpowers of the animal kingdom, lies the innocent, the weak that seeks freedom. From a delicate and gentle flock it came, following the light of its creator, the lamb is the creation's name.
Life creates lamb; looks at it with pure joy and satisfaction
Spotlight to Life and lamb
Life: Ahh Lamb, my favorite creation. I have overseen your growth. Since your first step, I was with you, my dear. During the beginning of your journey, I was there. The process of how you intake grass is simply satisfying to observe. You are so gullible; your slumber is so subtle. Mushy is your skin that is soft to caress with ease. The way you walk around making that sweet sound is music to my ears. Lovely are you Lamb. Your presence is only smooth and never dull. Now you have aged, past your prime, I was with you through it all the time.
Lamb walks from left to right stage
Light – to –dark set –up
Lamb is gradually growing weaker and slower as it reaches the right side
Looks at lamb in full awe as it becomes weak
Life: Now, my creation, what is this that you are nearing? You were once this beautiful, magnificent creature, gentle but full of glee; now it seems like your body is deteriorating, breaking, fading, slowly. My creation, what
have I done wrong? I gave you all the good, and sang to you all the pretty songs. My creation, who are you heading to? Come back to me — come back to where you came from. I gave you life, I provided you the light. How come you are still choosing the dark, where nothing is ever in sight? The stranger in front of you is unknown. You don't take his hand; can't you hear his fearsome tone? With a cry, the only words I can mutter are, my creation, why are you leaving Life?
Death emerges from right side of the stage
Spotlight on Death; dark surroundings
Death: It is now your time, come.
Gestures lamb to come to him
Life: Wh-who are you? (very confused)
Death: I am Death. I am the Omega. I am the end of it all. Now, I come and summon the soul of this creature, and to the afterlife I shall have it delivered.
Life starts to cry
Life: But how could this be? A creature created out of love couldn’t just leave so suddenly. Why did it have to be so soon? You! You plotted my beloved’s doom!
Lamb gasps to take in its final breaths
Life: NO! NO! This couldn’t be! I love all my creations equally; don’t take my love away from me! Haven’t you ever felt love before?! What kind of being are you? How can someone be as merciless and heartless as you?
Lamb dies
Death carries lamb’s soul; body lies on the floor; spotlight
Life hugs lifeless body of lamb
Life: NOOOO!!!!
Everything becomes dark
Sudden spotlight on Death
Death: Love? How could you say that I haven’t felt love?
Angry at each other
Life starts standing up and slowly comes up close to Death pointing at him while saying the following:
Life: Someone like you is not capable of love! Someone like you can not, and should not be loved!
Death is enraged
Death: Maybe you’re right; perhaps not, for beings like you believe that I am not worthy of it! I can go and be poetic and all about love but Life, this is reality! You can’t just utter the most flowery of words, and hope for it to last forever! Life, I am here! I am Death, and it is my purpose to bring your creations’ souls to the afterlife. I am Death, and death flows within me. You know what, Life? I envy you. Creations look up to you as if you were the best thing that ever happened to them. But me? They despise me. They despise even the slightest idea of me. They see me as the bad guy here. You know why? Because Life, you are a very beautiful lie; and I am the painful truth. And that’s reality.
Anger starts to subside to give way for understanding
Life: But why? Why do you have to take away all the things that I love?
Death: Because Life, it is their fate. I don’t kill your creations; I only guide them towards the afterlife. You just need to trust in me and understand. You are the start, and I am the end. Together, (holds hands of Life) we need to work hand in hand. The marvels of death are as just as marvelous as yours.
Set-up becomes dark; all lights turned off
Characters get off the stage
Narrator [voiceover]: Lifetimes and deaths have passed; a strong bond has been built. A connection of Life and Death, and everything in between. Working hand in hand, through understanding and perspective, friendship has been found and keen, maybe something else is there to be seen.
Lights turn on
Life and Death walking hand-in-hand towards middle of the stage
Life: Oh how foolish of me to say that you can not be loved, yet here I am, loving you, giving you the love you should have. I’m sorry for ever doubting you, my dear; I’m sorry you once became my fear. Oh the paradox of you and me, yet our love story is still a beautiful, wonderful, mystery.
Death: Now ask me again if I ever felt love before, I would tell you this: in your hands, I have never felt as alive as this before. And trust me when I say I love you, trust me I do. But, you know this can not be. Life and Death can only have so much with perfect harmony – not love, not relationships. Us pursuing our love for each other would only cause destruction to the world we know today. And I know both of us aren’t selfish enough to sacrifice the millions of lives founded on love just to push through ours. In this world, we get to know the places where we belong – the places where we need to be, to ensure harmony; and as much as I want for that place to be wherever you’d be, sadly, Life, my love, this beautiful, wonderful, mystery, would now become our beautiful, wonderful, tragedy. Goodbye, my love.
Characters get off the stage
Turn off all lights; dark set
Narrator [voiceover]: And just as quickly as the day they met, the boundaries of the Alpha and Omega have been set. Being together would cause each other’s destruction; they love each other that much that they won’t let their world come to a halt. But leaving each other didn’t mean they can’t leave anything behind. Life and Death created an image that soon became the archetype of their love for each other; a fragment of themselves, a parting memory of what they should have – could have been. A creation most precious than any; a creation that is the start and the end of many. [gets onto stage and reveals identity] My parents – my creators could never be together, so they built me out of their love, the Alpha, and the Omega flows within me, and I would always be the epitome and greatest manifestation of Life and Death’s love for each other – Man.
(Khelbhin, Hof, and John began to talk about what action they shall fo against the Dark Lord)
Khelbhin: Let us begin. How do I start this?
Hof: Just say what is needed.
John: Agreed.
Khelbhin: Okay. We cannot waste any time. Time is precious, especially now that the Dark Lord is back. He could cause havoc, and that must not happen, in order to preserve peace between the different lands.
John: Wait… how can he come back if he is dead? That is impossible.
Hof: It is possible. Death can be avoided. Especially when dark arts is used.
John: What? I don’t understand.
Khelbhin: The Dark Lord evaded death because he used dark arts. In simpler terms, dark magic.
John: How did he do that then?
Hof: He must have marked a person.
John: Marked?
Khelbhin: John, please store your questions for later. We cannot continue if you keep interrupting. Is that fine?
John: (Bows) Yes. I’m sorry.
Khelbhin: Hof, kindly continue.
Hof: Marked, in a sense that he chose that person as a new vessel to store his soul into. If he does that, he would not die.
Khelbhin: As far as I know, he chooses children or matured children as vessels. Most of the time, children. He does this for him to have a long life span.
John: Children?
Hof: Children are easier to fool and tricked. Though I believe that the children he marks come from powerful families.
Khelbhin: Indeed. He chooses wisely. He takes the powerful child and uses that child into a vessel.
John: Then if he is alive. Surely he used a child as a vessel. The bastard.
Khelbhin: Yes. That is true. That is why he is dangerous. He can blend with the everyone else and plan unknowingly.
Hof: I believe the person he used now is a teen. Blonde and green eyed. Poor fellow.
John: Wait… how did you know that? Surely, that information is hard to get.
Hof: I have my ways. Do not underestimate a wood elf.
Khelbhin: He already made the trolls his allies, also take note of the fact that he is naturally strong.
John: Why do I have a feeling that he will attend the festival tomorrow? I have a bad feeling.
Khelbhin: That is why we need to protect the ones who will celebrate the festival tomorrow. After all, it is not just the humans who will be there. Wood elves, drows, and other kind will also be there.
John: That is correct. But do not fret, I already planned the defense for tomorrow. Knights and guards will watch everywhere. That is to reduce chaos, if there are any that will occur.
Hof: Then what about the Dark Lord? How will we know if it is really him? How will we lure him out? Surely, he will not come out that easily. He is not that dumb.
Khelbhin: We watch the area closely and see if anyone acts suspicious.
John: That will be hard. We cannot watch every single one. That is absurd if we do that.
Khelbhin: Then we shall use magic to help us.
John: What if it won’t? What if that magic you speak fails us?
Khelbhin: Where is your faith? Lost?
Hof: It will not fail. Especially if Khelbhin has it controlled.
Khelbhin: Have faith.
John: Fine. I shall have faith in what you say. Just make sure it will not cause any problem. We have lots of problems right now.
Khelbhin: Yes. I assure you.
Hof: Now, what do we do if we find him? Where shall we take him?
Khelbhin: Here. In this mine.
Hof/John: What?
Hof: Why here?
Khelbhin: That is because this place is full of natural energy that he would not like. This place can overpower him. Enough to bring him down.
John: Then what do we do if he is down? Kill him? Because that would be great.
Khelbhin: No. That is not practicable. I have other plans.
Hof: And what is that?
Khelbhin: You shall find out soon.
(Khelbhin brings out his staff and opens a portal and the three of them step inside)
ACT II SCENE II
LOGARTHIM HOUSEHOLD, FOYER
(Logan and Luke were talking to the stranger. They began to know more of each other)
Luke: So, what is your name? You have not told us yet.
Stranger: Collin. That is my name.
Logan: Cool name. So what brings you here Collin? Are you here for the festival?
Collin: Yes. I wanted to see what the festival is special about and what it is.
Luke: You never heard of the festival? Why, where do you live? It is impossible that a creature doesn’t know it. Everybody knows it.
Collin: Well, I have not been interested in festivals. Until now that is.
Logan: Wait… Mr. Collin, how did you know our names?
Collin: Lucky guess.
Luke: Do you use magic? Or are you more of a fighter?
Collin: Magic. I am full of it.
(Collin looks at Logan)
My child, you are also made of it. Do you know that?
Logan: No. But that is weird. How can a person be made of magic?
Luke: Then that means you really are a sorcerer, not a knight.
(Logan quickly shushes Luke.)
Collin: (Confused) Why are you shushing him? Is there a problem? Tell me. Maybe I can help.
Logan: (Blushes) No, it is fine. It is just a personal problem. Nothing more.
Luke: Why don’t you tell him? He said he could help.
Logan: Because it is not his problem. But mine. I do not want anyone else to be in my problems. I do not want to take other people’s name in the problems I face.
Collin: It is okay. You can tell me. After all we are not strangers to one another. We are friends. That is right. Friends. Friends can share their secrets to one another and find a solution together. So now, Logan, tell me your problem. So that we can fix it.
Logan: (Timidly) Um… it is like this… my father… doesn’t want me to become what I truly want to be. A sorcerer. A user of magic. He says that magic is nothing and bravery is everything. He wants me to be a knight like him but I really don’t want to. It’s not like I hate my father. I just want him to respect my decisions. That is all.
Luke: Really? That is all? I do not think that is all. Tell everything. Do not hide what you are feeling inside. It is not good.
Logan: (Panics) What if father comes back? What if he hears us? He will get angry for sure. Then I shall receive punishment. Punishment! I do not want that to happen. So let us change the topic. That is right, we can talk about other things. So what would you guys want to talk about?
Collin: (Calmly) Do not panic. So what if your father hears us? What if he does? Why make a it a big problem? Isn’t it better for the both of you to talk on that matter? Sometimes, Logan, you just need to be brave. Take that chance to change everything, for the better. Talk to your father and compromise. Tell him what you truly want and I know he will oblige. Who could not say yes to someone like you? My child, do not be afraid.
Logan: (Faintly smiles) I guess so. But… that’s not my only problem…
Luke: (Concern) Is it the nightmares? Is it coming back again?
(Logan nods and Collin carries him and sits him on his lap)
Collin: What nightmares have you been dreaming?
Luke: Logan, tell us.
Logan: (Shakily) Okay. I have been having nightmares for a little while now. It just started when the festival was nearing. At first, I thought it was just nothing. But every night, I get them. My nightmares were somehow related to a new beginning and death. My nightmares were full of pain, sorrow, and blood. It felt like I was really there. Last night, I had a nightmare again. It was the worst of all nightmares I had. I was on the top of the Tower, and this land was burning and becoming ash. I saw a dragon fly and burn everything. It was a disaster. But I was really freaked out when I saw myself full of marks, and glowing those marks were glowing gold. My blue eyes weren’t blue anymore. Instead it was pink and I was crying out blood. But I wasn’t alone. A figure was beside me and held me tight. Then everything blacked out and I awoke.
(Logan began to cry softly but composed himself)
I did not tell my parents. I do not want them to worry. I do not want to cause problems. Plus, nightmares do not come true and it cannot hurt me. I would rather be hurt than my parents suffering.
Collin: I do not think that it was just a nightmare. I really don’t.
Luke: Why? It sounds like a nightmare. How can you say that?
Collin: What if it is a premonition?
Luke: (Shocked) A premonition? You mean like a foresight of the future?
Collin: Yes.
Luke: (Laughs) That is preposterous! That is absurd! Crazy! We do not know what the future is. Because we make our own future.
Logan: (Softly) Please do not tell this to my parents. I do not want them to worry. Please.
(Julia then returns holding a tray of cookies and tea)
Julia: Do not tell me what? Is there something that you are hiding, Logan?
Logan: Mother…
Julia: Yes or no?
(Logan gets off Collin’s lap and walks in front of his mother)
Logan: Yes… there is…
ACT II SCENE III
THE TOWER, KHELBHIN’S OFFICE
(Khelbhin, Hof, and John return back to the office, which is the same as before and talk once more)
John: Send me a letter if you need me again. I will always be there. After all, I lead the knights here and I will make sure everyone is safe.
Hof: Of course.
Khelbhin: Wait. There is one more thing that you should know. Hof, may you please leave us for a while? This is between me and John. I shall call you when we are done.
Hof: (Nods) Of course, Master Khelbhin. I shall be at the library.
(Hof leaves the room, closing the door softly. Khelbhin looks at John seriously)
Khelbhin: How is your son? How is Logan?
John: He is fine. Why do you ask?
Khelbhin: Do you remember what I said at the mine? About how the Dark Lord uses children as a vessel?
John: Yes. He takes the children from powerful families.
Khelbhin: Indeed. Your family, is powerful.
John: (Scoffs) Powerful? My parents were never powerful. We were the lowest of all people at that time and they didn’t even care. They thought that life is over. But I didn’t, that is why I left my family. I did things my way, and look at me now, I became successful.
Khelbhin: Successful, yes. But are you happy? Because it looks like that you are not.
John: Yes. I’m not happy. Because I regret that I left them. I regret that I wasn’t there and they died without them knowing that I was coming back for them. I was too late, Khelbhin. I was too late to save them from the hands of the Dark Lord. That is why I am strict with my family. Especially to Logan. I do not want to lose him. He means the world to me. I do not know what I will do, if he is not by my side.
Khelbhin: That is why you want him to be a knight, correct? You want him to be a knight for him to be by your side.
John: It is selfish of me. But that is the truth. I do not want him to be away from me.
Khelbhin: What kind of parent are you? Why are you robbing the child the things he want? Because you are afraid that he will be gone from you? Do you not have faith on him?
John: Of course, I do!
Khelbhin: Then why?
John: I told you already! He means everything to me.
Khelbhin: I want to tell you this for a long time. But I know you will be angry.
John: Why? What is it?
Khelbhin: I want to train Logan. Is that okay with you?
(John took a step back and was surprised.)
John: What? No. I won’t allow it. Never!
Khelbhin: But it is what the child wants. Why rob it? He told me already that he wants to be like me. He said so himself. John, why can’t you let your child be happy?
John: What? Logan…told you that? He never told me that you two were talking to each other.
Khelbhin: Because you chain him. You always think for him, let alone his actions you must always know.
John: I just…
Khelbhin: I will not take your child away from you. I will just train him. Here inside the tower. You can visit him. He will not be far away from you. I assure you that. So, once again, may your son train with me?
John: (Smiles) I just realized now that I was truly selfish. I wasn’t a good father. But things can change, and I guess I could change too. Then my answer is yes. I am letting my child be free to do what he wants. Just promise me that you will not lead him to any peril. Promise me, Khelbhin.
Khelbhin: I assure you. He is in good hands. Now, I shall go with you to your household to tell the child the news. I am pretty sure that he shall be giddy.
John: He will be. I know my child.
Khelbhin: Then let us go.
John: Wait… what about Hof?
Khelbhin: Ah, yes. Call him. The three of us will leave together.
(John leaves the room and races to the library to call Hof)
ACT II SCENE IV
LOGARTHIM HOUSEHOLD, FOYER
(Logan was beginning to panic while he faced Julia, who was staring at the child fiercely. Luke and Collin just sit and watch.)
Julia: (Serious) What is it? What are you hiding from me, Logan? What is this secret I have heard? Tell me. Now.
Logan: (Panicking) I was… um… gonna surprise you… yes… I was gonna surprise you with cake… for the festival…
Julia: (Smiles) Oh! Than I just ruined the surprise then. I am really sorry that I asked. Thank you Logan, for the surprise.
Logan: (Sighs) It is okay mother. No need to say sorry.
(Logan was shaking while he sat down. Luke noticed this and began to speak)
Luke: Mrs. Logarthim. That is a lie. What he said is a lie, not the truth.
Logan: (Shouts) Luke!
Luke: (Glances at Luke) No, Luke. You must tell the truth. I do not want you to be hurt anymore by telling ridiculous lies. I can see that you are hurt. Because I am your friend, I care for you. I do not want you to hurt yourself.
Julia: (Confused) Then what is the truth? Tell me. Tell me the truth, and only the truth.
Luke: He is having nightmares.
Julia: Oh, it is okay. Everyone gets that.
Luke: Every night. He told us that. Also he weeps and his weep, isn’t normal. It is blood. Blood!
Logan: (Angry) Why did you tell her? I thought you promised. You promised me, that this will not go out. You are a liar! Liar!
(Julia shushes Logan and grabs him by the wrist, faces him. Logan begins to slowly cry)
Julia: (Angry) Logan. Stop. He isn’t a liar. You are. How can hide this to us? Your father and I know nothing of this. Why, Logan, why did you have to keep this from us?
Logan: (Bows) Because… I do not want to cause any problem. That is all.
Julia: (Voice rising) Do not want to cause a problem? What are you thinking? What is going on inside that head of yours? Have you gone completely mad? You thought that you didn’t cause any problem? Well you did! You lied! How can you be so selfish!
Logan: (Cries louder) I…
Julia: Enough. I shall talk to your father. To think of a punishment for such an act. Go upstairs. Now.
(Logan doesn’t move. He looks at thee ground and continue to weep. This annoys Julia, she holds Logan’s left wrist. Hard.)
Julia: (Shouts) Are you completely deaf? I said go to your room! Now!
Luke: (Concern) Mrs. Logarthim, please do not talk to your son that way. It is bad for him.
Collin: (Scoffs) What kind of parent are you? Screaming at the poor child like that? Are you really a mother?
Julia: (Annoyed) Both of you, shut up. You have no position to tell me what to do or what to say. I am the mother of my child, and I can say what I want to say.
(Julia points at Collin.)
And you, stranger. Stay out of this.
Collin: If I don’t do that, what will you do?
Julia: Testing me, are you? Fine. Let us see what you are made of.
(Julia brings out her wand, wood, and 8 inches.)
Edolpxe!
(Collin also brings out his wand, wood, 15 inches.)
Collin: Lecnac eth Lleps!
Logan: Stop it! Stop! Stop fighting! Now!
(Logan’s tears began to turn red, and soon blood. His eyes were slowly becoming pink.)
Luke: (Shocked) Logan! What is going on? Why are you crying blood?
Julia: (Panic) Logan! My child! What in the blazes is happening!
(Logan breaks free of his mother’s hold and runs to the door.)
Logan: (Cries) I need to leave. I need to leave.
Julia: (Pleads) No. Logan. You cannot leave. Come back here.
Collin: Logan. Leave.
Julia/Luke: (Shocked) What?
(Collin walks up to Logan, holds his hand and presses it.)
Collin: Leave. If that is what you want. We will not stop you.
(Logan nods and releases his hand from Collin’s hold and steps outside. He began to run. His tears were still blood and his eyes were becoming pink.
Julia then grabbed Collin by his shirt.)
Julia: (Angry) How dare you ruin our family! How can you do this to us? We helped you! And this is what we get for doing that? Traitor! That is what you are! A traitor! The children should have left you to die! You deserve it! Death, it is what you deserve! Death!
Collin: (Chuckles) How funny you are, woman. How funny you are. You say that I should die? Then what about you? You screamed at your son! You tried to kill me! Kill! That’s what you are right? A killer? You think that you are so kind and sweet, but deep inside, I could feel your hatred and anger. You deserve death more than me. I did not do anything wrong. I just told the child to follow what his heart is telling him. But you never even tried to do that. You didn’t even try to hear the reasons why he did that. You are so selfish. Selfish. What kind of mother are you?
(Julia drops Collin and falls to the ground, weeping)
Julia: (Shakily) I… I just want him to be safe. That is all I want. I never wanted to hurt him. I just… lose control.
Luke: We need to find Logan. Fast. The snow is coming down hard.
Collin: Indeed.
Julia: I will find him. It is my duty as his parent and mother.
Luke: Let us help. Please?
Julia: No. It is my fault and I need to find him.
(She as she gets up from the ground, a flash of light appears and Hof, John, and Khelbhin appear.)
ACT II SCENE V
THE TOWN, OUTSKIRTS
(Logan keeps on running. He doesn’t care where he goes, he just wants to be alone. He stopped and realized that he was somewhere in town that he didn’t know.)
Logan: (Confused) Where am I? What part of the town is this? Did I run to far? I never realized that I did.
( He began to walk slowly, to north. The snow was coming down rapidly, and the wind became colder.)
Drats! This weather hates me as well. What did I ever do for them to hate me? I did not mean to hurt them, but I guess mother was right. I should have told them the truth, but I didn’t. Now, I am the one who is suffering. Suffering! The feeling that everyone resents!
(Logan began to feel cold and was starting to freeze.)
My word. It is so cold. I am starting to freeze. No, I cannot die here. Not now nor ever.
(He hugs himself and instantly remembers that he could cast spells)
That is it! I could cast a spell that could help me survive this weather. But what is it? Fire? No. I do not want to have a rapid fire happening. Wait. I know!
(Logan points at himself)
Tcetorp em morf eht dloc retheaw!
(The snow doesn’t hit him anymore and the feeling of coldness was gone.)
Wow. I did not think that was gonna work. But good thing it did. Now the only question is…where am I?
I could probably teleport back to the house, but mother is there. She may be still angry at me. I do not want to risk it. I could go to the Tower. Yes. The Tower! I could ask help from Khelbhin. Brilliant. Good thing I thought of that.
(He began to walk on the snowy road. All that he knows is that he should get to the Tower.)
ACT II SCENE VI
LOGARTHIM HOUSEHOLD, FOYER
( John was panicking after hearing what just occurred. Hof tries to calm him but to no avail. Khelbhin was just sitting down and was meditating. Luke was just watching with worry. Collin was sitting as well, asleep. Julia was sitting as well, her head bowed down.)
John: (Stressed) Julia! Why did you do that? You know that he is just a child. A child who needs to learn. Why did you shout at him? Why?
Julia: (Cries) I do not know! I did not realize that I shouted at him. I only did that because I care for him. I care for him.
John: Is that a proper reason? No! It is not! You should have talked to him, calmly. Now we do not know where he is!
Julia: I know that! I am really sorry! I never thought that this would happen. I never did.
John: I do not know what to say. I just don’t.
(Khelbhin opens his eyes and looks at the both of them.)
Khelbhin: Why are the both of you fighting? You are spending time bickering instead of knowing where your son went. Is that what you call proper parenting? My goodness, both of you should be ashamed of yourselves. No wonder the child will leave. Both of you are not working together.
Hof: Seconded.
Luke: Thirded.
Hof: Child, you do realize that there is no such thing as the word, thirded, do you?
Luke: Nope.
Hof: Okay. Now you know.
(Khelbhin looks at John and Julia, gets up and speaks)
Khelbhin: May we speak? In private?
Julia: Yes. Yes. We can go upstairs. Follow me.
(Julia leads Khelbhin up the stairs, with John behind him. Once they reached the second floor, they enter the guest room.)
Khelbhin: What a lovely room. But this isn’t a good place to speak.
John: Then where?
Khelbhin: The boy’s room. That is a good place to speak.
Julia: (Surprised) Why in my son’s room? Why not here? Isn’t this place good enough?
John: Do not question him, Julia. Just follow what he says. If he wants to go to Logan’s room, then so be it.
Khelbhin: Then let’s go, shall we?
Julia: Yes. Yes.
(The three of them leave the room and enter Logan’s room.)
ACT II SCENE VII
THE TOWN, OUTSKIRTS
(Logan was still walking north. He wasn’t feeling that cold, due to the spell that he had casted earlier. The snow was pouring down hard, making it hard for the boy to walk and see where he is going.)
Logan: Where am I now? I should be close to the Tower, but no sign of it. Drats! I am lost again. Again. Will my day get any worse?
(He kept on walking, until he noticed a fire nearby. He runs to it and sees two men, sitting down on a log and in the middle lies a campfire. The snow did not hit them because of the many trees surrounding them.)
Logan: (Weakly) Hello, sirs. May I ask assistance from the both of you?
Man 1: Sure kid. What is it? You lost?
Logan: Yes. I am badly lost. I need to get to the Tower. May you please help me get there? Please?
Man 2: Sure. Sure, kid. We’ll help you.
Logan: (Glee) Than you! You are good people. I wish there are more people like you.
Man 1: I get that all the time. Sit down, it is free.
Logan: Thank you.
(Logan sits on the log, while the two men began to converse softly.)
Man 1: Hey. This kid is pretty. What do you think?
Man 2: He is. He is a child that everyone would love. We should sell him. Get money out of him. Think of all the possibilities. We could buy whatever we want and get whatever we can get.
Man 1: Sell? Are you out of your mind? We must not do that. We could be put into Mithral because of that. I do not want to go to prison.
Man 2: No one will know! We just need to take him out of this town and go to the other, there are many buyers there. Plus, they pay dozens of gold just for a child. Rich! That is what we will be!
Man 1: Rich? Yes, that is what I want to be. But not in a way that we will do such a crime. This child belongs to a family! We cannot this that!
Man 2: If you do not want that. Then I will.
(The man gets up, pull out his dagger from its case and points it in front of the terrified child)
Man 2: Come with me.
Logan: (Fear) No. I do not want to! Stay away from me.
Man 1: Stop it. You are scaring the young lad.
Man 2: Bah! Shut it! I do what I want, and I want to get rich. Rich!
(He looks at Logan, deviously and grabs his hand.)
Logan: (Screams) Let me go!
Man 2: Like I will. You will make me rich.
Man 1: Stop it! I cannot allow this!
(He reaches out for his sword but the other throws his dagger into the chest, killing him.)
Man 2: (Yells) I told you to shut up!
Logan: (Screams) No! No! No! No! No!
(He began to cry again and blood fell down his eyes. His eyes started to turn pink.)
Monster! That is what you are!
Man 2: (Chuckles) Quiet down.
(He sees Logan’s condition)
My child, are you bleeding? Why, are you sick? Or is that just an act? And your eyes. Why is it pink now?
Logan: (Sternly) Let me go.
Man 2: Like I will. You are mine now.
Logan: Let me go.
Man 2: No!
Logan: Let me go.
Man 2: (Annoyed) Are you kidding me? How many times will you ask that?
Logan: (Shouts) Tel em og!
(The man suddenly flew back, hitting the snow hard. Logan began to run fast, blood falling into the snow as he did. The man begins to get up and runs after him)
ACT II SCENE VIII
LOGARTHIM HOUSEHOLD, LOGAN’S ROOM
(Logan’s room was clean and full of innocence. The walls were painted blue while a window was on the side of the room. The room was cold. John and Julia sit on top of Logan’s bed while Khelbhin stood. They are talking about something related to the family.)
Khelbhin: Logan. Tell me, how is he as a child?
Julia: Good. He is a child that any parent would want. He isn’t naughty. He follows orders and very respectful. Though this is the only time that he hid something.
John: Hs never does that.
Khelbhin: I see. Anything else you want to add? Before we truly start?
John: He is great at the aspects of magic.
Julia: That is true. He managed to say a fire spell and managed it well. Though he is only three.
Khelbhin: I see. Is that all?
(John and Julia nod)
Khelbhin: Then let us begin. Julia, how well do you know your family?
Julia: Very well. Why is it that you ask?
Khelbhin: How well do you know your father?
Julia: (Surprised) Wait… slow down. What is with all the questions?
Khelbhin: Answer.
Julia: My father was a good man. He cared for me and my siblings. He never let me down. He was always there. He helped everyone that needs help. That is why he died. Because of too much helping.
Khelbhin: I see. Then it is true.
Julia: (Confused) What? Master Khelbhin, I am confused. What is true?
Khelbhin: I do not know how to say this. I really don’t.
John: What can you not say?
Khelbhin: Julia, your father never died because of too much helping. He did not die that way.
Julia: (Surprised) What? But he did. I heard that he did. Everyone told me that he died that way.
Khelbhin: (Sadly) He was killed by the Dark Lord.
Julia: (Laughs) That is impossible. That is a lie. I cannot believe that. Never.
John: (Coughs) Julia…
(He grips Julia’s hand tightly.)
He did. He died because of the Dark Lord. Khelbhin is telling the truth.
Julia: (Shocked) How can you say that? John, how can you? You of all people know that he died because of helping others too much. Why suddenly tell me this? Do you know something that I do not?
(She glances at Khelbhin)
Are you two hiding something from me? Tell me! Now!
John: All your memories are fake. Fake, my wife. Those memories of yours are not true. They have been altered. Changed.
(Julia begins to weep)
Julia: (Denial) No! That is not true! It is all a lie. A lie! Not the truth! Never the truth!
Khelbhin: It is the truth. Julia. Look at me and listen. Please.
(Julia then gets up)
Julia: (Crying) Lies! Lies! Lies! These memories I have are real! How dare you say it is not!
(She then walks out of the room, banging the door, hard.)
John: Julia! Julia!
Khelbhin: Do not call for her, John. She needs time. Plus, we suddenly brought this topic out. I already expected she would act this way. It’s normal for her to do that. Give her time.
John: Yes. We should give her time.
Khelbhin: The truth…will come out.
John: (Panics) Logan! We forgot about him! He is still in danger! Khelbhin we have to-
Khelbhin: Do not worry about him. He will be fine.
John: How do you know that?
Khelbhin: I know things.
ACT II SCENE IX
THE TOWN, OUTSKIRTS (ROAD)
(A carriage passes the snowy road of the outskirts. It doesn’t experience any problem in doing it, because of a spell. Inside the carriage, a young boy and a teenage girl sits. The young boy has brown hair and yellow eyes. While the girl has blonde hair and blue eyes.)
Boy: I cannot believe we are back in town that fast. I never expected that we did. After all we just came back from two towns. Plus, Master Khelbhin’s orders were so many. I am beat!
Girl: (Chuckles) Sure you are. You could have just teleported us back and we are inside the Tower already. But what did want? Travel back using a carriage! Who’s at fault?
Boy: (Groans) Uh…fine! I take all responsibility!
(He then pinches the girl’s hand.)
Girl: (Pain) Ow! Why did you do that? Michael, that was mean!
Michael: (Laughs) That is for not helping me in accomplishing Khelbhin’s orders, Asura.
Asura: (Chuckles) That is because I really did not feel like helping. Plus, you could accomplish all that without trouble.
Michael: Then why did you even come? You could have just stayed back at the Tower!
Asura: That is because I want to. Also, I don not want to babysit some students that I do not even know. That job sucks.
(Michael rolls his eyes and looks at the road. He smiles and didn’t notice that tears fell from his eyes. But it was blood.)
Asura: (Bored) Are we there yet? Are we?
Michael: I think so. Just have patience.
Asura: You know that I do not have that trait. I want things fast.
Michael: Really?
(Asura notices the blood that falls from Michael’s eyes. Also she notices that his eyes were pink.)
Asura: (Panics) Michael! Your eyes!
Michael: What?
(He wipes his eyes using his hand and sees the blood.)
(Panics) No! No! Not again! Not again!
(He then opens the carriage door, jumps off and runs.)
Asura: (Shouts) Michael! Come back!
ACT II SCENE X
THE TOWN, OUTSKIRTS (ROAD)
(Logan was still running away from the man that tried to take him. He was getting tired, but he didn’t care. Way behind him, the man was shouting out.)
Man 2: (Shouts) Kid! Come back here! Now!
Logan: (Shouts) No! I will not go to you! Monster!
Man 2: Testing me are you? Fine. Then so be it.
(He takes out a knife from his pocket and throws it. It landed near Logan, brushing past his hair. This caused the boy to stop running and fall to the snow.)
Man 2: (Grinning) I told you that you cannot run away from me. You cannot run away from a hunter.
Logan: (Fear) Stay back! Stay away! Leave me alone!
Man 2: No. Sorry.
(The man was nearing him.)
Logan: Dleihs!
(An orange shield covers Logan.)
Stay away!
Man 2: (Laughs) Is that all you got? My goodness, baby magic. Butt I expect that from a pretty child like you.
Logan: (Shakily) Stop saying that! You are creepy!
Man 2: (Grinning) And why should I stop? You are pretty. Anyone would fall in love with you.
Logan: Erif!
(A fire bolt flies towards the man but it evades it with speed.)
Man 2: (Shakes his head) My goodness. Truly baby magic. Such a futile attempt.
Logan: Do not take any step further.
Man 2: Sorry. You do not tell me what to do.
Logan: Why don’t you just leave me alone?
Man 2: I already told you. You’ll make me rich. Rich!
(The man steps forward, nearing the boy, but suddenly a sword passes through him.)
Collin: (Serious) The boy told you to stay away. But you did not listen. This is your punishment, death. Death, is what you deserve.
Man 2: (Chokes) Who…who are you?
Collin: (Whispers) Your nightmare.
(The man’s eyes widened and he falls into the ground. Dead. The blood of the man stained the white snow. This causes Logan to get sacred.)
Logan: (Fear) C-Collin! Why did you do that? Why kill him? How can you do that to a him? Yes, he was wrong, his actions were clearly evil butt he does not deserve that fate! People can change.
Collin: Change? Bah! Such unpleasant belief! You are what you are. Nothing can change your fate. If you are destined to be in that position, so be it. People can never change. Always remember that.
Logan: No! I do not believe in what you are saying. People can change. They just need to be guided back into the path of righteousness. In order for that to happen, they work together. Together!
Collin: (Scoffs) Such pitiful belief. Pitiful. It makes me sick.
(He looks at Logan with glaring eyes.)
Then for you, what is righteousness?
Logan: It is the…
(Logan pauses.)
Collin: The what? Tell me.
Logan: (Yells) It is something I believe on!
Collin: (Laughs) See? You do not even know! You believe in something that you do not know! Shame on you!
Logan: (Pissed off) What did you say?
Collin: Shame. On. You.
Logan: (Angry) Take it back! Take back what you said! Now!
Collin: Sorry. No refunds.
(Bloody tears start to fall down Logan’s eyes and his eyes were fully pink.)
Logan: (Angry) Take it back! Now!
(A pink aura begins to envelop the boy and this amuses Collin.)
Collin: (Grins) You’re almost there. You’re almost ready. I can feel it.
Logan: (Yells) Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!
Collin: (Sweet) Didn’t I tell you before that you have pretty eyes? Well now it’s prettier.
(Collin pulls out his wand and points it at Logan.)
Can you see? Can you see everything? I know that you can. Tell me, what do you see?
Logan: (Puzzled) What do you mean? What are you saying? I can see, and all things are normal. You must be crazy.
Collin: (Laughs) Crazy? Boy, I am crazy! I lost my sanity a long time ago!
Logan: That is why you killed that man, then. You think the solution to every problem is killing. Then, you are indeed crazy! Evil! A demon!
Collin: (Laughs even more) Evil? Such a joke. You want to know why? Because I am more than that! More than that, Logan!
(Logan begins to get up from the snow and was surprised to see many figures behind Collin. The figures were standing side-by-side and their faces dull.)
Logan: (Shock) W-w-who are you?
Collin: Do you see them? I guess that you do. How many are they? Tens? Thousands? Ten Thousands? Hundred Thousands? Millions? Why don’t you ask them about what happened to them? Go ahead, Logan, ask.
Logan: (Weakly) Who are you? Why are you here? What do you want?
(The figures do not respond, until a man came in front and answered)
Man: Do not be afraid of us. We will not hurt you. Never. After all, you are part of the clan.
Logan: (Confused) Who are you? What are you saying? I do not understand you.
Collin: (Grins) Try asking his name, Logan. If he says something, tell me.
Man: Do not tell him anything!
Collin: (Glances behind him) It is not like I cannot hear you. Zachary. Long time no see. How are you?
Zachary: (Angry) Demon. Scum. How are you still alive, after all this time? You should have been dead! Dead!
Collin: Dead? Me? Dead? Fool! I escaped death many times!
Zachary: Yes, by using children as vessels! How can you do that to innocent children? You ruined their lives! Actually not just ruined, but stole! You have no heart! You ate just full of lust for power and control! Now what are you going to do? Take my grandson’s life away? Bastard! I will not let you!
(Zachary and Collin pull out their wands and point at each other)
Collin: (Licks his lips) So who goes first?
Logan: (Pleads) Stop! Do not fight here!
Zachary: (Sternly) Logan! Listen to me! Run! I shall hold him off. You must get to the Tower and tell Khelbhin about this. Do not waste time. We shall guide you to the way to the Tower. Now, hurry!
(Logan looks at Zachary and nods. But Collin speaks)
Collin: (Sternly) No, Logan! You are coming with me. We are going home. I am taking you home! To your family!
Zachary: Logan! Do not listen to what this man says. They are full fledged lies!
Collin: No! I am telling the truth! I am sending you home!
Zachary: Bastard! You really are a demon!
(Zachary points at his right.)
That is the way to the Tower! Now, go! I will hold him off!
Seert dnib mih yb rouy sehcnarb!
(The trees begin to move and its branches grabbed Collin and began to bind him.)
Collin: (Pleads) Logan! Please do not leave me! Please! I do not want to die! I am sorry for what happened earlier! My sanity just slipped past me. I did not want to kill that man or anger you. Please! Have mercy on me and help me! Please!
Zachary: Leave him. Go to the Tower, Logan!
(Logan slowly nods and runs to the direction Zachary had pointed)
Zachary: (Faintly) Good Luck, grand child. Tell your mother about me. Tell her that you saw me.
Nagol llet rouy rethom taht uoy was em dna llet reh taht I evol reh!
(Collin, was now bind by the trees and hanged a few feet up, begin to laugh)
Collin: (Laughs) Well said, Zachary! Well said! I am sure that your daughter remembers you, dead!
Zachary: Shut up, demon! You will die now! I will not let you get out of this place, alive. I shall see to it that you will no longer hurt anyone! You die today!
Collin: (Chuckles) Are you sure? I think it is you, who will die today! Of course, you are already dead, but I will make sure that you will no longer come back!
Zachary: Try to! I will always come back. Even if you try to kill me, over and over, I will come back!
Collin: This time, I will make sure that you won’t!
(Collin screams and burns the branches that had bind him. He glares at Zachary.)
It is now over! Be gone from this world!
Obmil!
(A portal suddenly opens and inside it lies a plane of pain and suffering and chaos.)
I will make sure that you will not escape. Zachary, meet Limbo! The place where everything is in chaos. Not only chaos lies in there, but also pain. This is where you belong. Goodbye, old friend. It has been a honor meeting you.
(The portal begins to suck everything, but Zachary stands still.)
Zachary: Fool! Have you forgotten? I am already dead! I cannot be sent to Limbo, that easily! It is you who lost!
Collin: I know that.
Zachary: What?
Collin: Ekat Yrahcaz won, Obmil!
Zachary: That will not work!
Collin: Want to place a bet?
Zachary: No…
(The portal keeps on sucking everything, and now Zachary is being sucked as well.)
How did you? This is impossible!
Collin: I can do everything, Zachary. I can do things that you will not expect. I am the master of that realm. Also, I will be the master of this realm, soon enough!
(The portal sucks Zachary, who was screaming, and it closes.)
You were a fool to fight me. And fools always lose.
(The snow stopped falling and it was turned into rain. But it was blood.)
Perfect. This will be fun.
(Collin begins to walk but notices that his skin is turning grey and shedding. This causes him to panic.)
No! No! This cannot be! This cannot be happening!
(He grits his teeth)
I need that boy, now!
(He starts to walk to the Tower with speed and ignores the blood falling to him)
(The snow fell slowly outside the office’s small window. The room was lit brightly but cold. The smell of burning wood is in the air due to a fireplace inside. Bookshelves were on the sides, its books neatly arranged and the used were piled neatly on the floor. The office table, which was in the center of the room faced the fireplace.
Khelbhin, a sorcerer, gray haired, and middle aged, was sitting on his chair comfortably, until a bang on his office door was heard. He opened the door and a dove went flying in. It had a letter in its feet, and without ado Khelbhin immediately took it and read it.)
Khelbhin: What is this? The Dark Lord is coming to the land? But he should be dead. Dead as a ghost.
(Khelbhin slowly sits down and taps his temple.)
This is a disaster. He shall lead to chaos. Once more. Once more.
(A soft knock hit the door)
Khelbhin: (Composing himself) Come in. Come in.
(Hof, the captain of the wood elves, white haired, purple eyed, enters the room. He had a gloomy face.)
Hof: (Sighing) Have you received the letter I wrote?
(Khelbhin raises thee paper up.)
Khelbhin: This paper? Then I have, just now. Your dove has just arrived. Then you arrived. So, I guess you have the same message? Please tell me that it isn’t.
Hof: (Groaning) Sorry Khelbhin. I have the same message. The Dark Lord is indeed coming to the land.
(Hof looks at the Dove)
Really you just received it now? I sent it a few days ago. That Dove is slow. Well, that was the only courier I could have at that time. Though I didn’t expect that it was that slow.
Khelbhin: Don’t blame the bird. It was probably the snow that slowed it down.
(Hof laughs. He points at the chair, in front of Khelbhin.)
Hof: Can I sit?
Khelbhin: (Chuckles) You can but you may not.
Hof: (Giggles faintly) Then may I sit? May I?
Khelbhin: Sit. You may.
(Hof slowly sits)
Hof: What do we do about this? Khelbhin, this isn’t a joke. We need to stop him from causing chaos.
Khelbhin: I know that. This is really indeed a troublesome. Have you alerted the others? The Yan-Ti? The Dwarves?
Hof: I did. But sadly the Dark Lord already reached the Yan-Ti, and became allies. As well as the trolls. Good thing we reached the dwarves first. They are our allies. Though we are still lacking and outnumbered.
(Khelbhin gets up from his chair and walks up to a bookshelf, takes out a book and returns back to his chair.)
Khelbhin: (Reads) I think I know a way to stop the Dark Lord. Though I know this will be risky.
(Khelbhin flips the book’s pages and stops until he reached a page he needed. He looks at Hof, who stared at him, and raises the book up)
Hof: (Shocked) This is the-
Khelbhin: This is the only way we can stop him.
ACT I SCENE II
LOGARTHIM HOUSEHOLD, BACK YARD
(The ground was covered in deep, white, cold snow. The trees were covered were also covered by it. Snow was falling from the sky and was being enjoyed by a child.
Logan, age of three, blond, and purple eyed, was playing snow angels in the snow. He laughed and giggled as the snow hit is face.)
Logan: (Laughing) Snow! Snow! I love the snow!
(After he played snow angels for a while, he got up and sat at the swing)
Logan: (Panting) That was fun. Really fun. But tiring. But fun. I’m so conflicted!
(A light sound of flapping wings then was heard, and it was close. Logan looked up to the sky and saw a owl, that carried an envelope, and landed in front of Logan.)
Logan: (Energetic) An owl! Wow! What’s your name? Wait… do you even have a name? If not, then I’ll call you Mr. Owl! Is that okay with you, Mr. Owl?
(The owl stares at Logan for a while, bends it head sideward, and chirped. It then began to peck Logan’s feet. This causes the boy to, surprisingly, be happier.)
Logan: (Giggles) Hey, cut it out. That tickles. Stop.
(He picked up the owl and put it on his shoulder)
There we go, ain’t that comfy? Let’s see that letter you have there.
(Logan gets the letter and sees that it is addressed to his father. He immediately puts it in his pocket and gets up, he glances at the owl, that now has somehow fallen asleep and leans on the boy’s head)
Logan: Mr. Owl, did you go here just to give this letter to my father? That’s nice of you! But… are you hungry? Tired? If that’s the case… let me handle it. I’ll make sure that you’re gonna be fine.
(He walks to the backdoor door, and enters the household)
ACT I SCENE III
LOGARTHIM HOUSEHOLD, FOYER
(John, the father of Logan, a knight, 30, white haired, was cleaning his sword, Lusho, while sitting down in a rocking chair. He was amazed at his sword and remembered the good times his sword came handy.)
John: (Whispering) One hell of a sword. Lusho, you have done well on the fights we faced. You didn’t break nor wither.
(Logan enters the room with the letter in his hand.)
Logan: Father! Father!
John: Yes, my son? What is it?
Logan: You have a letter that was delivered by a courier. I think it is important.
(Logan hands the letter to his father, and leaves the room to the kitchen. John opens the letter and reads it.)
John: A meeting at the tower? Fine, so be it. I shall go, and see what Khelbhin has in store. I just hope it isn’t a waste of time.
(John folds the paper and puts it inside the envelope before getting his coat and leaves for the tower.)
ACT I SCENE IV
LOGARTHIM HOUSEHOLD, KITCHEN
(A sweet fragrance of flowers enveloped the room. Logan was sitting on a chair and the owl lies on top of a soft pillow that the boy put. Logan admires the owl.)
Logan: (Staring at the owl) Aww… Mr. Owl, when are you gonna wake up? I want to play with you! So please, wake up.
(Suddenly, Luke, age of 7, gray haired, and blue eyed, entered the room.)
Logan: (Surprised) Luke! What are you doing here? How did you enter the household without us knowing?
Luke: Whoa. Slow down. I just came here to see if you’re ready for the festival celebration tomorrow. Well, are you ready?
(Logan gets up from his chair and faces Luke)
Logan: (Happy) Yes! I am ready. I already prepared the robe that I shall wear. It’s going to be fun tomorrow! I wonder what kind of events and food, I shall see at the festival? Oh, I can’t wait!
Luke: (Serious) Wait…robe? Luke, you know that your father is against magic. He doesn’t believe in that. He believes that a man should be a warrior, not a sorcerer or a person affiliated with magic. He’ll go ballistic about this, if he ever hears of it. Luke, don’t do it. It might cause a rupture in your family. I don’t want your family to end up like mine.
Logan: (Sad) But it’s what I want. Are you telling me that I can’t be what I need to be? Is that what you’re pointing out? Luke, I thought you would understand my decision. But it seems that you can’t.
Luke: Logan….
(Logan began to sob.)
Logan: Why do you want me to be the person that I can’t be? Am I not enough? Can’t I be happy? Why?
Luke: Logan…stop crying. I didn’t mean it that way. I just…
(The owl then wakes up and chirps loudly. This causes for Logan to be happy.)
Logan: Mr. Owl! You’re awake!
Luke: (Mouth open wide) Mr. Owl?
Logan: Yes. It’s the name of the owl. It delivered a message for my father but it became tired and slept. So I took care of it while it did. Now that it’s awake, I think it will go back. But I’m fine with that. I want it to be happy so I’m letting it go.
Luke: Uh-huh. Well, I think that’s a good idea. Though I think that owl will come back here.
Logan: (Puzzled) Why is that? Why do you think the owl will come back?
(Luke bends down and flicks Logan’s forehead.)
Logan: (In pain) Ow! Why did you do that?
Luke: (Laughs) That’s because you are a good person. Good persons are hard to find nowadays.
Logan: (Cheerful) You’re a good person too, Luke. You’re a real friend.
Luke: I’m a real friend alright. Though I don’t think I’m a good person…I just don’t think it fits me. I’m more of like neutral.
Logan: Well, I’m gonna let Mr. Owl go now.
(Logan gets the owl from the table, carries it until they reach the backdoor.)
Okay, bye-bye, Mr. Owl! I’m gonna miss you!
(The owl flies off Logan’s hands into the sky.)
ACT I SCENE V
THE TOWER, KHELBHIN’S OFFICE
(The room was the same as before, though this time it was a little messy. John was inside the room along with Hof.)
John: Hof, what a surprise. Were you invited as well?
Hof: Not invited. I sent that letter to you. I invited you, human.
John: What? Why for?
Hof: You’ll understand soon enough. Let’s just wait for Khelbhin. He just went out. He’ll be back.
John: Alright. I can wait.
Hof: Good. A man should have patience.
John: Damn right.
Hof: How is your son? Logan? Is he doing fine? How old is he again?
John: Three. He’s doing fine, I’m training him to be a knight. Though he still needs more work. But that’s okay, he’s still young and I can’t force him to be a knight that fast.
Hof: Really? Such a shame.
John: Why is that?
Hof: I thought that your son, would become a sorcerer. He looks like it.
John: Never. That would never happen. I will not allow it. That is crazy. My son will become a knight, not a puppet of magic.
Hof: Why not? He seems worthy of becoming like it. Khelbhin even thinks the same, that he’ll be a great sorcerer. Plus, it looks like being a knight doesn’t fit him.
John: Do not speak another word. He’ll become a knight, not a sorcerer. That’s final. Nothing can change that.
(A bright light suddenly shines inside the room and Khelbhin appears.)
Khelbhin: Reappa!
Hof: Khelbhin. Took you long enough.
Khelbhin: I’m sorry, I had to check up on the students. Make sure that they’re inside their rooms.
John: Well…let’s start.
Khelbhin: Oh yes. Yes. Thank you for coming, John.
John: Of course.
Hof: Shall we begin?
Khelbhin: Yes. But not here. We’ll talk somewhere else.
Hof: What? Why?
Khelbhin: You know the reason. He might hear us here. It’s dangerous. I already picked a location for us to talk. But do bog worry. He won’t reach us there. It’s protected by a barrier.
John: Who might hear us? Is there a threat?
Hof: Yes. Yes, John, there is indeed a threat. He’s back.
John: Who is it? Who’s he? Tell me.
Hof: The Dark Lord, John. The Dark Lord.
John: What? That’s impossible. He is dead. Dead.
Hof: He’s alive.
John: Impossible. That cannot be.
Khelbhin: It is. That is why we have this meeting. We must stop the Dark Lord. He cannot roam this land again.
John: Then where are we going to talk?
Khelbhin: I know you know the place. Let’s go.
(Khelbhin brings out his staff, the Windbreaker. He creates a portal and the three of them enter it, and it closes.)
ACT I SCENE VI
GOLDRUN MINE
(Goldrun mine, a mine full of gold, diamonds, and crystals. The place was shining bright due to the gems shining ability. The three of them arrive at the center of the mine.)
Khelbhin: Here we are. Goldrun mine.
John: (Confused) Why here? This place is a mine. It’s practicable to talk here.
Hof: I agree. Why this place, Khelbhin? Out of all places, why here?
Khelbhin: Why here, you ask? Well this is the best place to talk.
Hof: (Chuckles) The best? Oh please, do not make me laugh. Please don’t.
John: (Slightly annoyed) Khelbhin, are you really serious about this? If not, bring us back. This is becoming a waste of time. I still have other things to do for the festival tomorrow. So please, tell me are you really serious?
Khelbhin: Where is your patience, you two? I haven’t explained yet. Why the rush? And yes, I also need to do something for the festival tomorrow, but what am I doing? I’m figuring out a way for us to stop the Dark Lord. All I ask is your assistance.
John: (Bows) I’m sorry. I’m just a little stressed out. This event is a surprise.
(John pulls out his locket from his coat pocket and looks at the photo in it. It was a photo of him with Logan)
Out of all the times, why now? This time of the year is supposed to be fun and enjoyable. It’s winter. The season to be jolly. But now, it’s quite becoming the opposite.
(Khelbhin pats John’s shoulder)
Khelbhin: Yes. Indeed, I know what you’re feeling. But we should keep our head up and not be downed by this. We need to do this, in order for us to have a future. Especially the children. They are the hope of tomorrow. We must not waste that.
Hof: Then, let us begin.
John: (Determined) Yes. Let’s begin.
Khelbhin: Good. I’ll explain why we are here. This won’t take long.
ACT I SCENE VII
THE TOWN, PLAZA
(The snow was still falling from the sky to the ground. Thee plaza was full of life, children were playing in the snow. Stores, were open and warm. Festival lights and ornaments were outside. Logan and Luke were walking along the snowy road of the plaza.)
Logan: I cannot believe that we are doing this. We are supposed to be at home. And preparing for tomorrow. It’s gonna be a big celebration.
Luke: I know that. We won’t be long here. Plus, you don’t have anything to do at home. You said it yourself, you’re ready for tomorrow.
Logan: (Pouting) Yes. Yes, I am ready. It’s just that…
Luke: (Mimicking) It’s just that…
Logan: (Blushes) Stop! Don’t do that.
Luke: Okay…
Logan: Can we go now? Please?
Luke: Fine. Fine.
(Luke rubs his temple)
After we check out that store.
Logan: What? Uh… fine… just make fast, okay? Mother and Father might come home any moment now. They might get worried.
Luke: (Chuckles) Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. This will be fast. Don’t be such a worrywart.
(Both of them check out the store that Luke wanted to see. It was a dessert bar, and delicious desserts were showcased by the window.)
Luke: (Glee) Cakes! Logan, look at those desserts! Delicious!
Logan: Yes, I know that it is. But those things won’t end. It won’t die.
Luke: Can’t you at least be fun?
Logan: (Scoffs) You are just wasting time. If you do not want to leave, fine. I can go home by myself.
Luke: Really? Can you?
Logan: Yes. I am not afraid.
Luke: Really? What if something happens to you? What is someone suddenly jumps on you? What will you do?
Logan: I’ll run. I run fast. Or shout for help.
Luke: What if it is a….
Logan: A what?
Luke: (Spooky) A ghost! Or Werewolves! Or a Vampire!
(Luke spookily reaches out to Logan)
Logan: (Scared) Eeep! Luke, it’s not funny. Stop it! Stop!
(Logan falls to the ground and begins to cry)
I hate you! You are mean!
Luke: (Laughs) Hey, don’t cry. I was just kidding. It was a joke. That’s all, a joke.
Logan: Mean! That’s what you are!
Luke: I didn’t mean it! Please, stop crying. Don’t make a scene here.
Logan: No! I don’t care what other people say.
Luke: (Getting pissed off) Logan. I am giving you five seconds to stop crying.
Logan: No!
Luke: 5…4…3…
(Logan stops crying and looks at Luke)
Logan: Okay.
Luke: (Laughs) I cannot believe you were fooled! That’s what I like about you, Logan. You get tricked easily.
Logan: Shut it.
ACT I SCENE VIII
THE TOWN, ROAD
(Luke and Logan started to walk back home, but when they were near the Logarthim household, they saw a person in the ground.)
Logan: (Tugs Luke’s clothes) Luke! Look, a person! In the snow!
(Both of them run to the person on the ground)
Logan: (Worried) Is he dead? Please let him not be dead. I do not want to see someone dead.
Luke: (Examines) I think not. I think this person is just unconscious.
(Luke bends down and feels the pulse of the person.)
Luke: He’s still alive! Alive! Logan, do not fret, he’s still alive!
Logan: Then what should we do?
Luke: Help him, of course! Why, a person should help another in times of crisis.
Logan: Where should we take him?
Luke: In your household! That is correct. In your household!
Logan: What? Why mine? Why not yours?
Luke: That is because your household is the nearest from here. Also, my parents are not in out household yet. I cannot bring a stranger inside it. They would go ballistic.
Logan: What about mine? My father isn’t home yet. I also cannot bring a stranger inside my household!
Luke: What about your mother? Is she home?
Logan: I do not know. But I think so.
Luke: Then it’s settled. We bring this stranger inside your household. Your mother would help anyone. So I am sure she won’t get angry.
Logan: Hmm. I guess so. You do have a point.
Luke: (Points at the stranger) Then don’t just stand there. Help me get this stranger inside your household.
Logan: But I am only three.
Luke: Age does not matter when you are going to help.
Logan: But I cannot carry. That person might be heavy for me.
Luke: Fine! I’ll carry him by myself. Just help by opening the gate and the front door.
Logan: Okay.
(Logan looks at the person, that is now helped up by Luke.)
Don’t worry stranger! We are here to help you!
(Luke and Logan then began to walk towards the household, with the stranger being helped up by Luke)
ACT I SCENE IX
LOGARTHIM HOUSEHOLD, FOYER
(Logan and Luke bring the stranger inside the household, placing the stranger in a chair, that faced the fireplace.)
Logan: Now what do we do?
Luke: The person is cold. His temperature must go high. If not he’ll die of coldness.
Logan: (Thinks) Warm… a blanket. That is it. We must give him a blanket! That will make him warm.
Luke: Do you have anymore wood? It is becoming cold here.
(Luke checks sees that the fireplace was low on wood and the fire is dying)
Wood. We need wood. Do you have wood?
Logan: (Points at the backyard.) Yes. We have. It’s at the backyard. Near the bench.
Luke: That will do good. I shall get some. I will be back.
(Luke leaves leaving Logan to tend to the stranger. After Luke left, Julia, the mother of Logan, blonde, and purple eyed, enters the room.)
Julia: (Confused) What is going on? Why is Luke stressed out? Did you two do something that you shouldn’t do?
Logan: (Softly) Mother… we brought a stranger inside the house. He is hurt, and needs to be taken care of. We couldn’t leave him outside and possibly die. He needs help.
Julia: (Shocked) A stranger! Inside our house!
Logan: Yes, mother. A stranger is inside our house. But he needs help. Please help us help him.
Julia: Of course. What does he need? Tell me… I will give it.
Logan: Luke says that he is cold. He went out to get wood. He needs a blanket. That would make him warm.
Julia: A blanket! The needed object in times of winter. I shall get one, do not leave the poor fellow, okay? If something happens, call out. I am only one call away.
(Julia leaves in a hurry, and Luke returns with a handful of wood in his hands.)
Luke: (Panting.) Is this enough?
(Luke brings the wood down to the floor and gasps for breath(
Because if it is not, I could get some more.
Logan: (Concerned) No, no. This is enough. This is enough. Sit down and relax, Luke. I do not want you to be hurt as well. Relax. I’ll take it from here.
Luke: You sure? ‘Cause I could still help.
Logan: Yes. I shall take it from here.
(Logan examines the wood that Luke got, he touches one but drops it.)
Luke: (Concerned) Logan! What is it? What is wrong?
Logan: It is cold. The wood is cold.
Luke: What? All of it?
(Logan touches all and shakes his hand)
Logan: Yes. All of it.
Luke: (Disappointed) Blast it! How are we supposed to help him now?
Logan: I got it! I could do it now.
Luke: What do you mean? What are you going to do now?
Logan: Watch me.
(Logan carries the wood and throws it into the fireplace. He points his hand.)
Logan: (Shouts) Erif!
(A fire bolt comes out of his finger and hits the wood, the fire inside the fireplace gets high and it warms everything inside.)
Luke: (Amazed) Whoa. Did you just-
Logan: (Glee) Yes. I did it! I created a fire bolt!
(Julia then returns, with a blanket in her hand and a glass of warm water)
Julia: Logan, was that you? Did you shout that?
Logan: (Timidly) Yes, mother. I shouted.
Julia: (Proud) My boy! You really are a magic user! I am proud of you!
Logan: Thank you, mother.
(The stranger then wakes up, and is surprised to see the three)
Stranger: (Confused) Where am I? What is this place? Who are you?
Julia: (Calmly) You are awake. That is good. You are inside my household, and my son and his friend found you. They said that you were lying in the snow, unconscious, they brought you here to make you feel warm and safe. Here a blanket, to keep you warm.
(Julia gives the blanket to the stranger, who shakily takes it.)
You can stay here as long as you want.
Stranger: (Bowing) Thank you. I owe my life to all of you.
(He began to point at them)
Julia. The faithful wife and loving mother.
Luke. The strong lad and full of power.
(He slowly pointed at Logan and grinned)
Logan. Powerful yet humble. You are a child that everyone would want. You are perfect, my boy. Perfect. Oh your eyes. Pretty but mysterious. Logan, do you see everything?
Logan: (Giggles) Of course. I can see everything. I can see the beauty of the world!
Stranger: (Smirks) Of course, you can. But do you see anything beyond that? The other things?
Logan: No. What do you mean beyond that? Is there something I cannot see yet?
Stranger: Well, you will know at the proper time. Trust me.
(Julia then interrupts)
Julia: Would you like to stay here? It is already cold outside. Or do you have a place to stay at? If not, you could stay here.
Stranger: Is that okay with you?
Julia: (Smiles) Of course. I will just prepare the guest room. Logan and Luke, treat him with respect. He is no longer a stranger, but a friend. You may talk to him but do not ask him too much.
Stranger: No, it is okay. They can ask whatever they want. I want them to learn after all. Children must learn, we should not rob their rights to learn.
Julia: Yes. That is true.
Logan: Do not worry mother. We will not ask too much.
Julia: Alright. I shall leave you now, I need to prepare the room and make dinner.
Stranger: What about your husband? Is he coming home?
Julia: Yes. Yes, he will. He is just busy, after all he is the captain of the knights in this land. He will come home any moment from now.
Stranger: (Nods) Okay. Thank you for letting me stay here.
Julia: No worries.
(Julia leaves the room. The three stare at each other for a little while)
When you think of Thor, you don’t usually think “Mr. Personality” two seconds later. That spot is hotly contested by Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man (who blurs the distinction between actor and character) and Chris Evans’ Captain America (whose boy-next-door appeal is amplified by well-written screenplays). Hey, at least Chris Hemsworth’s got abs, right?
Since the first Thor movie was released in 2011, Marvel Studios has faced the tall task of presenting the Odinson as a pop culture icon and marketable persona. A daunting challenge, indeed: how do you take the Avenger lifted from your college professor’s mythology lectures, and craft him into a cinematic figure that can sell action figures?
Marvel responded, “By making him funny, of course.” Problem is, they might have gone overboard with it.
Compared to the first two installments of the franchise, Thor: Ragnarok throws caution out into the cosmos, adds an extra dose of Hemsworth hotness (literally and figuratively), and makes absolutely no pretense about what it attempts to be. If, earlier this year, Spider-Man: Homecoming had carved its niche as a teen movie, the third Thor film is equally adamant about its identity as an all-out comedy. Indeed, there is a nine-realm distance between the Shakesperean drama of director Kenneth Branagh’s Thor 1, and the disarming, almost humor of Taika Waititi’s Ragnarok.
All things considered, Mr. Waititi made the right call to let Chris go full Hemsworth. By all accounts, the Australian actor flaunts not just a six-pack but a humungous funny bone. From his opening banter with fire-lord Surtur (watch out for Thor’s very first punchline—a twist on the phrase “son of Odin”) to his brotherly dynamic with Loki, Hemsworth unleashes a confident, charismatic performance for the ages. (In contrast, it is somehow disappointing that Tom Hiddleston’s Loki is just...kind of there. It’s almost as if the script intentionally downplayed the God of Mischief so that Thor could finally outshine him.)
And of course...Hulk. As good as Hemsworth was, the combination of CGI cheats and Mark Ruffalo’s sensibility might have allowed Hulk to give an even more SMASHING performance. Ever since the first Avengers film, Marvel die-hards have known that the not-too-friendly rivalry between Thor and Hulk is still simmering. In Ragnarok, there is a load of laughs every time these two argued, consoled, and, um, lied to each other (in the case of Thor).
Then the jokes just went on...and on...and, wait a minute. I thought this was supposed to be about the Norse apocalypse?
The reality was: there was too much comedy. As in, Scary Movie-levels of camp. Sure, I can tolerate Asgardians being showered with goo when Thor returns via Bifrost bridge. But when the main villain Hela, brought to life by the epic Cate Blanchett, is given lines with the same style of humor as Thor, you begin to cringe. When almost the entire cast—from Benedict Cumberbatch’s Dr. Strange to Karl Urban’s Skurge—speaks as though they were in a Saturday Night Live-skit, you roll your eyes repeatedly. When Jeff Goldblum, who is supposed to have a showstopping performance as the oddball Grandmaster, fails to stand out and becomes just another overbearing persona, you groan. When characters “forget” the high stakes of the surrounding events (like, I don’t know, death and destruction), you facepalm with the force of Mjolnir.
And the reason why Thor and co. seemingly gloss over the seriousness of some scenes is...well, the script glosses over it, too. The biggest problem with Ragnarok is that it sacrifices pace and story-telling for comedy. I am trying very hard not to get to spoiler-territory, but all I can say is, the screenplay hit fast forward on scenes that should have had emotional weight. Scenes that portray long-brewing tension, intense loss, and tremendous sacrifice. Even sequences that would have showed movie logic (like, why did this character decide to work with this character, when said characters were at odds just moments ago?) were inappropriately sped up.
I realize that I haven’t talked about Valkyrie—the heavily praised female lead—yet. I’m not sure if her character’s redemptive arc (from alcoholic scavenger to comebacking defender of Asgard) was given enough justice. Sure, Tessa Thompson seems poised to take her place in the looming MCU women’s revolution (which will be joined by The Wasp, Captain Marvel, and Black Widow shortly). But, as with other key facets of this film’s narrative, Valkyrie’s plot thread was overshadowed by the humor that was trying too hard.
It doesn’t take a Jane Foster to realize that Marvel wanted Thor to emulate the aesthetic of Guardians of the Galaxy. In a good way, we can blame director James Gunn for the color palette, soundtrack (hello, Immigrant Song), and yes, even the humor of Ragnarok. But what we have to realize is that Gunn made two Guardians films. The first one came out in 2014, and became the blockbuster out of Knowhere. The second one was released last May, and I’m still not sure if the disappointing effort in the follow-up should be blamed on Gunn or Marvel executives. So to put things in perspective, let me sum it up like this: Ragnarok was more Guardians 2 than Guardians 1.
Rating: 6.5 stars out of 10
by B
August left him in bed
with tear-stained pillows and a
tangled mess of yesterday's memories
Relatively, his sobs
walked beside the shadow that
followed through dimly lit streets then
Came along a Harold
polished grin at the center of
embraced nights and desk covered smiles
It was once a voice that your head listened to
You knew it had truth but you never took it to be true
It was just an idea that you easily shrugged off
You refused to believe that it is something you'd be an example of
You used to believe that there is beauty in everything
Looked forward to the rainbow after every storm
You thought yourself to be lucky
Despite the mundane days that you had to go by
Now that voice is your belief
And you're screaming to be let out
Now you're trapped with no escape
And you're thinking what you did to be blamed
Some days life gives you a reason
Helps you to smile through the pain
But most days it robs you
As if you were a thief who did not deserve to be given a treat
All you could have was a taste
And in return you were faced with consequence
All you could think was how fake happiness was
And how it was all just an illusion you believed
But you see them with their smiles
Their faces so bright and filled with cheer
But you stand by and hear their laughter
A sound was nothing but a genuine melody
You realize your mistake
Happiness was not fake
You could see it as you look through their lives
You just weren't lucky to be them and have that kind of life.
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