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Survival Notorization
Operational Intelligence

A girl wanders the wilderness in confusion in order to survive, but the one tasked to save her has seldom been amenable to reason.
Characters
Old Huntsman
Backgrounds
Cabin
1
Forest
2
The Laterano Notarial Hall deploys Executor, an undertaker, to carry out a commission in Siracusa.
Executor finds an uncooperative Vermeil there, and in accordance with terms of the commission, takes her with him to Rhodes Island for treatment.
<Background black>
♪ Do you hear the thunderclap? ♪
♪ See the clouds blanket the peaks ♪
♪ Long forgotten faces, long forgotten things ♪
♪ Find the way back to Vermeil ♪
♪ Take me home ♪
♪ Bright red clouds ♪
<Background 1>
10:37 A.M. – Cloudy Skies
Siracusa Low Catastrophe Sector – Wilderness – Cabin in the Woods
Vermeil Hm...?
...
??? I heard you singing. There is no need to hide. I bear you no ill will.
Vermeil ...The headsmen all say that. But in the end, they draw blood.
??? Headsman? I am afraid I do not understand your wording. I represent the Laterano Notarial Hall—
Vermeil Shut up! You can’t fool me!
[Vermeil fires two arrows at the mysterious Sankta.]
Vermeil I gotcha!
??? You did not.
Vermeil Eeh?!
??? Pardon.
[Vermeil disappears after an explosion.]
??? Target escaped out the window. Quick response time.
Environment analyzed. Cured fowl meat, tanning bench, processed animal skins, worked with wooden tools and small knives.
Drop the bow. I am aware of your position, hiding behind the window.
I repeat, I bear you no ill will.
Vermeil —No way!
[Vermeil fires two more arrows at the mysterious Sankta.]
??? Your awareness of your surroundings is impressive.
Vermeil I'll turn you into a pincushion!
[Vermeil fires an arrow at the mysterious Sankta, but...]
Vermeil H-he caught it with his hand?
But... what the hell are you?!
[Vermeil runs away.]
??? As the report states, the heir is fickle, slow to trust, and difficult to communicate with.
<Background black>
The above is my last will and testament in its entirety.
However, I have one final, selfish request.
In the forests of Siracusa, I met a one-armed Vulpo girl.
She had long walked a single-minded path of revenge.
In my compassion, I gave her aid. While this may have hurt her pride, I found myself moved by her stubborn determination to live.
I later learned that the aid I gave her only strengthened her obsession with revenge, which left me uneasy.
I want to give her all that I have. Sadly, that is very little. Only a few sad heirlooms.
—Pardon the interruption, but there is no Vulpo on your list of kin. This will make our work rather difficult.
As such, this is but a petty request from a childless Laterano citizen on his deathbed.
<Background 2>
Vermeil ...
(I smell blood on him. And he gives me a nasty feeling...)
(Another fella coming to wreck up our homestead? Gross!)
[Footsteps are heard.]
Vermeil He took the bait!
??? I see. Another trap. There are trigger mechanisms all over.
Vermeil Listen up! You walked right into a hunter's trap. If you don't wanna die, hand over your weapons and don't move!
??? If that will aid communication, I will comply.
Vermeil Who are you?
??? I am an executor from the Laterano Notarial Hall, working as executor of this estate. You may call me "Executor."
Vermeil Laterano...?
Executor "Vermeil," you are the target of my mission.
Vermeil How do you know my name?
Executor Your name was given by the deceased, Mr. Dürrenmatt.
Vermeil I don't know any Dürrenmatt.
Executor For several reasons, he used a variety of aliases.
Vermeil Where do you wanna take me?
Executor In the interests of secrecy, I cannot say.
Vermeil ...Grr, you're full of it! You're gonna die here!
I'm not leaving. My mom, my dad, my uncle, my auntie, my friends, my people, they're all, all...
Executor My task is to bring only you.
Vermeil Shut up! Do you even know where you are?!
Executor I am in a situation in which I am unable to advance my mission.
Vermeil Hrmph. Anything that walks into this forest is our prey.
The bones you're standing on are all beasts and even worse people.
Executor I understand. The area around this base of operations was full of traps.
Pits, snares, landmines, triggered darts.
Rest assured, I have disarmed them all. The traps were of basic construction, but carried the possibility of injuring the object.
Vermeil ...
Executor Please, come with me.
Vermeil —! Stay back!
One step closer and I'll shoot you dead!
[Vermeil runs off into the bushes.]
Executor She escaped again.
<Flashback starts here>
<Background fades out>
Vermeil Hey, why did you save me?
Old Huntsman I'm a hunter too, after all.
How could I look past a respected colleague, short one arm and lying in a pile of her own guts next to a big old tusker?
Vermeil Hmph... You're no hunter. You can't fool me. I don't smell any dirt on you at all.
Old Huntsman Hah. I guess I can't. But when I saw you there, I was moved by how well a little one like you had conquered the wilderness. That's the truth.
Vermeil What do you mean?
Old Huntsman Just saying what comes to mind.
Vermeil What's the deal with the circle on your head? And the thingies on your back?
Old Huntsman Have you never seen a Laterano before, Little One?
Vermeil Hm?
Old Huntsman These are... I guess they're what's left of my homeland I walked away from.
Vermeil You can't ever clean off the dirt from your hometown.
Old Huntsman Maybe you're right. The short of it is, a lot's happened. Come, let's try to get you walking.
Let me put this on you.
Vermeil This... it's an arm? A metal arm? What a weird thing.
Old Huntsman A token of my respect for a child of the wilderness.
Vermeil You a carpenter? A metalworker?
Old Huntsman I learned all sorts of things in my old job.
Vermeil ...
...You saved me, so you can't be bad. I'm gonna need an arm to get my revenge. So thank you.
Old Huntsman Revenge, huh...? Well, I can't decide your fate for you.
But when you pull your bowstring on this arm, I hope you'll think about why it is we're alive, besides revenge.
If you don't think enough, you might just end up like me.
Vermeil I—
Old Huntsman I don't want to hear you say "I live for revenge." That's too cliche.
...Damn right. Totally played out.
<Flashback ends here>
<Background fades in>
Vermeil (Laterano... He said he's from Laterano...)
(It couldn't be...)
Ack! That hurts!
Executor It seems Mr. Dürrenmatt's assessment was correct.
Vermeil What?
Damn it, how long have you been hunting me?
Hey! Let me go!
Executor Stop resisting. I cannot hurt you, as you are the heir to this will.
This is a letter from the deceased.
Vermeil —!!
[Vermeil shoots Executor twice, but misses.]
Executor Why do you continue to resist?
Vermeil ...That's his scent. The letter has the scent of his blood. What did you do to him?!
Executor The journey from Laterano to this place was extremely long. It is not possible that any scent of the deceased remains.
Vermeil Answer me! Or I'll kill you!
Agh!
Executor First, I believe demonstrating the power differential at hand may aid in communication.
Second, out of respect for you as the heir, I will answer your question.
Mr. Dürrenmatt died on the operating table. It was not a peaceful passing. He suffered from an incurable disease.
Vermeil You—! Let go!
Executor Such was his choice.
Vermeil Hey! Wh-what are you doing?!
Executor Originium crystals have already pierced the skin. The infection continues to worsen.
Vermeil None of your business!
Executor If the object insists on rejecting her benefit, according to regulations, I am permitted to abandon the task.
But my client and my superiors issued a subordinating clause. I must execute it.
Vermeil —What the hell are you trying to do?
Executor "Let Vermeil live."
As this is a rather broad request, executing it will be quite complicated. It is my hope that you will cooperate.
Vermeil ...That's what he asked you to do?
Executor Correct. He sold all of his property, paid a number of additional fees, including those of the Notarial Hall, as well as the costs of your future medical treatment.
Vermeil But, why? I'm just some girl from the forest...
Executor He wants you to live.
Vermeil And I'm asking why!
Executor Because he believed that you deserve to live.
Now that the last will and testament have been executed, my work here is done.
Vermeil Wh...! When did you slip this to me—?!
Executor Before we proceed to the next phase, I must hear your reply.
"Do you want to live?"
Vermeil ...
Executor You need only answer: "Yes," or "no."
Our time is limited.
Vermeil I—
<Background black>
Hey, Mister, what am I supposed to call you?
—Executor. If you must call me something.
Thank you for accepting my request.
—It was the Notarial Hall's decision. I am merely executing my duties.
Hah, sure enough. And while you're looking for Vermeil, I have another little request.
—Depending on the nature of the request, I may reject your verbal appeal. I would prefer you submit it in written form to the Notarial Hall.
You're a real hardass, huh? Doesn't matter. It's just a little thing.
Don't tell her anything about my past, if you can. Make up some story. Tell her I died on the operating table.
—I do not understand the need for this request. Nor does it fit with the truth. You fled the Notarial Hall's justice for many years, and you shot dead...
Enough. What if I told you doing it this way would save you a lot of trouble in getting your job done?
—If in my judgment I agree with your assessment, I will consider your request.
<Background 1>
Vermeil ...So this Rhodes Island place, they can really cure this crazy disease?
Executor Medical science has yet to cure Oripathy. But they may be able to alleviate your suffering.
Considering what you did to the Ursus, I advice against continuing to act alone.
And it just happens that I must go to Rhodes Island on another matter.
Vermeil Are you asking me to go with you?
Executor I believe that would be most logical.
Vermeil Hmph. I refuse.
I still have a lot to do before I can leave here. I have to say goodbye to my people.
Executor It is dangerous here. Hatred does not end in compromise.
Vermeil Hmph... You sure know a lot.
I don't care what you know. Don't get in my way. I can still go to this Rhodes Island place even after I settle everything, can't I?
Executor Allow me to calculate.
Vermeil What?
Executor I must calculate if I have enough ammunition to deal with those fugitives when they find you again.
Vermeil Ammunition...? You mean you would go out into the barrens with me?!
Executor In accordance with your answer, you have been marked by the Notarial Hall as having accepted your inheritance.
However, the contents of the will have not been fully executed. I cannot allow you to expose yourself to such danger. This is my duty.
Vermeil I don't need your help! I'm used to being on my own—
Executor Furthermore, I believe you seek to compromise with me, and then seize the opportunity to escape.
Vermeil Ugh.
Executor There is no time to waste. Let us depart.
Vermeil Hey! I didn't say yes! I don't need some outlander to come and... Hey, wait! Where are you going? Do you even know the way?!
Executor Yes.
Vermeil Watch your feet, there's—
Executor I have disarmed the traps. Come with me.
Vermeil Aaah—Sooner or later, I'll show you, you weirdo—!
<Background black>
Please take good care of her, Mr. Executor. Really, it could be good for you too.
Don't give me that look. You know what I mean.
Get her out of that mud hole. Don't let her end up like me.
Justice? Maybe what I did was justified, Mister, if the Notarial Hall could find it in their hearts to forgive me.
But it still wouldn't be anything to cheer about. Honestly, it just makes life seem like a big joke.
Her. She's my legacy though.
My hopes and dreams.
May the Lord bless her and keep her.
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