Episode 4.11 - Greystone (Season Finale)

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Healy A Beyond the Dark production Season 4 Episode 11 Greystone Just down this way. Here, stop at the edge of the clearing. We should have a good view from this vantage point. Here, Amber. Let me help you. Oh, thanks. And here it is. Greystone, as promised. Well, I can't believe we're finally here. Quite the sight, isn't it? Just like Christina's sketch. That's it, all right. Wow, it's exactly like I saw in my vision. You clearly have a strong connection to Argus. A little too strong at times. Don't start that again, Daniel. Um, is there a problem? No, it's fine. Go on, go ahead, tell him. About what? I just have a few concerns about Amber's state of mind. It's not even her fault. I think it's just a reaction to Argus's presence, and the fact she's been trying to reach him with her thoughts. Remember last night when she mistakenly saw her sister outside the gas station? Yes, I remember. Like I keep saying, I don't know if that was Jenny or not. It just looked a lot like her. Now Daniel is worried that Argus has gotten to me. Well, if Argus has managed to compromise your thoughts, that's certainly a problem. Even just a single moment of hesitation could be enough to give him the edge down there. If we're not 100% committed... I'm committed. And Daniel, you already said you trusted me. I do. But if Roderick is going to be risking his neck, he needs to know what he's getting himself into. I'm aware of the danger that Argus represents. and I choose to continue just the same. And for what it's worth, I trust you as well, Amber. Thank you, Roderick. And you, Daniel. It's going to take all three of us to prevail here today. That's the only thing of which I'm truly certain. So, what's the plan? I imagine, since there are three of us, that Argus won't want us getting close to him. It will likely prove hard to repel all of us at once. For that reason, I believe he'll send his hollow skins against us first. In the tunnels? Yes, most likely. That's a comforting thought. All those creepy bastards lurking down there in the darkness. How do we deal with them? Well, we... have to kill them, obviously. Wait a second. Those aren't shadows down there. They're people. Or at least, they were. Any trace of humanity that might have lingered within them has long since evaporated, as you well know. Yeah, but... Daniel! There is no other way. We must kill them. I guess. How many do you think we're talking about? Maybe a dozen or more. They outnumber us four to one. Do we have any hope at all against that many? There are limits to what Argus is capable of doing, whilst in control of a holoskin, especially when he's manipulating that many at once. He won't be able to execute complex maneuvers. Their attacks will be brutal, but clumsy. Slow. How do you know that? Well, because I've observed them at length. I've taken extensive notes. No offense, Roderick, but those notes won't mean shit when we're in the thick of battle. Unfortunately, there's nothing more I can offer in this case. Then I guess it will have to do. Indeed. Now, what kind of weapons do we have at our disposal? I have my axe. I guess it'll dispatch humans and shadows alike, if it comes to that. And the same with my short sword. What about you, Amber? I have my .22, and that's about it. A handgun? Small caliber, yeah, but it might come in handy. How many rounds do you have? Just a single magazine, so ten rounds, I think. That few. What were you expecting, Roderick? Rambo? It's not like I'm packing my own private arsenal here. Rambo? What on earth is that? Rambo First Blood. But you never saw it. It was a movie. Came out a couple years back. Oh, a movie. No, I don't watch those. Anyway, the point is, I only have a few rounds. I mean, it's better than nothing, at least. I would suggest you conserve your ammunition. Allow Daniel and myself to take care of things as best we can. You just be ready to pick off any stragglers that we might miss. I don't have much choice. Not unless we find another sword or axe lying around. So, we get down into the tunnels and take out any holoskins who come our way. What happens after that? Well, before we go on, there's another matter we need to talk about. Obviously, by now, you must know that the shadows bring darkness with them wherever they go. You mean they have the ability to kill the lights? Oh, yeah. We've seen them pull that number plenty of times by now. Once we reach the tunnels, our flashlights will be as good as useless. Luckily, I've developed a novel solution to this problem. Here in my pocket, I've brought... Let me guess. Glow sticks? Ah. Why, yes. Yeah, we made the same discovery as you. Here, I've got a whole stack of them in the backpack. A clever pair, aren't you? I must admit, my life was a lot harder before these things were invented. Uh, here. Put one around each of your necks. We'll keep these others handy so that we can illuminate the tunnels at regular intervals as we proceed. Okay, we've got the darkness problem sorted. Do we head straight for the main chamber once we've got our bearings? I think that would be unwise, Daniel. We don't want the holoskins coming up behind us while we're trying to confront Argus in his chamber. That could put us in a very bad situation. So we'll have to go through the tunnels systematically, seeking out and destroying any holoskins we find? Yes, I believe that would be the best course of action. How confident are you in navigating those tunnels, Roderick? Do you think we'll be able to find our way through? Shit! What? Guys? Guys, I'm in the tunnels. Daniel, can you hear me? What are you doing here? Argus. Get out of my chambers. I said get out! Fuck. Amber, are you okay? You look as white as a ghost. I had another vision. I saw him. August. Yeah. I was down there. Under Greystone. Did he say anything? He just told me to get out, like always. He was angry, like I caught him off guard or something. That's it? It all happened so fast. It was over in a heartbeat, and I saw the throne. The wooden one? But everything looked weird. What do you mean, Amber? Argus's body wasn't normal. There were tendrils sneaking out of it all over the place, and they looked like they were fused to the armrests of the throne and even the wall behind him. What? I'm not following. Yeah, I'm not sure I understand it either. Perhaps it was just an illusion of some kind within the vision. I don't know. I can't explain it. In any case, I think the time for talking is at an end. We should push on before Argus has any more time to prepare. I'm ready. Yeah, me too. Let's do this. All right. Let us see what awaits us beneath Greystone. That's Shopify.nl. It time to see what you can accomplish with Shopify by your side Starting a business can be overwhelming You juggling multiple roles designer marketer logistics manager all while bringing your vision to life Shopify helps millions of business sell online. Build fast with templates and AI descriptions and photos, inventory and shipping. Sign up for your one euro per month trial and start selling today at shopify.nl. That's Shopify.nl It's time to see what you can accomplish with Shopify by your side Starting a business can be overwhelming You're juggling multiple roles Designer, marketer, logistics manager All while bringing your vision to life Shopify helps millions of business sell online Build fast with templates and AI descriptions and photos Inventory and shipping Sign up for your 1 euro per month trial And start selling today at Shopify.nl That's shopify.nl It's time to see what you can accomplish with Shopify by your side Argus didn't bother to lock the front door Physical security is not a primary concern around here That staircase, over there? Lidding down? Is that... Yes. That's the entrance to the tunnels. Keep an eye out on all sides. They could come at us from anywhere. Cracker glow sticks, guys. Let's get some illumination going. Watch your step. Here we go. Which way? Let's do this systematically. Left to right. Hang on, hang on. Let me... let me toss some glow sticks around, yeah? And... Okay, left tunnel. Let's start there. What do you see? Can we... get a couple more glow sticks over here? These look like sleeping pallets. Ugh. It... God, it stinks in here. This must be where the Holoskins come to... sleep, I guess? Yes. Although they're guided by Argus's vast intellect, the Holoskins are still bound by their human physiology. They must eat, drink, and sleep to maintain some semblance of health. I only see four pallets here. Does that mean he only has four Holoskins? I imagine there are other chambers down here, much like this one. Well, no point hanging around here. Let's try the next tunnel. Right. This way. How are we doing with our glow stick supply, Amber? Still a few left. Oh, and I'm picking up the ones from the first tunnel since we won't need to go back that way. We can reuse them and... Hear that? Footsteps. I hear voices. As do I. They are coming. Shit. Get ready. Which way? I don't know. The echo in these damn tunnels is... Stand firm. Stand together. Look out! Roderick, behind you! Don't worry! I've got it! Thank you. There's more. Over there. Fuck! Is that it? Is that all? No, look. One more. There. No, wait. Guys, stop. It's... It's her. Christina? Jenny? Sis? Oh my God. It is you. Oh, thank God you came. What the devil is going on here? It's an illusion, just like we talked about. Argus is fucking with Amber's head again. Just hang on a second, Daniel, okay? Let's just get to the bottom of this. Please, don't kill me. Shut the fuck up. Amber, please listen to me. That is not your sister. She's right there. I can see her with my own two eyes. I know you think you see Jenny, but... There's nothing you can do, Daniel. Just step back. Step back? Are you fucking crazy? It's out of our hands. Amber, if you can just give me a second, I can explain everything. You'll see. You'll all see. How is this possible, Jen? How can you be here? I know it seems crazy, but there is an explanation. If there's one thing I've learned in the last few months, it's that this is a goddamn crazy world. There are things going on that I could never have imagined, Amber. And I'll bet you never realized either about all the- No, don't talk in circles like that, Jen. Not to me. You're still upset about the phone call, aren't you? The argument we had the last time we spoke. No. I... no, that's not important now. I wanted to come home, Amber. To you and Mom and Dad. But I was in trouble, and I couldn't tell you the truth. What trouble? There were people in Colton who... well... She's stalling. You can just keep your mouth shut! You have no right to talk after what you've done to her! What? Jen, what do you mean? What has Daniel done? These two don't care about you, Amber. Don't tell me you haven't realized that by now. This wolf in sheep's clothing... Daniel. He's just hell-bent on getting revenge for what happened to his dad. Do you really think you're the first girl to saddle up behind him on that motorcycle? He's had plenty before you, and it always ends the same way. They get cast aside as soon as he's done with them. That's bullshit! And this other one, Roderick. He's just a broken old man, too scared to face his demons alone. When push comes to shove, they'll turn his back on you and run. Mark my words. Jen, wait a second. They're both users. They'll chew you up and spit you out. I'm the only one you can really trust. No, no, that's not true. You have the gun, Amber. You're in control. What? Go on! Use it! Protect me and protect yourself. Before it's too late. No, I can't shoot Daniel and Roderick. Then I'll do it. Here. Wait! Amber, don't give her the gun. There. That wasn't so hard, was it? Jen, stop. This isn't right. Get out of the way, Amber. I can finish it right now. Hold on for a second. I won't hurt you, sis. I would never do that. Jen, just stop! We have a problem here, okay? A couple, in fact. We do? Yeah. The first one is... well, you and me went to shooting ranges a bunch of times over the years. Remember when Dad used to take us? Yeah, of course. And in all that time, I never once saw you hold a pistol in your right hand. Like you're doing now. You are left-handed, Jen. What? That's not... I mean, I was left-handed a long time ago, but... And the second problem, there are no bullets left in that magazine. I already used them all. What? No! Roderick, hand me that sword of yours. Uh, of course. Here. Come on, sis. Don't do this. God damn you for making me do this, Orgas. It's not really her. It's not her. Amber, don't do this. Sis? I'm glad of one thing, at least. I'm glad you reminded me of the phone call. That night, I should have listened to her. Jenny just wanted to be free, that's all. And because I was so damn selfish, I couldn't let her go. I couldn't give her what she wanted. But I can give it to you, Christina. I can set you free. Oh, God. Come here. Amber. It's over. I'm so sorry. I've got you. It's okay. I'm so sorry. It's done. I'm sorry. The sword, Amber. Here. Take it. That was no easy thing you just did, my friend. Quite the contrary. I can't say for certain that should our roles have been reversed, I'd have overcome it. But you did. You've taken the worst that Argus can throw at you and prevailed. That a feat few have ever managed I should have seen through it from the start His illusions are powerful even for one with a mind as strong as yours Are you okay to go on, Amber? I understand if you want to stay here. No. No, I am not backing out now. We still have work to do. Just... just let me in. Amber, maybe you should stay away from the body, huh? Now that she's dead, it doesn't even look like Jenny. Not one bit. The illusion has been dispelled. Come on, leave her. It's done with. Yeah. Yeah, I'm okay. Really. Let us finish our sweep of the tunnels as quickly as we can, to make sure there are no more Holoskins lurking in wait. Then, we must go and find him. Is that everything? Are we done? Yes. There is only one place left. The final chamber. It's through those doors. So... this is it, huh? Is everyone ready? Once we proceed through those doors, there's no turning back. Ready. Let's go. Can't see a damn thing. Amber, we need glow sticks. Yeah, on it. Oh shit! There's no need for that. Here, let me help you. Welcome, Nostrama. I've been waiting for you. Now that's a first. A shadow turning on the lights? Come closer, won't you? My god. Look at him. You were right, Amber. Those tendrils you saw in your vision. What the fuck? I think he's... I think he's tethered himself to that throne of his. Yes. Fused to the throne by that ghastly webbing. Oh, magnificent, isn't it? Do you like what you see? Come on, he's just sitting there defenseless. This is our chance. Wait, Daniel. Just because he can't move or strike out with his fists doesn't mean we've got this one. It's his mind that's dangerous. Don't listen to her, Daniel. Come forward. Don't be afraid. It's over, Argus. Your hollow skins are dead, so you can wipe that stupid fucking smile off your face. It's over, you say? No, I don't think so. In fact, this is all playing out beautifully. The three of you standing here at my feet, just as I intended. Aw, you're going to pretend you're winning, huh? That's right. How many years did you spend recruiting and conditioning those hollow skins, Argus? And now you've lost them. Why would I want them when I can have you? Three Nostroma ready to become my newest companions. Oh, imagine what the Vesperene will think of that when they see it. Dragisa and her pathetic siblings will finally understand how immense my power truly has become. You're just another shadow to us, Argus. You're not the first we've killed, and you won't be the last. That's where you're wrong, Daniel. I'm not like them. Not at all. I'm transforming myself, you see. I'm becoming something greater. The webbing. I understand now. It's a cocoon. I don't give a shit. Let's just take him down. I'm with Danu. The longer we wait, the... He's attacking us. With his mind. God, it hurts. Don't lose consciousness. If you do... It's over! All right, you piece of shit. Let's see how tough you really are. That's it, Daniel. Keep hacking at that cocoon. Daniel! He's down! We have to help him! No! No! Concentrate on Argus! We must get to Argus. Can you reach him? There's a hole in the ground. I can see skin. Stay back from me, you witch. I got him. He's bleeding. Get off me! She got you good, didn't she, old friend? I can feel you weakening. No! Stay back! Stay back from me! You should have killed me all those years ago when you had the chance. No! I won't allow this! You are mine, Argus. Now and forever. I will have you. Think about that while you burn in hell. What the hell? Daniel? You alright? What's going on? It's over, Daniel. Argus is dead. What? Hell. I pierced his body with my conduit. It is done. Amber. Hey, are you okay? Oh, I have a killer fucking headache again. Yeah, me too. But the good news is, we're still alive. What happened? Roderick managed to land the fatal blow by the looks of it. Wait, we got him? Argus is down? I would consider it a team effort. We all contributed. But he's still there. Argus's body hasn't turned to ash. My conduit doesn't immolate the shadows, Amber. My power over them is not the same as Daniel's. How does that even work? As I've explained before, we in Astrama each react to the shadows in our own way. Amber is able to make them bleed when she touches them. You can turn them to ash with a conduit and sense bloodlust when they feed. And me? Well, my power lies somewhere in between. I can kill them with my conduit but not turn them to ash. and I too have a vague sense of blood lust, although not as well-honed as yours, it would seem. So Argus is... What are you doing there, Roderick? A medical examination. You're chopping up the corpse to study it? Yes, while I have the chance. This is an incredibly rare opportunity. Once the shadows die, there's only a window of a few short minutes before their bodies begin to dissolve. Shortly thereafter, they become nothing more than a puddle of slowly evaporating liquid. His blood is all over the place. We could use it to create more conduits. You could do, but I don't see any weapons lying around here, do you? What about upstairs? Maybe there's a kitchen. If you're going to do it, do it quickly. His body won't last long. I have my .22 here. What about that? No. Bullets can't be used as conduits. there needs to be a physical link between the Nostrama and the Shadow when the conduit is activated. The moment those bullets leave the chamber of the gun, the connection is lost, and... Oh, God. I'm sorry, but I need to concentrate here. I don't have much time. What exactly are you hoping to find digging around in that corpse? Oh, well, whatever I can. With a specimen like Argus, well, he was a unique creature, if ever there was one. I... What's happening? Ah, there we go. The putrefaction has begun. The window is closed. His whole body is melting That kind of gross Roderick you have Argus blood all over you It on your face and everything Oh Oh my apologies It is a grisly business isn it I need to find somewhere to clean up. Not down here, obviously. Yeah, if it's all the same to you, I'd like to get out of here and see some daylight again. Understandable. Although I will probably linger a little longer to clean things up. Clean things up how? I intend to burn this mansion to the ground, along with the bodies of the Holoskins. Perhaps knock down the entrance to this den, entombing the remains forever. With any luck, no one will ever set foot down here again. What was he becoming, Roderick? Do you know? I haven't seen anything like that in the compendium. Or anywhere else, for that matter. Truth be told, I don't really know either, Amber. I've never encountered the like of it in all my years walking amongst the shadows. Perhaps this is something new, never before witnessed in recorded history. Do you think there could be more like him out there? More shadows and cocoons? Maybe not exactly like him, but there are others just as strange and just as dangerous. I have no doubt about that. Was Argus the most dangerous you've ever come across, do you think? Hmm. If not the most dangerous, he was very close. The bastard sure was confident. I got the impression he thought we wouldn't be able to hurt him at all. Slightly overconfident, I would say. Perhaps he thought these changes he was undergoing would somehow make him impervious to our attacks. Once I've gone over my findings here, hopefully I'll be able to understand it all a little better. Just make sure to keep us in the loop, okay? It's your luck to know what was really going on down here. Most certainly. What do you say, Daniel? Should we head outside? It feels... stuffy in here, all of a sudden. Do you want us to wait for you, Roderick? Me? No. It may take some time for me to finish my business here, I'm afraid. Best if you go on your way. I'll catch up to you. Are you going to be staying longer in Oakwood? No. My business here is concluded, so I'll be moving on. How long have you lived here in town? Lived here? No, I only arrived a few days ago. I came when I sensed your presence, Daniel. And yours, Amber. The combination of two powerful Nostrama like yourselves is a beacon that someone like me can see from afar. I assumed you'd lived here for years, considering your history with Argus. I was here many years ago, yes, but only for a short time. When he defeated me, I left town immediately and haven't returned until now. So, where can we find you once you've left? Never fear, Amber. Our paths will cross again soon, I think. You certainly haven't seen the last of me. There's still so much we need to ask you, so much we need to learn. There will be time, I promise. I will pass on everything I know in due course. But for now, let's not be concerned about that. We've achieved a great victory here today, my friends. Let's celebrate it. Enjoy it while you can. Sounds good to me. There's, um, still one last thing we need to do, Daniel, before we celebrate. If that's okay with you? Sure. What is it? It's back in Oakwood. One last stop before we leave town for good. Daniel, Amber, what on earth happened to you? You look like you've been through hell. Hi, Grace. You're not far wrong. Is everything all right? It is now. We came to hand back Christina's diary. Here it is, as promised. Oh, thank you. I hope it helped. It did. You found something, didn't you? Something to do with Christina. Yeah. Yeah, we found something. Well, why don't you come in and I'll fix you something while we talk. No, that's okay, Grace. Thank you for the offer, but we really can't stay long. All right, if you say so. Well, what did you find out there? Something terrible, wasn't it? Yeah, it was. Something worse than you can imagine. What was it? I don't know if we can even explain it to you, Grace. This thing was embedded deep within the community. Its hooks were in everything. But at the same time, it was insidious. Practically invisible. There were others affected by it? Many people, yes. Others like... like my Christina? Yeah. What happened to my baby girl? She succumbed to it, Grace. She lost herself in it. Where... where is she now? She's... she's finally at peace. Did she suffer? I'd be lying if I said I knew. All I can say is that the end came fast. Well, that's something at least. Wish we had better news for you. I'm sorry. Don't apologize, no. I won't hear it. Not from you two. You've done more for me than everyone else here in Oakwood put together. I thank you for that. Yeah. The air is different out here tonight somehow. Don't you think? I guess that sounds crazy to you. No, no, it's not. We know exactly what you mean. Take care, Amber. Daniel. And good luck to you, wherever your travels might lead you. Same to you, Grace. I hope it brings you comfort to know that Christina is finally at rest. Yes, I'm sure it will. You okay? No, but... That had to be done. She was right. We did a good thing for her. For Christina, too. I know it might not seem like it when you think back to what happened, but... Yeah, I know. I had to do it. It was the only way to release Christina from that hell she was trapped in. And... What about Jenny? I think... I finally managed to let her go. I'm ready to move on. That's good to hear. I'm glad, Amber. But right now, I think what I need is a good night's sleep. And then tomorrow... Yeah? Tomorrow, I'll be ready. Ready for what? Somewhere, out there. More shadows are waiting. What do you say, Daniel? Let's find out where the road takes us next. Hey listeners, this is Mark R. Healy here to let you know that you've reached the end of The Road to Shadows Season 4. Thanks to my amazing cast again this season. Hamish Bludgemars as Daniel and Marta DeSilva as Amber. Liz Morrie as Dragisa. Joseph Tweedale as Roderick. Chloe Elmore as Grace. Larry O'Blander as Argus. Sean Luxford as Vicky. Cameron Alexis as Christina Thomas Barker as Steve and Alejandro Pedroza as Jeff This has been one of the most challenging seasons of Shadows that I've produced It's also been a lot of fun and I hope you enjoyed listening For those waiting eagerly to hear the next season Yes, it's coming, but it will take a little time There are a lot of elements to juggle From writing the script to casting Working with voice actors and their scheduling commitments Sound effects, music, audio production Marketing, working with advertisers, paying bills and account keeping for my audio production business, the list goes on. That's all being managed by one person, me. I do pretty much all of that. And I have to do that for multiple shows that I'm producing at any one time. So while you're waiting for the next season to arrive, please know that I am working as hard as I can. As you undoubtedly know by now, I'm largely dependent upon the community to help pay for my productions. And the expenses are considerable in a full cast audio drama like this one. Head over to patreon.com slash beyondthedark if you'd like to help me ensure that The Road to Shadows comes back for season five. You can also subscribe on Apple Podcasts, where you get all of my shows for free for just a few bucks a month. Thanks for listening and bye for now. The Fable and Falling Network, where fiction producers flourish. Ready with a range of 602 kilometers and virtually at the end of the month. Book now your guide on Ford.nl. Ready. Set. Ford.