The Captives of Thought

'"Eat must.... or else die we might." -Tween Thorns to Teagan'

The Captives of Thought is the first episode of the first series of LEGEND (hereafter refered to as Legendary). Legendary was a series of episodic films who scripts were written by Hailey Stillman.

Synopsis
Seeking the only cure that can save those closest to them, a group of four teenagers plungest headlong into the search for the source of a fast spreading and deadly disease. The solution may very well be the end of all they know, or the begginning to something they never before imagined. But will they be strong enough to know the difference?

Plot
Opening scene shows a man in religious clothing bringing flowers to a woman writhing in agony in her bed. He looks at their stone faced daughter and tells her to remain strong in her faith. On the way out he starts to press against his temples and then collapses to the ground. The daughter runs up to him in fear. Church bells ring. A teenage girl is passing by on the street, pick pocketing as she goes. She hurries up to the church as a woman in religious clothing posts a sign on the church window. The girl stops to read the sign: TWO THOUSAND PIECES FOR A CURE. She tears off the sign and runs off. Beckett is sitting on his bed, crying, when Alanis appears. She at first doesn't notice but then quickly realizes and asks him why he's crying. Beckett replies that his younger sister (Elma) has died. Alanis sits down to comfort him when the aforementioned teenage girl (Sasa) bursts in and shows the paper to them. She comments on how rich a reward it would be, and Alanis tells her that it's even richer a reward to be deemed a hero. Beckett tells them that they're both wrong. They look to him for an explanation, and he tells them that you're even richer to have the ones you love still with you. He uses Teagan as an example, mentioning sorrowfully that her mother passed on. Sasa and Alanis look at each other silently for a moment, and then burst out of the room. Beckett remains until Alanis comes back in and drags him out by the arm. Teagan is walking down a rocky path to the forest when Sasa, Alanis and Beckett run up to her and stop her. Alanis reminds her that no one who has gone into the forest returned. Teagan says, "What other choice do I have? I've scoured every other place for a cure. My mother's been dead for a week- my father just died! Do you want me to sit blindly while everyone else searches for a cure?" Sasa sarcastically remarks that there is no cure, and Teagan tells her there always is one. She begins to storm off when she runs into a handsome stranger who asks her where he can find the High Priest of the town. Teagan tells him he's late by an hour or so. He asks her what she means and she replies that he's dead. He stares, dumbfounded, and she angrily pushes him out of the way and keeps walking. He asks her where she's going, and she huffily replies, "To find the source of this- this evil!". He asks her if he can come with her, and she slowly halts and turns on a heel. She asks him what's in it for him, and he replies that he came to this town to ask a blessing of the High Priest to protect his townsfolk. Teagan remarks that that's very spiritual and also very ambiguous. She turns and continues to walk on, until the stranger asks her if that's a yes or a no. She asks him (without turning around) what his name is. He questions back why this is relevant, and Beckett tells him it's best just to roll with it. The stranger says his name is Eprae. Teagan rocks back and forth on the balls of her feet for a second before replying that it's okay. They start off down the path and only get a little ways before Alanis calls out after them, asking if she can come. When asked by Teagan, she replies that maybe it was destiny that made her feel pressured to come, but all she knows is that she's being prompted. Teagan rolls her eyes but warmly (and with a tinge of sarcasm) invites her into the group. She throws in a sarcastic, "anyone else have second thoughts?", pauses for a second, and just as she's about to leave again Sasa interrupts and says that if they'll split the sums she'll join in. Teagan offers a sarcastic "Why not?" and Beckett wishes them good fortune on their journey. He turns to walk in the opposite direction before Alanis comes back and grabs his arm, pulling him along with the group.

OPENING CREDITS

The group of five is walking in the forest, and an anxious Alanis glances around at every angle. Teagan is explaining what she knows while walking backwards through the forest (so she can face the group). She tells them that her teacher, a man named Re, was the first to contract the disease. Every so often while she's talking Eprae will warn her of a low-hanging branch or protruding root for her to be wary of. At   first she's reluctant to accept this advice, but after a while she grows accustomed to it. Eprae also remarks on how it seems that the disease spread from the wild lands to the (this he says in a more sophisticated tone) the "civilized" lands. Sasa rolls her eyes. Beckett offers his knowledge that just before his she died, she was muttering about the hollow voices in her head. Sasa curtly remarks that Elma was always like that. Just as the two exchange a hostile glare, Alanis says she thinks someone's following them. Sasa scoffs, but Teagan tells them all to be silent. She then kneels into the ground, peering off into the distance. Eprae asks what she's doing, and Sasa sarcastically says that she's trying to freak them out. Teagan dips her finger into some oddly shaped tracks and rubs the dirt between her fingers. She rises to her feet and points to a bush in front of them, remarking that it has eyes. A man steps out from behind the bush, wearing rags and covered in mud, leaves, twigs, and grass. He walks toward the group, singing a little song about how they'd better run. Eprae starts to draw his sword but Sasa stops him. She walks closer to the man and asks him why they should. He gives a bit of a crazed chuckle before reciting a poem about the wonder and danger that lies before them in the blighted grove. Beckett turns to Teagan but she whispers to his expectant face that there's no such place. Alanis, having heard this, asks him where the blighted "cove" (she heard cove, not grove) is. He starts to reply, and then questions her on why she wants to know. He replies that she'll never not ever not know if she doesn't not try not to know not. Alanis, confused, backs away and starts to stammer a response. The man starts screaming at her to quiet the voices in his head, and Eprae, defensive, unsheathes his sword. The man tells him to run while he still can, and Eprae is about to slash him through the heart when Teagan jumps in front of him. Eprae accidentally slashes her slightly on the arm. She reprimands him for meaning to slay a helpless old man and turns her attentions to the agitated man. He keeps yelling threats at her until she starts to sing him a lullaby. This seems to still him, and she asks him if he likes music. He replies that he used to sing that song to a little lassie he once loved. She nods, and continues singing, all the while directing the man to a patch of soft moss. At the end of the song, she touches his eyelids and he collapses in sleep. Eprae immediately inquires of her what sorcery she just did, and Teagan shrugs and replies it was just a little muse Re taught her. She kisses her fingertips and presses them to the man's forehead, wishing him a goodnight. Eprae looks at Sasa, who in turn shrugs and gives him a look as if to say, "don't ask me". Alanis is now at the head of the group. She asks if anyone knows what a cat's grace is (to see how this pertains, read the transcript here on the wikia). Sasa rolls her eyes. Teagan suddenly instructs the group to stop. They all halt, but Eprae does so suspiciously. He asks her why, but she doesn't respond. Eprae gives Beckett a look, and Beckett whispers for him to get used to it. Teagan mentions in a distracted tone of voice that she's been here before, and Sasa scoffs and asks her why that matters. Teagan turns around to face the group, but her eyes stare off into the distance as if she's day dreaming. She remarks in a wayward tone of voice that this used to be a clearing. Sasa comments dryly that she's probably lost her bearings, but on the way over, she stumbles on what looks like a dead, thorn-ridden vine. The vine suddenly seems to be alive as it curls up slightly and scoots away. Eprae protectively steps in front of the group and backs them all away, while some of the group tries to steal more glances. Teagan slips out from behind him, and as if in a curious trance, starts towards the center of the grove, casually remarking on how blighted the plants look. At once Eprae urges her to not go any further, but she turns around and gives him a dazed look. Although no one else feels it (or sees it, for that matter), Teagan can suddenly feel several sharp thorns pricking her all over. The other members of the group think she's gone crazy as she tries to pull the invisible thorns from her skin and clutches her head in agony. Alanis asks her if she's okay, and the scene immediately cuts to Teagan's point of view. Teagan is struggling to walk forward, the pain in her head unbearable. The voices of her friends are barely hearable and her sight is blurred. There is a sound of static in her ears. She tries to understand what she's hearing but instead falls to the ground and her vision dims slightly. She can barely pick out an echoing, ominous voice that says "Lost branch… from whole it's separated", we can hear Teagan moan in agony, but the voice persists. "East-must… or else die we might". Teagan gasps, as if struggling for air. Cut to the view of her friends trying to shake her awake. Teagan is muttering to herself as Eprae tries to shake her awake. They can vaguely hear her repeating the words of the voice in her head, and her responses. They don't know she's hearing the voice and responding to it, so they think she's talking to herself. Alanis nervously asks if they think the old man did this to her, and Beckett suddenly looks fearful. Sasa rolls her eyes and Eprae, oblivious to this tells the rest of the group she's not responding. Teagan, with a blank look on her face, repeats the voice pleading to be saved, with her own response of asking how. The voice doesn't respond directly, only says that "we" must eat of dreams, otherwise "we'll" die. Cut to Teagan's point of view, as she hears the voice call itself Tween Thorn and plead to be returned home. She asks if it's "we" that's causing the disease, and the voice responds, begging to be saved. Then there is the sound of static and chaotic noise, which gradually fades until her sight is restored (as well as her normal hearing). Eprae helps her to her feet, and she's a little shaky at first. She stumbles at first, but Beckett catches her. Note Alanis's jealous look. Teagan tries to stammer out what happened, but her throat is dry. Eprae leads her to sit down a little while away, and Alanis and Beckett follow. Sasa stays where she is and cautiously observes the plant. Teagan takes a large gulp out of Eprae's canteen, and breathes heavily for a couple moments. Sasa feels something prick her ankle, and din starts to rush through her head. She lets out a cry of pain and staggers over to the rest of the group, saying that she may have found their culprit. Soon her eyes are taken over by a blank look and she starts to repeat the same words as Teagan did. Teagan soon shouts out "Tween Thorn!", but none of the others understand until she tells them that that's the name of the voice. Eprae scoffs, but Beckett muses that perhaps this "Tween Thorn" is the source of the disease. Sasa, overwhelmed by the voices, collapses into the grass. Teagan regards her with a look of irony. When Sasa awakes, she sees Alanis helping her to her feet. At first Sasa can't remember any of the events of the past few hours, but she quickly recovers, saying in a somewhat ominous tone that the old man was right. The others are confused, except for Teagan, who explains that there was both wonder and danger. Sasa and Teagan both spill over each other, trying to say what happened at the same time, both of them in unison ending with "and so we need to help Tween Thorn". Alanis demands to know who Tween Thorn is, and Sasa and Teagan answer at the same time (though not in unison)- "we think it's the plant." Beckett muses that maybe the plant is causing the disease, and Sasa shakes her head. But Teagan nods. She tells him, however, that it's not a disease- rather a mental ill caused by Tween Thorn's telepathic cries for help. Eprae is confused, and has her repeat this several times. Each time she becomes a little more frustrated. Eprae eventually comes to the conclusion that they must destroy the plant, because it's killing so many people. Beckett and Alanis agree, although Teagan and Sasa do not. Eprae starts to advance on the plant, drawing his sword. Sasa halts him, warning him of "mental thorns". Grudgingly, Eprae sheathes his sword. Beckett reveals his only "weapon"… a slingshot. Eprae scoffs, asking him rhetorically if he plants to kill a sentient monster plant with that tiny "putter". Beckett gives him a hostile look, but Eprae takes a lead ball (the "ammo" for the slingshot) and mutters some words. The lead balls in his hands begin to glow. Eprae takes the slingshot from Beckett's hands, but he is asked by Alanis if he's a good shot. Spitefully, he hands the glowing lead ball and slingshot to Beckett, who aims and hits the plant in the center. Light begins to consume the plant, burning it in each place it touches. Suddenly we see Eprae grimace in pain and the rest of the characters holding their heads with dazed looks. There are vivid, golden-tinted illusions that each person sees. Each sees lost family members and friends, people's graves being dug and visions of the plant burning. The resonate voice says, "Plants need help. Partake of thorns. Mean no harm. Help us." The images rapidly flicker- as if they are dreams- and are accompanied by sounds, fragrances, and sensations of touch. Each person experiences something different. Teagan shouts out, asking how they can help. Eprae, apparently the only one not suffering from the illusions, tries to cover her mouth. The other three reply in unison- "Host- become us for". Eprae appears shaken and afraid by all this, but the group snaps out of the trance. The plant begins to curl up into its center, shrinking in size as it produces three orange-like fruits. Alanis, terrified, holds back. But Beckett, Sasa and Teagan try to pluck the fruit, but the plant pulls away. Beckett, as if he can hear a voice that the other's can't, replies that he has promised. The three of them take the fruit, and Beckett says, "for the cure". Teagan repeats this, and Sasa hesitantly says the same. They all go to take a bite but Eprae snatches the fruit from Teagan and throws it off into the forests. He telepathically hear the plant's horrified screams, and Teagan gives him a hateful, disappointed glare before chasing after it. She finds the fruit, holds it up distinctly so Eprae can see it, and takes a bite.