Episode 1: Pradesh

Ybus cheers the Gold Kid's reunion, and so does Right-Hand-Puppet-Baracus and Left-Hand-Puppet-Urban!

As the lock clicks and unhinges, Rydler gets a better view of the child "Did that demon do this to you? To prevent you from calling out for help? Are there consequences if you have them removed?"

"These skewers are sacred, my friends. Aditya interjects, "The demon didn't do this. Best not to mess with them." Reverently, the Pradeshi merchant confers with the child. With hand gestures she is able to communicate where she should be taken. "It's a small temple. close by." Aditya says. Freed of her cage, it would be a simple task to take her there using your wagon.

What now? Do you return her to her temple, or take her with you to the Aunties' house? Or something else?

Rydler turns at the sudden arrival of Aditya "I don't know your culture but it seems kind of foolish to completely remove a child's ability to call for help." He gives the Pradeshi merchant a wink, as if to say I have more to say to you, then turns his attention back to the child "This small temple...Is this where you wish to be taken? I mean we just killed a demon; a temple that can't ward away and protect its followers from demons doesn't sound like a very good temple."

The Golden Child rolls her eyes as if agreeing with Rydler. Aditya merely shrugs.

Urban catches up with the guys, asking what the heck happened and especially wanting to hear Barracus's account of the toe-to-toe battle. What a story!

Urban is stand-offish as he watches on during the talk about the Golden Child. Inside he is appalled about the mutilation of the girl's face, but he tries to be understanding of foreign religious devotions.

When he hears Aditya's advice that the girl be taken back to some low rent temple, Urban is unconvinced. "Not so fast, Mowgli. We're taking her back with us for now. I need to see what Auntie Sunitha thinks of this. Maybe we can get those things out of her face. Poor kid. Who did this to her?" Urban scowls as he gets angrier the more he reflects on this cruelty inflicted on a poor child.

"At least we can get her something to eat and make sure she's not hurt," Urban continues, making an effort to keep his cool over this, "She needs to stay somewhere safe until we decide what is best."

"Come on," Urban motions to the girl carefully, leading her to the cart. "Come with us. You are safe. You are not going to be locked up again. There are some nice ladies that I want you to meet. After that, we'll decide what to do next."

As Urban leads the Golden Child away, Rydler turns his attention back to Aditya and smiles roguishly. He throws an arm around Aditya back and locks his head in playfully "Aditya, my good friend, it's been sooo long. I'm guessing, since you've sought me out, you have my payment, correct?"

"Errr.. yes, it's in the wagon. Ybus is watching over it. About that guy, is he alright? I mean, he seems kinda daft, you know what I mean?"

Urban calls across to Rydler and then the others, "Hey. We got the money. Everything is good."

He signals to Aditya, "Yea. It is quite strange, he is such a clown, but his family is really a swell bunch. His aunts and cousins - very impressive. We are all invited to the party and dinner tonight, plus I got us a job starting tomorrow. I bought this cart and horse, a fine ride for us."

Erden gasps in horror as he finally gets a chance to look the child over, "You poor thing," he says and raises a hand halfway up to the child, but stops, obviously unsure what he could do to help. He puts his hand down and shakes his head, anger growing within him, "The child comes with us for now," he says, and the team can see a bit of his old rank spilling through in the firmness of his jaw and the cold, calculating look in his eyes. You all know he's already thought of a hundred different ways to hurt the people that did this thing to the child, motivated by religion or not.

A loud slap fills the room, as Rydler smacks the side of Aditya's face and releases his headlock. He looks at the spice merchant, void of a smile, stern and serious "That's good to hear but insult my brother in front of me again and you will no longer be able to make the dumb choices you so seemingly like to gravitate towards." Finishing with a wry smile, he turns and exits to the wagon.

Erden is very tense through Auntie Sunitha's explanation, which doesn't seem to calm him at all, "And since when are children capable of making their own decisions? Aren't adults there to guide them away from self-destructive actions?" he says to Urban, loudly enough for Sunitha to hear him.

Back in the alley, Baracus is painting orcish runes with the ichor where he defeated the demon. He paints them on himself as well. So absorbed in his task that he notices almost nothing else going on around him. By the end, runes radiate out from the spot where the demon died, and his torso and face are covered in brutal, black calligraphy.

He looks around and sees they are taking the Golden Child with them. Before they go, he grabs the cage that once held her and smashes it over and over again until it is no longer recognizable, and tosses its remains among the refuse heaps.

On the ride to the feast (Baracus is incredibly hungry after the battle), Baracus wonders why his friends are concerned about the piercings. Among his people, it was common for the youth to pierce and tattoo themselves as they grew up, to mark the milestones of walking the warrior's path. He shows the girl his own piercings in his ears, great eagle's feathers that dangle on his big shoulders and she reaches out to hold his hand.

At the feast, Baracus listens to all between mouthfuls of food. He elbows Erden.

She is no child.

Ybus seems nonplussed about the child's face. "I once had a mate what run shark teeth through his cheeks on a dare," he says, sitting cross-legged on the floor. "'Course, I never told him the shark ain't coming with, haw!"

His face changes expression, sliding from mirth to consternation. "Then again, maybe we didn't exactly dare him to take it, but for me to do it. Ah, it's been so long, me memory's on the floor. Anyway, he looked pretty good after that; rightly called him the Salty God, consarn it. Bled a lot, though, and whenever he ate we got t' see it all mass-in-the-cating in there."

Ybus waves his hand. "If she wants t' take 'em out, let her. If she wants t' dangle sea shells from the ends, let her. What nobody asking yet is what you all were doing in them back doors in the first place, playing with rats and bats and whatever it was that attracted y'all like day-old sea bass."

"We were saving this young lady from, what I would describe as, slavery. She may not be a child but she is far too young to make sound decisions involving body mutilation." He turns to the Golden Child "Do you like what has happened to your face? You do not need to be afraid of saying yes; we protected you once and I will continue to do so. I wish to have your honest input in the matter. I know what I want, I want to know what you want."

At this point, Urban is used to being confused about religious matters. Why would a god ask for a child to be stabbed in the face, and why would a group of priests do it? At the same time, the young girl did seem to have miraculous powers, at least if one believed the story of her healing real wounds during the battle, as recounted by Barracus, Erden, and Rydler. Urban of course did believe them. So was the girl's power a result of her blessing bestowed by the god who wants her pierced like a pin cushion?

Urban asks Auntie Sunitha, "Who is the wisest in Pradesh? Is there a priest or a teacher who has great knowledge of all things? One who speaks philosophy or writes letters about his proclamations?"

Urban puts forward a kind face for the party. He is sincerely appreciative of the hospitality, and strives to be friendly and supportive of the festival traditions. Inside though, he is melancholy, on the brink of brooding. Should not this child be with her mother and father, safe from mutilation and slavery? Why is she granted such power and also such burden? And what must she do with it?

Urban goes further, what are the purposes of his own powers? He had not told everyone about them yet, but he knows now that they are real. How can it be when he never completed the Path of Ordainment? How could it be when he does not even know for certain if he believes Helios cares anything at all for the plight of men? In truth, does the Titan even exist in this time?

Urban wonders if the priests who stabbed the girl's face felt righteousness and superiority for their ritual. Would they be willing to be stabbed in the face with long thin barbs for their gods, instead of piercing a young girl? Urban could ask them that, give them that option before gods and men in their own temple.

Urban remembers choking Halfors to death. The man begging for mercy as best as he could without being able to talk, up to the moment when the darkness fell over his eyes.

Urban reacts quickly and recites the 6th Measure. Five times in his mind. His weakness is so great, his failings so many, but he has to improve.

Urban gets up and rejoins the party, seeking Aishwarya. "Thank you again for your hospitality. This is one of the finest nights that I can remember."

"I look forward to work at your side tomorrow, is there anything that I should do to prepare?" If she takes time with him, he tries to see what she is about.
... ask her what her interests are, who she be with, things that make her smile...