episode three: raining on the heartland

The story starts off with a voiceover:
People can not live alone. Is this because they are weak?

As this is being said, the clip is of a village being burnt down in the middle of the day. A man dressed in black says: "Useless to hide." Lieza
is standing amongst the crowd, frightened, and Pundit runs out, mock attacking. The man then shoots Pundit and Lieza runs out to help her
friend.

Voiceover:
Because of their weakness, they fear and exert strength.
They hurt others, and involve them into their troubles.

Lieza is being taken away by the man in black, and also Pundit is being dragged along the ground. The crowd tell them to "Let go of Lieza",
but to no avail.

Voiceover:
Being alone is frightening, so people become strong by finding partners in life.
So don't be afraid and take the hands that rescues you.

The scene now is of Elk helping Lieza from the hunters.

Voiceover:
This will become the authentic power for you to live.

Now it shows the women with purple hair and wearing a white kimono running towards Arc (she is the priestess of the five spirits, we find out
later, and is also the voiceover for all the starts of the episodes.) She runs into Arc's arms, and they happily embrace.

[opening song]

It opens with the four (Elk and co) walking along the streets. The street kids are all watching them with suspicious eyes, but they won't do
anything since they are friends with Shu. Shu then takes them to some rooms where they are to stay. Lieza, Pundit and Elk are now in
Lieza's room, and they begin to talk. Lieza still wonders why people are chasing them, and Elk tells her it is because of Pundit. Lieza has
the power of the sacred spirit that lets her to tame monsters, same as how Elk has the power of fire. Then Elk throws a bit of a tantrum. He
yells out that she has been selected by the people from the white house, like the Chimera that was on the ship. They select children like them
and take them to the white house where they are then experimented and changed into Chimera. Now Elk is yelling at her for not knowing
anything, and wanting to know if she can remember anything.

Shu then comes into the room and stops Elk from harassing the girl. Elk says sorry and leaves the room. Shu, trying to make up for Elk's
behaviour, explains to Lieza about Elk's past, with Shu finding him in the desert fives years before, that Elk said that he ran away from the
white house and left his childhood friend behind, that his village was also burnt down, and that it was supposedly Arc who killed his parents.
While this is going on, flashbacks of Elk's past correspond to what Shu is saying. Shu looks at Lieza, and says that she too has gone through
a lot as well.

Lieza talks about her past. She grew up in a village called Horn, also known as the village of witches. The people of the village were afraid
of prosecution, so they kept their powers hidden. One day, when Lieza was looking after the sheep, she saw Pundit injured in the fields.
At first, she did not know that he was a monster, and took him home to look after him. However, when she did, her uncle told her not to tell
anyone about Pundit. Lieza did not know that her power was connected to the sacred spirit. She then realizes that it was her fault that her
village was attacked, but Shu tries to comfort her by telling her that it wasn't her fault, for she did nothing wrong.

By now, Elk is sitting on the wharf, staring out at the sea. Shu approaches him, and tells him to leave Lieza alone at the moment. Elk
understands, but his hate for Arc always makes him go out of control. Shu knows that he cannot stop Elk from chasing Arc, but that he
should leave Lieza out of the situation, and also, like any good hunter, work out your own problems by yourself. Elk is silent.

Now we see the mayor and Clive in the office. The mayor is on the phone with someone, telling them about the statue etc, and as he hangs
up the phone, he looks at Clive. Clive, talking in his soft voice, asks the mayor about what should be done for getting the dog (Pundit). The
mayor has heard nothing from the Hunter Guild, but the sly Clive has. It has been rumored that hunters are protecting it. And of course,
they know where it is being kept. The mayor tells Clive to wait a little while, until the terrorist attack (of the ship) has died down before doing
anything. Clive understands. And now the conversation moves onto Arc. Has he been spotted? Does anyone know what Arc is doing?
Clive does not have the answers, but it seems that the mayor has a huge paranoia against Arc.

Clive then leaves the office and walks into a car with the man in black. They talk about Lieza, and how she is protected by Elk and Shu. Elk,
the fire user, is a perfect specimen to experiment on. Clive, however, tells the man not to do anything at the moment, for they have to wait
until after the dedication ceremony. The man thinks otherwise, and it is now where we first hear Clive being angry. Clive berates the man,
and says that if he screws up, he's out. The same that if Arc ruined the ceremony, the man would also be screwed.

Now, Lieza is watching the children outside her window play, and wants to join them. Telling Pundit to stay inside, Lieza begins her way to
the children, but is caught by Elk. Elk, seeing her, tells her off, and commands her to stay inside like he said. He did not know if he could
save her the next time. Lieza looks downcast but obeys. Nevertheless, Elk gives her a smile and tells her that if she wanted anything,
anything at all, just say it.

Later, Shu is watching Lieza from his room, and seeing her chat happily with Pundit. Elk tells him that she wants to go outside, but Shu
dismisses the idea and tells him that it is for her own good. But then Shu goes on to say that there is no sense in protecting the monster.
The people who are after them are going to come again, but that is what Elk is anticipating, isn't it? Again, Shu lectures Elk on not putting
Lieza in danger because of his stubborn whims.

Now it is night time and raining. Elk is watching Lieza from his window, and makes his decision. Lieza, looking up into the window where Elk
was, is then interrupted by a knock on the door. Suddenly, someone comes in, but it is Elk in a dark raincoat. Getting another raincoat out
from under his, he passes it onto Lieza and tells her that she should wear it if she wants to go outside. So, with Lieza prancing happily along
the city streets, Elk takes her out on the town.

As they walk around, Shu is inside a bar, watching the singer with black hair and a tight blue dress out of the corner of his eye. Later, she is
sitting next to him, and he asks her if she has heard anything from her brother. She replies and says that she hasn't, but that he is probably
thriving somewhere. She then goes on to comment about Elk, and that how is he? It had already been five years. Shu answers that Elk is
old enough now, and the woman looks at him and asks, "Aren't you lonesome?" He replies no, but she gives a smile and says, "Liar."

Elk and Lieza are at a fountain, and they talk. She apologizes that she has been difficult but Elk dismisses it. Lieza also tells him that he is
going to get in trouble because of her, but again Elk says that he doesn't mind, and that if she wants to say anything else, just go ahead.
They are not like them (???). Lieza gives a smile at him. End of scene.

The woman from the bar is now covered in a blanket, and is looking at a locket. She again wonders what had happened to her brother, but
then someone tugs the blanket from behind her (most likely Shu) and she falls back amongst the sheets, and the locket falls out of her hand.
The locket has a photo in it; it of her and her brother. It seems that we have already met her brother, he is the blonde bikey from the first
episode, the one who was a Chimera and died. Blackout.

[ending song]

End of episode three: raining on the heartland.

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