Last Time on Her Broken Magic…
Episode One: Chased, Recap
(Some scenes, marked with a *, have had slight adjustments which are referenced in Episode Two, though don’t affect the plot. These scenes have been updated as of 5 June 2023 and are numbered in case you want to go back and reread them for the changes)
1. While on their way through Silvax Forest to the city of Urden, Belle and Jac were approached by a monster-drawn wagon.
2. Belle tried to befriend the pitiful, abused monster while the wagon’s driver attempted to proposition and intimidate Jac. Happy for the excuse to use her hammer, Jac pummeled the driver while Belle freed the monster, which she named Clarix.
3. The ladies (including Clarix) reached Urden just as night was falling. Clarix stayed in the forest while Belle and Jac hurried into the city and made their way to the busiest tavern they could find. Jac immediately started an arm-wrestling contest, as she is wont to do.
4. Up in the loft of the tavern, an unknown person was fascinated and unnerved by Belle. Belle noticed this unknown person noticing her, and slipped out of the tavern, obviously tempting him to follow her. And he did—all the way out to the city’s walls, where Belle climbed over to go feed Clarix. Once Belle made her way back into the city’s walls, she called out the person she knew was following her: the Traitor Prince, Daivad Earthbreaker.
Daivad approached Belle, suspicious and very intrigued, and when he realized she had come from Broken Earth, home of the royal family who named him Traitor and want him dead, he lunged.
* 5. A chase ensued across the rooftops and catwalks of Urden, with Belle attempting to convince Daivad she came looking for him because she has information that can help him, if he would just calm down and listen. Eventually, Daivad’s backup arrived and Belle was blindfolded and taken in for questioning.
6. Jac soon realized Belle was missing and went drunkenly out into the night to find her best friend.
7. Daivad and his posse took Belle out of the city to where his Great Wolf and the rest of the posse’s mounts were waiting, and they rode into the forest.
8. Once Jac made her own way out of Urden’s walls, a panicked Clarix found her and lead her into the forest after Belle.
9. Daivad and Belle arrived at his camp of fugitives, a village in the branches of the trees of Silvax Forest, and he took her to a cell to question how she found him and what she wants.
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10. He didn’t make much progress as he was so disarmed and confused by such a gentle, genuine woman. He left her in the cell for the night, but not before she warned him that Jac would come after her.
11. Belle slept comfortably in her cell, and was awoken in the early morning by an enormous sound, announcing Jac’s arrival.
12. Going back a few hours, Daivad had just arrived at his house after leaving Belle’s cell. He was trying to fall asleep when Lenna arrived and tried to seduce him (as she is wont to do), and when he rejected her, she blamed Belle’s interference and stormed away.
* 13. Jac and Clarix had rushed all night through the forest in search of Belle when they stumbled upon a man standing naked in a stream, bathing himself. Jac was flustered by the man (named Tobei, who was not at all flustered), until she overheard his conversation with another man and realized they were responsible for Belle being taken. She grabbed her hammer and attacked.
14. Tobei, who uses a violin as a weapon, was more than happy to do battle with Jac. They play-fought, loud enough to wake the entire camp, until Daivad arrived to break everything up and take Jac to see Belle.
* 15. Realizing what Belle had dragged her into, Jac was furious with Belle, but ultimately agreed that she also wants to rebel against the queen, which is why Belle sought Daivad out in the first place. Daivad was still very confused and honestly flabbergasted by these women, so he insisted on questioning Jac next.
16. Jac, impervious to intimidation, answered none of Daivad’s questions and instead challenged him to an arm-wrestling contest.
17. Clarix, who had run off when the fight started between Tobei and Jac, had been nervously wandering the forest, looking for Belle. She retraced her steps to locate Belle’s scent and started after her.
18. Tobei waited in the infirmary for Daivad’s interrogation of Jac to fail, and when it did he offered to take over Jac’s questioning for Daivad.
19. While stretching in her cell, Belle noticed with her magic that Clarix was approaching camp. Afraid that Clarix would be spotted and killed before Belle could explain she wasn’t dangerous, Belle used a special kind of magic, the queen’s magic, to bust the bars off her cell and run after Clarix. She injured Lenna in the process.
20. After losing an arm-wrestling contest to Jac, Tobei attempted his own interrogation of Jac which involved watching her closely and seeing how she reacted to the claims he made about her. Jac was once again flustered and, not used to being vulnerable, literally walked over Tobei and out into the forest.
21. Daivad had heard the sound when Belle escaped her cell and followed her scent into the forest where Belle was standing between Clarix and a camp guard. Belle promised Daivad she would answer any question he had for her if he would just make sure Clarix wasn’t harmed. He called Maxea to guard the monster and took Belle back into camp.
22. While Daivad was escorting Belle to his own house at the edge of camp, Belle got inspired by the camp’s magic and took off, rushing through the branches and bridges with Daivad chasing her once again. Eventually, she found the camp’s hanging gardens and was so enraptured by their beauty that Daivad was able to catch up to her.
23. Daivad finally managed to get Belle to his house, and she agreed to fully explain herself this time. She began to tell him the story of her life growing up in the circus. The episode ends with:
“This is the story of how I killed the Great Cassiix Circus.”