Welcome to a New World: Part 3

TAYO
Come, let's get some horses.

EXT. STABLE TOMWELL - LATER
The stable is located next to a road. Tayo and Guy notice several carriages. One is taking off from the stable and some others are waiting to be filled. It seems the people that fill them are players like themselves.
Tayo hands over some coins to a stable boy and receives a map in return.

GUY
Where are we going?

Tayo replies absentmindedly as he goes over the map.

TAYO
Remoni, that's where the opening is taking place.

INT STABLE, TOMWELL - CONTINUOUS
Guy enters the stable and looks around. Among the horses he sees a strange creature. Though it has the body of a horse, it's face is like that of a fox. This creature turns out to be known as a forse.

GUY
Tayo! Ray!

Tayo hurries over to Guy and sees the creature.

GUY
I want one.

EXT. THE FOREST OF JEL - DAY
Guy and Tayo ride their respective steeds on a wide road through the forest. Tayo has a regular horse while Guy rides the forse. They overtake a carriage driven by four horses.

HIRO (O.S.)
(shouting)
Excuse me! Hello!

Guy and Tayo slow down and the carriage catches up. An attractive lady has her head sticking out of the carriage. She uses her hand to hold down the wreath of flowers on her head.

HIRO
(to Guy)
Hi, my name is Hiro. Can I try your... what's it called?
GUY
It's called a forse.
HIRO
May I try it for a moment.
TAYO
Sorry, we're in a hurry. Guy!

During this short discussion Guy had taken notice of what was going on in the carriage. Three others are there wining and dining. For him who has been hospitalized and has had his diet extremely regimented this seems like an opportunity.

GUY
Yes, if I can have some of that.

EXT. FOREST ROAD - LATER
HIRO is now riding the forse around the carriage even as it moves. She even goes off the road and into the forest for a bit before returning. She is joyous and carefree, she had been looking forward to experiencing this world for so long.
On riding the forse, she wishes she had at least taken a horse too instead of having to ride with her "killjoy" friend Sophia.
The entourage begins to approach a slightly dark and misty part of the forest.
Tayo and the coachman are watching the road ahead when they notice a man walking towards them.

COACHMAN
Sir, could you draw your sword.

Tayo does as requested. Hiro also pays attention to what lies ahead of them.

INT. CARRIAGE, FOREST OF JEL - DAY
The other three occupants of the carriage, Haruto, Sophia and Tony look astonished by Guy's ravenous appetite.

SOPHIA
This game will encourage gluttony.
HARUTO
Does that really matter? It's not like it will actually make you fat.

Sophia eyes him, not in a nice way. It's clear she doesn't want to be there. The carriage stops. Tayo appears at the window.

TAYO
We have a quest.

EXT. FOREST ROAD - LATER
The occupants are outside, standing with the coachman. HENRY is a mustached man with long hair. His armor and clothing look really good and he has an impressive looking sword by his side.

HENRY
We were attacked. The driver and the rest of our horses were killed. The creature dragged them away and my companions bailed out.
SOPHIA
(to Hiro)
Is he an NPC?
HIRO
No, he's a gamer like us. His neck.

Sophia notices the tattoo on Henry's neck.

SOPHIA
(to Henry)
Why are you still here then?
HENRY
(casually)
I have an appointment.
SOPHIA
Tony, time to leave. I told you not to pick this town.
TONY
It's the closest one to the venue.
SOPHIA
But it goes through a damn forest.
HENRY
I have a plan to get us through.
SOPHIA
No thanks.

Tony relents and touches the tattoo on his neck and Sophia does the same. They both tap the LOGOUT icon on their dashboards.
This time the dashboard reacts and pops up a "ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO LOGOUT" question.

HIRO
Sophia. It's just part of the game.
TONY
We'll choose another town to land in.
SOPHIA
Later Hiro, Haruto.

Sophia selects the "YES" icon and vanishes. Tony sighs and selects yes too and vanishes also.

HIRO
(to Haruto)
Don't tell me you're scared too?
HARUTO
No! I'm not.

She places her hand on his chest. His heart is beating hard and fast.

HIRO
If your heart beats any faster you might get ejected.

Tayo walks his horse over to Guy. Hiro kisses Haruto and hugs him for a couple of seconds.

TAYO
Guy. If you want we could logout too.
GUY
What? No!
HARUTO (O.C.)
I feel better now.
GUY
(to Henry)
What's the plan?

Henry confidently draws and swings his sword.

HENRY
Wild animals don't take kindly to running away so, we all face it and kill it.
TAYO
Huh?
COACHMAN
What wild animal was this?
HENRY
I couldn't see it clearly but it looked like a gorilla. A huge gorilla.

The coachman's face contorts in fear.

GUY
That shouldn't be hard, right?
HIRO
What if we go around it?
HENRY
My team tried that, it chased us down and behind it is the bridge we need to cross.

Henry waits to see if there are any other objections.

HENRY
It's our first adventure, so--
TAYO
Can I make a modification?

EXT. FOREST ROAD - LATER
Henry is riding fast with the forse and Tayo is now serving as the coachman for the carriage, driving it at full speed. At least as fast as he can.
As they go through the forest, the carriage falls behind. Henry slows down the forse.

HENRY
Stay close.

As they pick up speed again, they hear an eerie sound, then two huge grotesque birds hit them. They both draw their swords and dispatch the birds. The birds disintegrate into brown dust-like particles.
Ahead they see the wreck of a carriage. Henry rides faster while Tayo slows down. Then they hear the eerie sound again, this time with footsteps.
Behind the wreck, the monster emerges, Henry sees it. He was wrong, this wasn't just a gorilla, it was a three-meter-tall hideous hybrid of a bear and a monkey. This creature is called a KILOBON.

Henry keeps riding towards it, and so they clash. He manages to strike it and the kilobon tries to hit back but fortunately the forse is agile and it dodges the kilobon's assault.
Tayo sees an opportunity and speeds up the carriage and gets by the combatants. The kilobon manages to graze the forse, making it back away.
It then chases the carriage and with a huge leap forward, it pounds the two driving horses into the ground. The carriage spins out of control, Taiyo jumps and the carriage crashes.
Henry rushes to Tayo and helps him onto the forse and they ride away while the kilobon focuses on the horses.

EXT. IN FRONT OF THE BRIDGE, FOREST - DAY
Hiro and Haruto share a horse while Guy and the coachman ride one each. They emerge from the forest onto the road and wait. After a while they sight henry and Tayo riding towards them, and their worried faces unwind into relief.
When they arrive Tayo looks at the coachman and offers an apology.

TAYO
Sorry, we couldn't get your carriage across.
HENRY
Let's move.

A while after crossing the bridge they come to a cliff which they almost fall off. In the valley below they see a horse being torn apart and more horrifyingly they see a whole pack of not less than 50 kilobons swarming around a central one.
The one at the center locks eyes with the party.

TAYO
(fearfully)
Everyone, be ready to logout.

The kilobon jumps at them and lands in front of them at the road side. It is a bit obscured by the trees and bushes.
Haruto, Hiro and Henry have their dashboards out. On seeing the four meter tall kilobon, Guy launches his too and just as Tayo is about to do the same, the kilobon speaks with a deep growling voice.

GOTAR
Are you gamers?

All breathing heavily they freeze.

GOTAR
Are you lost?

Tayo finally responds for the group.

TAYO
We are, gamers. We are headed for Remoni.
GOTAR
Let me show you the way.
TAYO
Thank you, for the offer. We have a map and a guide, we'll be fine.
GOTAR
Okay, you may pass.

The kilobon withdraws further into the forest as the party pass by. We stay on the monster as it stares at our party growling and gnashing its teeth.
They ride away quickly not looking back.

HARUTO
That was crazy.

EXT. COUNTRYSIDE, OUTSKIRTS OF REMONI - LATER
With the forest behind them the party rides towards the city of Remoni. From a distance it looks a bit pinkish as it reflects tranquilly in the sun.