Onward

Centaur Chase

BARLEY: Ha-ha! They did it, Dad!

Barley hopped into the van and drove across the bridge. As soon as he parked, Barley jumped out to hug us.

BARLEY: That was amazing!

IAN: How long... was the rope gone?

BARLEY: Oh, just like the second half of it.

IAN: I needed that rope!

EMMA: Don't be silly! I saved your life.

BARLEY: (smiling) Oh, but did you?

Ian's expression melted away. A smile crept across his face as he considered what he had just accomplished. Barley saw a sculpture of a raven that had been revealed when the bridge was lowered.

BARLEY:  Ian! Emma!  Look. It's a raven. The clue on the menu said Raven's Point...

IAN: Yeah. In the mountains.

BARLEY: But maybe the puzzle didn't mean the mountain. Maybe it means "follow where the raven is pointing!"

He looked up and tracked the line of the raven's beak. Another raven statue stood in the distance.

BARLEY: Ha-ha! It's another raven! That one could be pointing to another raven, all the way to the gem!

IAN: I had us going the wrong way.

BARLEY: Well, I told ya. My gut knows where to go. Come on, Dad! Guinevere will get us to that raven in no time.

Just then, a siren blared, drawing our attention back to the bridge. A police car sped across it, screeching to a halt in front of them. The door flew open to reveal a man with a horses body.

COLT: You guys are in trouble, big time!

BARLEY: No, no, no, Colt, we found a spell. If we finish it before sunset, we'll get to see our father.

Barley showed Legs to Colt. I poked my head from behind them. My tail and ears flicked with joy.

EMMA: Wow. A real centaur. It's nice to meet you!

COLT: Who is she?

IAN: She's new here. And the truth, is she's a human being. Ever since these changes started, she's becoming less human.

Colt felt confused trying to figure out what I am.

COLT: Well, uh, your mom told me there was some kind of strange family issue going on and this is... definitely strange. (resetting) But no, dang it. I'm not letting you upset your mother anymore! Now, you get in the vehicle, I'm escorting you home.

BARLEY: No, no way!

COLT: I'm giving you to the count of three.

Colt stopped his hoof, once, twice, and then....

IAN: Okay. We'll go.

EMMA: Ian--

IAN: He's a police officer.

He turned and headed toward the driver side fo the van. Colt watched and nodded to Ian gracefully. They climbed in and we looked at Ian surprised to see him getting behind the wheel.

BARLEY: What are you doing?

IAN: I don't know.

Then he stomped on the gas pedal and took off. Barley looked through the back window to see Colt standing there, completely stunned.

COLT: Son of a–: I need backup. Runaway van!

BARLEY: Ha-ha, YEAH! Iandore Lightfoot, breaking the rules!

IAN: I can't believe I'm running from the cops!

BARLEY: You're not running from the cops, you're running from our mom's boyfriend.

Sirens blared and lights flashed. Ian looked in the rearview mirror to see several police cars behind Colt's.

BARLEY: Okay, now you're running from the cops.

EMMA: We're gonna go to jail. I can't survive like this!

IAN: Hold on!

Ian veered off the path, crashing into a fence. Wood debris flew everywhere! The police cars swerved to follow the van. 

IAN: Yeah! Nice going, Guinevere! Woohoo!

Ian spotted a raven statue in the distance and the van fishtailed as he whipped around a  tight corner to get closer to it. He sped and turned down another narrow mountain pass that quickly became a dead end. He swung the van around, but the police cars were already starting down the road. There was no escape! We climbed out of the van with Legs and Ian felt a rush of regret.

IAN: Oh, what did I do?! I shouldn't have driven away--

BARLEY: No, it was great! Block the road with those boulders!

IAN: What?! How?!

BARLEY: Arcane Lightning.

EMMA: Arcane Lightning?

IAN: You said that's the hardest spell.

BARLEY: You're ready.

Barley handed the Quest of Yore book to us and pointed the spell.

BARLEY: "To make lightning strike with ease, one must follow all decrees." (beat) You have to do everything. Speak from your heart's fire, trust yourself, focus, all of it!

Ian picked up the staff and pointed at a few boulders. A small lightning bolt shot from the staff and pinged off the boulders. He tried again, but his magic wasn't strong enough to move the boulders even a little bit.

IAN:  I can't, I can't do it! We're not gonna see you, Dad. And it's all my fault.

EMMA: What can we do...?

The police cares are getting closer. Barley thought for a moment before making a decision. With a paused expression, he popped a tape into the van's tape deck. Sad, heroic music blared from the speakers.

IAN: What are you doing?

Barley didn't answer. He was busy working. He aimed the van like he was lining up a pool shot, then picked up a large rock and placed it on the gas pedal. He kicked the screwdriver gearshift down to O.

We watched as the van lurched forward. One of the turn signal lights fell to the ground, but she continued, racing toward the builders. Then the rocky terrain popped one of the tires, causing it to bounce along the ground as though in a gallop. With the music blaring triumphantly, the glove compartment flew open. Parking tickets fluttered out into the wind like celebrational doves. I watched as Barley salute his beloved van for the last time. Just as the police cars approached, the van slammed into the target and flipped over. Piles of boulders rained down, completely blocking the road. It was impossible for the police cars to get through.

COLT: What the--

EMMA: Barley...

BARLEY: She was just a beat up old van. Come on, we gotta go.

Barley walked off the road and started through the brush toward the raven statue. For a moment, Ian looked back at the boulders covering  the van, then Barley walked ahead with Legs. I stared to where the van had been. We knew we had to keep moving.  We hurried over to catch up.