The Mantle Passes (Archmage Book One)

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S1E4 Search

COLD OPEN

ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA

Weekends were fun. Amos and Tom both knew that as they browsed the local ghost hunting supply store out on the island. They mostly just looked at the items one at a time and making fun of them.

"Whad'ya think this is?" Amos got Tom's attention and held up a stick with a menagerie of wires all over it.

"...Alien probe...?" Amos immediately put the stick back where he found it and rubbed his hands on his shirt. After his brief freak-out, he got back to browsing.

"Excuse me." Amos and Tom looked around to see the shop owner. "Are you going to buy anything?"

"No." Amos walked across the store to where Tom was, past a small radio dish attached to the device the shop owner was working on. As he did, a red LED light on the other side of the counter turned on; drawing the attention of the store owner.

"Hey," the shop owner's focus shifted from the device's readings to Amos. "What's your name again?"

"Peter," the shop owner turned his device off.

"What's that thing?" Amos pointed again at the stick.

"It's an antenna modified to pick up spectral energy and run it through an oscilloscope." Peter took a good look at Amos, wondering just what was up with him. "Are you going to buy anything?"

"No," Amos swallowed like a child being scolded. "We'll leave," Amos headed for the door. "C'mon," Tom followed him out of the store as Peter looked on with both intrigue and concern.

The Theme Song, a glorious merging of John Williams and Ron Wasserman, plays.

ARCHMAGE
Created by Seth Campbell

SEARCH
Written by Seth Campbell

PART ONE

Early the next morning at Amos's and Tom's dormitory in Cedar Hall, Tom watched Amos as he set up a small TV to an antenna he had set up outside the dorm window.

"Now, we won't get cable," Amos put the finishing touches on the television. "But we'll get the local channels."

"Well turn on the news." Tom sat down as Amos turned the TV on and switched from the city's slide show channel (3), to FOX. (13)

"Ah!" Amos immediately switched to a Christian network. (8) "Ah!!" Amos again changed the channel to a local independent station. (4)

"Ooh! Stop here." Amos turned around to see two news anchors talking and turned up the volume."

"-On a naked rampage throughout the St. Augustine Historic District." They had just got Amos's attention.

"'Naked rampage'?" Amos couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"The 'nutty figure' is currently wreaking havoc around the Plaza de la Constitution. People are being advised to avoid the area until authorities can detain him." Amos couldn't believe what they were saying.

"I can't believe what they're saying." Tom was just watching without any care. "Did they just make a pun?"

"They do that." Tom just seemed nonchalant as Amos got up, pulled his wooden flute out of his desk drawer, and headed out the door.

Once out of the dorm, Amos (now in his signature disguise) rushed towards the city center and arrived at the central plaza. The moment he slowed to a stop he gazed upon the true form of terror.