FULL EPISODE SYNOPSIS (spoiler!)
A ransom of 1000 Tareen is offered for the capture of William Tell. All over the Kingdom Xaxian Warriors spread the news and distribute wanted posters. In the Canton Arcadia, where Tell and his band is staying at the moment the people are sympathetic to the rebels and ignore the call.
William is practising with his crossbow when Kalem appears, warning him not to go to the freeing of the slaves today. She reminds him to continue his search for the Crystal Arrow.
Vara is unhappy about the dress Leon has made for her. William explains to her why it is important that she wears something inconspicuous and not the royal robe that she escaped with from the Citadel.
After five years of faithful service Hugo declares his slaves Pieter and Freya free people as it is custom in Arcadia. Hugo and Freya are in love and plan to get married. William and his friends watch the ceremony. Unexpected, Commissioner Esdras and a group of Warriors show up. Aruna warns Vara not to reveal herself and Will hides his arrow pendant under his shirt. Esdras reprimands Hugo for freeing his slaves, as Xax has recently forbidden this. The commissioner states further, that Xax will visit the village the following day and advises Hugo to take the issue up with him. Then Esdras discovers William and Leon. Esdras informs them that they have to get registered if they stay longer than a week in the village, or they will face prison and slavery.
Later that evening the rebels have dinner with Hugo. They plan to leave the Canton before Esdras recognises who they are. Hugo declines their offer to come with them. The Arcadian plans to demand his right to release Freya the next day so that he can marry her. William wishes him luck. All of a sudden he feels strange and goes outside. He has a vision of Vara, lifeless, being carried by Warriors. William shies away from the responsibility, fearing that his actions will lead to Vara's death. But Kalem is relentless and refuses to offer him an easy way out, when he appeals to her again.
The next morning Hugo confronts Xax. But things go differently than he had hoped. Xax orders Pieter to be send to the mines and Freya to the Citadel. When Hugo protests he is struck down with a deathwand, the crystal sword of the Xaxian Warriors.
William and his friends are on their way out of the Canton. The don't notice the nymphs who are watching them. Aruna is still dissatisfied about always running away. Suddenly, Hugo catches up with them. He reports what has happened and asks for their help. William hesitates, seeing no chance for success. Aruna wants to help him. Their discussion is cut short by the arrival of Esdras and his Warriors. The rebels run. The soldiers spread out and the band and Hugo have to fight them. Vara uses her chance to run away once again. After the fight is over and they are safe William promises to try and rescue Freya, as soon as they have found the princess.
Drogo follows Vara's scent and is surprised when it suddenly just disappears. The rebels are immediately aware that someone has erased her trace and it can't have been Vara herself. Since evening is approaching fast they decide to erect the Shelter and continue their search the following morning. Drogo is downcast upon his inability of finding the scent again. The boy feels he has failed and let the others down. Still a nymph is watching them, unseen.
Vara keeps running until it gets dark. The noises of the nightly forest frighten her. The princess is unaware that Kalem is watching over her. The girl cowers down next to a tree, not noticing a nymph that is nearby.
During the night Drogo slips from the tent to go and look for Vara. Will, who is keeping watch, does not see him, he is preoccupied with another vision.
Vara wakes to the howling of wolves, or so she thinks. In fact it is Drogo. He finds her eventually and she is relieved to see him. Still they do not see the nymphs.
Early next morning Will, Leon, Aruna and Hugo discover that Drogo is gone. They assume he has gone looking for the princess on his own. All of a sudden Pieter appears. He claims, he was able to jump of the wagon and escape. Pieter brings bad news: for every soldier killed in the fight the previous day Commisioner Esdras plans to hang five Arcadians. At noon ten people are going to be executed. William wants to prevent this, but Kreel has anticipated William's reaction. Pieter reports that Esdras is willing to die for Xax. The Lord Protector has given orders to kill the entire community should the Commissioner be killed. However, if William is giving himself up Esdras will set his hostages free. Tell sees no other way and surrenders to the Commissioner.
Aruna, Hugo, Leon and Alvar hurry across the mountains to reach a certain part of the road quicker to waylay the soldiers and free William. But the way proves to be very difficult and they are making slower progress than they had hoped.
Vara is determined to return to the Citadel, making it difficult for Drogo to return with her to the others. He tries to explain to her that Xax has killed her parents and her life too would be in danger if she went back. While they argue the nymphs catch their attention by playing a few notes on panpipes. One nymph introduces herself as Stella and talks to them. Drogo is leashed to a chain, led by Stella as she guides Vara to the Citadel, bribed by the princess with her royal ring. The trio passes a cemetery. The nymph tells them the story of this place. It is called Retribution. Once a thriving village it was cursed by an old sick woman who had been driven away. Within a week all men, women and children had died. Suddenly an old disfigured woman appears before them, begging for food. Vara feels sorry for her and gives her one Tareen as she has no food she could give. In return the woman gives her an advise: it is her enemies whom she trusts and her friends whom she fears. The old woman is in fact Kalem in another guise. Drogo takes advantage of the distraction and flees.
Kreel and Esdras, expect an attempt to free their prisoner and have prepared accordingly. Kreel has also had news that Vara is with Tyrean nymphs at the moment. Since it is not known whether the princess has found out by now that Xax and not Tell has killed the royal couple they decide that Vara must be killed as well.
Some time later Xax arrives at Retribution, accompanied by two Warriors. Stella talks to him without Vara knowing about it. The nymph wants to sell Vara to Xax, but her reward is death. Vara sees Xax and is overjoyed at first. But then she remembers the old woman's advice and is cautious when she approaches him.
Aruna, being a better climber than the men, has run ahead and caused a rock slide to slow the Warriors down. However, then she is caught by the Warriors and tied to the ground, left for the wolves. The Warriors clear the road and move on. Quickly a few wolves appear, but Leon and Hugo arrive just in time to drive them away and free Aruna. This is where Drogo finds them. He tells them about Vara and the nymph. Returning to Retribution to take up the trace, they find Stella dead and Vara gone.
Meanwhile Esdras has arrived at the Citadel. Tell is chained to a wall in the dungeons. Kreel plans to hold a mock trial to convict him for the murder of the King, Queen and Vara. Kalem appears in the guise of a warrior and promises Will to defend him in court. There she appears as the attorney Garth Barbeton, much to the surprise of Xax. She foils Kreel's plans and forces Esdras to speak the truth. Nonetheless, William is found guilty. His execution is to take place at noon the next day. When Freya is told by Xax about the verdict she attempts to kill him. She fails and is sentenced to death as well.
Shortly before the execution, a funeral procession reaches the Citadel, carrying the still body of princess Vara. Just like William has seen it in his vision. He is devastated. But things are not as they seem. The rebels have attacked the Warriors taking Vara home, rescued the princess and put on the soldiers' uniforms. Vara only pretends to be dead. Xax is quite shocked when she suddenly speaks and shows that she is very much alive after all. William catches his crossbow, thrown towards him by Drogo. He frees Freya and then shoots Shaytana's Eye out of Kreels hand. They flee from the scene, taking Xax with them as a hostage. When they are safe, William stops the others from killing Xax in cold blood. They chase him away instead. Hugo and Freya are overjoyed to be reunited. They cannot go back to Hugo's farm so they plan to go to Freya's father who lives in the highlands of Mulhurron instead. Vara has realised now that she can trust the rebels and that Xax and Kreel are her enemies.
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