The Unnamed Saga

Sisters and Song

Script

 

Three Weeks Later...

 

Open on Silverthrone castle in ruin from above.  Its insides are exposed, entire sections of it crumbling, crushed, or reduced to ash.  Blackened husks of wood and stone jut from the wreckage like old bones.  Patches of snow cling in the shadowed spots.  Melting snow produces small arteries of water, meeting and spreading.  Flowers bud and moss grows across the stonework.  Nearby trees begin to green.

Show Silverthrone city in equal disarray.  Some buildings have been utterly destroyed, their broken forms dotting the landscape.  Many more have superficial damage, small fissures and cracks, battle blackened walls.  Among the wreckage are subtle signs of reconstruction, ladders out, boards leaned against buildings, people working.

Show the streets of Silverthrone city where beggars and nobles walk as equals.  The city is crowded with people dressed in furs and cloaks.  The snow has melted and the sun is out.  The streets are wet and sticky with mud.  Steam curls before their mouths as they breathe. 

Winding through the town is a chow line where people collect free food.  At the head of the line is a make-shift awning where workers are gathered around a large steel pot.  Fionan soldiers keep watch and keep the line moving.

Show Fionan soldiers walking the streets, directing people.

Show a weathered tavern, the paint peeling from the sign.  The windows are broken out and covered with wood.  The door hangs partway from the doorway, hardly bolted to the hinges.

Show the tavern interior where people are drinking and talking animatedly.  The tavern master is busy cleaning a glass while the wenches walk the room.

Show the tavern’s backroom stacked high with barrels and crates.  At the room’s center is one crate with a map unrolled across it, knives holding it pinned to the wood.  A single lantern casts a dim light around the room as a group of people stand bent over the map.

Show the map from an overhead view to reveal it is a map of Silvara.  It has various notes scrawled across it, with lines and circles indicating Fiona’s control and lines pointing toward the sea.

Show Dawn, bent over the map and pointing toward the nearby sea.  Two men stand beside her looking at the map.

 

Dawn: “The ship will arrive in three days.  After it unloads we’re supposed to replace the cargo with our people, and it will take them to the safety of Anthem.  I want to get as many civilians on as possible.”

 

Diando: “That will only draw attention.”

 

Dawn: “Not if we keep them distracted.  I’ve already asked for volunteers and put together a group of ‘raiders.’  They hit the enemy encampment on the outskirts of the city and draw their attention.”

 

Thomas: “Wouldn’t they lock down the port?”

 

Dawn: “Not if we time it perfectly.”

She points to an outlying part of the city.

Dawn: “If we start here, at the far side of the barricade, they’ll think we’re trying to stage an escape into the forest rather than by sea.  They’ll bolster the defense there and not even consider the port until it is too late.  They might even send the ships out without checking them, for their own safety.  Wouldn’t want to start a war with Anthem while they’re still struggling with the Silvaran resistance.

 

Thomas: “Brilliant plan, princess.”

 

Dawn smiles.

Dawn: “That’s why I’m in charge, boys.”

 

Diando: “One thing: You won’t be in charge of the distraction team.”

 

Dawn: “Excuse me, but I most definitely will.”

 

Diando: “No.  You’ll be on the ship.”

 

Dawn: “What?”

 

Thomas: “What I believe Diando is meaning to say, princess, is that you and the prince should make your escape now, while we have the chance.”

 

Dawn glances around the darkened room.

She leans in to whisper.

Dawn: “I agree about Zelos.  He won’t like it, but he needs to get out of here.  Last chance at restoring any sanity to Fiona…”

She straightens up.

Dawn: “But I need to stay.  My people need me here to protect them.”

 

Thomas: “Your people need you alive, m’lady.  We’ve had reports, disturbing ones.  Metis has unleashed something unholy on his enemies.  Entire scouting parties are disappearing without a trace.  Towns and villages have fallen silent, and not just in Silvara.  It seems not even his own people are safe from his madness.”

 

Dawn: “I’ve read the reports, too, and that’s why I need to be here.  The resistance needs a leader.”

 

Diando: “Preferably one that is alive.  We can’t focus on the war when we have to keep an eye on you.”

 

Dawn: “Then don’t.  I can take care of myself.”

 

Thomas: “Princess, please, be reasonable.”

 

Diando: “Barking up the wrong tree, there.”

 

Dawn glares at Diando.

 

Thomas: “Think of your sister.”

 

Dawn: “Zara is fine.  She has Elsea.”

 

Thomas: “Yes and she has only one sister left…”

 

Dawn turns her glare on Thomas.

Dawn: “I don’t want to talk about that.”

 

Diando: “And out of respect we’ve avoided the subject, but we can’t ignore it forever. Silverthrone’s list of successors is growing rather short.”

 

Dawn leans over the map again.

She stares at it thoughtfully.

She sighs.

Dawn: “Fine.  I’ll go.”

 

Thomas: “Good, and I’ll escort you while Diando here leads the distraction party.”

 

Diando: “Now, wait a minute.  I never agreed to that…”

 

Cut to black.

Open to a bright, sunny day.  There are few clouds in the sky.

Show a bird flying through.

It lands on a greening branch and chirps loudly to another on the ground.

The bird on the ground nips at a worm.

A shadow curls around the bird, coiling around its neck.

Show a wide-angle of the forest.  There is a snap, and two red eyes are staring out from the foliage.

 

Cut to the city streets.  Remi and Diando are seated side-by-side on a stoop.  Each has a wooden bowl filled with gruel.  There are civilians all around them, eating and arguing and talking loudly.  Diando is half-finished with his meal.  Remi has hardly touched his.

 

Remi: “Nervous?”

 

Diando: “Hungry.”

 

Remi: “I can see that.”

Beat.

Remi:“We’ll be fine, you know.”

 

Diando: “I’m not worried.”

 

Remi leans into Diando and smiles at the people nearby.

Remi: “Nothing will happen to me, either, I promise.”

 

Diando looks away from his food and at Remi.

Diando: “I won’t let anything happen to you, and that’s a promise.”

 

They sit in silence. 

Diando finishes his meal and sets aside his bowl.

He looks at Remi.

Remi smiles and hands his bowl over.

Diando begins eating it.

 

Remi: “It will be strange.”

 

Diando: “What will?”

 

Remi: “Having our home to ourselves again.”

 

Diando: “It’ll be quiet, for once.  I, for one, can’t wait.”

 

Remi: “You’re so sour sometimes.”

 

Diando: “Mmm.  You’re too sweet.”

 

Remi: “Why, thank you.”

 

Diando: “Wasn’t a compliment.”

 

Cut to black.

There are shouts and flames.

Open to Dawn firing an arrow.

The arrow hits a Fionan soldier in the throat and he falls to the ground.  Civilians all around her are dispersing and running like a mad.  A golden light illuminates her from off screen.

Dawn looks up.

 

Dawn: “Damn it, they figured it out!”

 

She sprints down the street and melds into a group of trampling civilians.

She comes out of an alleyway near the port.

Stopping at the edge, she stares in horror off screen.  The light is brighter, painting everything with color.

Show a ship in the port.  Floating above it is a ball of brilliant golden light.  Whips of red, yellow, and orange flame lash out, incinerating anything they touch.

Show Thanatos in the forest.  It is staring off into the port. It growls.

Show a deckhand on the ship.  Fire surrounds him on all sides.  He is dodging the flames.

He leaps.

A tongue of flame washes over him.

Another deckhand screams.

Show the captain at the top of the ship.

 

Captain: “C’mon, men, we can’t stand around an’ watch it! Let’s get this thing out of port before the ship burns.  Remove the ropes, pull the anchor, we need to get out of here while we can!”

 

Show the boat pull away from Dawn’s vantage point.

The sphere floats higher.

There is a bright flash of light and the boat is caught in an eruption.  It sails off into the water engulfed entirely in flames.

The sphere continues gaining altitude while swelling in size.

Dawn squints.

Tongues of fire start ripping into the city.

Dawn looks at the damage.

 

Dawn: “By the gods…”

 

She knocks an arrow. Tears run down her cheeks.

She releases the arrow.

It sails off, a dark dot in the enormous sphere of light.

Show the arrow in Zelos’ throat.

The light fades, revealing Zelos within.

He hangs in the air for a moment.

The color drains from the world.

His left eye goes dark.

He falls into the water.

Dawn stands on the edge of the port and watches the burning ship sail away.

She looks at the destruction in the city.  Fire is wide-spread, and in the distance she can hear the battle on the outskirts of town.

 

Book Two

Sisters and Songs

 

Chapter One: A Nation in Ruin

 

Open on Zara lying in bed.  She is wearing a purple nightgown.  Her hair is fanned out behind her, and her eyes are closed.  Sunlight is framed against her face, but she is sleeping through it.

She rolls to her left.

She groans.

She rolls to her right.

She winces in the light.

She sits up suddenly, clutching her chest.

Pull out and show her in a large, lush bed.  The walls behind her are decorated with paintings.  Everything is richly embroidered with intricate designs, including her clothes.  There is a swan motif to the bed frame and sewed into the bed spread.

Show large glass double-doors that are open.  They lead to an expansive veranda.  A breeze leaves the sheer curtains dancing.

Zara looks out the window.

She wipes her brow.

 

Zara: “That…was quite the dream.”

 

Show Zara through the window.  The breeze is moving the curtains.  Sunlight makes the veranda shine.  The mantel is embroidered with rich detail.

Show the mansion she is staying at.  It is a large building on a hill, overlooking a large city built along the coast.  The vegetation here is lush.  The pier is enormous and filled with ships.  Waves break gently against the rocks.  The white walls of the city gleam in the sunlight.  Birds are returning from their winter migration.

Return to the room interior with an overhead view.  Show Zara stepping out of the bed.

Cut to a dining room interior.  The room is huge and well-lit.  Large windows let sunlight pour in.  The doors are closed and the curtains drawn but light shines through them.  A large, sturdy table is set at the center of the room and polished to reflection.  Elsea and Mary sit at one end of the table across from each other.

Show Elsea sipping a steaming cup of tea.  She has a small plate of bread beside her.

Show Mary watching and smiling.

 

Mary: “How ritualistic of you, good lady.”

 

Elsea: “Excuse me?”

 

Mary: “Three weeks we’ve been here, and three weeks you’ve had an unchanging routine.”

 

Elsea looks around the room.

Mary points at the cup in Elsea’s hand.

 

Mary: “The tea, darling, you have tea and bread on every morning and then retire with a book to read until the princess awakens.  Honestly, I do find the consistency comforting, if a bit dull.”

 

Elsea sets her cup down.

Elsea: “And you’ve watched me this entire time?”

 

Mary smiles.

Mary: “My, you are a clever one, are you not? Guilty as charged, I am afraid to admit, as my routine certainly does seem to revolve mostly around watching you.  Alas, what is a woman to do in a foreign nation with nary a coin to her name?  I dare to say, should they wish to accommodate us properly, they could stand to allocate at least a small allowance.”

 

Elsea: “Don’t you think that’s asking a bit too much?”

           

Mary: “Mayhap, but I fear the boredom will kill me long before Fiona has the proper chance at it.”

 

Zara, off-screen: “Life is about to get much more interesting.”

 

Elsea: “M’lady?”

 

Mary: “And here we were just talking about you, princess.  You are waking quite early this morning, and with a smile on your face, too.”

 

Zara enters the room in her nightgown, stops at the end of the table, and rubs sleep from her eyes.

She yawns and stretches.

She sits beside Elsea and picks at Elsea’s bread.

Zara: “Today is the day, isn’t it? The ship should be coming in carrying Dawn and Zelos.”

 

Mary: “Why, and here I had thought you would be enjoying your time away from the prince, what with all that bickering you two were always on about.”

 

Zara: “I have enjoyed my time away from Zelos, but I am more excited about seeing Dawn than I dread seeing him.  It doesn’t feel right with her over there while I’m here.  After all, we’re the last…”

Zara goes quiet.

She stops tearing at the bread.

 

Mary: “I apologize, princess, it seems I have forgotten myself this morning.”

 

Zara shakes her head.

Zara: “No, you’re fine.”

She stands from the table.

Zara: “I’m going to change.  Elsea, could you call on breakfast for me.”

 

Elsea: “Of course, m’lady.  It will be waiting for you when you return.”

 

Zara: “Thank you.”

 

Follow Zara out the door.

 

Cut to an Anthem Mansion interior.  Glenn is walking the hall with President Thaddeus of Anthem’s Guild of Commerce. President Thaddeus is a big man, richly dressed in a smart vest that fits tight to his belly.  He has a dark beard with white hairs in it and thick eyebrows.

Thaddeus: “So, today is the day.”

 

Glenn: “Should be.”

 

Thaddeus: “We’ve put ourselves through quite a bit of trouble with all of this.  I hope you understand that.”

 

Glenn: “I do, and we appreciate it.”

 

President Thaddeus and Glenn stop at the window.

They stare out the window.

Show them staring at the mansion’s courtyard.  Flowers and bushes are growing in.  Birds bounce from tree branches.

Thaddeus: “The late king…He was an old friend.  He would be ashamed with what his sons have done with Fiona.”

 

Glenn: “I agree.”

 

Thaddeus: “That said, we can’t ignore Metis or the danger he poses.  With that strange flying ship of his I fear no one is safe, Sir Glenn.”

 

Glenn looks at him.

Glenn: “What exactly are you saying?”

 

Thaddeus: “I…am saying that Anthem is in great danger so long as you and the princess remain here.”

 

Glenn: “Then you want us to leave?”

 

Thaddeus: “I would never say it in such a manner…”

 

Glenn: “I understand.  We’ll figure it out when the prince and princess arrive.”

 

Thaddeus: “Yes, yes, of course, one of your status must defer to the judgment of others.”

 

Glenn glares.

He turns and walks off.

Glenn: “Something like that.”

 

Cut to Dawn sleeping. She is lying in a private room, in a dusty shack.  The room is dark and has indistinct shapes.  The roof has holes which grant thin ribbons of light inside.  It is raining outside and the rain can be heard on through the walls and ceiling.

A droplet of water hits Dawn’s face.  She groans.

Another droplet hits her face.

She opens her eyes.

She winces in the light.

She sits up and looks at the ceiling.

Show droplets of water forming around a hole in the ceiling.

One droplet falls and hits her bedroll.

Dawn sighs.

Dawn: “…Just great…”

Dawn stands from the bed and throws her blankets in the process.  She is fully dressed save for boots.

She grabs the bedroll and yanks it off.

She goes to the far corner of the room to where a robe hangs from the wall.

She pulls the robe on while crossing to the doorway, where a curtain hangs as a makeshift door.

Dawn enters a larger room that is still quite cramped.  Light comes in through broken windows and a large hole in the ceiling. A pot catches rain at the center of the room.  It is nearly overflowing.  The walls in the room are ragged and decaying.  A table sits in the corner of the room with a single candle burning on its surface.

Dawn ties a knot in her robe.

A group of men are sitting around the table and gruel from wooden bowls.  Diando and Remi are among them.

Everyone at the table except for Diando stand as Dawn enters the room.

 

Silvaran Royal Guard1: “Morning, princess.”

Silvaran Royal Guard1 bows his head.

The other guards follow suit while Dawn yawns and waves.

 

Dawn: “At ease, boys.  I’m not awake enough for all of that.”

 

The Silvaran Royal Guard1 looks at his companions.

He nods bashfully.

He sits.

Silvaran Royal Guard1: “Sorry.”

 

Dawn shrugs.

Dawn: “Don’t worry about it.  How is the gruel today? Is it warm?”

 

Diando: “Nope, and by the time you get to it I imagine it’ll be a bit soupy.”

 

Dawn: “You didn’t get me any?”

 

Silvaran Royal Guard1: “I apologize, m’lady! Here, you may take mine, if it would please you.”

 

Silvaran Royal Guard2: “And mine, as well.”

 

Dawn looks at the two guards.  They are holding their bowls out in offering.

She shakes her head and waves her hand.

Dawn: “No, no, thanks, though.  I was just asking, is all.”

 

Remi: “With all due respect, princess, we hadn’t expected you up so early.”

 

Dawn: “Leak woke me up.”

 

Silvaran Royal Guard1: “We’ll fix it immediately.”

 

Dawn: “Oh, don’t worry about it.  You have all day, may as well finish your breakfast.  Anyhow, I’m hungry.”

 

Silvaran Royal Guard1: “I’ll send someone to…”

 

Dawn: “I can get it myself.  You stay and eat.”

 

Silvaran Royal Guard1: “But, m’lady…”

 

Dawn: “Listen, you can’t guard me on an empty stomach.”

She flips up the hood on her robe.

Dawn: “And, I don’t need protection as is.  I’ll be back in a bit.”

 

Diando waves.

Diando: “Have fun.”

Remi glares at Diando.

Diando looks back at him warily.

Diando: “What, she’s a big girl.”

 

Remi crosses his arms.

Remi: “You are hardly helping.”

 

Cut to Dawn walking the streets.  The streets of Silvara are bare, without even snow to cover the mud.  The sun is out, but the area is in bleak shambles.  Buildings are blackened or collapsed.  What few that are standing nearly have people spilling out of them.  Many people just sit on the streets, looking gaunt and dirty.

It is still raining, and Dawn’s cloak is growing damp around the shoulder and head. Off-screen people can be heard, some are talking animatedly.  Some are screaming and cursing and crying.

Dawn hears the shouts and perks up.

Dawn sprints down the street.  Puddles splash as she passes through them.

Dawn turns the corner to find a short-haired girl kneeling in the mud.  A bowl of gruel sits upturned in the mud.  She is crying and scrambling to pick it up as two Fionan soldiers laugh above her.

 

Fionan Soldier5: “Filthy dogs!”

Fionan Soldier5 kicks the bowl out of the girl’s reach.

Fionan Soldier5: “Eat it off the ground like the animal you are.”

 

Fionan Soldier6: “Heifer doesn’t even need food.  Fat enough already.”

 

Dawn scowls.

Dawn: “Hey!”

Dawn marches over to them and stares them in the eye.

Dawn: “What do you two think you’re doing?”

 

Fionan Soldier5: “Stay out of it, brat, it’s got nothing to do with you.”

 

Dawn: “It has everything to do with me when you have my…kinsmen…kneeling in the mud.”

 

Fionan Soldier6 steps forward.

Soldier2: “Didn’t make her kneel.  She ran into my friend here, nearly spilt that garbage right on his armor.  Could’ve stained it.”

 

Dawn: “Stained it?”

 

Fionan Soldier5: “Ha! Dumb bitch doesn’t even know.  Your low grade Silvaran muck makes iron rust.”

 

Dawn: “Know what else makes it rust?”

Dawn points up.

Dawn: “Rain.  Don’t see you trying to kick the sky, though.”

 

Fionan Soldier5: “You’ve got a smart mouth, and I don’t much care for that.”

 

Fionan Soldier6 laughs.

Soldier2: “I’d watch out if I were you, little girl.  My man here is quite the killer.  Bled plenty of your KINSMEN during the attack.”

 

Dawn squares off against Fionan Soldier5, glaring up at him despite their height difference.

Dawn: “You have until the count of three to leave.  One.”

 

The soldiers laugh.

 

Dawn: “Two.”

 

Fionan Soldier6 keeps laughing.  Fionan Soldier5 stops and looks bewildered.  He holds Dawn’s gaze.

 

Dawn: “Three.”

 

Fionan Soldier6: “Uh-oh.  We’re in trouble now.  Girly is going to attack, best watch out.  Ha!”

 

Fionan Soldier5: “L-Let’s get out of here.”

 

Fionan Soldier6: “WHAT?”

 

Fionan Soldier5: “This just isn’t worth my time.  Anyway, the brat is right, don’t want my armor to rust in the rain.”

 

Fiona Soldier6: “Er, right…”

 

The soldiers swagger off as Dawn kneels down and grabs the bowl.

She hands it back to the girl, Niva.

 

Dawn: “You okay?”

 

Niva nods and tries to wipe her eyes in the rain.

 

Dawn: “Okay, then come on, and we’ll go get you some more.”

 

Niva: “They don’t have enough for seconds…”

 

Dawn: “Then I’ll share mine with you.”

 

Niva: “N-No, I couldn’t…”

 

Dawn pulls Niva up.

Dawn: “I insist!”

 

Niva: “But…”

 

Dawn takes Niva’s hand and  drags her away.

Dawn: “No buts. I just ran off those guards for you, didn’t I?  The least you could do is have breakfast with me.”

 

Niva: “Breakfast? But, it’s nearly midday.”

 

Dawn shrugs.

Dawn: “Details!”

 

P.S.

 

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2: Chapter Two: Those Unforgotten

Chapter Two: Those Unforgotten

Open to black.  There are sounds of activity in the background.  People are speaking and birds are chirping.  There are footsteps and animals.

 

Elsea, off-screen: “Princess!  Princess, slow down.”

Open on Zara marching through a crowd of people.  It is light out.  Elsea is immediately behind her.

Cut to Elsea forcing her way through the people and chasing after Zara.

Elsea: “M’lady, Glenn and Mary have fallen behind.”

 

Zara: “Then they will just have to catch up.”

 

Zara and Elsea walk off screen.

Settle on the crowd for a panel.

Glenn and Mary step out of the crowd and on screen.

 

Mary: “Hasn’t she just gotten more lovely the longer we stay in Anthem?”

Mary looks down at her dress, which has a stain on the stomach of it.

Mary: “Now, what is this then?”

She rubs at the stain.

 

Glenn: “Come on, the ship will arrive soon.”

 

Mary: “Oh, hush, there is hardly need for hurry.”

 

Glenn cocks his brow.

Glenn: “You aren’t excited to see Zelos?”

 

Mary: “My excitement won’t change the winds, Sir Knight, and it will hardly make time pass more quickly.”

 

Glenn: “They should be arriving soon.”

 

Mary: “Mayhap they should, but the question is whether they will.  These things have a way of going awry.  You understand, I am sure.”

She scowls.

Mary: “Drat!”

She looks at Glenn.
Mary: “And I loved this dress, too.”

 

Glenn: “Come on, I can hardly see them now.”

 

Mary: “Yes, yes, in quite the hurry to wait and all.”

 

Cut to Anthem exterior, looking in at the bazaar.  A large wall separates the bazaar from the port.  Zara is marching through the gateway with Elsea following shortly behind.  They are walking down a massive stairway toward the port.

Show the rolling, clear water and the sea birds flying about.  The sky is clear.  Boats are docking in various piers.

Zara stops and stares out at the long piers.

Show the poort again, showing the workers pulling a ship in.

Show birds picking at fish.

Show boats approaching from a distance.

Show Zara standing with her arms crossed and surveying the area.  Elsea is at her side.  In the background, Mary and Glenn are descending the stairs.

 

Zara: “Shouldn’t we see the ship by now?”

 

Elsea: “It may be just over the horizon, m’lady.”

 

Zara: “Should have been here by midday.”

Zara squints up at the sky.

Zara: “They’re late.”

 

Elsea looks up as well.

She nods.

Elsea: “Yes, m’lady.”

 

Mary, off-screen: “I told you as much.  The sea is a lady as fickle as you, princess, and any attempts at crossing are oft met with one form of disaster or nothing.  Need I remind you of our own harrowing journey?”

 

Zara blushes.

Zara: “I had never ridden a ship before.  Besides, seasickness is not so uncommon.”

 

Mary: “Anyhow, mayhap we should rest our legs.  Standing will leave you stiff of posture, and you shouldn’t want that when your suitor comes sailing into port.”

 

Zara: “My suitor? Ha!”

 

Mary settles on the stairs and stares out at the sea.

She hoods her eyes with her hand.

Mary: “All of this sunlight.  I fear winter may have spoilt me with its shade.”

 

Zara crosses her arms and taps her foot impatiently.

 

Glenn: “Don’t worry, the wait should be brief.”

 

Mary: “Unless they’ve met unforeseen trouble, mind you.”

 

Zara: “They didn’t.  I’m sure of it.”

 

Mary: “Oh?”

 

Zara: “I can feel it in my gut.”

 

Mary looks at Zara.

Show Zara tapping her foot and staring out at the sea.

Mary closes her mouth and looks back out at the sea.

Mary: “Yes, m’lady, I am certain that you are quite correct, and they should make port at any moment.”

 

Cut to Dawn and Niva eating in the resistance hideout.  It is still raining outside.  Water drips from the ceiling.  Dawn has her bowl clean.  Niva picks at her gruel.  The royal guard is assembled around the table, watching irritably.  Diando is among them.

 

Diando: “Hey, Dawn, can I speak with you?”

 

Dawn: “No, I have a guest.  Don’t be rude.”

She turns back to Niva.

Dawn: “So, tell me about yourself.”

 

Niva: “Um…Like what?”

Niva laughs nervous.  She tucks her hair back.

Niva: “There’s not much to tell…”

 

Dawn: “Well…What did you do before the occupation?”

 

Niva: “Before?  I didn’t do much. Tended house, mostly.”

 

Dawn: “Tended house? So, you were a wife, then?”

 

Niva laughs.

Niva: “No, no, nothing like that.  I was…My sister was in the military and didn’t have much time to care for herself.  Our parents died while we were young, so…Anyway, I took care of things around home for her.”

 

Dawn: “I see, and what about now?”

 

Niva: “Now? Well, now…I…My sister is a soldier.”

 

Dawn: “So you’ve said.”

 

Niva: “I’m…I don’t know if it’s appropriate.”

 

Dawn: “You’re among friends.  I promise.”

 

Niva looks around.

Show the disapproving faces of the Royal Guard and Diando.

Cut back to Niva, who looks anxious.

Dawn looks around.

 

Dawn: “Oh, don’t worry about them.  They’re just…”

Dawn glares at them.

Dawn: “…rude.”

 

The guards look away quickly.  They busy themselves.

Diando continues to stare.

Dawn returns her attention to Niva.

 

Niva: “Well…I’m looking for the resistance, actually.”

 

Dawn: “The Resistance? Like the Silvaran Resistance?”

 

Niva nods.

 

Dawn: “You mean to join?”

 

Niva: “Something like that.”

 

Dawn: “Well, you’re in luck, then, because you’ve already found them.”

 

Niva: “What? You mean, you are…”

She looks around the shack.

She grimaces.

Niva: “…THIS is the resistance?”

 

Dawn: “Well, yeah, but not all of it.  We can’t stay in one place.  That’d just tell the Fionans where to look.”

 

Niva: “Oh.  That makes sense, I guess.”

 

Dawn: “And, to properly introduce myself: I am Dawn Summer Estein, the second princess of Silverthrone.”

 

Diando: “DAWN!”

 

Dawn: “Oh, like she wouldn’t find out eventually.  Calm down, will you?”

 

Diando groans.

Diando: “I…need fresh air.”

Diando storms outside.

 

Niva: “So…You’re the princess?  Oh! I should be bowing or…”

 

Dawn: “I’m a princess of a fallen kingdom, so don’t worry about it.”

 

Niva: “Oh. Are you sure?”

Dawn nods.

Niva sits quietly.

Niva: “Can I ask you a question?”

 

Dawn: “Of course you can.”

 

Niva: “Do you know anyone named Umber?”

 

Dawn: “Umber?”

 

Niva nods.

Niva: “She’s my sister, and she–Well, about two weeks ago, she was sent off for a scouting mission and–She never returned.  I don’t even get letters.”

 

Dawn: “Oh. Honestly, I don’t know all of our ongoing operations of the top of my head, but I promise, I’ll see what I can find.  Okay?”

 

Niva smiles.

Niva: “Thank you, thank you so much.”

 

Cut to the Anthem docks by evening.  Zara is still on the steps.  She is hugging her legs and resting her head on her knees, sulking.  Elsea yawns behind her.  Glenn is in the rear with his hands on his hips.  He has his cloak removed and is holding it under his arm.

 

Glenn: “Maybe Mary was right, and we should retire.  We’ve been here all day.”

 

Zara: “I am not going.  Surely, they’ll be here soon, and I don’t want them thinking that they were forgotten.”

 

Glenn: “This was our plan.  That’s proof enough.”

 

Zara: “Regardless, I am not leaving.  I’ll wait all night if I have to.”

 

Glenn: “Elsea, will you two be alright by yourselves?”

 

Zara glares.

Zara: “We’ll be fine! We survived long before you came to our rescue, and will continue to do so even in your absence.”

 

Elsea looks back at him.

Elsea: “Don’t worry, Sir Glenn, we will be well.”

 

Glenn: “Right.  Well, I’ll send some food.”

 

Glenn turns and leaves.

Elsea returns to staring at the water.

Elsea yawns again.

Zara’s stomach grumbles.

They both look at Zara’s belly.

Zara: “…I hope that he hurries.”

 

Cut to Silverthrone, just outside of the resistance shack.  Dawn and Niva are sitting on a stone bench.  It is rather beaten up, with deep cracks in it.  The rain has ceased, but the clouds hang in the air.  Water drips from the roofs.

 

Dawn: “This day looks about how I feel.”

 

Show the low-hanging clouds.

 

Niva: “It is rather gloomy.”

 

Dawn looks at the city.

Dawn: “Yeah, it is.”

 

Show a bird fly into view, a small parcel attached to one of its legs.

It lands on the shack and flutters inside.

Dawn smiles at it.

She takes Niva’s hand.

She stands and pulls Niva up with her.

 

Niva: “What!”

 

Dawn: “Come on! We’ve got news!’

 

Dawn drags Niva inside.

Inside of the shack the Royal Guard has gathered around the table.  Remi is standing nearby with the bird.

Show Remi removing parchment from the bird’s leg.

Remi feeds the bird a seed and sets it off.

The bird goes to its perch to drink some water.

Remi unfolds the parchment and reads it over.

He hands it off to a member of the Royal Guard.

Diando touches Remi’s shoulder.

 

Diando: “What’s wrong?”

 

Remi: “Another one’s burned out.”

 

Niva leans over to Dawn and whispers.

Niva: “What’s going on?”

 

Dawn: “We’re on the run from Fiona, and they’re hunting us down.  If another’s burned out, that means they’ve smoked some more resistance out.”

 

Niva: “And that means?”

 

Dawn: “You don’t want to know.”

 

Dawn leaves Niva at the door.

Dawn takes the parchment and reads it personally.

Niva watches from the back, separated from them.

 

Thomas: “They’re getting more aggressive, m’lady.”

 

Dawn: “Or at least smarter.  The border’s not safe.”

 

Remi: “I’m beginning to fear that nowhere is safe.”

 

Dawn: “Well, we have to hide somewhere, so that attitude isn’t helping.”

 

Diando: “It’s not an attitude.  It’s fact.”

 

Dawn: “And it’s not helpful.  That’s also fact.”

 

Diando: “You can sit here and pretend everything will be okay, but this isn’t a war anymore, Dawn.  It’s an extermination!”

 

Dawn: “And what should I do? Crawl under a rock? Hide? Let them burn my nation to the ground while they look for me?”

 

Diando: “Look around you! They’ve already burned it!”

 

Sir Thomas steps between them.

Thomas: “Enough!”

 

Diando glares at Sir Thomas.

Diando: “Don’t you dare go around talking to me like I’m some dirt on your shoe.”

 

Thomas: “You’re not showing the lady proper respect.”

 

Diando: “And she’s doing so much better about that.”

 

Sir Thomas grabs Diando’s shoulder.

Thomas: “Just calm—”

 

Diando shoves Sir Thomas.

Diando: “Don’t touch me!”

 

Remi steps between Diando and Thomas with a single hand on Diando’s chest.  He looks Diando in the eyes.

Remi: “We should wait outside.”

Diando looks at Remi.

He looks at Sir Thomas.

Remi: “Now, Diando.”

 

Diando: “Yeah, we should.”

 

Remi and Diando leave through the front.

On the way out Diando grunts at Niva, who stares wide-eyed.

Dawn hunches over the table.

Sir Thomas puts his hand on her shoulder.

 

Thomas: “Princess, he doesn’t…”

 

Dawn: “He’s right.  They’re both right.  Nowhere is safe from Fiona.”

 

Thomas: “Yes, but, nowhere isn’t exactly a place I want to go.”

 

Dawn: “I know, I know.”

She looks at the map on the table.

Dawn: “Sir Thomas, I want you to send a message out to everyone.  Wherever we are, we’re compromised.  We need to relocate the entirety of our resistance to one defensible position.”

 

Thomas: “To where, m’lady?”

 

Dawn: “We’ll think on that.  For now, just spread word to be ready.”

 

Thomas: “Yes, m’lady.  Anything else?”

 

Dawn: “Yeah.  We need to find a way out of the city.”

 

Thomas: “Yes, of course, I’ll look into it.”

 

Dawn: “Thank you.”

 

Cut to Zara at the Anthem docks.  It is sundown.  Birds are drifting through the sky, and the sea is calm.  In the distance storm clouds gather.  Zara is still sitting with her head on her knees,  Elsea at her side.  A basket sits between them.  It is piled with wooden plates that have been picked clean.  Flies buzz around.

Show a fly hovering about Zara’s head.  She is watching it with disgust.

She smacks her hands together in front of her face.

She opens her palms and looks.

She grimaces.

Zara: “Well, I got it at least.”

Zara wipes her hand on the ground beside her.

She stretches.

She falls back.

She sighs.

Zara: “How much longer will they make us wait?”

 

Elsea: “Are you getting tired, m’lady?”

 

Zara: “I’m not tired, and I’m not leaving.”

 

Elsea: “Of course, m’lady.”

Beat.

Elsea: “It’s just that they will be serving supper soon.”

 

Zara: “Yes, they will.  Do you know what’s on the menu?”

 

Elsea: “Brisket, I think.”

 

Zara: “Brisket. That does sound good. But still, I should wait for their arrival.”

 

Elsea: “As it is now, m’lady, they may anchor their ship and wait out whatever trouble they’ve met.”

 

Zara: “And they may not.”

 

Elsea: “But you’ve been here all day.”

 

Zara: “And I’ll stay all night if necessary, but I won’t leave them.”

 

Elsea: “I understand your dedication, but…”

 

Zara: “You clearly don’t understand!”

Zara sits up.

Zara: “I won’t have them arrive to empty shores.  They are not forgotten, nor will they ever be.  And when Dawn sees the port, I will be here so she knows her sister, the last of her family, has not abandoned her.  So, go if you must, but I will not be joining you!”

They go quiet.

Zara lies back on the ground and stares up at the darkening sky.

Zara: “Sorry for yelling.  That was—uncalled for.”

 

Elsea: “Apology accepted, m’lady.”

 

Zara: “You can return. If you want to.”

 

Elsea: “I’m fine, m’lady, but thank you for your consideration.”

 

Zara looks at Elsea.

She looks back up at the sky.

Zara: “Thank you, Elsea.”

 

Elsea: “You’re very welcome.”

 

Beat.

 

Zara: “If you wanted to return for a portion of brisket, I wouldn’t have any complaint about that.”

 

Elsea smiles.

Elsea: “Of course, m’lady.”

Elsea stands.

 

Zara: “Oh, and if you could, be a dear and take the dishes with you.  They’re drawing flies.”

 

Elsea: “Yes, m’lady.”

3: Chapter Three: A Celebration of Silence

Chapter Three: A Celebration of Silence

Open on Zara lying in bed.  She looks tired and is staring at the ceiling despondently.  Her right arm is draped over her forehead.  Her hair fanned out on the pillow.

Someone knocks at the door and Zara’s left eyebrow twitches.

There is another timid knock but Zara stares at the ceiling.

 

Elsea, behind the door: “M’lady, are you awake?”

 

Zara doesn’t move.

 

Elsea, behind the door: “I’m sorry, Miss Mary, but I don’t think she’s awake just yet.”

 

Mary, behind the door: “Mayhap we should take the time to wake her, then.”

 

Elsea, behind the door: “But, Miss Mary…”

 

Mary, behind the door: “No time for arguments, good lady, I’ve a delivery to make!”

 

Mary bursts through the door carrying a tray.

Zara sits up irritably.  Her hair is sticking out at all odd angles.  She has bags under her eyes.

 

Zara: “Must you always be so loud?”

 

Mary: “Must you always sleep so soundly and in excess?”

 

Zara: “I wasn’t asleep.  I simply wasn’t receiving guests.”

 

Mary looks back at the door.

She looks forward and smiles.

Mary: “Well, it does seem you are now, doesn’t it?”

Mary sets up the tray over Zara’s lap.

Mary: “And we’ve brought with us breakfast, but eat quickly, for we must hurry.  You’ve a dire need of a bath, and we’ve many places to be before day’s end.”

 

Zara looks down at the tray.  A platter sits on it with a lid over it.

Show Zara’s warped reflection in the lid.

Zara lifts the lid. There is cheese and bread tucked underneath.

Zara nibbles happily at the cheese.

Zara: “And where do we need to be exactly?”

 

Mary: “My, aren’t you inquisitive in the morning?  It shall have to suffice to know that our activities will likely raise your spirits.  Nothing else may be revealed.”

 

Zara: “My spirits need no raising, nor do I plan to raise from this bed, if it is all the same to you.”

 

Mary: “It isn’t.”

 

Zara: “Excuse me?”

 

Mary: “It isn’t the same to me.  Now, hurry!  Eat, bathe, and meet me in the foyer in short order.  And none of that lethargy that would be considered working at your own leisure, please.  I want to be out before the sun is high.”

 

Mary sweeps out of the room.

Zara, mouth full of cheese, stares out the door irritably.

Show Elsea staring back bashfully.

 

Zara: “You tell that witch that should I rise from this bed, it will only be to wait by the docks.”

 

Elsea: “I would, m’lady, but I don’t think that she will listen.”

 

Cut to the Silvaran resistance base interior.  It is early morning.  Dreary light spills through the cracks in the walls.  Dawn is lying in bed with a dirty blanket draped over her.  She has her eyes closed.  Noise bleeds through the thin walls.

Dawn groans.

She rubs her eyes.

She sits up.

She yawns.

She stares at the curtain that is her doorway.

Dawn: “What in the world is that?”

She climbs from the bed.

She makes her way through the front room.

The front room is empty and dark.  Nick can be heard outside speaking with Sir Thomas.

 

Nick, outside: “If you would just let me in to see her, we could have this all sorted out.”

 

Thomas, outside: “I have no idea who you are looking for.”

 

Nick, outside: “The princess, of course.”

 

Thomas, outside: “The princess isn’t here.  She is, of course, across the channel.  Or hadn’t you heard?”

 

Nick, outside: “That’s strange.  I’ve heard rumors to the contrary for weeks now, and I have news that she would quite like to hear.”

 

Thomas, outside: “Even were she here, which she’s not, you have nothing for her.  So, I suggest you move along before you’re moved by force, boy.”

 

Nick, outside: “Now, now, all of this grandstanding isn’t necessary, guys.  I come in peace, I swear.”

 

Thomas, outside: “By the gods, if you don’t go, you’ll leave in pieces.”

 

Dawn peeks her head out of the door.

Show the outside street. The sky is dreary gray.  The royal guard is seated outside.  They are dressed like other peasants.  Sir Thomas stands in the doorway and has Nick by the shirt.  The other guards are watching in preparation.  They have their hands on their daggers.

Dawn steps out into the room.

She steps between Sir Thomas and Nick and forces them apart. Nick stumbles back. Sir Thomas looks surprised.

 

Dawn: “Okay, what in the hells is going on out here?”

 

Thomas: “M’lady, we’ll handle this.  You can…”

 

Nick: “M’lady?”

 

Dawn: “Actually, Thomas, I’ll handle it, thank you.”

 

Thomas: “But…”

 

Dawn: “No, no buts.  You’re not being nearly as inconspicuous as you like to believe, standing watch, rough-housing solicitors…”

 

Thomas: “We can’t trust anyone.”

 

Dawn: “This is my city, Thomas.  We should trust everyone not bearing the Fionan wolf.”

 

Thomas: “But, m’lady…”

 

Nick: “There it is again.”

 

Dawn: “Does he look like a Fionan soldier to you?”

 

Thomas: “No, but he doesn’t look harmless, either.”

 

Dawn: “Really?”

Dawn looks at Nick.

Dawn: “He looks a bit clueless to me.”

 

Nick: “Hey, now.”

 

Dawn: “Now, get back inside.  All of you.”

 

Thomas,: “No, I won’t…”

Dawn glares.

Sir Thomas huffs.

He looks at the other guards, who shy away.

He looks back at Dawn.

Thomas: “Let’s go.”

 

Dawn turns to Nick.

Dawn: “I apologize for their behavior.”

 

Nick shrugs.

Nick: “They’re just doing their jobs.”

 

Dawn nods.

 

Nick: “Anyhow, now that we’re alone, let me introduce myself.  I’m Nicholas, Nick to my friends.”

He winks.

Nick: “You can call me Nick, if you like.”

 

Dawn: “So, Nicholas, you wanted to talk to me?”

 

Nick: “Er, yeah, I do, assuming you’re princess Dawn Estein of Silvara.”

 

Dawn: “That would be me, yes.  Come on, let’s talk about this inside, because though it pains me to admit it, they are right.  The streets aren’t exactly safe with the Fionan boots stomping around.”

 

Nick: “Yeah, I’m thinking that house might be unsafe for me right now.”

 

Dawn: “On my name as an Estein, I swear to you, you’ll come to no harm.”

 

Nick: “No offense, but with what your name is worth now…”

Dawn glares.

Nick: “I’ll take you at your word, though.”

 

Cut to the Anthem mansion interior, to the foyer.  Mary is waiting at the doors.

Show Elsea and Zara come into the room.  They are dressed in light clothing that breathes.  Elsea is carrying a basket.  Zara is carrying a sour expression.

 

Zara: “This had better be worth all the trouble, Mary.”

 

Mary: “Oh, it shall be, I promise you that.  And might I say, you do look lovely with all the grease washed from your hair, princess.”

 

Zara: “I wish I could return the sentiment.”

 

Cut to Silvara, the resistance base interior.  The rain has returned and is battering the roof.  Water leaks through cracks.  The royal guard is collected in the corners of the room watching Nick.  They have their hands on their blades.

Show Sir Thomas on the edge of his seat.  He is leaned forward and has his fingers pressed together.

Show Nick pacing in the center of the room.

He stops at the far wall.

He runs his finger along the wall.

He looks at the dust that collects on his finger.

Nick: “Hey, I like the choices you’ve made with this place.  All the dust makes it look lived in.”

 

Thomas: “Don’t touch anything.  The princess will deal with you shortly.”

 

Nick: “Oh, so she is a princess now, is she?”

 

Thomas: “Keep up the attitude and you’ll soon become a dead man.”

 

Dawn enters from the curtain in the wall.  She is wearing her cloak and travel gear.

She glares at Sir Thomas.

Dawn: “Sir Thomas, mind your tongue.  That’s no way to speak to a guest.”

 

Thomas: “Of course, m’lady.  I apologize.”

 

Dawn: “Now, Nick, if you don’t like our particular brand of hospitality or our décor then you should talk fast and leave.”

 

Nick: “No, no, I’m sorry if I come across as ungrateful.  Your hospitality has been quite hospitable.  I was just making conversation with your fine men.  That’s all.”

 

Dawn: “They’d rather talk weapons to dust.”

 

She crosses the room.

She settles at the table.

 

Nick: “Ah.  See, thing is, I don’t know much about swords and all that.”

 

Dawn: “Then what do you know about?”

 

Nick: “That would you care about? Quite a bit, actually.”

 

Dawn: “Then no more games.  Get to the point, before I lose my temper and throw you out myself.”

 

Nick: “Right.”

Nick wipes the dust from his hand off on his pants.

Nick: “I have information that you, and the resistance that follows you, will find interesting.”

 

Dawn: “Yes?”

 

Nick: “I imagine by now that you’ve heard reports of resistance bases all along the border being raided and razed.”

 

Dawn looks at the guard.

Show the guard with their hands on their weapons.

She looks back.

Dawn: “Yes, we have.”

 

Nick: “Then you must be realizing that Fiona is tightening the noose.”

 

Dawn: “I think I get it, but elaborate, please.”

 

Nick: “The Fionan military has created a line across the border, all volunteers fighting for their country, mind you, and they’re closing rank.  Their intended goal is the capital.”

 

Dawn: “They’re coming for Silverthrone?”

 

Nick: “Silverthrone is lost.  They’re coming for the city, and no stone will be left unturned.  Or so I’m told.”

 

Thomas: “And who told you this, exactly?”

 

Nick: “I have friends in the military.”

 

Thomas: “I’m sure you do.  What are you, then, a spy?”

 

Nick: “An actor, actually, with the Dragonfly Theatre Company.”

 

Dawn: “I don’t believe I’ve heard of you.”

 

Nick: “That doesn’t surprise me, much.  We’re fairly new, started only months before the king’s assassination. All of this mess has been bad for business.”

 

Dawn: “Yeah, that’s interesting and all, but what does this have to do with us?”

 

Nick: “We do shows around here for the troops to raise moral, and we hear things.  A few soldiers told me about the noose, as they call it, and they always do it in hushed breaths.  They want to route the resistance. To kill them. To kill you, princess.”

 

Dawn: “Well, that is valuable information to have.”

 

Thomas: “Why are you telling us?”

 

Nick: “Because…”

 

Thomas: “Continue.”

 

Nick: “Because we made home here long before Fiona burnt it up.  Because war is bad for business.  Because, and here’s the best part, we may just be your way out of the city.”

 

Dawn: “What do you mean?”

 

Nick: “I mean, before the soldiers descend like ravens to pick apart this freshly killed corpse, we are traveling to the Academy to put on a show.  We’ve been hired to perform for their anniversary.  The troupe is quite large.  A few extra faces will be able to pass the check points without much notice.”

 

Dawn and Sir Thomas exchange looks.

 

Thomas: “I don’t like this.”

 

Dawn: “Noted.  Now, Nicholas, you can get us passage with your troupe?”

 

Nick: “Yes, I believe I can.”

 

Dawn: “And what do you get out of it?”

 

Nick: “What do you mean?”

 

Dawn: “I mean, I lead the resistance, but I’m not an idiot.  Fiona’s won the war.  We’re simply trying to keep the embers burning until someone can stir it up and start another fire.  You say war’s bad for your business.  So, why fan the flames?”

 

Nick: “Maybe because I don’t see saving your life as fanning the flames.”

 

Dawn: “You’re not answering my question.  Why are you helping us?”

 

Nick: “Because, Silvara is a nation of artists and scholars.”

 

Dawn: “Yeah, it is. And?”

 

Nick: “And because Fiona may favor us for now, but I’ve seen how Fiona treats those it favors.  Simply put, Metis frightens me.  More than that, he doesn’t engender trust.  The princess Zara, your sister, is across the channel.  The only royalty left on Silvaran soil may die as soon as a week from now.  It is my duty as a Silvaran son to save her.”

Nick smiles dashingly.

Nick: “Besides, I had hoped that the fair maiden might reward me with a kiss.”

 

Sir Thomas stands.

Thomas: “How dare you!”

 

Dawn: “Oh, be quiet.”

Dawn stands and crosses the room.

She stares Nick down.

Dawn: “You’ve given us a lot to talk about.  I’ll meet with my advisors and figure this out.  Return tomorrow at midday.

She takes Nick by the arm and leads him to the door.

Dawn: “Oh, and Nicholas…”

Nick steps out into the rain.

He turns and looks at her.

Dawn: “About that kiss…”

 

Nick smirks.

Nick: “Yeah?”

 

Dawn: “In your dreams.”

Dawn slams the door in his face.

 

Cut to Anthem.  Show a wide-shot of the city.  The sun is out and the buildings gleam.  The city is built on a hill-side.  The streets are narrow and winding.

Show snow melting in the shadowed areas.

Show the sea.  It is moving easily.

Show birds returning in flocks from their migration.

Show balloons rising from the streets.  The city is alive with music and laughter.

Show children playing games in shops.

Show artisans plying their crafts.

Show dancers moving through the streets.  A parade follows in their wake.

Show a palanquin being carried by four robed men.  The exterior is drafted and the interior concealed by a ceremonial shawl.  A woman can be seen in the folds.  She wears a robe with a veil over her face.  She is sitting in a meditative pose.

Zoom in to show her face.  Her eyes are open.  She stares blankly ahead.  Her eyes are dull and empty.  She has a strange shape to her irises, which glow faintly with magic.

Show Zara and Elsea being led through the busy streets by Mary.

Zara looks around in exasperated awe.

Zara: “What is all of this? It’s loud, crowded, and I think someone just squeezed my butt!”

Zara waves her fist at someone off-screen.

Zara: “That’s right, I saw you!”

 

Mary: “Consider it a compliment, princess!  The people of Anthem are passionate by their nature, and often they know not how to check their desires! On some occasions, they throw all caution to the wind and enjoy hedonism of the highest sort.  This, it would seem, is one such occasion!”

 

Zara: “It’s chaos.”

 

Mary: “Yes, but it is chaos at its best.”

 

Elsea: “Is this a festival, Miss Mary?”

 

Mary: “What an astute handmaiden you are, good Lady Elsea.  Yes, this is a festival.  In fact, it is called the Festival of Silence.”

 

Zara: “There’s an awful lot of noise for a celebration of silence.”

 

Mary: “Yes, the name is quite misleading, isn’t it? In point of fact, the celebration is meant to remember the binding of the god Angelus, whose song, while indescribably beautiful, was so terribly loud that it could unravel existence if it were allowed to finish.  And so, the festival celebrates the silencing of a god, as it were.”

 

Zara: “Seems like a sad thing to celebrate.”

 

Mary: “Mayhap, but many celebrations have sorrow at their roots.  People celebrate specifically because the suffering has ended.”

 

Zara: “And that seems like a sad way to spend the day.”

 

Elsea: “Princess, I’m sure Miss Mary didn’t mean to upset you.”

 

Mary: “Oh, no, quite the opposite, actually.  I am here to raise your spirits, if I recall correctly.”

 

Zara: “And my spirits have been raised.  Now, may I return to the mansion? I’m afraid that if my spirits were raised anymore they would lift me up and fly away with me.”

 

Mary: “Well, if you do insist on sour I may just have to make you fly away myself.”

 

Zara and Mary stop in the street.

Zara stares at Mary.

Mary stares back.

Zara: “Elsea would never allow it.”

 

Mary: “Now, now, princess, you’re assuming she would even have time to stop me.”

 

Elsea: “Miss Mary, princess, please, do get along.”

 

Zara sighs.

Zara: “Fine, Elsea, if you insist on indulging her lunacy then I hold you directly accountable for my mood at the end of the day.”

 

Elsea: “I understand, m’lady.”

 

The three stand still in the street as people rush by them.  Music grows louder around the corner.

Zara turns and looks down the street.

Show people gathering at the end of the street and dancers sauntering by. 

Floats follow the dancers.

 

Zara: “And what’s all the commotion about now?”

 

Mary: “That would be the March of the Maiden.  According to Anthem mythic tradition, Angelus was lured down by the beautiful singing voice of an equally beautiful maiden.  While on land, a group of mages used their light to seal the god inside of the maiden, who was then forbidden to ever sing again.  Since then, the god has been passed down the line, to whatever babe has the most melodic cry.  As I understand the tradition, each year a young woman is chosen to represent the maiden and is carried through the streets like a queen on high.”

 

Zara: “And the noise?”

 

Mary: “Musicians, of course.  Anthem is famous for its works of music and art, even more so than those works of your nation, young princess.”

 

Zara: “So I had heard, though I had never had the chance to, um, enjoy them myself.  Many critics in my land are quite fond of the compositions of Anthem.”

 

Elsea: “M’lady, Miss Mary, I think it would be best if we stepped away from the street for a time.”

 

Zara: “Agreed.  This is an awful lot of fuss.”

The crowd parts.

The parade turns down the street.

First, there are riders of Anthem.  They are dressed in embroidered armor.  It gleams in the sunlight.  They wave as they pass.

Next, there are dancers.  They twist and move in perfect rows.

Third are the musicians, who march and play in harmony.

Fourth is the palanquin.  The men in robes carry it with their heads down.

A breeze lifts the curtains slightly, giving a glimpse of Aria.

Show Zara staring.

Show Aria.

They make eye contact briefly.

The parade marches on.

Zara leans toward Mary.

Zara: “I saw a girl in there.”

 

Mary: “Yes, well, I told you there would be one, didn’t I?”

 

Zara: “Yeah, but she didn’t seem happy about it.”

 

Mary: “You said yourself how sad the celebration was at heart.  Mayhap she agrees.  Or, mayhap, and this seems more reasonable, I would say, she is upset that she cannot take part in the festivities.  Though, according to national custom, she is playing the most important part, as it were.”

 

Elsea: “I would be sad to hear all of the fun and be kept away from it.”

 

Zara: “Maybe.”

She stares down the street.

Show the back of the palanquin.

Zara: “Now then, Mary, would you say I have indulged you thus far?”

 

Mary: “No, not in truth.”

 

Zara: “Could we please make our way to the port soon?”

 

Mary: “Oh, of course, princess, we can go there immediately and see the sights on the way, if it will make you happy.”

 

Zara: “Happy might be a bit ambitious.  You should settle for less irritated.”

 

Mary: “Were only the prince here.  We would settle for nothing more than to see sights.”

 

Zara: “If that were the case, then my sister would be here with me, and my temperament would be greatly improved.”

 

Mary: “Would a snack cheer you, princess?”

 

Zara looks down the street at a number of vendors providing sweets.

She smiles back at Mary.

 

Zara: “It wouldn’t hurt.”

 

P.S.

 

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4: Chapter Four: Away From Home

Chapter Four: Away From Home

Open on birds flitting about bare trees.

Show one fly nearby.

Follow the bird to a barren tree branch.

The bird lands.  The branch is wet.  Dew drops from it.

Follow the dew drop down.

The dew drop hits a wooden roof.

Pull back to show the resistance base.

Cut to the resistance interior. Dawn is standing before the table.  She is wearing her royal leather armor with a cloak over it.  Diando is sitting on one side of the room, reclining in his chair.  Remi is leaning against the wall near the exit.  The Royal Guard is situated around the table, drinking and eating.

 

Dawn: “And so Fiona is closing in, and that is the full situation.  Any thoughts, guys?”

 

Diando: “One thought—I don’t like it.”

 

Dawn: “Noted.  Anyone else?”

 

Thomas: “I agree with Diando, and I don’t trust this Nicholas.”

 

Dawn: “What? Why?  What do you know about him?”

 

Thomas: “Practically nothing, and that’s the problem.”

 

Remi: “But that’s not entirely true.  I’ve been asking around since he showed up, and I’ve gathered some information.  He is part of a new theater group.  They’re a group of bards and players who’ve come together to put on shows all across Albion.  Already, they’ve earned some considerable fame in Silverthrone, having put on a well-received rendition of The Maiden White, and they are a favorite of the new Fionan governor, Lady Daphne.”

 

Thomas: “Okay but do you trust his information?”

 

Remi: “From what my sources say, yes, he’s trustworthy.  The rumors are spreading throughout the border regions.  Fiona is making a push inward, toward the city.  They’ve left most of the towns alone, but they’ve been raiding bases and capturing anyone who even seems outspoken on the issue.  They want to put the resistance to rest, and for good.”

 

Thomas: “Okay, his information is accurate, then, but that doesn’t make him trustworthy.”

 

Remi: “Considering our situation, I don’t think it would be wise to simply write someone off because of your own paranoia.”

 

Thomas: “Paranoia?”

 

Remi: “What else would you call it?”

 

Diando: “Remi, I know you mean well, but we need to consider the full context.  One wrong move, and we’re done.”

 

Remi: “Exactly, which is why…”

 

Thomas: “We can’t just hand over the fate of our princess and our nation…”

 

Diando: “I’m just saying, other alternatives…”

 

Remi: “I wish you two would listen to me long…”

 

Dawn: “ENOUGH!”

The room goes quiet.

Show each of them looking at Dawn.

The guard is quiet.

Sir Thomas is surprised.

Show Remi’s surprise as well.

Diando looks bemused.

Cut to Dawn.  She steps forward.

Dawn: “I’ve been patient up to now, but I can’t stand all of this bickering.  We’re not children, we’re adults, and this isn’t a game.  This isn’t even war.  It’s survival.  We take what we’re offered, and we make the best of it.  Remi, you contact Nicholas.  Tell him we’re interested.”

 

Diando: “Dawn, you can’t really…”

 

Dawn: “I can and am.”

 

Sir Thomas stands.

Thomas: “Princess, we’re not doing this.”

 

Dawn glares.

Dawn: “Excuse me?”

 

Sir Thomas looks around at everyone.

Show the guard shy away.

Diando shrugs.

Sir Thomas looks at Dawn.

He gulps.

Thomas: “Well, if no one else will say it, then I will.  Princess, I understand we’re in a desperate situation, but…”

 

Dawn: “No, you clearly don’t.”

 

Thomas: “Hear me out!”

 

Dawn: “No.”

 

Sir Thomas is taken aback. He stammers.

Thomas: “…But…”

 

Dawn: “I said, ‘No.’  We’re not discussing this.  I am the princess, and I am going.  If you can’t get behind me, then stay.  Anyone else who agrees with you can stay with you, but I will not be killed or captured in my sleep because I’m too afraid to move.  That’s my choice, and I’m done talking.”

Dawn looks Remi.

Dawn: “Remi?”

 

Remi smiles.

He stands from the wall.

He bows.

Remi: “M’lady.”

He turns to the door.

He opens it.

He stops.

Remi: “Oh, excuse me, miss.  Go ahead and come on in.”

Remi steps aside.

Niva enters.

She looks bashfully at everyone.

 

Niva: “I—I’m sorry if I’m interrupting.”

 

Dawn: “You’re fine, we were just finishing up.  Come on, we’ll talk in the bedroom.”

 

Dawn pulls the curtain aside.

Niva enters.

Dawn follows her and drops the curtain.

 

Niva: “I’m sorry, I was going to knock, but when I heard shouting I…”

 

Dawn: “You’re fine, so don’t apologize.”

 

Niva: “Sor…”

Dawn glares.

Niva: “I mean, uh, of course.”

Beat.

Niva: “So, how are things?”

 

Dawn: “They’re complex.  How’re things for you?”

 

Niva: “Simple.”

 

Dawn: “Then I envy you.”

 

Niva: “May I ask what’s wrong?”

 

Dawn: “Of course.”

Dawn slumps down on the bed.

Niva sits beside her.

Dawn: “The Fionan army is closing in on us, and all we can do is bicker.”

 

Niva: “They’re coming here?”

 

Dawn: “Yeah and we need to escape.  We have a way out, but my men are too afraid to take it.”

 

Niva: “Those men?”

Niva looks toward the curtain.

Niva: “But,they look so brave.”

 

Dawn: “Normally, they are, but when you’ve lost nearly everything, you become of afraid of losing what little you have left.  You become careful. Too careful sometimes.”

 

Niva: “That makes sense.”

She looks at Dawn, who is lounging on the bed.

Niva: “How do you keep moving?”

 

Dawn: “I don’t know, I guess I don’t think about the things I have to lose.  Instead, I focus on what I have to hold onto.”

Dawn laughs.

Dawn: “Wow, that sounded melodramatic.”

 

Niva: “No, it’s perfect.  Things you hold onto, I like it.”

She smiles at Dawn.

Niva: “So, where are you going?”

 

Dawn shrugs.

Dawn: “That’s up in the air.”

 

Niva: “Will my sister be there?”

 

Dawn goes quiet.

Dawn: “I’m not sure.”

 

Niva: “Oh.”

 

Dawn: “But, if she’s out there, then she might.”

 

Niva: “She might find you?”

 

Dawn sits up.

Dawn: “Yeah, we’re going to bring everyone together.”

 

Niva: “Good.  She’ll be safer by your side, I think.”

 

Dawn: “You think?”

Niva nods.

Dawn smiles.

Dawn: “You should come with me, Niva.”

 

Niva: “Huh? What?”

 

Dawn: “We can find your sister together.”

 

Niva: “Oh, I wouldn’t want to be a burden.”

 

Dawn: “Then come, because if you don’t, I’ll be up every night worrying.”

 

Niva: “I’m—I’m not packed or ready or…”

 

Dawn: “None of us are, so you have plenty of time.  Come on, come with us, I insist.”

 

Niva: “Well, I do…”

 

Dawn: “You will.”

 

Niva: “Then, I guess I should go pack!”

Niva stands.

She rushes from the room.

Dawn smiles.
She follows Niva to the door.

She turns and looks at the mostly empty room.  Only Diando and a few guards remain.  Diando is still leaning his chair against the wall near the curtain.

He looks at Dawn.

 

Diando: “She’ll get in the way.”

 

Dawn: “No, she won’t.  You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

 

Diando: “She’s not a fighter, and she’s got no skills.  She’ll just be extra weight.”

 

Dawn: “Good thing we’re all so strong then.  We can shoulder a little extra weight.”

 

Cut to Anthem.  The sky is clear but a dark storm is on the horizon.

Show birds singing and flying.

Show the city bathed in morning light.

Show a bird dive.  It hits the water and just misses a fish.

It flies toward the city.

It lands on a balcony on the mansion at the top of the hill.

Show Mary and Glenn on the balcony.  Glenn is leaning forward and staring out at the sea.  Mary is reclining against the balcony with her back to the city.

 

Mary: “Speaking on that subject, how did the president react to the news of our absent ship?”

 

Glenn: “He’s dubious.  Thinks something went wrong.  Thinks it can be traced to him.”

 

Mary: “Such concern is understandable considering the circumstances.”

 

Glenn: “Yes, but it’s also problematic.”

 

Mary: “Has his heart had a change?  Does he now wish to turn us over to the great King Metis as an offering of peace?”

 

Glenn: “He hasn’t said as much.”

 

Mary: “And you’re doing your very best to placate him, I assume.”

 

Glenn: “We’re here, aren’t we?”

 

Mary: “That we are, but for how much longer, Sir Knight?”

 

Glenn sighs.

Glenn: “I’m no good at this stuff.”

 

Mary: “Oh, nonsense.  You’re doing well-enough, what you have kept us rooted for the time being.  I have worries, but none about the president.  Instead, about the ship.  It has been days.  It should have arrived long ago, complications considered.”

 

Glenn: “Yeah.  Do you think—?”

 

Mary: “Often.  I think often, but I won’t entertain such dark thoughts while light still yet remains.”

 

Glenn: “Never pictured you an optimist.”

 

Mary laughs.

Mary: “I remain an optimist until proven wrong, Sir Knight.”

She turns and leans onto the railing.

Show the hills of Anthem rolling beneath them down to the sea.

Mary: “I worry for our young princess.  She still believes in the idea of their inevitable arrival, and I haven’t the heart anymore to tell her the futility of it.”

 

Glenn: “She’s desperate.”

 

Mary: “And why not?  A lost mother, father, and sister, and a nation, and all in the span of a single bloody night.  Such suffering is not easily forgotten.  You should know this well enough.”

 

Glenn: “Yeah.”

 

Mary: “Let her entertain such fancies while she still yet has the strength to.  We will be the sober adults what must deal with the situation at hand.  Specifically, what if the good president should not be so good.  How will we react should he decide to betray our trust and return us gift-wrapped to a new master?”

 

Glenn: “With force.  Between you, me, and Elsea, we can keep the princess safe.”

 

Mary: “Mayhap but for how long?”

 

Glenn pauses thoughtfully.

Glenn: “Gods willing, we won’t find out.”

 

Mary: “And you think the threat of violence will serve as an efficient deterrent?”

 

Glenn: “Yeah.  So long as Fiona stays across the channel, he’ll hide us.”

 

Mary: “And should they grow bold enough to try their hand at the passage?”

 

Glenn: “Then it would be too late anyway.”

 

Mary: “Not so much an optimist yourself, are you?”

 

Glenn: “I’m a realist.”

 

Mary: “Quite.”

 

Glenn: “Do you think Zelos is…”

 

Mary: “That boy is far too stubborn for his own good.  Even should he have met death, he would come back just to prove a point.”

 

Glenn: “You really think he’s alive?”

 

Mary: “As I already said, Sir Knight, I am an optimist until proven wrong.”

 

Glenn: “For once, optimism sounds good.”

 

Cut to Silvara City interior, to a makeshift platform erected in the town square.  It is the newest thing in the shattered town.  A crowd gathers around it.  They look unwashed and hungry.  Fionan guards surround the platform with their swords and shields ready.  They stare out at the gathering crowd with cold authority.

Zoom in to show Dawn moving through the crowd.  She is wearing her cloak and is being pushed and shoved about.

She is grabbed by the wrist.

She turns and punches whoever grabbed her in the chest.

Nick staggers back.

Nick: “Hey, ow!”

 

Dawn: “Nicholas?”

 

Nick rubs his chest.

Nick: “You’re much stronger than you look.”

 

Dawn: “I didn’t know it was you.”

She glares at him.

Dawn: “You shouldn’t just grab a woman like that.  It’s asking to be hit.”

 

Nicholas: “Noted.  Next time, I’ll just shout princess until you turn around.”

 

Dawn: “Ah, right, sorry, I guess.”

She adjusts her hood.

Dawn: “Remi said you wanted to meet me here.”

 

Nick: “That was before the beating.”

 

Dawn: “What do you want?”

 

Nick: “Listen, did you bring your people.”

 

Dawn: “Yes, we’re spread out through the crowd.  It’s dangerous to have us all here.”

 

Nick: “I can imagine, but I wanted you to see this.  Your pal, Remi, he came to me with your offer, and he said that there were some, uh, dissenters.”

 

Dawn: “They won’t be a problem.”

 

Nick: “Not after this, they won’t.”

 

Dawn looks toward the platform.

Dawn: “Why? What’s happening?”

 

Nick: “A regent has been appointed.”

 

They meet eyes.

Dawn: “Lady Daphne.”

 

Nick: “So, you’ve heard of her.  Good! What else do you know about her?”

 

Dawn: “Nothing.”

 

Nick smirks.

He looks ahead.

Nick: “Then just watch.”

 

Dawn turns her attention to the platform.

Show the platform.

Lady Daphne takes the stage.  She is well-dressed and has Veruca at her side.  Veruca clutches an itinerary to her chest.

Lady Daphne goes to the edge of the stage and looks out at the people.

Show the crowd.  They are talking loudly among themselves.  Gradually, they grow quiet.

Dawn looks at those gathered in mild surprise.

Lady Daphne clears her throat.

Daphne: “People of Silvara, I will be brief.  I entertain no idle hopes that you wish me here on this day.  No, I understand your feelings for me and for my nation, and I understand that we are not welcome here.”

The crowd cheers.

Daphne: “Sadly, that is not the reality that we live in.  The truth is this: your nation has fallen, and it has fallen for the selfish actions of a few.  A renegade princess and a regicide prince brought this trouble to your city, to your streets, to your homes, and it is the cruel dictation of fate that you must suffer for their hubris and lose for their greed.

“Similarly, it is cruel that I am here on this day to dictate the future of your nation, but that is also the story fate seems to have written for us.  Before the war, I was a frequent visitor to your lands.  At times, I favored it even above my own.  Your forests are lush, your flowers full, sweet, and blooming.  Your people are equally well-represented, artisans and poets of the highest skill, workers of unparalleled dedication, and possessing a spirit more beautiful and more resilient than any other.

“The wounds of the war are still fresh.  I stand here now as salt in those wound, an unwelcome invader speaking of your nation’s strengths and glories only after it has fallen.  Again, I entertain no hopes of winning your favor.  Instead, I come with an offering of peace.  Cruel as fate may be to you, its hand has been dealt, and clinging sadly to what once was or what would have been will get you nowhere and find you nothing.  Your nation has burned, and no amount of pining might repair your broken buildings or fill your empty bellies.

“But your people are harder, and your strength lies not in your wishes but in your backs.  In time, you can mend this broken wound, and I come here in that interest and that interest alone.  You are Fionan now, whether you welcome it or not, and that means you are under my care, and on this day I make you this vow: you will rebuild.  You will make works of art that will be the envy of the world.  You will erect halls that will tower over the land.  You will rise again, your Silverthrone on high once more, and you will reclaim the glory and spirit that you are known for, and you will do it with your own innate merits: your industriousness, your perseverance, and your skill.

“The castle is gone, but you are not, and I have no interest of changing that.  I have no interest in servants but in people.  I have no interest in breaking you but in rebuilding you.  I have no interest in dominance but in freedom.  Under my watch, you will suffer no slings, no arrows, and no undue cruelty.  The Fionan guards that walk your streets are here at your service, and this will be known.  We are not here to rule or enslave, but to rebuild.

“In the interest of peace I ask only one thing from you: set aside your petty rebellions.  Make yourself not an enemy but an ally in my efforts.  Fight not with blades but with hammers and nails.  Waste not in a futile war already lost, but accept this new paradigm and adjust accordingly.  If you will do that, I will leave my home, and I will stand at your side, and I will hold the hammer and the nail with you and, gods willing, in time, your land will be known not for the loss you suffered, but for the great rebirth that followed.”

Lady Daphne bows.

Daphne: “That is all.”

Lady Daphne turns and leaves.  Veruca follows at her side.

The crowd stands in quiet shock.

They disperse slowly.

Dawn and Nick stand together.

Dawn looks at him.

 

Dawn: “That’s it? That’s what I had to see?”

 

Nick: “What, you didn’t see it?”

 

Dawn: “See what?”

 

Nick: “She flipped your script.”

 

Dawn: “All she did was admit the sins of Fiona.”

 

Nick: “Really, because it looked to me like she lamented them and sympathized with a group of wary people.  It looked to me like she promised them a chance of rebirth after the fire, like she offered them peace and potential prosperity under the care of the strongest nation the world has ever known, but let me phrase this differently.  Tell me, princess, what do you and your rebels have to offer?”

 

Dawn: “Freedom.”

 

Nick: “Not to be argumentative, but look around you.  These people are tired and starving and homeless.  She offers rest and food and a home.  All you offer is a longer war.”

 

Dawn: “That’s not what I offer at all.”

 

Nick: “That’s how they’ll see it.”

 

Dawn looks around at the people.

She sighs.

Dawn: “Then it seems that the city is even more dangerous than I thought.”

 

Nick: “My theatre troupe will be leaving by week’s end.  I hope that you will come, all of you, for your sake, and for the city’s.”

 

Dawn: “We will.  Get whatever we need ready, the paperwork, everything.  I’ll get Thomas and his goons along, even if I have to drag them myself.”

 

Nick grins.

Nick: “I might just pay to see that.

 

Cut to black and the sounds of waves crashing against the shore.

Show a small pinprick of light.

The light bobs from side-to-side.

Cut to Zara seated and hugging her knees.  She is sleeping outside, with her head in her arms, and is dark out.

Elsea walks up carrying a lantern.

She smiles at Zara.

She kneels beside Zara.

She shakes Zara awake.

Zara jerks up.

She smacks her lips.

She wipes her mouth.

She looks to her side.

 

Zara: “Elsea?”

Zara rubs her eyes.

Zara: “Are they here yet?”

 

Elsea stands.

She looks out at the sea.

She shakes her head.

Elsea: “No, m’lady, no ships have come in yet.”

 

Zara: “Oh.”

Zara yawns.

She looks around.

Zara: “Why is it so dark?”

 

Elsea: “It is night time, m’lady.”

 

Zara: “Elsea, I am tired.”

 

Elsea: “Then come along. We’ve a warm bed awaiting you at the mansion.”

 

Elsea helps Zara up.

Together, they walk away from the pier.

Show their backs as they leave.

Zara leans onto Elsea.

 

Zara: “They’ll definitely come tomorrow.”

 

Elsea: “Of course, m’lady.”

 

Chapter End.

 

P.S.

 

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5: Chapter Five: Second Guesses

Chapter Five:  Second Guesses

 

Open on Silverthrone castle at night, on a balcony.  A lantern was lit brightly enough to illuminate a single spire.  It was winter and a small amount of snow had collected on the balconies rails.  The night was dark and starless.

Show Teen Zara standing at the balcony’s edge.  She was wearing a nightdress and slippers, and she was leaning over the railing and staring out at the darkness.

Show the darkened forests outside of Silvara.

Show Zara again, but this time with her mother behind her.

Her mother approached and put a robe around Teen Zara.

 

Ester: “Zara, if you’re not careful you’ll catch a cold.
 

Teen Zara pulled the robe tight to her body.

She smiled at her mother.

She sniffled.

Teen Zara: “I know. I shouldn’t be out here, but I’m worried.”

 

Ester: “I know you are, sweetheart, and I understand completely. I used to worry, too, but you know, your father is the best hunter in the world.”

 

Queen Ester leaned onto the railing, too.

She smiled.

She ruffled Teen Zara’s hair.

Teen Zara pulled away with a start.

 

Teen Zara: “Mom!”

 

Queen Ester laughed.

Ester: “You know, you’ve always been like this.”

 

Teen Zara straightened her hair.

Teen Zara: “Like what?”

 

Ester: “You’ve always stood watch for your father whenever he takes one of his hunting trips.  You never went with him, not like Dawn does.  He tried taking you once, but you cried the entire time.”

 

Teen Zara: “I think I remember that.”

 

Queen Ester: “But, whenever he goes, you always light a torch and wait up on him.”

 

Teen Zara: “Like I said, I worry…”

 

Queen Ester: “Oh, don’t get upset.  I’m not saying it’s a bad thing.  Your father once told me that he can see this light, even in the farthest reaches of the Fox Wood.  When it gets late, and the forest tells him lies and leads him in the wrong direction, he can always see your light from your balcony, and so he always finds his way home.”

 

Teen Zara: “Dad said that?”

 

Queen Ester nodded.

Ester: “He, in fact, did.”

 

Teen Zara looked out at the forest.

Teen Zara: “I figured he’d say it was silly.”

 

Queen Ester hugged Zara.

Ester: “You care about your family, and you’re always watching out for them.  It’s not silly.  It’s sweet.”

They stood embraced for a moment.

Queen Ester smiled.

Ester: “And it seems it worked again.  Look.”

Queen Ester pointed.

Cut to a small hunting party coming in through the gate.  They dragged their kills with them.

Show Zara’s father and Dawn.  Both were dressed in thick fur coats and looked tired, but they were smiling.

Dawn waved.

Teen Zara smiled and waved back.

She looked back at her mother.

 

Teen Zara: “Come on, let’s meet them at the door!”

 

Cut to Zara sitting at the pier and staring out at the sea.  It is raining.  She has a blanket draped over her, and Elsea is standing beside her with an umbrella.  Zara is sleeping.

Show the distance.  The sun is setting.  The sea is calm.

Elsea kneels beside Zara.

She shakes her awake.

 

Elsea: “Princess, I beg your pardon, but we should head back.”

 

Zara snorts as she sits up.

Zara: “I’m…I’m waiting…”

She rubs sleep from her eyes.

She looks around.

Zara: “It’s night.”

 

Elsea: “It is.”

 

Zara stands.

Zara: “Another day wasted.”

 

Elsea: “I wouldn’t call it a waste.”

 

Zara: “That’s because you’re too nice.”

Zara looks at Elsea.

She holds her blanket open.

Zara: “You also look half frozen. Come in here with me.”

 

Elsea: “Thank you, but I’m fine, m’lady.”

 

Zara: “Elsea, consider this an order.”

 

Elsea: “If you insist.”

 

Elsea slips into the blanket as Zara wraps it around both of them.

They head back toward the mansion.

Zara: “Thank you for waiting with me.”

 

Elsea: “Thank you for sharing your blanket.”

 

Cut to the Anthem mansion interior halls.  The dark sky can be seen through the windows.  Glenn is walking down the hall.  He is holding a book that he is looking through.  Zara is running up behind him.  She has showered and changed since her return, and her hair is slightly curly.  She has a slice of bread hanging from her mouth.

 

Zara: “You!  Glenn! Wait!”

 

She stops at his side.

Glenn looks at her.

Glenn: “Princess?”

 

Zara: “You said that the ship was supposed to be here days ago, and you’ve been avoiding me since!”

 

Glenn: “No, I haven’t.  You’ve been at the harbor the entire time.”

 

Zara: “Well!  Listen, we need to speak with President Thaddeus, maybe ask him for another ship and a handful of soldiers.  We’ll go out ourselves and bring them back.”

 

Glenn: “We can’t.”

 

Zara: “Of course we can.  What, are you worried about the danger involved?  It couldn’t be any worse than traveling across Albion with bounty hunters at our heels.”

 

Glenn: “It’s not danger.  It’s the soldiers and ships.”

 

Zara: “What?  Anthem has long since been a friend of Silvara.  President Thaddeus was a personal friend of my father’s, and he worked tirelessly along with my kingdom to…”

 

Glenn: “That’s what got us here and the first ship.”

 

Zara: “And it will get us a second.  Listen, Glenn, I understand as a knight you are blind to the political complexities of this situation, but…”

 

Glenn: “Listen, we’re not welcome here, and one false step could get us kicked out or worse.”

 

Zara: “What do you mean we’re not welcome?”

 

Glenn: “Nowhere is safe for us.  The entire mainland is terrified of Fiona and Metis.  We need to be careful not to be a burden.”

 

Zara: “But, my sister…”

 

Glenn: “I know.”

Glenn looks away.

Glenn: “Just do your best.  We’re not abandoning them, we’re just not in a situation to help.”

Glenn looks at her.

Glenn: “Do you understand?”

 

Zara: “I do.”

Zara takes a bite of her bread.

Zara: “I don’t like it, though.”

 

Glenn: “Neither do I.”

 

Zara: “Sorry I was short with you.”

 

Glenn: “Don’t worry about it.”

 

Cut to the shattered streets of Silavara.

Show groups of Silavarans eating slop at tables.

Show Silavarans gathered around the slop pots.

Show some Fionan guards drinking boisterously.

Show Silavaran children kicking stones or running through the streets.

One Silvaran child bumps into a Fionan guard.  The guard curses.

Cut to Nick and Dawn walking the streets.

The child runs by Nick.

Nick grabs him and lifts him up.

 

Nick: “I’ll take that.”

Nick takes a satchel from a child.  It clinks with money.

 

Dawn: “Are you robbing him?”

 

Nick: “Oh, please.”

Nick looks at the child.

Nick: “Hey, this yours?”

The kid shakes his head.

Nick: “Picked it off of a guard, didn’t you?”

The kid shrugs.

Nick: “What I thought.  Now, get out of here.”

Nick sets the kid down.

He kicks him gently in the rear as the kid runs off.

He looks at Dawn.

Dawn stares back at him with her hands on her hips.

Nick: “You know what they say, no honor among thieves.”

 

Dawn: “Clearly.”

 

Nick: “But it’s that same lack of honor that’s letting me betray Fiona’s trust and getting you out of here.”

 

Dawn: “I guess, but still.”

Dawn snatches the satchel.

Dawn: “It just doesn’t seem right to let you keep this.”

 

Nick: “Reparations for war crimes committed?”

 

Dawn: “I just don’t think you deserve it.”

 

Nick: “Cold.”

 

They come to a stop outside of the resistance shack.

Dawn faces him.

Nick looks up at the sky.

 

Nick: “Looks like the rain has passed.”

 

Dawn: “Tomorrow will be a good day for an escape.”

 

Nick: “Your people ready?”

 

Dawn: “Those that will be coming.”

 

Nick: “That’s not everyone?”

 

Dawn: “Some people can’t leave their families.  Some can’t convince their families to come.”

 

Nick: “I see.  Don’t have a family of mine anymore, but I can respect that.”

 

Dawn: “May I ask what happened to them?”

 

Nick: “Didn’t you just ask?”

 

Dawn: “Just answer.”

 

Nick: “Not much to say, really.  I was an only child.  My parents were old and loved the theater, more than they loved each other, I think.  They died on stage, doing what they loved best.”

 

Dawn: “That’s nice.”

 

Nick: “Yeah, except the crowd demanded a refund.”

Nick laughs.

He waves.

Nick: “See you tomorrow, day break, don’t be late.”

 

Dawn: “I won’t.  Good night.”

Dawn enters the shake.

Show the Silver Guard sitting around a table.  Sir Thomas is at their head.  Diando is drinking with them.

 

Thomas: “I don’t like him.”

 

Diando: “No one does.”

 

Remi nods while pouring Diando some more to drink.

 

Dawn: “You don’t have to like him to trust him.”

 

Remi: “It would certainly help, though.”

 

Dawn: “Maybe, but he’s all we’ve got, and he’s offering us a way out.”

 

Thomas: “This is no way out.  We should stay and fight.”

 

Diando: “Or stay and die.  She’s right.  We need to go.”

 

Thomas: “By the gods, I’m surrounded by cowards.”

 

Remi: “I feel you’re mistaking our prudence for cowardice, Sir Thomas.”

 

Sir Thomas waves him off.

Dawn stares.

 

Dawn: “Well, we’re in high spirits today.”

 

Thomas: “I don’t like running.”

 

Dawn: “And I don’t like the captain of the royal guard sulking like a child.”

Dawn’s stomach growls.

She rubs her stomach.

Dawn: “Now, anyone else hungry?”

 

Diando: “We all ate.”

 

Dawn: “Oh, well, thanks for waiting.  Now, I have to eat alone.”

 

Remi: “Actually, Niva called on you while you were away finalizing the plan.”

 

Diando: “Finalizing the plan? Is that what we’re calling it these days?”

 

Dawn glares.

Sir Thomas turns on Diando.

 

Thomas: “Oh, would you shut up already?”

 

Diando: “You want to make me?”

 

Dawn: “Children, please.  Remi, what about Niva?”

 

Remi: “She said she would wait for you.”

 

Dawn: “Okay, I’ll go see her then.”

 

Thomas: “We’ll escort you there.”

 

Dawn: “No, you won’t.”

 

Thomas: “But…”

 

Dawn: “I’m a big girl, can walk and everything.  Ta-ta.”

Dawn slips out of the shack.

 

Cut to a nearby shelter in town.  It is little more than a leaning tent.  A hole in the center leaks collected rain water.  The sky is cloudy, but the sun is peeking through.  Birds have gathered around, as have people.

Show Niva sitting alone at one of the tables.  She is huddled for warmth in the shade.  An empty bowl sits in the center.

She looks from side-to-side.

She slouches a bit.

 

Dawn, off-screen: “There you are!”

Dawn approaches carrying a bowl.

She sits beside Niva, who perks up at her approach.

Niva untangles.

 

Niva: “I was worried you wouldn’t come…”

 

Dawn: “What? Why? I headed straight over once I heard.”

Dawn stirs her slop.

Dawn: “Girl’s got to eat.”

 

Niva giggles.

Niva: “I suppose so!”

 

Dawn: “So, they said you needed to talk to me?”

 

Niva: “Um, yes.”

 

Dawn: “Well, I’m here.”

 

Niva: “Well…”

 

She looks around.

 

Dawn: “Yes?”

 

Niva: “You have that plan to leave tomorrow.”

 

Dawn: “Yeah, and you’re coming with.”

 

Niva: “Yes, well, I was thinking, I—Are you sure?”

 

Dawn: “Sure?  Am I sure about what?”

 

Niva: “About me coming with you.”

 

Dawn: “Well, I’m pretty sure, as in I wouldn’t mind, but I think it’s more up to you than it is to me.”

 

Niva: “But, you’re…”

She looks around conspiratorially.

She leans forward and whispers.

Niva: “You’re the princess.”

 

Dawn: “Yes, yes I am.”

 

Niva: “I just don’t want to get in the way.”

 

Dawn: “Okay, that’s a fair concern, but it’s no reason to stay, you know.  I mean, what do you have here to stay for?”

 

Niva: “I know, but—If I left, I’d be uprooting everything.  I’d be giving everything up.”

 

Dawn: “Yeah but you’d find your sister.”

 

Niva: “We don’t even know…”

 

Dawn takes Niva’s hand.

They stare at each other.

Dawn: “I’ll find her.  I promise.”

 

Niva: “Are you sure?”

 

Dawn nods.

Niva folds her hands on her lap.  She stares at them.

She begins to cry.

 

Dawn: “Niva.”

 

Niva: “My sister did it.  She left.  She was fearless, and I…”

Niva balls her fists.

Niva: “I don’t know what’s going on out there, but I’m scared.  The world is so much bigger than this city, this island, and—She’s out there, struggling, fighting, even die…”

Niva looks up.  She is teary-eyed but resolute.

Niva: “I have to go.  I have to find her.  If there is any hope of finding her, it’s not here, it’s with you.”

 

Dawn smiles.

She puts an arm around Niva.

Dawn: “And we will find her.”

 

Niva smiles.

Niva: “I know, and I’ll work hard, pull my own weight.”

 

Dawn: “Of course you will.”

 

Niva takes a deep breath.

She stares ahead.

Niva: “Whatever it takes, she’s my sister.  She’s my only family.  She’s risking everything to fight for this nation, for you. For me. I’m done hiding, and I’m done missing her.”

 

Dawn: “Then I guess we should hurry and find her, huh?”

 

Niva smiles.

Niva: “I guess so!”

 

Cut to the resistance shack interior by night.

The door opens and Dawn steps in.

She takes off her cloak and hangs it by the door.

She turns and stops.

Show the Silver Guard staring at her, with Diando at their side.

 

Dawn: “Well, this isn’t spooky at all.  What’s with all the sour mugs, guys?”

 

Diando: “We want to talk to you.”

 

Dawn: “I noticed.”

 

Thomas: “About the girl.”

 

Dawn: “About Niva?”

Dawn scowls.

Dawn: “You sent a spy, didn’t you? I can’t believe this. I am not a child.”

 

Thomas: “You’re fifteen.”

 

Dawn: “I’m the princess!”

 

Thomas: “And that makes it our duty to protect you!”

 

Dawn: “So, you had me followed, and your loyal little hound came back to you with what, exactly?  You already knew I invited her along.”

 

Diando: “But she has second thoughts.”

 

Dawn: “Maybe. So?”

 

Diando: “So, this is a mistake, and a stupid one at that.”

 

Dawn: “Hey!”

 

Thomas: “What he means to say is that the girl is a liability.”

 

Diando: “A stupid one.”

 

Dawn: “She’s a citizen, just like everyone else who marches with us.”

 

Diando: “No, they’re also soldiers.”

 

Dawn: “So?”

 

Diando: “So, we aren’t bringing family with us.  We’re not bringing children or friends.  We’re bringing soldiers, because that’s what we need.  We can’t save the nation with good intentions.”

 

Dawn: “Maybe but you can’t rebuild it without them.”

 

Diando: “And here I remember you saying how you weren’t a child.”

 

Dawn: “I’ve already told her she can come.  Who am I to change my mind now?”

 

Diando: “A princess, remember?”

 

Dawn glares.

All of the guards look away.

Diando holds her gaze.

Dawn: “You’re right, I AM the princess, so let me make this perfectly clear.  She’s coming. We’re leaving.  You don’t like it, stay.  Niva is coming along.  You don’t like it? Leave.  But, and by the gods hold your damn tongue Diando, or I will cut it out, one chunk at a time, I AM the princess, and I am here right now to tell you: stop second guessing my every move, because I am DONE with it.  Do you understand me?”

 

Thomas: “Prin…”

 

Dawn: “It’s a yes or no question.”

 

She glares at them all.

 

Everyone: “Yes.”

 

Dawn: “Good.  Now, I am going to sleep.  I suggest you all do the same.  We have an early morning.”

 

Dawn leaves through the curtain.

Diando sighs.

He looks at Sir Thomas.

 

Diando: “Well, that went well.”

 

Remi looks at Diando bemusedly.

 

P.S.

 

If you like this story, find more at (https://redwhalestories5.blogspot.com).

Give me money at (https://www.patreon.com/redwhalestories)

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Sincerely,
RWS

6: Chapter Six: Premonitions of the End

Chapter Six: Premonitions of the End

 

Open on a sandy beach.  Waves lap against the shore forcefully.  The sky is clear but the sea is a mess.  Birds call.

A few birds drop to catch fish.

Show a crab scuttling along the beach.

It scuttles into an enormous shadow.

It scuttles into a fractured hull.

Show a tattered sail with burnt edges.

Show broken boards lying scattered along the beach.

Show the broken remains of the Anthem trading ship, beached.  Waves swirl around it.  Half of the hull is cracked apart.  Debris floats about in the water.  Birds are perched on the sail.  Bodies float among the debris.

 

Cut to the forests of Silvara.  It is full of life and greenery.  Leaves are returning to the trees.  Birds flit between the branches.  Animals scurry across the forest floor.

Show a drop of dew gathered on a leaf.

Show the dew fall.

Show a group of people moving through the forest pulling a cart behind them where the dew drop lands.

They stop on the road.

They turn off the road and go into the forest.

Slowly, they work along shallow, poorly defined trails.

They scale a hill.

They pull the cart over a shallow ford.

They end up at a sizable cave mouth.

Two men in leather armor greet them.  They are carrying swords.

 

Silvaran Guard1: “Halt!”

 

Traveler: “I’m a friend, bringing ration for all those who support the cause.”

 

The guards lock eyes.

Silvaran Guard1 nods.

Silvaran Guard1: “Hurry up.  We don’t want to draw any undue attention.”

 

Traveler: “Right.”

 

Follow the cart through the entrance.

Show the cavern interior.  It is two stories tall and lit by a series of torches spaced on the wall.  A long, narrow strip of rock winds down and leads into the cavern bottom.

Cut to the cavern bottom where Dawn and Diando are sitting.  They are at a table with cards and goblets on it.

Diando lifts a goblet and sniffs it.

He pours out the contents and grimaces.

 

Dawn: “We’re just getting settled for now.  If we move too soon, then we’ll just draw even more attention to ourselves.”

 

Diando: “And if we don’t, then we’ll be forgotten.”

 

Dawn: “A little anonymity would be our friend right now.”

 

Diando: “It’ll crush our people.”

 

Dawn: “As much as it kills me to admit it, our people have already been crushed, and they won’t get better until we win them freedom, which we aren’t in any position to win right now.  Anything short of that is just false hope.”

 

Diando: “At least it’s hope.”

 

Dawn: “And when exactly did you start thinking like that?”

 

Daindo: “When we started hiding out in caves like frightened animals.”

 

Dawn: “We’re not frightened.  We’re hibernating.  Like a bear.”

 

Diando: “You’re being ridiculous.”

 

Dawn: “And you’re being bloodthirsty.  You want to make war, go duel Remi or something, but don’t endanger my people to do it.”

 

Diando bows.

Diando: “Oh, of course, m’lady.”

 

Dawn shakes her head.

She leaves.

She goes to a curtain in the wall and passes through it.

She goes to a nearby table and pours herself some water.

She sips it.

Dawn: “What are you doing here?”

 

Nick steps out from the shadows.

Nick: “Waiting.  I thought you wouldn’t notice me.”

 

Dawn: “You stand nearly a foot taller than me in my nearly empty room.  How exactly was I supposed to miss you?”

 

Nick: “I was in shadows?”

 

Dawn: “Yes.  That’s nice.  Now, what do you want?”

 

Nick: “I’m just checking on things, making sure your guys aren’t in dire of need of anything.”

 

Dawn: “We’re fine.  We get regular shipments of rations, and my people are making this place as comfortable as possible.”

 

Nick looks around.

Nick: “Doing well, for a literal hole in the wall.  I like what you’ve done with your—rocks.”

 

Dawn: “And how about you?  How’s your theater?  In fact, shouldn’t you be off performing?”

 

Nick shrugs.

Nick: “Things are slow, what with the war and the rebels and all of that.  Travel is becoming more difficult.  We’re settling down until everyone else settles down.”

 

Dawn: “Yeah, and hey, thanks for helping us.”

 

Nick: “No thanks necessary.  I’m a son of Silvara.”

 

Dawn: “Is that what you’re calling yourself now?  And why shouldn’t I think this is just another role for you?”

 

Nick: “Princess, how could you say that? I am offended.”

 

Dawn shrugs.

Dawn: “Hard to trust anyone these days.”

She finishes her water.

Dawn: “Now, get out of my room.”

 

Nick: “Aw but I was hoping to go through your unmentionables.”

He grins.

She stares.

Nick: “That was a joke, you know.”

 

Dawn points toward the door.

Dawn: “Out.”

 

Cut to Anthem mansion interior, to the drawing room.  President Thaddeus stands before Zara and Glenn.  They are dressed in fine evening wear of white and gold.  The President is wearing a dark suit and is staring across a table at them.

 

Thaddeus: “It seems we’ve recently lost contact with our man in Silvara.”

 

Zara: “Yes, and?”

 

Thaddeus: “Princess, I hope you do understand the situation.  You are guests in Anthem, increasingly unwelcome ones at that.”

 

Zara: “I…”

 

Thaddeus: “And the way you hover about the pier.  I brought you here with my own money, without the knowledge of the rest of the guilds, and people are starting to take note of your presence, to ask me very difficult questions.  They are not happy with the answers they are getting.  You are a threat to the city, to the people within it, and to the security we have.  The longer you stay, the more we become the target, and with the Silvaran resistance gone, I fear you haven’t a nation to return to even should the dust settle.”

 

Zara is wide-eyed and quiet.

Glenn looks at her.

He leans over onto the table.

 

Glenn: “President Thaddeus.”

 

Thaddeus: “I understand and sympathize with your situation.  Try to do the same with mine.  I must, first and foremost, think of the people of Anthem.  That flying ship Fiona has built is quite the threat, and your comrades disappearances—Understand, that if there were any sort of hint to their survival I would be more accommodating, but with things as they are…”

 

Glenn: “Please, sir, give us more time.”

 

Thaddeus: “Now, Sir Glenn, I’m not exiling you—either of you.  I am just asking you to be mindful of the future.”

 

Zara and Glenn exchange glances.

Zara nods.

Zara: “Yes, sir, and I thank you on behalf of all of us for your patience.”

 

President Thaddeus smiles.

Thaddeus: “You’re quite welcome, princess.”

 

Cut to Zara and Glenn walking through the halls of the Anthem mansion.  Glenn is calm, but Zara has her arms crossed and is scowling.

Zara: “That man, holding our position over our heads!”

 

Glenn: “At least he’s not threatening to hand us over.”

 

Zara: “Not yet, at least.  I am not so certain that he hasn’t considered it.”

 

Glenn: “Whatever the case, we should consider his advice.”

 

Zara: “Yes, yes, he may be right.”

They stop by a window.

Zara stares out the window.

Show a view from the mansion of the pier.

Zara: “I don’t like that my sister isn’t here.”

 

Glenn: “I’m sure she and Zelos are fine.”

 

Zara: “My doubts are multiplying.”

 

Cut to a Silvaran resistance camp by night.  Silvaran soldiers are gathered around a fire.  They are all in various states of undress.  Some are wearing chest plates.  Others just their shin guards.

A few soldiers cook on the open flame. Show some talking quietly.

Show some sleeping a short distance away.

 

SilvaranSoldier1: “Hey, Greggs, what are you going to do when you get home?”

 

Greggs: “First thing? Kiss my wife.”

 

SilvaranSoldier2: “Hey, that’s a crazy coincidence, I was planning to do the very same thing.”

 

SilvaranSoldier3: “Damn, man, you too?  That was my plan.  Man, Greggs, your wife must really get around.”

 

The soldiers laugh.
Greggs stands and kicks at 3’s foot.

Greggs: “Yeah, yeah, shut up.”

He staggers off.

 

SilvaranSoldier2: “Hey, don’t be sore now.  Come on back.”

 

Greggs waves back.

Greggs: “Nah, got to piss.”

Greggs stops in the woods.

Show him peeing from behind.

 

SilvaranSoldier3, off-screen: “Come on, Greggs, you pissing or you playing with yourself.”

 

Gregg’s looks back.

Greggs: “Come on, shut up, you idiots.  A man’s got to focus!”

 

The soldiers laugh.
Greggs turns back.

He is face-to-face with Thanatos.

Cut to the soldiers around the fire again.  They are laughing and joking when they hear a scream.

The soldiers stop and look out into the darkness.

SilvaranSoldier3 sits up from the pack he was on.

SilvaranSoldier3: “Hey, Greggs, what’s wrong?  Did you see a spider?”

Shadows roll in.

The fire goes out.

The moon and stars are dimmed.

SilvaranSoldier3 looks up.

SilvaranSoldier3: “Greggs?  Guys, what’s…”

Soldier3 looks at a nearby soldier who was sleeping.  Shadows are wrapped around his neck and face.

The shadows drag him away.  They leave a smear of blood in their wake.

 

SilvaranSoldier1 grabs his sword and stands.

SilvaranSoldier1: “Everyone up.  Grab your weapons.  We’re under attack.  Enemy mage out in the forest.”

 

Thanatos steps out of the forest, an empty suit of armor fringed with fur and trailed by a torn cloak.  Its features are dark and shadowed, with curls of smoky shadows rolling from the joints in its armor.  Its eyes are white and empty. Black shadows writhe around it like teeth. It is holding the soldier that was dragged away.

It drops him.

The remaining soldiers gather together with their weapons.

 

SilvaranSoldier2: “That—That ain’t no mage, man!”

 

SilvaranSoldier1: “Whatever it is, it wants us dead! So, come on!”

 

The soldiers charge.

Thanatos takes a single step.

SilvaranSoldier4 is running.

A shadow passes through 4. Soldier4 is split apart.

Show 3 being impaled by a shadow.

3 hits the ground hard with the shadow in him.  He screams.

The shadows engulf  3.

When they recede 3’s meat is stripped from his bone.

Show an arrow hit Thanatos in the helm, snapping ineffectually.

Thanatos turns.

Show SilvaranSoldier2 with a bow draw and an arrow knocked.

Shadows surround 2’s throat.

They pull 2 to the ground.

The shadow tightens until 2’s head falls from his body.

Show SilvaranSoldier1 step in with his sword.

SilvaranSoldier1 stabs Thanatos in the between the breastplate and the arm.

Thanatos looks down.

Shadows ooze from the wound.

Shadows surround the blade. The blade warps and bends under the shadows.

SilvaranSoldier1: “What kind of demon…”

 

Thanatos knocks the blade away.

Thanatos grabs SilvaranSoldier1 by the neck.

Thanatos lifts 1.

Show them staring at each other. 

Show shadows creep up along the man’s body.

Show them dig into 1’s eyes, which rupture.

Show the shadows bubble out of 1’s mouth.

Show them coming out of 1’s ears.

SilvaranSoldier1 gurgles.

Cut to black.

 

Open on Anthem by night.  Show the city stretching out near the sea.  The streets are narrow and empty.

Cut to the mansion interior.  Mary and Elsea are walking the halls.  Elsea has a basket full of flowers and sweets in her arm.  Mary has nothing but a smile.

 

Mary: “You’re upset with me, aren’t you?”

 

Elsea: “No.”

 

They stop at a door.

Show the room’s interior.  It is a dining hall where Zara and Glenn are sitting at opposing ends of the table.

Elsea and Mary enter.

 

Mary: “I was just having a small laugh.  Besides, the family calmed considerably once the child came back down from the roof.”

 

Elsea: “Miss Mary, if we could, please let’s change the subject.”

 

Mary: “All this fretting will cause you to wrinkle.”

Elsea sighs.

She drops her things on the table.

Mary looks at Glenn and Zara.

Mary: “My, what are you two bent about?”

 

Zara: “A letter.  Elsea, I have news.  They’ve found the ship!”

 

Mary: “That is good news.”

 

Elsea: “Yes!  Where is it?”

 

Glenn: “It washed ashore near Alder.  They found it while working some cattle and sent a courier over.”

 

Mary: “Alder.  Isn’t that near Solitude?”

 

Glenn: “A few days travel.”

 

Zara: “They said the ship has just washed ashore, too, from the looks of it.  That means that the survivors are most likely still nearby.”

 

Glenn: “The president is providing me with men and horses.”

 

Mary: “And here I was under the impression he hated us.”

 

Zara: “Oh, he does, but I was able to convince him to help.”

 

Mary: “My, princess, how deft you are.”

 

Zara: “I was trained for years in the art of politics.  Maybe I’m no good in a world of warriors and wizards, but a court is my domain.”

 

Mary: “That, I can quite see.  Still, I wouldn’t get my hopes too high, were I you.  Unlike that child in the market, they may not come back down here so safely.”

 

Elsea: “Miss Mary!”

 

Mary: “I am simply advising a measure of caution, good lady.  There you are, with that fretting again.”

 

Elsea sighs.

 

Zara: “Well, it is ill-advised.  I know for a fact that Dawn is alive.”

Zara looks at the letter.

Zara: “I can feel it in my bones.  They’re both alive.”

 

Cut to Dawn in her personal chambers in the cavern base.  She is lying on her back on her cot.  Her blanket hangs halfway off of her.  She is wearing a night-gown.

Outside she hears scuffling.

She wakes slowly.

She crawls from the bed.

She staggers to the curtain.

Outside soldiers and people are rushing about.

She stops one soldier.

Dawn: “What’s going on?”

 

SilvaranSoldier5: “A scouting party was attacked, and a survivor made it back.”

 

Dawn: “What?”

 

SilvaranSoldier5: “He’s in the infirmary.  Remi is seeing to him right now.”

 

Dawn and the Soldier run off.

Cut to the infirmary interior.  It is a small opening in the cavern with curtains hung around it.

Dawn pushes through the crowd.

She stops beside the soldier.  He is badly injured.  There are deep gashes cut across his limbs and his torso.  Blood soils the sheets and the stones around him.

Remi draws runes in white magic along his body.

The WoundedSoldier looks at Dawn.

 

WoundedSoldier: “Princess.”

 

Dawn kneels beside the bed.

Dawn: “What happened?”

 

WoundedSoldier: “We were attacked by—Everyone, everything’s dead.”

 

Dawn: “I understand, just rest and…”

 

WoundedSoldier: “No, it—It let me return.  It wanted you to know, to fear…”

 

Dawn: “Shh, now.  Just get some rest, and we can talk more later.”

 

The WoundedSoldier swallows.

He coughs.

He nods weakly.

Dawn stands.

Remi steps away from the Soldier.

Nurses surround the soldier and start bandaging him.

Remi wets his hands and wipes them on a rag.

He and Dawn work their way through the crowd.

Remi looks back.

 

Remi: “He won’t make it.  Much of the damage was done to his vitals. It’s a miracle he made it this far, and…”

Remi pauses.

 

Dawn: “And what?”

 

Remi: “And there’s a trace of magic on him.  Whatever attacked him, it ate away at him.  It left a sort of scent, a magical remnant.”

 

Dawn: “Straight to it, Remi.”

 

Remi: “Well, it tore him apart from the inside and outside, simultaneously.  It was corroding him, and doing it with magic.”

 

Dawn: “Then it was a mage?”

 

Remi: “I’m not so sure.  I fear Fiona has unleashed something that could very well destroy us all.”

 

Dawn looks back at the room, and the soldier being bandaged and all of the blood fanned out around him like a flower in bloom.
Cut to black

 

P.S.

 

If you like this story, find more at (https://redwhalestories5.blogspot.com).

Give me money at (https://www.patreon.com/redwhalestories)

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Sincerely,
RWS

 

7: Chapter Seven: "Sins of a Changed World"

Chapter Seven: Sins of a Changed World

 

Open on the forest.  It is greening.  Leaves and plants are growing full.  Birds fill the trees, chirping and flitting about.  It is midmorning.  The sun is out.  Dew gathers on leaves.

Show a deer in the forest.  It chews on a leaf.

Show a rabbit run by.

Show a sparkling river filled with fish.

Show blood soiling the water.

Show a bloody hand lying in the water.

Show shattered chunks of wood floating in the water.

Show a broken husk of a lumber mill.  Dismembered bodies are strewn about the wreckage.  Blood is everywhere.

Show Dawn, Sir Thomas, and Remi standing in the forest.  Dawn looks somber.  Thomas is unnerved.  Remi covers his nose.

 

Remi: “Oh my, this is quite the sight.

 

Dawn: “Another one, just like the last.”

 

Thomas: “Runner’s Mill.  We’ll update the map when we get back.  For now, we should return to the hunt.”

 

Dawn: “In a bit, I want to see something first.”

 

Dawn walks down the hill.

Sir Thomas follows shortly with Remi at his heel.

 

Thomas: “Princess, we shouldn’t…”

 

Dawn: “We’ll be fine.  Whatever, whoever did…this, is long gone.”

 

Thomas: “But, Fionan soldiers could be nearby.”

 

Dawn: “They’re easy enough to handle for the three of us, wouldn’t you say?”

 

Thomas: “I’d rather not test the theory.”

 

Dawn stops beside the mill.  A woman is pinned against the wall.  Her arms have been ripped from her body.  Her throat and chest are torn open.

Dawn kneels beside the body and examines it.  Sir Thomas stands beside her and looks out at the forest.

Remi joins them. He is still covering his nose.

 

Dawn: “Have you ever seen anything like this?”

 

Remi: “Not quite like this, no.  Mind you, magic could create such havoc, but normally…”

 

Remi looks around.

 

Dawn: “Normally?”

 

Remi: “Normally you’d feel it in the atmosphere.  These deaths are recent, but there is no magic.  No spells were cast.”

 

Thomas: “Nonsense.  What in the world could have done this if not for magic?”

 

Dawn stands.

She looks at them.

 

Dawn: “That is the question, isn’t it?”

She looks around the chaos.

Show the bodies littered around the area.

Show a woman cradling her child.  Both have been torn to bits.

Show Dawn.

Dawn: “What kind of beast have they set on us now?”

 

Thomas: “Whatever it is, it’s destroying everything in its path, not just us.”

 

Remi: “Yes, that’s right.  Runner’s Mill was in Fiona, wasn’t it?”

 

Dawn: “Even more reason to stop it.”

 

Thomas: “Princess, we really should get back to the hunt.”

 

Dawn: “Right, then let’s go.”

 

They climb the hill.
Dawn stops at the crest and looks back.

 

Cut to an overhead shot of Anthem at midday.  The streets are busy and bright.  Birds are bouncing from roof to roof.

Show Anthem from the sea.  The sky is clear.  Birds flock around the pier.  Ships from various nations are docked and are unloading their goods.

Zoom in on the pier.  Dock workers are unloading freight.

Show a box on a ship with birds settled on it.

Birds scatter as a worker picks it up.

Follow the bird above the city.

It lands on a building.

Show the street beside the building.  Zara is at street level eying the bird.

Mary joins her.

Mary looks up.

 

Mary: “And so the seasons have changed.”

 

Zara: “I noticed.”

 

Mary: “Your mood, however, has not improved in the least, princess.  Might I ask, is something wrong?”

 

Zara: “Nothing is wrong.  I simply don’t care for those…wretched…feathered…vermin.”

Zara flails toward the bird.

Zara: “Shoo! Away with you!”

The bird stares down at her.

Zara glares up at it.

Zara: “Filthy thing.”

 

Mary: “Oh, leave it be.  The thing has hardly been a bother to you, so never you mind it.  We have other things what to occupy ourselves with than feathery friends, or foes as it is in your case.”

 

Zara: “We have nothing to occupy our time, which is why I was rather content to stay in the mansion and nap.”

Zara yawns and stretches.

Zara: “Of course, it is never too late to return and take that up.”

 

Mary: “My, unfortunately, it seems it is quite too late.  And why waste your days sleeping when you can fill them with adventure?”

 

Zara: “I’ve had too much adventure lately.  Sleep, however, I could use more of.”

 

Mary takes Zara’s arm and pulls her down the street.

 

Mary: “Why, I wouldn’t allow it.  You’re still young, and the good lady left you in my care while she is away, and I shan’t underperform.”

 

Zara: “I don’t think she meant for you to pull me about from one end of town to the other.”

 

Mary: “Then consider it my actions appended to the task assigned, if you would.”

Mary drags Zara down a narrow street with high walls.

She pulls her through a crowd of people.

They stop at the top of a large hill overlooking the sea.  There is a chapel before them.  The chapel has large, white pillars and an open entry way.  The entry arches high.  Show them from behind, staring at the building.

Show Zara goggling up at the building.

Show Mary smile.

Mary: “Quite the sight, wouldn’t you say, dear princess?”

 

Zara: “It is large, I’ll give you that.”

 

Mary: “That it is.  Almost the same size as the president’s mansion, and arguably twice as important, were I to hazard a guess.  This is Anthem’s famous Singing Chapel.  Here, the legend’s say, as they often do, rests the great spirit of song and sound.  It is the crown jewel of the city and the center of their worship.  They built it atop the hill so that they might see it from any point in the city, or so I have been told.”

 

Zara: “The spirit of song and sound?”

 

Mary: “Angelus, princess, the song from the myths.  In days of old many cities worshipped their own patron spirits, who personified one aspect of the world.  As the myth goes, mankind seized the gift of magic and waged a war with the gods, eventually using their very craft against them and sealing them in the stars, which is where we get our lovely constellations.”

 

Zara: “And Anthem worshipped music?”

 

Mary: “In a sense.  More broadly, it is metaphor.  Song is art, creativity, and expression of any sort.  Which is why Anthem has always held artists in the highest regard.”

 

Zara: “I see.”

Zara looks at Mary.

Zara: “Mary, you said that all of the great cities had a patron god which they worshipped.  If that is true, then who did Silavara worship?”

 

Mary grins.

Mary: “You don’t know? What are they teaching children these days? Well, if I must repeat myself, then listen closely, for I would ever so hate to have to repeat the lesson in only a day’s time.  Your nation, long before you were born mind, worshipped the Fox, and so bear one on your royal coat of arms.  Had you never made the connection?”

 

Zara: “I guess not.”

 

Mary: “Fret not, dear, when born into the system it is hard to see how it surrounds you.  Why, by your time the worship of the old gods was long forgotten and practiced only by a few lone fanatics.  Even Anthem, with their festivals and festivities as they are, view this worship as tradition and little more.  Though, once, it was most like a more somber expression of subservience meant to earn them protection, safety, or boon.”

Mary takes Zara’s hand.

Mary: “Well, we have rested long enough, haven’t we? Come! We’ve much more to explore!”

 

Cut to Emeraldine in the past.  The city was burning.  The sky was a dark red.  Bodies were piled up in the streets, rotting and blackened.

Show young Glenn as he dug through the bodies.  His arm was black and hhung limply at his side.  His face was covered in soot and streaked with tears.

He stopped and coughed.

He lifted one body up and tugged on it.

The arm of the body tore and Glenn tumbled back.

He fell down the pile of corpses.

Lying on his back, he stared up at the sky.

Show the red sky, darkened by black smoke.

Show Glenn staring up at the sky.  Red light is reflected in his eye.

Show Glenn today.

Show him standing before the beached trading vessel.  He holds a horse by the reigns.  An assortment of Anthem soldiers are with him.  Elsea is at his side on her own horse. She is wearing her riding cloak.

 

Glenn: “Not much to go by.  Not much left.”

 

Elsea looks around the beach.

She looks back at the boat.

 

Elsea: “There are no bodies on the beach, either.”

 

Glenn: “Which means they’re inside of there.  It’s been days, though.  If anyone is alive, it’s just barely.”

Glenn looks back at the soldiers.

Glenn: “Tether the horses.  One of you keep watch on the area.  The rest should get ready to search.”

 

The soldiers go toward the forest.

Elsea hops from her horse.

 

Elsea: “Sir Glenn, I must ask…”

 

Glenn: “We should keep an eye out.  Things are sour.”

Glenn looks at the soldiers.

Show the soldiers tying their horses to trees.

Glenn: “They’re wary of us.  I’m afraid even if we find Zelos, we won’t be welcome much longer.”

 

Elsea: “…Right.”

 

Cut to chapel interior in Anthem.  The room is large and well-lit.  It has a high, arching roof.  Light spills in through the open archways.  Candles burn at the front.  Pews are filled with people bowing in worship and prayer.

Zara and Mary stand in the entrance way.  The light from outside casts long shadows in.

A group of children run by them.

Mary leads them in. Zara is looking around.

 

Zara: “It’s rather bleak inside for a culture dedicated to art.”

 

Mary: “With an exterior so rich mayhap their resources ran dry.”

 

Zara: “Maybe, but it still seems strange.”

Zara stops in the aisle.

Show the palanquin from earlier set at the front on a platform.  The curtains on it flap in the gentle breeze.  Aria sits inside with her veil on.  Her eyes are empty.

Zara: “Mary, who is that girl?”

 

Mary: “I don’t know her personally, princess, but if I were to hazard a guess, I would say she is the holy maiden of Anthem.  According to myth, she holds the bound god of Anthem, Angelus the song, within her and contains the destructive power of its voice.”

 

Zara: “A holy maiden?”

 

Mary: “Yes, the tradition is long held and mayhap has origins in the days of the gods themselves.  In those days it was a sacrifice to the song.  Girls were gathered from around the city and made to sing.  The one with the most beautiful voice was given as tribute to the song.  She would sing the prayers of her people, their pleas and their praises, and the god would sing to her in response.  Just a few notes would dissolve her on the spot.  It is said that once sealed, should the vessel of Angelus ever speak she would bring about the ruin of the entire nation.”

 

Zara stares at the girl.

The girl stares ahead blankly.

 

Zara: “That sounds awful.  So, why does she sit there all day?”

 

Mary: “She communicates their prayers or something of the sort, I imagine.  The details are uncertain, or rather, I am uncertain of them.  By the time this became the practice I was in already in Fiona.  I imagine it is all just pageantry at this point, theatrics to carry on the tradition.”

 

Show Zara staring.

Show the girl’s veil flutter.

Show the two of them in silhouette, Zara and Aria staring at each other.  Everything else around them is faded.  They stand alone in the darkness.

Return to normal and show Zara staring with Mary at her side.

 

Mary: “I am shamed to admit, dear princess, that you are quite right.  This adventure was not nearly so enchanting as I had hoped.  Come, then, we shall adjourn to the castle for that nap you spoke of, lest you wish to make yet another trip into the bazaar.”

 

Mary turns and leaves.  Zara lingers.

Zara: “No, no, that’s fine.”

Zara turns away.

She hurries to catch up to Mary.

Together they walk out the entrance.

Zara: “If you’ve seen one painting of the Anthem skyline, you’ve seen them all, I’d say.”

 

Show Aria sitting in the palanquin.  Her veil lifts again, showing a glimpse of her stitched lips.

 

Cut to the boat on the mainland shore.  Show it from an overhead view.  Anthem soldiers are busy working around it.  One is by the horses.  Glenn is walking on the fractured deck.

Show Glenn hanging from a railing as he works across the slanted deck.

Show him slip in through a doorway.

Show him landing in the captain’s cabin.

He looks around.

He climbs back out.

Show him looking down at Elsea, who is on the ground.  A few dead bodies have been laid out around her.

 

Glenn: “Nothing.”

Glenn slides down the deck.

Glenn hops from the boat.

He lands beside her.

He dusts himself off.

Show the corpses.

Show Glenn’s face.

Glenn: “All day, and this is what we found.”

 

Elsea: “I’m sorry.”

 

Glenn: “Not your fault.”

Glenn looks out at sea.

Show the sea.  The sun is setting.  The sea catches the light and sparkles.

Glenn: “We didn’t find him.”

 

Elsea: “Perhaps he’s still alive.”

 

Glenn nods.

 

Glenn: “Come on, let’s get some shovels.  These men deserve graves.”

 

Cut to Glenn later in the day.  The daylight is fading.  He is covered in dirt and has his shirt off.  A shovel is dug in beside him.  Anthem soldiers are all around him in similar states.

Glenn pats one soldier on the shoulder.

 

Glenn: “I’m sorry we couldn’t do more.”

 

Anthem Soldier1: “At least they were given graves.  Some of those men are at the bottom of the sea by now.”

 

Glenn nods.

He looks back down the beach.

Show Elsea near the forest.

Glenn approaches her.

Elsea looks back at him.

 

Glenn: “You okay?”

 

Elsea: “Oh, y-yes, I am, but…I think I’ve found something.”

 

Glenn: “What?”

 

Elsea: “Look at this.”

Elsea points into the forest.  There are broken twigs and footprints sunk in.

Elsea: “While you were digging I found a trail from the boat’s exterior.  It was confused with all of the trails of us running around, so it was hard to see, but I followed it here.  It looks like someone has walked here, and they aren’t ours.  The camp we made is farther down.  It could be a survivor.”

 

Glenn: “It could be Zelos.”

 

Elsea: “Maybe…”

 

Glenn grins.

He and Elsea return to the soldiers.

 

Glenn: “We’ve found something.  Foot prints leading into the forest, and if we set out now, we may be able to find whoever…”

The soldiers stare ahead wearily.

Glenn pauses.

Glenn: “What?”

 

The soldiers exchange glances.

 

Anthem Soldier1: “We don’t think you’ll find anything at all.”

 

Glenn: “The footprints aren’t ours, they…”

 

Anthem Soldier1: “They don’t necessarily belong to a survivor, either.  All due respect, no one came out of all of this alive.”

 

Glenn: “But, on the…”

 

Anthem Soldier1: “I’m sorry, but we have families to get back to, and lives.  We were told to search the ship.  Anything else is different.”

 

Glenn stares.

He sighs.

 

Glenn: “Fine, head back.  I’ll look on my own.

 

The soldiers stare.

They turn away and go to their horses.

Glenn turns to Elsea.

 

Elsea: “I’ll stay with you and…”

 

Glenn: “No, go back.  I don’t like how tense they are about this, and I want you there with Mary and the princess.  Just in case.”

 

Elsea nods.

 

Elsea: “But what about you, Sir Glenn?  Maybe I should get the others, pack them up, and…”

 

Glenn: “No.  The lead is good, fresh.  I’ll follow it and meet you back in Anthem.  Just keep an eye out.”

 

Elsea: “Okay.”

They part.  Elsea passes him toward the horses.  Glenn goes toward the forest.

Elsea stops.

Elsea: “Glenn!”

Glenn turns.

Elsea: “Please…Be careful!”

Glenn smirks.

He turns and waves back at her.

 

Cut to Silvaran ruins near the sea.  Statue of a fox cradled by a crescent moon stood before the area.  Stone walkways stretch over large pools of water.  Fractured buildings and dilapidating pillars litter the area.

In the center there is a large, circular stone altar.  Pillars surround it on all sides.  They are in various states of collapse.  Runes are cut into the altar.  A podium is at the center, holding a fox mask.

The sky is overcast.  There is a light rain.

Show Lady Daphne and Veruca walking along a stone-laid path to the altar.  Veruca is holding an umbrella for her Lady.  Lady Daphne holds her dress up above her ankles to keep it from getting wet.  Sir Fredrik walks behind them.  He is wearing a frayed cloak over a set of dark armor.  It is raining directly on him.  He holds a large, black bottle in his hand.

They stop at the altar.  It is cracked along the edges and overgrown with weeds.  A moon sigil is cut into the center, around the podium.  The mask stares at them with gem-stone eyes.

Sir Fredrik steps onto the platform.

He smiles.

 

Fredrik: “So, this is it?”

 

Daphne: Yes, the ruins of old Silverthrone.  Considering the state of the capitol, they look disturbingly similar.”

 

Fredrik: “No, the differences are considerable.  There is power here.”

He looks around the area.

Fredrik: “I do find myself wondering, why?”

 

Daphne: “Why what?”

 

Fredrik: “Why leave this all behind? Why cast aside an old kingdom in favor of a new? Is it simply in the nature of the mercurial Silvaran blood?  Or was it the whim of their anarchist god that drove them away?  A curious thing, whatever it was.”

Sir Fredrik approaches the mask.

He runs his hands along it.

Fredrik: “Even without a magician’s grace I can feel it.  It is ancient, but it is breathing, alive, and it wants out.”

He looks back.

Fredrik: “Can you?”

 

Lady Daphne looks at Veruca.

Show Sir Fredrik and the idol from Veruca’s perspective.  A silver area encapsulates the area and casts light around Sir Fredrik.

Veruca nods.

 

Veruca: “Yes, Sir, Lady, I can see its power.”

 

Sir Fredrik smiles.

 

Fredrik: “They say that he gave us the light of magic, and that it was this act that freed humanity, but that raises the question, are we truly free?  Or are we still slaves, kept in a cage of our own making now.  So long we depended on these false idols for power…But the King will bring an end to that.  He will give humanity true freedom.  He will rewrite history as we know it.”

 

Daphne: “He already has.”

 

Sir Fredrik smiles.

Fredrik: “True enough.”

Sir Fredrik lifts the bottle.

He pulls the stopper and holds up the mask.

Fredrik: “And so I give you the freedom you seek.  Leave your prison, for we’ve accommodations with a view.”

 

Show the silver aura of the idol twisting.

It circles around Sir Fredrik’s wrist while being sucked into the bottle.

Show the aura gradually depleting.

Show the bottle now with a muted silver glow in its belly.

Sir Fredrik replaces the stopper.

He holds it up to stare at it.  It casts a faint glow on his skin.

 

Cut to Metis sitting in the Black Castle’s throne room.  He is on his father’s throne, and he is staring ahead.

Show the floor in front of him.  Daedalus is displaying something to him.  There are thirteen black bottles sitting in a line.

Metis smiles.

 

P.S.

 

If you like this story, find more at (https://redwhalestories5.blogspot.com).

Give me money at (https://www.patreon.com/redwhalestories)

Or buy me a coffee (https://ko-fi.com/redwhalestories).

 

Sincerely,
RWS

 

8: Chapter Eight: Uncertain Waters

Chapter Eight: Uncertain Waters

 

Open to Silvara by night.  The buildings are still standing and snow litters the streets.  Green light spills into the city streets.

Show people standing out in the cold. Steam curls before their faces.  They all stare up at the sky.

Show Niva standing among the people.  She has a blanket wrapped around her body.  Green light frames her features.

Show a hand on her shoulder.

 

Umber: “Niva, let’s get back inside.  Something is wrong out here.”

 

Niva turns.

Show Niva’s back as she looks at Umber.

Show Umber with green light framing her.

Cut to Niva today. She is asleep inside of her room in the cavern.  A blanket lays halfway over her body.  She is sweating and tossing.

Niva: “Umber.”

 

Cut to the Anthem mansion stables exterior.  It is mid-morning, the sun is out and the sky is partly cloudy.  Trees blow roughly in the wind.

Show the stable.  Elsea is inside in her travel cloak.  The wind whips up her hair and her cloak.  She is closing the stable door on her horse.

Show the stable exterior.  Zara and Mary are approaching the outer gate.  Mary is struggling to keep her hair down.  Zara is running ahead of her.

Elsea locks the horse in as Zara reaches her.

 

Zara: “Elsea!”

Zara leaps onto Elsea.

They embrace.

Zara: “Oh, thank the gods you’re back! I’m not so sure I could handle another day alone with her!”

Zara glares back at Mary. Mary sulks playfully.

 

Mary: “Now, now, do be careful, else you may well break my fragile heart, little princess.”

Mary ties her unruly hair down.

She smiles at Elsea. Elsea giggles.

Mary: “Truth told, though, I was under the assumption that the princess and I had gotten on famously.  Mayhap, that was presumptuous on my part.”

 

Zara: “Quite presumptuous.”

 

Elsea: “Now, princess.”

 

Zara: “Yes, yes, be nice and so on.”

Zara turns to Elsea and takes her hands.

Zara: “So, do you have news?”

 

Elsea: “Of a sort, though it may be best to share it in privacy.”

 

Mary: “Ah, cloak-and-dagger, are we? Well, I think we should be fine out here.  I dare to assume the horses won’t be sharing our secrets any time soon.”

 

Elsea peeks around.

Elsea: “We found the wreckage.”

 

Zara: “Yes, and?”

 

Elsea: “And I’m sorry to say, but we found no survivors and no sight of Princess Dawn.”

Elsea looks at Mary.

Elsea: “Or the prince.”

Zara looks sadly at the ground.

Elsea: “But there is still hope.  We didn’t find their bodies, and we found proof of people traveling farther inland.”

 

Mary: “Mayhap there were survivors, then, but they wandered off to find a bit to eat or perhaps find a place to rest that is more accommodating than a dilapidating wreck?”

 

Elsea: “That is what we are hoping.  Sir Glenn went off to investigate.”

 

Zara: “By himself? What about the escort?”

 

Elsea: “They didn’t want to stay with him.”

 

Zara: “And you?”

 

Elsea: “I tried, princess, truly, but Sir Glenn asked that I return.”

Elsea pulls both women in.

Elsea: “He fears the situation is deteriorating more quickly than expected.  Our escort wasn’t happy to be there, and Sir Glenn thinks it may be best to go along with things and not raise too much fuss, at least until he returns.”

 

Mary nods.

She glances at the mansion.

Mary: “Yes, I imagine President Thaddeus, in all of his reflection, has come to regret this favor he made.”

Mary shrugs.

Mary: “Who’s to blame him, considering things? What, with how Fiona struts about their toys and the like. Were I a lesser woman, I may have a mind to join him in all of his wishy-washing.”

 

Zara: “Regardless of his reasons, that man is a coward.”

 

Elsea: “Be that as it may, we need his protection, princess.”

 

Zara: “Yes, I know, I know.  And I mean to stay in it, but I am not happy about it.  I loathe to smile at his face while he plots behind our backs.”

 

Mary: “Now, now, princess, the man deserves more benefit of doubt than that, does he not?  Why, we haven’t even an ounce of substantial proof, meaning things we can see and touch with our own eyes or our own hands, respectively.  Thus far, his betrayal is in inference only and little else.”

 

Zara: “I know, and I understand that it would be best if we gave him no reason to do it outright.”

 

Elsea: “Well put, m’lady.”

 

Mary: “Well, darlings, enough of our conspiring.  Why, the people of the manse may come to wrongful conclusions that we are colluding against them.  Mayhap we should retire back inside, and you two can have some tea while I brush the knots from my hair.”

 

They turn to leave.

 

Zara: “Do you think that this tea can include sweets?”

 

Cut to Lady Daphne’s estate just outside of Silvara.  Show the exterior, a well-kept mansion with ivy growing along it.  Fionan guards are posted out front.  A few walk the perimeter while two stand watch before the large double-doors.

Show soldiers walking the grounds and talking quietly to each other.

Show the rose bushes near the windows.  Maids attend to the flowers carefully.  Birds fly around the estate.

Cut to the estate interior, to the sizable library.  Large windows overlook an equally large garden.  The interior is well-furnished.  Shelves line the walls, all burdened by a variety of books.  Lady Daphne sits at the center beside a reading table that has an unlit lantern built into it.  A fireplace burns at one wall.  Veruca is at her side with a ledger held calmly in hand.  Sir Fredrick is near the books.  He is examining them while holding a bag at one side.

He stops at one book.

He pulls it out and flips through it.

Fredrick: “This is quite the collection you have, lady.”

 

Daphne: “Thank you, sir.  I believe that knowledge is the greatest weapon a person can have.”

 

Fredrick: “Knowledge as a weapon? Hmm.”

 

Daphne: “Would you care for a drink?”

 

Sir Fredrick replaces the book.

Fredrick: “Tea, if you would.”

 

Daphne: “Of course.  Veruca, please.”

 

Veruca: “Yes, m’lady.”

 

Veruca bows and laves.

Sir Fredrick continues along the bookcase.  Lady Daphne watches him.

Daphne: “Have you any idea as to where you will go next?”

 

Fredrick: “Next, I will return to the castle.  The King will be waiting anxiously for the flask and the contents within.”

 

Daphne: “Yes, I imagined so, but after that?”

 

Fredrick: “After that there is much work to do.  I will go to the mainland.”

 

Daphne: “The mainland?  And what will you be doing there?”

 

Sir Fredrick stops at a book and pulls it from the shelf.

He examines the cover and smiles.

Fredrick: “A complete collection of myths as recorded by the scholar Sagus the Wise.  Quite a rare find.  Even King Metis would envy you for having it.”

 

Daphne: “Yes, it is the star of my collection.”

 

Sir Fredrick flips through it.

Fredrick: “Of course it is, and it is quite the collection itself.  Twelve gods once ruling mankind from on high, their magic stronger and singularly theirs, until an act of narcissism, or perhaps thoughtless amusement, brought about their decisive end.”

 

Daphne: “The actions of Prometheus, the Fox.”

 

Show Sir Fredrick’s pack as it rests at his feet.

Show Sir Fredrick examining the book.  Over his shoulder, show an image of Angelus on its pages.

Sir Fredrick flips the page.  Show an image of Quetzalcoatl, the Sky.

Sir Fredrick closes the book.

He puts it away.

Fredrick: “Yes, it was through his trickery that mankind gained their freedom from the gods. Or at least a measure of it.”

 

Daphne: “A measure?”

 

Fredrick: “Some say the gods are sealed in the stars.  That is the story we pass down, isn’t it?  Yet, some still offer them worship, and others worship them in ways without intention.  If you truly take the time to consider it, do the gods not exist in our customs and cultures?  Prometheus is forgotten popularly, but his image was still there on the Silvaran flag when we took the castle, and the people of Red Wall worshipped flame until their city burned.”

Sir Fredrick picks up his pack.

He turns to Lady Daphne.

Fredrick: “And let us not forget the reason why our capitol is black.”

 

Daphne: “You are well versed on this subject.”

 

Fredrick: “As you say, lady, knowledge is a highly effective weapon when used properly.”

 

Daphne: “So, you believe the gods are still there? That they are still controlling us?”

 

Fredrick: “I am a soldier.  I believe nothing, and that is how it should remain.  A soldier who believes can be dangerous.  Take Sir Glenn, former captain of the Black Guard.  Once, he was charged with the protection of the crown.  Now, he is a traitor, no different than the prince he follows.  It is a sad thing, really, to see someone so promising fall as he has.”

 

Daphne: “It is sad indeed.”

 

Fredrick: “Still, I suppose you must respect a man like him who forges his own destiny.”

Sir Fredrick stares past her.

Show the window looking outside into the garden.  Show birds and bees hovering around the rose bushes.

Show Sir Fredrick again.  He nods.

Fredrick: “Yes, that I can respect.”

He turns back to Lady Daphne.

Fredrick: “To answer your question more directly: perhaps.  It is not unimaginable that the gods still insinuate themselves in some ways, though I fear the truth of the matter may be even more complicated.  It is through our traditions, our customs, that they continue to glean our worship.  Without exertion from their end or effort of any sort, they control us through ritual, and we perpetuate the cycle through generations without even a thought.”

 

Daphne: “I see.”

 

Fredrick: “It is hard to break chains one does not even notice, isn’t it?  But then, civilization itself is a chain, is it not?  We follow the crown in the very same way, through ritual and worship.  In a way, the King is nothing more than the next god.  I wonder, what will someday replace him?”

 

Daphne: “Sir, you speak treason!”

 

Fredrick: “I apologize, I do.  Please, do me the consideration of accepting this as nothing but conjecture, lady.”

Sir Fredrick bows.

Fredrick: “Now, I shall take my leave before I overstay.  Before I go, I assure you of one thing: I know my place, and I follow King Metis to his every word.”

 

Daphne: “But, Veruca has yet to return with your tea.”

 

Friedrich: “Yes, and while I do love fresh tea, I am afraid I must be off.  It seems I cannot predict what madness might come from my mouth.  Farewell, lady.”

 

Daphne: “Yes, farewell.”

 

Cut to black.

Open on the Resistance Base exterior.  Two guards stand out front.  It is raining.  They are staring resolutely ahead into the forest.

Show the base interior.  In the commons, bodies are lined up and covered with blankets.  Soldiers are gathered around them.  Some are crying over them.  Others are holding a vigil.  Candles burn in the corner for each body.

Show one soldier standing in the corner with tears in his eyes.

Show another soldier crying over a body and screaming.  Others are trying to console him.

Show Niva watching from the wall in shock.

Remi appears beside her and puts his hand on her shoulder.

She looks at him.

She cries into his chest.  He pats her back.

Remi: “I know, darling.  I know.”

 

Show the war room interior.  A map of the area is unrolled and pinned to a long wooden table.  Black marks are scribbled in various areas around the Silvaran and Fionan countryside.  Sir Thomas stands hunched over the table.  Diando is in the corner with his arms crossed.  He is leaning in his chair.

Dawn enters the room through the curtain.  She has blood on her hands.

She goes to a water basin and washes her hands.

She dries them and wipes her forehead with the back of her hand.

She slumps into her seat and sighs.

 

Dawn: “We couldn’t save them, any of them.”

 

Thomas: “Just like the others.”

 

Diando: “Worse.  The attacks are becoming more frequent.  No matter how we maneuver, no matter where we go, it knows.  I’m starting to think that leaving the capital wasn’t for the best.”

 

Thomas: “If we had stayed then they wouldn’t even have to round us up.”

 

Diando: “Because they’re having a hard time murdering us squad-by-squad?”

 

Thomas: “We’re still free.”

 

Diando: “They’re just bleeding us slowly!”

 

Dawn: “Enough, you two, just, enough.  I understand your frustration, Diando, but leaving was for the best. If we stayed, then it would have gotten civilians involved in this, whatever this is.”

 

Diando: “It’s a massacre.”

 

Dawn: “Exactly, and that’s why we had to leave.”

 

Diando: “Maybe, but hiding isn’t getting us anywhere, either.”

 

Thomas: “So, what, you think we should march out there in force? Engage the enemy head on?”

 

Diando: “I think we should march on the Black Castle and make it burn like Silverthrone did!”

 

Thomas: “No, there’s no way we’re going there.  All that will do is get us all killed.”

 

Diando: “I’m not talking to you, coward.  Princess?”

 

Dawn looks between them.

She sighs.

Dawn: “Diando, that’s no plan. Whatever it is that’s killing us, it’s hunting us.  I don’t think destroying the Black Castle will do much for it.”

 

Diando: “Then what do you say? What do you say to everyone out there who has lost a brother, a father, a friend?”

 

Dawn: “I point out to them that, as unfortunate as it is, we don’t know anything about this new enemy.  I point out to them that it’s not just hitting us, it’s hitting everything, hunters, lumber workers, civilians.  I point out to them that it doesn’t care what it kills, so long as it kills.”

Remi enters.

Dawn: “I understand how you feel.  Trust me, I want to go and knock Metis’ head for whatever he’s unleashed on us all, but these are my soldier, my people, and I—I should be protecting them.”

 

Diando: “And instead you’re leading them to slaughter.”

 

Dawn glares.

She throws the bloody rag across the room at him.

Dawn: “I’m saving them from your stupidity!  Right now we’re losing some, but…”

She sits back.

She wipes her eyes.

Dawn: “But we shouldn’t be fighting.  Not each other, at least.”

 

Diando: “You’re right.”

He stands, flipping his chair.

Diando: “But we should be fighting them.”

He storms out of the room.

Dawn stands, shaking. 

She screams.

She turns and leans over the basin.  Tears fall down her cheeks.

Remi offers her a rag.

She takes it.

 

Dawn: “Thanks.

 

She dries her eyes.

 

Remi: “M’lady, while I am reluctant to admit it, Diando may be right on one account.  Not even including the beast that is hunting us, our men have been routed with increasing accuracy.”

 

Dawn stares at the water.

Show her reflection in the cloudy liquid.

She sets the rag beside the basin and looks at Remi.

Dawn: “So, you’re saying?”

 

Remi: “The unthinkable, really.”

 

Dawn: “Yes?”

 

Remi: “Perhaps they have an informant?”

 

Dawn: “You really think that’s possible?

 

Remi shrugs.

Remi: “It is suspicious, that’s all.”

 

Dawn turns to Sir Thomas.

Dawn: “And what do you think?”

 

Sir Thomas looks over the map.

She sighs and slumps into his chair.

Thomas: “Well, I can’t deny the facts.  Fionan movements have been preemptive.”

 

Dawn: “But a traitor amongst us? Who would stand to gain from that?”

 

Thomas: “Any and all of them.  Sorry to say princess, but we’re losing.  Some even think we’ve lost, and the more they think that way, the less it takes to make them turn, to make them start wanting to appease their oppressors.”

 

Remi: “Better to change with the world than to try and fight it.”

 

Thomas: “Exactly.  If only they knew what they were giving up.”

 

Dawn: “Well, we have no hard proof as of now.  It’s just a theory, and one we’ll have to shelve for later.  Right now, we have graves to dig.”

 

Sir Thomas stands.

Thomas: “I’m getting too damn good at burying my friends.”

 

Remi: “Aren’t we all.”

 

Cut to black.

Open on the Anthem Mansion interior, in Zara’s room.  Zara and Elsea are having tea while Mary sits by the window and brushes her hair.  A storm has moved in and outside rain can be heard.

Mary flips her hair and sighs.

Mary: “My, how the rain does exhaust.  Mayhap a nap is in order.”

 

Zara: “And here I thought you never slept.”

 

Mary: “Dear princess, a nap is decidedly different from the act of sleep, as you should well know.  Why, you’ve been napping frequently since our arrival in this land, but I wouldn’t say you’ve slept considerably more.”

 

Zara: “I am fatigued.”

 

Mary: “You’re bored, and I for one cannot blame you for it.  The days are long and dull here, considering our safety in the not entirely welcoming arms of Anthem.  Why, what I wouldn’t give to trek alongside the good knight as he searches for the prince among the wilds of the wilderness.”

 

Zara: “It’s never too late to join him.”

 

Elsea: “Actually, princess, I doubt any of us could find him considering the time that has passed.”

Zara gives Elsea a look.

Elsea: “Sarcasm?”

 

Zara: “Yes.”

 

Elsea: “I see.  I apologize, then.”

 

Mary: “Princess, can you say in all honesty that you enjoy all of this sitting and waiting what has occupied us as of late.”

 

Zara: “The sitting, yes.  The waiting, not as much.”

 

Mary sighs wistfully.

Mary: “Mayhap I am just nostalgic for the days of old, what when we traveled as a group.  Our tribulations.  Our triumphs.  And all of our lovely banter.”

 

Zara: “You mean when we were hunted like animals?”

 

Mary: “Oh, dear, we’re still hunted like animals, the only difference between then and now is that we are in a cage.  Why, if we were ever caught, I fear we wouldn’t even know how to properly escape.”

 

Zara: “You’re mad.”

 

Mary: “Most-like.  Still, I cannot help but feel as if the story has escaped us somehow.  Why, once we were center stage.”

 

Elsea: “All things considered, Miss Mary, I do think things will become more hectic upon Sir Glenn’s return, whatever he may find.”

 

Mary: “I sincerely do hope so.”

She looks out the window.  Show her face as if she is looking out at the audience.

Mary: “I’ve done quite enough waiting in my lifetime, and I am ready once again to take up the lead.”

 

Zara sips her tea.

She scoffs.

Zara: “Please, as soon as Zelos is back he’ll find a way to steal it from you, probably by doing something foolishly heroic and dragging us into the whole mess.  It’s what he always does.”

 

Mary smiles.

Mary: “It is, isn’t it?  And it will be nice to see him, don’t you think?”

 

Beat.

Zara looks up at Mary’s expectant eyes.

Zara: “What? You aren’t expecting me to agree with you, are you?  If so, then you have a long wait ahead of you.”

 

P.S.

 

If you like this story, find more at (redwhalestories5.blogspot.com).

Give me money at (www.patreon.com/redwhalestories)

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Sincerely,
RWS

 

9: Chapter Nine: "Constellations"

Chapter Nine: Constellations

 

Open to the interior of the Resistance cavern base.  Show light spilling in from the entrance way indicating daytime.  Guards patrol the walk ways.

Show the commons.  Soldiers are training their swordsmanship and archery.  Some are running drills.

Show an arrow hitting a target.

Show soldiers playing cards.

Cut to the dining area interior.  The walls are lit with torches and candles.  Soldiers are eating quietly at cramped tables.  Dawn and Diando are tucked into a corner.

Remi joins them.  He is carrying a plate.

He settles beside Diando.

He looks at the two of them.

 

Remi: “I see that we’re still not talking.”

 

Diando: “We’re talking just fine.”

 

Dawn grunts at her plate.

Remi sighs.

 

Remi: “Yes, a lovely conversation.”

 

Outside there is commotion.  The group looks toward the entrance.

A Silvaran Messenger enters the dining area.

He passes the soldiers and stops at Dawn’s table.

 

Silvaran Messenger: “Princess…I have…news…you must…hear.”

 

Dawn: “Clearly.  Go ahead and catch your breath, and then you can tell me.”

 

Silvaran Messenger: “Right…”

The Silvaran Messenger leans against the table and pants heavily.

He leans back against the wall and continues to pant.

He swallows.

Messenger: “Okay!  Right, so, I have a message.”

 

Diando: “You said that already.

 

Remi pats Diando’s arm.

Remi: “Be nice.”

Remi looks at the Silvaran Messenger.

Remi: “Your message?”

 

Messenger: “Right, well, it seems some of our scouts have been taken hostage by the Fionan military. Worse yet, they traced them to another encampment, and so they took an entire squad.”

 

Diando and Dawn look across the table at each other.

 

Diando: “They may have our location.”

 

Dawn: “They would never reveal that.”

 

Remi: “Still, it may be better to be safe than sorry.”

 

Dawn: “But relocating may draw even more attention.”

 

Diando: “So we stay and fight?”

Diando grins.

Diando: “I can get behind that.”

 

Remi: “Cool your head, please.  Princess, even if we barricade ourselves inside and make it a siege, they have superiority in numbers and resources.  Beyond that, we have that creature to consider.”

 

Dawn: “True, but where else would we run? Where else do we have to hide?”

 

Remi: “Anywhere.  It’s better than making our last stand.”

 

Diando: “That’s where you’re wrong.  We’ll be dead either way.  Hiding isn’t working.  Best case scenario, they have a few of our troops and we’re just down on numbers.  Worst case, they know we’re here and are sending in a clean-up crew, the monster included.  In this situation, we either strike or are struck.  I know you don’t want to get your people into anything, but we’re already there.  So, we fight while we have the soldiers, and maybe we’ll win.  If we move now, we might be able to save our people before they let anything slip, and at the very least we’ll let them know that Silvara isn’t dead yet.”

 

Dawn looks between them.

She sighs.

Dawn: “I’m sorry, Remi…”

 

Remi: “Yes, well…”

Remi stands.

Remi: “I support you whatever you do, m’lady.  If you’ll excuse me.”

Remi leaves.

 

Dawn: “He’s mad.”

 

Diando: “He doesn’t like it when people disagree with him, but he’ll get over it.  Right now, we have a raid to plan.”

 

Cut to a top view of the Anthem chapel interior.  Zara is sitting alone in a pew.  She is wearing a cloak with the hood up.  A few other patrons are inside.  They bow before the palanquin and giving offers of prayer and song.

Elsea approaches from the entrance.

Show Zara from the front, with the hood obscuring the sides of her face.  Elsea is just behind her.

Elsea slips into the aisle.

Elsea sits beside Zara.

 

Elsea: “Miss Mary said that I could find you here.”

 

Zara: “Yes, Elsea?”

 

Elsea: “I was looking for you, m’lady.  You missed breakfast, and I worried that you hadn’t ate.”

 

Zara: “Actually, now that I think about it, I didn’t eat.”

 

Elsea giggles.

Elsea: “Would you care to return to the mansion, m’lady?”

 

Zara stares at Aria.

Zara stands.

Zara: “I just needed to stretch my legs.  Let’s go ahead and go back.  I could do with a meal.”

 

They slide out of the pew.

Elsea walks beside Zara toward the entrance.

 

Elsea: “Miss Mary says you’ve been spending much of your time here as of late.”

 

Zara: “I’ve spent some.  What else is there to do while we wait for Glenn?  I’m growing terribly bored of those stalls.”

 

Elsea: “I see.”

 

Zara: “That girl in there, would you say she’sed about my age?”

 

Elsea: “I haven’t thought about it much, but yes, if not a bit younger, m’lady.”

 

Zara: “So I thought, and they have her bound and displayed like an idol.”

 

Elsea: “Well, you are a princess.”

 

Zara: “That’s different.  I have freedom to leave if I so choose.”

 

Elsea: “Some freedom, but you have less than others, wouldn’t you say?  And you’re also a symbol to your people.”

 

Zara: “Okay, maybe there’s some similarities.  I just wonder what she does when not there.”

 

Elsea: “Perhaps you should ask?”

 

Zara: “I don’t think that’s allowed.  Mary told me the tradition is that the girl holds back a terrible power which is expressed through her voice.  I don’t see people speaking with her often, or ever, really.”

 

Elsea: “I see.”

 

Zara: “Seems lonely, doesn’t it?  She could probably due with a conversation.  I know, if I were her, I’d be dying for something to pass the time.”

They walk in silence down an alley and start the ascent to the mansion.

Zara: “Do you think she has family?”

 

Elsea: “I imagine so, m’lady.”

 

Zara: “And do you think she misses them?”

 

Elsea: “Of course, though she must feel some pride in her role.”

 

Zara sighs.

She hangs her head.

Zara: “Maybe, but no amount of pride or worship can replace a family…”

 

They slow to a stop.

Elsea hugs Zara.

Zara hugs back.

 

Elsea: “M’lady, Dawn is alive.”

 

Zara smiles and rests her head on Elsea’s shoulder.

 

Zara: “I know.”

 

Elsea cups Zara’s chin.

They stare at each other.

 

Elsea: “I mean it. She is alive.”

 

Zara: “I know.”

Zara wipes her eyes.  She lets out a breath.

Zara: “Come on, I’m starving.”

 

Elsea: “Of course, m’lady.”

 

Show they walk down the street together, side-by-side.

Hold that image with them growing gradually smaller.

 

Cut to the forest by night.  The moon is high and large.  The forest floor is well-lit.  The trees are greening.

Show an owl perched atop a branch.  It stares wide-eyed into the darkness.

Show the underbrush.  A mouse scurries about on the floor.

Show the mouse from a front view as it leaps over a small root.

Show the mouse from above.  A great, avian shadow is falling over it.

Show the mouse again, this time with the shadow larger.

Show the owl grasping the mice.

Show the Resistance cavern mouth.  Two guards stand watch.  One is yawning.  The other has his head slumped and his helm down over his eyes.

Show the cavern interior.  The torches are out.

Show Diando and Remi in bed together.  Diando is shirtless.  Remi has a sleeping shirt on.  Diando has his head resting on Remi’s chest.

Show Sir Thomas in the infirmary.  He is walking between the many cots.  Injured soldiers are all around him. He has an empty cup in his hand.

Show the cavern exterior, this time from above.  There is a cliff hanging over it.  Grass is growing atop the stone.  Niva sits on the edge with her legs hanging off.  She is watching the stars.

Show Niva from the front.  Dawn is approaching from behind.  She is wearing nightgown.

 

Dawn: “Shouldn’t you be in bed?”

 

Niva looks back.

 

Niva: “Yes. Shouldn’t you?”

 

Dawn sits beside Niva.

 

Dawn: “Probably, but with everything that’s happening I’m too worked up.”

 

Niva nods.

They stare at the moon.

Show the moon.  It is enormous from their vantage point.

 

Dawn: “When we were little, Zara and I used to watch the stars.  Aurora, too.  Sometimes, we’d sneak out of bed and meet at the tallest tower of the castle, and we would climb onto the roof, and we’d count them until Zara fell asleep.  She was always falling asleep.  One time, Siri, my handmaiden, she caught us.  We all got scolded and scolded, and when my dad woke up we were spanked so hard I couldn’t sit for a week.  And the next night we were at it again.”

 

Dawn laughs.

Niva laughs too.

 

Niva: “That sounds funny.”

 

Dawn: “Wasn’t at the time.  My dad gave the worst spankings.”

Dawn sighs.

She hugs her knees.

Dawn: “Still, I miss the old man.”

 

NIva: “They were better times, I think.”

 

Dawn: “Definitely.  Did you ever have anything like that with your sister? Like, stuff your parents hated?”

 

Niva: “Well, no.  No, not my…My parents died when I was young.  They were sick.  We were taken away, and they were left quarantined in the village to prevent the spread.  I’m not sure when they…But anyway, Umber always took care of me.”

 

Dawn: “Oh, Niva, I’m sorry, I…”

 

Niva: “It’s fine.  I mean, I never really knew them, so it’s hard to be sad about them, and I always had Umber.”

 

Dawn: “I see.”

 

Niva: “We never watched the stars, though.  She didn’t have time, she was always working.  She had a job at the local tavern.  All the men loved her…She was so beautiful, and strong.  Sometimes, she would take me to the market with her, and I swear, everyday someone new would propose to her.”

 

Dawn: “You’ve got to be kidding.”

 

Niva laughs.

Niva: “Nope.  Every day, someone would ask.  Some even had rings, and she’d always turn them down.  She said that she had enough in her life to keep her busy, that she didn’t need a man to take care of.”

 

Dawn laughs.

She smiles.

Dawn: “She loved you.”

 

Niva: “She did, but…”

Niva looks down and fiddles with her thumbs.

Niva: “I felt like a burden, like I was holding her back.  She was so…her, she could do anything, be anything, and if I wasn’t there…When Fiona attacked, Umber was first in line to fight back.  I cried, and I begged her to stay, and said how I couldn’t go on without her, but she insisted that she had to do it.  She said that sometimes you have to fight to protect the things you love.  Then, she hugged me, and she just…”

They go quiet.

Dawn stares out at the forest.

Show the forest silent in the night.  Niva sniffles.

Niva: “That’s why I wanted to come with you, you know.  I don’t know if I’ll ever find her, but I’m tired of waiting around at home while she’s off fighting.  I’m an adult now, and I can…I WILL take care of myself.”

 

Dawn: “Yeah, and when you find her, she’ll be so proud of how much you’ve grown.”

 

Niva smiles.

She wipes her eyes.

 

Niva: “Yes, and then maybe I can protect her for a change.”

 

Dawn: “Exactly!”

 

They go quiet again.

Show them and the moon.  The moon makes them look small on the hill.

Niva looks at Dawn.

 

Niva: “Hey, Dawn, do you really think we’ll find her?”

 

Dawn: “I don’t want to lie to you and say of course.  I don’t know for sure, but I can tell you this much, we won’t give up until we try everything.”

 

Niva: “Thank you.  So much.”

 

Dawn: “Eh, don’t mention it.”

 

Cut to Anthem by night.  Show the city from the sea.  It is lit up by the moon.

Show the sky.  A full moon is high.  Stars dot the night.  A few clouds are painted black into the sky.

Show an Anthem street.  A stall worker is closing up the night.

Show another street.  A couple is walking hand-in-hand.  One of them is holding a lantern.
Show the Anthem chapel interior.  Light from the moon outside spills into the empty halls.  A lone clergyman is dousing torches.

Show Aria siting in her palanquin.  Her expression is blank.

 

Cut to a hill overlooking Anthem.  In the distance the city lights up the night.

Show the black sky above.  The clouds are sparse.  The moon is high and bright, and the stars fill the sky.

Zara crests the hill and bends at the waist.  She is panting.  Elsea is behind her carrying a blanket and a basket.

 

Elsea: “M’lady?”

 

Zara: “I’m. Fine. Elsea. Just. Catching. My. Breath.”

She rights herself and sighs.

Zara: “And to think, only three weeks ago we walked from the Black City to Silverthrone.”

 

Elsea laughs.

 

Elsea: “Times do change, m’lady.”

 

Zara: “Sometimes they change too quickly.  I guess, here is as good a place as any.”

 

Elsea unfolds the blanket and spreads it on the grass.

She and Zara settle on the center.  Zara already has the basket open and is nibbling on bread.

She offers Elsea a roll, and Elsea politely refuses.

Zara sets the basket aside and looks at the stars.

 

Zara: “It’s been a while since we’ve watched the stars, hasn’t it?”

 

Elsea: “Yes, m’lady, it has.”

 

Zara: “Do you remember how we used to sneak around the castle and up that tower?”

They giggle.

Zara pauses.  She looks down at her roll.

Zara: “A lot has happened lately.”

 

Elsea nods. Zara looks at her.

 

Zara: “Do you really think Dawn is okay?”

 

Elsea: “Of course.  If anyone can survive, she can.”

 

Zara: “Yeah, but what about the kingdom?”

 

Elsea: “The people of Silvara are strong, princess.  They will endure.”

 

Zara: “I’m not sure strength is the issue.”

 

Elsea takes Zara’s hand.

 

Elsea: “They will be fine.  It will all work out, I promise.”

 

Zara wipes her eyes.

Zara: “Thank you, Elsea, you’ve done so much for me, and I really appreciate it.”

 

Elsea blushes.

Elsea: “I haven’t done anything other than my duty, princess.”

 

Zara cries.

Elsea turns and holds her.

Fade to black.

 

Cut to the hill later in the night.  Elsea and Zara are laying side-by-side.

Elsea shivers.

Zara lifts her cloak.

Elsea shakes her head.

Zara scoots closer and puts the cloak over both of them.

 

Zara: “It’s chill out, but it feels nice to escape the mansion.  With how things are, that place is beginning to feel like a prison.”

 

Elsea: “Yes, but I feel guilty about leaving Miss Mary behind.”

 

Zara: “Don’t.  I don’t think that she, of all people, is in any danger.”

 

Elsea: “No, of course not, but I do worry still.  She gets so lonely.”

 

Zara: “She’ll find ways to entertain herself.  Besides…”

Zara yawns and stretches.

Zara: “I need time away from her, too, especially after your trip.  She’s so nosy.”

 

Elsea: “She just cares.”

 

Zara: “A bit too much for my taste.”

 

Zara cuddles up to Elsea and closes her eyes.

 

Elsea: “Princess, if you’re going to sleep then we should head back.”

 

Zara: “No, no, let’s stay here a bit longer.  I won’t sleep, I just want to…”

Yawn.

Zara: “…Close my eyes.”

 

Elsea: “M’lady…”

 

Zara: “Shhh, Elsea, shhhh.”

 

Elsea looks at Zara.

She looks back up at the sky.

 

Elsea: “Fine, m’lady, but only for five minutes and then we’ll return.”

 

P.S.

 

If you like this story, find more at (redwhalestories5.blogspot.com).

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10: Chapter Ten: Field of Graves

Chapter Ten: Field of Graves

 

Open on a black screen and the sounds of chaos.  People are screaming and running.

An explosion fills the screen.  Show magical light silhouetting a city street.  People are burning..

The light fades.  In the back a green arc of lightning fills the sky.

Show green fire at the edge of the screen on one of the buildings in the distance.  A yellow beam of light hits a nearby building and melts it.

Show a sphere of water floating in the air.  It is surrounded by dark blue light.

The water falls onto a nearby building and smothers the flame.

Show Diando.  His hands pulse with blue light.  Villagers sprint around him.

He turns to the crowd.

 

Diando: “Take cover in the forest; keep low and quiet.  We need to disperse, make it harder to find us.”

 

An arrow catches him in the shoulder.

He falls to a knee.  A group of Fionan soldiers approach from behind him.  Three swordsmen lead an archer who is stringing another arrow.

The archer lets another arrow fly.

Diando conjures a dark blue shield and deflects the arrow.

He turns with his bloodied hand and throws a torrent of blue flame down the street.

The flames swallow the soldiers.  They scream in agony.

Show Diando standing, holding his bleeding shoulder in a haze of blue light.

Show him from behind, standing and facing the flames.  Green light shines from above.  Fionan soldiers enter from the side streets.  Their blades gleam.

They approach cautiously.

They stop as they hit a white wall of light.

Remi approaches from behind Diando.

 

Remi: “Are you hurt?”

 

Diando: “I’m pissed!”

 

Diando’s hands writhe with blue flame.

 

Remi: “Must we?”

 

Diando: “They live, they kill more innocent people.”

 

Remi sighs.

Show the soldiers.  The shield fades.

Hold on the soldiers as a current of blue flame engulfs the area and spills down the streets.

A white light follows and smothers the flames.

Diando kneels.  He is panting and sweating.  His right arm is dark with blood.

Remi kneels at his side and grabs the arrow.

 

Remi: “This will hurt.”

 

Diando: “Do it.”

 

Remi pulls the arrow out.  Blood gushes from the wound.  Diando grits his teeth.

Remi puts his hand to the wound.  His hand glows white.

Diando relaxes.

They stand together.

 

Diando: “Thank you.”

 

Remi nods.

 

Remi: “You’re very welcome.  We should move now.”

 

Diando: “But the villagers…”

 

Show Diando and Remi standing side-by-side.  Their cloaks flutter in the heat and the wind.  Show the airship floating above in a smear of green light.  Show the city burning around them.

Show Remi’s frowning.

 

Remi: “Those that could escape have, and those that couldn’t…”

 

Show Diando’s face.  He has tears in his eyes.

He wipes his face.

Diando: “You’re right, the city’s lost.  Let’s go.”

Diando stands while Remi turns away.

Show Diando staring at the hill in the distance.  It is still night but light is creeping over the hills.  Silverthrone smolders.

Diando turns.

The screen goes black.

 

Open on to the forest by night. Show it from a distance. The sky is dark and moonless, but the stars sparkle in the sky.  A light wind blows and rustles the branches.

Show Silvaran soldiers move through the underbrush.

Show some looking over a hill.  Before them shines a Fionan camp.

Show the Fionan camp, which is empty save for a few soldiers.  They have torches on the perimeter of the camp and a few guards.  The guards carry swords at their hips.

Show a fire burning at the center of the camp.  It is large enough to illuminate the entire camp.

Show the camp from a distance.  Dawn is just behind a hill and looking over. The light of the camp is dim there.  Sir Thomas, Remi, and Diando are at her sides.  They are surrounded by Silvaran soldiers.

Dawn kneels down into her cover and looks at Nick.

 

Dawn: “They’re here?”

 

Remi: “Supposedly, they’re supposed to be kept in the center-most tent.”

 

Dawn peeks over the hill again.

Show the Fionan guards standing in front of the camp.

Show a view of the camp just right of them.
Show a view of the camp just to the left.

Dawn kneels back down and looks at Sir Thomas.

 

Dawn: “The defenses are light.”

 

Thomas: “Too light.”

 

Diando: “It just makes it that much easier.”

 

Dawn looks at Remi.

Remi nods.

Dawn looks at her soldiers.

Show the Silvaran soldiers waiting.

 

Dawn: “We’re moving.  Spread the word.”

 

The Silvaran soldiers disperse.

 

Dawn: “Let’s move around to the other side, see if it’s more lightly guarded.  If we can, I’d like to get in unnoticed.”

 

Diando, Remi, and Sir Thomas move to inform their own groups.

Dawn grabs Sir Thomas.

 

Dawn: “Does any of this feel off to you?”

 

Thomas: “All of it.  We can turn back, if you like.”

 

Dawn looks at the Silvaran soldiers in the distance.  Show them spread out and gathering up.

She sighs.

 

Dawn: “No, we’re already here, I just can’t shake this feeling.”

 

Thomas: “You’re fine, you’re just feeling the weight of leadership.”

 

Dawn: “Yeah, I guess.”

 

Thomas: “You’ll be fine.  Now, we should move before Diando charges in and sets the camp on fire.”

 

Dawn: “He does seem a bit more head-strong than usual.”

 

They laugh as Sir Thomas helps Dawn to standing.

 

Cut to the Anthem mansion at night.  Mary is sitting in a room alone.  She is sewing delicately while staring out the window.  The city shines in the foreground.

Elsea enters the room.

 

Elsea: “Miss Mary, have you seen the princess?”

 

Mary: “Not as of late, darling.  Surprising, as you are often at her heels, no?  Now, now, don’t you be hurt by that, it is merely an observation, no judgment involved.  After all, isn’t it your duty as a handmaiden to be there?”

 

Elsea: “I suppose, but the way you phrase things at times…”

 

Mary: “I do offer my sincerest apologies if I have offended.”

 

Elsea: “Accepted.”

 

Mary: “All of that aside, I wouldn’t worry overmuch about the princess.  She is a capable girl in her own right, and hardly has the inclination toward trouble of our favorite prince.”

 

Elsea: “Yes, I agree, but still, it would be nice if she were to tell me when she is to wonder off.”

 

Mary: “Wouldn’t it just.  She has been rather curious as of late, as well, and seems somehow taken with the chapel.”

 

Elsea: “I had noticed as well.”

 

They go quiet.  Mary hums while sewing.

Elsea takes a seat across from her.

Elsea peeks at Mary.

 

Elsea: “Excuse me, Miss Mary, but are you sewing?”

 

Mary: “I am doing something of the kind, though I am sure you’re far more accomplished in the art.”

 

Elsea blushes.

 

Elsea: “No, no, you seem quite fine at it.”

 

Mary: “You’re a poor liar, good lady.”

 

Elsea: “Miss Mary…”

 

Mary: “Yes, yes, you wouldn’t ever dare to utter a falsehood on your life.  Why, it would ruin your pretty skin with worry-lines and guilt, wouldn’t it?”

 

Elsea: “…What is it that you’re sewing?”

 

Mary: “Another eye patch for when Zelos returns.  Can’t very well have him going off and shining like a beacon whenever we find a moment of respite, can we now?”

 

Elsea: “I suppose, but if I were to be completely honest, and I mean no offense, he didn’t seem very fond of the last one you made.”

 

Mary: “Young boys hardly know what is good for them.”

Mary holds up the fabric and looks at it.

Mary: “Besides, his dissatisfaction was part of the fun.  All of that considered, however, that last one was made from scraps and thrown together.  This one will be made with fine, fashionable Anthem silks and the like.  Why, I dare to hope he may even take a shine to it.”

 

Elsea: “Yes, we can hope.”

 

Mary: “I will be glad to have him back whatever the case.  Just as you are with the princess, it is nerve-wracking to have that boy away, and might I add that he is a sight less capable than she in terms of the real world.”

 

Elsea: “He can be lost in the clouds at times, but that’s what makes him…him.”

 

Mary smiles.

 

Mary: “It very much is, isn’t it, good lady?”

 

Cut to the Fionan camp interior.  The area is brightly lit.  The fire in the center blazes.

Show Silvaran soldiers sneaking through the camp.  They move silently passed a few tents.

Show a view facing the tents and Silvaran soldiers moving in the background, passing between two tents.  Show two Fionan soldiers looking out into the night.  Torches burn beside them.

 

Fionan Soldier7: “Hey, I’m going to grab something to eat.  You need anything?”

 

Fionan Soldier8: “Nah, I’m fine, just hurry back.  This night feels wrong.”

 

Fionan Soldier7: “Yeah, yeah, whatever.”

 

Fionan Soldier7 stands.

As Fionan Soldier7 turns an arrow hits him in the neck and he is downed.

Fionan Soldier 8 looks back and grabs at his sword.  An arrow hits him through the visor.

Show Dawn peeking down the tent with another arrow ready.

She gestures soldiers forward.

Sir Thomas leads three Silvaran Soldiers forward.

Sir Thomas checks a tent.

Show Dawn and Silvarans looking into a tent.

Show Diando and Remi checking the interior of an empty tent.

Show the camp from above.  Silvaran soldiers are walking along out in the open.  There are no other Fionan guards save for the two.

Show an empty tent interior.

Show Dawn standing near the center, beside the flame.  Diando approaches her from behind.

 

Diando: “What in the world is going on?  An empty camp, watched by two soldiers?”

 

Dawn: “Yeah, it’s weird.”

 

Remi: “Perhaps they moved them just before we arrived?”

 

Diando: “Why would they? How would they have known? Dawn, where did we get this information?”

 

Dawn and Sir Thomas exchange glances.

 

Dawn: “Nick, but…”

Show the shadows surrounding the camp thicken.

Dawn: “We have no reason to doubt him.  Why would he help us out of the city and then betray us now?”

 

Diando: “Bah, traitors do whatever they have to.”

 

Thomas: “Be careful, mage.  I’ve had just enough of your talking down to everyone, especially the princess.”

 

Diando: “Oh yeah, big man?”

 

Diando steps up into Sir Thomas’ face.

Remi takes Diando’s hand.

Diando looks back to find Remi looking away wide-eyed.

 

Diando: “What?”

 

Remi: “We need to run.”

 

A tent explodes in a surge of shadows.

The shadows spread and grab hold of two Silvaran soldiers. 

Black tendrils spread through the Silvaran’s soldier’s legs.

The Silvaran soldier’s bodies explode outward in a spray of blood.  They are replaced by dark spires dripping with blood.

Show the party from the front.  Behind them, shadows are smothering the fire.

 

Remi: “Go!”

 

Remi shoves Diando ahead.

Show Dawn.  Shadows land around her, leaving deep gouges in the earth.

Sir Thomas steps in to protect her and raises his shield.

Dark blue light surrounds them and bulges out, widening the gaps between the shadow.

Show Diando with his hands glowing.

 

Diando: “Come on! Move already!”

 

Sir Thomas leads Dawn away.

Show the party running.  A nearby tent bursts open.  Shadows swirl and spike out, tearing the fabric to bits.  Standing amongst the chaos is Thanatos.

Show the writhing shadows around him.  He growls.

Show a group of Silvaran soldiers running.

Show the Silvaran soldiers seized by shadows and impaled.

Show a torch lying on the ground.

Thanatos’ steel boot crushes it..

Show Niva running through the camp.  She passes a tent.

The tent explodes behind her and shadows encircle her.

She trips and screams.

White magic surrounds her and pulls her.

Shadow stab into the earth where she was.

Remi helps her up.

 

Niva: “Oh, gods, I thought I was…”

 

Remi: “Don’t think, dear, just hurry.”

 

Cut to a hill overlooking the camp.  Dawn is at the crest panting.

She hops down into hiding.

She peeks over.

Show the camp in the distance.  It is dark now.  Shadows cling to everything.

Dawn sits down.  She is surrounded by her royal guard, Sir Thomas, Niva, Remi, Diando, and the remainder of her troops.

 

Thomas: “We need to leave.”

 

Dawn: “We can’t let it follow us to the base.”

 

Thomas: “We can’t let it find us, either!”

 

Niva: “What is it?”

 

Thomas: “It doesn’t matter.  Whatever it is, we need to survive it.”

 

Diando: “For once, I agree.”

 

Dawn: “Fine, fine, let’s go back then.”

 

Dawn stands stooped.

Show Dawn from the front.  Shadows surge behind her, fanning and pointed, like teeth prepared to bite.  She can feel them and stares ahead wide-eyed.

Show Diando and Remi preparing runes while soldiers scatter.  Niva screams.

Show Dawn turning.  Blood sprays across her face.

Show Sir Thomas standing before her.  He has his shield up but the shadowy teeth have broken through it easily.  They stick out of his arm and dig into his shoulder.  Blood runs from his mouth.

 

Dawn: “Thomas!”

 

Thomas: “Go!”

 

Dawn: “But…”

 

Silvaran Royal Guard3: “Go, princess, we’ll handle this.”

 

Dawn looks at Silvaran Royal Guard3 as he prepares his sword.

Another guardsman stands beside Sir Thomas and jabs his weapon into the shadows.

 

Silvaran Royal Guard2: “This is our duty to you, and it is a manner of personal honor for ourselves.”

 

Dawn: “But…But you’ll all…”

 

Remi grabs Dawn.

 

Remi: “Come, princess.”

 

Dawn: “Thank you, thank all of you.  You…You’ve made Silvara proud!”

 

Sir Thomas smiles.

He swings with his sword and cuts a tendril off.  It dissolves into the night.

He leans into Royal Guard2

 

Thomas: “Good, then I’ve done myself proud.”

Remi leads Dawn and Niva away.

Sir Thomas grabs Diando.

Thomas: “Listen, she’s more important than you, than all of us.  You protect her, or so help me I will come back from this shallow, unmarked grave, and I will…”

 

Thanatos howls off in the distance.

They both look.

Diando nods.

 

Cut to the forest outside of the resistance base.  Show Niva kneeling in the dirt.  She is clutching Remi’s cloak and crying.

Show Remi’s pale face as he stares in wide-eyed horror.  Diando curses beside him.  His face is smeared with blood.

Show Dawn.  She is stoic and bloody.

Show the cavern mouth.  The trees in front are lined with dead bodies.

The soldiers behind Dawn murmur.

Niva struggles for breath.

Niva vomits.  Remi kneels beside her and pats her back.

Dawn turns and takes a dagger from a nearby soldier.

She walks away.

Show Remi soothing Niva.

They both look up.

Show Dawn atop a branch.  She is cutting a soldier down.

The body falls and hits the ground with a crunch.  Blood bubbles out of its blackened skin.

Dawn leaps down and looks at them.

 

Dawn: “Come on.  We’ve got graves to dig.

 

Cut to the forest by daybreak.  The sun is peaking over the mountains.  Show Dawn standing over dozens of fresh graves.  She is covered in dirt and dried blood, and she looks exhausted.  Diando is with her and is in the very same state.

He touches her shoulder.

 

Diando: “Listen, I…I’m no good at stuff like this.  Normally Remi would…Well, he’s with the girl right now so.  So just tell me how to comfort you, and I’ll do it.  What can I do?”

 

Show Dawn standing in the graves.

Show the graves stretching out around her.

Show Dawn’s tired face staring bleakly forward.

 

Dawn: “Nothing.”

 

Diando: “Princess?”

 

Dawn: “There’s no comforting me, Diando.  There’s just…this.”

 

Dawn walks away.

Show Diando standing alone in the graves.

Cut to black.

 

P.S.

 

If you like this story, find more at (redwhalestories5.blogspot.com).

Give me money at (www.patreon.com/redwhalestories)

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Sincerely,
RWS

 

11: Episode Eleven: A Game of Masks

Chapter Eleven: A Game of Masks

 

Open on the forest.

Show the resistance cavern mouth.  The trees still have ropes hanging from them but the bodies are gone.  Dried blood stains the bark, and there are dark spots on the ground.

Show some rope and the frayed ends.

Show the blood caked into the dirt.

Show the sunrise through the trees.
Show rows of freshly dug graves.

Show the cave interior where the remnants are gathered.  Some are sleeping, leaned against walls.  Others are gathered together, huddled and looking tired and dirty.

Show Niva in the corner, hugging her knees.  She has dark bags under her eyes and is covered in dirt.  Her face is blank.

Remi approaches with a bowl.

He offers it to her, but she stares ahead.

He sets it beside her as he sits.

He pats her back.

Show the cave entrance from inside.  Dawn enters with Diando at her side.  They cast long shadows.

Dawn stands at the entrance and looks down at all of the people.

Show her face.  It is covered in blood and dirt.  She looks tired.

Dawn steps forward, to the edge of the entrance.

Show soldiers looking up and shaking friends awake.

Show Remi looking up.

Show Dawn facing them resolutely.

Dawn: “Listen, I know you’re all tired, and I know that you deserve some rest, but I have something to say.  We’ve had a long night, but it’s not over yet.  For some of us, it will never end.”

Dawn looks at the ground sadly.

Show the rest of the soldiers adopting melancholic gazes.

Show Niva staring ahead emptily.

Show Dawn again.

Dawn: “I’m no good at speeches, and I’m not sure one will help anyway, but…I am your princess, and I need to say something.  So, this is what I have.  They’re cowards, all of them.  They have the lands, they have the numbers, they have the weapons, and this is the best they can do.  Misdirection and hit-and-run, and do you know why?  Because they’re afraid of us.

“They’re afraid of a fair fight.  It’s why they attack in the night, and it’s why they attack where we’re not looking.  They offer one hand and strike with the other.  They don’t want to win, they want to destroy.  This isn’t about conquering us, it’s about breaking us, and I don’t know about you but last night they succeeded.  They broke me.  My pride, my integrity, my honor.

“But that doesn’t matter.  History won’t remember you or me or the people we lost last night.  It will remember only one thing—Fiona’s greatest mistake, the beginning of the end.  Up until now we’ve done nothing but hide and scout.  We’ve played it safe because we had too much to lose, because we cared.  We held convictions and kept lines we wouldn’t cross, and they—Well, they crossed them all, and they broke me.

“Now, I have none of that.  This is two homes, two that I’ve lost to them, and that’s fine, because when I’m done…”

Dawn’s face turns fierce.

Dawn: “Last night they fought with monsters, unholy beasts unlike anything I’ve ever seen, and I figure it’s time to return the favor.  As far as I’m concerned, I died with my people.  I’m gone and buried, but I’m not ready to rest.  I can’t!  Not until I see Fiona burn!  And not until I see that bastard Metis burn with it!”

 

Show the room.  Soldiers are standing and cheering.

Show Niva and Remi staring around them.

Diando approaches Dawn.

 

Diando: “So, we mean to become monsters now?”

 

Dawn: “I think we already have.”

Dawn looks at the soldiers.

They go quiet.

Dawn: “Here’s the stark reality: we won’t survive.  So, I won’t ask you to come with me.  If you want to return to your families, then do it.  See them, be with them, love them while you can because life is too short.  Anyone else, get ready because we move at noon, and we march on the Black City.”

 

Cut to forests outside of Anthem.  Show the forest from a distance.  The sky is overcast, and it is raining.

Show droplets of water falling from leaf to leaf.

Show a droplet of water hitting Glenn on the head.  He is standing in the forest with his cloak on and his hood up.

He looks up and grimaces.

Glenn: “More rain.”

Glenn sighs.

He kneels down and looks at the forest floor.

Show shallow footprints leading deeper in from his position.  In the background there is a distinct figure, a body.

Glenn looks ahead and squints.

Glenn: “Is that? Can’t be.”

Glenn moves ahead to a body lying face down.

Glenn kneels beside the body and turns it over.

Show Zelos’ muddy face.  His eyes are closed, and he has a scar on his throat.

Show Glenn looking him over in surprise.

Glenn smiles.

Glenn: “I found you.  I finally…”

Glenn checks his pulse.

Glenn sighs.

Glenn: “And you’re alive.  Oh, gods.”

Glenn sits up and looks around.

Glenn: “Is Dawn?”

He stands.

He steps over Zelos.

He checks the ground for anymore footprints.

He sighs.

Glenn: “No.”

Glenn looks back at Zelos.

Glenn: “Still.”

Glenn kneels beside Zelos.

Glenn shakes him.

Glenn waits.

He feels Zelos’ forehead and frowns.

Glenn: “Warm.”

Glenn lifts Zelos up onto his shoulders.

He stands.

Glenn: “Don’t worry.”

Glenn starts off out of the forest.  Show him from the behind with Zelos hanging over his back.

Glenn: “We’ll get you back, taken care of.  Spent all of this time looking for you, won’t let you die now.”

Hold that image as they leave.

 

Cut to the hamlet during the day.  Show the muddy streets of the hamlet in the rain.  It is drizzling.

Show the people of the hamlet working in the rain.  Some are pulling carts.  Some are closing shops.  Some are hurrying through with their hands up over their heads to shield them.

Show a bowl lying in the mud.  The contents are spilled out.

A boot stomps on the wooden bowl, snapping it to pieces.  The boot is black leather.

Show two Fionan soldiers standing over a small Silvaran girl.  The mud is below one soldier’s boot.

The other soldier shoves her.  The girl falls into the mud.

The girl cries.

 

Fionan Soldier9: “We tell you to come over, you do it.  We tell you to give us a bite, you do it.  We tell you to keep quiet, you do it.  Got it?”

 

The girl nods and sobs.

 

Fionan Soldier9: “Good, then stop that damn crying!”

Fionan Soldier9 yanks her to standing.  She stifles her sobs.

He pulls her head back by the hair.

Fionan Soldier9: “I thought I told you to shut your damn crying mouth!”

 

Silvaran Girl: “I’m sorry!”

 

Fionan Soldier9: “Oh, you will be!”

Fionan Soldier9 draws his blade.

He holds it with the edge to the girl’s throat.  She cries harder.

Fionan Soldier9: “This is your last chance, you Silvaran whore!”

 

A hand rests on Fionan Soldier9’s arm.

The soldier turns and swings his blade.

Sir Fredrick ducks under the blade.

Sir Fredrick grabs the soldier by the arm.

He spins the soldier around and throws him into the mud.

Sir Fredrick takes the blade from Fionan Soldier9’s hand as the soldier flies.

He holds the tip of the blade to Fionan Soldier10’s throat. 

Hold on the image of them standing like this.  Sir Fredrick has Fionan Soldier9 face-down in the mud with his arm twisted behind his back.  Fionan Soldier10 is at blade point with his hand on his own blade.

 

Fredrick: “You may wish to release the blade.”

 

Fionan Soldier10 shakes.

He nods and releases the sword.

Sir Fredrick releases Fionan Soldier9.

Fionan Soldier9 stands.  His helm is left in the mud.  His hair, armor, and face are all covered in mud.  He glares at Sir Fredrick.

Fionan Soldier9: “Damn peasant, who do you think you are? Do you know who I am?”

 

Fredrick: “By name, no, I do not, but it doesn’t take a name to see a thug for a thug.”

 

Fionan Soldier9: “Thug? You’re calling me a thug?  I’m a Fionan soldier, a member of the army that took this city, you might remember.  I was once a part of the Black Guard!”

 

Sir Fredrick smiles.

Fredrick: “Impossible.  A member of the Black Guard never leaves his post.  In doing so, they would be branded traitor and hunted without mercy.  Or, are you admitting to the act of treason.”

Sir Fredrick turns the blade on Fionan Soldier9’s neck.

Fredrick: “If so, then it is my duty as a citizen of Fiona and as the king’s dark hand to remove such stains.”

 

Fionan Soldier9 gulps.

Fionan Soldier9: “Wh—What?”

 

Fionan Soldier10: “Wait, the king’s dark hand.  Then that means…”

Fionan Soldier10 bows.

Fionan Soldier10: “I apologize, sir, if we’ve offended you.  We hadn’t meant to.  It is just that the girl was disrespectful, and…”

 

Fredrick: “I have no need or interest in excuses or lies.”

Sir Fredrick flips the blade and holds the hilt out toward Fionan Soldier9.

Fredrick: “Just know that, should I catch you indulging in such behavior again, I will kill you without hesitation

 

Fionan Soldier9 yanks the blade from Sir Fredrick’s hand.

Fionan Soldier9: “Just who the hell…”

 

Fionan Soldier10: “Come on!”

Fionan Soldier10 drags Fionan Soldier9 away.

Hold on Sir Fredrick standing in the rain with the girl huddled behind him.

Fionan Soldier10, off-screen: “Don’t you know who that is?  He’s the dark hand!  He’s the Captain of the Black Guard!”

 

Fionan Soldier9, off-screen: “Him?”

 

Sir Fredrick kneels and collects the pieces of the bowl.

He turns and offers them to the girl.  The girl winces.

Fredrick: “Fair maiden, I do apologize for their behavior.”

 

Sir Fredrick smiles.

The girl hesitantly takes the bowl.

She bows.

Silvaran Girl: “I’m sorry!”

The girl runs off.

 

Sir Fredrick watches her retreat.

He frowns.

Fredrick: “No, young miss, it is I who should apologize.  I am sorry for all of this.”

Sir Fredrick looks down at the bag in his left hand.

Fredrick: “But what is to be done must be done, though that is a truth too harsh and too awful for one as young as you to know.”

 

Cut to black.

 

Dawn, off-screen: “What are you doing here?”

 

Open inside of the meeting room in the resistance cavern.  Dawn is there with Diando, Remi, and Nick.  Nick is tied to a chair in the center of the three.  He has a bruised cheek and a bloody lip.  Dawn is standing with her hands on her hips.  Remi and Diando are beside her.

Show Diando glaring.

Show Remi rubbing his hand.

 

Nick: “Hey, guys and gal, what’s with all the animosity?”

 

Dawn: “Your tip last time.  You set us up?”

 

Nick: “Off day.”

 

Diando: “Careful, kid.  You’re in enemy territory.”

 

Nick: “Yeah?  Am I your enemy now?”

 

Dawn: “I don’t know.  You tell me.”

She takes an arrow from her quiver.

Dawn: “And think very carefully before you try to lie to me.”

 

Nick grins.

Nick: “Listen, I’m not who you think I am, but I’m not your enemy.”

 

Dawn: “Are you sure that’s the lie you’re going with?  Because, I’ve buried a lot of people I know today, and I’m not looking forward to burying one more.”

 

Nick: “I’m not lying.”

 

Dawn: “Nick.”

 

Nick: “Not entirely, anyway.”

 

Dawn holds the arrow to his neck.

Dawn: “Talk. Fast.”

 

Nick: “I’m not your enemy, but that doesn’t make me your ally.  Before the war I was an actor, and now I’m a spy.  I was hired by Lady Daphne to get the resistance out of the city so she could gain control without interruption.”

 

Remi: “You little liar!”

Remi lunges for Nick but is caught by Diando.

 

Diando: “Calm down, Remi, calm down!”

 

Nick holds Dawn’s gaze.

Nick: “That’s the truth.”

 

Dawn: “Well, we were gone.  Why did you keep feeding us information?”

 

Nick: “That was the general’s idea.  He was hoping to whittle you down, capture you bit-by-bit.  He wanted to end the resistance with as little bloodshed as possible.  The hope was the demoralize you, not to murder you.  That’s what he told me, at least.”

 

White light lifts Nick

Nick slams into the wall.  His chair shatters under the force.

Diando lowers Remi’s hand.

The magic fades around Nick.

Nick falls to the floor.  He is free, but he remains slouched.

He feels the back of his head and finds blood.

 

Dawn: “So why come back? Why tell us any of this?”

 

Nick: “I don’t know, maybe because they lied to me, too?  Or because I’m not a very good actor. I got too into the role, and I cared too much.”

 

Dawn: “Keep lying and I’ll let Remi take all of his frustration out on you.”

 

Nick glares at her.

Nick: “Listen, they told me that you would be captured.  They told me this would keep the battles out of the streets and away from the people.  Lady Daphne wants to help rebuild, and the general said he wanted you all to surrender. They said that there’s been enough death!”

 

Dawn: “You expected me to believe you after what happened?”

 

Nick sighs.

Nick: “No.  I don’t even believe myself anymore.”

Nick stares at the blood on his hand.

He screams and kicks the chair.

He stands.

Show Remi and Diando standing ready behind Dawn, who is in a fighting stance now.

Show Nick staring at them.

Nick: “I didn’t expect any of this!  I didn’t want any of this!  I didn’t know—I didn’t know that thing would be…I’m sorry, alright? I’m sorry!”

 

Show Dawn.

She relaxes and crosses her arms.

Dawn: “And you’re not forgiven.”

 

Nick: “They’re not finished.”

 

Dawn: “What? What does that mean?”

 

Nick: “It means they think YOU’RE dead, and they want to finish the job.  They want to wipe the name Estein from history.”

 

Dawn goes wide-eyed.

Dawn: “What?”

 

Nick: “They know Zara’s in Anthem, and right now they’re preparing the airship.”

 

Dawn: “But the mainland is safe.  Fiona’s never…”

 

Nick: “Seems the great and bloodthirsty king Metis has higher aspirations than those of his forefathers.”

 

Dawn: “But…”

 

Remi hugs her.

Nick watches them.

Diando steps forward and pins Nick to the wall.

Diando: “And why would they trust you with that information?”

 

Nick: “They didn’t.”

Nick laughs.

Nick: “Guess I really can’t be trusted.”

 

Diando: “Guess so.”

He looks back.

Diando: “What do you think?”

 

Dawn: “Why would he lie about this?”

 

Nick: “I came to tell you because the airship hasn’t launched yet.”

 

Dawn: “What?”

 

Nick: “They’re still preparing, so if you all act fast…”

Nick sighs.

Nick: “It’s dangerous, and the chances are slim, but…

Nick looks up at Dawn.

Nick: “You could save her.”

 

Dawn: “Is this another trap?”

 

Nick: “Wouldn’t be a very effective trap if I’m telling you how dangerous it is.”

 

Diando: “If you’re lying to us…”

 

Nick: “There are better ways to manipulate you than this.  If I wanted you dead, I’d just have to wait until you did something foolish like attack the king.”

Dawn looks self-consciously at Remi.

Nick: “You don’t have to trust me, and I understand why you wouldn’t, but regardless, Anthem will burn just like Silvara did.  That’s the truth.”

 

Dawn: “Fine.”

Show Dawn staring resolutely at Nick.

Dawn: “Tell us everything you know.”

 

Cut to black.

Open on a crevice cut roughly into the stone.  Nick is wedged inside with his hands chained to the wall.  He has bruises on his face and a bloody nose.

Show him in the crevice.  A shadow falls on him. 

He looks up at it.

Show Niva standing over him.  She has a tear-streaked face, and she scowls at him.

Nick: “Well, hello, there!  Come to get your licks in?”

 

Niva: “I thought about it, but no.  Not that I blame the people who did. You got a lot of people killed.”

 

Nick hangs his head.

Nick: “I did. Though, the more I think about it the less I believe things could have turned out any differently.  People were going to die.  That’s what happens in war.”

 

Niva: “That wasn’t war!  That was…”

Niva wipes her eyes.

Niva: “No, I won’t let you do it.  I won’t let you make me cry.”

 

Nick: “That’s not what I wanted.  None of this is what I wanted.”

 

Niva: “It’s what you got, what we all got.  That’s the reality of it.”

 

Nick: “I know that!”

Nick looks up at her, and he is scowling now.

Nick: “Everyone keeps reminding me of what happened, but I know!  I know what I did, and I know my intentions don’t make it better, but neither do your accusations!  It’s done! It’s all done.”

 

Niva: “And what, we should all just lay off? Let it go?  We can’t. If we have to suffer, then…”

 

Nick: “Then I should, too?”

 

Niva kneels down.

They look into each other’s eyes.

She reaches past him.
She unlocks his cuffs.

His arms fall.  He stares at her.

She smacks him.

She stands.

Niva: “Go.”

 

Nick stands.  He is rubbing his wrists.

Nick: “Won’t they be angry with you?”

 

Niva: “I don’t care.  Your death won’t bring anyone back.  It’ll just be another body for someone to bury.”

 

She turns and walks away.

 

Nick: “I promise, I’ll make it up to you.”

 

Niva stops.

Niva: “Don’t.”

 

Nick: “Don’t what?”

 

Niva looks back at him.

Niva: “Don’t lie anymore.  If you want to make it up to me, then just disappear, because while I don’t want you to die, I don’t want to know you’re alive, either.  So, just go, and disappear, and let me forget you were ever there.”

 

Show Niva’s back as she leaves.

Show Nick watching her.

Fade to black.

 

P.S.

 

If you like this story, find more at (redwhalestories5.blogspot.com).

Give me money at (www.patreon.com/redwhalestories)

Or buy me a coffee (ko-fi.com/redwhalestories).

 

Sincerely,
RWS

12: Chapter Thirteen: "A Light in the Dark"

Chapter Thirteen: A Light in the Dark

 

Open on the Fionan military barracks interior, inside of the war room.  The wall is lined with armor pieces and weapons hung ornamentally.  Black Fionan banners hang from the walls.  They bear the image of the Fionan wolf.  Nick is sitting in a chair against the wall.  General Niko paces before him with his hands behind his back.

General Niko stops and stares at Nick.

 

Niko: “And you run the troupe?”

 

Nick: “Well, no, but I’m here as the representative.  I’ll take whatever we discuss back to the others and…”

 

Niko: “Do you speak with the authority of a leader or not, boy?”

 

Nick: “Well…”

 

Niko: “This is a question of yes or no, son.  We live in an age of black and white.  So, do you speak with authority or do you not?”

 

Nick: “I guess I do.”

 

Niko: “Hmmm.”

General Niko resumes pacing.

Niko: “The king recalls your troupe from last year’s harvest festival.  He said your performance was quite extraordinary and recommended you highly.”

 

Nick smiles.

 

Nick: “Well, that’s quite flattering of him.”

 

General Niko stops and glares.

 

Niko: “It’s a waste, son.  This is not a time for plays or players.  It is a time of war, of conflict.  A time for soldiers.  Are you a soldier, son?”

 

Nick: “Not technically speaking.  No.”

 

Niko: “Not technically speaking?”

General Niko scoffs.

Niko: “I suppose you’ve played one on a stage?”

 

Nick: “Many times.  There are many plays written about soldiers, and many that capture the essence of war.”

 

Niko: “Yes, I’ve seen these plays. They are insultingly inaccurate.”

General Niko paces while watching Nick.

Niko: “I was there during the war with Opalia, just as I was there for the raid on Emeraldine.  I was there during the initial border skirmishes with Silvara.  None of your fancy words can capture war, true war, no matter who writes them.  There are no words that capture bloodshed or death, and there is nothing to say when your comrade, your brother-at-arms, dies beside you.  There’s nothing but an empty pit in your stomach.”

 

Nick: “Yes, sir.”

 

General Niko stops.

He stares at Nick and rubs his beard.

 

Niko: “Perhaps you’re not a total waste.  Let me ask you, son.  Are you a patriot?”

 

Nick: “Sir?”

 

Niko: “The Fionan military needs you.  The Fionan people need you.  I’m not one for such games, but the new magistrate has been very particular in how she wants to handle this.  Silvara has been keeping a resistance.  They’ve been raiding trade routes, stealing food, attacking guards in the night.  Nothing large, but always organized and precise, and it’s my job to weed this out.  The magistrate, however, wants no more violence.  She wants no war in the streets or rivers of blood, and she insists there is a simple, safe way to handle this problem.”

 

Nick: “She sounds very wise.”

 

Niko: “She’s an idiot, and she’s wrong, but she’s in charge, so we have to follow her fool idea.  You’re of her stock though, aren’t you, son.  You’re not fond of war.”

 

Nick: “Sir?”

 

Niko: “I can see it in your walk.  You players, you’re soft.  Not men, really.  You’ve got the constitution of a woman, a soft, Silvaran heifer at that, but that suits me.  So, I ask again, are you a patriot?”

 

Nick: “I like to think I am, sir.”

 

Niko: “Then you won’t say no when your country calls on you, will you?  And your country is calling.  So, how about it?  What do you say to bringing a little peace back to this nation?”

 

Cut to the Fionan forests by night.  The sky is clear, and a crescent moon stares down at the forest.  The trees are dark.

Show Silvaran soldiers moving within the forest.  Some are hiding behind trees.  Others are marching ahead, leading.  They are all outfitted with weapons, ranging from swords to bows.

Show Dawn peeking around a tree.  She is wearing a cloak and has her bow strung and an arrow ready.

She looks back and waves soldiers forward.

Show Silvaran soldiers marching past her.

Dawn peeks around the tree again.

Show a Fionan camp in the distance.  The camp is small.  A fire burns at the center.  Fionan soldiers patrol the outside and talk quietly among themselves.  It has more soldiers than the previous camp.

Cut back to Dawn.  She is now closer to the camp, hiding beside a tent.  Two Fionan soldiers are standing with their backs to her.

The Fionan soldiers leave.  Another soldier is just past them, staring at the sky.

Dawn approaches from behind and grabs him.

Dawn throws him to the ground.

The Fionan Soldier tries to draw his blade on her.

He turns to find an arrow staring him in the face.

Show Dawn from his view, standing above him with the arrow knocked and a resolute expression.

 

Dawn: “Have you heard what happened to that Silvaran resistance camp they found?”

Fionan Soldier11 nods.

Dawn: “Then you might imagine how desperate the survivors must be.”

Fionan Soldier11 gulps.

Dawn: “I’m one of those survivors.  So, answer my questions honestly, and I might let you live.  Lie to me, and you’re already dead.  Understand? Yes or no.”

 

Fionan Soldier11: “Y-Yes.”

 

Dawn: “Good to hear.  Now, I heard a rumor that there are Silvaran soldiers held captive here, and you are going to tell me where.”

 

Cut to a tent interior in the Fionan camp.  Show a cage set up with prisoners packed tightly inside.  They are all sitting quietly.  Some are sleeping.  The rest look fatigued.

Outside there is a grunt.

A Fionan soldier falls through the opening and into the tent.  He has an arrow in his eye.  Show the prisoners staring at him.

Dawn steps in over the guard.

She drags the body inside.

 

Silvaran Prisoner1: “You—You’re Princess Dawn, aren’t you?”

 

Dawn shushes them while going to the cage.

 

Dawn: “Keep quiet while I get you all out.”

 

Silvaran Prisoner2: “Oh, thank the gods.”

 

Silvaran Prisoner3: “I knew someone would come.”

 

Dawn takes the keys from the guard.

She starts trying to unlock the cage.

Silvaran Prisoner4 comes to the doorway.

 

Silvaran Prisoner4: “What’s going on out there? Are you attacking the camp?”

 

Dawn: “Not exactly.  We’re here for some information.  There’s a massive offensive planned, and we want to sabotage it.  I saw you were all here, so…”

The key turns, and she pulls the cage open.

Dawn: “I came to rescue you.”

 

Silvaran Prisoner4: “Oh, thank you, princess! Thank you!”

 

Dawn: “It’s nothing.  Now, you all go and don’t look back.  We’re burning this place to the ground.”

As they run by Dawn grabs Silvaran Prisoner2.

Dawn: “Hey, before you go, I have a quick question.  Do you know a woman named Umber?”

Silvaran Prisoner2 shakes his head.

Silvaran Prisoner5 stops.

 

Silvaran Prisoner5: “Did you say Umber?”

Dawn nods.

Silvaran Prisoner5: “I was stationed with someone named Umber.  We were in the same scouting party when I was captured.”

 

Dawn: “What happened to her? Where is she now?”

 

Silvaran Prisoner5: “I’m sorry, I don’t know, princess.  We were attacked by this shadowy monster, and we got separated.  I was captured, and I never saw what happened to her.”

 

Dawn: “I see.  Thank you.  Now, get out of here.”

 

Silvaran Prisoners 2 and 5 run off while Dawn stands in the tent, holding the cage door open.

 

Cut to the camp exterior, just inside of the forest.  Show the resistance standing around and watching the Fionan camp burn.  It is so bright that it illuminates the forest.

 

Cut to the Anthem Cathedral interior.  It is early morning, and Zara is in there beside the palanquin.  Sunlight is shining through the open archways.  Outside, birds are singing.

 

Zara: “I’ve come back.”

Zara peeks past the veils.

Show Aria’s impassive face.  Her veil is still off.  She stares blankly ahead.

Zara: “You can understand me, right?  But you can’t speak.”

Aria looks at her emptily.

Zara: “I wonder how much you really can understand.”

Zara climbs into the palanquin with Aria.

She sits and hugs her legs while watching Aria.

Zara: “How long have you been here like this? Were you captured?  Did they take you from your family?  Are they…I guess you wouldn’t know, even if you did want to talk about it.  Even if you could.”

Zara goes quiet.

Show the palanquin exterior.  The wind blows, moving the curtains.

Return to the interior.

Zara: “I have a sister, you know.  I had a whole family, but…Well, now I just have the one sister.  She stayed behind in Silvara during the attack, went to find that stupid boy.  She was supposed to follow after me, to escape, but…I think Glenn, and Mary, and even Elsea, I think they think she’s dead, but Dawn is stubborn.  She’s too stubborn for death.”

Zara laughs and wipes her eyes.

Zara: “The reaper would show up to take her away, and she’d just give him one of her looks and says, ‘No, I’m not done living yet.’”

Zara looks at Aria.

Zara: “I feel bad, doing all of the talking.”

She reaches out and touches Aria’s lips.

Zara: “Does it hurt?  I mean, it must have, when they did it, but…Who in the world would do something like this?”

Zara sighs and peeks out of the curtain.

Zara: “I know you’re scared and confused.  This may be the only thing you’ve ever known, but there’s a whole world out there.  It’s great and big, and there are so many different types of people, and so many sights…”

Zara climbs out.

Zara: “And I’ll figure something out. I promise.  Until then, take care.”

Zara leaves.

Show Aria staring blankly ahead.

 

Cut to the Fionan forests by night.  Show Silvaran shadows moving through the darkness in tight rows.

Show Dawn leap from a ledge and land kneeling.

She looks up and makes a bird call.

She waits, and a bird call is returned.

Dawn approaches a make-shift camp.  Two Silvaran guards are standing between the trees.  They salute at her approach.

Dawn enters.  Show Silvaran soldiers around her.  They look wary but hardened.  Some are sleeping.  Others are awake and working.

Dawn weaves through the camp to a canopy set up in the center.

Show the canopy interior, where a box has been set up to be a makeshift table.  A map is stretched over it.  Diando, Remi, and Niva sit around the map with a few soldiers around them.  They notice Dawn’s approach.  Remi stands straight.

Dawn smiles.

 

Remi: “You’ve returned.”

 

Dawn: “I have indeed.”

 

Diando: “And?”

 

Dawn: “And I bring news.”

Dawn stops beside the box and leans forward.

Dawn: “The camp we raided didn’t have an airship, but it did have information. So we need to prepare and get some rest while we can.  We leave by morning.  Before we strike, I want to get some scouts out there, see what the defenses are like, and see where they’re weak.”

 

Silvaran Attendant: “Yes, m’lady!”

 

Silvaran Attendant leaves.

Dawn looks at Remi.

 

Dawn: “Also, we found some captured soldiers and set them free.  A few followed us back.  I’ll need them healed up and then outfitted with whatever we have left.”

 

Remi: “We have plenty after…”

 

Remi sighs.

Diando touches his shoulder.

 

Dawn: “Right.”

 

Remi: “I’ll be on it.”

 

Remi leaves.

Dawn looks at Diando and points at the map.

 

Dawn: “They’re launching from here.  It’s on the water, near the mainland.”

 

Diando: “They want a short trip.”

 

Dawn: “Right, and they want a short battle, like Silvara.  They’ll use force and won’t hold back.”

 

Diando: “That makes our job easier.  We just need to weaken them enough to give them pause.”

 

Dawn: “Exactly.  I’m thinking two teams, distraction and infiltration.  The distraction team will be made up of what mages we have left.  They’ll do a little light show, and the infiltration team will sneak in and do some damage while the enemy is distracted.”

 

Diando: “It’ll be a suicide mission.”

Dawn grins.

Diando grins.

Diando: “But we’re all dead anyway, right?”

 

Dawn: “Stole the words right from my mouth.”

 

Diando: “I’ll get the volunteers.”

 

Dawn: “Thank you.”

 

Diando stands and leaves.

Dawn and Niva are left alone.  Show Dawn standing by the box, and Niva sitting across from her.  Niva looks tired and dirty.

 

Dawn: “Niva.”

Dawn sighs and settles beside Niva.

Dawn: “I let the prisoners go.  They’ve been through enough.  I couldn’t ask them to come with us.”

 

Niva: “I understand.  That’s very considerate of you.”

 

Dawn: “No, not really.  Used to, I wouldn’t even consider making anyone do anything.  It always seemed wrong to order people about.  Life—Life has changed so much in such a short amount of time.”

 

Niva nods.

Niva: “It really has.”

They lean into each other.

Niva: “Dawn, I want to thank you for letting me come along with you.”

 

Dawn: “You shouldn’t.  I’ve done nothing but expose you to danger and heart break.”

 

Niva: “No.  It all would have happened anyway, even if I had stayed in Silvara.  Hells, now that I’m here, I can’t even imagine what staying would have been like.”

 

Dawn: “Probably a lot quieter.”

They laugh.

Dawn: “All of our information says the city is doing well under her rule.”

 

Niva: “On the surface, maybe, but these cuts run deeper.  I think—I just can’t see how life comes back like that.”

 

Dawn: “Me neither.”

Beat.

Dawn: “When I let them go, the prisoners, I—I asked about your sister.”

 

Niva: “And?”

 

Dawn: “One of them knew her name, but…”

Dawn sighs.

Dawn: “There was an attack.  They got separated, and they didn’t know what happened to her.”

 

Niva: “Oh.”

Beat.

Niva: “Good.”

 

Dawn: “Good?”

 

Niva: “Means she might be alive.”

Niva tilts her head back.
Show the night sky through the branches in the trees.  The stars are out, and the moon is waning.

Niva: “And if she is, then I’ll find her. I know it.”

 

Dawn: “Hope springs eternal, huh?”

 

Niva looks at her.

Niva: “Hope is all we have left.”

Niva stands.

Niva: “Now that you’re back I’m going to get some rest.  Good night, Dawn.”

 

Dawn: “Yeah, see you in the morning, bright and early.”

 

Dawn watches Niva leave the canopy.

Remi approaches and bows.

 

Remi: “M’lady, I’ve led them to the armor.  They’re going through and finding what fits.”

Remi turns back to look at Niva.

Remi: “How is she?”

 

Dawn shrugs.

 

Dawn: “I don’t know.  I can’t tell if she’s optimistic or in denial.  After everything that has happened, I just can’t see her sister being alive.”

 

Remi: “Would you accept it so easily if it were your sister, m’lady?”

 

Dawn’s face hardens.

 

Dawn: “No, I’ll never accept that, but I won’t hold onto lies, either.”

 

Remi: “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…”

 

Dawn: “You’re fine.  I’m tired, and I need to sleep.”

 

Remi: “Of course.  You’ve been busy lately, you deserve a rest.”

 

Dawn: “Right.”

Dawn stands.

Dawn: “We leave in the morning.  See to it that I am awake.”

 

Remi: “Yes, princess.”

 

P.S.

 

If you like this story, find more at (redwhalestories5.blogspot.com).

Give me money at (www.patreon.com/redwhalestories)

Or buy me a coffee (ko-fi.com/redwhalestories).

 

Sincerely,
RWS

 

13: Chapter Twelve: Dark Histories

Chapter Twelve: Dark Histories

 

Open on the Anthem mansion dining room interior at dusk.  A large supper is set out on the table.  Mary and Elsea sit across from each other at one end.  Elsea has a cup of tea. A plate of fresh rolls steam beside that.

Show Mary with a small salad in front of her.  She has hardly touched it.

 

Mary: “It seems the princess is missing.”

Elsea nods.

She sips at her tea.

Mary peeks out the window.

Mary: “Quite unlike her, to be late to a meal.”

 

Elsea tears at a roll.

Elsea: “The princess does have a healthy appetite.”

 

Mary: “Indeed, she does, and normally a preoccupation with it.  However, she has seemed a touch distracted as of late, if I may be so bold.”

 

Elsea: “Considering our situation, I would understand if she has a lot on her mind.”

 

Mary: “Yes, yes, our situation. We mustn’t forget that.”

Mary glances at the guards standing at the doorway.

Mary: “It is fit to be a distraction of some consideration.  Still, I worry over the dear.  She seems to have more on her mind than the mercurial nature of our patron.”

 

Elsea: “Do you think? I hadn’t noticed.”

 

Mary hums.

 

Mary: “Mayhap I am off mark.  After all, you are the princess’ loyal handmaiden, sworn to her daily service and all, and you do service her daily.  While I am nothing more than a simple bother.”

 

Elsea: “I wouldn’t say that…”

 

Mary: “Of course you wouldn’t, but the princess would, and has on many an occasion.”

 

They fall into silence.

Elsea stirs her tea.

Mary picks at her salad but never eats.

 

Elsea: “I could check on her, if it would set your mind at ease.”

 

Mary: “I think I shall accompany you.”

 

Cut to the Anthem cathedral exterior at dusk.  Show it from a distance, giving a full view of the large entry archway.  Large pillars flank it on both sides, holding an awning aloft.  The shadows cast by the pillars are thin on the wall.

Cut to the cathedral interior.  Show the near empty interior.  The open window arches let dim light spill in.  Zara sits in a center pew with a dark cloak on.  She has the hood up.

Show Zara sitting.  Her head is tilted down.  Patrons pass her.

Show the empty cathedral.  Zara stands.  Torches near the far end of the cathedral cast long, writhing shadows.

Show the palanquin at the far end of the cathedral.  Zara has moved to it and is standing before it.  The curtains are drawn, but Aria’s shadow can be seen within.

Show Zara pull the curtain to the side and peek in.

 

Zara: “Hello, excuse me.  Can you hear me?”

Show Aria staring blankly ahead.

Show Zara frown.  She taps her boot against the pavement.

Zara: “Rude of you.”

Zara climbs into the palanquin.

She reaches forward.

Zara: “Excuse me, I don’t mean to interrupt, but I just wished to speak.”

Aria remains quiet.

Zara touches Aria’s shoulder.

Aria looks up.  Her eyes are large and blank.  Her face is hidden behind a veil.

Zara smiles.

Zara: “Yes, hello, my name is Zara Yvonne Estein.  I am heir to Silverthrone, the seat of Silvaran power and…”

Zara sighs.

Zara: “Actually, now I suppose I should be queen.  My family, they died recently, in a surprise attack.”

She looks up.

Zara: “But that’s not why I’m here.  I’m here because I—Well, I wanted to meet you.  I saw you at the festival the other day, and I was curious.  You see, where I come from we don’t have any such idols, and we don’t have any traditions of this sort.  But then, where I come from we have royalty, and Anthem doesn’t have those.  Anyhow, I was curious to learn about you, about this maiden so many people revere.”

Zara blushes.

Zara: “Also, there are so few girls my age here.  Elsea is wonderful, and Mary is…Well, she’s trying.  Anyway.”

Show Aria staring blankly.

Zara: “Oh, I’m sorry, I’m rambling and probably not making much sense.  Elsea is my handmaiden, and Mary is—Well, she just is.  Anyhow, we travel together, and I wanted to introduce myself to you because it seems like you might get lonely.”

Zara holds her hand out.

Aria stares back at her blankly.

Zara’s face sours.

Zara: “Excuse me?”

Zara waves her hand in front of Aria.

She leans in and stares into Aria’s eyes.

Zara: “Can you even see…”

Show Aria’s face more closely.  Show shadows beneath the veil.

Zara squints.

Zara: “What in the world?”

Zara reaches forward.

Zara removes the veil.

Show Aria’s face, but this time with the lower half exposed.  Runes are written along her throat, and her lips have been sewn shut.

Zara recoils and nearly tumbles out of the palanquin.

Zara: “Your lips!”

She sits up.

She reaches forward.

She stops and touches her own lips instead.

Zara: “What in the world is going on here?”

 

Cut to a beach near Anthem by night.  In the fore, the lights of Anthem can be seen shining in the distance.  It is raining and dark that night.

Glenn is in the woods near the beach. He has a small fire burning and is trying to keep warm.  Zelos is wrapped up nearby, resting beside him.

Glenn blows on his hands.  His breaths steam.

Cut to Zelos’ bedroom.  Show an Adolescent Zelos sulking on his bed.  His arms are crossed, and he stares at the floor.

Show his father, the king, leaving.

Show Glenn enter the room

Adolescent Zelos looks up.

 

Adolescent Zelos: “Oh, it’s you.  What do you want? Are you here to lecture me, too? Or are you going to go and tell dad that I’m crying?”

 

Glenn: “Why would I?”

 

Adolescent Zelos: “I don’t know.  Why would you tell him that I was leaving the castle?”

 

Glenn: “Because I’m captain of the Black Guard, and it’s my job.”

 

Adolescent Zelos: “It’s your job to protect me!  What were you protecting me from?  I was just going to see the city!”

 

Glenn: “At night.”

 

Zelos: “It’s my city!  My people love me!”

 

Glenn: “Most of them.  Not all of them.”

 

Adolescent Zelos: “Well, that’s an even better reason to go and meet with them, so I can find out what their problem is and fix it.”

Adolescent Zelos wipes his eyes.

Adolescent Zelos: “People don’t hate good kings.”

 

Glenn: “Some do, and sometimes they kill good kings and good princes.  It’s my job to prevent that.”

 

Adolescent Zelos: “Yeah, well I can take care of myself.”

 

Glenn sighs.

 

Adolescent Zelos: “Listen, I’m not scared, and I refuse to be.  I refuse to be afraid of being hurt or running away because it might be dangerous.”

 

Glenn: “This isn’t one of your stories.”

 

Adolescent Zelos: “I know.  Heroes never have to put up with this.”

 

Glenn: “Heroes also die young.  Count your blessings.”

 

Adolescent Zelos: “If you’re so worried, then just come with me instead of locking me up.  That way, we both get what we want.”

 

Glenn: “You really expect me to go trailing along after you while you run amok?”

 

Adolescent Zelos: “It’s your job to protect me.  It’s my job to lead.  How can I do that if all I know of the nation and its people come from maps or books?”

 

Glenn: “Fine, next time, if you talk to me before hand, maybe I can escort you.”

 

Adolescent Zelos perks up.

 

Adolescent Zelos: “Really?”

 

Glenn: “Yes, but only if you talk to me first.  No more running off.”

 

Adolescent Zelos: “Okay!”

 

Glenn: “I mean it.”

 

Cut back to Glenn by the dim firelight.

He pulls the cloak tighter around Zelos.

 

Cut to the Anthem Mansion interior.  Show Zara walking through the halls from above.  She is undoing her cloak as she walks.

Zara enters the guest quarters and slams the door behind her.  Mary is already in the room reading a book.

When Zara enters Mary looks up from her book.  Zara tosses her cloak onto the floor.

 

Mary: “And so she returns!  The good Lady Elsea is quite stirred up over you absence and just took to the streets what to retrieve you.”

Mary returns to her book.

Mary: “Fear not, for she shall return in short-time, I imagine.  A nose like a hound on that one, and twice the wit as well.”

 

Zara stomps over to the table.

She slumps down in a chair and crosses her arms.

She huffs.

 

Zara: “I’m not worried.”

 

Mary peeks over her book.

Mary: “No, I suppose that isn’t worry I see.”

Mary closes her book.

Mary: “Then tell me, princess dear, what are you, if not worried over your handmaiden’s safety?”

 

Zara: “I’m…”

Zara looks at Mary from the table.

Zara: “I went to their church tonight.”

 

Mary: “I had assumed as much already.”

 

Zara: “I was curious.”

 

Mary: “The young often are, and the old know better from experience.”

 

Zara: “I found something inside.”

 

Mary: “Oh?  How delightfully ambiguous you are.”

 

Zara: “I found the girl.”

 

Mary: “The one what was paraded about the town?  Yes, I imagine you might find her.  It comes as no surprise to me that she is one of faith.”

 

Zara: “No, I mean, she’s always there.  I don’t think she leaves, or sleeps, or—Her mouth, it was—Her mouth was sewn shut, Mary!”

 

They go quiet.  Mary stares at her, and Zara stares back.

Mary sets her book delicately on the table.

 

Mary: “Truth told, and I shan’t want to hear a word from you on this, but I had already assumed as much.”

 

Zara: “You knew already? How, how could you possibly know?”

 

Mary: “As the myths go, the gods were sealed in the stars, bound within the constellations assigned to them, yes?  Angelus, the Song, if you will, is found in the south-eastern part of the sky, should I recall correctly.  But myths are funny little things, and oft hold as many lies as they do truths.”

 

Zara: “What in the hells are you talking about now?”

 

Mary: “The gods were sealed where they could be, where man could hold them and however man could hold them, when the rebellion finally came to a close.  Some were put in stones or gems.  Others in altars and idols, anything that might last.  Some, as I am sure you have come to realize, were put in people.”

 

Zara goes wide-eyed.

 

Zara: “You mean to say?”

 

Mary: “The girl is most like a vessel, or a prison, if you prefer.  Anthem once worshipped the Song, and it ruled over them.  Now, they hold it in check, hidden behind ritual and festival.  Her lips are sewn shut to keep her from speaking or singing, for fear of divine wrath.  Were even a single syllable uttered, it is believed that it could unmake what was made.”

 

Zara: “But those are just myths.  Stories.”

 

Mary: “You are a clever girl, princess.  You should very well know that so very few things are just myths.”

 

Zara: “Well, then what can we do for her?”

 

Mary: “What can we—Princess, you are beginning to sound a touch like an ornery little boy I once knew!  Always getting into trouble, that one, and always dragging his companions along into it.”

 

Zara: “Oh, shut up.”

 

Mary grins.

 

Mary: “Unfortunately, the short and sad is that we can do nothing save hope.  Anthem is our shield, and they like their idols as they have them.”

 

Zara: “But…”

 

Mary: “If you should like Glenn to return with a prince and princess in hand, you would do well to be patient.  Mind our situation, lest you make it increasingly dire.”

 

Zara huffs and pouts.

 

Zara: “Fine, fine, I won’t get involved.”

 

Mary: “Good to hear, I’m proud of you for your prudence and all.”

 

Mary picks up her book.

 

Zara: “Don’t tell Elsea, though.”

 

Mary glances away from her book again.

 

Mary: “Dear princess, do I smell trouble in your tone?”

 

Zara: “No, I just don’t want to worry her.”

 

Mary holds her gaze.

She opens her book.

 

Mary: “Yes, yes, I see, how very selfless of you.  I shall keep my lips sealed, then, so long as you keep to your promise.”

 

Zara: “I am nothing like him.  I know how to take care of myself.”

 

Mary: “The young like to think that and, as always, we old know better from experience.”

 

Cut to the black castle interior, to an empty room that was once Metis.  The curtains are drawn.  Green torches burn eerily in the corners of the room.  Green flasks cast a sinister light.  Metis is bent over a large, sturdy desk with a scroll open on it.

Show an overhead view.  The scroll holds another strange design, this one looking like a large flask.  There is a knock at the door.

Metis looks back.

 

Metis: “Enter.”

 

Metis folds the scroll closed as the door opens.

Sir Fredrick enters the room and bows.

 

Fredrick: “Lord Metis, my king, I have returned.”

 

Metis: “So I see, Sir Fredrick.  Rise and show me what you have brought.”

 

Sir Fredrick stands and smiles.

Fredrick: “I am sure that you will be satisfied.”

Sir Fredrick opens the satchel at his side.

From within the satchel, Sir Fredrick produces a large black flask.  A dark flame swirls inside of it.

Sir Fredrick holds it up.  The green light reflects off the flask.

Fredrick: “It is as you predicted, my lord.  The black flask holds it in bondage.  Your design was flawless.”

 

Metis: “It is not my design, but I will send Daedalus your regards.”

Metis crosses the room.

He takes the flask delicately from Sir Fredrick’s hand.

He holds it up and looks at it.

Metis: “Look at it, Sir Fredrick.  It holds the future inside.”

 

Fredrick: “Yes, my lord, it does.”

 

Metis returns to his desk.

He sets the flask on the surface and smiles down at it.

Metis: “There is still much work to do.”

 

Fredrick: “Yes.  With Thanatos unchained and Phoenix missing, that will leave us nine.”

 

Metis: “And you will find the rest for me, won’t you?”

 

Sir Fredrick bow halfway.

 

Fredrick: “Sire, it will be my highest honor.”

 

Metis: “Then prepare, Sir Fredrick.  You will be crossing the channel to the mainland.  I will be placing you in charge of the attack on Anthem.  And I expect results.”

 

Fredrick: “Then you will have them, my lord.”

 

P.S.

 

If you like this story, find more at (redwhalestories5.blogspot.com).

Give me money at (www.patreon.com/redwhalestories)

Or buy me a coffee (ko-fi.com/redwhalestories).

 

Sincerely,
RWS

14: Episode Fourteen: "Holding the Sun"

Chapter Fourteen:  Holding the Sun

 

Open on Anthem from a distance.  Show the morning light hitting the hills of Anthem.  The buildings gleam.  The sky is clear and the sea steady.  A few ships bob in the water, and some are tethered to the pier.  Seagulls dance high on the wind.

Cut to the narrow streets of Anthem.  They are mostly empty and edged by tall buildings with numerous windows.  The buildings block the sun, casting deep shadows in the street.

Show a few people waking up and stretching as they step out of their homes.

Show the cathedral exterior from the front.  The area behind the archway is dark inside.  The sun is hitting the pillars and making them glow.

Cut to the cathedral interior.  The light is spilling in through the side-arches.  The pillars cast long shadows across the hall.  The pews are empty, and the palanquin sits stoically in the back of the room behind a podium.  The stained glass behind it burns with light.  Zara is standing beside the palanquin.

Show Zara more closely.  She is wearing a travel cloak and has the hood up.  The curtain is pulled back, and she is gazing inside.

Show the palanquin interior with Zara’s upper-body inside.  Aria is inside staring blankly ahead.  Her veil has been refastened.

 

Zara: “See, I told you I would be back.  An Estein always keeps their promises, my mother used to say.”

Zara pulls her hood back.

Zara: “Do you remember me? I’m Zara.  We spoke just yesterday.”

Zara climbs inside and sits cross-legged.

Zara: “Okay, so, I’ve been thinking, and I know that this is a part of this town’s culture and all, but it still seems so cruel, whatever the reason, and you don’t seem too happy about it either.  In fact, you seem altogether terrified.  Beyond that, there’s something wrong with mutilating girls like you, so, I’ve decided to help.  So, if you would like, I want to help you escape.  So…”

Zara holds out her hand.

Zara: “What do you say? Do you want to come with me?”

Show them sitting in the palanquin.  Zara has her hand extended, and Aria continues to stare emptily.

Zara leans forward and takes Aria’s hand.

Zara: “Well, I’ll take that as a yes.  At the very least, we’ll get you out and about.  I’ll introduce you to Elsea and Mary, and maybe we can all go together to find Glenn, Zelos, and Dawn.  Then, we can just leave, and you can leave with us.”

Zara pauses and looks at the veil.

Zara: “And Elsea is the best healer there is.  If anyone can fix what they’ve done to you, she can.  I promise.  So, come along.”

 

Show the cathedral interior from the entrance.  Show the palanquin at the far end of the hall.  One of the curtains is lifted.

Zara steps out.

Zara helps Aria down from the palanquin.

Zara: And, after we’re all reunited, we can travel together somewhere safe, somewhere far away from this place, and we can figure out what to do next.  We’ll be going back to Silvara, someday.  If you like, you’re welcome to come along.  I’m sure we can…”

Zara stops and stares ahead.

Zara: “Uh oh.”

Show the cathedral entrance from behind Zara.  At the front stands President Thaddeus and a collection of Anthem soldiers.  All of the soldiers have bows drawn.

 

Thaddeus: “I knew you would be trouble.”

 

Zara: “You can’t hurt me.  I’m your guest.”

 

Thaddeus: “Perhaps, but you’ve been a very poor guest, haven’t you, stealing my property.”

 

Zara: “Property? This girl isn’t property, she’s a person!”

 

Thaddeus: “She’s a vessel, and she’s integral to the safety of not only this nation, but of the world.”

 

Zara scowls.

 

Zara: “I never should have come here.”

 

Thaddeus: “Listen well, girl, I welcomed you only because of the dealings I had with your father, but you’ve crossed the line.  Let her go, now, or I will have you killed.”

 

Zara: “And if you do that, then you will have to explain it to Elsea and Mary, the two strongest magicians the world have ever known.  So, I’m calling your bluff.”

 

Thaddeus: “They frighten me considerably less than the monster inside of that girl.  Now, once more, let her go immediately.”

President Thaddeus raises his hand.

The archers line up their shots.

Show Zara holding Aria’s hand.

She looks back at Aria, and then she releases her hand.

Show President Thaddeus smile.

Thaddeus: “There’s a good girl.  Guards.”

 

The Anthem soldiers surround Zara and take her by the wrists.

 

Zara: “Where are you taking me?”

 

Thaddeus: “To prison.  You’re right about one thing, I don’t want those two on me.  I’ll dispose of you later, perhaps in a method more fitting than simple execution.”

 

Zara screams until the soldiers gag her.

Show Zara being dragged away through the cathedral entrance.

Show Aria standing with President Thaddeus at her side.

 

Cut to the Anthem mansion exterior.  Show the open front gate.  Birds are resting on it.  Flowers bloom around the entry way.

Show the stairs leading up the mansion from the outside.  Windows on the mansion walls gleam in the sunlight.  A balcony is above, just out of view.

Cut to the mansion interior, inside of a guest room.  Show Elsea, Mary, and Glenn all standing over a bed.  Zelos is in the bed with a blanket pulled up around his waist and a wet rag on his forehead.  His face is flushed and his eyes are closed.

 

Mary: “My oh my!  I am glad, don’t you misunderstand, but I am also quite surprised that you found him at all.  The odds were, as you know, not in your favor.”

 

Glenn: “Honestly, I’m surprised, too.  How is he, Elsea?”

 

Elsea: “His fever is strong, but he is breathing, so that’s good.  And…”

 

Mary: “Ah!  So you, too, have felt the unmistakable, I take it.”

 

Elsea nods.

Glenn looks between them.

 

Glenn: “Uh, felt what?”

 

Mary: “The little pumpkin is practically oozing magical energy.  I do fear what has happened to him in my absence, and I fear even more what might come out of him.”

Mary looks around the room.

Mary: “Mayhap we should move his care outside, where there is more open space and less things…”

Beat.

Mary: “Flammable.”

 

Glenn: “Mary.”

 

Mary: “A simple suggestion, sir knight.”

 

Glenn: “Will he be okay?”

 

Elsea: “I will do my best.”

 

Glenn nods.

 

Mary: “Yes, of course, sir knight, the good Lady Elsea’s healing hands are quite spectacular.  Truth told, I’ve never met someone so adept at the art than herself, and I’ve met quite a few people in my long life.  What we should focus our worry on is the young princess.  It seems that in Zelos’ absence she has taken it upon herself to stir up trouble, because the peace would just be too much to suffer through, of course.”

 

Elsea: “What do you mean?”

 

Mary: “Well, good lady, and I ask you understand and show me that characteristic mercy of yours, for I fear I have told you a lie.  Or, rather, I have omitted the truth, but a lie is still a lie, I suppose, regardless of its fashion.  The princess swore me to the strictest secrecy, you see, a vow I would carry to my grave, or at least to the point of inconvenience, and now that the prince is here, I fear it has grown ever so cumbersome.”

 

Elsea: “Please, Miss Mary, just tell me.”

 

Mary: “It seems that our dear princess has taken keen interest in the young lady what represents this city’s faith.  A dangerous interest, if my memory should serve me.”

 

Elsea: “Oh no! Where is she now?”

 

Mary: “The cathedral, I imagine.  She left early this morn, just after the sun rose.”

 

Glenn sighs.

 

Glenn: “Great.  You two, take care of him.  I’ll go find her.”

 

Mary: “Good man, sir knight, always there for a damsel in need!”

 

Glenn grunts as he leaves.

 

Cut to the Fionan forests.  Show Dawn pacing back and forth under the canopy.  She has her hands on her hips.  Her hair is a mess, and she has bags under her eyes.

Show Diando a short distance away.  He is under another canopy with a group of men.  They are coordinating an attack.  A map is laid out on a box in the middle of them and has crude drawings on it.  There is a circle drawn on a port city near Black Well.

Show Niva lying on her back and staring up at the sky.

Show the sky.  The moon and stars are out.  Clouds are moving slowly into view.

Show Dawn pacing again.  Remi approaches her from outside of the canopy.

 

Remi: “You should rest.”

 

Dawn stops to look at Remi.

She laughs.

 

Dawn: “Easier said than done.”

 

Remi: “Easily done with how hard you’ve been working.”

 

Dawn: “I wish.”

 

They settle on a stump together.  Dawn is hunched over and rubbing her hands together.  She stares at the ground.

Remi rubs her back.

 

Remi: “Would you like to talk about it?”

 

Dawn: “Nothing to talk about.  I’m just nervous, like everyone else is.”

 

Remi: “I suppose.  I do wish there was a way to convince you against this, princess.”

 

Dawn: “I told you already, there’s no turning back.”

 

Remi: “It will kill you.”

 

Dawn: “I’m already dead.”

 

Remi: “No, no you’re not.  The nation still needs you, Dawn.  You’re all…”

 

Dawn: “They have Zara.”

 

Remi: “Yes, but…”

 

Dawn: “My mind is made up.”

 

Remi: “Of course it is.”

Remi hangs his head and sighs.

Remi: “And do you think we can stop it?”

 

Dawn shrugs.

 

Dawn: “I think we can try, and I think we’ll make ourselves known, or at least remembered.”

 

Remi: “Just a paragraph in a Fionan history book?  Doesn’t sound very good to me.”

 

Dawn: “Then we’ll just have to make it a whole chapter.”

 

They look at each other and laugh.

 

Remi: “Then you can tell me the truth, at least.”

 

Dawn: “The truth is I’m scared, Remi.  I’ve lost so much already, and I’m getting ready to lose more.  People are going to die, and I know that’s war, but…”

Dawn looks out at the forest.

Show soldiers talking or sleeping.

Show Diando drinking with his men.

Show Niva lying on her back with her arms folded under her head.  She is wagging her foot.

Dawn: “I just don’t know if the price will be worth the results.”

 

Remi: “We can always turn back.  It’s not too late.”

 

Dawn: “No, it is.  There’s no turning back, not after all of this.”

 

Remi: “Princess, don’t let your vanity get everyone killed.”

 

Dawn: “It’s not vanity, Remi.  Zara is in Anthem.  We have to protect her.”

 

Remi sighs again.

 

Remi: “Then, if that’s the case, we’ll just have to sink that ship.”

 

Dawn: “Yup.”

Beat.

Dawn: “Easier said than done, huh?”

 

Remi: “This time, princess, I fear you may be right.”

 

Cut to the Anthem mansion interior, to Zelos’ guest room.  Zelos is lying in bed with a blanket pulled up to his shoulders.  He has a rag on his head.  Elsea sits beside him.

Show them from a side angle.  The window is open beside them and a breeze moves the curtains.  Elsea looks exhausted.

Show Elsea nodding off.

She jerks awake.

She wipes her eyes.

She looks over Zelos and takes the rag.

She rinses it in a water basin.

She replaces it on his head.

Cut to black.

Open on Elsea in her chair again.  She has her hands on her lap and her head down, and she is sleeping.

Zoom in on Elsea’s sleeping face.

Show Zelos sleeping.  Water runs down his head.  He is breathing heavily.

Cut to a foggy altar overgrown with vines.  The altar is circular and has twelve tiles cut around it in a pattern.  It has a circular wedge in the center.  Each tile has a different design on them, corresponding to the zodiac.  There is a stag to the north, a fox to the north-east, a moth just below that, a worm to the far east, a phoenix just below that, an owl to the south-east, a wolf to the south, a lion to the south-west, a swan just above that, a roc to the far west, a whale just above that, and a serpent to the north-west.  In the circular, center tile is a dragon.   Elsea stands on the dragon tile.  The area is bright with color.

She looks around and stumbles around.  Her cloak drags across the ground.

She stops when she sees a shadowed figure standing on the phoenix tile.

The figure turns.  It is Zelos, and both of his eyes are gleaming with golden light.

Zelos smiles at her.

Elsea looks frightened and runs away.

At the far end of the altar she reaches the edge and nearly falls over.

Show an image of her looking over at the vast darkness below.  Countless stars stretch out in the darkness, some larger than others.  Beyond them is the world.

Elsea turns.

Show Zelos in a travel cloak with the hood up.  The cloak is red and orange and writhes like fire.  His golden eyes gleam out of it like beacons in the darkness of his hood.  Every other feature is dark.

 

Elsea: “Who are you?  What are you?”

 

Zelos stumbles forward.  Each step leaves a smoking foot print.

Zelos is hunched over and shaking.

He throws his head back and laughs, and flames roar out of his hood and illuminate the altar.

Elsea screams.

The screen goes black.

 

Zelos, off-screen: “Soon, soon he will burn until nothing is left.  Then, you will all burn. Everything will burn.”

 

Elsea screams against the black screen.

 

Mary, off-screen: “Good lady Elsea, are you well?”

 

Open on Elsea in her chair.  She is wide-eyed and sweating.  Her arms are still crossed.  Zelos is sleeping quietly in front of her, and Mary is kneeled down beside his bed.  She is looking at Elsea.

Elsea turns to her.

 

Elsea: “Miss Mary.”

Elsea adjusts herself in her seat and wipes her forehead.

Elsea: “I apologize, I must have…”

 

Mary: “You fell asleep, is all, dear, no harm in that.  I must ask, though, were you dreaming? You were making an awful ruckus.”

 

Elsea: “I did.”

 

Mary: “And what, might I ask, had you so fitful?”

 

Elsea: “I’m not sure.”

Elsea looks at Zelos.

Show Zelos sleeping.

Elsea: “Fire, I think.”

 

Mary: “Yes, dreams are often hazy things, ephemeral in their nature.  Full of texture in the moment, but entirely without meaning after.  Still, they have value, don’t you think?”

 

Elsea: “I—I suppose.”

 

Mary: “Now then, you’ve been with him quite long enough.  Go, take your leave, and find proper sleep in a proper bed.”

 

Elsea: “N-No, I’m fine, I can…”

 

Mary: “Please, dear, I must insist.  Should events choose to transpire in the night, as I fear they might, we will need you well-rested, wouldn’t you think?  I shouldn’t want another limp body what to carry around on my shoulders as we make our daring escape and all.”

 

Elsea sighs and nods.

She stands and goes to the door.

 

Elsea: “Good night, Miss Mary, and to the prince, as well.”

 

Mary: “Thank you, dear, and I shall be certain to pass your wishes along to the prince once he wakes.”

Elsea pauses.

Elsea leaves.

Mary stands beside Zelos’ bed and looks at him.

Mary: “Whether he will appreciate the sentiment, however, depends on the temperament of our fiery little guest, though.”

Mary settles in the chair and watches Zelos.

Mary: “Take your time, if you wish, old thing.  I’ve the same eternity to wait, if you insist upon the waiting.”

 

P.S.

 

If you like this story, find more at (redwhalestories5.blogspot.com).

Give me money at (www.patreon.com/redwhalestories)

Or buy me a coffee (ko-fi.com/redwhalestories).

 

Sincerely,

RWS

15: Chapter Fifteen: "Rising Unrest"

Chapter Fifteen: Rising Unrest

 

Open on the Fionan airship anchored to the ground.  Workers are attending to it, loading supplies and checking sails.  Mages are gathered around the base of the ship talking.

Show soldiers waiting in a line around the ship.

Show Sir Fredrick among them.  He has a chest at his feet and is talking to a group of soldiers.

The soldiers grab the chest and Sir Fredrick points toward the airship.

The soldiers leave, and Sir Fredrick meets with General Niko.  General Niko salutes.

Sir Fredrick nods.

 

Fredrick: “General Niko, it is good to see you again.  It has been a long time since we last met.”

 

Niko: “Too long, sir, too long.  You look well.”

 

Fredrick: “A busy life keeps one young, does it not?”

 

Niko: “Perhaps it’s kept you young, but not me.”

 

Sir Fredrick looks up at the airship. 

Show Sir Fredrick from behind and below in the foreground, and show the airship in the background.

 

Fredrick: “It is quite impressive, don’t you think? A masterpiece in the art of warfare.”

 

Niko: “It’s changed everything.”

 

Fredrick: “No, Niko, not the airship.  King Metis is the one who brought that change, and I still think there will be more change to come.”

 

Niko: “I agree.  So, you’ll be crossing with us, Sir?”

 

Sir Fredrick nods.

 

Fredrick: “I have a task given by the king.”

 

Niko: “I see.  Well, that makes me feel better to have you there.  Whatever happens, I know you will see it through.”

 

Fredrick: “I fear you put too much faith in me.”

 

Niko: “Nonsense.  If the King trusts you, then I think it’s safe to do the same.”

 

Fredrick: “Trust? An odd concept, I think.  I doubt that he trusts me, so much as he needs me.  However, in this circumstance, perhaps it is only semantics to draw distinctions between the two.”

 

Niko: “Ah—Perhaps.”

 

Fredrick: “Ah, well, I should be getting my things.  We shall launch within a few hours, no?”

 

Niko: “Sir.”

 

Fredrick: “Then I take my leave of you.  Be well, Niko.  A man of your age often doesn’t see the end of the war.”

 

Niko: “I mean to be the exception, Sir.”

 

Fredrick: “That is good to hear.”

 

Cut to the Anthem prison cells.  It is a large, mostly empty hallway.  The cells face blank walls.  The stones are nondescript.

Show Elsea sitting out in the hall in front of Zara’s cell.  Zara is inside of the cell hugging her knees and staring out at Elsea.

 

Zara: “So, Glenn found him?”

Elsea nods.

Zara: “And Dawn?”

 

Elsea: “No, m’lady, I am sorry.”

 

Zara: “Oh.”

 

Elsea: “But we haven’t found a body, either.”

 

Zara: “That’s good news, I suppose.”

Zara sighs.

Zara: “No, it’s definitely good news.  No body means she’s still alive.”

 

Elsea: “I had thought the same, m’lady.”

 

Zara: “And Zelos.  How is he?”

 

Elsea: “So far, he’s been unconscious.”

 

Zara: “Unconscious? What’s wrong with him?”

 

Elsea: “It is unclear, m’lady, but his symptoms are familiar.  He’s running a fever, and his eyes are shining with magic.”

 

Zara: “Oh.  It’s that thing.”

 

Elsea nods.

 

Elsea: “I believe so, m’lady.  He has yet to wake or speak since Glenn found him days ago, but he is breathing.  Perhaps even more strange is the scar across his neck.”

 

Zara: “That is strange.”

 

They fall into silence.  Show an image holding on them, Elsea staring.  Zara staring back.

Elsea yawns.

 

Elsea: “I apologize, m’lady.  I have been tending to the prince through the night and…”

 

Zara: “No, no, you should rest.”

 

Elsea shakes her head.

 

Elsea: “The prince requires care, and I am a healer.”

 

Zara: “Please, Elsea, don’t wear yourself down.”

 

Elsea: “While I do appreciate your concern, m’lady, the prince needs me.  He came to me when I was…”

Elsea wrings her hands.

Elsea: “I feel obligated.”

 

Zara: “Yes, that’s how he gets people.”

Zara smiles.

Zara: “I understand completely, but do try to take care of yourself, too.”

 

Elsea: “Yes, m’lady.”

Elsea stands.

Elsea: “I should return.  Miss Mary is watching him for now, but…”

 

Zara: “But as much as she cares about him, she’s no healer.”

Elsea nods.

Zara: “Elsea!”

Elsea pauses.

Zara: “I just wanted to say, I’m so sorry for what I did, and for causing all of you trouble.”

 

Elsea: “I thank you for your apology, princess, but I also want you to know how unnecessary it is.  I am not at all upset with you.  In fact, I am proud of you, m’lady.  You had the strength and courage to do what is right even in such compromising circumstances.”

 

Zara smiles and wipes her eyes.

Elsea returns to the cage and reaches through the bars.

They hug.

 

Zara: “Still, I’m sorry for the trouble.”

 

Elsea: “Don’t be.  Whatever happens, princess, and wherever you go, I’ll be with you.  I promise.”

 

Zara: “Thank you, Elsea.”

 

Elsea: “You’re welcome, m’lady.”

 

Zara sniffles.

 

Zara: “Now, go to that chore of a boy.  He needs you.”

 

Elsea nods and stands.

Elsea leaves.

Focus on Zara sitting alone in the cell, staring through the bars.

Fade to black.

 

Cut to the Anthem mansion sitting room interior.  Glenn is in the room with President Thaddeus.  They are standing across the room from each other.  Glenn has his arms crossed.  President Thaddeus is drawing from his pipe.

 

Thaddeus: “I am sorry, Sir Glenn, but that is the situation we are in.  Sooner or later, Fiona is going to come to take the fugitives back.  When we welcomed you into our borders, it was with the promise of a quick recovery and exit.  After the incident with the boat, however, I fear the time for you to leave has come and gone.”

 

Glenn: “But I’ve only just returned.”

 

Thaddeus: “Yes and did you find anything?”

Glenn goes quiet.

Thaddeus: “You should cut your losses.  Anyone left in Silvara has been captured or killed by now.  I know that may be hard to accept, but…”

President Thaddeus looks out the window while gnawing on his pipe.

Show a view of Anthem from the mansion.

Thaddeus: “My duty is to my people, sir, not to dead alliances.  I must put Anthem first.”

 

Glenn: “What exactly are you saying?”

 

Thaddeus: “I’m saying your time is up.  Fiona is coming, and I must have something to appease their appetites.  Metis is hungry for war, but I have something else he may delight in.”

 

Glenn scowls.

 

Glenn: “You’re handing us over.”

 

Thaddeus: “Not exactly.”

President Thaddeus turns to face Glenn in a haze of smoke.

Thaddeus: “I am going to extend you an offer.  Take those women and go, but leave the princess with us.”

 

Glenn: “What?”

 

Thaddeus: “My men have heard disturbing things.  Fiona is mobilizing near the channel.  They are coming for us in full force.  If I don’t have something to give them then my city will burn as sure as Silvara has.”

 

Glenn: “Then let us all run.”

 

Thaddeus: “And how will that save us?”

 

Glenn: “Is that all you care about?  How to bow to your new master?”

 

Thaddeus: “I simply want to live long enough to bow.  I want to keep from dying, and to spare my people the indignity of it.”

President Thaddeus sighs a plume of smoke.

Thaddeus: “I understand your frustration, I really do.”

 

Glenn: “You don’t.”

 

Thaddeus: “That airship of theirs changed warfare.  We need the princess, but I am no fool.  To capture all of you would be asking for a small war in itself.  So, what do you say?  Leave peacefully, and leave the girl?”

 

Glenn: “No.”

 

President Thaddeus shakes his head.

He turns his back on Glenn and puffs his pipe.

 

Thaddeus: “You’re making this difficult on me.  I know how stubborn you can be, and how dangerous you are when pushed.”

 

Glenn: “Then why push?”

 

Thaddeus: “Because, I also know your weaknesses.  Tell me, just how secure is the prince, even with those two mages by his bed?”

 

Glenn pauses.

 

Glenn: “What?”

 

Thaddeus: “Do you really think you can hide anything from me in my city, let alone my own home, sir?  Now then, I extend to you a new offer.  If I hand over the princess, I earn only safety.  If I hand over the handmaiden and the Red Witch, however…”

Glenn glares.

President Thaddeus turns with a smile.  Smoke rolls from his teeth.

Thaddeus: “Leave the women, all of them, and take your prince.”

 

Glenn: “You…”

 

Thaddeus: “Clearly, you need time to think.”

President Thaddeus gestures toward the door.

Thaddeus: “Leave. I’ll call on you later, and by then I expect the right answer from you.  And remember, I own this town and everyone in it.  Even you and your magician friends aren’t enough to stop an entire army.  Good day.”

 

Glenn leaves.

Show Glenn’s face as he stomps down the halls.

Show President Thaddeus staring out the window at Anthem with his pipe burning in his hand.  He wears a smug smile.

 

Cut to the airship by night.  Show Fionan soldiers standing around the camp.

Show soldiers walking between tents.  They are talking and working.

Show General Niko in his tent.  He is wearing a night robe and looking over a map of the mainland coast.

He turns toward the front and looks out at the camp.

Show the camp from his view.  The fore is lit.  In the back is the black silhouette of the forest.

Show the darkened forest just outside of camp.  Large trees cast enormous shadows.  The camp glows just at the edge.

Show Dawn standing among the trees.  She has her bow strung and an arrow ready.  Behind her, Silvaran soldiers can be seen waiting.

Dawn whistles.

Show the resistance marching forward through the forest, moving around trees, with Dawn leading them.

Show Diando and Remi moving among the troops.

Show Niva near the back.

Cut to the edge of the Fionan encampment.  Two guards are standing watch with swords and shields equipped.

One soldier takes an arrow to the throat and falls back with a spray of blood.

The other raises his shield.

 

Fionan Soldier9: “Attack!  We’re under attack!”

White light surrounds Fionan Soldier9 and lifts him from the ground.

Blood runs down his legs in the next scene.

Show an overhead shot of the resistance flooding the camp.  Silvaran soldiers impale Fionans when they find them.  Magical bursts illuminate the area.

Show Diando in the midst of attack.  Fionan soldiers are rent limb from limb in a dark blue flourish.

Show Remi protecting a group of soldiers from a side attack.  Arrows are locked, suspended in a white shield.

Show a Fionan soldier being cut down by a Silvaran soldier.

Show a Fionan soldier shooting a Silvaran with a long bow.

Show an arrow hit the same Fionan who just fired.

Dawn steps over him and plants a second arrow into him on the way.

She pulls both arrows out while surveying the battle.

She run to the wounded Silvaran.

 

Dawn: “Are you okay?”

 

Silvaran Soldier6: “I’m fine, princess.  Don’t worry about me!  You just keep going.”

 

Dawn: “Are you sure? Can you stand?”

 

Silvaran Soldier6: “Go.  We’ve got a battle to win.”

 

Dawn nods.

 

Dawn: “If you see Remi, have him bandage the wound.”

 

Silvaran Soldier6: “Yes, m’lady.”

 

Dawn stands and looks out at the battlefield.

Show the battle waging around her.

Dawn: “Now, where is Niva at? Or Remi and Diando for that matter.”

Show Niko moving through the battlefield with a sword in hand.

He parries an incoming attack and cuts the aggressing Silvaran down.

Dawn scowls.

Dawn: “General Niko!”

Dawn dips down and approaches.

A Fionan soldier comes up on her.

Dawn draws an arrow and stabs it into the soldier’s throat.

He falls to the side.

Show General Niko working his way toward the airship with a group of Fionans surrounding him.

Dawn charges and fires an arrow.

Show a guarding Fiona be hit and taken down.

Dawn: “You! Stop!  General Niko!”

The group stops.  General Niko looks to face her.  His armor and sword gleam with blood.

Dawn: “You’re him, aren’t you?”

 

Niko: “And why should I answer you?”

 

Dawn: “Because I need to know.”

 

Niko: “What does it matter? To you, aren’t I just another Fionan?”

 

Dawn: “My people are restless in shallow graves, General, and it may have been your soldiers who committed the sin, but they did it on your command!”

 

Niko: “I’m sorry, miss, but this is war.”

His soldiers form around him.

Niko: “And I don’t have time for your drama.”

Niko turns to leave.

 

Dawn: “Come back here!”

The Fionans charge.

Show Dawn fire two arrows rapidly.

Show two Fionans falls as they approach. 

Another steps in and swipes for her head.  Dawn ducks under and angles an arrow up at him.

Show a back view of the arrow sticking out from the back of his helm.

Show Dawn firing an arrow at a soldier on her rear and hitting him in the left eye.

Show her from a close view with a shadow over her.  Her eyes are wide.

Show General Niko standing over her with his broadsword raised.

Dawn evades as the broadsword falls.

Dawn sidesteps another swing but it catches her bow and cuts it in two.

Dawn ducks under a horizontal swipe while drawing two arrows.

Dawn twirls around a lunge and impales General Niko in the left eye with one.

General Niko staggers back and screams as blood spurts from his eye. 

Dawn closes in with the second arrow.

Dawn drives the second arrow into the area just below his collar bone and just above his plate.

They fall together with Dawn on top of him. She is reaching back for a third arrow.

Show a view of her looking down at him with an arrow pressed against his throat.  The arrow gleams and everything has dark shadows.

Dawn: “I won’t ask again.  You’re General Niko, aren’t you?”

 

General Niko coughs up blood and grits his teeth.

 

Niko: “Even if I die, girl, it means nothing.  I am just a soldier, like anyone else.  The airship is ready, and it will take off, with or without me.  Your little stunt has only accelerated events, and it will just get you killed.  You will die here, your sister will die, and your nation is already dead.  Just as it should be!  Artists and artisans have no place in a world of war!  So, yes, I am him, I am the General, and I ordered the slaughter of your people!”

 

Dawn glares.

She twists and drives the arrow into his throat.  Blood sprays up her arm and across her face.

Show General Niko’s face as his eye bulge and blood bubbles out of his wound.  He grimaces and gurgles before dying.

Dawn stands.  She is covered in blood and dirt.

She stomps on his head once.

She looks off screen, at the audience.  Behind her the battle wages on.  Tents burn as soldiers meet.  Flares of magic paint the background.

 

Dawn: “Now, for the hard part.”

 

Show Dawn from the back with her half-empty quiver.  Before her is the enormous airship with green light filling its sails.

 

P.S.

 

If you like this story, find more at (redwhalestories5.blogspot.com).

Give me money at (www.patreon.com/redwhalestories)

Or buy me a coffee (ko-fi.com/redwhalestories).

 

Sincerely,
RWS

16: Chapter Sixteen: "Shining Requiem"

Chapter Sixteen: Shining Requiem

 

Open on a black screen.  There are sounds of battle.  Steel on steel, breaths of flame, and people screaming.

Open on a man lying on his back.  He has a blade through his leather vest and blood pools underneath him.  His eyes are wide and his face bloodied.   He was one of the Silvaran soldiers.

A man grabs the sword from his chest.

The man turns and drives it up into a Fionan soldier’s throat.

He turns and stabs the blade into another Fionan soldier’s gut.

Before he can react, a blade erupts out of his chest.

Cut to an overhead view of the Airship.  Green light fills it sails.  Around its perimeter are blasts of magical color.  Soldiers look like ants swarm the ship.

Show a Silvaran soldier on the ground.  He is carrying a sword and shield and leading the charge.

He meets a Fionan soldier and runs him through with the blade.

He withdraws his blade.

 

Silvaran Soldier7: “Come on, everyone!  We’re almost there.  If we push, we can take it before they leave the port!”

 

Cut to a side view of the airship exterior.  Show the exterior platforms stretching out around the airship and mages coming out of the interior.  They are all carrying wands or staves and they stop at the edge of the platforms.

Show runes being written into the air.  Color fills the screen.  Magic hisses.

Show a streak of yellow lightning touch the battlefield where Silvaran Soldier7 was.

Show the Silvarans dispersing around the airship as magical bursts fire into them.

Show a Silvaran soldier being run through by a gleaming spear of light.

Show a Silvaran soldier being incinerated in a blanket of green fire.

Show a Silvaran soldier flying through the air, surrounded in a pinkish hue.

Show an arc of pale lightning crawl across the battlefield from the distance.

The pale lightning meets a brilliant white light and slides over it harmlessly.

 

Cut to Remi with his hands up and white magic pouring from his palms.  Diando is beside him.  Dark blue magic pulses in his hands.

Remi steps back, allowing Diando to take the lead.  Diando throws a bolt of dark blue energy at the airship.

The dark blue light meets a shield composed of a myriad of different colors.  The ground shakes from the force of impact.

Show the battlefield from a distance.  The magic assault ceases for a moment.

Diando hunches over to catch his breath while Remi turns to face the Silvaran soldiers behind them.

 

Remi: “Now’s our chance, everyone!  Resume the attack, take them before they recover.”

 

Soldiers rush past them.

Diando leans on Remi.

They smile at each other.

 

Diando: “I thought she was crazy, but we might just pull it off.”

 

Remi: “We’ll give them pause at the very least.”

 

Diando nods and laughs.

They kiss.

 

Diando: “Let’s go.

 

Remi: “Yes.”

 

Diando stands and takes an arrow to his left shoulder.  Remi is wide-eyed with shock as blood pours from the wound.

Remi conjures a bolt of white magic and hurls it into a group of archers. 

The magic explodes on contact. The archers go flying behind Remi as he turns to catch Diando.

Diando bleeds in Remi’s arms.

 

Remi: “Diando!”

 

Diando: “I’m fine.”

 

Remi: “Let’s get it out, and I’ll heal the wound.”

 

Diando grits his teeth and yanks the arrow out.  Blood runs down his arm.

Remi conjures a white light in his right palm and holds it on Diando’s arm.

An arrow hits Remi into the back, and he falls into Diando.

 

Diando: “Remi!”

 

Cut to the Anthem Mansion guest room interior.  Glenn, Mary, and Elsea stand around Zelos’ bed while Zelos sleeps.  He has a light flush to his face and the blankets pulled up around him.

Elsea reaches down to feel his head.

 

Elsea: “He is still warm.”

 

Mary: “Why, of course he is.  He is sick.”

Mary stares fondly at Zelos.

She looks at Glenn.

Mary: “Sir Knight, you called on us with promises of news.”

 

Glenn: “Bad news.”

 

Mary: “I fear that is the kind I am most accustomed to.  At least in these last few years.  They’ve been quite rough, haven’t they?”

Glenn stares at her.

Mary: “Oh, fine, go on then.  You shouldn’t leave us in suspense and all that.”

 

Glenn: “Thaddeus wants me to hand you two and Zara over to him in return for Zelos’ safety.”

 

Mary: “Well, that is quite the deal all things considered.”

 

Elsea: “What will you do?”

 

Glenn: “What do you think?”

 

Mary: “Worry not, good lady, our Sir Glenn is a knight of honorable stock.  I imagine you struck him full on the mouth before refusing.”

 

Glenn: “I would have, but he had guards.”

 

Mary: “Of course he did.  That man, strutting about so long as someone else is there carrying a stick.  Anyhow, we have more important things to ponder, such as our imminent flight from this increasingly confined cage.”

 

Glenn: “Right.  Rumor is Fiona is preparing to assault Anthem.”

 

Mary: “Ah, see, that is what has our old friend so nervous.  Ever the merchant, Thaddeus, trying to barter a trade with us as the currency.  Quite clever of him, all things considered.”

 

Glenn: “And problematic.  If we don’t get out of here, then he’ll have the prince, too.”

 

Mary looks down at Zelos, who sleeps soundly.

 

Mary: “I imagine that Metis would be quite pleased with his state.”

 

Glenn: “What do you mean?”

 

Mary: “A conversation for later, dear, though how much later is a question of debate.  However, we must first tend to the princess.”

 

Elsea: “We need to rescue her.”

 

Glenn: “And we will.”

Glenn looks at Zelos.

Glenn: “This time, no one gets left behind.”

 

Cut to the battle for the airship.  Show it from a distance.  Fire fills the night.  Magical blasts illuminate the sky.

Show a dark figure standing over the hill.  Sharp shadows cover its metallic body.  Its skin is black.

Show Thanatos’ face.  It growls.

Cut to the battlefield proper.  Two Silvaran rebels run a Fionan soldier through.

The Fionan falls and the Silvarans smile at each other.

 

Silvaran Soldier8: “Looks like we might win this.”

 

Silvaran Soldier9: “At the very least, I think we’ll stop the airship.  We’re almost there.”

 

Silvaran Soldier8 nods.

He points past Silvaran Soldier9.

 

Silvaran Soldier8: “What in the world is that?”

 

Silvaran Soldier9 turns.

 

Silvaran Soldier9: “What is what?”

 

The screen goes black.  They both scream.

 

Cut to Niva standing with a knife in her bloody hands.  Blood runs down the knife’s blade and down her arms.  She is holding it before her.

Show a Fionan soldier approaching.  A wounded Fionan lies beside him, holding his side.  The standing soldier has a blade drawn and is approaching slowly.

 

Niva: “Go away! I don’t want to fight!”

 

Fionan Soldier10: “Should have thought of that before you stabbed my friend, girly.”

 

Niva: “I was defending myself!”

 

Fionan Soldier10: “Drop the knife, and I’ll make it quick.”

 

Niva: “No!”

 

The Fionan soldier stops suddenly, his body rigid.

He falls forward, revealing Nick behind him.  Nick is holding a bloody short sword.

Nick kneels down to finish the wounded soldier on the ground.

He grins at Niva while wiping the blood on his pant leg.

 

Nick: “Niva, wow, imagine running into you here.  How long has it been?  You soldiering now?  I’ll be honest, I never saw you in that field.  A bit bloody for you, isn’t it?”

 

Niva glares.

 

Niva: “What in the hells are you doing here?”

 

Nick: “Righting my wrongs.”

Nick looks back.

Show Nick and Niva standing together while the battle continues around them.  In the distance the airship glows.

Nick: “A lot of people have died because of me.”

 

Niva: “They’re still dying.”

 

Nick: “I know.”

Nick looks at her.  Show him standing with his bloody blade.  He looks tired and dirty.

Nick: “I can’t do much, but I can stop that thing.”

 

Niva: “Can you really?”

 

Nick: “Before I saw you, I went searching around camp.  I found the schematics.  I know a way on.  It’s hidden, but…

Nick looks around the camp

Nick: “Where’s Dawn?”

 

Niva looks around at the carnage.

 

Niva: “Somewhere.”

 

Nick laughs quietly.

Nick: “Probably off looking for the information I already have.”

He hangs his head.

Nick: “I just keep messing things up.”

 

Niva: “Maybe, but you’re at least trying.”

 

Nick: “I am.”

Nick holds out a rolled parchment.

Nick: “I know you still don’t trust me, and you probably shouldn’t, but I want you to hold onto this.”

 

Niva: “Why?”

 

Nick: “Just a hunch.  If anything happens to me, I want you and Dawn on that airship.  I know I can trust you two to shut it down.  For good.  And you’ll need this to do it.”

 

Show Nick offering the parchment.

Show a side view of Niva taking it.

 

Nick: “Now, come on.  Let’s go find her.”

 

Cut to a battered, burnt tent.  Magical explosions light the surrounding area.  Diando is kneeling behind the tent with Remi leaning against it.  Blood soils the fabric supporting Remi.

Dawn approaches them  from behind.  She has blood splattered across her body and light burns on her arms and face.

 

Dawn: “What’s going on?”

 

Diando: “Remi is hurt!”

 

Dawn: “What?”

Dawn kneels down to check on Remi.

Show the blood on the tent.

Dawn: “Damn!”

 

Remi: “I’m fine.”

 

Dawn: “Why don’t you heal him?”

 

Diando: “I did what I could, but I’m no healer.”

 

Remi: “You did fine.”

 

Dawn: “Remi, can you fight?”

 

Remi: “Not well.”

 

Diando: “We need to retreat, Dawn.”

 

Dawn: “N—No, we’re in too deep.  The airship is right there.”

 

Diando: “People are dying here!”

 

Dawn: “We all knew this was a suicide mission.”

 

Diando: “Dawn!”

 

Remi: “Diando, dear, please, no yelling.”

 

Diando: “But…”

 

Remi: “It’s fine.  I’m fine.  We’ll all be fine.”

 

Remi touches Diando’s face.

Diando nods.

 

Diando: “The airship is priority, then.”

 

Dawn: “We won’t do damage from the outside, though.  We need a way in.”

 

Nick, off-screen: “Then I think I can save the day.”

 

Nick approaches with Niva at his side.

Diando stands.  Magic flares in his palms.  Dawn turns and draws an arrow.

 

Diando: “You!”

 

Niva steps in front of Nick.

Show Dawn with her arrow strung.

 

Dawn: “Move.”

 

Niva: “No.  He’s here to help.”

 

Dawn: “That’s what he said last time.”

 

Niva: “He has a way into the ship.  He has a way to stop it.”

 

Dawn: “You expect us to believe him again!”

 

Niva: “No , but—Believe me, Dawn.”

 

Show Dawn’s scowl.

Show Niva standing firm.

Show them from a side-view.  Niva is standing in front of Nick.  Across from her are Dawn and Diando.  Remi lies bleeding to the side.

Dawn lowers her bow.

She pushes Diando’s hands down.

 

Dawn: “Talk.  Fast.”

 

Nick: “There’s a hatch on the side, used mostly for maintenance.  They won’t think to check it during a battle though.  We sneak in there, and it’ll lead us through the underbelly of the ship to the magical engine.  Take that apart, and the ship can’t glow, let alone fly.”

 

Dawn: “And then Anthem is safe.”

 

Nick: “Hells, the whole damn world is safe.”

 

There are screams in the distance.  The party looks off screen.

Cut to shadows cutting through the battlefield.

Zoom in to show Thanatos standing in the center of them.

 

Diando: “It’s that thing again.”

 

Dawn: “No! Damn it, no! Not now!

 

Nick: “We need to go!”

 

Dawn: “But, Remi…”

 

Remi: “Go.  I’ll be fine.”

 

Dawn: “What? Remi, no.”

 

Remi: “Yes.  Leave me.  The airship is priority.”

 

Dawn kneels beside Remi.  She holds his hand.

 

Dawn: “But Remi…”

 

Diando kneels beside her.

 

Diando: “Shut up.  We’re not leaving.”

 

Remi: “But you are.  The airship takes priority.  As long as it can fly no one is safe.  If I stay, I can at least slow that thing down.”

Remi looks off screen.

Remi: “I hope.”

 

Dawn hugs Remi’s hand. She is trying not to cry, but tears escape.

 

Dawn: “Remi, I am so sorry.  About all of this.”

 

Remi: “I’m not.”

Remi pats her cheek and leaves a bloody smear.

He smiles weakly.

Remi: “I’ve never been one for war, you know.”

 

Dawn nods.

 

Dawn: “Thank you for—for so much.  I couldn’t have made it without you.”

 

Remi: “Please.  You would have been fine.”

 

Show Niva standing beside Nick. She is openly weeping.  Nick looks away.

Return to Dawn holding Remi’s hand.

 

Dawn: “I will always remember you.”

 

Remi: “That sounds nice.”

 

Dawn wipes her eyes.

She stands.

 

Dawn: “Come on.  We need to go.”

 

Show Diando.  His face is heavily shadowed.  His cheeks are tear stained.

 

Diando: “I can’t go.”

 

Remi: “Nonsense.  You can and will.  You need to protect her.”

 

Dawn: “No.”

Dawn kneels and hugs Diando.

Dawn: “I know how hard it is to say goodbye to loved ones.  Do whatever you can, and if you survive…”

 

Diando: “We’ll have you over for dinner.”

Diando pats her head.

Diando: “Now go before it’s too late.”

 

Dawn stands and looks back at Nick and Niva.

 

Dawn: “Come on.”

 

Niva and Dawn leave.  On the way, Diando stops Nick.  His eyes glow furiously.

 

Diando: “You betray them and…”

 

Nick: “Save it.”

 

Diando: “Keep them alive.  They’re worth ten of you.”

 

Nick: “I’ll die if I have to.”

 

Diando: “You just might.”

 

Hold on an image of them staring at each other.

Show Nick running off from the front and Diando from the back.  Remi is lying bleeding on the ground.  In the distance, Thanatos is approaching.

Diando kneels down and helps Remi up.  Show them from the front, standing together.

 

Remi: “So, this is our last date?”

 

Diando: “I always take you to the nicest places.”

 

Remi: “Diando, if this is the end, I want you to know…”

Diando kisses Remi.

Hold on this for a panel.

They part, and Remi is smiling. 

They lean into each other, touching foreheads.  Remi laughs.

Remi: “Well put.”

 

The shadows approach and surround them.  They rip apart the nearby tent.  Hold on them standing as the shadows approach.

 

Diando: “Here we go.”

 

They raise their hands together, and their magic spreads.

 

P.S.

 

If you like this story, find more at (redwhalestories5.blogspot.com).

Give me money at (www.patreon.com/redwhalestories)

Or buy me a coffee (ko-fi.com/redwhalestories).

 

Sincerely,
RWS

17: Chapter Seventeen: "Twilight's Hand"