The Unnamed Saga: Four Thrones, Chapter Sixteen: "Crossfire"

Chapter Sixteen: Crossfire

 

Open on Zelos struggling with Elsea’s bindings while Elsea it seated with her back to him.  They cast long shadows deeper into the cavern.

 

Zelos: "Damn these knots!"

 

Elsea: "Please, prince, go before they return.  They captured me to..."

 

Zelos: "To lure us out.  I know."

 

Elsea: "Then why are you here?"

 

Zelos: "Because, I'm not leaving you behind, and Zara wouldn't, either.  So, just be quiet and let me get these knots."

 

Show them from the side, Elsea’s head down and hair hanging in her face, her bruises and blood showing, Zelos crouched behind her and hard at work on her bindings.

Show a shadow appear over them.

Show Burgess from the front, grinning with his dagger drawn and gleaming.

 

Burgess: "Have we a hero?  Good.  Heroes get caught first."

 

Zelos turns while Elsea goes tense.

Zelos: "Looks like he came back."

 

Elsea: "You should have run."

 

Zelos: "I already told you: I'm not leaving you behind."

 

Elsea: "Please!  This is a needless sacrifice."

 

Zelos stands to meet Burgess.

Zelos: "No, what's needless is all of your complaints.  I'm sure Zara's told you all about how stubborn I am."

 

Burgess: "Seems more like foolishness to me."

 

Zelos: "I actually prefer to call it tenacity."

 

Burgess shrugs.

Burgess: "Don't care much what we call it, so long as it gets me paid."

 

Zelos: "You'll have to catch me first."

 

Burgess: "Shouldn't be too hard, seeing as how you're right here.  Might not want to struggle much, though.  Wouldn't want to hurt you and all."

 

Zelos: "Because I'm your prince?"

 

Burgess: "Because something live goes for a higher price."

 

Zelos rushes Burgess, leaving Elsea in the cavern depths.

Burgess grabs Zelos.

Burgess throws Zelos into a wall.

Burgess and Zelos spin, wrestling over the dagger.

Show Burgess and Zelos from above as they exit the cavern and enter the flat day.

Burgess: "Not much of a scrapper."

 

Zelos: "Still giving you a good show."

 

Burgess: "Hardly!"

Burgess doubles Zelos with a punch to the gut.

Burgess knocks Zelos onto his back by kneeing him in the face.

Burgess walks around Zelos, dusting his jacket off while Zelos coughs.

Burgess: "Just want you in good condition is all.  Now then..."

Burgess turns his back to Zelos and makes a bird call while Zelos stands.

Zelos tackles Burgess to the ground.

Burgess turns as Zelos tries to pin him.

They both stop, wide-eyed.

Show Zelos from Elsea’s view inside of the cavern.

 

Elsea: "Prince?...Zelos?"

 

Zelos falls onto his back outside of the cavern with Burgess’ dagger in his stomach.  Burgess can be seen propped up on his elbows just behind him.

Burgess stands and wipes his bloody hands on his coat.

Burgess kicks Zelos’ side.

Burgess: "To hell!  There goes half the bloody bounty right there!"

 

Elsea: "If...If you let me go I can heal him!"

 

Burgess laughs.

Burgess: "Then you can magic me off the cliff and you both make escape?  No thanks.  He's still worth some money, even dead.  And you're of better use to me as bait than a medic."

Burgess looks down at Zelos' corpse with a grimace.

Burgess: "Shame, though, crying shame."

 

Show Elsea crying and writhing with her back against the wall.

Show Zelos on his back, coughing, his eyes wide, his left eye flaring.

Zelos draws the dagger from his chest.

 

Burgess: "Well, look at that.  Ain't you a spry one?"

Burgess draws another dagger as Zelos rolls on his side, his dagger flat against the stone, coughing.

Burgess kneel down, holding his dagger at ease in his hand while Zelos coughs up blood.

Burgess: "We going to be civil about this now?"

 

Zelos glares at Burgess.

Zelos grins, looking past Burgess.

Zelos: "You might want to ask her that."

 

Burgess turns to look back into the cavern.

Show Elsea drawing runes in the air, blood running down her wrists.

Show Burgess trying to throw a dagger as sky blue light encircles his body.

Show Burgess rocketing through the air.

Elsea crawls to Zelos’ side.

Elsea rests her hands on Zelos’ chest and her palms glow with sky blue light.

Elsea: "I thought you were dead!"

 

Zelos coughs while standing.

Zelos: "It wasn't too deep."

Show the dagger over Elea’s shoulder, blood nearly to the hilt.

Zelos scoops up the dagger.

They stand, Zelos holding the dagger in one hand and her severed bindings in the other.  Elsea is flexing her wrists.

Zelos: "Come on, let's get out of here!"

 

-The Four Thrones-

 

Cut Zara leading Glenn and Mary along a thick forest trail.

Zara stops to look over her shoulder.

 

Zara: "Hurry before we're late!"

 

Glenn: "Isn't she usually falling behind?"

 

Mary: "Mayhap she was always conserving her energy."

 

Show them hurrying along the road.

Show Zelos and Elsea stumbling across them on the trail.

Zara rushes Elsea and embraces her with tears in her eyes while Zelos watches, holding his side and smiling.

 

Zara: "Oh, Elsea!  I was so frightened!  I'm sorry it took us so long.  They wanted to leave you behind."

 

Mary: "Now, please, don't make us sound so cold."

 

Elsea: "No, no, I understand, Miss Mary.  Princess, you should have listened.  I would have been fine on my own."

 

Zelos: "Whatever the case, we're together now, aren't we?"

 

Glenn: "We'll talk later."

 

Zelos: "Yeah, yeah."

 

Glenn smiles at Zelos, who is smiling back bashfully.  Mary watches, arms crossed, and Zara continues to embrace Elsea, who pats her back.

Show them turning back down the trail from above.

Show a dagger whip past them from the foliage.

Burgess leaps out in front of them with a single dagger in hand.

 

Burgess: "Hold up now!"

 

Glenn and Mary put themselves before the others with Elsea before both Zara and Zelos.

 

Mary: "Do you honestly believe yourself and that kitchen knife will hold us in place?  Consider the past, if you will."

 

Burgess: "Oh, trust me, we have."

 

Burgess cups his mouth and does another bird call.

Mary’s runes flare to life with red light as an arrow hits her dead in the chest.

Mary falls to the ground, her runes inert, as another arrow hits a small, sky blue barrier produced from Elsea’s palm.

Glenn meets Burgess’ lunge with his drawn longsword.

Sky blue runes flash as Elsea conjures a barrier around Zara, Zelos, Mary, and herself.

 

Elsea: "We need to move!"

 

Zelos: "Zara, quickly, help me get Mary."

 

Zara: "What?"

 

Zelos: "We need to hide!"

 

Zara: "Oh, right."

 

Zelos and Zara lift Mary together by the shoulders.

 

Zelos: "We'll head back up to the cavemouth.  That place will be defensible, I think."

 

Zara: "What about Glenn?"

 

Zelos: "I'm doing what he'd do!"

 

Zara: "Oh. Okay."

 

Show them leaving with Elsea following, a barrier now produced across her face.

 

Cut to Burgess and Glenn in combat, Glenn holding Burgess by the wrists and trying to pry the dagger from his left hand.

Burgess staggers Glenn with a headbutt.

Burgess slashes at Glenn’s stomach, leaving a thin cut in his shirt.

An arrow flies over Burgess’ shoulder and cuts Glenn across the left arm

Show Kratos watching with an arrow ready, Burgess approaching Glenn with his dagger drawn and his body low.

Kratos turns his attention to the forest.

Show from a distance, Kratos’ arrow flying into the forest as Kratos leaps from his perch in a tree.

Cut back to Glenn and Burgess wrestling on the road, dirt kicked up around them, Glenn using the arrow which had hit him as a weapon, attempting to stab it through Burgess’ neck but burying it into the dirt as Burgess holds his dagger at bay.

They roll, Burgess putting his weight onto Glenn, who is curled up beneath him.

Glenn kicks Burgess back and up into a nearby tree.

Glenn lunges at Burgess, the arrow in his fist and going for his head.

Glenn buries the arrow into the bark of the tree as Burgess sidesteps the attack.

Burgess stabs at Glenn’s waist but is caught by the wrist and redirected.

Burgess moves out, Glenn still holding his wrist while trying to draw the arrow from the tree.

Burgess uses his freehand to grab Glenn’s injured arm.

Glenn loses his grip and lets Burgess stagger away.

Burgess tackles Glenn to the ground.

Burgess lifts his dagger up while Glenn turns to face him.

Show an arrow tip pop out of Burgess’ right eye while Burgess draws a raspy breath.

Burgess sways.

Burgess falls forward to reveal Kratos behind him with his bow ready and bowstring still vibrating.

Show Glenn and Kratos from the side, thirty feet between them, Glenn crouched his hand on Burgess’ dagger, Kratos reaching for an arrow.

Show Glenn with the dagger before him.  Crane can be heard screaming in the distance.

Kratos, arrow nocked, looks toward the forest while Glenn ducks off in the other direction.

Kratos retreats into the forest.

 

-The Four Thrones-

 

Cut to Glenn arriving at the cavern mouth, his shoulder still bleeding and carrying Burgess’ dagger with him.

Show Mary propped up against the cavern wall with Elsea at work on her wound.  Mary is pale and barely conscious.  Zelos and Zara are standing at guard.  Zelos looks resolute, while Zara appears happy to see Glenn.

 

Zara: "Oh, Glenn, thank the gods!"

 

Elsea: "You're injured."

 

Glenn: "She's worse."

 

Elsea nods and continues to heal Mary.

 

Zelos: "What now?"

 

Glenn: "We move as soon as she can walk."

 

Mary: "Then we move now."

 

Glenn: "You sure?"

 

Mary: "Quite."

 

Glenn: "Elsea?"

 

Elsea: "She's still hurt, but we can make it back to town before I finish."

 

Glenn: "Good.  We'll need to cut through the forest."

 

Zara: "Are they still after us?"

 

Glenn: "Kratos, too."

 

Zelos: "My brother!"

 

Glenn: "Focus."

Show Zelos casting a sideways glance at Zara.

Glenn: "We've wasted enough time.  Let's go."

 

-The Four Thrones-

 

Cut to Kratos in the woods, hiding in the foliage.

Show Burgess’ body at rest, an arrow still sticking from his corpse.

Show Crane approaching, a small wound at her side.

Crane stops beside Burgess and stifles a cry.

Crane kneels beside Burgess sobbing.

Crane cradles Burgess’ body.

Show Kratos with an arrow ready.

Kratos relaxes his bow.

Kratos ducks away, the sound of Crane’s sobs being heard off screen.

 

-The Four Thrones-

 

Cut to the Party entering town, Mary leaning against Elsea for support.  Zelos and Glenn lead the party while Zara helps Elsea to carry Mary.

 

Zara: "I'll tell the guards that we're taking the carriage."

 

Glenn: "No time.  They'll figure it out."

Glenn mounts the carriage and takes the reins while Zara and Elsea help Mary into the back.

 

Zara: "R-right."

 

Zelos joins Glenn at the front while Elsea settles Mary in the back.  Zara stares from the tail out into the woods.

Zara joins them as Elsea puts her hands to Mary’s wound and projects sky blue light from her fingers.

 

Mary: "Have I ever mentioned how beautiful you are when you work?"

 

Elsea blushes.

Elsea: "You are delirious."

 

Mary: "Most like."

 

Glenn snaps the reins, and the horses take off.

The guards come out and watch them go. Zara waves.

Zara: "Thank you!"

 

The guards wave while staring dumfound.

Hamlet Guard1: "They seemed in a bit of a rush."

 

Hamlet Guard Captain: "You'll learn in time, son.  Royalty's always in a hurry, living their big city lives up in the capital."

 

Hamlet: "Right, right."

 

The carriage disappears into the distance.

 

Hamlet Guard1: "Seems exciting living like that.”

 

Hamlet Guard Captain: "Too exciting, if you ask me."

Chapter End.