The Unnamed Saga: The Four Thrones, Chapter Seventeen: "Monsters in the Dark"

Chapter Seventeen: Monsters in the Dark

 

Open on a forest by midday.  The sky is grey and heavy with clouds.  The trees are black and spindly.  A thin layer of snow is gathered on the ground, and snow continues to fall gently.

Show the Silvaran carriage cutting a trail through the fresh snow.  Zelos and Glenn remain at the reins with Glenn leading the horses.  They have their hoods up and their cloaks pulled tight.

Show Zara, Elsea, and Mary in the back.  Zara and Elsea are snuggled on either side of Mary and have their cloaks and hoods drawn.  Mary wears only her dress, a bloody stain left where the arrow had hit her.  She has her hands out and holds a small, red flame in her palm.

Mary: "Didn't expect the snow, now did we?"

 

Elsea: "It did seem to come out of nowhere."

 

Glenn: "It'll cover our tracks."

 

Zelos looks back.

Show the horse’s hoofprints and the groves where the wheels have been in the snow.

Zelos: "It won't cover much unless it picks up.  Right now it's only making our tracks more distinct."

 

Zara: "We don't need to worry about any tracks."

 

Zelos leans over the back of the carriage seat to look down at Zara.

Zelos: "Oh? And why is that exactly?"

 

Zara points before the carriage.

Zara: "Because, we're home!"

Show the enormous, elaborately designed wall of Silverthrone in the distance.  Guard towers can be seen rising from pillars.  Banners hung over the edge show the emblem of the nation, a fox at rest within the cradle of a crescent moon.  The castle’s spires can be seen jutting over the walls.

Zara smiles at Elsea with tears in her eyes.

Zara: "Elsea, we're really home!"

 

-The Four Thrones-

 

Cut to the Black Castle exterior by midday.  The sun is high and dark clouds are on the horizon.

Show the castle interior looking down an empty hall.

Show another empty hall, this time from the side.  Guards can be heard roaming the halls.

Show a lone guard sprinting down an empty hallway.

The guard comes to a stop doubled.

The guard vomits.

Show Kratos’ room interior where two ravaged bodies are on the floor.  A bloody smear surrounds them.  Limbs are scattered around them on the floor.  One is vaguely female, while the other was once a child.  They lie together, the female body draped ineffectually over the child’s.  Metis stands over the bodies rubbing his chin and staring down at them.  Black Guard surround flank him and surrounding the bodies.  Zion looks ill to Metis’ immediate left.

 

Zion: "Disgusting!"

 

Metis: "Very much so."

 

Zion: "Who would think to even do such a thing?"

 

Metis: "Rebels, I'd imagine.  People left by the traitor prince and his would-be bride.  They're killing potential heirs.  It's sad, really, that he still seems to think he has claim to the throne."

 

Zion: "No one in the nation would allow it, not after this.  What he has done...It's unforgivable."

 

Metis: "Yes, it is.  Zion, if you could, please ask the captain of the Black Guard to increase patrols.  There may be more of Zelos' loyalist left within the city, and we cannot allow a tragedy like this to be repeated."

 

Zion bows.

 

Zion: "Of course, my lord, I will go immediately."

 

Zion leaves, passing Eros on his way out.  Eros stands tight against the door, holding the doorframe for support while he stares wide-eyed at the corpses.  His eyes have bags under them, and he holds his robe tight around his body.

Show Metis’ shadow cast over Eros.

Show Metis put his left hand on Eros’ shoulder.

 

Metis: "You look unwell, brother."

 

Eros: "I..."

Eros looks to Metis now, grimacing.

Eros: "I am just unaccustomed to such gruesome sights."

 

Metis looks over his shoulder back at the corpses with Eros at his side.

 

Metis: "It truly is a tragedy.  Unfortunately, if we are not careful to settle these trifles soon, such tragedies are likely to be repeated."

Show Metis from the front, looking Eros in the face.

Metis: "Fear not, though.  We will settle this soon.  That, I promise you."

 

Eros stares blankly at Metis.

Eros: "Of course, brother.  I would be a fool to doubt you."

 

Metis: "I wouldn't say that.  Now, go, take care of yourself.  You needn't subject yourself to such things."

 

Eros: "Yes. I think that would be best."

 

Eros leaves Metis standing in the doorway.  Metis looks back over his shoulder at the bodies while the guards are at work gathering the limbs into a pile to be moved.

Metis leaves the room.

 

-The Four Thrones-

 

Cut to an overhead shot of Silvara.

Show the market in greater detail, people sticking close together as they walk from building to building.

Show residences with clouds of black smoke drifting from their chimneys.

Show an empty carriage tended to by Silvaran soldiers at the Silver Throne’s front gate.

Cut to the Silverthrone wall interior, the party entering through the front gate, passing a thicket of bare trees as they walk.  Zara is leading the group with a big smile.  Mary and Elsea walk just behind her, with Zelos behind them, and Glenn in the rear.

 

Zara: "Ah!  Maybe I'm bias, but I can't help but feel that the Silvaran air smells so much sweeter."

 

Mary: "No, I am inclined to agree with you, princess.  Most like it is the flowers your people grow here.  Fionans are not wont to plant much greenery.  They prefer the smell of steel...and dogs.  It's a part of their culture, I fear."

 

Zara: "It's just great to be back home."

Zara looks over her shoulder at Elsea.

Zara: "Elsea, smile!  You should be happy to return."

 

Elsea: "I am happy, m’lady."

 

Zara: "Elsea, what's wrong."

 

Elsea: "I fear that our celebration may be a bit premature, princess.  Relations between Fiona and Silvara are still strained, all things considered."

 

Zara: "Oh, we'll have that sorted out in a matter of days. Won't we, Zelos?"

 

Zelos: "That is the plan."

 

Mary: "My, do I ever find the naive nature of yours hearts ever so endearing!"

 

Zelos: "Say what you want, now that Zara is safe, I can finally return home and set things right."

 

Show Zelos suddenly pinned to a nearby tree with an arrow in his cloak.  Glenn rushes toward him while Elsea, Mary, and Zara are yet to react.

Elsea begins conjuring a barrier while Glenn grips his blade.  The runes on Mary’s body glow while Zara ducks down. Zelos tugs at the arrow.

 

Glenn: "An assassin!"

Glenn is pinned in a similar manner just as Elsea’s barrier is raised.  Another arrow has broken across the barrier while Mary has her hand up.  Zara is kneeling and looking up with a frown upon her face.

 

Zara: "Wait!"

 

Glenn yanks the arrow from the tree.

Glenn: "These are Silvaran arrows."

 

Zara: "That's because they're being shot by Silvaran hands."

Zara steps outside of the barrier.

 

Elsea: "Princess!"

 

Zara: "Dawn, you stop that right now!"

 

Dawn, off-screen: "Aw! You're no fun, as always!"

 

Show Dawn bounding from a thicket of bare bushes, a heavy cloak obscuring her diminutive frame.  She is a stout girl with features similar to Zara’s, save broader shoulders and with lighter hair instead of auburn.  She has an impish smile as she unstrings her bow in her approach.

 

Zara: "If you knew what we have gone through to come home then you wouldn't find this little prank of yours nearly so funny."

 

Dawn: "Yeah, I have to admit, you all do seem a little high strung."

 

Dawn passes the party.  Glenn and Mary watch her curious, while Zara stands with her hands on her hips, glaring.  Elsea seems exasperated.  Zelos is trying ineffectually to pull the arrow free.

Dawn yanks the arrow free with one hand.  Zelos falls to the ground.

 

Zelos: "Thanks.  You're getting better.  Too bad you don't, you know, have anything real to shoot at."

 

Dawn: "Hey, nice eye patch.  Do the other pirates know that you're missing?"

 

Zelos: "No, but I'm surprised you could see it from all the way down there."

 

Dawn: "Oh, short jokes, real original."

 

Zelos shrugs as he stands.  Dawn is grinning.

Zelos: "I do what I can."

 

Dawn looks at all of them.

Dawn: "Well, you look like crap.  Come on, I'll get one of the maids to make us up some cocoa, and Z can tell me all about how horrible your journey home has been."

 

Zelos: "You mean she can whine all about it."

 

Zelos and Dawn laugh together as they walk off, leaving a pouting Zara behind them.  Elsea has her hand on Zara’s shoulder while Mary seems mystified.

 

Elsea: "Your sister seems well."

 

Zara: "That she does."

 

Mary: "And she seems quite fond of the prince."

 

Zara: "Yes.  I had forgotten how well those two get along with each other."

 

Mary: "Mayhap she should have been his intended bride, then."

 

Zara glares.

Zara: "Not funny!"

Zara storms off.

Elsea follows after

Mary and Glenn exchange glances.

 

Glenn: "It was a little funny."

Glenn walks off.

 

-The Four Thrones-

 

Cut to the Black Castle interior, Eros’ bedroom by night.  Show Eros in bed from above, looking pale and anxious, staring up at the ceiling wide-eyed.

 

Cut to an interior hallway of the Black Castle in the morning.  Show Eros in his robes standing beside an open door.

Show the room interior, Eros peeking in through the door.  It is Metis’ room, still dark in the early morning.

Eros crosses the room to Metis’ wardrobe.

Show the wardrobe interior, the hidden door open.

Show Eros at the stop of the long spiral staircase, staring down the staircase.

Show the staircase from above, from Eros’ view, the stairs disappearing into the darkness, a faint purple dot at the bottom.

Show Eros descending the stairs.

Show Eros stopping near the bottom, a dark purple light shining off-screen.

Show the altar, Metis standing at the altar’s edge and holding a purple flame in his palm.  Kratos’ wife and child are suspended in purple light above him, bound and gagged.

 

Metis: "I am truly sorry for this, my sister, but Fiona's survival necessitates extreme actions."

Metis places them at the center of the altar.

Metis: "There, an offering of two bodies to momentarily sate your endless hunger!"

 

The torches surrounding the altar dim.

Show Eros’ shock as he grips the staircase tightly and watches.

Show the torches dimming further, shadows forming around the platform in the form of jagged teeth.

Show Eros wince.

 

Metis: "What are you waiting for?! Feast!"

 

Show Kratos’ wife crawling to her knees while her child is at rest on his side.

Kratos’ wife falls over onto her child in an effort to protect him.

The screen goes black.  Kratos’ wife and child scream briefly before the sound of wet flesh can be heard.

Show a dark bead of shadows, darker even than the darkness around them.

Show Eros look away, holding the staircase tightly as tearing can be heard.

Silence.

Show Eros open his eyes.

Show Eros shudder.

Show Eros vomit.

Show Metis, torches lit around him, looking back over his shoulder just as Eros ducks.

 

Cut to Eros in bed, staring up at the ceiling, shaking.

Eros lights a candle beside his bed.

Chapter End.