Chapter Twenty: Nation's Fall, Part 2
Open
on the pained expression of a Fionan soldier.
Show
their features ease, their eyes going glassy.
The
Fionan soldier falls.
Reveal
Dawn behind the soldier, bow up and string vibrating. Zara stands at her side, dressed now in a
travel cloak and boots.
Dawn
leads Zara by the hand down the Silverthrone hall. It is early morning. The sun is down. The hall is lit by brilliant flashes of magical
light that cast colors across the wall and floor.
Show
the end of the hall, sky blue light showing beneath the doorway. Something hits the door audibly.
The
door bursts open in a flood of sky blue light.
Two Fionan soldiers come tumbling from the hallway, one sliding across
the wall, the other rolling along the floor.
The
soldier on the floor comes to a halt.
The soldier across the wall lands beside them. Elsea enters the hallway through the broken
doorway.
Elsea: "Princess!"
Zara: "Oh, Elsea!"
Elsea
and Zara embrace as Dawn stands away from them with her bow resting.
Dawn: "Elsea, is Siri..."
Elsea
looks at the ground guiltily.
Dawn: "I see."
Dawn
looks away.
Dawn: "We need to hurry,
then."
Elsea: "Yes, princess
Dawn."
Dawn
takes the fore, leading with an arrow nocked.
Zara follows with Elea in the rear.
Show
them going down a hall toward a set of stairs.
-The Four Thrones-
Cut
to Silverthrone entrance hall where a semi-circle of archers have Zelos and
Glenn pinned down behind a wall.
Glenn
peeks out as an arrow whips past his face.
Glenn
ducks into hiding beside Zelos.
Zelos: "They're good, but
they're not Kratos."
Glenn: "Few are."
Zelos: "We should count
ourselves lucky then."
Glenn: "We should think."
Zelos: "Right, right."
Zelos
looks down the hall they are hiding in.
Zelos: "I think this hall leads
to a staircase back up. We could sneak
our way down, double back around, and..."
There
is a sky blue flash off screen while they speak.
They
peek out from behind the rubble.
Show
the archers lying dazed on the floor with Dawn, Zara, and Elsea stepping around
their bodies.
Zelos
and Glenn meet Dawn, Zara, and Elsea.
Zelos: "We were just on our way
to find you."
Zara: "Or to find a way
out."
Zelos: "We wouldn't have left
without you."
Zara: "I know."
Dawn: "Okay, ladies, enough
flirting. We have more important things
to worry about. Like escaping."
Glenn: "Agreed. Plans?"
Dawn: "Nothing,
unfortunately."
Zara: "I'm also out of
ideas. This attack seems thoroughly
planned."
Zelos: "I'm pretty sure most
plans are."
Elsea: "Um, excuse me, I may
know a way. There is a royal escape
route, like in Fiona, a tunnel beneath the castle. It leads to the dock. It was meant to allow for the king and queen
a safe escape to water and perhaps the mainland...In case of Fionan attack..."
Elsea
looks at Glenn and Zelos.
Elsea: "Oh! I apologize..."
Zelos: "Don't be. It was clearly the right idea."
Glenn: "Where is it?"
Elsea: "Well, normally we would
take the halls, but they're crawling with soldiers and more than a few
mages. So, I'd suggest we go the long
way around the castle and use the back entrance."
Glenn: "Good. Let's move."
-The
Four Thrones-
Cut
to the Silverthrone castle garden, the barren flowerbeds empty and surrounded
by corpses.
Show
the castle walls with smoke rising beyond them in the distance, the sky cast in
a sickly green aurora.
Show
the airship hovering above the castle, soldiers dropping down by rope, bursts
of magical light erupting around it. A
faint red light grows from the garden, rising against the green light cast by
the airship’s sails.
Show
Mary in the garden, the magical runes upon her body shining a blinding red,
further runes being burned into the dead grass at her feet. She draws them into the dirt with her hands.
Show
Mary writing runes into the air before her, facing the airship.
Show
Mary write another rune into the air to her right.
Show
Mary cast a rune to her left, the light of the other runes growing in
intensity.
Show
Mary writing a fourth rune behind her, the four previous runes nearly blinding,
the airship glowing in the distance above her.
Show
Mary facing the airship, her skin blindingly red.
Show
Mary glowing in the distance, the party approaching her with Glenn and Dawn
leading and Elsea trailing and keeping Zara and Zelos before her.
Elsea
grabs at Zara and Zelos’s shoulders.
Elsea: “Please, wait!”
Zara: "What in the world is she
doing? Trying to dance them to
death?"
Elsea: "She is casting a spell,
my lady, and it's going to be quite the spell."
Glenn
draws his sword and charges Mary.
Glenn: "Mary. Mary!"
Mary
stops and looks at him.
Mary: "Sir Knight!"
Glenn: "Stop! Now!"
Mary: "I understand your
concern, but I assure you that I am trying to save the city, not destroy
it. Look up, if you would."
Show
the party from above, each of them cast in green light. Dawn appears resolute, holding her bow
tightly in her hand. Elsea and Zara are
horrified. Zelos is disgusted. Glenn stops, his blade now at his side.
Mary: "A monstrosity built by
Metis' hand, or so was the tale told me by a frightened soldier. It is full of soldiers and mages most
assuredly plotting Silvara's downfall."
Zara
steps away from the group, tears in her eyes.
Zara: "Mary, I'm afraid to say,
the city has fallen. For now, we must
retreat."
Mary: "And we will once I make
myself known. Just a moment
longer..."
Glenn: "And you swear the city
is safe?"
Mary: "Not with that beast in
the air!"
Glenn
looks back at the airship.
Glenn
sheaths his sword.
Mary: "Smart decision, that, now
step back, if you would. This might be
dangerous."
Glenn
and Dawn push the others back to a safe distance while Elsea stands before them
and conjures a sky-blue barrier of magic before her.
Mary
kneels and puts her hand upon the ground.
The runes on her flesh and the runes around her cast the area in a
blinding red light.
The
magic pours into her body, leaving the ground and making her entire body glow
with magic, a red aura surrounding her like a swirling flame.
Mary
stands and casts her hand into the air.
The magical light becomes a singular point of blinding red light in her
palm.
Red
plasma pours from her palm and fans through the air.
Show
the mages on the airship drawing runes and summoning shields of various color.
Show
a thin barrier formed of different colors appear to meet the blinding red flash
of flame and light.
Show
the barrier bend inward.
Show
the barrier fade, red flames cascading into the airship’s underside and
spreading across its form.
Mary
slouches, breathless, as the airship drifts out of the air, red flames
lingering upon its frame, smoking pouring from it.
Mary
smiles back at the party.
Mary: "I...did it..."
Zelos
joins Mary and helps her to stand.
Zelos: "I'll say you did. Very impressive, Mary!"
Mary: "Why...thank
you...pumpkin."
Show
the two of them, Mary leaning into Zelos, with green line framing them from
behind.
Show
the airship drifting downward, pouring from its side.
Show
the airship stabilize.
The
airship rises while spells rain down from its sides once more.
The
green light from the airship burns brighter.
Everyone
watches as the ship levels out.
Spells
start raining down from the airship again.
Mary: "Oh, damn it all!"
Zelos: "Come on, you're too
weak to fight it now."
Glenn
helps Zelos to carry Mary toward Dawn, Elsea, and Zara.
-The Four Thrones-
Cut
to Silverthrone by morning, the sun rising on the party as they walk through
the ruins of the castle. Dawn and Glenn
lead, with Elsea at the rear. Zelos
helps Mary along. Zara is passing under
a broken support beam that is blackened from fire. Blades of sunlight show. Flashes of magic appear from offscreen.
They
stop at a partially broken wall. The
interior walls have been broken, exposing aspects of the outside. The bodies of soldiers, Silvaran and Fionan
alike, litter the ground.
Elsea
steps forward, her hands and eyes glowing.
Elsea
uses magic to shift rubble aside while Dawn and Glenn stand at the ready. Zelos puts Mary to rest on the ground while
Zara stops beside him.
Show
Zara watching Zelos who looks about the ruins.
Zara: "You seem distracted."
Zelos: "This is a full
assault."
Zara: "It's not your
fault."
Zelos: "I know. I just can't
figure out what they're thinking."
Zara: "Maybe Metis
really..."
Zelos: "He's my brother."
They
go silent.
Zara: "Zelos, I know it's hard
for you to hear, but you know, even the most evil of people have
families."
Zelos
looks at Zara sternly, and she holds his gaze.
Zelos: "He's my brother."
Zara: "Yes, well, your
brother's attack has taken at least three of my family members and my
home. Consider that."
Zelos
kicks a stone while Zara storms off with tears in her eyes.
-The Four Thrones-
Cut
to Glenn and Dawn keeping watch while Elsea is busy at work clearing the
rubble.
Dawn: "Do you think what she
said was true?"
Glenn: "Who?"
Dawn: "That magician."
Glenn: "Mary?"
Dawn: "Yeah, her."
Glenn: "About that ship?"
Dawn
nods.
Glenn: "I doubt he built it
alone, but yes, he was involved."
Dawn
looks at Zelos.
Dawn: "But he won't hear
it."
Glenn: "Doesn't matter. We don't have time for blame. We have to survive."
Dawn: "That I can agree
with."
Show
a boulder, wrapped in sky-blue light, tumbling to the side and revealing a
fractured wall with a sturdy door built into it while the party turns to look.
Elsea
wipes the sweat from her brow.
Elsea: "Excuse me, everyone, I
am finished."
Dawn: "Good job, Els."
Zara: "Yes, very good!"
Glenn: "Alright, everyone. Inside."
Glenn
and Zelos keep watch while Dawn takes the lead with her bow nocked.
Zara
and Elsea help Mary down, walking the center while Glenn and Zelos wait.
Glenn
and Zelos share a look at the door.
Zelos: "We might just make
it."
Glenn: "Looks that way."
Zelos: "You go. I'll take up the rear."
Glenn: "Are you sure?"
Zelos: "Yeah."
Glenn
enters while Zelos watches.
Zelos: "Glenn?"
Glenn
looks back at Zelos.
Glenn: "Yes?"
Zelos: "I'm sorry."
Zelos
draws Glenn’s sword from his scabbard while shoving Glenn in the chest with his
foot.
Glenn
falls backward while his sword comes out.
Glenn: "Zelos, what..!"
Glenn
catches himself while Zelos shuts the door.
Zelos
wedges the blade into the door handle to prevent the door from coming open.
Show
the door wriggle while Glenn beats on the other side and Zelos stands, waiting.
Glenn: "Zelos. Zelos!
You stop this right now!"
Zelos
rests with his back against the door.
Zelos: "Glenn, I'm sorry, but I
can't go with you all. This is a full-scale
assault. Kratos will be here, and so I
can't leave."
Glenn: "Zelos!"
Zelos: "I need to talk to
him. I need to fix this!"
Glenn: "Zelos, you're in over
your head here! You don't know what
you're doing! They'll kill you!"
Zelos: "Glenn, I'm going to fix
this. I have to. You just go and protect Zara and Dawn. They're all that's left of Silvara now."
Glenn: "Please, Zelos. Please! Don't do this."
Zelos: "It's done. Right now, you're just wasting time."
Zelos
leaves while Glenn continues to beat on the door.
-The Four Thrones-
Cut
to Kratos moving about the ruins of Silverthrone castle. It is midday.
Magical blasts explode in blinding flashes of color around him. He moves carefully, with his bow up, dirt and
soot across his face and beard.
Show
Kratos looking up at the airship in disgust, the airship hovering overhead,
streaks of magic jumping from its sides.
Kratos
climbs over a pile of rubble and finds Zelos seated at the bottom.
Kratos
trains his arrow on Zelos.
Kratos: "I had thought you
would run!"
Zelos
stands.
Zelos: "Fionan royalty know no
cowardice."
Kratos: "No, we don't."
Kratos
descends carefully and keeps his arrow fixed on Zelos.
Kratos: "I've went through a
lot to find you. Now that I have found
you, I have a few questions for you. Why
did you kill our father?"
Zelos: "I...I didn't,
Kratos. I had nothing to do with it, and
neither did Zara!"
Kratos: "And my family? I suppose you hand no hand in that,
either!"
Zelos
has tears in his eyes as he stammers.
Zelos: "They...When...?"
Kratos: "You didn't know?"
Zelos: "By the gods, no! Of course not! How...Who would..."
Kratos
hesitates, his bow fixed on the crying Zelos.
Kratos
lowers his bow as he approaches.
Kratos
embraces Zelos.
Kratos: "Zelos. It is good to
see you."
Zelos
returns the embrace.
Zelos: "And you, brother. What is going on in Fiona?"
Kratos: "Madness, from the
sounds of things, and I think I know exactly why. We'll talk about it later. For now, we must go. We can't have them finding us."
Zelos
surveys the ruins of the castle while Kratos holds him by the shoulders.
Zelos: "But aren't you leading
the attack."
Kratos: "In a sense, but I was
only here to find you. Now that I have, it's
time to go."
Zelos: "Where will we go?"
Kratos: "Into hiding
somewhere. We can't have the army find
you. They've been ordered to kill you on
sight."
Zelos: "Who would order such a
thing?"
Kratos: "Metis, I think. Probably trying to cover his tracks. Now,
let’s hurry.”
Zelos: "But..."
Kratos: "No arguments. Let's go."
Zelos
nods.
Zelos: "Kratos."
Kratos: "Yes?"
Zelos: "I'm glad that you're
alive."
Kratos
smiles at Zelos, who is smiling in return.
Kratos: "I wouldn't die without
clearing your name first."
An
arrow catches Kratos in the chest as they smile at each other.
Kratos
and Zelos go wide-eyed as two more arrows cluster in Kratos’ chest.
Zelos: "Kratos!"
Zelos
looks up toward the rubble as an arrow catches him in the face, leaving a
shallow cut and removing his eyepatch.
Zelos
falls to kneeling while clutching his eye.
Show
Crane atop the rubble, eyes wide and wild, an arrow nocked, her body gaunt and
haggard.
Crane: "It's too bad that he
won't see you die, boy! But I can still
make you suffer! Bleed you slowly before
setting you on fire! Setting everyone on
fire...This world will burn without my Burgess in it!"
Zelos
staggers to his feet, hiding his golden eye behind his hand, blood running down
his face.
Zelos
takes an arrow to his shoulder.
Crane
laughs as Zelos falls onto his back.
Crane: "Don't you worry,
boy. I swear on my dead love's soul, I
will kill that traitor brother of yours.
I'll kill everyone he knew or loved.
I'll kill anyone even associated with the crown. One by one, I'll kill them all!"
Crane
stomps on Zelos’ wound and holds an arrow to his head.
Crane: "But first..."
Emissary, off-screen:
"Stop!"
Crane
spins and points a drawn arrow at the Emissary.
Show
from above as archers surround them on all sides.
Emissary: "We brought you into
the battle to help us."
Crane: "I am helping. I'm about to kill the traitor!"
Emissary: "And prince
Kratos?"
Crane: "He...He killed my Burgess. He deserved to die!"
Emissary: "Miss, lower your
bow."
Crane
looks around frantically.
Crane: "Never!"
Crane
looses the arrow.
It
hits the Emissary in the shoulder. He
stumbles backward.
A
series of arrows fill Crane like a pin cushion.
Crane
jerks.
Crane
smiles as she falls.
End
the scene with the archers closing rank on Zelos. He is huddled, holding his eye. Golden light spills from between his fingers as
the magic threatens to go out of control.
-The Four Thrones-
Cut
to the Black Castle interior hallways.
The castle is dark and devoid of life.
Show
Metis’ room, empty and cleaned, everything in its place. The wardrobe is slightly ajar.
Show
the spiral staircase from above, the long, winding stairs leading into the
darkness, the shadows darker and rounded.
Show
the alter, the torches dimmed, the shadows thick and swollen at the center of
the screen. A wet crunching fills the
silence.
The
shadows recede, dropping the broken remains onto the altar.
Show
Metis crouched, the torches around him coming to life. He has sweat on his brow and a sick, haggard
smile cut across his face.
Metis
stands and smooths his robes.
Metis: "Now that you've finished
your meal, I feel there is much to discuss."
Book One End.
