The Unnamed Saga: The Four Thrones, Chapter Nineteen: "Nation's Fall, part 1"

Chapter Nineteen: Nation’s Fall, part one

 

Open to Mary walking Silverthrone’s eastern garden.  She wears a thin nightgown that clings tightly to her figure but doesn’t seem to notice the cold.  Moonlight illuminates the area.  The flowerbeds are barren in the winter.  Snow is on the ground.  She walks barefoot, leaving footprints in her wake.

Mary stops and pulls her bandages off.

Mary: "Damned things!  Why must you itch so?"

Mary drops the bandages on the ground.  They are clean of blood.

Mary: "Much better, and now I can breathe, as well."

Show Mary standing in the moonlight.

The moonlight fades, replaced by clouds.

Mary looks up toward the sky.

Mary: "Even more snow. It shall be a long, cold winter, indeed."

 

Show the arc of a flaming arrow in the sky from Mary’s perspective.

Show a magical flare shoot up after it.

Show another series of magical flares.

Show a sea of green light fill the air.

 

A flaming arrow shoots up into the sky.

It reaches apex and drops down.

Magical flares shoot up shortly after.

A sea of green light fills the distance.

Mary: "I—How did I not...?"

Mary takes off toward the front gate.

 

-The Four Thrones-

 

Cut to Silvara by night, the streets lit by the magical green light of the airship.  Its monstrous shadow fills the alleyways.  Citizens have come out to stare up at the airship’s underside.  Some cover their eyes.  Others stare in wide-eyed fright.

Show one Silvaran Citizen leave his house, his breath curling in steam, rubbing sleep from his eyes.

Silvaran Citizen1: "What in the world is all this light about?"

The man’s face faults as he stares up at the sky.

Silvaran Citizen1: "...By the gods!"

 

Citizens rush by him.

Show the airship sailing smoothly through the air, creaking as it passes, a trail of green light encircling it and trailing just after.

Show the airship from the side, platforms extending from the sides. Robed men and women stand at the platform edges, tethered by straps, each holding a wand or a staff.  Their robes flap in the wind.

Focus on one female mage whose hair blows in the wind as she draws a rune in the air in indigo light.

The rune spreads and erupts into a flash of indigo sparks.  Others around her bring their own spells to life.

Zoom out to show an arch of purple lightning striking one of the Silvaran buildings.  The building’s roof explodes into an indigo flame.

Show Silvaran Citizen1 watching the building burn, the flame fading from purple to black and white.

An orange flash of light consumes him and incinerates him instantly.

 

-The Four Thrones-

 

Cut to the airship from below, a tongue of dark green flame jumping from one of the platforms.  A rainbow array of lightning cuts through the air.  Rays of various colors light the city.

Show Silvara burning as the airship glides overhead, green light spilling from its wake, various forms of colorful magic filling the night.

 

-The Four Thrones-

 

Cut to Kratos watching the sky in horror, his face lit green by magic.  Fionan soldier sprint by him in an endless stream.

The Emissary stops at his side, now dressed in black armor and holding both a sword and shield.

The Emissary smiles as he joins Kratos in staring up at the sky.

Emissary: "Marvelous, isn't it?  It was your brother's design.  He commissioned it from the Academy."

 

Kratos: "What have I done?"

 

The Emissary clasps Kratos’ shoulder

Emissary: "What is necessary.  Now, my prince, you must steel your heart.  We have traitors to find."

 

Kratos stares a moment longer.

Kratos: "We do."

Together they join the soldiers storming the castle.

 

-The Four Thrones-

 

Cut to Mary approaching the gate, the airship’s shadow obscuring the moonlight around her.  Flashes of magic color the ground.  There is an omnipresent green glow.

Mary is passing a gazebo when Fionan soldiers notice her.

Mary stops at the gazebo with the soldiers surrounding her.

 

Fionan Soldier1: "Looks like we've got one!"

 

Fionan Soldier2: "A pretty one at that.  Let's give her a chance to surrender before we gut her."

 

Fionan Soldier1: "Surrender?  Planning to find a wife among these lazy Silvaran heifers?  Ha! You always were..."

 

Mary grabs Soldier1 with red, translucent magical hand.

Mary hurls Soldier1 into a group of soldiers as Soldier2 shouts.

Mary pins Soldier2 to the nearby wall with a band of red magic.

Mary approaches the suspended soldier with her left arm up, the runes upon her left arm glowing red with magic.

Mary: "I have many questions, and I advise you to answer each one honestly.  Firstly, what is happening here?  Secondly, what is that damned monstrosity what is sailing across the sky."

 

Fionan Soldier2: "I-It's a raid."

 

Mary: "That much I can see.  Upon whose orders was this raid carried out?"

 

Fionan Soldier2: "The King."

 

Mary: "A king has been crowned? ...No, Metis has simply seized control in Kratos' absence, hasn't he?"

 

Fionan Soldier2: "Um."

 

Mary points to the airship with her right hand.

Mary: "And I'd say there is no hazard in assuming that thing is a product of his schemes as well, hmm?"

 

Fionan Soldier2, pinned to the wall which has fractured under the force of her magic, looks past her.

Mary, left arm still up and glowing, looks back to find a group of soldiers approaching.

Mary snaps a finger and a flare of red flame engulfs the approaching soldiers.

Mary: "Now then, my question, if you would."

 

Fionan Soldier2: "Yes, I remember hearing that the king had a hand in its design."

 

Mary drops Solder2 to the ground.

Mary makes his sword shatter in a flash of red light.

Mary: "You seem a nice young man.  So, go.  Now.  Before I decide to make you a nice young corpse."

 

Fionan Soldier2: "Y-Yes, ma'am!"

 

Soldier2 runs off.

Mary looks back at the scattered corpses of the soldiers who had flanked her.

Mary: "Ground forces should be short work."

 

She looks up at the airship.

Show soldiers sliding down ropes from the airship and landing on the ground.

Show the soldiers on the ground, drawing blades and storming the village.

Mary sighs.

Mary: "Or mayhap not."

 

-The Four Thrones-

 

Cut to the Silverthrone entrance hall.  Show the large double doors blown inward, still burning with magical cinders.  The windows have blown in.  A halo of black scorch marks fan out across the tiles.  Dead bodies surround the doorway.

Show a Fionan soldier slit a Silvaran’ maids throat.

Show a group of 3 Fionan soldiers surrounding a doorway.  The one at the center has a bow ready.  The two flanking have their blades drawn.

The bowman nods.

The Fionan soldier on the right kicks the door in.

The 3 Fionan soldiers enter the room as Zara sits up.

Zara screams while falling from the bed.

Zara crawls toward the nearby wall while the 3 Fionan soldiers surround her.

 

Fionan Soldier3: "Seems we've found the king slayer. Go get the commander!"

Show the soldiers from Zara's view.  The 2 soldiers with blades advance on her.

The bowman takes an arrow to the throat and collapses.  She fires wide over Zara’s head.

Fionan Soldier3: "Hey, did you hear me?"

Fionan Soldier3 turns to find Dawn storming the room.

Fionan Soldier3 takes an arrow to the eye while Fionan Soldier4 turns on her.

Dawn fires sideways into Fionan Soldier4’s throat while crouching beside Zara.

Zara falls into Dawn’s open arms.

 

Zara: "Dawn!  Dawn, what's happening, Dawn?"

 

Dawn: "Fiona is attacking.  We don't have much time.  We need to go.  Come on, Zara."

 

Zara: "Go? Go where?"

 

Dawn stands and pulls Zara to standing with her.

Dawn: "Glenn and I plan to meet in the garden and figure it out from there.  Grab a robe, it's cold out."

 

Zara goes to her wardrobe covered in blood.

Zara stops at the wardrobe and stares down her bloody torso.

Zara looks back at Dawn and finds her sister covered in blood.

Zara: "Dawn!  Are you injured?"

 

Dawn: "I'm fine.  We need to hurry, though.  Grab your robe and let's go."

 

Zara: "Whose blood is that?"

 

Dawn: "Zara, get dressed."

 

Zara: "Tell me whose blood that is!"

 

Dawn: "We'll talk about this later!  Just get a damn robe on!"

They stare at each other. Clanking is heard down the hall.

Dawn: "We don't have time for this, Zara, and I can't have you breaking down.  So, grab damn robe so we can go.  I'm not losing you, too."

Dawn kneels and trains an arrow on the door while Zara pulls her wardrobe open.

 

-The Four Thrones-

 

Cut to the Silverthrone interior, Fioann soldiers combing the halls in small, three person units.

Show two Fionan soldiers outside a doorway with swords drawn.

Fionan Soldier5 kicks the doorway in.

Show Fionan Soldier6 enter the room’s interior.

Glenn runs Fionan Soldier6 through the gut with his blade.

Glenn knocks Fionan Soldier5 back with his shoulder as the soldier steps in to slash him.

Glenn draws the blade from Fionan Soldier6 and slashes at Fionan Soldier5, who parries with his own sword.

Fionan Soldier6 attempts to stab Glenn in the back.

Glenn sidesteps and Fionan Soldier6 runs into Fionan Soldier5.

Glenn kicks them both over.

Glenn drives his blade down through their stacked torsos.

Glenn shakes his blade off while turning to Zelos.

Glenn: "Hurry."

 

Zelos grabs his cloak.

Zelos: "Did you have to kill them?"

 

Glenn: "Yes."

 

Zelos: "They were just doing their duty to Fiona."

 

Glenn sheaths his sword.

Glenn: "Let's go."

 

Glean leads Zelos out into the hall.

 

-The Four Thrones-

 

Cut to the Black Castle interior, Eros’ room.  Show the room is disarray, clothes scattered, half the bedding left on the floor.  The curtains are open, allowing moonlight into the room.  Eros is at his bed, binding his knapsack.

Eros: "It's not safe here."

Eros stares at his knapsack.

Eros: "I'm not safe here."

Eros slings the sack over his shoulder.

Eros rushes out of the room and down the hall.

Show Eros in the entry wall, rushing down the stairs.  There is a hint of purple in the shadows of the hall.

Eros stops at the base of the stairs.

The door locks as Eros approaches it.

The shutters slam.

The candlelight in the chandelier fades in a purple blur.

Eros looks around the darkened room.

Eros staggers back toward the stairs.

Eros trips at the stairway and cries.

Eros: "No.  No, no, no...NO!"

Eros runs back to the doors.

Eros bangs on the doors.

Eros: "No, please, no...Please!"

Purple light surrounds Eros as he pulls on the doors.

Eros lifts off the ground.

Eros flies into a nearby wall.  It cracks from the impact.

Metis comes out from the shadows.  He has a sinister smile on his face.

 

Metis: "Eros, my dear brother.  I fear that we need to have a talk."

Chapter End.