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
